I was really nervous about the lesson because it would be me and Katrina's first time away from home together so I didn't really know what to expect !!! Katrina loaded okay and I sat in the car all the way there sick with nerves. What if Hannah didn't like Katrina? She'd told mum she didn't think it was a good idea to buy an older mare so there was a good chance she wouldn't and I love my lessons with her, but how would it happen if she didn't like my horse???
There was another horse in the arena when we arrived so I worked her in carefully, just a little bit concerned about that too seeing as we hadn't worked with another horse in the arena with us before but Katrina didn't seem mind at all bless her she was far too busy looking at everything else, and if anything she was reassured that another horse was there!!!
Katrina was very spooky to begin with but we got a lovely trot after a little while. The main problem was the door because people kept on walking past it Katrina simply could not help looking! I tried to turn it into a positive in my head that it was also kind of good that she was spooking so much because then Hannah was able to teach me how to deal with it and Katrina was starting to get used to concentrating on me despite distractions which is always a bonus! I did manage to get her listening to me really well after a while and I started to feel happier and more relaxed, and I'm quite sure Katrina felt it too.
I also learned not too expect so much from her because in her riding knowledge she's only a baby and because she's ten and I'm just so used to riding Shadow that I'm just expecting her to know more than she actually does, she's actually like a 4yo. I did get a little frustrated but I learned to be more patient with her too, for example we did spend a long time trying to get right canter, she would offer left every single time. I couldn't understand it because I know she knows it, she does strike off wrong sometimes, but not normally and this was time after time. I also knew I wasn't doing anything wrong and I felt like crying because she just wouldn't. I did get one and we went off and worked on something else and it turned out she was developing an abscess in her right front. She wasn't being naughty it must have been starting to be uncomfortable. Lucky it was near the end and she finished so well. Hannah said she really liked her and that I should be able to do a lot with her, so I left feeling really good - Phew!!!.
All in all a good lesson, got some good work out of Speshul K and I was so proud off her she was such a good brave special girl.
Thanks to my amazng sponsors Stone House Solutions and The Emporium at Wentworth, Hannah Moody for taking the time to teach me, Mandy for driving me, and mum just being mum xxxxx