Last night I went down the yard to lunge Jazz. I and Maria, Mandy’s daughter went over to the field to get Jazz whilst Mandy got her tack from the car and had a bit of a tidy up. I and Maria were discussing how Jazz would react to the ‘legs’ that we had made from long riding boots filled with hay, then with a pair of trousers over the top again filled with hay. These act as a person as they have some weight and they bounce around on the horses back, and they tend to lose the stirrups. Once I had caught Jazz we led her over the field, she was fine past the tractors and the cows, the only things that bothered her were Gwen and Fizzle in the field. Once I had got her tied up on a short length of rope I walked off and left her to encourage her to stand quietly. After Jazz had stood alone for about 5 minutes I went back over to her and fussed over her and gave her a groom which she stood quietly for. I had to try a bit harder to get her to move over but eventually she did. After I had groomed her, I went to get her saddle. I showed it to her before I put it on just to let her know what I was about to do. Once the saddle was in place I let down the girth. Unusually Jazz stood good as gold when I tightened the girth unlike Friday night when she figited. After the saddle was on I left her for a couple of minutes to move about to get used to the feel of the saddle again. I then put the bridle on. Jazz was again good and accepted the bit straight away. I then put on her lunge cavesson. Mandy led her into the school and worked with her foal about 10 minutes on both reins, doing walk to trot, trot to walk, walk to stand and stand to walk transitions. Then I took over. Jazz bucked a few times then she realised that I was fazed by her bucking so she behaved and we again did transitions on both reins. She was amazing!

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