Well the fine weather has broken, there is snow everywhere and the whole country is freezing! I swear it snowed on me yesterday!

So hacked Harry out to the beach and kept moving on quickly to keep warm. Trotted all the places we could and then down the street to the end beach entry. Cantered down to the pink stump and then trotted back down to the beach through the water to the normal exit with a storm chasing us...

Was much more sheltered once we got off the beach again so we just walked back (he had worked quite hard) and managed not to get wet. He's dropped a bit of weight again so I'm trying to get lots of grass and hay into him.

Had a great ride on Giant today, he was really good. Started lunging him as the sun was going down, it turned the air a thick pink and there was a huge rainbow over us, very cool. Warmed him up over poles again, he was getting a bit excited so made sure he stayed steady and straight, then practised our changes of rein again, getting them soother, he tends to spin around then snort and run off the other way, we got to were he was too slow, but thats better, atleast he was calm.

Then over a small cross rail, again he got a bit excited so lunged him right next to it so he didn't know when he was going over it and he did it great. Put it up to a little vertical and he jumped that well too, he has really nice style, I wanted to go higher but the ground is too slippery, I don't want to scare him.

Got on and went through some flexions at a halt, just getting him chewing softly. He actually chews better to the left, although hes not as straight in the poll that way. Basic travers is good now so I turned it into a half pass (same positioning but moving away from the leg differently). I think half pass is his new favourite, he thinks hes rather clever. To the left he just finds the flexion hard, to the right the flexion is easy but have to watch that he doesn't want to get too much sideways.

Into canter just practised some trans forwards and back, something he still finds hard, he wants me to do it for him rather than carry himself. Then some lengthened strides in trot, this isn't natural for him (its bred into the WBs, but I don't like that) so it takes some developing, but he actually lengthens his stride out now rather than just running faster. Then when I bring him back his stride gains more cadence. Stretching out is still his hardest thing, he wants to do it after some work but is always inclined to want to curl.

Harry - introduced him to shoulder in on a circle, which he did pretty well. He didn't really understand counter shoulder in, needs more work on turning on from a neck rein straight and in a counter flexion. He did some nice calm walk and trot work and did some left canter to get him happy in canter as he tends to get quite wound up once we start, then went to the right. Set him up in the right balance and flexion and then pushed him forwards until he rolled into canter, still only got about 4 of 100 strike offs, he hasn't understood yet. But rolling him into it did keep him a bit calmer, atleast he didn't go into his pacing and boucing on the spot so much. When he gets the lead it actually feels better than going the other way, its just th strike off.

Giant - hacked out over dairy farm from Pukenamu Rd. The horses next to the lane way all cantered over to him but he was really good, although he did spook at a random pile of junk in where those cars are. Gates at end of lane way were shut so went into one of the other paddocks and practiced hills with him, getting him to walk and trot up and walk down on a loose rein.