Sunday 21st September

Today Elle was coming out to help me film my level two assessment. I headed to the stables quite early that morning to set up obstacles (the sheep in the field are destroying everything) Blossom then caught me really well, so I haltered her and she followed round while I finished putting some of the obstacles up. We then went up to the stables so I could give her a good groom. I watched the latest SC dvd last night so I used the stand still for grooming technique that Pat shows. It worked really well for Blossom and made grooming so much more enjoyable for both of us I think. I then would walk her away and bring her back to the spot where we had been grooming and every time she managed to stand still quicker. She also done lots of licking and chewing, plus lots of yawning!! I then played with holding her tongue, she was really good at this today and even once I let go her tongue would still be sticking out her mouth.

When Elle arrived we headed out to the field and decided just to start with the first task ‘seven games with an obatacle’ We took quite a few shots of this as I was in a muddle a lot of the time and things just weren’t going as well as they normally do. Elle reminded me of the use of my phases and its better to go to phase 4 rather than constantly using phase 1. What a difference this made to our games, especially driving from zone 3. The final version wasn’t great I don’t think, I didn’t really feel confident while I was playing and sideways game didn’t go very well. So maybe we will re film this another day.

Next we went to yo yo game over a pole, which we have worked so hard on to get Blossom confident with the pole in zone 5. So today she went backwards and over the pole lovely, but then wouldn’t come back to me!

Elle then had a little play with her using a technique she knows to help encourage a better draw as I wasn’t sure what it was. It was really interesting to watch and this is something I will try and do more of to help Blossom with her draw.

Elle then had a little play with her with circles and change of directions. I don’t want to go into much detail, as it wasn’t me playing with her. But what I will say it was brilliant to watch, I don’t often get the chance to watch anybody play with Blossom or for anybody to watch me playing with Blossom so I’m never sure if things are going as they are suppose to.. What I did learn from watching Elle is she was really working hard to keep Blossom connected to her while she was on a circle instead of just letting her run round in circles, which is maybe what I do without realising how tuned out Blossom actually is. I found that Blossom is able to do a change of direction at trot, but can only do it if she is mentally connected to you before you ask for the change. This still needs a lot of work but I now feel more hopeful that we are going to be able to do this quite soon. I also learnt from watching some techniques that I should be using more of to help Blossom soften her body and stay connected to me while playing. I actually knew most of these as Jackie showed me a few on her course, but I think I just needed reminded of what I should be doing more of.

We didn’t do any more filming after Elle played with her as we felt that would be enough for Blossom for the day as she worked really hard and really did try hard.
What I do feel I really learnt from today is I have been putting to much pressure on myself and Blossom to play with the level two tasks so we can film our assessment. Basically I forgot about what this is all about and think I put our relationship second and I think this has showed in our play the last couple of days. How interesting that it took someone else to play with my pony for me to notice that I have been forgetting to play with the basic ingredients. I have just been coming out to play with Blossom and then saying right today we are going to be doing this, and this, and this!! And totally forgetting about what Blossom might need me to do to help her and also totally forgetting to play with the horse that turns up that day.
So for the next few weeks im going to forget there is even an assessment and just go out and play with Blossom and start having fun again and I think if we get this going again all the tasks for the assessment will just fall into place.

Brilliant day!! I had so much to lick and chew over and think il be thinking about all this for another few days until it all sinks in and makes sense to me.

Please note that Elle was not teaching me today, and only came out to help me film for my assessment and just happened to have a play with Blossom. Everything I feel I have learnt from Elle was only from watching her Play with Blossom.