Bareback photos

Firstly, I think I almost have a Prestige saddle in the works, but I need to ride in it more to see. I'm so used the Wintec's massive 18" seat (I need that size for the flaps, not the bum haha) that being in a seat that is smaller feels incredibly weird. I hope it's something I can work around. If not, the search continues (the best saddle so far has been a Spirig saddle, just lovely for both of us, but as you can imagine, it was incredibly out of the price range!)

Oh, and the Prestige is brown (Carol the saddle fitter is awesome, especially with my noobish saddle buyer antics) :)

Anyway, some bareback riding pictures from Thursday night. Greta is definitely picking up her back feet (Joe the farrier will love to hear and see that!) and her back was super swingy in the video (she had a little puppydog tail going swoosh-swoosh-swoosh back and forth for most of it!) While she was definitely trying to hang on my hands for much of the ride, I finally got some nice, light, self-carried half-halts and steps of trot towards the end, and that's when I said "NOW you can rest".

While this ride certainly wasn't the best, I compare the video to the one from November and I see a great deal of improvement as fas as picking up her back feet and quite quickly coming to the bit once I start to pick it up (it's a lovely feeling). Her ears are starting to do that wonderful, floppy, relaxed pose as well.

The three pictures before the last picture are of us doing turns on the forehand (turns on the forehand and haunches are also something we have been working on) and the third picture and the very last picture are my favourites :)