I have felt the need to put my stirrups down another hole, and Charles De Kunffy's "without elbows there is no riding", " bend your elbows so the horse can feel where your seat is", and Franz Mairinger's " sit down and take the horse with you" are engraved on my heart, but I am so busy getting excited about what is going on underneath me that I can't really concentrate on much else at the moment! I am probably going to be sadly disappointed when I see how little improvement I have made to myself, but I know that they FEEL wonderful, so I am sure that they look it as well.

Phillipe Karl has also solved our left canter strike off problems, with 100% success rate so far (only trying on the lunge at the moment, to get that solid before I get on and ruin it!). This has been long standing with both of them, even when turned out in the field I've hardly ever seen them canter left, but his way is SO easy (and Bella and Jack thrown in a little extra bonus for me too, all off their own bats!!!!). Details later!