Rare New Zealand Yak

Connie is a fair weather pony. She doesn't like it when it's cold. So every winter she gets insanely hairy. It's hard to believe she is 50% TB. Another ride just cruising around the farm. It's a great place to work on forward which she does struggle with she loves to fall behind the leg. At one point cantering up a hill I was like damn she is really taking me, awesome. But it turned out she was only running away, because she was all worked up and snorted when we pulled up. Silly pony.

I'm so pleased that this winter I have managed to hold her condition rather than her exploding into a massive butter ball of lard. She is the most economical horse ever in terms of converting food to fat. Three days off work and she goes on to at least one hole lower on her girth.

There is a stratergy with Connie this year to really see what we have. She was a good girl last season, she understands the job and now it's time to get into some real work. Firstly, I need to make her more forward and hotter. She is insanely laid back which is great for cruising around, but it means I'm always on her case to get her round the courses while maintaining a canter and I want her to hold it for herself.

The next is to get her jumping across more so we need to do lots of low wide oxers to teach her to stretch over the fences rather than pop up and down over them. Finally, I need to get her flat work really good. I'm talking strong adjustable soft canter, and starting to work on real collection. And perhaps in schooling we will jump some bigger fences and see what we have. She has free jumped over 1.20m no worries but so loses some of her impulsion under saddle. No doubt when she is super fit she is going to be a more difficult ride, but with work i shouldn't be too bad, providing she doesn't throw too many wobblies.