07/10/2026
Donkey on week 1 of schooling and week 3.
I'm really pleased with his progress — although, this comparison came about because I was actually feeling quite down about our progress.
I felt like we'd not achieved much in the last few weeks. Everything just feels very messy at the moment.
But when I reminded myself that training often isn't pretty, and actually thought about the things we've been working on, I realised that we have achieved quite a lot!
Looking at the second photo there's a much more open stride, more activity and engagement from behind, he looks more supple and he is more secure in the contact. Although, being critical, he is dropping slightly behind the vertical in the second photo, showing that he is still developing the core strength and balance required to carry himself properly, particularly as I ask for more push from behind. There is always more room for improvement and more work to be done! Progress with horses is never linear.
And outside of what you can see in these two photos, we're also getting more consistency with all of those things, and he's starting to give me more rideability too. The first photo was very much a moment in time, where the second photo is a truer representation of where we are at.
It's very easy when you're in the middle of training to only see the things that still need work. Sometimes you have to stop, look back, and realise just how far you've actually come.
