Play time is getting serious

I've been to visit my new friend, Lara, for another play day this week. I'm starting to get suspicious that Mum doesn't really understand the concept of 'play'. For a play day the humans were getting both of us to do what seemed like rather a lot of work?

Like our last play day we started with our own humans just doing a bit of walk, trot and canter. Well that was all fine and then they started discussing medium trot. A trot is a trot ok unless your a dales, then some of us do have a stonking trot mode too. My cousin Eric is very good at this, personally I prefer to canter and if I am going to keep up with Lara's medium trot, a flat out gallop might be called for. 

So the humans decided we should 'play' at medium trot across the diagonals, man that is hard work, my bum aches from trying to power from behind. Lara makes it look sooooo easy but she has had a lot more practice then me. The humans switched and continued to 'play' at medium trot. Errrr are you supposed to be sweating on a 'play day'?

Mum needs to practise Prelim 13 as evidently this is our next circle test.  This one is quite important as Mum is trying to qualify me for the Native Pony Society Championships and we will only have this one chance. So to help Mum remember the test and she says to get a feel of what it is like to ride a 'real' dressage horse (cheek what's wrong with riding me, if you hadn't noticed Mum Lara is NOT a native pony, so there is no point tying to qualifier her) she had a go on Lara. It's got to be getting serious when the humans had employed their own film crew to video a 'practice session'!  Here's the results http://youtu.be/KW7vgCkPn54

Ok Lara, anything you can do, in the hands of a professional I'm sure I can do better.  Well Lara is being handicapped by being ridden by my Mum (now aka bird lady - flaps like a chicken when jumping and rides Dressage like a penguin, can she stick her toes any further out!). Watch and learn ponies http://youtu.be/2-49Te-AepA

Finally we were allowed some down time and with humans returned to their own ponies we got to go jumping, yeah.....giving it large, with plenty of room to spare.

On a more serious note there seemed to be some enthusiastic discussions on entering circle competitions with the wrong human pony combination. I don't mind, it's great to have a good rider with gentle hands riding me, but poor Lara will get the short straw with Bird lady Mum. 

The question is can an Elementary dressage horse in the hands of my Mum beat, me, most amazing Dales pony in the hands of a professional? Well bring it on and let's find out........oh and to make it more interesting we will each do a Prelim and Novice Test. Ummmmm Mum we don't do Novice, I'm still a beginner and Lara's not impressed having to do a Prelim test she says its beneath her, and I think Mum might struggle to stop Lara showing off some of her fancier moves in the Prelim.  Could be interesting.......more practiced required all round I think.