I have only a half hour to write this, as Niles is intently watching me waiting to go to the barn - and for any of you that have Jack Russell Terrorists... you know how intently that stare is, and how patient they can be...... We had our second lesson on Wednesday, and I thought initially with it being kinda cold out and breezy Oz might be a handful. I had also heard the day before when Bri rode him, he was - well I think the technical term was, ASS. Although he was listening to the leg, he was all about running through to the canter, on the wrong lead, all on the forehand, and having one of his tempertantrums. Yes Oz has temper tantrums - but they are in an Ozzy way, which is like he's having an ADD moment, and hyperventalating at the same time, I --- JUST ---- DONT ---- KNOW ----- WHAT ----- YOU ----- WANT ----- FROM ----- ME - So I'm going to be all sketchy and scared acting, and like I have no brain.... Its a behaviour one has to see and ride to appreciate it. So I thought this might be the behaviour I'd see on Wednesday, but instead I had a lazy lazy horse on my hands - literally on his head weight on my hands. So while we attempted to wake him up at the beginning of the session, we worked on me. So worked on my leg position, and the first part of my lesson was done without stirrups. I can describe this experience in one word - PAIN - Trot without stirrups, walk without stirrups, sitting trot without stirrups, rising trot without stirrups, transition from walk to trot, hault to trot, all without stirrups. About 10 minutes into it, I lost feeling in my inner thighs, and felt nauseas - but no pain no gain. Then I was able to have my stirrups back and we worked a bit on straightness, bending properly around my leg and not motorcycling through the corners. And finished with some jump work. At one point I asked for him to move up and under me, and he didn't so I made sure he realized I was wearing spurs and I will use them (forgot my crop) and with that I got the move I asked for, but I also got a spin of the tail, which is so unlike Oz. At times he starting to behave like something other then the easy going Oz, occassionally we'll get a little buck now, a toss of the head - all him just feeling good and healthy and expressing himself.... I think as we continue to work him this year and we start to compete, he's going to start getting more and more excited - which is something I would love to see. Hasn't been a half hour yet, but in Niles, Jack Russell brain its been 12 hours of waiting patiently - so off to the barn we go, no lesson today, but definately riding. I have a list of vents to start, but we'll start those later this coming week.