My vacation is lovely, the summer this year is warm, yesterday and the previous days during this week we have had 30 degrees. Dinio is used to this but not me. Due to the warm weather I have been riding during the evenings when it is a bit cooler, around 25 degrees. Today my goal was the walk pirouettes. Started of with the normal warm up, Dinio felt lovely. He really felt energetic and willing. I started the exersice with walking on a straight line, Dinio in a long low form with long strides. Very carefully I collected him, still on the straight line, and then road him forward again, alowing him to take longer strides and return to the long low form. This I repeated several times. When I was sure that we understood each other perfectly I shaped him around my inner leg, when he was collected, and started the turn. After the turn I kept him collected for a few steps, while I was straighten him, and finished each turn with riding him forward with long strides and a long low form.  When having problems with the turn I just stayed in the turn, until he found out where he should be, and when he was there, I finished the turn and road him forward againg. I really got some high quality pirouettes today, and the best part of all, he did'nt try to solve the problem anytime by turning into the spanish walk! Yes - today I really must say that we achieved in moving a limit. We finished our work with grazing grass for about 25 minutes. Dinio very happy for that and wanted to continue the grazing but 25 minutes is quit enough for now - have to be careful with him. Adding a photo of Dinio in one of his happy moments, walking in the forrest with my darling mother, grazing grass.

Sweden's nature in its prime - green, flowers everywhere, sunshine everyday, warm, some rain and vacation for me. Yes - 4 weeks ahead of me with lazy days and lots of lots of time to spend with Dinio, my darling mother and father and my grand child Lea.

Dinio enjoys life, today some easy work and thereafter a little time spent on grazing grass. We took some pictures today - adding a few of them here.

Happy Mid Summer everybody!!

Since our last session with Kristian I have been giving Dinio some various work. We have been riding in the forrest and worked at the outdoor arena. Some days he is feeling just super and some other days less super. But it is quit normal. You can't be on top every day. During our forrest walks Dinio enjoys the Swedish green grass. He graces more calmly when I am sitting on him. So I let him grace for about 15 minutes every time. He just love it!!

Our work is still focusing on transitions. I have also worked on the trot and the canter which shall be ridden in a specific tempo fo now - all according to Kristians instructions. Dinio is doing very well.

Yesterday was a ferrier day. Dinio got new shoes on his front hoofs which now are starting to develop in a correct way. Thank god that I have a very skilled ferrier.

Today I will give Dinio a short and easy session and during this weekend we are going to explore a new area of the forrest. It is nice to have different ways to choose - both for Dinio and for me. Adding a photo where Dinio enjoys the grass.

Due to a sick horse in the stable I have resceduled my training for Kristian from tomorrow til Monday. Hope nothing further happens to Ia or that any other horse get sick. Ia has had fever since last Saturday and the blood test didn't give any answer. Anyway - gave Dinio a good work throw today - he felt just super. Started in a long low form and the transistions where grate. Now and then I manage to get the spanish walk instead of a transition in to the trot. Today was such a day. It appears when he or I are tensed so it is just to take a long deep breath and then start all over again. At the end of our session today I decided to pick him up a bit in the form. My darling mother took som pictures - adding them here. As you can see he has gained a lot in weight and in muscles.

After the session Dinio got a good shower with a lot of schampoo and then - green grass feeding in the sunshine. But just for 15 minutes. Dinio enjoyed every minute and didn't want to follow me in to the stable when the 15 minutes where up. After a bit of discussion he decided to follow me and I installed him in his box where he got his afternoon meal served. Left a very content Dinio.

Tomorrow we will take a long slow ride in the forrest.

Yesterday and today I have had to super sessions with Dinio. Nice to be able to access the feeling two days in a row. After the session today I really can say that Dinio and I are on speaking terms. Every day I find something new. He is getting stronger for every day and are finding the excercises easier and easier to perform. If he and I developes like this our first competition is not so far away! But with few competitions left before the summer I think our first start will be in August.

 After our session today I took a short walk with him around the Täljö area. He got the opportunity to taste the Swedish grass for the first time. Just a little and he really liked it. First - he just watched me and looked like he was saying - "Are you sure? Am I aloud to taste that? After a few minutes of grass feeding we continued our walk and then returned to the stable. Left a very content Dinio - feeding on his afternoon hay and Fibergi.

Poor Dinio, on Thursday night, just before I should leave the stable, Dinio suddenly got a gas cholic. After two walks with him and the cholic didn't gave in, I decided to call the emergency vet. After 10 minutes she arrived and did all the exams and gave him treatment. It really was a gas cholic and it was gone after about one hour. We discussed the cause and after having examined his food, the vet suggested that he must have been eating something unpleasent in the paddock, during the day. She also checked out his reaction towards the Swedish mosquitos and he has developed an allergic reaction. She gave me a recepy for a cortison liniment. The caughing was probably due to very dry weather (for a long time) and I got a recepy for that as well.

So, from tomorrow I will reduce his time in the paddock from 7-8 hours down to 4-5 hours.

Friday - worked from home to have the possibility to check on him and due to many checks during the night towards Friday. In the afternoon I took a long slow ride in the nature. Dinio felt a little tired but of course understandable due to very little sleep during the night.

Saturday - dressage session - felt just lovely.

Sunday - dressage session - very much canter work - felt lovely

Monday - long slow walk in the nature - Dinio very happy!

Tuesday - dressage session where we worked on transitions between the walk and the trot - worked super!!

Today it was time for our sceduled saddle test. Maria joined us and she started with a muscle exam. "He has developed a lot in is back muscles" she said. She was very pleased with his development. And then it was time for the saddle test. I started to ride in the saddle I have on loan. After a while Maria stopped me and asked me to try another saddle. Rode in this one and we decided to order that model. My new saddle will arrive in 6 weeks from now and we decided to have a new "session" in about four weeks from now. Until then - I will continue to ride him in the saddle I have on loan. He worked very well today and recieved a nice shower. On Friday the vet will arrive to check on his coughing. Unfortunately Dinio has also reacted very strongly on the Swedish mosquitos so they have to look at that as well. Today I also bought a special hole body rug that will prevent the mosquitos to bite him. Poor darling Dinio. I will take a picture of him when he is wareing this outfit. But it is really making his life easier.

There are thunder on its way so today I brought Dinio in during my luncheon. But first I tooki the opportunity to take som photos with my phone and a short video clip as well. Dinio has also got his specially made sign which will soon be placed outside his box in the stable. Just enjoy a happy Dinio in his beloved paddock.