I feel I should give a little explanation here.
Fleur is not clipped and so is looking fat and fluffy but I assure you she is in great condition and tight as a drum. She can trot non stop around our concession which is 4 miles without raising a sweat in that winter coat. I had to drop her back a bit because we are looking to peak her for the beginning of June, our area 2 National show.
There is more room in the shafts than there appears because of that fluffy coat, enough that she can bend easily. Yes the shafts do ride up on the corners with Kim in that cart. It is my cart and set up to be balanced more for me. We did move the seat forward some to try to find a bit of a medium as I also drive with Nick in the cart but I can't move it too far or when I get on I can't keep it down and there isn't room for Kim's longer legs. Kim only drives on Sundays, and not always in this cart, and I drive the rest of the week.
This is a lesson for Kim to learn how to ask Fleur to bend and so I asked her to keep to large ovals and circles. Fleur is just learning to bend and is coming along really nicely. She is giving to the bit and getting really steady. I work her on smaller circles, serpentines and spirals but until Kim can keep her going consistantly with relaxation I don't want her to scare Fleur by asking her to take a tighter bend than she is capable of with Kim's reining which is also coming along really nicely.
Fleur really can motor for a little girl! She has a gear that Kim has not even found yet but we are keeping Kim's high blood pressure in check
and not asking for more than she is ready to accept just now. When I work with Fleur on transitions and get her back on her haunches she can really get it in gear and just fly.
Kim does have a bad habit
(you know you do!) of dropping her arms on to her legs to rest them and I am on her frequently to raise them and bring her hands together more but one can only concentrate on so much at a time when one is learning so I didn't bug her too much during these videos as long as she wasn't being stiff on the reins with them on her legs. She has to be able to relax in order to get Fleur to relax and if her hands and arms are stiff that isn't going to happen.
I am really pleased with both Kim and Fleur's progress and I think they will do really well in the show ring this year.