Starting back in ernest again

Next week will be school holidays and lots of comings and goings with grandchildren & great nieces...It'll hopefully still be fine and we can get in plenty of horsey time. Yesterday grooming was the order of the day..Gypsy and Louka mainly- there manes were Reeeaally long, so I have pulled the manes and given all of them a general tidy up...My gosh Louka is a beautiful horse...so showy...Gypsy now looks a picture again, and Sarg, Oscar and Maxwell look great....we trimmed ears tails and under the chin- Hmmmm they don't look half bad now!!!! Today we put the saddle on Louka and Megan rode him through the stream- the bit is in his mouth but we are only leading him with the halter, not pulling his mouth at all with the bit in it yet... He had no apparent issues but we do this for quite a while before we ride him with the bit in his mouth..we like to know that he has really got the feel first and then gently introduce the feel to the bit....then it was Sarg's turn- he hasn't been ridden for aquite a few weeks now- but he really likes the torsion saddle and he loved it..Megan rode him right up under the verander and around the corner to the dining room window- and he poked his head in for a look...he didn't mind this one bit and then it was off again down the driveway for the rest of the ride...Maxwell walked out like an energetic little livewire, but he is learning that he doesn't have to do everything at breakneck speed...he's a real little character...I thinm the kids are gonna have a ball this holidays.  I have just finished the EGALA stage one course so I am really looking forward to practising with the kids...I'll keep you posted