when on the mend

As I talked about in my recent posts, we have been addressing recent feet issues in this dry heat. In addition to that, we have had some extreme temps putting us in a heat advisory restricting actual riding capabilities...

so we graze and hang out...

So take a really fit thoroughbred, red head mare...give her roughly two rides over a week...mix it together and you get a monster. Yep, legit. 

Seriously though, she isn't nearly as bad as she used to be...but the fire breathing dragon version of Tillie has re-visited us even in this heat and I have to say, I really didn't miss it. Ok maybe a little part of me is happy to know it still exists (meaning Tillie still has the feisty tendencies and is feeling good), but I am quite happy not experiencing the rearing, bolting and all four legs coming off the ground. 

Trail ride on Friday

Friday was my first ride back on her since getting her feet redone and she was still slightly ouchy occasionally on her left front so we took to the woods and trails for a hack. Miss sassy pants walked with such a HUGE marching and swinging walk my abs were on fire about 15 minutes in...I couldnt reprimand her though since she was keeping it to four beats (barely), but fine. I get it. Mare had some time off and is fit so has some willies to get out. 

Like spooking at this long...

Or spooking at absolutely nothing here

going so fast in the walk its blurry!

Spooking and getting excited at seeing open space

Look VERY hard for her friends

getting confused because she cant see them

In all seriousness though, she was ok for this ride...just forward in the walk which isnt a bad thing. With my recent concerns of her being tired, Im pleased she feels good! Just wish we could rein it back in a bit. 

And the spookiness??!? Who knows...she isnt typically that flighty. She can be when she is in heat, but I guess with her being all energetic and jazzed up it comes with the territory.

Does anyone else find their own horses get spooky after a few days off?

Quite pleased with herself after

So knowing she felt good enough to walk that well and jig at times...she felt sound enough to try trotting her around in our ring which, with the soft footing, she felt great. So I planned to come early saturday to try to beat the heat to put in an actual dressage ride.

Gunner says noooo dont leave me!!

I get on and start warming her up. She felt much better then my previous disaster of a lesson but still a bit guarded. She felt more like the horse I have been used to though...that is until after we warmed up and I started asking for harder things. 

I asked the mare to sprial in on a circle tracking right and she fell in with her right shoulder and barrel so I took a half lap using leg to ask her to pick it up. Nope, she just braced on me and on the inside rein. I then added just a touch of spur and suppling and all hell broke loose. 

She basically spun out away from the spur and lifted her shoulders in protest. Well ok then...I knew I had to basically work her here until we got an appropriate response which we started over but the minute I asked for the spiral in, she anticipated spur and did the same thing and I closed the outside leg to eliminate the spin and lack of forward...welp mare thought rearing and going backwards was appropriate. 

But I is so cute!

I took a breath, threw out my dressage whip in case that was causing some of the melt down and decided ok lets just trot like a normal horse larger and take it slower. She was tense and balled up and really wanted to build. I chose to use sitting trot and my seat to help package and would say slow and go to reward her when she behaved. She did this well for about 3/4 of a large lap until I released my half halting seat aids on one and she literally BOLTED full speed. 

**head desk** Can you say overly excited?! After a discussion at this point which resulted in back humped and jumping all four feet off the ground in response though she let out a sigh and we put in some solid work W/T/C and some practice with shoulder-in and I called it a day. 

Unfortunately Sunday she got herself a day off and yesterday due to my own physical issues (shoulder pain) but I enlisted a dear friend to hop on her this morning in the hopes she wont be so crazy for our dressage lesson this evening. 

Here is hoping she can calm the fuck down soon!