Final Lessons Part 1

I was stalking the weather all week, because we have been getting a ton of rain.  And it isn't nice little showers it has been coming as giant downpours.  The weather was not looking good 80% chance of rain everyday and a high probability of thunderstorms when I was supposed to have lessons.  Luckily the predictions were incorrect and I mostly managed to avoid getting soaked.  Mostly I didn't want to get my tack drenched.

Super fun weather

Ever since the last vet visit and Stinker's extended vacation, he has felt really really rideable.  Hopefully, it is here to stay this time and we don't have a backslide and loss of ride-ability again.  I had given him Thursday so Friday evening he was ready to go.  But it didn't have a frantic feeling, it just felt like he felt really good and was ready to work.

My favorite dressage judge was quite impressed with him.  He was working the best she has seen him.  We even worked on the trot some and while he is still quite tense and gets locked up in the trot, he got better the longer he trotted.  He is still quite weak behind and can't maintain things for very long.  And when he is traveling to the right he dumps me to the left and does his best to bump me off the correct diagonal.  So for now while he is still gaining strength it is fine for me to post incorrectly and not load the right hind quite as much.

Thanks for painting your socks bud

I have zero media, and honestly the majority of it wouldn't be that pretty.  He is very much a work in progress, but he is giving me glimmer of the future.  We spent a little bit of time discussing my future plans for him and long term goals.  I told her my plan was to get the trot solidified in the next year, then the following year would be for canter.  Then once that was done, we would probably be ready for first level.  She is thinks that it is a very reasonable plan and then we discussed the best way to try and manage his longterm soundness.

Stinker has a horribly put together hind end and it was ok pre EMP, but when he lost all of the muscle it has been a struggle getting it put back.  Because he was so weak he started compensating in other manners which stresses his body.  Hopefully, I will be able to continue to manage it and get the muscle back, because that is key to him having a long and enjoyable life.