Moving along

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, I forget how nice the blog world can be sometimes when I am away a while. App is doing better on his new drugs, adding the Polyglycan back into the rotation has definitely helped him.  Not to mention the massage (which he gets again next Weds) and the occasional dose of Tylenol. He is doing well enough that we were successfully able to properly trim him last weekend! Sometimes it is the small victories, you know?

Stealing a nap in an empty stall

If you remember, on Jan 26 the farrier was out and he was so extremely sore. On Feb 6, he blew out (what appears to be) a huge abscess in his right front. It was still a little oozy when I went out that night, and while he wasn't 100% sound, he did walk better so I think that issue was playing a part of his discomfort while being (not) trimmed. I guess we should be happy that it was an abscess versus him being uncomfortable enough to consider be put down? *sigh* He has been super cheeky and causing chaos, which means he is definitely feeling better. The barn manager putting his eventing boots on are absolutely helping his fetlock sores heal up, the scabs are almost gone now! Fingers crossed that hair starts growing and we can take the boots off. It's just a wait-and-see game with him, I will certainly put him down in the spring if he isn't comfortable but it looks like maybe he will pull through for one more summer?

App says "Mia does NOT deserve that apple, I need both!"

Mia has been a true badass. She is SUCH a fricken good horse, I really don't deserve her. Despite not being able to run around much due to the frozen tundra, she is still so good under saddle or when free lunging. A couple of weeks ago I free lunged her and she cantered. And cantered. And wouldn't stop. Every time I got her to slow down, she would pick back up and didn't stop until she was almost in a full body sweat. She ended up with 2 coolers and some towels to try to dry off because she was so wet. SMH. Under saddle though? A great horse. I rode bareback at one point and she so politely was telling me she couldn't do it, giving me the head down/shaking she does when she really wants to buck/leap. She didn't, but message received and I helped her focus her energy elsewhere! We also rode in the outdoor arena for the first time in months last weekend and while she couldn't concentrate (omg look there! And there!), she behaved very nicely and gave a beautiful w/t/c. No one else had been in the arena (for weeks? Months?) so we got to make all kinds of pretty tracks. Look at these canter tracks!

Mia's canter prints. So straight, so pretty!

Do you know what is so special about those tracks? Besides the fact they are a cool picture? Look, she isn't riding haunches in when going to the right. The right is her weak side and she is finally keeping her haunches behind her *mostly* by herself! I wasn't sure the day would ever come!

I absolutely love that the pictures

And then this past weekend I rode on the road with someone else. It is funny, I have definately corrupted them. I have taken a strictly indoor-only arena rider and convinced her to 1. ride outside 2. ride outside of an arena 3. ride up/down hills 4. TROT outside of an arena and 5. CANTER outside of an arena. I took it a step further on Sunday and convinced her to canter on the dirt road. There was minimal to no rocks, the road was semi-soft and wet from melting snow, not at all slippery. She was blown away I convinced her and that she actually did it, it is fun watching people's confidence grow. Mia? She cantered a little show canter on a loose rein that I held in one hand. *heart explodes*

When carrots are almost forgotten in the car, App has no hesitation to take them from a passing car.

There is no lessons in sight, but real fitness or riding hasn't been happening here either since the northeast is being pummeled with snow and deep freeze these past couple of months. Fingers crossed we start real riding again shortly because I want to jump and I really have the itch to show. I want to try my hand at training level because I actually think her dressage is there for it and I need to jump to get there. There is a hunter show not too far from me on Apr 6th that I am toying with going to. We are not hunter material, but it would be good practice. Just need to start jumping again to get up to the 2'6 or 3' class. Time to rebuild some lady balls again!