Dusting ourselves off again

 Happy 2022! 2021 was such a crap year. Lyme disease for almost 5 months. Abscesses. 4 farrier changes. Soft tissue injury with 3 months stall rest. I am really putting as many good vibes as I can to make 2022 be decent. Can 2022 be decent? Even a little bit? The expectation isn't very high. At all. Like, barely above rock bottom low, can 2022 do it? Only time will tell.

I bought new boots to lift my spirits! And breeches!

We are, however, off to a good start. Dec 15th marked the 3 month mark of Mia being on stall rest and she had an evaluation. That was the first time she was allowed to really move on a lunge line in 3 months and she went nutso. Lots of bucking, galloping, and head tossing, but also had soundness. That's right, she was sound! We then had a chiro appointment which showed Mia was all out of whack, which I knew. She was getting weird with grooming and what not so I wanted her checked. After the adjustment she really did move even better, I am having her done again next week for a recheck and adjustment. I am hopeful she "held" the adjustments and we don't need monthly adjustments for a while. After that, Mia was also moved out to an actual pasture, which resolved basically all of the behavior issues she was exhibiting. Being bossy and pushy during feeding time? Eating hay out of the net as it is being hung? Throwing a tantrum when a horse is removed from the paddock beside her? All gone now that she has the ability to M-O-V-E again. 

She ate her feelings. Apparently she had a LOT of feelings.

Thus started the walking sessions. We were told 4 weeks of walking. If she stays sound, we can do 4 weeks of trotting. If sound, we can go back to full training. If she comes up lame, she goes back in the stall/jail for 3 months. The first ride was a ride with a saddle and bridle, as I had no idea how she would behave, and the old Mia showed up. Perfectly behaved, completely happy to toodle around. From then on, I've been riding bareback. Sometimes with a halter, sometimes a bridle. We spent a week just walking before introducing contact. Then we spent a week doing that before starting lateral work. Currently we are riding 25-50 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Mia is doing a very nice shoulder in using only the outside rein, moving off of my legs beautifully, including square corners, tranvers, renvers, half pass, and halts with only my seat. 

Our first ride outside in over 3 months!
Bareback, on the buckle like the crazy mare she is.

Let's throw positive vibes out to the universe and let 2022 be a better year. My goals of going Training level this year are non-existent, but maybe we can get back to BN or Novice this year. Maybe. It sounds easy enough, but accomplishing it for the past 2 years didn't happen either. All of my goals and ambition were in a train wreck during 2021 and they certainly have not recovered.