We hacked for about 15 minutes in the big field up and down the hills at the trot. Every day when I get on I walk him for about 10 minutes to let him loosen up & then ask him to trot. He fights me, every day. He does what a friend and I like to call his "hoppy trot" which apparently is normal for a lazy horse in recovery. It's the same trot he used to do before the surgery, which I would ALWAYS get off when he did it. He trained me pretty good so now he thinks when he does that hoppy trot I will get off and panic. Newsflash, Jim: I wised up. I now push him up and make him continue trotting and when he fights me STILL I take out the big guns....(which I'm not totally proud of, but I believe in certain circumstances it just needs to be done) I growl at him.
Growling is usually something I only do if I am in a jumping situation and the horse I'm on is being a dangerous and "dirty stopper" (aka refusing to move forward and refusing to jump in a violent way) so the fact that I was in the middle of a hay field spurring and growling at Jimmy speaks volumes of how mad I was at him for pulling this "hoppy" shenanigans again. Well what do you know, he magically stopped hopping and started trotting.
I know he only hops when he's bored or lazy, because when he's in hot pursuit to chase after one of the ponies I'm hacking with in the field or hacking in the arena & watching the other herds galloping around us, he's perfectly, beautifully, wonderfully sound. He does it because I let him get away with it, and I have been babying him for almost a full year now. Lazy time is up, James. Time to get tough.
Once the real trot kicked into gear he was gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier. I bumped up the canter time slightly and let him canter two long sides of the hay field, which is about twice the length of our arena long side. He walked back calmly and passed the signs with almost no question.
Today we hacked in the arena, which was sloppy but rideable, and had another beautiful ride together. He was trotting out and forward and felt AMAZING. His fetlocks were slightly warm and inflamed when I pulled him out of his stall, which I was very concerned about being from the extra canter time the previous afternoon. I walked for a solid 10 minutes to let that swelling work it's way out & the second we picked up the trot he was already moving more comfortable and forward than he has since last year, so I knew the heat was due to the extreme weather change. I think it's just something I'll always have to watch with him. Thank goodness I love him and plan on being his Mom forever ;-)
Today was the first day we did what I would consider a full, comfortable hack. He didn't "hop" at all, he was forward and fluid, and he carried himself very impressively every step. At the canter we went one and a half full laps each direction and today was the first day he cantered without wiggling or feeling weak. I feel an unbelievable sense of accomplishment because he has come back almost all the way now. His attitude still needs adjustment from time to time (as we learned Saturday) but physically his weight is going back down, his coat is fluffy, but healthy, his spirits are up, and his legs are holding up. I'm a very, very happy mama.
OH! Friday night Bill & I went out to spoil Jimmy & we tried on his "Halloween costume". He's a jock. I know, very creative AND involved ;-) Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment