Stepping Up & Going Goat.

Good morning humidity! 

I woke up this morning, stumbled out of bed, rammed my ribs into the stone counter… very bad depth perception here, poured my coffee and noticed the mega fog. The humidity was a million and one I tell you. Well, not really but it even made breathing tough. 

Luckily, somehow, the arena was still pretty cool, guessing the valley effect. Solo came running, nearly sliding into the gate from all the wet slippery clay. The rain has just been preposterous! I thought for a moment he was pretty clean, it was dark, until I noticed his eye ball closed. He must have been strewn out sleeping in the mud. Nice wet cool stuff…. Bath time.

After bath time and rinsing his eye, I noticed a lovely toe crack and frantically texted like… everyone. Texting photos until farrier got back and said its normal right now, not to worry it isn’t bad, from fly stomping and hooves drying and soaking. 

…just adding in here… funny how it takes AGES for anyone to reply at 6am…hullo world?!

Goat is the new look y'all

So was sound and arena soft with sand so I ride, taking it easy. Today was just simply a ride forward, leg up ride. Solo is very sensitive but he has trouble holding the big reaching trot and canter I want. If only I could get through his head that long reaching steps with thrust and a flowing topline is much easier in the end. 

His ‘tell’ for frustration is chewing. Vigorously for a few seconds until I relax and move onto something he knows for a few minutes before revisiting.

Anyhow, I also changed his bit to Pal’s copper oval link loose ring from the Happy Mouth Mullen. 

I prefer the loose ring because it really tells me if I am micro managing, especially with him, it is softer feeling in my hands and more malleable than the mullen.

The mullen felt like I had to make big adjustments just to communicate the smallest aid but now that his teeth are better, his mouth is bigger (almost too big for the mullen now) and he is getting less stressed, I felt it time.

We had some really nice big trot moments, not a ton of relaxation but I felt it was because this was something different and he was worried about doing it wrong. Canter had quite a few tense in the back moments while in ‘big’ canter, then he would drop down a notch in the forward and soften.

I had a momentary mental confusion… I don’t want to reward him dropping back but I want to reward the softness. In the end I patted him and gave him a break before asking once more just for a second of big canter with a slight idea of softening.

He seems to have a comfort ‘loping’… well English loping lol canter. It is his ‘zone’ he softens and carries deeply, he just doesn’t know how to package more yet. And that’s okay! I will keep supporting and asking and he will get stronger.

All in all, good day! My plan for the next coming weeks is three rides a week. One with poles, one with some lateral ideas then the final day for a hack or some lengthening/bigger movement to prevent any possible sucking back from the poles or lateral work.

I swear I think too much!