Just a Flesh Wound

Yesterday I messed up my SI something good at crossfit because I'm dumb and my core isn't as strong these days because I'm not sitting a bouncy trot on a regular basis. My dumbness didn't stop me from trail riding Rico yesterday (with an ice pack in my camelback and tylenol in my body), which was amazing. I feel like the knight from Monty Python. It's just a flesh wound! Where is my horse! I'm fine! It's a scratch! Give me the pony!

He did get a little sore (me too), so he got some bute yesterday and today. He looked so tired this morning, but that's his fault because he insisted on powering up the biggest hill there and then refused to complete the loop, wanting to go further. We did about 5 miles (4.9 miles exactly). His normal trail rides are maybe 3 miles at the most, probably more like 2.5 miles.

Look at his porky butt dimples! This horse is not
the sexy Grand Prix horse he was six months ago. 

Today I woke up feeling very slightly better than yesterday so took that as a sign that horses cure back pain and medicated myself so I could ride TC.

He was once again harassing the camp horses by the fence when I got there. I stood and watched him for a while. There was a girl braiding one of the horses and TC would stick his face in between her face and the braids and just STARE at her. She kept pushing his nose away and he'd wait a few seconds, then do it again. Apparently he has also been trying to unbridle the horses. What am I signing myself up for? He is a terror!

I took him out and he got to watch 14 kids eat lunch in front of him. He's always so good to brush and tack up when there is entertainment. Today he didn't yank his feet out of my hands and he only tried walking off when I was putting his bridle on, meaning that his noseband was a bit looser than normal (which I paid for dearly later, he was a little strong).

I love trail riding him

All the kids were doing their horse show today so the main arena was taken up (we watched a little bit and it's hilarious watching tiny kids ride). I wasn't enthused about going next door though, because my back was so questionable. Ali came out on her western horse (the cutter who lives with TC) and suggested we go out to the field. TC hasn't been ridden out there in a bit because when I don't ride at home, I usually go to the neighbor's.

He was actually really excellent out there. It was just enough of a different place where he was forward but not so exciting that he was too tense. We worked at the trot, but with me feeling kind of blah and no shows coming up, I kind of just focused on big figures and keeping him on the bit. Nothing interesting. I wanted to do transitions but every transition I did resulted in a twinge down my left leg (HATE sciatica) so I kept those minimal.

Ever since my position revamp last week, the left side is getting better. Today I noticed that I wasn't leaning so far off of my right seatbone. This may be due to my SI joint being so shaky on the left side that I couldn't lean into it! Either way I'm taking it. Going left is still tricky, but he's figuring it out. He doesn't seem to ignore my left leg quite as much and bend is becoming less of a far off magical element of dressage.

It's so dry out there, but still pretty!

The canter was pretty good given what I've had recently, more of the same complaints from last time. He's not all that balanced, he gets a little fast, he struggles to maintain roundness, all that stuff. He's still doing better than he was before we played over those poles, but it feels like we're so far away from having a normal canter. I'm sure it's not, because whenever I see video of his canter it's always like "wow not bad" but I don't like the idea of things looking pretty but feeling shitty. So it's time to really tackle the canter.

I'm going to longe on Sunday for sure and work the canter in the chambon for the first time. Then Monday I'll canter him undersaddle again and see how much it helped. I am toying with the idea of trying side reins on the longe or draw reins undersaddle as well. I know that's sometimes a controversial thing (the draw reins, I don't think too many people get all huffy about side reins), but I don't care.

He does get backed off and short in the neck in the canter, but I'm pretty damn good with a pair of draw reins so I may try to see if I can get him to lengthen and lower his neck in them. But first chambon though, then side reins, THEN draw reins since obviously I'd rather not go there if I don't have to. To this date he's only ever had a chambon on him and only on the longe, I think I've done a pretty good job getting him started on the roundness without any real artificial aids to help me (except spurs!! So necessary).

I'm letting his mane grow out because I'm lazy

There were some cavallettis out there that we popped over a little bit and we trotted the logs too. He seems to like jumping a lot. I think next year I'll look into getting some jumping lessons again so that he can actually jump more than just poles on the ground and 12" logs. He seems to like the jumps, but I don't want to mess him up over fences. Plus he's so slow growing that I think another year will be good for him to make sure all those joints are solid. Ugh and his feet. But that's a post for another day.

Overall I was really pleased. Mostly that my back didn't completely break down after riding a bouncy unpredictable horse, but also that he was so good in an arena that wasn't our home arena. Baby steps!

Tomorrow I get to watch L kick ass at her show. This will be the first H/J show I've been at in a while so it should be a blast! I know this post is going out late but if anyone is going and wants my number too, email me (regentanzer at gmail) and I'll send it to you.

Then Sunday my brother and SIL are coming down for a lazy day after I longe/ride TC. Should be a nice relaxing weekend while my back heals up a bit. I'm going to try not to ride any horse but TC. Oh and my client's horse tomorrow. And probably another client's horse on Monday since she's gone this week. But that's it! Unless one of my favorite horses needs a school on Tuesday because he's been being a jerk in the left lead canter. But THAT is it.

Finally got into the shade about 4 miles in