Wet Saddlepads

Friday night I was schlepped up to the city to see one of my favorite bands of all time in concert, they were opening for another band. I didn't bother looking up the other band, but I learned that I also like them, yay! I left straight from work to head up there, so trainer rode TC and I didn't hear how things went.

I can only assume that instead of riding him, trainer just gave him 10lbs of sweet feed and left him in a stall all day. Obviously this didn't happen. Trainer did ride him and had a good ride I'm sure. But on Saturday, I hopped on my horse, and he was basically a ticking time bomb.

We walked around the ranch and he grew two hands bigger. Like I thought I knew how high up he could get his head, but I was wrong.

Balmorhea (with two of the other band's members helping them
out, they were missing members this tour, fingers crossed for spring)

I walked him once around in the covered arena before getting off. I was exhausted from the night before, so was so not in the mood to deal with his shit. Some days I come out like I'M GOING TO DO IT, I'M GOING TO DEAL WITH HIS SHIT AND HE WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE I WILL MAKE HIM BE GOOD. Other days I longe him.

I put him on the longe line and he immediately bolted. So we did a lot of work in hand while two turnout horses were losing it next to us. Finally I let him go in trot, where he stayed in trot and alternated between looking really pretty and really crazy. And sometimes both. I alternated between wanting to sell him and wishing that I was CD so I could look at his behavior and feel confident in my ability to channel it into good dressage.

I haven't seen him go in a long time. I mostly throw trainer at him when I don't want to come to the barn, and he hadn't been longed in about a month, which is honestly why things have probably been a little questionable these days.

He looks really good, much better over his topline, and much more off his underneck than before. The trot has gotten insanely big, though it still isn't as uphill or loose in the shoulders as I want it to be eventually. It got better when I half halted him and he slowed a little bit, so I have faith that he'll be looking like that all the time.

Super amped

For the canter left, I took off the inside side rein and longed with just the outside side rein at its tightest hole, which isn't very tight but tighter than normal for him.

I then put him on a 15m circle and made him stay there. He got irritated at first, with a few bucks and leaps, but eventually he was super soft and turning really well that way. I think he's going to get some longeing bootcamp for the left lead for a bit and hopefully that helps us over that hump with the steering issue that way. It's nothing more than a strength issue.

If he's that uphill with his front leg that far under his body,
he'll be walking on his hind legs eventually

By the end, he was soaked. He sweat right through the saddlepad, which made me glad that I have the saddle fit so I can use a half pad. He stood quietly while I looked at the videos I had taken of him prancing around. He walked quietly behind me on our way back. He stood relaxed while I sat with him and seriously considered putting him up for sale. But then he isn't worth much with no scores. Okay I'll show him in the spring and get some scores in the 70s at Training and then sell him. Well if he's going well enough to score in the 70s at Training, I may as well keep him...

Oh well. A few (thousand) more wet saddlepads and I'll have a good horse! Update: he was great on Sunday :)