Is it, Isn't It

A little past-week recap while we hit pause for the weather because ain't nobody riding when the windchill is in the negative double digits. 

refusing to move from the gate while i collected
his less sensible friends to come in early

hasn't stopped anyone from continuing
to destroy his clothes for funsies

Hubby had MLK Jr day off so he was nice enough to come out to the barn in 18* to get some video for me....after the farrier stopped in to put Opie's RH shoe back on. This is only the third time since I've owned him that he's lost a shoe, and it was at least a hind shoe, but still. He refuses to make this year any easier for me.

It was a good visual check-in for me to see how he's looking vs how he's feeling because those are still two different things currently. For instance, I thought we were absolutely flying in his left lead canter. I was like, "Yaaas, we are the wind, he feels amazingggg." And then upon watching we are in fact barely moving. 

got him cooking in the right trot tho

But all good because when I next rode him on Thursday, I made him actually move. He still felt sound, and he still let me help him out and get him straight, so all's well that ends well. 

The trot to the right felt fine. I get kind of stuck in this just go around in circles with some direction changes and as long as he feels sound that's good enough. I'm still afraid of breaking him and setting back all the progress we've made, but the better I can get him going--using all the tricks he knows, not just doing laps--the better his body is going to feel.

Or I'm going to permanently break him, and honestly that would solve some things as well.

To the left, I think he feels better than he looks. He still looks....NQR to me in the stupid LF.

He didn't pick up the noticeably lame LF steps, but he's still not even. I put him on the longe Wednesday and my goodness. He was very lame LF at the walk and trot tracking left. I kept him going though, and asked him to stop shuffling along, and by the end he looked completely fine. So I'm back on the rollercoaster of:

• Is this a mechanical lameness?
• Is it actually the LF or compensating for the hind end?
• Am I helping him by making him push through it by showing him how to use himself better?
• Or am I just helping him mask the problem?

idk have some more red light

With all that swirling around in my dome piece, I got on him Thursday with Mr Tappy determined to get him moving and moving correctly from step one.

He was SUCH a good boi. He hates Mr Tappy with a fiery burning passion, but he let me annoy his LH multiple times to get it stepping under him and all he did was get a little tense and rushy. No drama, no meltdowns, went back to work when I told him to ignore it. 

renvers king

There was a huge difference in how he felt once the LH was securely under him and working like it's supposed to. Maybe it's still hind end weakness making him rein lame in the LF? Because I didn't feel LF for a single step in this ride. 

Idkkkkkkkkkk 

MB is setting up an obstacle course for mental stimulation for everyone while we get through the cold and snow, but it's going to be a hot minute before we get back to real work. Hopefully he comes out feeling better for his little vacay instead of worse. If nothing else, the two feet of snow we're currently accumulating will keep his butt muscles working.