Just kiddinggg

We are not back in action, that turned into a total lie.

Whomp whomp.

My sickness turned into COVID which saw itself out by leaving me with bronchitis. Rude. As such, breathing is a real struggle which doesn't really lend itself to physical activities like riding. 

For my lesson last Thursday, I showed up in riding clothes fully intending to push through, even if it was just a low key work on the lateral stuff at the walk ride. Instead I had to keep sitting down to catch my breath while grooming and MB put a training ride on him instead.

This ended up working well because she was able to affirm that he feels (spoiler alert: felt LOLZ) much better after the hock injections and he was ready to go back to full send work when I was. 

zoomies while cooling out at the trot

I'd been struggling with his neck positioning while riding, and she was able to clear that up for me as well. In summation: less is best, as always. I was trying to make sure he was connected to the outside rein, and it felt like that's what I was doing, but then looking at video I would actually have him too far tipped to the outside making his neck crooked. But if I tried to think inside bend, I'd end up doing way too much inside neck. She took a picture of his neck while on him to show me where the "bend" should be - basically, I should barely be able to see the inside cheek piece of his bridle. 

To the right, he wants to tilt his head so it will feel a little more dramatic to the inside to get him straight. But it all comes back to her most favorite exercise for us, the renvers to SI. When I change to bend to go from one to the other, I can't actually ride the change or I make it go crazy and piss Opie off. I just have to let it happen. Same thing with the neck positioning. Just let it happen, the adjustments are so miniscule. 

Friday, I gave myself a ton of time to get ready and was able to climb aboard for the first time in a week. I spent a ton of time doing walk serpentines, focusing on neck positioning. MB's explanation helped a lot so that was a win.

As always, we also worked on the walk-canter transitions. I think we're finally starting to get rid of the jiggy anticipation while still being able to collect and sit.

me: barely alive.
opie: doing the work anyway.

I've been playing with adding turns on the haunches in when he feels my outside leg and anticipates the canter transition because leg means more than one thing stop guessing and listen, sir.

(You're welcome for the Pivo clip. It followed me the whole time, except I didn't wipe off my camera when I stuck it on there so the zoom footage is all through a pocket sweat filter. Can't win.)

It was only a 20 minute ride, but we hit on the two main things from the training ride the day before so calling it a win.

He had Saturday off because sick, and then I tried to rally and ride him Sunday but I couldn't breathe through the grooming again. (It was at this point I finally caved and went to Urgent Care where they loaded me up with meds and an inhaler #bless) Which worked out anyway because he was back sore AGAIN. And when I went to stick him on the longe untacked in his halter to give him a stretch, he was short on the RH. Broooooooooo.

Fortunately the deep tissue massage body worker the barn uses was on the schedule to be here all day day and she's able to fit Opie in this afternoon. Hopefully that helps him out. We'll try some methocarb from there if it doesn't, and if that doesn't work, the vet is on the schedule to be back out on the 30th for the minis so I can add on to that. But hopefully it doesn't come to that. I have to put my cat we've been trying to keep alive since November down tomorrow, and I have to tell you, I am tapped out on taking care of animals.

would never let anyone see him enjoy cuddles, don't tell!