Three today and four tomorrow!

I rode Radar up to my friend's for breakfast and he was turned out while we chatted and played with her horse. Her daughter left and Radar raced her car up the drive, which was initially very funny. Then he raced back again, and up again, and back again, until I had to stop him before he damaged himself! We rode home together with my friend and he was much better at slowing his walk to match the other horse than the last time we tried that.

This afternoon I tested Ace on a stony path. He gave me the impression that he was anticipating pain from the stones rather than actually feeling it. But he has also worn his feet very short on the concrete yard. I've had him just over five months now,  and the last of his foot that he arrived with is very poor quality, with a fungal line between the inner and outer hoof wall and poor white line connection (proof of a bad diet)  and cracks off in sections.  I am hoping that the foot hitting the floor now will be of a superior quality and wear more slowly and allow him to build some concavity.

Ace did not nap at all today, which is also a complete change since going onto the activated charcoal. It calms stomach acid, so it's not clear if that is the factor in him dropping the napping, or if he was napping because his feet were aching. 

I schooled Jazz as well, remembering to warm up in walk this time. I tried some trot but he was not working into my right hand on the left rein, so I took him onto two tracks, quarters in,  on a circle with an outward flexion. That is terribly hard work and he soon decided that it might actually be easier to bend properly. Then I practiced two bits of what should be our next test, M73, which is a medium in a 40m arena, which is unusual. The first bit was canter to half way down the long side. Simple change to counter canter. Counter canter the bend. He did this really well on both reins. The second bit was trot shoulder in the long side, up the centre line, half pass to E/B. He got that well too, but with the short distance to move the half pass over, he was leading with the shoulders. I'm not sure what the judge's opinion of that will be.

Four tomorrow? Yes, I'll tell you the story tomorrow, but I have George coming here for a month. He is unsound with foot lameness with a bad prognosis and I am going to try to save him for his owners who are friends of mine. Full details when I have seen him and can tell you what the situation is with his feet.

C.