Now I have a challenge

Well here's the challenge. Now I have to distinguish between three different types of behaviour:


- ouch that hurts

- I think this is going to hurt

- I'm freeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Ace jumped about shortly after I got on, but I think that was only recollection of pain because there was no apparent reason for it. He did do an enormous poo immediately though, and during his stomach upset period, bucking was usually followed by pooing, as if it gave him pain. And why wouldn't it? For us, that activity takes a lot of back muscle tension and it may well have been causing him more back pain to have to poo.

Tomorrow I will lunge him before I get on. I should have done that today but it was hot and I was lazy.

Later in the session he threw a total paddy at the blue barrels and then seemed a little embarassed about it. Recollection of pain again, I think.

But in the first canter right he was cantering really nicely and suddenly began to hump. Not seriously, but frightening in the context of what has happened previously. That one, I am sure was pure high spirits. He'd been asking to canter throughout the trot work. He is so forward that it's almost scary.

Now, if we are going to talk about scary, let's. talk about the canter transition. Flipping heck. The first time, I thought he was just going to follow it with six whoppers. And the second. And the third. By the fourth transition, I realised that this is now his true transition. It's explosive to the point of being frightening. He just springs into it with such power that it feels like a buck in itself, though it's not. I'm going to have to get used to that!

We did a lot of back stretching long and low work and big circles, trying to rebuild that missing muscle which will hold his spine apart. Then still long and low I did the walk/trot/walk exercise and followed that with canter/trot on a circle.

He was twitchy at the barrels but my impression is that it is rapidly occurring to him that there is no point.  It's also noticeable that I am no longer having to ask him to stay in outline, he is doing it completely of his own choice. That is very different from how he has been for the last few weeks.

I am still convinced that the operation will be the best course of action, but it is early days, we'll see how he goes for a week or three.

It was boiling out there but I did ride Radar as well. He walked pretty well really soon, so we got to trot today. I was trying to allow the rein and get him to balance himself, but every time I did he shot off into a gallop. He is a plonker, it takes him an age to realise all that happens if he does that is that I hold onto one rein and he ends up in a spin, and it's darned hard work.  He did make the connection, though, and ended on some very nice trot with a light rein contact. Probably about as good work as he has ever done.

All three of us needed a bath after that lot today!

C