Gumption puts his back into it.

Gumption has come back to work  on nearly full power. It was a bee.you.tiful morning, but there was a very  heavy frost on the ground and the arena surface was frozen on the top.

I am now sure that Ace is in no pain, and that there will be  no complications caused by confusing remembered pain with actual pain. So for the first time since he came back into work, I put him under the lights.  Then I also lunged him for a couple of minutes to make sure he would not find the arena surface sliippy. He was keen to canter, but with no excitement, just a long low lollop a bit like a western horse.

I got on and tried to get him to walk freely but with a contact but he simply can't do that yet. He wasn't upset, he just would not release his body while I held the reins. So I tried serpentines and a bit of time and pushing him on, but with no luck.  Then I dropped the reins and he put his nose on the floor and immediately unlocked himself to do a seriously mobile walk.

From there, I could pick him up and keep a nice walk going, and then I told him to trot. It was not an ask, it was a definite tell, of the kind that less than two weeks ago would have sent him bucking.

We did some really nice trot, with more consistent contact than I have been able to sustain so far. The trot transitions were calm and forward, so I asked for canter, and he popped into it, broke, took it again when I told him to and was just as sweet and gentle on the other rein

I am very happy today, he actually did more work in a proper frame than he's ever done before, with less tension than ever before. (Ever being since the operation of course).  My confidence has risen several notches. Welcome back, Gumption.

Radar is slightly better again today and I have experimented by layering superglue into the dip in his sole. I don't  know if it will stay there, but I hope it will protect the thin bit until it thickens up.

Tomorrow I hope to hack him up the road to my friend's for breakfast (mine, not his!)

C