Now on the left and when she first came back on the right!
December has put on a lot of weight. I love that I can hop on her bareback again without her spine digging into places you don’t necessarily want acquainted with a horse’s spine. She’s still showing some ribs and I REALLY DO NOT want to feed her any grain. It does NOT do amazing things for her personality. She’s getting about a ton of beet pulp and pellets for dinner and a big fat flake of hay for breakfast that she doesn’t always even finish. I just moved her out to pasture and the grass is starting to come in so I’m hoping that will help too. It was a pretty long cold winter for California. I’m hoping the worst of it is over so she isn’t burning so many calories just to stay warm. She does have a nice thick blanket too but it’s just enough to keep her from dropping weight and I want to get the last bit on her. I’d like to take her to some shows this year but not until she looks like a horse should look.
Last night after I got done feeding I hopped on her in just her halter and headed out for the trails before they get soaked again with the rain we’re supposed to get tomorrow. We wandered around for a while with the lead rope as loose as can be at her ground covering walk. Her pasture buddy was running around and calling her the whole time but she never missed a beat or even looked back at him. I love that about her. After she was warmed up a little we practiced a long trot bareback. My balance has improved so much in the last year it felt so different than my first bareback ride on Grace where every step made me feel like I was going to slip off one side or the other. I got brave and cantered her around a short loop of the trail feeling like some kind of wild spirit with nothing but my body and the halter/lead rope to guide her. She was really great.
I’m ready to start planning my goals for the summer. I hope Tax cooperates and whatever is going on heals. I think he looked worse yesterday rather than better. Our first show was supposed to be April 16th but I realize now that’s not likely to happen. I’d take December if she was in just a little bit better shape.
April Goals:
Sell my WP saddle, tack and show clothes
Soundness check for Tax
Create a fitness program for December
Get the horses teeth checked
Work with Maddie on her balancing exercises and hopefully get her riding with reins
Get zipper replaced in my show boots and see if my English show clothes even remotely fit.
Wow…that’s already a lot.
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