Not good colour - camera-phone + early morning light makes for weird colour rendition! Just been turned out and quietly munching - at least he's not got the hammer, buffer and shoe lever out to take of another shoe (yet!), he's lost two inbetween two shoeings, each time the right front. Had a new one put on the first time cos I couldn't find the shoe despite an extensive search of the paddock, couldn't find the second either but found the first! *shakes head at the absurd*
Today he met one of the yard cats at close quarters, and the cat was sooooooooooooo NOT bothered! We've been gradually building up both our fitness, Liz has lent me her bendy stirrups - and boy what a difference to the ankle they make, I no longer get off hobbling like an arthritic nonegarian! Today we had our first long canter, we've had a few on the tracks close to home but the tracks are short and quite stony so the canters are brief. As his fitness level is on the up we ventured further afield, there is a wonderful track of about 3/4 mile, of which 2/3 is canterable (or faster if you want!)! *BIG grin!* It takes around an hour of roadwork along the lanes to get there, plenty of uphill and downdale, and you can do a largeish loop home making the ride about 2 hours (depending on how much trotting you do too!) The track was fairly overgrown at the start but opened out just at the "canter point" so off we went - I like to give him a verbal cue, and use "are you ready?" as a verbal half halt alongside the ridden one, requested (and received!) left canter and off he went, nice and easy, bit heavy in the hand after a while as he struggled with his balance so we came back to trot, rebalanced and with another "are you ready?" requested (and received!) right canter, again got a bit heavy in the hand but certainly not pulling or running. And he comes back to walk from the seat and doesn't jig-jog or want to go again - what a little star he is! So we need more fittening work, more hills (easy in Devon!) and more canter work! And that is going to be so EASY - he is such a lovely horse to ride, and with such an easy-going nature too, good paces with rhythm and cadence, makes riding even more of a pleasure than it normally is!
Today he met one of the yard cats at close quarters, and the cat was sooooooooooooo NOT bothered! We've been gradually building up both our fitness, Liz has lent me her bendy stirrups - and boy what a difference to the ankle they make, I no longer get off hobbling like an arthritic nonegarian! Today we had our first long canter, we've had a few on the tracks close to home but the tracks are short and quite stony so the canters are brief. As his fitness level is on the up we ventured further afield, there is a wonderful track of about 3/4 mile, of which 2/3 is canterable (or faster if you want!)! *BIG grin!* It takes around an hour of roadwork along the lanes to get there, plenty of uphill and downdale, and you can do a largeish loop home making the ride about 2 hours (depending on how much trotting you do too!) The track was fairly overgrown at the start but opened out just at the "canter point" so off we went - I like to give him a verbal cue, and use "are you ready?" as a verbal half halt alongside the ridden one, requested (and received!) left canter and off he went, nice and easy, bit heavy in the hand after a while as he struggled with his balance so we came back to trot, rebalanced and with another "are you ready?" requested (and received!) right canter, again got a bit heavy in the hand but certainly not pulling or running. And he comes back to walk from the seat and doesn't jig-jog or want to go again - what a little star he is! So we need more fittening work, more hills (easy in Devon!) and more canter work! And that is going to be so EASY - he is such a lovely horse to ride, and with such an easy-going nature too, good paces with rhythm and cadence, makes riding even more of a pleasure than it normally is!
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