Wednesday Lesson Day

So, I don't know about anyone else, but it is finally starting to hit me that the days are getting shorter. I work until 7 at night, so I get NO riding time during the week now, except for Wednesday to work with Dom. I'm getting a little nervous now that all the things we worked on are going to be forgotten if I don't get at least two solid days of riding in, and who knows what the winter is going to hold. Last I rode was Saturday, and I didn't get out to the barn Sunday or Monday. Yesterday, I made it out there with just about 20 minutes of light left, which was fine. I took him out and let him graze for a while and just hung out, I like to do that once in a while just to spend time with him. I don't want him to associate me only with "working". I feel like if the only times I go out there is to ride and leave, it's not a very loving relationship, more like a business partner, and that's not what I want it to be like with him at all. I'm a whacko, I know.

Anyway, Wednesday, my favorite day of the week. I look forward to seeing Dom. We work on things, and I get reassured that I know what I am doing and he is progressing more each week. Every now and then I need to be told I'm right so I stop doubting myself. At the end of our ride today Dom said "you are a good rider" and that made me feel so much better. At this point in Shadows career he has the power to make an Olympic rider feel like a slob.

Our ride started off a little funny. Dom got on and I was watching him walk. At the same time Dom said "what are you doing" I said he doesn't look right. He was off, not lame, but off. I couldn't really see it so it was hard to say. Dom asked him to move forward and he still didn't look right so we switched. I got on so she could watch him move along. Once I asked him for the trot I could really feel something wasn't right. It felt like his front right was off, but it could have also been his back left. I asked Dom if we should give him off for the day and not push him, she checked his feet thinking maybe he had an abscess coming, but no signs of that. She decided to get on him and work him for 10 minutes to see if he would work through it and if not we would call it a day.

Bonni came over to talk to me for a while and I asked her how he looked, and she watched him and said he looked off in his back left, and the more I looked the more I saw it, but he was working along fine, he wasn't showing any pain he was just a little stiff I guess. This is kind of aggravating to me because he is on a very good joint supplement AND flax meal, but I guess it happens right? It's not like he was dead lame.

Dom looked pretty busy, she wasn't talking, which I understand. Sometimes I feel like I need to be a rocket scientist to ride him with all the things I need to remember and then to talk at the same time, forget it. lol Finally she came over to me and told me what she was doing. She has started riding him on a loose rein and letting him go. Working on giving slack and taking it away. Letting him trot at his own pace, as long as it is consistent.  She switched directions and continued.

The way I have been riding, I have had such a short rain, it is basically like I am holding him up. Finally it was my turn to get on. At first I wasn't understanding this concept, remember this whole thing is new to me! lol Keeping a loose rein and getting him gathered up and forward at the walk, I ask for a trot, and there is that dreadful lurch, which I am now riding through. Picking up the slack when I feel him about to lift his head and giving him the slack when he relaxes himself. After about my second time trying this I got it, and so did he. He did excellent, a nice smooth (for a standardbred) forward trot, continuing to take away his slack when he felt like he was going to fall apart, or needed to know I was up there to hold him together. Once he got it, we stopped and switch directions, so he didn't have a chance to loose it. Starting over in the opposite direction we had a small lurch, but a much better transition into the trot. He was kind of searching for me like, "Mom where are you I need you to hold me up" so I took away the slack on the reins really quick and gave it back when he relaxed. We finally hit "the moment". The moment where he held himself more than half way around the ring in a beautiful forward collected trot. Holy god, my pacer can trot, we're almost there.

We ended our lesson there, Dom and I couln't have asked for a better note to end on. I am so proud of him.

Dom untacked for me while I moved the other horses back to their field and then left to venture home.

I took Shadow out to graze for a while (again because I don't want him to relate our relationship with work, work, work) and I rubbed his left hip down all the way from the top of his butt down to his hoof with sore no more. I feel bad when he is sore, my poor babe, hopefully he will be good as new tomorrow. Hoping he worked it all out while he was moving around tonight.

He is doing great, and I really couldn't ask for a sweeter boy that gives me his all time and time again.


Thanks for reading.

 Just hanging out.

Kisses <3