Monday and today I rode Moose. He did pretty good on Monday. We have still been doing LOTS of trot work. I just want to be sure he is gonna stay relaxed and on the bit when we finally pick it up to a canter. Not lose his mind and become a hot headed giraffe. Today when I rode him, we had a few "disagreements", and he got a little hot when he saw the Percheron pastured by the arena start parading around and bucking, but over all he did well. The crazy weather being so unpredictable and getting cold and windy has got the horses feeling pretty fresh. At a walk Moosey was fine and was starting to move off my leg good. At a slow trot he stayed pretty relax and focused but than when we started doing a faster trot, up went his head and he started becoming tense. I slowed him back down, got him relaxed and we tried again. Same result. So we stayed at a slow trot both ways and did some circles. I made sure my hands were soft and that I was staying loose and relaxed as well. I know that if I'm tense than my hands are tense which makes him defensive. After about 15 minutes we picked up to a faster trot again and this time he stretched down into the bit and stayed relaxed. He became a little stiff once or twice but it was MUCH better. We worked on maintaining that trot both ways and quit. I than spent a good thirty minutes brushing him really well while he ate. He got his second adjustment on Monday. It was just a follow up and everything had held good except for two lumbar which she put back in. This time he stood very still the entire time and thoroughly enjoyed his massage. The only thing is the Blue Lotion used for the massage is hard to get out of his hair the next day and it was a little too chilly to hose him. I finally brushed it all out though. Nothing a little elbow grease couldn't conquer.
I also rode Riley on Monday and today. Monday he did good. It was much warmer than it was today and neither of us were really in the mood for a long ride but I still needed to exercise him so we just did a variation of slow and long trotting and than some cantering and ended with some transitions to get him a little more forward and using his hind end. Today he was a lot more perked so he we did a lot more trotting with some circles and a few rollbacks thrown in. I also worked on him picking up a canter from a stand still on being on the correct lead. He usually does but every now and than I ask him for his right and he gives me his left. He did good today though. I am having him adjusted on next Monday. I am doing each one separately because it is a lot easier for me financially. I really do love how it makes them feel though, and sometimes you can really see a difference in the way they move so it's definitely worth the money.
May has also been doing well. Her eye started draining so I had to put her fly mask back on. Sometimes when it gets windy her eyes get irritated and drain but keeping them clean and putting a fly mask on keeps them from bothering her too bad. She been a little quieter under saddle when I have been riding her, now that I have been able to work her more consistently. I rode her yesterday and am planning on working her this afternoon if it doesn't rain. If not than definitely tomorrow. She is starting to get back into shape and lose her huge hay belly which is good. I'm hoping to have them ready by the race on the 13. We will see. I am pretty sure they will be. It was also dewormer time this week. You can see from this pic what May thinks about that =P
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