So ... I'd been meaning to post more, and had some really interesting rides. And then Roy got laid up, and I've had nothing to write. That you'd want to read, anyway.
That's him there in the pic, the little bay chowing down on the lawn; we've just started handwalking, and today we got outdoors, it was lovely. Convalescence updates, and eventually the backstory, on the navelgazing, not-a-training-journal blog at http://www.myspace.com/mare_ears .
It's been real neat riding, and taking a lesson, after not riding for two, two and a half weeks. And by neat I mean OW!
Jojo, the chestnut, lost some ground. I didn't think I was doing all that much with him; there are days when we get decent working gaits by the end of the ride, and have to be happy with it. But we've been consistent; I do three days with him, and my friend A. mostly does dressage with him on Saturdays, so that's four days a week. But after two weeks of just hacking a couple days, he came into the ring and ... my god. Hunter's bump, sunken rump, and really slow and creaky. Ooh, and acting so darned Orange. Grump grump grump. So it's back to work we go, to keep the Grim Reaper from the door a little longer.
Sunday I rode in the outdoor with the lights, and got the shadows on the barn wall. It's amazing how much I need a visual for this stuff - mirrors, shadows, anything! When we get to the decent working gaits, get a passable amount of forward and flexible, he feels pretty good, but he's not nearly as much on the bit as I think. So say the shadows, anyway. ::sigh:: But I am learning to push him a little harder, and he is learning it won't kill him. The shadows looked better when I pushed him, though he did complain. He did stretch out and feel better afterward.
We had been having very good luck with one exercise, moving half-halts into each leg, around from leg to leg. Dr. Ritter had showed me this in a lesson, half-halting into each leg as it touches down, two strides in succession, but twice and then changing proved too intense for Jo, and he goes better if I do three, sometimes - depending how stiff he is - four into each leg before switching legs. So we go outside front, outside hind, inside hind, inside front, change direction; and by the third or fourth change of direction Jo is rounder. So this will stay in our warmup for a while.
In Friday's lesson with Dr. Ritter, we learned a new one: Halt into the outside front, flex jaw to the outside, immediately volte to the inside, then go straight. Repeat with halt and flexion into outside hind. Eventually change direction and do the other side. This I tried Sunday and today with Jo, and it made an immediate improvement in his walk. The right side was more difficult; it's his stiff side and whoo, it can be like concrete.
Jo's initial trot Sunday after this exercise was the shuffly hollow old-man jog; today was better, though he still hollowed his back on the depart step. He comes back within two or three strides now, a vast improvement over the old days. I think today's initial trot was better because we kept at this exercise much longer (I didn't count the repetitions, though perhaps next time I should), and didn't trot until we got a good halt and flexion on both sides.
Dr. Ritter also gave us some interesting shoulder-in-related patterns, and gave me notes; I was kind of thinking some of them will have to wait until Roy is back in work, but perhaps Jo can try them at the walk. I'm sure he'll be thrilled. And by thrilled I mean OW!
