Independence Day Update

OK, I am dependent on the soundness of my horse for my equine therapy and my horse is still OFF on the right hind.  Here we are 2 months after the clinic at Prairie Lane where poor Splash dropped his hind end into an unsoundness of the arena and started this sad episode.  We have been to Shipman and completed the specified cure - at this past Sat. lesson, Splash is not cured.  So, I rode Pico for the lesson and Alaina worked Sunny on Trail obstacles.

After 2 months without riding, I got sore (it's a good sore) and Pico got worked a bit.  With the 4th of July pyrotechnics having worked Pico into a spooky frenzy, the layout of the trail obstacles and the gutter noises from the steady rain combined to make focus difficult for poor Freako-Pico.  But, with Patty's help, we rode circles between B and E to the inside of cavalletti poles alternating with work over the poles.  Pico was very tense and particularly difficult to the right past the 'fan' poles setup and the open door to the north.  We worked to bend away from the distraction and managed to improve and canter both ways. 

Pico really likes leadership from his rider and his personality changes.  During tack-up, he always lays his ears back and acts like he could get ugly.  After being ridden, he LOVES me.  It is fun to dominate.

Alaina and Sunny had some good work despite the rain.  They worked on basics as well as the fan trot-over, canter cavelletti, barrel/cone back-through, and the dreaded 'T' side-pass.  Only one cone was killed and the pair worked the T really well.  Alaina is excited to work trail because of her 3rd place success at State.  Ivy stayed home with a lameness issue of her own.  After the lesson, Larry joined Alaina, Patty and me for lunch at Graham's with Nancy and Carol.

So, the next step is to get Splash to a chiropractor and if that doesn't help, the long trip to Edmond appears to be the following step.  Cross fingers and toes that we can work through this problem or who knows what additional problems may arise for me without my equine therapy.....