How Equifit Boots Saved My Relationship

pretty sexy

I'd normally give a horse a day off after two days of dressage clinic, but yesterday marked exceptional circumstances:

My hind t boots showed up over the weekend and OBVIOUSLY they must be put on. I have waited literally years to complete my set and it finally happened.

this outfit=love

I've been making a lot of lists lately and trying to figure out what I want, and the #1 is always a horse I can have fun on. Which means hacking (among other things).

So yesterday I got Courage all dressed up like a respectable jump jump horse and we hacked. 

It started out a little rough. Courage was tense and spooky and distracted.

good thing i love straps

I kept things simple: you stand on a loose rein or you go forward in tiny circles. You don't back up or fling yourself around.In the midst of one of his mini tantrums, I realized that I was right where I needed to be. Courage and I have been together long enough that I know I can handle him. Even when he escalates, I'm comfortable.

In about five minutes, I had my horse back. We wandered around the barn area and looked at stuff and took pictures and had a good time.

I needed that ride. Apparently, I also needed those boots.

Back to Work!

My arena. At noon. Wish I was kidding.

C-rage has had five weeks off and I am going to kill something if I keep making two board payments without riding.

Vacation is over.

That said, my world is still ice over frozen footing. Despite the fact we're facing some sort of epic drought crisis, the weather refuses to warm up enough to let snow from a month ago just melt. Whiiiiiiiiiine. Sore subject.

So. A friend headed back to school came out on Friday and rode the little dude out in the pasture. He was shockingly good, given that he hasn't done anything since his one ride mid-December and hadn't actually worked since November.

Wild!

He started out a little up. By that, I mean his head and ears were up and he looked around. He didn't put a foot wrong.

I thought the footing was slightly safer in the field than the arena and he marched around like he owned the place.

One of his better moments

He also trotted a little bit, but his shoes got pulled the last time the farrier was out in December. Between being a little bit footsore and having NO FREAKING CLUE what to do with his legs over terrain, it was hilarious to watch.

My friend just floated him the reins and kept him moving and eventually he figured out how to trot instead of tranter and flail. I tried to get video, but somehow managed to only video my feet and the ground. Oops. Probably just as well.

Taken at 1pm on Friday. Not edited. 

Anyways. The horrid inversion+fog finally went away for basically the first time in a month and I decided it was time to get back in the saddle. The footing is crap, the ice isn't leaving any time soon, indoors are not in the picture, but hey. We can walk. I'm putting together a schedule for him that just starts out with 3-4 weeks walking under tack.

I'm hoping that by the, January will be over and the footing will improve and we can put his shoes back on and ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.

So cute with a new friend up

Part of the plan with the 5 week lay off (other than "IT'S FRICKING COLD") was to allow him to lose some of that racing muscle and let us start all over. I hope it's working--he was an absolute star for his ride yesterday. Instead of giraffing around the field, he carried his neck level and his throatlatch open and just walked like a normal horse. It was fun and relaxing for both of us.

No pictures of me up--my winter breeches have no pockets and our usual photographer has escaped to warmer climates. Oh well.

It's my first time giving a horse a structured winter break. I'm curious to see how he comes back in to work and how long my motivation holds in this weather. It is nasty.