Weekend Work

     Mort had Thursday off and enjoyed himself thoroughly getting himself nice and muddy in turn-out.  I was personally drained on Friday and my spring allergies were really kicking in (thankfully they generally only last a few days and they’re mostly gone today), so Mort got lunged.  While it was easier for me to do that Mort didn’t get out with just a light work.  I worked him over ground poles and we did a lot of transitions. 

     I will say that it’s satisfying to see how much his movement and way of carrying himself has changed in the last year and a half.  He’s more free in his shoulders.  I get regular moments of his hind-end really thrusting through.  The base of his neck is generally arched high and nice while he rounds out his topline.  All of this happens in his regular bridle and a lunge line.  While I’m not against “gimmicks” like side reins sometimes it’s nice to know that he’s doing all of this on his own through my riding him and getting the appropriate muscles stronger and changing his way of going. 

     Saturday was warm, sunny, and quite breezy.  The farrier was there and Mort was next (they had just started a horse who was getting shoes on all four feet from being barefoot), so I knew that I had a somewhat limited amount of time to ride.  So instead of playing with new or difficult things, we just did our regular happy work and Mort delivered me a regular, happy ride.  I got off with plenty of time to spare. 

     The clinician last week had me shorten my stirrups a hole and I really like it at the canter.  I feel like I can more effectively use my thighs to lift him.  He did really well staying between my aids which I was happy with since that is what we focused on a lot in our clinic.  He gave me some really wonderful and balanced left lead canter and even some counter-bend on a circle.  After we played a little bit with everything I let him do some long and low trot and called it quits. 

     He got vaccinated as well Saturday and had some very slight swelling at the injection site so I gave him Sunday off and just brushed him while he grazed.  Hopefully tonight we’ll be going on a trail ride with my pup, Emma.  I really want to train them both to go on trails together with me.  So far Mort doesn’t mind Emma’s crazy running around the barn area—we’ll see how that translates to the scary trees.