Tootsies

Gareth came today to trim the boys and it was good news all round! Cacahuète and Chapiro have always been fine but Moo has proved more tricky, he has taken a while to thicken his soles. Well it would seem that the hacking and consistent work are paying off because Gareth was very pleased with his progress. I'm such a numpty that I didn't take before pics so you'll have to take my word for it but they have changed lots. Today Patrick had a quick lesson on a maintenance file so that we can keep Moo even better between trims.
After lunch I rode Moo and Chapsi, both went well but Moo just feels so much stronger and able to carry himself in the trot work (of which we did a good 20 mins). After schooling I took Moo down the track to have a canter up the field and again he felt strong over his back and was not leaning on the rein, about the best canter I've had from him in a long time.

Finally I'm breaking the surface and gasping some air. The bitless malarkey has opened so many doors in my mind and most of them not actually directly related to bitless; it makes me feel pretty inadequate in my training and will, I hope, spur me on to be better.
I've been making real progress with Moo and had some good ridden canter in the school on Saturday, the first time since his problems in July. We got really clean transitions and although he was rushing, what's new, he wasn't hanging onto my hand and felt quite nice. We've groundworked or ridden every day except Monday and he seemed to be stretching well in his exercises afterwards.
I had planned to ride today but when I brought him in ihe was very tight through his shoulder/wither on the right side. I'm as paranoid about him as I am about my back, one twinge and I have visions of the surgeon's knife glinting.
So it was a change of plan and after some massage we groundworked, first a little in-hand opening up the shoulders with some yielding and then the same with the quarters. We walked over our pyramid of poles, which he did as ably as usual, and then on to some gentle lunging in walk and trot. In these sessions I pretty much let him dictate the pace and although he looked tight to start with, he did end up long, relaxed and stretching. His stretches back in the yard were the best ever, he was very cooperative. If I was a religious person I'd be praying tonight that he is good in the morning, I don't want to slide back down that slippery slope again.