Time off was harder on me

Blu had 6 days off during the holidays and while I worried about him I should have been more worried about me. Yesterday we went back to full work and while the ride was great, I paid dearly for it. I slept restlessly, could not find a comfortable spot for my aching body. After 4 ibuprofen I took myself to the barn and did not relish the prospect of riding. Linda came by to give me a lesson but I asked her to warm him up. It worked out very well in that she got to feel Blu from the start and she said he felt terrific and I had obviously done a good job the day before for him to feel so good from the get go. Yay me! Yay Blu!!!

After she rode, I got on and got to feel some pretty awesome stuff. After my body let go, we worked on the canter -- working pirouettes, up in the bridle, canter half-pass to some pretty good flying lead changes. He is getting stronger and instead of propping up behind when changing from right to left he is giving me a much cleaner change. Linda also gave me the very best of compliments... She said I was really following with my hands and not holding... AT LONG LAST!!! How many years have I been riding? Blu is such a gift... he allows me to let go!

Linda did some trot lengthenings on him that were the best I had ever seen. He really lifted in the front... He was just spectacular. I really think we are on the right track. You can see he feels good and he is very happy.

Finally, I was informed by several people who work at the barn that Blu was selected as "Best Horse" in the barn for his handsome face and his exceptional personality... They fight to take him in and out to the paddocks... He really is special!

When will I just learn to listen?

It has been a couple of weeks and there have definitely been lessons learned that I should have captured. First and foremost is never clinic with someone you do not know. EVER... While Blu and I did not enjoy the experience there was an even bigger price to pay and I am not talking about the hefty sum this individual collected. Poor Blu was out of sorts for a good 1-2 weeks after the ride. He reverted to some of the things we had not touched upon in awhile -- not reaching for the contact, not giving me the bend, rushing on his forehand... Ughhhh. He wanted me to know I went to places he was not ready to venture. Dr. Liz told me to be patient and this was outside the realm of reasonable for my blessed boy. Why did I not listen?

Sooo we went back to the basics and he eventually left behind his issues except he continued to look and feel a bit funky with the first canter. It wasn't a lameness per se, just a stiffness and unwillingness to swing through his hip/ stifle. The good news is that it would go away with some work and then the rides would be magnificent -- from canter half pass to canter pirouette he was awesome through his back.

Dr. Liz came to visit last night and said I was on the right track. She had not looked at him in a couple of months. As a matter of fact she did not feel any kind of issue in his back right under his saddle where in May by x-ray she found a couple of spines kissing and up around his wither where he was just plain sore. She felt his only limitation was in his very lower back around the hip region (hmmm, sounds like me...). She adjusted him and did shock wave and tomorrow I will see what we have. (tonight was too bloody cold to take his blankets off - -10 with a wind chill... brrrrrrrr) I lunged him for her and she and another trainer/ friend watched and jumped up and down like school girls who just won a jump roping contest with excitement at how sound he was. It was a beautiful thing -- it brought tears to my eyes to see how sound he has become.

So I have gone out to the USEF website and checked out all the shows I would like to do. So far I have 11 on my list. Ambitious? I think so. I will let Blu tell me what he wants to do. All I have to do listen.