Beefcake with brains

Blu is a machine that just seems to get better with age. My "old" pony has turned into Benjamin Button when Benjamin was about 30 - 40 years old and looked like Brad Pitt at his best. He has developed his back, chest, neck and butt. They all go together beautifully and oh the way he uses himself... It is just spectacular. He no longer resembles two men in a horse suit when he moves. He is the proudest beast and takes my breath away with his powerful rhythmic gates.

 Susie has been long lining weekly and the metamorphosis is better than anything I have ever seen. He has gone from pony trotting at the start to coming out after 4 days off and stepping under and through.  He is oh so fresh on the long lines and you can tell he is having fun expressing his opinion but being Blu, he is a gentleman under saddle. Sure he may snarl a bit on occasion but heck, he would not be Blu if he didn't tell me how he feels. If I just ask the right way he is oh so happy.

Tonight after a week out of the saddle this Weeble got on for a ride. I felt top heavy and on occasion, like I could tip right off. Blu always patient waited for me to center and off we went. My goal was just to stay out of his way and let him carry me. I certainly was not in a place to fix him. He was magnificent! He tracked up in all his gates. His canter was just too good to be true. Even the bit of sitting trot was incredible. We did canter from a 20 m circle down to a 10m and back then a bit of a medium on the long side -- powerful and uphill it was! Also did a few canter halts and when I thought "piaffe to halt" his transition was perfect and from behind.

I want to be back to the barn tomorrow but the weather may preclude my visit. If that is the case, Susie will again long line... I am so lucky to have someone so skilled caring for and rehabilitating my pony. I will then be back as soon as the storm ends and will yet be graced again with the most perfect ride on the most perfect horse.

His freshness

Blu has made remarkable strides in his ongoing work to strengthen his back. When I got him, he did not know how to take the reins down in a long low frame. Coming through his back was an impossibility. I would attempt to feed him the reins and he would bounce around on the end of them looking to connect with my hand. He just could not figure out how to get there.  This led to kissing spines and wear on his coffin joints requiring yearly injections. Long lining has been his saving grace. Today he has built up enough strength to carry himself correctly through his back. His tendency to hollow is not constantly in play. Instead, when I get on him he looks to stretch through his back.

With strength and yes cold weather Blu has a freshness about him I had never seen previously. On the long lines he is just too full of himself for me to contain so I remain grateful to the barn manager and long liner extraordinaire Susie, for helping me with this important regime. At the end of the last session he was over tracking and he had a true medium trot! Under saddle he is just a delight! While he finds things to spook at they are never big. On some evenings it is a little more irritating than others but by in large he is still the best boy ever! He has so much to teach me and I only hope I am able to give him back some of what he gives to me.