FidgetFeet and Ride

Maybe it's my imagination, but the Boy appears to be putting on some weight. Even if it is my imagination, clearly he's no longer losing anything, and I can now sleep at night, so that's good. Ha. It poured for nearly a week while I was gone, and he doesn't like the rain, so perhaps that had something to do with the sudden loss. Who knows.

Tuesday I fed him as much as he would eat (which isn't a whole lot, he will eat maybe a big scoop of grain and then decide he's full), and then took him out and let him eat grass while I groomed him and took pictures of him and his feet.

MAN this horse is fidgety when he's tied. I'd noticed it before in the barn, but figured his feet must be hurting him and that's why he wouldn't stand still. But his feet weren't sore today--he was walking sound on the grass and only mildly short-strided on the sandy gravel, and let me pick up all four feet with no hesitancy. And he still won't stay in one place longer than 30 seconds! Good grief. He's respectful of the tie and hasn't set back, but he's here, there, and everywhere. I anticipate it will settle itself somewhat as he continues to get used to everything--when he's at all anxious or uncertain he has to move his feet. Just now my only really inflexible rule is that he can't run over/into me.

Anyway so I worked round  his fidgets to get him groomed and then decided oh, whatever, and tacked him up. We didn't have much time but I wanted to go up to the arena and see how he'd do. Grass was slippery outside, so we weren't going to do more than walk anyway.

He was very "up," but his "up-ness" doesn't translate to any kind of really-less-than-desirable behavior, so that's good. We hand-walked around and then I persuaded him to stand still long enough for me to get on, and we walked round a bit. The arena surface is rather hard and nasty at the moment, especially where the rain's blown in, so I didn't want to do more than a walk till either (a) I get the arena dragged and fixed up a bit, or (b) his feet are 100% on everything. But he was very very good and I was still happy with the saddle fit when I was sitting on it. :)

So so SO happy to be back sitting on a pony again, even if we're not doing much at the moment. And he's MINE!! Lol. We'll be back in business before long. Hoping to be ready for a lesson with Coach (aka arena fixed and/or grass pastures officially okayed to ride in and/or pony in boots and/or pony feet 100% on arena and/or pony shod) sometime in August.  :)

Update: Brought the Boy in on Wednesday night for his yumms and on the way he apparently stepped on something and made himself lame. Argh. Horses. At least I know what foot it is this time; it's not just an overall soreness!