Ride before the rain

This is little Coco looking through the gate at Maraschino getting a groom. Almost like he wants one too one day. Hopefully he will be brave enough soon.

I was good and picked out Maraschino's feet - I normally avoid it because he kind of kicks out when I pick up his back feet - it's a bit scary since he has such long legs and he is very fast when he wants to be - plus bending over at that end means your head is near those feet!
Anyway he was better - slowly but surely we are working on it. I can massage and brush his legs and feet now (all of them) and also paint hoof oil on and put cream on his little scratches on his white area (they were pretty sensitive when he had mud fever over winter). Today I cleaned out all for feet and also sprayed copper sulphate and water onto his frogs to get rid of the thrush - plus he has a little bit of seedy toe.

I had already ridden Garbo - I tried to squeeze a ride in before it rained - in the end it never came to much.

Garbo didn't seem overly happy so I knew I would have to take this ride a step at a time and see how we went. I played with him a bit on the way to the tyre and we did a quick figure eight round the wooden spools. He was great for mounting which was just as well because I had left my carrot stick in the wash bay.

He is also really good at just standing now after I get on.

A couple of things happened today. We started with follow the rail and he decided one side of the paddock was scary - at one point freezing and not backing when I asked. Just looking out to the distance. I couldn't see anything so we kept on. I spent more time over the other side and would try back over there again every now and again. I did lots of trot to walk to trot doing a transition at each post on the fence. I would add back up when required. Also we added some turns off the track and back the other way at trot and Garbo would go into canter... but put his head down.

I used phase 3 then 4 at one stage when he would not go forward (away from the tyre - seems the tyre is now the end spot!) and the popper slapped him on the rump and he bucked. He seemed very pissed off about it.

I decided after 25 minutes to end on a good note and we walked round the rail and ended at the tyre.

Then I put him online after taking off his saddle and I asked him to walk round the rail with me in Zone 3 on the end of the 22ft. I was particular about him staying on the rail, and therefore on the end of the 22ft. Then we did a couple of trot circles and I asked for canter. Going to the right he could only canter for 1/2 a lap withour transitioning to trot, and to the left he would put his head down. Not sure what's going on there. He bucked a bit initially too. So that maybe means I have not been doing enough canter online so how can I expect him to do it under saddle.

He was happy enough at dinner time though. Maybe he is a bit stiff or sore from something.