deja deja vu?

Tatoum LEAPing into spring!

The Mae saga continues...she's been sound for a few weeks now. Seeming stiffer on cold, damp days, but today and yesterday were very cold and she was good. I've been up on her bareback again and my oh my, last Friday I asked her to 'trot on' and she did. Easily. So she's now trotting and gaiting a little bit every day. She still needs to lose about 100lbs, but it's slow work.

we went to see the neighbour's alpacas. Tatoum was fascinated.

I am still working with the stallion on his horrendous canter. He goes 4 beat or just seems to scramble all his legs at once. I don't think it'll ever be great, but usually the second and third time I ask him in a session he finds it easier. I'd guess he spent most of his life not cantering with a rider on his back, so I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

We had a week of glorious summer last week in southern Quebec. All the snow melted and then the meltwater dried up, apart from in the drainage channels so Tyler and I took as many horses as we could on stream and ditch crossing missions/trails whilst it was hot and the water was running. It was fun!! We were riding in vest tops, in 25c in the middle of March. Heavenly!

Last week I went with the boss to the vet hospital at St Hyacinthe, which was pretty fascinating. Amber has been lame since about last August, without any periods of soundness, so it was decided it was time to sort it out. She had about 5 nerve blocks across both front legs, ultrasounds, radiographs and they used some new gait analysis software. They decided she has old swellings on both front tendons, something stiff in her right hind and possible arthritis in her neck. She's 9 years old...I was pleased that at first they couldn't tell where her lameness was. I used to have to come back after longeing her to tell me boss one day that she was lame in the right, next lame left, next lame behind, next lame in front...I started doubting my eyes for sure!

Finally, I'm studying for and taking my CEF Western Rider exams. I'm having so much fun riding a finished western horse with a coach. I've learnt pretty much everything I ever wanted to know, plus a lot more. I can now walk, jog, lope fast and slow circles, pivot, sidepass, ride one handed, ride two handed - extremely hard to do everything always with both hands! - and I will have the certificates to prove it! I find it hard to ride without nagging with my heels, to trust the horse to make transitions like halt to canter, to keep my reins loose and to not grip too much with my thighs. But I'm doing well. I've passed levels one and two with very good scores and am planning on three in the next couple of weeks. The biggest compliment my coach gives me is 'From just seeing you ride like that, I wouldn't know you were an English rider.' Ha! I would love my old dressage trainer to see me ride western. Fantastic!