progress.....

Yesterday Cameo and I had a play in the hay paddock - since she and Rafiki had a touch of laminitis I have made sure to excercise them within their comfortable limits every day for at least half an hour. They are both sound and fine in the arena but I put their boots on for a play on harder ground. Cam loved her boots - they now have comfort pads in. You can't see from here but generally she has been landing consistently heel first, and she showed fabulous extended trot the first time she wore them - her idea. This was a pic from our second play up there. It is amazing how LB she stays these days - there was a time when she was rarely LB at all...

She has started to relax in trot and even canter. yesterday I rode bareback, putting the pad over the theraflex which was SO comfortable. we trotted for most of the half hour and did our first 'intentional' canters. A few times before I've been trotting along and she has leaped into canter but I haven't been comfortable - this time I was and could even sit into it....BIG for us. We only did 6 strides each way but it was a start. Even better, when I took the pad off there were no ruffles...even online with the saddle on she always had ruffled hair...interesting!!

Had our best ever ride with Rafiki yesterday - she is so much softer with indirect rein but we still have a way to go with direct. But it really isn't that long ago that she was gnashing her teeth eevn with lateral flexion. we spent almost all the half hour trotting, doing transitions and indirect and direct rein. She saved the best til last - when I decided to stop and really relaxed she gave me a little throaty nicker and reached around and nosed my foot. So sweet - have never had a horse verbally 'talk' to me when I have been onboard before - not even Cam. I just LOVE riding Rafiki - she has a gorgeous even rhythm and it just feels 'right' to be riding - i think she enjoys it too. Hopefully I'll feel like that on Merlot too. There is just the right amount of stomach to contact my legs, and it feels so right to be sitting up there. I have to be careful what I think because she picks up on it....