Sorted out my account and back riding!

I have finally sorted my account out and can be back to blogging!

So much has been happening!

Sam has now been officially bought back into work. Day one I had to lunge first. I mounted and tried to walk around our back paddock but Sam soon told me that he was full of beans and that there are monsters hiding under all the trees. I popped him on the lunge until he had shown me just how acrobatic he can be and until he was ready to slow down, breath and to start thinking again. I don't mind Sam being silly on the lunge as when I need to use it as a training tool and working tool he does listen and work properly - I'm lucky that way. We have been doing a lot of fitness work mainly. The back paddock is about 3 acres and we walk around it twice, trot twice and canter twice and change the rein and do it all over again. He his starting to really get his breathing sorted in the trot work.

I am now wondering about the diagnosis of pedal osteitis for Sam as he seems to be warming up out of the lameness. It is not totally gone but he does get better throughout the work out. I am considering when I have time to take him to a different vet clinic that is about 3 hours away but their reputation is remarkable for lameness issues.

So Sam is working well, accepting a contact, holding a nice prelim frame in trot. Canter is still very stiff. Any ideas for suppling exercises for the canter? I really need to be able to loosening up his back.

Sam got new shoes all round on Thursday and on Friday he was a little touchy so I gave him yesterday off and will see how he is today, if no improvement I will call the farrier.

Little Poppy is doing well. Fat! She has a sore eye at the moment that seems light sensitive. I have been bathing it with warm salty water and I have given her some bute (an anti inflammatory and pain killer). This has been helping but if I stop for about two days the eye becomes sore again so I will take her to the vet this week. I can't see anything and it isn't really weeping, maybe she has bumped it but I would prefer to be sure.

Little Poppy excelled her self when my niece and nephew came to stay. We have never known if she has been broken to saddle. She accepts a lunge roller with no issues and has been long reining really well. We decided to put my nephew on her. I made sure he had a helmet on and he wore his gumboots - better than thongs - my OH was also holding onto him just in case Poppy showed us that she wasn't ready for it or happy about it. SHE WAS QUIETER BEING RIDDEN!!!!


She is a little super star!

I am heading off again next weekend on another road trip to look at a horse. Only 6.5hrs away this time!
Harvest Arbitrator He is a 16.1hh 14yo Warmblood Gelding. Trained to medium level dressage, currently competing Elementary level. He is meant to be very quiet and schoolmaster like. You have to press the right buttons or he won't do it! If you nag him too much with your spur than he will cow kick at your leg - I thought this was a good thing, makes sure you keep your leg still and quiet and only use it when required. He has the same Sire as my old instructors horse in Sydney and her horse swishes his tail a lot as well - I will presume it comes from the Sire. I thought he looked happy and willing and very patient in the video. These are his official placings.
Thoughts?