Our own room

The boys!
(I'm not sure they could be any more different ....)

Time for some updates blog land!

Hampton

-- At the risk of jinxing myself AGAIN, Hamps is currently sound and feeling fantastic. I never did find a spot where the painful abscess blew out. So, maybe it reabsorbed? In any case, I am not asking questions. Just moving on.

-- I started him on Pentsosan. (May do a separate post on this later ...)

-- We have been working on the basics this week. Just transitions, forward-back, ground poles,  stretching and suppleness. I threw in some leg yields today, and he stayed sound within those. I think later this week I may ask him for a session of "real work" and see where we are. I am sure he has lost some fitness, but I am totally ok with that. We can get that back.

Royale, Hampton and Spot.

-- Unfortunately the arena has a crap ton of large gravel rocks that are surfacing. I am not sure it is fair to continue to ask Hampton to school the level that he does on this footing. It also has random sink holes, and the kids are doing donuts in the ring with the ATV. It needs totally re-done. And that likely won't be happening. This has been on my mind. Am I being a total footing snob? 

-- We are still aiming for a clinic at the end of August.

-- Not sure about future shows. Have some options on Sept, Oct and even Nov. I'd like to try 4-2 at some point, and maybe even go buck wild and try 4-3 just because I hate myself at times. ha.

Royale

-- Working on taking a steady contact. He likes to curl some, and bop around the contact at times. This usually happens when he falls behind the leg.

-- Turn on the forehand. He picked this up rather quickly!

-- Leg yields. Will start more of these now that TOF has been established.

Royale's first hack in KY!

-- Lots of serpentines, changes of bend.

-- Canter departs. Working on becoming more prompt and less "OMG LEGS EVERYWHERE". Sometimes he picks up the wrong lead, but I'm not worried about it at the moment.

-- Lunging in side reins (once a week). Will help him learn to balance himself at the canter. 

-- Stand quietly in crossties/washrack. CHECK!

-- Accepting baths/showers. He had made big progress here. He used to FREAK the fuck out, but now I can get him to stand in the washrack for a shower. Of course I can't turn the nozzle on full blast yet, but he will accept it now. (with the help of a chain over his nose).

Why you tie me in here?

-- Next up: FLY SPRAY

-- Hills, trail rides, general exposure.

... It's actually sort of nice not to have anything exciting/frustrating to report. We are just plugging along in our little routine. I think some changes are on the horizon, but isn't that always the case?