Recovery Week 4

 

A Porkchop in the wild

Hampton was QUITE happy to have turn out time again! He has a couple more days in the small paddock and then on Wednesday he will be released back into the wild with his friends.

The first time I let him out for some turn out time, there was some ... theatrics ...

That's his hind legs .... above his head. Sigh.

But after about 5 minutes he calmed down and went right to grazing and has not had a case of the stupids since. 

His legs have stopped stocking up, too.

Gross and hairy

SO HAPPY TO BE OUTSIDE 

Annnnnd I have started riding him again! Starting out very light and easy but he feels sound, swingy and fresh. I have not felt this push in his gaits for probably a year. It makes me so happy to have him feeling so good! The time off seemed to have been very good for him and his body. Everything had a chance to heal and rest.

He is still enjoying being hairy and somewhat feral. I will probably clip him when he starts working hard enough to break a sweat. But for now, he looks like a fuzzy school horse and he is loving it haha.

So happy to have this view!

Now it's time to slowly build both of us back up. That means trail rides, poles, hills and long power walks.

I could not be more impressed with Hampton on how he handled this entire process. I guess I am not terribly surprised, given his nature. But you never know. He has never spent this much time in a stall ever in his life so that was an unknown. But he caused zero problems and I am so beyond thankful that he was so sensible and easy to deal with.

onward!