A Quiet Week

Not much going on the past week, some in-hand work, but no riding because of his sore back. Thursday he no longer seemed sore, so after working him I walked him without a saddle to cool down, it was really nice to be on him bareback again, it's been waaay too long since I've done that. He wasn't bothered by me riding, and wasn't sore afterward.

Saterday I rode a 1.5 hour trail ride with two of the other boarders, lots of walk, some trot and one little canter, so nice and easy. Barokko was very good, no sillyness at all, just a steady-eddie kind of ride, just what I needed from him :D

Monday he had his first taste of rain, a couple of very wet spring showers during the afternoon, but he didn't shrink or anything, and was only slightly damp on one side when we went to get him about an hour after the rain let up. So I guess he's waterproof ;)

He has lost a shoe, though, right hind. Today is 6 weeks since he was shod, and the farrier is coming tomorrow. His hind sheos have felt a teeny-tiny bit not quite tight but not quite loose the past few days, but the fronts are rock solid - maybe that's due to the fronts being hot set while the hinds were cold set? If he's more calm about the smoke and noise he'll get the hinds hot set this time, too.

M jumped him yesterday. We worked with a pole - vertical - pole on the diagonal and then a pole - canter stride - oxer on the long side. The strides didn't always work out as I had planned, but he showed some good problem solving skills, and jumped safe and clear even when he had to adjust.