Making Progress

Flash
Last Friday, after the lesson with Gayle, Flash was not at all sore in his back.  Sunday, Brett and I went on a long trail ride that included many steep hills and clambering over and around boulders.  Flash wasn't sore that evening or the next morning.  He did take a long nap, stretched out in the sun, but pushing and prodding on his back resulted in no response whatsoever.  We are optimistic that putting shoes on his hind has solved the problem of his sore hocks. 

Jackson
Jackson is bouncing back from the last rain and the resulting wet ground.  The soft sore soles on his feet are getting better each day.  The ground is drying up -- weather in the 70s and climbing through this weekend.  We have been putting him in the paddock so he can move around and interact with the other horses; but not get pushed around and made to run.  I read an article the other night in Equus about laminitis.  It said that sometimes horses who are lamanitic due to soft, thin soles can improve when they are barefoot.  Sometimes they grow thicker stronger soles.  Jackson is definitely more comfortable barefoot and his feet looked better at his last trim so maybe he will reach a point where he is comfortable as a pasture pet.  I know the damage he already has isn't reversable and he won't ever be rideable, but maybe he can hang out for a long while still.  He is determined... and so am I.

Winston
I had another great ride on Winston before work this morning.  We are still working on him accepting the outside rein and moving into the contact but it was improved from last time we worked.  I love how he learns and tries so hard.  Even the walk-trot transitions were smoother.  I grabbed my thigh and rolled it forward and tried to keep it there.  Despite all the work we did, the zipper didn't come down on my tall boot.  That's a good indication that I was using the side of my calf and not the zippered back.  Those boots keep me honest.