Onward

Hell of a week so far.

Tuesday night, I was so upset about the possible keratoma news that I couldn't force myself to go to the barn. I played with the puppy and read and puttered around at home and had a good crying jag.

Wednesday, I put on my big girl boots and went to the barn, determined to at least sit on him. It wasn't anything fancy; I kept making myself put one foot in front of the other, do the next thing.

We ended up having a rather nice school: 30 minutes of dressage work, with some nice moments in the lateral work, some nice work in the canter, and just a generally harmonious ride.

Last night, not as much fun but I tried hard to read the horse I had underneath me. I had intended to do another 30 minutes or so of dressage. It was SUCH a gorgeous night I couldn't bear to be inside, even though I knew he would not be nearly as rideable. Often, we get to the outdoor ring and he just wants to canter madly around on the forehand, which benefits exactly nobody.

We walked all around the field and when we headed into the outdoor I immediately saw that a) he was not going to cooperate and b) the footing had been rained on, hard, and not dragged in a while. It was not dire - we probably could've managed just fine - but it was enough to push me into going in to the adjacent field instead.

Nothing fancy: walk and trot around the field, working on rhythm amidst terrain and elevation changes, staying focused. A few strides of canter. A hack up and down the dirt road to finish.

I set the date for his vet appointment: August 6. We'll do a trot out for the vet (he does not feel off on that foot, but since his comfort level will largely dictate how aggressively we move, it makes sense to get a baseline), pull the shoe, do an x-ray, and have a long chat with vet, farrier, and myself.

Tonight, road hack; this weekend, a wedding out of state, so no riding for me. Pentosan today. Onward and upward, I guess.