Re-Conditioning

Ben has had a bunch of time off since our last show in August- small rides here and there, but nothing overly regular or strenuous. He's had lots of turnout, and overall just been doodling around.

A result- a happy horse but a fat horse. And stiff.

I was hoping the time off would help resolve some soreness issues I had been noticing - but no such luck. If anything, he looks worse lately. So, last week, Ben was reintroduced to the concept of working. Last week has been ground conditioning - walks and longeing. Despite his stiffness- he looks SO much better on the longe than he has in the past. For the longest time, Ben could hardly hold a trot let alone canter on the longe. He has always needed a rider to help him along. But not so much anymore- Ben can absolutely do this on his own. His canter still needs development, but boy oh boy, he has such a lovely trot now, even just in a halter going around in casual circles.

A couple of really important things are happening this week:

1. Ben's *hopefully* new saddle arrives today. I cannot wait to get home to see that box on my doorstep!

2. Ben is getting a massage tomorrow. The masseuse comes highly recommended, and is known for giving exercises/ stretches as homework to help limber up and straighten out these guys. My hope is that we can identify the trouble spots and come up with a plan to make them better.

Given that the massage is happening on Tuesday, I am not sure what our prescription for exercise will be for the coming weeks. I sure hope it involves a well fitted Black Country Eloquence X ;)