I guess that this is officially a Thankful Thursday post, even though it is going out on Friday, as I am SO grateful for this ride today.

Who's that Perfect Mare?

She had gotten in the habit of taking short, choppy strides before she went totally lame. I could not get her to go on the bit. Any attempt at contact sent her head in the air and rushing or skittering crookedly sideways. So the riding that I did do last winter was loose reined, trail rides. I had hoped to get her okay with contact again at some point.

Then she went lame and it was all on hold. For a while, I thought it could be permanently on hold.

It is possible that the way I was riding her contributed to her lameness. I had been riding her in a jaquima meant for Paso Finos and was asking her to gait. The jaquima does lift her head. She goes very lightly in it and on a loose rein seemed fine. I don’t think that this was the primary cause of her lameness, but it might have been a factor. I do believe that she had an injury of some sort. If it really was an avulsion fracture or a ligament injury, I really don’t know. The summer of rest certainly helped her. The supplements she’s been taking have helped her. We are currently using Ligand-3 from Foxden Equine. I wet a week’s worth with olive oil and add it to her feed. She gobbles it right up.

The turning point seemed to be her recent treatment from Ferronato Shen. I had heard very good things from a friend about the work she did. Her evaluation and massage session with Lily turned up a very tight back as her primary issue. I won’t go into more detail than that on my blog. Needless to say, I believe that Ferronato was correct. Now I rub down her back after every ride and am very conscious of how I ride and handle Lily.

Since I’ve started riding her again, it is in a french link snaffle that fits and a new to me Ortho-Flex saddle. The difference lately is really good. She reaches out in her stride. We had gotten up to a couple of miles of walking.

Leg yield on the way home. Not so easy to do with one hand on the reins and one taking the photo.

After stretching her legs like that, I asked for light contact, her neck arched right up and she gave it to me. We did some circles, spiraling in and out and leg yield. Her head would pop up, but she would come back when asked. It was lovely and even better than years ago, when I rode her Training Level.

It really has been two years since Lily and I have done any work in earnest. I leased her out for the first half of 2008. I had too many horses at the time and she was the most trained and easiest to find a leaser for. When she came back, I bred her to Paisano. Then she went to Tired Dog Ranch to foal out. There were a few rides here and there. I could tell each time that something was off. There were mild resistances from Lily. Though she would do what I asked, it was not with the willing, happy attitude of the past. It was really just a feeling more than anything I could put words to. I guess it’s not a bad thing that her physical issues came to head this year. Whatever it was, it seems to have worked it’s way out and we are on the other side.

So now, I have a second chance to begin again, training Lily. I have learned so much in these two years and I look forward to having the chance to apply it. It is like a new world for me. To have Lily back and sound again is a gift beyond measure.

(And, by the way, the “Wah!” title is not a cry, but the Wah! of bliss.)

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