Stepping it up

No supermodels this week; we're too busy getting ready for our first horse-camping trip of the year!

Rick checked Lance's right front suspensory with the ultrasound this week and said it's looking really good. Lance is feeling good, too. I've been putting the Renegade boots on his front feet and he feels much more forward when wearing them. We took our most ambitious ride of the year through the woods Tuesday evening.

The horses are getting up to three hours of pasture a day now, and Lance is showing it.

Good thing we're cleared to up our exertion level!

The supermodels

This evening two ladies hauled to my place for a joint lesson, and I totally forgot about taking pictures until the lesson was finished. So there goes Carl,

a tall, narrow drink of water who belongs to the woman who originally contacted me about lessons (she's tall herself).

Such a pretty color, that dapple gray! If only they would stay that way!

Her friend's mare is a lot greener than Carl, although coming along nicely.

After they left, I rode in the twilight. Compared to the long-legged, finer-boned Thoroughbreds, Lance looks like a Mack truck. That's okay; I love my big red goober. :-D Here he is on a road ride on Mother's Day:

An update on several fronts

The pasture grass has headed out, so Lance and Oliver are getting a little afternoon turn-out. Happy boys!

They love not only the grazing, but also the chance to roll and scratch their itchy, shedding hides. Today I noticed that a certain particularly itchy big-butt boy has been rubbing his rump a little too vigorously; this is the second board Lance has broken doing that. 😳

It's been a little over a month since Lance's last shockwave treatment. Rick says it's time to check that suspensory ligament again; if it looks good, we'll be cleared to increase our activity. I'm not sure Lance will welcome that; his energy level, even when first turned out into exciting green grass with his buddy, is very low. Not that I want him tearing around, risking re-injury!

Looks like I have not just one, but two new clients for dressage lessons. Next week they may both haul out here instead of me driving somewhere, so I might take some pictures. Both are riding nice, off-the-track Thoroughbreds; the original enquirer's gelding is a surprisingly mellow fellow!

Another hiccup

The farrier came to trim the horses yesterday morning. The last time Troy was here, Lance was too lame on his right front from his suspensory injury to stand on it, so his left front was extra long.

Anyway; Oliver could barely walk on his right front after Troy trimmed it; I think his knee gets sore, because he recovers after awhile. And Troy found an abscess in Lance's right front – the first time one of my horses has had one! It was along/under the outer bar and pretty deep. Strangely, Lance wasn't lame from it; Rick said that's because it wasn't a true abscess, but rather an infection. (?) Now Lance is sporting custom footwear and our rides are on hold . . . again. Fortunately it shouldn't be for too long. We need to keep walking, because our first horse-camping trip is coming up at the end of this month!

In other news, tonight I am going to meet a possible new client who is interested in dressage lessons. Fingers crossed it works out! (Thanks, Sylvia!)