Eighteen Weeks

It's been eighteen weeks since we brought our broken boy home from Amarillo. He did awesome again today. My confidence and trust in our connection and his understanding of what I am asking him to do is growing each time I work him. We warmed up in the round pen but moved to the big arena pretty quick.

We trotted and I posted. It was fun. Not. Ashke had a little bit of an issue with the gate being open to the big arena. He acted as if that was an invitation to leave. At one point he backed half way across the arena because he didn't want to turn away from the gate and I wouldn't let him move forward. I finally got tired of arguing about it and closed the gate. We walked and trotted around the big arena and I did my best to post properly. We also worked on turning in the middle of the arena. There are times when Ashke is very responsive to the neck rein, but there are other times when he doesn't want to turn to the right. We will keep working on posting, neck reining and will probably add cantering to the mix. At least in the round pen to start.

After the round pen, Nicole, Abby and myself went for a walk-about. We went on the trail close to the stables that is on the way to the lake. Callie and Ashke did great. There weren't any big issues with any of the horses, although the chickens were pretty interesting and Ashke wasn't crazy about the sound of the water in the small irrigation ditch, but other than that they were all pretty comfortable.

My entire body hurts now. I think that between yesterday and today I rode enough that my entire body is feeling it. Posting has exercised the muscles in my lower back to the point of screaming pain, my shoulders and arms hurt, my hips and groin, plus the muscles in my knees. I'm having issues walking up the stairs with my right knee. And with sleeping. Although I certainly feel like I could nap right now.

Here is a picture of the scarring on the inside of Ashke's right hind leg. He was so beat up. There is also a slash across the front of his cannon bone that had to be really deep when it happened. The sore on the outside of his hock has finally healed, which I think was caused by him laying on the hard ground instead of the shavings he sleeps on now. The urine scald on the front of his cannon bones is slowly disappearing.

Nice muscle developing over his shoulder.

And in his flank. This is his "Please give me the peppermint" face.

The peppermint treat was enough to allow me to wash his face and around his ears. Peppermints rule!

This is his "Stop teasing me and give me the damn peppermint!" face.

Tomorrow is his day off. He will get Mondays and Fridays off and turn out on those days. We will be back out on Tuesday.

Maybe we will set up a new obstacle. We'll see.