Spin Cycle

 Lyric and I had a lesson with Kelly today. I figured it would be nice to get her eyeballs and thoughts. I was running a bit behind though... We skidded into Ashland with 6 mintues to unload and tack up and get in the covered arena. Luckily Kelly was running late too so we were able to tack up and walk around outside the arena for 15 minutes. It was a bit too slick to trot, which would have been helpful but it worked out well because Kelly was able to see her before she got loosened up. I told her all the struggles we've been having and she watched me walk. She said she didn't see any lameness at the walk and she was tracking up nicely. 

 

So then we trotted. And honestly, Lyric felt worse than she had the last few rides. She still feels normal and okay going left or straight but tracking right feels awful. Kelly watched for a few minutes and then stopped me. She said that she totally saw what I was feeling but that she didn't look lame so much as "stuck". She told me to hop off and she got a lunge line and put Lyric on it. She said she was putting her in a "spin cycle" so that she could unlock her body without having to worry about me being on her. And she kindly said it wasn't "me"... it could be anybody... even the best rider ever was still weight and mass and required different balancing. So she sent her out at the trot and Lyric started with her shuffly broken QH jog. So Kelly chased her. Nothing scary or big enough to make her even scoot, but she insisted she get bigger and longer and stretchy. And she lunged how I lunged... walking with her, big circles, straight lines if possible. And it worked. Lyric slowly loosened up and got swingier and sounder. And we even started going to the right! Within 10 minutes she was a completely different horse and looked sound. And she was happy. It did make my feel good because Kelly made the comment that Lyric was a nice mare and lunged well. Yeah.... just don't try lunging Dan. ;) 

So then I got back on and it was SOOO much better. She still felt slightly funky tracking right here and there, and she lost her balance here and there, but she felt soooo much better. And more willing too. And yes, I had to chase her a few times. But not terribly so. We spent the rest of the lesson getting her to stay unlocked. We started with a very soft connection with no concerns as to her "frame". Just... get in front of my leg and go. And not nagging. If she got behind my leg or started to shrink up her neck, I had to whomp her forward again and immediately give with my hand. Once we got her going, then I started to take up a bit more connection. And with that, I had to keep the forward and swingy. And it worked! We got some really nice moments. She even started to use her back some too! YAY!! We would get that, and then give her a walk break and loose rein and reward. 

 

We did multiple repetitions of that and then we were done. Kelly said that she thinks it's more muscle bound tightness than a problem. And yes, maybe there's some soreness but it's probably secondary to that tension/tightness and/or lack of fitness. So the plan is to lunge her before every ride and then work on the forward and swingy. And if we're struggling in a ride... just get off and lunge. And hopefully in 30 or 60 days, I'll have my horse back! I do think I'll add in the fat supplement and see if that helps. I don't think she's PSSM but I may start investigating it more and playing with her diet. She's already on magnesium and vitamin E. And Kelly mentioned methocarbamol, but we're on that already too, although much more recently. 

 

So we'll see! After our ride I took her for a hack for fitness. We did some hills and then I wanted to do a little trot and a tiny bit of canter since we didn't canter in our lesson. Of course she turned it into a gallop. But okay... stretch out and loosen up love! We only galloped the one long side of halfshires' field. And then we walked back the rest of the way. Good pony girl!