WHOOO HOOOOOO!!!!

I'm sooooo excited!!! I FIXED HER!!!! Well, I was able to use Dr. DeClue's protocol and fix her. But still! 

 

I met Kelli today at Ashland with just Lyric to see how she did again. She took a minute to load but she loaded nicely after she thought it through. We got to Ashland and she was happy snacking on hay. I pulled my saddle out again and decided to put it on her to see how badly off it was and if I realistically thought they could fix it for her. And... honestly.. it looked like it almost fit her. Which, talking to Tasida... she did get wider between Tasida's tracing and Amy's tracing. I'm sure the longing helped a lot. The rehab protocol Dr. DeClue had us do and also the pillar work and thoracic sling work I was doing. It actually looked like it fit well enough that I was willing to try riding in it. I also had Kelli's half pad with shims to try if she said no. Mine's still at the house. Maybe I"ll remember to grab it now. 

 

So we headed to the arena and I did a lap down the long side with pillar work each way, then a lap down the long side with leg yielding in hand. Then I jogged with her for a lap or two... and that was all I could do. I was huffing and puffing! But she sounded sound! So... I got on. The wool pads in the stirrup bar areas helped and while I felt a hair downhill still, I didn't feel like I was posting on the pommel or sliding in front of the flaps. I do think I need to put the whole saddle farther back than I had been doing. And it still slid forward some, so I will definitely use a half pad next ride. But it still had clearance above and to either side of her withers. And she was sound. And by the middle of my ride, she was moving out and using her back!! She felt pretty darn good actually.... And definitely the same both directions. I didn't feel like she was worse tracking right. She was starting to swing and move out and I wasn't having to kick every stride. YAY!!! She was still a little fussy in the bridle with her mouth, which worries me a little bit, but maybe it was more anxiety than actual pain. Overall though, she was pretty nice in the bridle as far as connection. She had some moments where she hollowed and braced, but overall, she was quite happy to go into the bit and soften and try to lift her back. It was almost like we never left off! Score for lunging and pillar work in hand! She did lose her hind end a time or two and felt a bit more .... not strung out necessarily, but more elongated. But... that's kind of where I want her, and she's not been carrying a rider. Plus she's long to begin with. So... I'm really quite pleased with our ride today! 

We finished up and went for a hack. She started out pretty slow and short on the trails but some of that was because of the cross country rider schooling I think. Marvin was able to keep up with us! ha ha! But she walked into the lake and splashed. And then she seemed to settle into a bigger walk. We walked across the dam and there was two geese in the path. She marched right on up and didn't balk! Good girl! I told her she was braver than Sissy and she could go home and rub it in her face! Because rarely is Lyric braver than Funny. :) 

 

We then trotted along the tree line in the field with the gallop track next to the lake and Marvin got left behind. But they caught up. Then I trotted her over the log next to the lake and she was brave. We carried on and she was a little reluctant to go down the hill next to the beaver dam area but she did. And she hesitated only for a few seconds before she jumped the little slimy "creek" right there. And then she was moving decently the rest of the way home. 

 

YAY!!! Oh man have I missed riding her. She's just... fairly easy when she's good. And she was so good. She's essentially not been ridden (other than a few bareback rides and one quick ride at Ashland with Dan right there) since January. And she's only been to Ashland twice since January and that was with Dan ponying her. So... I'm so proud of her!!