Just a clutz???

September 16, 2025

Today was lesson day and since I jumped Funny, I flatted Lyric!

We got tacked up and I put her back in the dressage saddle. It still seems to be fitting her well. We didn't get much warm up because Jacel was ready for me as they finished slightly early. But we walked around and good bit and talked and I did a bit of stretchy trot to loosen her up. I told Jacel that I wasn't sure what was going on, but that she felt very neurologic in ways and had been losing her hind end and feeling disunited. But I also wasn't sure if it was her stifle catching creating the weirdness feeling. Or if it was pain causing that? Or.. just training (or lack thereof). So she was like "well, let's see"! She had me shorten up my reins and put her together. And literally as soon as I started to gather her, her hind end collapsed hard! And of course at the exact moment, Jacel looked away! But she heard it!. So, we carried on and we did ten meter walk circles then went into shoulder fore. Or shoulder in. ;) She did some decent shoulder ins, although she's still a bit bracy shoulder in right. So then we trotted and did the same thing.... ten meter circles to shoudler fore. And then she had me do some trot lengthens... one on the diagonal and one on the long side. Then back to collected trot. And... holy cow... Lyric kind of stepped up to the plate and was pretty darn good!

She did have me switch my whip to the left hand and just set it behind my leg and touch Lyric on the barrel, to proprioceptively remind her to not throw her haunches left. And it worked! And she didn't get all bucky, like she does when I tap her with the whip. She did bottom out very mildly twice in that ride but it was super subtle. So then we cantered and it was actually pretty decent. She had me lift her back with my thighs... lift the saddle! Which helped a lot. And we did 15 meter circles and a lengthen or two, back to working canter! And then we even did a canter leg yield both ways. Holy cow... Lyric was actually pretty good.

I did have to ride her haunches right, especially when tracking left. And she was hanging on the left rein still. And I felt a bit like I was holding up a freight train at the canter, but... she's not strong, so I need to support her while she's doing her strength training. She worked pretty hard even if it wasn't long so we quit with that. Jacel told me to do strength training and not focus as much on the fitness. She needs to do her "squats". So... I need to do short rides of tighter circles, use my whip to keep her haunches from falling left, and do transitions within the gait, and transitions between gaits. And we talked about how Jacel didn't think she was neurologic... just weak. And maybe a little sore in the left stifle or sacroiliac joint. She did say that she thought some of her dumping onto her left shoulder is to avoid using her left hind. And some of the falling out could just be her catching herself with the hind fetlocks and/or mild stifle catching. She used to be really bad about cutting herself with her other hind foot, so we know she struggles with that. And it's massively better but.. it's still going to be her tendency. She was also forging hard today too. I'll have to ask Patrick about that. So.. I'll keep doing strengthening rides until our appointment with keelin and see how it goes. We did talk about how I can use the proprioception of the stick to help strengthen her but also how... if there is something going on, having her be fit and strong is only going to help it!

Then we were walking for a bit longer and then we started to walk out to the trucks and trailers and Lyric was on the buckle. Judy had pulled up with Teller and was tacking up so Lyric was looking and curious, but her head was neutral and she was literally on the buckle. Suddenly she rolled her front right toe and scrambled down to her knees... and was on her face and knees for a few seconds before she righted herself. Good grief girl!! I just turned and looked at Jacel and was like "See!!!??? This is why I'm worried!!". Granted, this was front end... and she's NEVER fallen like that before. But it does make one awfully concerned. It wasn't like the ground was crazy terrain... So.. yeah... I don't know.

We ended up taking a nice walk to the lake and back up the hills in XC and she was good. Sluggish starting out but then once I encouraged, more forward. And no more tripping or falling, thank goodness!