Better....

I took Tetley out for a short hack today and he was ooooooodles better than yesterday. He wasn’t quite sound to start but not far off. And he worked sound within 20 minutes until he could even trot downhill with no problem. He is stabbing his feet outwards, just a tad, as he walks and wearing the outside edges a bit again, but nothing like they were before. But he has RAGING heat in the black footed hock, compared with warmth in the white one. Things are brewing.

I rode Caddy outdoors on the grit. He was a good boy. I had to put him on a square to get the trot right, but it was a really good effort when he did. And I had to walk him up the centre line doing alternate circles left and right to get the walk right, but that was really good too. He only needs more strength to improve, his work is already really nice. He is still a bit lazy, but he responds to a flick with the whip with good grace. Best of all I guess is that his mouth is completely unspoiled and that’s rare for an ex-racer.

I just had an inkling that if I gave Tia the extra work of the grit, which is still a bit deep, then she might fight me today. So I took her in the barn. I had to insist on her staying out in front of me, but I managed to do that with my thighs mostly. So we got some good walk and some lovely trot. I tried for some walk to canter, and blow me down, she got it! Very little fuss, especially compared to the histrionics that we had a week or two ago. I just kept her out in fron tof my leg and held on when she tried to throw her head up and she worked out that she could step into it without losing her balance. To finish up with, one very respectable walk-to-canter (no trot, big step into it) on each lead. We stopped then of course :- )

Mr Molie was back so I gave him some more highlights. The bleach keeps him away at least twice as long as anything else.

I’m away tomorrow seeing the massive sculptures in Edinburgh (house sitter is here Mr Burglar). See you Wednesday.

C