Monday, January 25, 2016

If the Shoe Fits...

The mud has continued to be horrible, and resulted in Cupid losing a shoe out in the pasture.  I put on my rubber boots and tried to find it, but no luck.  Unfortunately it took my farrier a full week to make it out, so Cupid and I have been taking it easy.

On Monday I still had my lesson, with an easy boot on.  Since I knew we wouldn't be jumping I thought I'd put my dressage saddle on.  I am still not very used to that style and need a lot of work!  So it was very useful even just staying at walk/trot.  My trainer had me warm up with my feet out of the stirrups, so when I put them back in they didn't feel quite so long.  But I still have a tendency to let my heels creep up, and my leg slide back.  Plus I hover over the saddle instead of sitting on my seatbones.  Even with the easy boot my trainer said I need to make sure Cupid is moving forward, and it's getting easier.
Easy boot

Cupid got Tuesday and Wednesday off, figured we'd take it easy with the shoe missing.  On Sunday the hoof looked really good, the shoe came off clean, but after a few days it was starting to chip a little. :(

On Thursday we had another lesson, similar to Monday.  We also worked a little on leg yielding. 

Still no shoe Friday and Saturday.  I was still going to do a light ride on Saturday but I couldn't get the easy boot to latch.  Sunday I was very sad to see still no shoe, because it was my birthday and I really wanted to ride Cupid.  I figured out how to fix the easy boot, and we just did a walk around the property trying to avoid the worst of the mud.

Monday morning I got a call from the farrier saying his assistant was "on his way."  Just in time for my lesson I thought!  I started grooming Cupid expecting the shoer to show up any minute, but 10 minutes before lesson time still no sign of him.  I put Cupid in the cross ties and put his saddle on, and texted my trainer letting her know the situation.  My trainer arrived and we were waiting in the barn.  Twenty minutes later still no shoer!  I suggested that maybe we just lunge today.  So put the easy boot on, and did a little lunge lesson.  Cupid was actually much less lazy than usual on the lunge, though our trainer still said we need a little more energy and showed me some techniques.  After I untacked Cupid the farrier finally arrived, so we should be good to go.

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