Two weeks without riding seems like an eternity. Yesterday I finally made it to the barn, and rode Saumur. I kept it easy, so we both could get back into the swing of things. Initially he felt rather tight, but then worked out of it. I guess it was the same for me.
Today I had lessons on both boys. Well, Remy's 'bootcamp with Judy' sure paid off! I got the "Yes, ma'am's" right away. Overall, he was much more consistent, balanced, and even. He felt like a trained horse (as opposed to the fussy youngster I left) - and as Judy frequently had to remind me: "Ride him like a trained horse!". It all felt so much easier. Judy suggested we might just skip Training Level.
My ride on Saumur was a bit tougher, I definitely felt the stiffness like yesterday. As canter work usually helps to loosen him up we did a lot of that. It is a fine line between 'diving down' and 'head up', in order to get him into self-carriage. Counter bend helped getting him off his favored right rein. Luckily we were able to finish well with much improved trot work. I did order Adequan, so hopefully it will help him (once we get through seven times of "ouch, a needle!").
Speaking of stiffness, though: I couldn't wait to get home and hop into my bathtub! The bath salts are aptly named "rider's reward". No hot baths for the boys, though, (would be hard to find an adequate bath tub) - their "horse's rewards" come in the form of extensive rolls in the mud. Each to his/her own!
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