August 18- Ride #5

First ride at the new stable! Sherlock has lost some weight from the transition so I have not been keen to really work him, just feeding him his grain and walking tours of the arenas. Clearly I have been letting the hoof cleaning go a bit, as he was quite bad for his feet today. He would rather concentrate on clearing out the weeds in the round pen. I suppose I either have to weed or I have to get him on the tie rail in front of the barn.

I was hoping to have pictures but G was too worn out to join me at the stable. We spent part of every day Thursday- Saturday at the Wake Up Festival, put on by his workplace Sounds True. It was really fun but our first-ever yoga class left us both pretty sore.

But today I got my saddle out and the blue bridle and got on in the round pen. I was feeling a bit nervous, since he hasn't really been lunging or anything all week and I've been pouring Strategy into him every day. He walked well, but was still weeds-fixated so I dismounted and walked him over to the outdoor arena.  Got on there with a real mounting block instead of my lawn chair, how civilized. He liked to circle back to the gate, so I just let him relax and asked him to walk faster. He got a really strong walk going towards the gate and stretched his neck down, and circled larger. So we practiced whoa a few times and I got down and took him back to the round pen for his grain.

A nice first ride in the new place, I have to remember to get him used to the new area slowly as he was just really settling nicely in the round pen at the old place. And here I am in our first ride here trying the full-size arena! Pretty bold. Sherlock did great, just as quiet and kind as always and stubborn about the feet. I think we probably could have trotted, but it was hot and we was sweaty afterwards with just the turbo-walk work.

I find myself watching him for neurological signs now, but Sherlock is more footsore than anything else. I found my bottle of sole toughener and it was dried out. Bummer. The one people suggest is $40. My horse extras budget for the month is blown already with the purchase of a safe fat-booster for his feed (add weight withour getting bucked off!) and a riser pad to keep my saddle from sliding back and pinching his withers. I cut a little bit off his tail for my darling niece Sara, perhaps a bracelet?