Went for a ride yesterday. Did some of the Parelli games first with the saddle on. He was good. Don't know that we'll ever get past the ear pinning when he's being saddled, when his chest is touched or he's being rugged or unrugged. Even this morning, when I was unclipping the leg straps, without touching him, he pinned his ears. Sometimes I make him move his feet. Other times I think, well, that's just him and don't bother. Suppose I should be consistent in asking him to move his feet. He doesn't have to move far, just a step or two but I do notice after I've asked him his expression is more benign.

At any rate, took him up the back on Curtin's three tiered hill. We only went up the first two as it's steep and Balthazar is unfit. We took frequent breaks and only walked and as it was cool and the air dry I wasn't very concerned that he'd tie up. He might be a little sore this morning. I am.

When we returned, because it was too cool to hose him down I tried to groom out the sweat marks. Gave him some hay. When I wasn't with him he was pacing at the gate and nickering for his paddock mates. When I was with him he was quite happy to eat the hay. The best part of the ride, in a way, was afterwards. It was lovely just spending time with him, squatting in front of him and handing him the choicest bits of hay. Reminded me of when I was a horsemad girl. I didn't overthink things then. I just wanted to be with horses. Somewhere along the way I lost that simple pleasure. I read too much, competed too much, demanded too much, of both myself and the poor horse. Now, in my approaching dotage, I am discovering again the simple pleasures of being with or on a horse.

I didn't worry whether Balthazar was tracking straight yesterday. I didn't care much if he kept strictly to the path or whether he was bent or not bent, stiff or not stiff on his off side. I, we, just enjoyed the view, the wide sky and the rolling brown hills. Even Balthazar looked. What does he think when he gazes into the distance, at hills several kilometres away?

On the way home he head tossed a couple of times and broke into a trot a couple of times but on the whole he was marvelous.

We had some trouble with the back foot booties. They twisted. I put the pads in the front ones and they stayed put but the back ones, especially the near side turned, even up to 90 degrees. Have to trim the pads to get them to fit.

Realized with the padding of the booties plus the padding of the pad inserts I'll be able to trot and canter him on hard ground, something I've been wary of before. The booties grip well and he doesn't seem to lose any surefootedness wearing them.