Feeling a bit seedy today (lack of sleep) so only 10 minutes groundwork.  But good groundwork.  Why not quit when he's done a good job anyway.  Best Weave yet.  He is starting to understand the pattern for the pattern's sake.  It's not just me drawing him in or sending him out.  It's because we're doing a *pattern*.  So he's started weaving with little help from me.  Got some more energy into it today, asked him to go ahead of me and walk confidently through the drums.  Circled him at the trot.  Still lame but discernibly less.  Oh joy, oh happiness.  Haven't ridden in a month and miss it.  Full pass starting to come together, rather he's putting the pieces together and starting to do it with less interference from me.  No, he's not doing it himself but I'm not having to use such BIG moves to get him moving.  Back/front, back/front.  Trying to get a rhythm going so that we can move sideways with subtlety.  Not there yet but something to aim for.  He is better at being driven from a distance.  Not at the end of the 12' line yet but another thing, a concrete goal, to work for.

So our 10 minutes were productive without drilling, had a 10 minute pick at the end and a big carrot.  All horses locked in the yards during the day because they are too fat, even Balthazar who is looking decidedly broodmarish without the exercise of being ridden.

Lame? Maybe Not

The second day of strictly groundwork.  Only 15 minutes but a productive 15 minutes.  This lameness could be a blessing in disguise.  (Note:  Once a week we give ourselves a day off and feed the horses hay rather than a mixede feed.  They do not mind.  Rather they are enthusiastic, so much so Balthazar galloped up pig rooting sideways and cavorting like a foal.  Not one sign of lameness.  Will test him again tomorrow.  Anyway, today worked especially on a quick back up and return as well as sideways.  Because I'm not 'going through the motions' so that I can get on and ride, the groundwork naturally improves.  Our back up and return was snappier, quicker.  Our sideways was, if not to die for, at least good enough to faint for.  Very pleased.  15 minutes work and 20 minutes green pick grazing.  What horse wouldn't be pleased?  Left him loose and called him as I walked back towards the driveway entrance (was grazing him on the road verge).  At first he was quite good and followed on ... until he spied a particularly tempting bit of green pick across the road.  I was completely snubbed in favour of some ripe Rhodes grass.  Had to retrieve him.  He did redeem himself somewhat by searching out the carrots with great enthusiasm that I hid in the Great Carrot Hunt - like an Easter Egg Hunt.  Haven't done that in awhile but he was much more attentive to body language and hand signals in finding the carrots.  I like how horses, once they have time to mull things over, are much more switched on about conundrums placed before them.

Still lame. Bugger. Late morning and already stinkin' hot when I finally took him out to check. Spent a good 30 minutes scrubbing off dried sweat from yesterday's scorcher (we could save it, use it for seasoning. The sweat dries in salty white granular patches that have to be scrubbed off with the curry comb and my fingernail). Underneath the grime and salt was my shiny horse). So took him out, did a few quick exercises then trotted him around. Bob bob bob went his head. Have to rethink things now. It's been nearly a month Guess it is going to take quite a bit more time. (Talked to a woman at a party recently, her horse has been out 5 months with a shoulder injury).

Don't want everything to come to a halt while he's lame. If it takes months for him to heal, we can work on ground work at the walk. We can try to improve our connection on a 12' and a 22' line. We can incorporate some of C. Resnick's work. We can do alot of grooming and grazing. We can keep going just at a slower pace.