It took us a few days to settle back into a routine and I found that being a bit out of practice I was a bit slower at completing tasks, items having gone walkies while we weren't around didn't help but we are now fine, found everything and have got a good routine that suits us both sorted out!
Initially I was bringing Jack in during the day, exercising him after work, turning him out for a few hours and then returning late evening to put his grazing muzzle on for the night. Jack didn't seem very happy with this arrangement! He was unsettled during the day as had no company, was very full of himself during his work and was not keen on being caught in the evening knowing the muzzle was going on so at the weekend I changed to turning him out during the day muzzled, bring him in late afternoon and working him then leaving him in for the night. This is much better for him for several reasons, he has company at night as there is another pony that stays in next to him, he has been out so is more chilled to work and he's not on the spring grass for a long, there is also the benefit to me of only 2 visits a day rather than 3 so everybody is happy!
Following his return home last Monday Jack began working, my last post details the first few days.
Having attempted long reining fairly successfully for the first time on Thursday I tried again on the Friday and even managed to walk over some ground poles on each rein albeit a bit wobbly! Then we had a slight technical issue when one of my lunge lines snapped! Thank god it did it when I had a second attached and was able to stay in control! Saturday down to 1 lunge line we had another session in the pessoa this time with ground poles at B and E on the circle for him to step over. Having changed is routine the night before he was 100% calmer and he walked trotted and cantered over the poles nicely on both reins with no bucking or kicking or silliness at all :)
On the Sunday I was able to borrow another lunge line and give long reining another go, he was a super star again and we were able to walk over a line of 4 poles on each rein and even did some trot although I seriously need to get fitter as I was struggling to keep up!
Monday we returned to the pessoa again this time with 3 ground poles 1 canter stride apart on the circle. After a good warm up on each rein he walked trotted and canter over the poles beautifully. He was doing it so well I decided to up the difficulty and raise the poles at one end so he had to use his back end that bit more. Jack rose to the challenge and popped round on each rein in walk trot and canter with no problem. He had a really good work out and I was so thrilled with him.
He has been working far better than I expected him too and I'm almost waiting for the wheels to come off again! It seems to good to be true that he will come back into work without having some issues. Perhaps he is just saving them all for when I get back on board, which is tomorrow eek!!
The saddler is booked for the afternoon and typically the weather forecast is for high winds, just what you need when getting on a fresh horse that's not been ridden in months! I am really hoping that the hard session on the pessoa, being turned out for the day before hand and being lunged for a bit first will be enough for the saddlers visit to go without too much drama and we can get his saddle sorted and begin his ridden work proper! It is such a big occasion, it feels like all the hard work all boils down to this moment when I put my bum back in the saddle and we will get more of an idea if the surgery has really worked and if it has all been worth it. Obviously there is still a long way to go and unfortunately there is plenty of potential for things to still go wrong further down the line but all being well if I take things nice a slowly and keep things easy and fun for Jack to give him time to realise he is no longer in pain I will have my boy back.
My loose aim at the moment is a charity fun ride in September. It's a long way off and a lot will have to go our way in order to get him fit enough and accepting me on his back enough to take part but I feel we need something to aim at and not being a competition there is much less pressure on the both of us.
I shall report back after Tuesdays saddle fitting how we have got on!
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