In the last few weeks although he has had a holiday Jack has really improved and we have had some great schooling sessions and hacks, we've also been out to a show jumping training evening had a really positive physio session and a wonderful arena eventing style jumping lesson!
I always feel much more positive after Jacks had a session with our fab physio Tamsyn to confirm that he is working better and not in any pain! She came out to us earlier in the month and while he feels fab but I really like to have that conformation from her that Jack is working correctly and is not hindered by pain! She said how even he is moving behind now and built muscles back in all the right places :) he did have a little tightness in his hip flexors which is due to him now working correctly from behind and putting them under a bit more strain than in the past but she was able to loosen this off for him and it confirms he is working correctly and using himself properly. She also said I can start asking for a bit more from him now as he is physically able to do so.
The ulcer treatment/management that I have put in place continues to keep Jack happier and more settled and this really showed when I took him out to a new venue for show jumping training a few weeks ago - he didn't have the usual volume of sloppy stress poos! While he was not perfectly behaved and we did have a few problems, which resulted in me becoming rather stressed out, over all the evening was a success and we were able to take a lot away to work on. Jack was quite unsure to begin with about the scary fillers but after a look at a few of them he jumped a beautiful clear round jumping everything with ease. His jump has really improved since surgery, pre-surgery he was reluctant, had a very jerky jump and would often take poles off with his hind legs as he didn't release behind. He now has a lovely smooth jump and is generally more keen. I don't want to tempt fate too much but he's not refused or knocked down anything yet although I've not asked him to do any big fences or complex exercises as I want him to enjoy it!
He has also been schooling really well and he feels so much better in his canter, he is more adjustable, forward going, lighter and freer. All this is how he feels as I never have eyes on the ground to tell me if he looks as good as he feels! I really enjoy and look forward to riding him now, he feels easy, how it should be, and he is behaving beautifully and trying so hard to do everything I ask him to. It is a total turn around and at the moment every time I ride he feels better and stronger. I'm really excited by how he feels at the moment! It is beginning to feel like he is going to be able to be the horse I always thought he could be - only time and training will tell if we will ever event but on current form it is looking like it could be a reality!
With things going so well I managed to book myself onto a arena eventing style jump training session with our instructor, who we have not seen in a year, last week. I was unsure how he would react but felt the time was right to start asking a little more and as Tamsyn our physio had agreed there was no time like the present.
The day of the clinic it was howling a gale and the rain was thrashing down - great start! I got Jack ready and he loaded first time without hesitation. We arrived at the venue to find they were running about and hour late due to the weather but thankfully the rain had stopped. The ménage was rather water logged but meant for good water schooling! As I warmed up Sue our instructor commented how much looser and freer Jack was working over his back and from behind even though I didn't feel his was working as well as he had been at home. Probably due to being somewhere different and all the water! We did some easy exercises to begin with and Jack found these so within his comfort zone we soon moved on to more complex exercises. The jumps were kept small but the lines were made tricky to get jack quicker with his feet and thinking for himself. We ended jumping a line starting with a barrel in water on a curving right turning line 3 strides to another barrel and then another curving left turning line 3 strides to a 3rd barrel in canter with a change of lead over each barrel. Jack jumped through with confidence making it feel so easy. He far exceeded my expectations, I really didn't know what to expect but prior to surgery there would have been refusals, spooking and bucking and rearing for sure!!
We have another clinic in a few weeks which will be working on show jumping course riding, in Dec a arena eventing competition and in January we are planning on attending a 3 day camp working on improving the 3 eventing phases. I can't wait for that, all being well we might even have a crack at a ODE next season :)
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