Having fun, this is how it should be!!

Jack had a session with our fantastic physio last week for the first time in 4months.  I always look forward to Tamsyn's visits hoping she can see and feel the same sort of improvements in Jack as I do.  I really value her opinion and she has been so instrumental in getting Jack right, I don't know where I'd be without her!  With how well Jack has been going for me in the last few months I was keen to find if he has been working and using himself correctly as I think!.  I'm pleased to say the answer was yes! Tamsyn gave him a good check over, working out a few sore and tight spots for him but she was very pleased with his progress since her last visit.  His top line is strong, he's put on muscle evenly on each side of his spine, no problems over his back, a little bit sore behind the saddle (due to now using the muscles in that area properly to collect more on the flat and to jump bigger fences) and a bit tight in his off hind hamstring.  She assured me these are all normal and due to him working harder and using himself better and he should be even better now!

As I lunged Jack the other day I studied his way of going, his stride, how he was using himself etc and I realised something - he has totally changed his way of going, he is much softer through his whole body, is taking more weight behind, much softer in his neck laterally and is freer through his shoulders!  This last week alone he has developed a more uphill way of going, particularly the canter.

I am having so much fun with him at the moment, this is how it should be! He is being such a good boy, working well, relaxed and happy and we are both enjoying ourselves more than I ever imagined possible back in the dark days when Kissing spines were making him a grumpy, unhappy and un-rideable horse.
This week we have enjoyed a couple of really nice hacks, once down to the river where we did about 30mins canter work (didn't gallop coz the ground was a bit hard) and then splashed down into the river to cool off, something we have never been able to do before without a lead but he went in happily all on his own so another big improvement!

I've also managed a fantastic jump session where Jack jumped up to 1.05m with ease as you can see from the pics below!  He was flying!  Such a huge improvement, from knocking down and refusing at tiny fences pre surgery to taking strides out and giving them plenty of air post op!  With a bit of Xc schooling I think we might just be ready for a little ode soon, he's fit and more than capable on the flat and show jumping!  However he has only seen solid fences once since his op so we need to rebuild a bit of confidence there before we try entering anything competitive.  

I love this pic although my lower leg is awful and I got a bit left behind I just love how he picked up a long one and cleared it with so much ease and with ears pricked!


Making nothing of 1.05m 

I was a little concerned as he seems a bit uncomfortable being shod this week, he has had some issues being shod behind since his operation, we think due to si pain, but he had shoes off over winter and when the first set went on 8weeks ago he seemed so much better so I thought we had cracked whatever was causing his discomfort, certainly he didn't seem to have a problem when tamsyn checked him and he's been working brilliantly so I was quite surprised to see him struggling.  It was when the farrier was picking up the near fore he was that seemed to bother him rather than the hinds so it maybe a completely different issue but I will need to keep an eye on it.

I'm now off on holiday for a week so he will be turned out 24/7, it probably won't do his waistline much good but it will do him good to switch off for a week relax and if he does have any little niggle causing him to be a bit uncomfortable hopefully the break will help it settle down.
We will see if there is anything which needs further investigation if he's still not right when I return