4/23 - After arriving home with Romeo, I found just enough energy left in me to longe Harley. He was entirely obliging, and free longed very nicely. I put him on the neck stretcher, and he was nice there as well. He hopped through the trot poles evenly and happily. Total about 40 minutes. A non-event, simply a muscle building exercise, one to "burn the boogers off" for the next day.
4/24 I caught Mo, tied him to a tree limb, and saddled Harley up for work. Typical warmup, free longe, neck stretcher, all with good success. Time to get to work.
I rode for about 40 minutes walk and trot. We started out on a loose rein, both gaits, and then I quickly got to work. I rode him in the other 2/3 of the arena, away from the sandy longe circle. *cough cough* &Gasp& Need. Rain. Badly. So, riding in the grassy part of the arena leads to easier breathing, for both of us.
Harley started out tripping, stumbling, and basically having a hard time picking his lazy feets up. I charged on, adding leg, squeezing at intervals just about every time he tripped. Lazy Britches, pick your feet up!! When I gathered up the reins a little, he fought me every possible way he knew how. My arms started to get tired hanging on steady, so I bent him in small circles. Finally, he relaxed his neck just a little, and quit with the head tossing, mouth twisting, ear flipping nonsense. As I got his attention in small circles both ways, then I went back to riding straight lines and bigger circles. Harley gave, just a little, in both directions. It wasn't anything to celebrate about, but it wasn't horrendous either.
Just a little give, but we have soo far to go. Total work, a bit over an hour. I unsaddled him, hosed off the mud and sweat, and tied him to the paddock fence. It was Romeo's turn. I found Mo tied right as I left him, nearly asleep.
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