18 degrees is way too cold to ride but ...

So this happened tonight:

I have no idea why my phone turns the indoor green, but there you have it. My favorite photo of the year!  I am thinking easy rides for this weekend and next week, then I hope to rejoin the jumping lesson next Sunday. Yay!!!

Apollo is, predictably, pretty stiff and rather up after, what, four? five? weeks of not being ridden. He starts out a bit off, but by the time I finish longing him he's moving soundly, especially to the right. Oddly enough, he's a bit off-er to the left to begin. He was entirely uninterested in taking contact on the right, so ...we have lots of ground to make up. Still, riding again!!  Hooray!

Also, I picked up a bottle of Equiderma lotion for his scratches. On first look I suspect that this will do what all that silver sulfadiazene didn't and actually clear it up. Initial signs are encouraging. I hope in a few weeks I can come here and give a screaming, enthusiastic OMG YOU GOTTA TRY THIS endorsement. :)