Oh holy yikes it's cold out there. Like 18 when I got to the barn and 10 when I got home, then 5 when I woke up this morning kind of cold. It's warming up this week; the high might get as high as 27! Woot! I'm having to reconsider my "I don't ride when the temperature is in single digits" rule ... but I don't think I'll have to invoke it. It should stay in the teens in the evening. Yay?
Apollo was good last night. I chose to just longe in a surcingle and side reins, see how he was doing. TW had mentioned that he looked a bit off on the RF but that it was probably just hard ground causing it. He seemed a little off at first on the longe, then worked down. I didn't feel any heat or see any swelling when I brought him out of the pasture, so I won't worry. Anyway, he was quite good. I could have gotten on and not had problems, but I'm glad I plopped him on the line.
I would like to revise my "left shoulder argh!" statement, however. What I mean is "right rein argh!" He doesn't want to take contact on that right rein, so he pops his left shoulder out. So that's something to be aware of and working on consistently. I wonder if it has anything to do with his injury, which is on the RH. Dunno. It also looks like he could use some bodywork in the poll and the pelvis. Must see about getting that done. With any luck Doug Hannum or Grant Showalter will come out soon ... that would be ideal. I should see about chiro for him as well.
Waiting for a call from the County folks about an initial consultation regarding saddle size and panel shape, etc. Not planning to do anything about that immediately, but one has to have a starting point. There's a possibility on one of the sites I'm watching, but I have no idea if a 19" is too big even for my butt or if it'd sit wrong on Apollo's back, hitting that last rib. This is why I need a fitter!
Lesson on Sunday with another of the Ladies Who Lesson; I'm glad to get this train back on the tracks. It'll be mostly flatwork, which is good for now. Patience, grasshopper. Do this for a month or so, then see where you are. Position position position. Work on your lower leg position, and think of MT's position and of Denny Emerson's recent FB posts about how he arrived at his ah-ha moment re: leg position. (Spoiler: he watched lots of videos of Mike Plumb in slow motion.)
Wowsa...I am going to stop complaining about 34 degrees. 18 is COLD. Yeah for getting back on the lesson train. Savvy has a shoulder popping problem too and I don't help it with my leaning problem!
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