Before and Afters and a little Can'ters

I came across a picture of Savvy from the day I brought her home. I was a bit shocked by how different she had looked back then. I had forgotten what a homely little fluff bum she had been.

Big belly, little bum, looongg hooves

She did not seem to know much about standing for a farrier. The first attempt involved much rearing/fighting/flailing and only one hoof done. Over the course of that first summer we went from rodeo at farrier time to fast improvement. She now knows how to stand quietly for the whole process, thank goodness.

And here is the little goddess now...

big belly, BIG bum, gorgeous all over :)

This gem of a pony has been my side project and it is about time her training gets finished. I have promised myself to add her into the loop of horses to work with. There is always not enough hours in a day for me, but I have to be real with myself and either train her or sell her. She has a great mind and beauty to boot, so there is no way I can let this beast sit as a pasture pet.

I have also been busy riding Miss Tea since our amazing horse show and continuing to work on developing her back muscles and soften up on the bit. We have been doing some good walk/trot softening but a new frustrating issue has come up at the canter. This horse has no end to her issues. It took her a year and a half to learn to canter under saddle without bucking. Then last summer after months of great improvement, went back to bucking and ended up with a month off and saddle adjustments. Her back as an issue is always in my mind and I may have to revisit the chiropractor idea again this summer.

Me thinks can'ter blows.  Carrots pleaz :)

Anyhow, her new thing is to flail her head up into the air at the canter and counter bend. I am hoping it is all because I rushed her back into work for the show and possibly asked for too much too soon (ie. working on the bit when there wasn't the muscle development yet to support that). So I worked on myself at the canter and focused intently on sitting up straight (no leaning in to the centre on corners), softening contact while still asking for inside bend, inside leg on at the girth, and outside leg supporting. OIY! I have so much difficulty keeping my legs in the right places at the canter!!! BUT, for the few strides where I had my shit together, she was not flailing as bad. Fingers crossed this is not a pain issue, just a bad rider combined with weak muscles/diva mare issue.