Trimmed!

Jet is getting his feet done today! FINALLY! We will also Thrushbust him today and then again tomorrow. The farrier is coming in an hour so I am going to lunge him a bit now because I don't want to work him with his new feet. He needs some time to adjust since he is overdue and will get alot taken off. We will see how he is feeling tomorrow. I am also going to ask the farrier and see what she thinks about his kicking. It is officially July 1st and I completed my goal of not jumping him for the rest of June. I am probably going to lunge him over some cross rails Sunday and see how he does. IF he is ok, I will try a few with him. I have decided that we are going to stay at cross rails. I have also promised myself and him that I will only jump once or twice a week with my Mom's supervision at all times. If she feelsm, or if I do, that he is in any pain, I will stop immediately.

On a happy note, I went for a ride Tuesday night in the ring. We did walk, trot, and even some canter! Once I asked for the canter the first time, he was eager to go. So I let him! He made it halfway around each direction two times. the first time I held him up and the second time I gave him his head. I was waiting for him to buck since his head was low, but he didn't! Not once! I was so proud (:

Yesterday I went for a ride with Mom and HHF. We worked on slow trots. I collected him on the trails a few strides at a time. He LOVES the trails. He really does. He wanted to go but listened to me. When he got to the field befre the bridge, we came across my not-so-good friend. The coyote(we were attacked while camping there by coyotes). So we just walked around it and it just stood there watching. We went over the bridge and cantered! It was the best canter he has ever done!! I was so extremely proud! It was not a "I can't hold myself up so I am going to go really fast," but it was a nice, slow, collected canter. Even my Mom was in shock! When we went to go do it again, he was a bit more eager to go so when I asked him for it, he bucked. It wasn't one of his kick-outs, it was a "YAY LET'S GO!" buck. This canter wasn't nearly as nice but it was controllable and we were slow enough to stay behind or next to Elsa. Since we cantered twice in one direction, we had to canter atleast once in the other direction. So we went across the bridge, made sure the coyote left, then cantered the other way. The transition took longer than I hoped so by the time we reached the end of the straightaway, we only got 5 or so strides in. We walked back to the first field patting our ponies. We got to the hill and I asked Mom if I could canter up it. She went to the top and I trotted around. He picked up the canter as soon as I asked and it was as perfect as the first one! What a nice way to end the ride! I was sooo happy!

I'll post before and after pics of his hooves later!

-Emily and Jet