May - June Comparison

This morning. I could not get a more interested facial expression... 

May 

May 10th

I can see a bit more weight and muscle over the hindquarters and back. He's still got plenty of ribs showing, but he looks overall more healthy to me in the picture from today. That's also the way he looks in person - or I'm just acclimating to a TB vs. a roly-poly andalusian mare. 

The bit was not as magical today. Talking to the GYs, I realized that Tuesday we went out and did pole courses and cantered and trotted a good bit in the giant field. That typically has translated to better work in the ring, so perhaps it wasn't the bit after all yesterday. We went out for a walk around the neighborhood after about 20 minutes of dressage work today. I asked him for a little trot and got a canter and then a few little tiny hopping "bucks" if you could even call them that. I let him roll with it because he seemed to be enjoying himself. We had also just been discussing doing what the horse needs when you ride rather than doing what you had planned - a checking in with them at the start of grooming and the ride. He was fairly cranky this morning tacking up, and this was day 5 in a row, so perhaps I should have just nixed the dressage from the beginning. He wasn't bad at all, just not as there as he had been on Monday and Wednesday. Tomorrow we may go trail ride with friends, but more likely he'll have the day off. I'll do some massage and stretches with him in the evening since I'm feeding.