Someday Happened Yesterday

I bet that even Charlotte Dujardin thinks about someday with Valegro. You know - someday he'll be able to do this, someday he won't do that anymore, or someday we'll be able to whatever.

I am pretty guilty of the somedays. It's not that I think it's wrong to want your horse to be better, or in my case, to be more mature, but the wanting should probably be accompanied by an appreciation for what he can do right now.

When I got to the barn yesterday, Izzy called to me a few times like he always does, but then he went and stood outside in a way that looked ... patient. At first I thought he might not be feeling well as he let me clean his stall without pestering me. Usually, he's trying to tip the cart over and grabbing the fork from my hands, so when he left me alone, I got a bit suspicious.

When I brought him over to the cross ties, he stood very quietly and almost dozed. He's always a good boy while I tack up, but he can be a bit impatient. Early on he would fling his head up and down to rattle the cross ties. He doesn't do that anymore. Lately, he likes to back up to just the right angle so that he can grab the cross ties or the lead rope and chew on them. But last night, he just stood there like a solid equine citizen.

No fidgeting or wiggling.

When I walked him over to the mounting block, I kept asking if he was alright. He was being too perfect. Everything about him oozed relaxation and confidence. He wasn't worried about a thing.

I walked him around the arena for our normal warm up, but he was anything but "normal." He was relaxed, supple, and super mellow. I realized immediately that we were having a someday ride and praised him profusely for his maturity and submissiveness.

The bummer about it was that while I did get a few minutes of trot work, I had to call it quits early as Izzy has a sore foot. On Monday afternoon, he tweaked a shoe and the farrier wasn't able to re-set it until Wednesday. He's still pretty sore on it, but he was at least marginally better last night.

I think the nails gave him a bit of a poke.

He's sound at the walk, but he's still clearly lame at the trot. I am not asking him to work more than a few minutes at the trot, and it's mostly so I can gauge his soundness. Hopefully, the tenderness fades away over the next few days. 

Even so, I was thrilled with having my someday horse right now. If this is what I am going to get if I keep on working like I am, I will be one super excited girl. This horse is going to be fantastic. And actually, he's fantastic right now!