Too Short, Too Long

I gave Izzy a day off after his chiropractic adjustment. It wasn't hard to do as my husband and I were busy driving to Fontana so that he could do a race car drive at Auto Club Speedway. We had a great time, and Izzy got to stretch out his topline and relax his poll.

He had fun!

When I rode Izzy on Sunday, my plan was to just ease him back into work by checking his suppleness, and depending on how willing he was, give the canter a go. To my delight, my easy-going pony was back! The adjustment really was just what he needed.

Over the two and a half years that I've owned him, there have been a few times where we've had some pretty big fights, the snaffle bit issue comes to mind. His first owner warned me: when he doesn't like something, he's very vocal about it. She experienced his attitude when she tried to use a saddle that he didn't think fit him well. I now know that if he is really resisting something, he's probably physically uncomfortable.

Feeling so much better.

When I rode him on Monday, he was even happier. We worked on the right lead some more, and he was again able to hold the lead even though he wasn't as supple as he has been. I had to get the whip back out though when he decided that trotting was over-rated. A quick pop on the hip had him stepping forward again. Horses being horses though, we have a new puzzle to work through.

Over the past year or so, getting Izzy to stretch his topline and neck has been a problem. He's a pretty insecure horse, so he carries a lot of tension in his body, especially in his back. With Chemaine's help, we've been inviting him to stretch down into the contact, but he's been historically too light in the bridle.

This is stretching down, isn't it?!

After Friday's adjustment, I finally had a horse who was willing to take the contact. Unfortunately, he decided that I should hold him up completely. He was the heaviest I've ever felt him. For so long, he has retracted his neck, cramming it into his withers.

So now, we've gone from too light to too heavy. His neck was too short and his back was too tight. Now, his neck is too long, but his back is stretching. I think more transitions might help. To me, this sounds like progress.