Energy To Burn

On Tuesday I tacked up Phantom for a ride outside. She was a bit silly in our lesson outside last week, so I was hoping to get her over it for my lesson this week.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

She started well in the outdoor arena, although her trot felt a bit pogo-sticky. But in a good pogo-stick way - kind of bouncing me high out of the saddle at a very forward posting trot. Her breathing was great and there was no coughing.

Then we picked up canter. And she was in that mood that once she's cantered, she can only canter. It's not a good canter either - it's a short, tight, erratic canter. Can't trot, sometimes can't walk, only canter.

From a video this winter. 

She's not fun to ride when she gets like this (which doesn't happen very often these days). It's what she does when she is feeling good, and it's just easier to get off, let her loose to play, and try again the next day.

Plus my girth needed to be tightened, and I didn't want to get off and back on to do it since there is no mounting block in the outdoor ring. I almost got it up a hole while mounted, but then she moved, and since the saddle is newish the holes are a bit tight so the pin just wouldn't slip into the hole.

Self-imposed rollkur through downward transitions.

I took her back to the barn and stripped Phantom's tack off. I was planning to sneak into the indoor arena to let her loose to play, but someone was just taking a horse in there to ride. So I took her over to the neighbour's place and used their round pen.

Ooh - look at that roundness!

I gave Phantom a second to walk around and gave a cluck. She moved into a very expressive trot (for her) and then picked up a canter. And kept cantering. I just stood in the middle and looked up at the birds in the sky while she cantered around me. Eventually she stopped, and I had her turn around, gave a cluck, and she was off again.

She's usually very lazy for this type of thing - she's not going to put in more effort than required. Not today! There was self-imposed rollkur, strike out's with front legs, and her version of a buck which is a hind leg towards her ear (don't ask). For the most part I sent her out and just stood still while she was silly around me.

The kick towards the ear. It looks as awkward as you think it does.

It was hot out so I ended it before she ended. There was still some sillies in there, but I hoped the worst of it was out of her system. Apparently she's also fitter than I thought she was as she wasn't overly puffy and recovered very quickly.

Jealousy from her neighbours while hand-grazing.

She hasn't had this much energy in quite a while, and I'm not sure why now. I've changed her feed over the last month - she now gets a pound of ration balancer instead of beet pulp and alfalfa pellets. She's getting the spirulina, which is a superfood and has lots of protein and amino acids. She's lost weight after moving to the diet pen, which is smaller than her previous turnout (but not that much). And I think she's just feeling good in her body these days, based on the way that she has been offering to go.

Cleanish tail. Needs another washing with the good shampoo to get that yellow out. 

I hate this extra energy. She's an Energizer Bunny at the best of times. When she's like this I just can't harness the energy in the right direction.

Guess I'm going to have to try to ride her more. I hate to complain that my 15 year old horse is feeling good!