And it’s supposed to pour! Bleh. No pictures in this post, so skip it if you’re not into reading. Eli has been getting back into fighting weight fast. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I started to get a little worried about his back–just behind the withers–you know, the part of the topline that disappears first. He was tender there after each ride. Is it the saddle (probably going to schedule a fitter some time in April regardless)? Do I need a different half pad? Or is it just muscle soreness from rebuilding–using his back in the past few days after weeks of one light ride a week because of weather.

Well, after Thursday night’s ride, I think it must have just been muscle soreness. He showed zero signs of tenderness there after our ride. Plus, he cantered absolutely fantastically! I sat on him and picked up the reins and really asked him to step up and under and get off his front end and keep his haunches just to the inside and he did ALL OF IT. These are not things I would have asked of him a few years ago. He didn’t even get swishy-tailed about me sitting down on him and asking him to step under and lift his shoulders. He just did it. Like, oh my god, Eli, are you finally like a trained horse now or something?

Is every ride going to be like that? No. Not with Eli, that’s just not his temperament. He’s still going to have days where he isn’t as motivated to work. Hey, me too. (Like right now, for instance.) He’s still going to have days where his opinion of me doing anything other than perching on him will be unfavorable. And that is completely fine with me! When he does try, he tries so hard. Thoroughbreds forever!