I resumed walking Eli under saddle last night. He tried a little head toss play initially, but it’s so freaking hot out that merely a lap or two later around the larger of the two arenas, Eli adopted a tamer attitude.

Even at 7:30 in the evening, it’s still in the mid-90s here. The good thing about riding in the evenings, though, is that the humidity is lower. Eli still sweats a lot, and I still sweat a lot, but I don’t have much choice as to when I can ride during the work week. Waiting until 8:30 or 9pm? No. Mornings before work? No thanks. So we’re sticking with 7 or 7:30 on weekdays. I have slightly more flexibility on the weekends, and typically ride in the morning but not always.

I did let Eli out in the round pen for just a little bit after our walk, so that he could roll because he loves that. Then we had a nice long rinse before I stuck him in front of two fans while I cleaned tack. This is our routine now, and it’s not much different than what it would be if he were in full work. We just can’t can’t trot or canter, but all the grooming and cleaning up stays the same.

Honestly, I am glad it’s hot. If it were cold out, this would be a much more difficult recovery process because of how much the cold irritates Eli. I maybe don’t graze him for quite as long as he would like because I don’t want to be in the sun for too long. But he still gets his grass time daily, too. Eli’s next recheck is another 30 days from his last appointment — so that will be August. Where is this year going?