I rode yesterday and today-both rides were pretty good.
Yesterday we did a lot of walking and trotting, then I decided that I needed to ask for a canter so I could show myself it was still possible for me to get her to take the left lead without giving up. I took the right lead first with no problem. We cantered all the way around the ring and then some, working on collection and slowing down a little bit. We then walked for a good two times around and asked for the left lead. She took the right. I brought her down and asked again. Right lead again. We did the same thing 2 more times as she got more and more agitated with me asking over and over for the lead. We asked one more time and she took it! I let her have her head and she got to go as fast as she wanted as I pet her and told her how good she was. We cantered around about three quarters of the ring then I stopped and we relaxed. She got patted and loved up for a bit then we called it good.
Today I rode again but we kept it to a walk and a trot. Not bad-her trot was VERY nice by the time we were ready to quit. She held her frame very well for quite a while. She was a bit stiff, but still good. I’ll probably try again tomorrow, but again only at a walk and trot. I’ll probably give her a little more time before we go into a canter again, but I don’t want to wait too long. Our next show is going to be the first week in August and I’d really like to go. I’m not going to sign up just yet-I want to make sure she’s sound before I enter. I’m really hoping that Adequan will help enough to the point where we can show the rest of the year. If not, though, I’ll just hold off till next year and maybe do Training and First Level then. We’ll see how it goes. Honestly, I’m just happy that she’s feeling well enough to get back into a trot and be fairly comfortable!
One more thing-The Dave Matthews concert is coming up this Saturday! I can’t wait!! It’s supposed to be a high of 79 and a low of 57, I think. It’ll be a PERFECT show! We go every year and tailgate for hours before the show. We go to the show and sober up, then we head back out. Hopefully I’ll get some good pictures out of it to post online 
I still wish my brother could come with us, but I can kind of understand that Vanessa is about to pop and it would probably be a bad idea for him to be stuck at a concert with me while his wife is having a baby…. Maybe next year. It’ll be 3 years in a row he didn’t come this year! It’s just not the same without him and Vanessa there. There’s so many funny stories from the concerts we go to every year at Alpine Valley. More to come on that…..
