Sweaty pony brings pangs of guilt :(

Instead of lunging, Quadi was put through his paces with a bit of free jumping.

He went well when he didn't go thumping through and actually balanced himself, too much time was spent with the poles on the ground when actually he could have been jumping sooner. We stopped once he put in a nice balanced effort both ways.

I'm not sure who was more puggled, he or I. He was puffing like a train when we stopped yet he hadn't gone round and round in a panic and we'd been asking for calm as opposed to pushing him on. I think it's because he has a full coat, unclipped, and got hot :( I felt awful and had to walk him around for 10 minutes until he regained composure.

I'm now swithering about clipping him as he's not started shedding coat. But I'm not sure that's a good idea, I don't want the clip showing through his summer coat and of course I don't want him to be that puffed out again. We've done a lot more work on hacks and in the school lately, so his tiredness puzzles me if it's not from having too-thick a coat.

My ankle is much better. Despite this, I'm leery of doing too much in case I twist it the wrong way (again!). Hopefully I can get back to schooling soon.

I also took up hot water to soak his foot. Kate collapsed in laughter when she saw that I'd soaked the wrong foot. D'oh! And when I tried to swap the boot to the other side he lobbed it across the stable. So I gave up.

We are planning to trailer them to a local forest next weekend in preparation for a summer of clinics and shows and competitions :) And maybe a beach ride before the weather gets too much warmer and the coast starts to get busy.

As an aside, I've been noticing that he's been scratching his sides after he's been untacked. I can only assume the buckles from the dressage girth are bothering him, and he's quite tight in behind his elbow with a very forward girth groove. I think a call to a saddler or two is in the offing. I imagine it's the equivalent to my wearing an ill-fitting bra, that would be more than sufficient to make me grumpy!