Attitude Adjustment

Ok, L and Hillary - you win.  I bought Walker BoT quick wraps and a BoT saddle pad.  I put the quick wraps on for 30 minutes, and when I felt his legs afterwards, they were shockingly toasty.  I am converted!  I can't wait to spend more money.  I want all the things!

Other than that, Walker got a major attitude adjustment today, courtesy of my barn manager.  He was back to being a jerk on the lunge line after his mini-vacation.  He reared again, and so naturally, I assumed that he was still sore.  But then the barn manager asked if she could have a go with him... and well... he is not sore.

She worked the sassypants right off him.  And while I love a good tune-up any day, I think the most impressive part for me was standing back and watching my horse move.  Somehow you don't really get a good vantage point when you're the lunger, and boy can that pony move.

I whine harp a lot about how Walker is soooo western pleasure and he's sooooo slow and he's never going to be forward, etc. etc. etc.  But he was bookin' it on the lunge line today, with a gorgeous extended trot at one point, and leg yields to rival any fancy pants dressage horse (the leg yields were part of his "I don't want to go forward so I'm going to walk sideways and forward to see how you will react" spiel).

Anyway, I was extremely impressed so this came at a good time.  I was starting to feel down about our future again when he was coming up sore/lame.  It was a good reminder that the talent/potential is there.  I just need to harness it.  

For the record, I also think that he was sore last week.  I suspect that he was sore and then when he saw how I treated him, he decided to see how long he could milk it.  Last week I continued to ride him and work him, and he was still extremely unwilling, so I still think there was definitely something going on.  Today, he seemed fine.  Maybe the farrier is right.  Maybe it was just a matter of needing his feet done.  

Tomorrow we ride in my new BoT saddle pad! I can't contain the excitement!