Wizard Ride 262: Teenage Kicks

Tuesday, 7/26/11

17 days without riding really had Wizard feeling like a teenager. He was F-R-E-S-H! Nothing I could not control and it was actually fun, but my goodness! He even threw what I could call his first official buck under saddle. The neurotic rider in me immediately diagnosed him as having ulcers, a badly-fitting saddle, and SI joint issues, but it’s more likely that he was amped up from the time off and good food. I’ll reserve judgment until we have a few more rides under our belt.

We rode in the outdoor arena under the lights, and the bugs were not bad once the sun set. Riding patterns and asking for different exercises really helped, but the thing that helped the most was letting him canter, canter, canter. Once we cantered a while, he was able to trot. I’ve always that it’s a “Thoroughbred thing”, and it certainly worked for this Thoroughbred.

Riding Wizard was a bit like riding a wet noodle, though, and I knew we were not going to get a lot done, so we drilled our simple changes for a little bit. He’s FINALLY improving. Part of it is me finally getting around to putting in the effort and part of it is him getting fitter and more balanced. We were able to do a few simple changes with him picking up both correct leads. I never had issues with Alibar and leads, but if I don’t cue at just the right moment, Wizard falls apart.

I was really impressed with our final result, though we were both a sweaty mess by the end of the ride. I cooled him off and put him to bed with a pile of nice hay.