It has been one week since Lexie started on the ulcer medication. I think that it has made a difference for her. I think that her eye is softer and she is somewhat more relaxed under saddle.

We had a solid walk warmup and good trot work. She was a little tighter than I would like in canter, but we are working on that.

I brought her in and groomed her and trimmed her bridle path. Then I gave her a full head massage. She was digging it. I rode her in a Howdy’s snaffle tonight.

We warmed up slowly with walking and basic lateral work, such as turn on the haunches, side pass and leg yield. We proceeded slowly to help her understand to yield to leg cues rather than react to them. We made very nice progress and then just for fun did some trot and canter work. Then a review of the lateral work during warm down. Very good girl.

We worked in the indoor on relaxation and stretching. Went very well.

I brought her in and groomed her, putting some show sheen on her tail and mane for a small beauty shop treatment. She looked very pretty. Then I tacked up and rode in the arena. She was slightly tight at first, but in about 45 seconds, her walk was much improved. The stretching work is paying off!

Her trot work was also mostly relaxed, but her canter work was really good. She took several deep breaths and chuffed several times, and even had stretchy canter. Wonderful.

I rode her in a lesson with Missy on Howdy (who also went well!). Straight off the mounting block, her walk was relaxed and she was looser in her neck and back than I’ve ever seen her. When we got to it, her canter work was excellent. There is work to do, but she is definitely on the right track. Yay.

After grooming, I put on my blaze orange vest (deer hunting season) and headed down the road.  We had a nice walk warm up and then headed south on “Cam’s road,” the one directly to our east.  We trotted down and up through the valley, then cantered to the T-intersection.  We worked a lot on softening to the rein and being polite to the half halt and she got better and better.  Back the way we came and a nice walk along the fence line home.

After grooming I tacked up and rode her in the arena, working on relaxation and flexion, which went well.  Then we went on a short hack as a treat.

Lovely evening.  No wind, all the arena drapes open and we worked on stretching and breathing and relaxing in all gaits.  She did very well and I was delighted when she took a few very good breaths in canter even!

Tonight Lexie was in a dressage lesson with Missy.  We worked on canter-trot transitions and proper use of the half halt and flexion.  Both of them were very good.

I rode her tonight as the snow globe light snow fell outside.  She was on the muscle for the first ten minutes so we did a lot of flexing and transitions.  She came around nicely and started to breathe and relax and produce some nice work.  Good girl.