Hot horse update

Holy Batman, it is freaking hot now!  I know, I know, it's summer in Texas, it's going to be hot.  But we're in triple digits and it's only the beginning of June.  We've done some quintessential summery things already this year including spending an afternoon out on the boat, eating plenty of ice cream, and picking vegetables from our exploding vegetable garden.

Barf!

The animals have all adapted to the heat so far.  Both Dalton and Mae are drinking lots of water and getting electrolyte supplements.  I also spray Absorbine Santa Fe on their coats after I rinse them off, in an effort to keep Mae from getting as sunbleached as she typically gets in the summer.  It's a sunscreen and coat conditioner, and so far, no fading and her coat feels super soft.  

Mae is doing wonderfully this summer.  I thought that after her KS diagnosis this spring that we would be retiring her soon, but she is thriving under her new riding routine and reduced pressure to perform.  One of the new things that I've done with her is kept contact on the bit / her face to a bare minimum.  All three gaits are ridden on a loose rein and the only ask I have for her is to carry herself in frame.  Whaddya know, she can DO IT and is a lot more comfortable as well.  There's a very apparent lack of tension in her neck and back.  Everyone who has seen her out in the arena the last few months remarks on how happy she looks.  She's starting to fill out muscle around her ribs again, and we're continuing to work on getting her topline and rear back to where it used to be.

Dalton is continuing to fill out (read: get a big belly).  We don't seem to be able to feed him enough, and that excess energy from food seems to have manifested itself into a very cheeky boy.  When I'm able to let him get out on the longe line pre-ride, he throws a few bucks at the canter and then his time spent under saddle is much more productive.  Under saddle, we have been working on a lot of lateral work and coming down on the bit at the trot, all of which he has picked up pretty quickly.  The hardest thing for Dalton right now is his teeny tiny attention span.  Last week, I watched this horse almost walk straight into a metal strut on the side of the arena because he wasn't paying attention to where he was going.  My rides on him are anywhere from 30 - 40 minutes long with the first 5 - 10 minutes spent walking around the arena, letting him look at all the people and horses around.  I think you all know how easy it is to fall into a set routine during a hack, so I have a few ideas on how to keep it fresh and keep his mind active.

After a super humid and hot ride. I can't get a shot from his back because he's too tall for the mirror!

One of the adjustments that I constantly have to remind myself of is my mindset.  In retrospect, it's obvious to see how releasing expectations on Mae has allowed for us to revisit what we have her doing and make it focused around keeping her fit and comfortable.  In return, that's rewarded all of us with a happy horse, happy ride, and happy rider.  With Dalton, I think I need to come into each ride with a smaller set of expectations.  I've found that when I have one simple objective for each ride, it's easier for both him and myself than when I try to link together a series of objectives.  As with all new horses (and horses in general), every ride is a learning experience and I'll report back on what has and hasn't worked.