Feet on the Ground

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better as the week wears on. I can finally lift my arms above my head again, and the body soreness has subsided quite a bit. However, I'm quite aware that I am not fully healed. My neck is still stiff, and I can't tilt my chin up very far without quite a bit of pain. I also seem to have an on and off nagging headache, and a few bruises still haven't surfaced.

I haven't been back to the barn since my accident last Sunday, but I'm planning to get out there maybe tomorrow, and definitely over the weekend. In the meantime, my mind is on what to do with Halo while I can't ride.

I noticed on our walk back to the barn after my fall that she's gotten a little bargey on the ground. Meaning, she doesn't always keep her head at my shoulder - she pushes in front of me and it makes it hard to rate her while she's being led. It is a behavior that I don't like, and would like to correct. Now is the perfect time to review some of the showmanship and ground manners work we focused on about a year ago.

Also, I'd like to get her familiarized with the bit so that I can begin doing arena work in it. I longed her with the snaffle on for the first time in the round pen last Saturday. I can continue to do that, and maybe move out to the big arena on the longe line if the weather permits. I can also do the steering exercises from the ground that I did with her initially with the sidepull. I found that work to be extremely effective in setting her up for success under saddle, so I think it should translate to work with the bit as well.

It's time to start thinking about 2010 shows! I'll aim to have a post up on that sometime before the end of January, outlining what our plans are and how I hope to get there.