| Riley's latest thing, an update Posted: 20 Dec 2010 01:09 PM PST Okay, Riley's teeth grinding thing came out of nowhere, and this weekend my trainer and I talked about it. Here's what we came up with in our search for precipitating factors: - It got cold. Very cold, very suddenly.
- Riley started being ridden in the indoor.
- Riley went on 1/2 day turnout.
- Riley's energy level went up.
- Riley started spooking, big time. He's even bolted for a few strides over goofy stuff like a patch of mirror that's fogged up. This is so unlike him! He's always been a rock.
I really wonder if it is the combination of cold and the indoor. I need to test that assumption on the next warm day. We'll ride outside when possible, but the ground is frozen now. Aside from that, here's how I'm going to proceed: - Have trainer ride in her saddle rather than mine -- check for improvement
- Administer bute -- check for improvement
- Remove flash and noseband.
- Try gumbits (THANKS DRESSAGE MOM for the suggestion!)
- Ride in a fix-a-test clinic on February 6 in NJ. See what Marilyn Payne says...
Update 12/18: Well, with just a few more rides, and a few more data points, I'm starting to think the cold weather, and possibly the indoor, may have just made him more prone to tension. In an upcoming post I'll tell ya why I think this...  |
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