Contrary Remi :-)

Saturday up early and had schooled both ponies before E came to treat them. Mac was good, light school and test run through. Remi - struggled a bit at start – curling neck and not reaching for contact. Someone else jumping in school, bit distracted. Bit more crooked and dot and carry. Improved but not as good as when schooled Wednesday. Query bit unlevel at times when goes crooked. Slightly lazy.  Walk stretch and pick up was much better. Finished much better, but was generally hard work. Was remedial schooling versus more typical schooling. 

E came to do body work. Lunged Remi first to assess. I expected him to be a bit unlevel / crooked (think is often less good on lunge and hadn’t been easy in school). And he looked really good – big walk, stretching down, nice trot on both reins. Probably the best trot work have seen from him. Was amazed.

Did say my school work riding must have been REALLY good for him ;-) HAH

He is an up and down contrary pony. Bless him. Just when I start to think he is predictable.

E found tightness in base of neck, and soreness. Think he braces here rather than reaching over his topline. And some soreness at base of girth area. I think martingale strap where crosses girth may be a pressure point. Said was thickened skin here.

Said he was generally good, and have stretched his treatments to six week intervals for next time.

Have bought one of these sheepskin girth covers - LINK

He was good to hack Sunday, good in his lesson Monday, and good for doing his lesson homework on Tuesday. Bless him.

Lesson working on getting the bend in his inside rib carriage, and getting him to lift his back, so that we could get him to then reach and stretch more over his top line.

Remi has a whole range of evasions - speed up / hollow / go crooked before you get a nice attempt. He is a wily schoolmaster, who isnt sure he wants to be straight and connected.  His favourite is to offer speed as an alternative to connected, with his eyes shining brightly.

He is building up behind and strengthening and gaining fitness. But he does need to work over his back more.

I have also realised he must have turned 15 this year. He cant be eternally 14, and I think he was 14 last year.