November 30, 2020

Rehab With A "Porpoise"

In this case, the porpoise defeated the purpose.  

I've been sticking to very light work with Echo as his feets continue to heal, alternating between longeing & walk rides; we're not working every day.  Saturday morning was lovely & he was looking pretty comfy in his paddock, so I decided to ride & add a little trot to the mix.  Thursday & Friday had been drizzly & overcast, so the ground was soft, making things easier.

It went like this:

Me:  Ok, Echo, starting at walk, let's make sure we still remember how to go & turn & stop nicely & in balance.

Echo:  Gots it, no problem!
 
Me:  Good boy!!  How about leg yields & bending & moving shoulders & HQ separately?
 
Echo:  Simple basics, let me show you how easy they are!
 
Me:  Excellent job!!! I don't really feel any limping either.  Let's see how a little trot feels, it doesn't have to be anything big.
 
Echo:  WHOOOOOO-YEAAAAAAH, I'M SO OVER WALKING, HOW 'BOUT LET'S GALLOP!  OR LEAP AROUND!?? OR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME!!  I'M  HEALED, BRING THE NOISSSEE!!!  
   
Me:  A little less would be fine...

Oh look, I did get it on camera...
I tried to convince the Baby Monster that bucking like a porpoise was not what the vet had in mind & would no doubt be regretted by the end of the day, but kids never listen.

Lest you are wide-eyed at the thought of having to hang on to an exuberant 6 yr old bronco, I can assure you that Echo's own impression of his wildness far exceeds reality.  One of the great things about this horse is that he doesn't have it in him to really be naughty, so while you sit on top of the smoothest mini-bucks I've ever felt, you just...giggle.  
 
Then you say, ok, STOP.  And he stops & goes back to walking on a loose rein.    Reason #4,957 why a good, safe brain is my top priority in a horse!

Naturally, afterwards, he ripped off one of his front shoes (at least not the broken foot), because Echo...
He just couldn't wait THREE DAYS for farrier appt

6 comments:

  1. Ha,ha! This post brought a smile to my face (minus the lost shoe part, of course). Glad you were able to "ride the waves" on your sea horse there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I definitely looked exactly like Beyonce while I did it, LOL (with a helmet of course!).

      Delete
  2. I also own a beautiful land porpoise lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahaha - if only we could teach them to fetch their own shoes like dolphins fetch rings!

      Delete
  3. I love the photo. That's a great representation for all of us who own hooved porpoises.

    ReplyDelete