Squeaked in a ride [Update]

So in the ever-growing WTF folder that I will be presenting to Super Vet once our taxes are done, I can say I had the best flat school I have ever had on Uno EVER!

There was sun for a brief moment, so everyone enjoyed a naked nap.

It is slowly getting light again - I now have enough to ride AND get chores done before the sun goes down. 

 I started by using some endo-taping to get him to stretch his head down.  I did this until I got his nose below his knees.  The warm-up focused on getting him in front of my leg at the walk. Then we worked on halting while keeping the hind legs coming. Then we trotted.

Then I had to get off and chase the puppy through a hole in the fence.

Then we worked on walk - halt transitions again. Then I trotted 20-meter circles in a figure 8.

Then I got off to get my dressage whip back from my mule who was chasing the other horses with it.

Then I trotted 20-meter circles.

Then my husband let the puppy out and Uno and I practice our field hunter skills and helped chase him down.

Then I went back to trot - halt transitions, still focusing on his hind leg.  First, we did them on the long sides, but as he got softer and more responsive we starting doing them on 20-meter circles.

Then I just asked for the canter.  He wanted to rush into the first transition, so I went back to trot - walk until he settled. Then we got perfectly clean and forward canters in both directions.

His trot afterward the canter was round and forward.  He was actually stretching over his back and taking the bit down.  I know our balance was still on the fore, but he was actually soft through the neck and back!!

Then I stopped and endo-tapped on both sides at the wither, the hip, and the neck until his head was below his knees again.  When I took his bridle off he went straight to the stock tank and drank for a solid 5 minutes.

I was maybe riding for 25 - 30 minutes, but the trot at the end was AWESOME.

I iz gud!

Things that have changed:

• He is on an every other day regimen of Previcox, and a different belly supplement.  
• The weather has been warmer. 
• He has had lots of time off.
• I have played with endo-taping as a way to teach him to relax his back before and after I ride.
• All arena work is under 30 mins.
• No arena work if he flinched when I curry his back.

So that is a lot of things to have changed, and the wheels may fall off again in the next ride - who knows.  The plan is still to inject hocks and see what the vet thinks about his SI.

So much is uncertain when you keep getting mixed messages.

Update: I sneaked in another short ride in the rain last night and he was just as good. 20 minutes W-T-C and he was soft, forward, responsive. His frame was much rounder from the get-go, and the upward transitions were much smoother.