Toes and Teachings
Our last couple of weeks has been busy with activity, starting off with a visit from the Humble Hoof, our barefoot trimmer. This was our first visit with her since March. In the eight week gap, she had come down with COVID and had to stop seeing horses while she recovered. During that time, I took on the responsibility of Factor’s hooves.
At first, I only was seeking to maintain what our trimmer’s work. But when I realized his feet were growing and changing more than just “keeping the trim” seemed to support, I needed to know more, and I dove into online research. I ordered a book our trimmer had recommended and followed the resources linked on a number of barefoot social media groups I follow.
The Essential Hoof Book and YouTube video after YouTube video helped me gain confidence enough to really get involved on Factor’s feet. Following David L's hoof mapping process, I put some serious effort into trying to open heels. All of this effort was so validated when our farrier visited and exclaimed over his hooves.
I'm super excited to continue learning about hoof care, but also really glad to have some professional eyes on our progress (and the length of his toes).
Following our visit with the Humble Hoof, and after a few years on my end…we finally had a lesson last week that was able to get into rider position in Dressage. My tendency to want to ride in half seat has served me well through my jumping lessons and starting young horses… as I consider what my future facing rider career looks like, it is clear that my position needs correction.
We rode with our new instructor for thirty minutes - it was an excellent intro both to the lesson style and the corrected use of my own body to ride effectively.
Factor was praised for having a gorgeous shoulder, being very athletic, and generally being fancy - all things I completely agree with. Myself, well, my bad habits were immediately found out… my core needs to engage more, desperately, and not doing so is the root of my right rotator cuff pain. It's exacerbated by the way my torso wants to turn left across my saddle, pulling my right shoulder towards the pomel. (Side note: Factor responds to me correcting this shift almost instantly, releasing a shoulder that is otherwise very “stuck”.)
All said and done, by the end of actively riding for the lesson… I was wiped. My shoulder hated me, my core remembered it existed, and my horse had learned a soft, calm trot that wasn't seeking to rush into the canter. But it was such a good ride, and felt so good to start correcting some of the bad habits that hinder us.
Our ride the following day was just an easy, stretchy ride… and Factor remembered the trot. The pace, the rhythm, he was all there. It instantly made fixing and opening my position easier, and in response he was equally elastic.