So I did join the lesson group on Tuesday nights the week of Thanksgiving, and it was fun, but the experience was curtailed by the fact that Dude was lame. I didn't discover that until the lesson was about three quarters over, because we practiced a lot of walk-halt transitions and good movement at the walk before moving into trot.
Right away he felt odd to me and Emma confirmed that he was indeed off, seemingly on the back left leg, which is where he's had the scratches. But the scratches are definitely on the mend and have healed to the point where I find it hard to believe that the tiny rough spot that's left would bother him. Maybe he tweaked the leg in the field goofing around. Who knows, really.
So my return to lessons was brief! One night. We put Dude on bute for a couple days. I trotted him last night and he was still off. I don't have a plan except to give him some more time off and see how it goes. He's had such issues with his feet/heels lately with the wet weather that it wouldn't surprise me if he has another abscess brewing. And he's about a week-plus overdue for trimming and shoeing.
I'm thinking that in next week's lesson I may try Bestie, but that means I need to get my act together and lunge her a few times, because with the holiday, she hasn't been too active except for turnout and one low-key pre-Thanksgiving lunge. Work has been super busy and I haven't been able to spend as much time at the barn as I'd like to. Been one of those rush in, rush out weeks, ugh.
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