Back in Business

EYE = OPEN!!!
Leo is officially done with his recovery period.  He is off bute, off atropine (which was keeping his pupil dilated), and off of whatever the other ointment was (thanks, brain, for forgetting).  This is incredibly exciting, as we are setting our sights on our First Real Show in just under one month.  (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  

From Monday - our first ride post injury.
Although Leo is in now way, shape, or form a hunter, we will not be doing jumpers for his first show.  I want to set him up for success, and as I have never actually done jumpers (outside of the mini-event), and have no idea what his brain will be like at a show, we are going the super safe and easy route.  He will be entered in crossrails, with the plan being a default to ground poles if the brain is overwhelmed, or a move up to either 2' Schooling or Baby Greens if the brain is present and accounted for.  I'm choosing not to be competitive over a complete and total meltdown; if we enter in the lowest jumper division and it's a disaster in warm-up, there's nothing to drop down to as a back-up.  With hunters, we have ground poles.  Even at his worst, I'm pretty sure that the horse can get through ground poles.  

Of course, this could totally change as we get closer to the show, and if he's scheduled to be hauled up the night before and I have to pay for a stall anyways, we may try one jumper class just to see what happens.  If Trainer K's arm is better by then, I am not opposed to paying for her to ride him in a class.  I feel that the point of this show is to establish a baseline from which we can move forward; as it is, I have absolutely no clue what to expect.  

I always forget to use the All Ears app.  Fail. 
Yesterday, we had our first lesson post-eye injury.  At this point, Leo hadn't jumped in approximately 2.5 weeks, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.  The exercise this week was a single skinny jump that got progressively skinnier, paired with an outside line that got progressively higher.  The concept of a skinny had never been introduced to Leo before, so I was fully prepared for him to question it - or even to nope out of it - the first time through.  

Blurry plus grey sky equals super great picture. Not.
Guys, I don't even think that the horse noticed that he was jumping something unusual.  He was literally so happy to be jumping (I think) that he soared over everything put in front of him.  He was rushed going into the line and motorcycled a lot in the corners, but we ended in a really good place with him taking the long spot out of the line - something he's never offered to do before.  I was really proud of him.  And of course, it was a private lesson, so I have no video proof of anything.

I am so freaking happy that the eye saga has (seemingly) ended, and that my horse seems none the worse after essentially taking a two week break from life!

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