Exercising

What prevents me from posting more, I decided, is that I am loathe to load pictures. I'll work on that, though, as they really do improve the blog-maintaining experience.

Anyway, Cheeto was a handsome man last night. We finally got a real english bridle (no more clunky western bridle with dirty, nylon halter serving for a cavesson for us), polo wraps, and bell boots. Cheeto is particularly grateful for the last two because he has such dramatic hind end action that he's always click-clacking away at the trot. And I frequently find knicks on his front canons from those overactive hind feet. It's amazing how much more professional a horse looks in the right tack. I would like to say that Cheeto himself knew the difference. He certainly strutted his stuff for all he was worth, and even started moving in a collected frame of his own volition.

Anyway, further conclusions about his conformation. His shoulder angle (and I really have a hell of a time measuring shoulder angle) must be steep because the reach of his front end does not even approach that of his back end. I watch him on the lunge, and am struck with a craving to see him lighten up in front. I want his front legs to become elastic, and stretch forward for that extra 6 inches, but they won't. His hind end draws all the attention instead. And it's pretty. Up to a point.

Cheeto's hind action brings us to an impossible piece of conformation for me: Is Cheeto sickle-hocked? Or is Cheeto just downhill from hocks to knees? I'm pretty sure I've ruled out being camped-out, but for a while that one was further confusing the mix. His hindlegs look to have a freer range of motion than most horses. Anyway, I don't know how to answer this question. It seems to me that a horse with high hocks could sometimes stand in a way that suggested he was sickle-hocked, and sometimes stand perfectly normal. I've seen Cheeto look comfortable standing both ways. I'm sure this is a problem of over-thinking, but I'm having a heck of a time breaking out of that circle. How can one be certain?

Whatever the verdict, Cheeto travels heavy on the forehand at the trot, and I would love to get him to relax his back. That sounds like a step in the right direction, don't you think? Being part Saddlebred, however, and 100% excitable, Cheeto prefers to trot around with a damn giraffe neck and a back tight enough to be a chopping block.