New Framework

If you can overlook my extreme fashion faux pas -- navy breeches, red non-collared shirt, dark green polo wraps, and black saddle pad, embellished by rainbow reins -- you may notice that my ten-year-old off-the-track thoroughbred, Jazz (registered name "Son of a Fish"), is beginning to get the hang of elongating his neck to reach for the bit, rather than just curling over and hanging in the contact. One of the benefits has been that he appears almost sound behind. It's taken a while to convince him and get him strong enough to work in this frame. Not bad for a tense, spastic, balled-up EPMer.

The movement of Jazz's forelimbs has improved since last week when his farrier, Dean Guzzi, set him up with lighter shoes in front, in response to my trainer's hope that he could do something to help Jazz not "wing in" with the tighter right foreleg.

The next step will be to incorporate the custom saddle that I ordered from County Saddlery. Jazz has outgrown his current saddle, which is now pretty tight behind the shoulders. If we can free up the shoulders, I'm thinking that all of our troubles will be over! Ok seriously, maybe, just maybe the worst will be behind us.