Zippity-do-da

Don't make me work, I'm too cute

It must be the end of the season, because Zippy is finally feeling better and working well. I've been able to get him in semi-consistent work the last couple weeks (well, as best I can given the stupid Canadian winter and daylight savings time), and he's been going really well.
Instead of No Stirrup November, we've been participating in No Noseband November, courtesy of Zippy cutting his lower jaw very close to the noseband. Good job, buddy.
Yesterday we worked noseband-less, and tried out a different bit. He is incredibly sensitive in his mouth, and normally goes in a mullen mouth happy mouth loose ring, which he likes. Since I had to switch him from his Micklem due to his cut, I thought I would try a different bit and see if he would be happier now that he was a little more confident he wouldn't get slammed in the mouth (which is what ended his racing career). I put him in a loose ring happy mouth with losenge, which is relatively soft as well. Yeah, he didn't like it. At all. We did get some nice work in, especially at the trot towards the end, but he really didn't want to take any contact, so we'll scrap that bit.
Today he was able to go back to his mullen mouth and the Micklem. He really seems to like how the Micklem sits on his face, and he will take more contact in the mullen mouth. I always start my rides with 5 min of walking on a loose rein; Zippy really needs this, as he tends to come out very tight in his back, and asking him to go right to work is just a recipe for disaster. After our 5 min walk, I picked up contact and asked him to start working long and low, and he came down much quicker then he had yesterday. This is a horse that really needs a thorough warm up before he can really get down to work. He did some lovely trot work, and his trot-walk transitions are getting so much more balanced; he used to just hang on the bit right into the walk, and it was such a horrible feeling. Now he is starting to stay round and step under himself into walk, which is nice to feel. His canter work is improving as well; because of his last race and getting slammed in the mouth, he was always so stiff in the canter, just protecting his mouth (I'm assuming, anyway). He seems to finally be understanding that it's much more comfortable to come round, and that I won't pull on him. When he comes round and really underneath himself, he has the most balanced canter, it's incredible. I think he's going to be an amazing jumper with time, though he's pretty good at it now given how green he is.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this guy goes in life. Can't wait to get out on the cross country course with him next year!

Chilling after a ride in his Draper Therapies cooler