Working on Biscuit's riding manners and working on his hooves

Today was Biscuit's day.  I pulled him up to the wash rack and started grooming him.  He is shedding out and hair was flying everywhere.  I curried him first and used Lee Ann P's FURminator on him and pulled out all kinds of hair!  Brushed with stiff brush, soft brush and combed his mane and tail. 

Then I started on his hooves.  I took pictures but left the camera at the barn : (    I used a rasp on all of his hooves pulling down those heels just a little more.  Almost there with the chips/cracks/old abscesses are almost totally gone.  Another month or so I think and it will be gone.  Biscuit was pretty good today while I did his feet.  He got a handful of alfalfa for being such a good boy.

I got out his tack and had the saddle and pad on the saddle post.  The pad flew off and fell in the wet sand. OMG I got it and scrubbed it with wipees to clean the sand off of it.  I tacked Biscuit up and led him into the arena.  I set up my Contour Camera but it didn't record.  Not sure what happened with that but will try again. 

I mounted up and started just walking.  We walked for about 20 minutes round and round.  He wasn't wanting to stop or back up - a repeat of last week.  I put him in a trot and he got strong several times not wanting to collect up or hold his speed but I just kept working with him.  We trotted around and around for an hours.  He was damp with sweat.  H was stopping and backing up better and leg yielding.  He is such a terrific little guy but I would expect him to hold that training even when he isn't ridden weekly.  Sigh...he can be a little hard headed up he doesn't have a mean bone in his body.  I dismounted in the middle of the small arena.  I didn't have his reins but when I took off - he followed right at my shoulder.  We walked out of the arena and he tried to put his head down to graze but his reins were over the horn.  He followed me to the wash rack but I had to get his reins to get him to walk on the rack.

I took his tack off and took him to his paddock where he dropped and rolled - that is why I didn't groom him again.

I am planning on riding again in the morning.  I want to film it so I can watch myself and make corrections as needed.  I will post the pictures of his hooves along with older pictures so I can compare his progress. 

I looked at a video of him last summer - he was huge!!!  He has trimmed up with muscle from all of his riding last year.   I was surprised at how much larger he looked than he does now!