Where does the time go

Steele had a birthday on Nov 22.

He's now officially 4 years old.

I can't believe it. I remember when he came home like it was yesterday. In fact it feels like it was yesterday!

Steele and Irish together in the field for the first time

Now he's under saddle and looks like a real grown up horse. He took to being backed like he'd read the books too. I rode him today for the first time in a week. With the weather it's been too hard to ride on the ring, but today was warmer so it had thawed. He felt the same as when I was riding him 4-5 days a week. In fact, when we cantered he felt the most balanced ever. His is sensitive and can react but he prefers to be mellow. As long as I relax on him he settles into work like a much older horse. I've been asking him to leg yield but today we trotted down the quarter line and when I asked him to move over he just did. Like it was no big deal. So it wasn't.

Now I know that 4 is not truly grown up yet. He has some more filling out to do and his musculoskeletal development to occur.  He will have some time off over winter but I'm not worried. There's still stuff for me to do with him- including introducing him to being ridden in the snow.

And plan out our show season.

four years old and feeling good