Rode with friend Dorothy this morning. Butch in new shoes and trimmed shims under the pad. He moved out well and did not hesitate to go downhill, nor did he rush. Wow is he out of shape now, though! We only rode about 3 miles and he was drenched in sweat. To be fair, it's partly because he's still in his winter coat and it was 70 degrees out. Also, we rode with a fast-walking foxtrotter and I kept urging Butch into a trot to catch up, which stresses him out. Normally I would ask the other rider to do circles or go ahead and leave us behind, but Butchmule needed the workout so I used it as an excuse to exercise. He was so game and willing, even as I felt him tiring. The last half hour I told Dorothy to go ahead, that I was going to let him walk as slow as he wanted to relax and cool down. Checked on him tonight after work... he's fine.
Dorothy has 2 saddle pads she's going to let me try out, one specially shimmed for a gaited horse, the other shimmed for a mule. They might be more comfortable than what I used today, homemade shims which probably move around under the pad laid over them. If padding works, the next issue to tackle will be how to adjust the seat to fit me better.
I do know Butch was happy to be out and about. So was I!
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