Eager under saddle once more

With his Renegade boots fitted on the front hooves, Jester was moving very well today- so I hopped on him bareback and walked him around the pasture for about ten minutes. He was responsive and moved well, though still unevenly. This evening I saddled him and rode him up the road to the canal- he walked with an eager step and took interest in his surroundings. My husband walked along with us and Jester began to follow him. Once back home I asked for a few strides of jog. He evened out the longer we went. Total workout: Walk 20 min, jog 2 min. It felt so good to be up on him again. He wasn't sure he liked my bit, but settled down once we were going places. I was happy to hear his fores strike the ground evenly, without the tell-tale scuffing sound that accompanies a toe-first landing in boots. Most of the uneven feeling I got was from the hinds. My right hip felt pushed up higher than the left. Not surprising, given that his right hindquarter is the atrophied side, which had had the wedge pad and shoe with long toe shape. Today I dosed him with ivermectin. He now eats one flake alfalfa mix hay twice a day plus all he can eat grass hay, and a mixture of beet pulp, black oil sunflower seeds, CA trace supplement, and Devil's Claw Plus. He loves that alfalfa candy.... Prefers it to his bucket! With light exercise I expect he will regain condition within a couple months.