@Tenturo: Happy (late) birthday to Gus! He's the same age as Heta.
@Crow: Stretching before riding helps for the cramps. Sometimes if you are really prone to cramps they say eating magnesium helps. As soon as the colder weather hits, I tend to get quite prone to thigh cramps, especially when picking up canter for some reason. >_< I've found that stretching and also wearing a knee braces made out of fabric that has ceramic material with warming properties(Back On Track) actually helps the cramps.
I'm not 100% sure is your leg/stirrup problem actually because of the boots or something else. Though I also have shoes that I found much more difficult to ride with than my other shoes (ironically the trouble shoes were riding shoes and the other pair was not), so I suppose it could be possible. Rubber will not stretch, so if the shoes are not fitting you right then they never will. As for getting heel down(well to be exact it just needs to be x amount below the vertical aka your toes should not point down), you can try stretching your calves. No stirrup work might help you achive the 'long leg' feel, just remember to 'carry' your feet while without stirrups. Don't let the toes start to point down. The stirrups dropping can also be because of too long stirrups. Like I've noticed that with certain saddles I might need to go shorter than usual so that my stirrups stay on more easily and then with some other saddle it doesn't matter. Honestly the position of the leg seeks to stay in from hip to toe can effect on small things like stirrups dropping. Like if your knees tend to creep up, your feet are likely to loose the stirrups.
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Tý got his very own reins (which I feel are super long, even though they were pony size, and maybe bit thinner than I had thought, but they match his bridle) and Heta got some arnica MSM liniment, which at least based on today seemed to work nicely on her hocks. Heta also got clipped again and boy it was about time based on the amount of hair coming off when I went over the once clipped areas with 3mm blade setting. Like I swear the once clipped areas has as much as as they did when I first clipped her and now it felt also much thicker, like the under coat wool had really grown. For moment I was afraid the clipper couldn't handle it when I went over some never clipped areas, but nope cut right through the hair. I also added a clipped stripe under her mane, first I went over with it with a 6mm setting, which didn't look too great and then cut it down to 3 mm, which still looks weird imo...
Before clipping:
After:
Definetly more hair came off this time compared to the first time:
I also think Heta's starting to settle in little more, probably helps she gets to spend the night out as well and there isn't too much bugs around.
She was feeling quite energetic to ride as well and for warm up I actually cantered her as nothing else felt like she was really listening. But that turned out to be a good decision as rest of the ride she was very good (other than not listening so much the bit) and I even feel like she went at least very nearly clean tolt for good bit. Also the indoor gets it's top layer on Thursday.
Heta's also getting shod that day, which is great as her hooves are getting way too long. Just keep fingers crossed she's going to be sound after that as we are trying to even her hoof lenght, which apperently has been 5mm uneven for unknown amount of time. She hasn't had any problems, even though techincally she should have. So now that we are attempting to 'fix' it, odd things might happen and worst case scenario she will go lame. Minor case she may loose trot and either one of the canters(as in theory currently her left canter should be easier and better, but it is not).