Plan B

Eff you Canadian Winter.  Why?  Because it means that the work I need to be doing to get Chester back on point is very difficult to achieve.  What do I need to be doing? Trotting, lots and lots and lots of trotting. Preferably, up and down hills.  Ain't gonna happen.
It ain't gonna happen, because we are in the middle of the 'Big Thaw' in the great white North.  There is no ground anymore, only mud. I HATE this time of year.  We have been banned from riding outside so the ground doesn't get all chewed up.  While that is not good for me in the short term, in the long term, it makes the most sense.  I would rather suffer for the next 2 or 3 weeks in order to have the ground be okay/safe for when we need it most: during the Spring, Summer and Fall. 
I had the BO take a look at Chester yesterday when I was riding him.  He feels...not like Chester feels.  Not lame, not stiff, but not Chester.  She watched him go round a couple times and came up with: I see what you are saying, He is stepping short on his hind right. 
Interesting.  Interesting for a couple different reasons.  Interesting because that is the same thing that was happening a year ago when we were dealing with UFP. Interesting because he has a hard time stretching/letting go of that HR.  Almost like he doesn't trust me to hold it for him.  Interesting because he resists that hind leg when I go to pick out his hoof.  Interesting because it was his right side that was effected more then his left.  Interesting because he still bobs to the right when going around a sharp turn.
The key to getting rid of this is...yep - building up his muscles - which would be no big deal, except it is the middle of the Thaw making it impossible to get outside and trot in straight lines for 20 minutes. Eff. You. Canadian. Winter.  Getting outside is the ideal situation, however, there are other things that can be done to help over the next couple of weeks. There is always Plan B, and C and D and E and F and G and... We can stretch, bend, flex, figure 8, etc. our butts off.  We can do raised trotting poles/cavaletti in a week or so. I can lunge in side reins so he can use his butt and not have to worry about my ass flopping around up there.  We will make do with what we have, cross our fingers and hope for the best.
Regardless, I am riding, he is happy(ier) and we have been in this situation before.  We have gotten out of it and have gotten it back together...to the point where riding is the most important thing...to the point where I need to make him trot on and push him that one final two or three steps.  Don't worry, I know my horse, he will tell me if I have pushed him too far.  That said, he is a hot headed TB, he can take the pushing.
Slowly, but surely, Chester is coming back!!