Dusty’s Vet Visit

" This is getting old, I'm fine...really!"

 The vet was here yesterday to reevaluate Dusty.  It’s been three months since her last ultrasound and it was time to see where she is in her recovery from laminitis/founder and the tearing of her four suspensory branches in both hind legs.

Dusty jogged out fine and then it was inside for the ultrasound.  Our vet came to the conclusion that her laminitis is growing out beautifully, so no need for x-rays right now.  Our farrier is doing a wonderful job helping her be comfortable and more mechanically correct.  With his help, she’s got hooves that are now healthy and growing out at a better angle with the aim of de-rotating her coffin bone and making this last founder a thing of the past.  Now we can begin to focus more on management and prevention of another episode.  

The ultrasound pictures showed a marked improvement in three suspensory branches and one that still has some healing to do.  Basically, her right hind is fine and the one outside branch on her left hind is slow to heal with lots of little holes still present.  He suggested three shock wave treatments a few weeks apart and feels confident that this will help her to heal more quickly by stimulating repair in the affected area.  I’m going to go ahead and do this.  She’ll have her first treatment on Tuesday.  He didn’t seem to think the PRP (platelet therapy) would work for her because there are too many tiny holes to have to inject and it might not work anyway because the injury is old now and that particular therapy works best when done within a week or two of the injuries start.

Another reason I like this therapy is because it can be done right here in the barn and not stress her out by being moved to a clinic.  She’ll continue to get her laser light therapy treatments at night and her medications:  (Isoxuprine, for improved circulation in her feet); and her supplements:  Ligand, that is based on Dr. Kellon’s DSLD protocol to help heal her suspensories.  She also gets her normal supplements which are:  ½ multivitamin; joint supplement (Smart Flex Resilience) which has ingredients which is supposed to help and repair joints, tendons and ligaments (we don’t know if it necessarily works but as long as it can’t hurt, why not); additional magnesium in the form of Smart Calm Ultra -- she doesn’t need it for calming, but it has a lot of magnesium; Vitamin E – Uckele’s Vitamin E 5000 which is the best vitamin E supplement out there in our opinion; and a hoof supplement, Smart Pak’s Smart Hoof (we like the copper and zinc content in particular.)

I’ll let everyone know how the shockwave treatment goes on Tuesday and how Dusty reacts to it.  Fingers crossed that this will help her on the road to a speedier recovery for those suspensory injuries.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.
    - Saying of the Gladdagh Gypsies of Galway

Adjusting A Speedy Horse

Adjusting a speedy horse sounds like it should be an easy enough task.  Not so with Dusty.  Don’t get me wrong, I love finally having a horse with a good forward motion, but sometimes she can take it too far.  Most of the horses I’ve dealt with had to be pushed along to achieve any pace at all, so it is refreshing to ride a horse that wants to go.  And go she does.  Even at the walk her speed is Mach 10.  We rode with Grady again and she overtook him at the walk.  He wasn’t very happy about that so he upped the ante.  She passed him again with a little head tossing thrown in to show him who’s the leader. If I ever do decide to go to a show (very doubtful at this point) Dusty’s the girl for the job.  Her competitiveness would certainly shift into higher gear.

In the meantime though, I’ve got to work with her to teach her how to adjust her speed before we go onto more complicated tasks.  A horse without adjustable speed could be dangerous under certain circumstances.  I should add here that Dusty’s speediness is not due to any physical problems, poor saddle fit or teeth issues.  She’s simply a horse that likes to work and is always on a mission, mostly to show me how it’s done.  She doesn’t necessarily know where she’s going, but she’s making good time ;-). For now we’ve been walking, trotting, working on bending and balance.  On our last ride I decided to take her over some cavelletti at the walk, but no trotting yet because I didn’t want to get her over-excited and quick.   That’s where the speed-control issue comes in.

I set up four cavelletti in a row in the center of the arena.  Then we would trot down the long side, ride the corner and the turn up the centerline in a nice bending balance, get straight to the cavaletti, come back to walk and then walk the cavelletti. 

Her first time through she was not paying attention, causing her to bang her foot, though after that she walked through them carefully and did not touch another rail.  Then we would walk to the end of the arena in a consistent gait and alternate left or right turns then trot out of the corner down the long side again.  When she picked up speed I gave a slight half halt and slowed my posting. I feel taking her through the cavelletti gives her a focus and helps teach her to slow down a tad and be careful where she’s putting her feet.

We’ll keep doing this and rearranging the cavelletti into different patterns for a while until she decides it would be a good idea to listen to my cues.  Eventually, we’ll move on to trotting the entire exercise and continue working on maintaining and adjusting her speed with different exercises as she masters each one.

Dusty does think she’s smarter than me—and maybe she is—but since I’m the one with the license doing the driving, she needs to pay attention since she’s only got a Learners Permit at the moment.

Until next time

Quote for Today
Just knowing we have both learned something when I have finished riding is enough for me!

A Dusty Update

" The new and improved Dusty "

On the Dusty behavioral situation:  She seems to have turned a corner and is acting more like her normal self this past week.  When the rest of the herd comes in she follows and sometimes crowds the gate to come in first.  This could be due to the abnormally cold weather conditions we’ve been experiences along with more snowstorms.  But I don’t think that’s the sole reason for her willingness to come in to the barn at night. 

Her blood tests came back normal, so there is nothing medically wrong with her.  As I said before, I doubt that she’s in pain from her saddle; she’s been checked by a professional saddle fitter and given a passing grade. There is nothing to point to medical pain; she has been checked by the vet from stem to stern and she’s healthy as a horse.  This would include teeth, ulcers and arthritis etc.  The one thing I’m surprised about that the vet didn’t check was her thyroid hormones again in this series of blood tests.  I’m going to call him back for that test.

The general consensus that we’ve come up with here at the farm concerning Dusty is that the thyroid medication was making her a little out of sorts (crazy).  When we put our heads together and systematically went through any new changes with her that might have resulted in her new behavior patterns, the thyroid medication was the only new ingredient in the Dusty program.  Since her original T4-T3 tests were on the low normal side, the vet prescribed thyroid medication because she was a little overweight.  As of now, she’s lost the proper amount of weight and we’ll try and keep it off. 

We’ve taken her off her medication because we think it was winding her up and being cooped up in a stall, most likely pacing all night, wasn’t the best thing for her.  Dusty has enough energy normally for two horses and this medication was like a shot of adrenaline that she didn’t need.  Two nights ago she actually lay down and slept for the first time in a long while.  We are still giving her a supportive supplement from SmartPak called SmartEnergy, which will help support her thyroid function and hopefully allow her to make her own thyroid hormone as needed to maintain her levels naturally rather than guessing at what she needs with medication.  If more aggressive support is needed we’ll look into using TSF-100, which Blue has been getting at a half dose since his last low thyroid test and has normalized his levels without having to up his medication.   She's also on a digestive supplement, but we may try her on something more soothing like GUT or SmartGut as an ulcer aid/preventative.

So far she seems to be happier and friendlier since we took her off the medication.  I haven’t ridden her because the weather is anywhere from below zero temps to 25.  Call me a wuss, but I’m not freezing my butt off and it’s a good time to give them all a little quality time relaxing as a herd.  There will be plenty of time to get back in the saddle when it’s not uncomfortably cold and miserable for all concerned.

Until next time

Quote for Today

A horse doesn't care how much you know until she knows how much you care.

Dusty's Strange Behavior

"Dusty"

For the past month or so, Dusty has been exhibiting some very strange behavior that has us baffled.  When she is ridden she acts as if she’s forgotten everything she’s been taught up to now and runs around not listening to rein or aids.  When I say she runs I mean she’s trotting at mach 10 and there’s no slowing her down.  The weather could be a contributing factor, but
I don’t think that’s the case here.

Her other odd behavior is what really has me worried and scratching my head. At night when the herd comes up to the gates to be brought in for the night she turns herself around and heads back out by herself.  She refuses to come into the barn. 

Sometimes Mellon, Donnie or Grady will follow her and spend the night out with her.  Most nights they all want to come in, but not her, she will stay out in the dark by herself. She’ll call to them and they’ll answer her back but she won’t come up and, if on occasion she does, she won’t be caught even with a bucket of feed as a bribe. Normally Dusty loves to eat and lives for treats - who doesn’t right?  This is one of the reasons that I’m worried about her. I might also add here that traipsing out after her does no good because she will mosey just fast enough so it is impossible to catch her.

There is only one new circumstance that I can think of that’s affecting her personality change.  She was tested for thyroid hormones and her blood test came back a bit on the low side so the vet suggested giving her a thyroid medication.  Which we did and she did lose some extra poundage that wasn’t doing her any good.  So that may account for her extra energy when being ridden.  But I don’t think it would change her personality to this degree.

Yesterday I had the vet out to take more tests, her usual Lyme, leptospirosis, thyroid and a CBC/chemistry panel. Her physical exam turned up nothing out of the ordinary.  He seems to think her behavior is unusual too.   Any thoughts on what it could be that maybe I haven’t thought of or had checked?  I’d appreciate any input.

Until next time

Quote for Today

It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you.

And So It Begins

" Dusty"

The New Year is officially here and it’s time to reevaluate my riding goals.  I long ago let personal goals drop by the wayside simply because I never follow through with them.  Riding goals are a different story, that’s something I can work on with some moderate success.  This year I’ve decided to make it simple, nothing specific to write down or remember, the simpler the goals the easier to keep.  My goal for this year is to work with Dusty and Blue and bring them along slowly and correctly and allow them reach their full potential at this time. 

While this may seem a minimal goal I feel it’s easier to not box myself in with precise movements to be learned or specific dates to have them achieved by.  My feeling is that if you work with the horse you have on any given day you can ascertain what’s needed and proceed from there. So even though it seems an undemanding goal it will still take lots of learning on our parts, the horses and mine. One day at a time, one lesson at a time and hopefully one good experience at a time to develop steps on the ladder of knowledge.

***************************************************************************

New Year’s Day Ride

There is an old saying/superstition that goes, “whatever you do on New Year’s Day you will do all year long”.  If this is actually true I’m happy to report that Dusty and I had our first ride of the year on Jan. 1, 2011.  However, I’m not thrilled to report that it was dreadful. 

It all started out in the barn with our neighbor’s teenagers tearing up and down their cornfield on snowmobiles.  The racket from the machines was noisy and the extra need to rev the engines was unnecessary, unless you’re a teenage boy of course.  Dusty was dancing around in the aisle on the cross-ties head up, eyes wild with her heart pounding.  Once we got to the arena she was still agitated, so I did something I rarely do, I lunged her for a short time at the trot before I put my foot in the stirrup.

My ride was interesting if nothing else.  Dusty never really calmed down completely but we managed to get a few things accomplished.  After a while we were able to achieve one or two very nice slow paced trot circles in each direction.  During one of these stellar moments Dusty decided to pick up a canter.  Right lead, nice controlled pace so even though it wasn’t asked for I let her go with it.

By the end of the lesson she was still a bit agitated so we cooled down by walking on a long rein.

Even though she was nervous we never progressed to a dangerous situation and we ended up having a decent ride with a wonderful canter thrown in for the New Year.  So thank you Dusty I’m sure many good rides will come our way in 2011!

Until next time

Quote for Today

Even the greenest horse has something to teach the wisest rider.

Oh, Dusty!

My daughter had quite an amusing Monday morning (to me anyway).  As usual 6 a.m. arrived, she rolled out of bed and made her way in the dark to the feed shed to get breakfast for the horses.  Flipping the aisle lights on she didn’t wait for them to warm up, but proceeded to dump the grain into each bucket down the line. On her way back down the aisle she noticed Dusty wasn’t eating but standing with her cute little ears perked forward and nickering for her breakfast.  Second-guessing herself, she wondered if she had forgotten to feed this cutie pie; after all, it was early and she was still a bit groggy. Checking Dusty’s bucket she could make out that there was indeed feed in there but, on these cold mornings the feed tends to clump and her morning supplements hadn’t mixed in.  She surmised that perhaps Dusty wasn’t eating because she had taken exception to the layer of white powdered magnesium supplement lying on top.

So, trying to help this poor starved mare out, she stuck her hand in the bucket, and gave the clump of feed a squeeze to break it up and mix in the supplements... squish, squish… eeewww.  

Those weren’t feed clumps!  Apparently, the reason Miss Dusty wasn’t eating her feed was not because of the supplement but because she had turned her feed tub into a toilet the night before!

So, after she ran gagging into the tack room to disinfect her hand she cleaned out and disinfected the bucket.  Dusty did eventually get her breakfast in another bucket and my daughter took her shower before heading off for work.  Talk about a crappy way to start the day.

Until next time

Quote for Today

You never get the pleasure of owning a horse, you only have the pleasure of being it's slave.

Our Weekend Rides

 Getting to ride again after two weeks off was a nice experience for both Dusty and myself.  After the initial meet and greet and “where’s my treat?” we had a nice weekend together.  Our first ride was basically a return to softening and bending to reestablish what she already knows and make her feel good about herself.  Dusty’s winter coat is coming in and even though the weather was on the cool side she did work up a sweat after only twenty minutes or so.  We did a little trot in both directions, some figure eights, some lateral work at the walk and called it quits, ending on a good note for our first day.

Our second day was a little more interesting and we accomplished more than the previous day.  We worked all the same things from the day before, doing patterns at the trot etc.  It was also a day to work on my position. Although I know what I’m supposed to be doing I sometimes slip back into old habits. This is why it’s so helpful to have a knowledgeable person on the ground.  One of my bad habits is stiffening my arms and back and losing the bend at my elbow. I was trying not to let the reins get slack and loopy like a piece of spaghetti, but while following her mouth with my hands it was difficult to keep my arms from stiffening up.  The best fix for this is to loosen up by not having your thumbs turned up to the sky in a fisted hand but bent in at about a 45-degree angle with the reins held more gently. Once I changed my hand position it loosened my whole upper body and made following her head much easier.  Dusty has such a lot of movement with her head it’s very hard to not fix the rein to try and control her bobbing head. The whole idea is to follow the movement even if you feel like you’re whole body is moving too much. It didn’t take long to get back to the right way of going with a little practice.

After all of our basic fixes, hers and mine, we decided to try a canter in each direction.  I always like to start off with her worst direction, which is to the left.  We got the bend and I asked for the left lead, of course she got the wrong lead right off.  As we continued on for a few steps she popped up on the straight line and did a flying lead change, woo hoo!  Unfortunately, she was still cross cantering behind. This is really uncomfortable; I felt like a jack-in-the-box on a pogo stick and asked her to whoa, which she did immediately.  I was proud of her for stopping on cue; in the past she might have kept on going.  She still gets very excited at the canter but with more practice and balance I’m sure she’ll be fine.  The canter to the right started with a perfect step off and a nice pace. Dusty still has this little tea cup canter that she must have learned way back when she had western lessons before she was mine.  Someday she will have the longer ground-covering canter that I want but for now this is fine.  I remember when we started the trot exercises she had the little western jog trot and now she’s really tracking up and her paces are adjustable.  She’s come a long way and I’m proud of her for being such a willing and smart student.

All horses need time, time and more time to learn and adjust to the way of going that is correct for what you, the rider, want them to do for their particular discipline.  There’s no way around taking the time and having the patience to do it right.  She may never be perfect because of her conformation but at least she will be going as well as she can for her body type and her muscles will be developed correctly. We’ve already seen a lot of improvement in her muscles and have been surprised by how well she can now track up from behind into her front hoof prints; we didn’t think she had it in her, but this is what happens with a supple horse whose frame is relaxed and rounded and as it should be.

Until next time

Quote for Today 
Just knowing we have both learned something when I have finished riding is enough for me!

 

Acting Out

 

This past weekend while I was away my daughter had her hands full between watching my two dogs Maggie and Murphy and her own dog Molly.  Add to that the seven horses that needed to be taken care of and general farm chores.  She does all this everyday anyway but add my two run- into- the -road numbskulls and it becomes an exasperating responsibility.

Seeing as there aren’t too many of our horses that can currently be ridden because of one circumstance or another, I thought it might be nice to offer her Dusty for a trail ride or whatever she wanted to do with her. She’s an excellent trainer and I thought this would be a good time for her to saddle up and see how far Dusty has come and if she could spot anything I’ve been doing wrong or needed correcting, etc…

Except it seems Dusty was acting out this weekend and wanted nothing to do with her. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t show up with her carrots/treats (not that they aren’t offered when I’m not there) but still, she wasn’t being spoiled rotten.  In her mind I suppose she wasn’t being treated the way she thinks she so richly deserves.

On one fine morning she was on her way out to the paddock.  My daughter had her ¾ of the way through the gate and, when Dusty heard the lead rope unsnap went from zero to sixty backward, spun around and got loose outside the paddock, which of course riled up Mellon and all the other horses.  She took some time to be caught, refusing to come even for her favorite treats.  And the rest of the herd was too wound up to be ridden….

Later that day she had other ideas.  Usually if I call her at dinnertime she will come to the gate.  Not so this weekend.  Dusty decided she didn’t care if she ate or not and ignored any effort to get her attention.  She was adamant about not coming in, so she got to stay out with Mellon for the night.  

The next night she decided to come in and grace everyone with her presence; to show her gratitude at having her stall back for the night, after dinner she completely demolished her hay net.  By this I mean she tore a hole in it, dismantled the system of dowels and snaps it hangs on and left it lying in a heap on the stall floor trashed. Oh, and she threw most of her hay out her window; either she didn’t enjoy this particular batch or was simply commenting on the service - the equine equivalent of sending your dinner back to the kitchen, I guess?  There were many more little things she did but you’d have to see her to know she was sulking.

So I’m wondering if anyone else has had a horse that acted out when they were missing in action for a few days and couldn’t interact with them.  Or if Dusty is just acting like the VIP (very important pony) she thinks she is who doesn’t like her apple cart upset?

Until next time

Quote for Today

An owner about her Mare - "She will do everything and anything I ask her as long as she thinks it is okay!"     - Mary Ann Holan

Discrimination

" Dusty"

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m probably not ever going to show in dressage at high levels and I have no desire to.  The main reason being that even though an old hunter/equitation dog can learn new tricks, from what I’ve seen I don’t really want to be a part of the dressage showing world.  At this point I have no respect for most of the judges who reward bad riding, the trainers who train what they think the judges want to see, or the riders who only get by because they buy the “right” horses to get them ahead. 

I don’t want to single out anyone in particular from the above grouping but some of the blame should ultimately be put on riders for not questioning the practices that are being taught for reward in the ring. Once you realize that most of us are not going to attract sponsors, the accepted philosophy of showing, in my opinion, comes down to torturing a horse for a ribbon that we may or may not get rewarded with.  How sick is that? Our horses are supposed to be our partners in a relationship forged with mutual trust.  How then can we reward ourselves with a ribbon for totally abusing an animal who started out trusting us?

Another reason why I probably wouldn’t show is I know that Dusty (a lowly quarter horse) would be discriminated against and she doesn’t deserve that sort of treatment.  She’s trying hard to learn what I ask of her and does many movements right, but because she’s a palomino quarter horse the judge probably wouldn’t even give her a second glance, so I won’t waste my time or hers.  Unless she gets fantastically good, then I might just take her to annoy others and show that indeed a quarter horse can look light and correctly do what’s asked with proper training. I’m considering a musical freestyle performance to either Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” or the song “Brickhouse” by the Commodores.  (Is there an instrumental version out there somewhere?)  Which do you think would be more “Dusty”?

Lest you think I don’t like warmbloods, you couldn’t be more wrong. I have nothing against warmbloods; the love of my life was a fancy 17.2 hand grey Dutch Warmblood from Holland who I had for 15 years and lost a few years back. What I rebel against is the discrimination of any horse.  The whole meaning and definition of dressage means “training” so any horse that’s trained properly and performing to the best of their natural abilities should be accepted.

What I’d like to see, if and when the dressage community seeks reform, is an acceptance of greater diversity, both in training schools/philosophies and in breed/type.  There is such a cookie-cutter mentality out there now that any deviation from this very narrow definition isn’t considered worthy of the term “dressage.”  Unfortunately, this new school of dressage has proven itself false and inferior to more traditional methods in many ways.  It has also proven itself less tolerant of those who don’t conform to its particular brand of dressage.  If we’re ever to rescue the disciplines from this downward spiral, I’d like to see more representatives of different schools and breeds not only taking part but given equal consideration; I’d like to see them judged on their individual merits rather than their degree of conformity to some new fad.  Let’s welcome them all, side by side, and let the performances speak for themselves.

Until next time

Quote for Today

If you only see the beauty of their markings and limbs then their true beauty is hidden from you.

 

Dusty's Foot

" signs of trauma where the coffin bone rotated downward toward the sole"

"with pressure the bruised areas leak a bit of blood and serum, but luckily are no longer active or painful"

[picture of cornet band:] our questions about whether this was a recent rotation or an old founder combined with a stone bruise were answered when this deep groove began to grown down from the coronet; the amount of growth corresponds with when her lameness began, and clearly shows a brief period of compromised circulation in the area during the episode.

Our farrier was here on Thursday and while he was working on Dusty’s feet we managed to take some pictures of what’s been going on with her. It’s not a pretty picture but, now that she has her natural balance shoes and pads, her soles aren’t bothering her at all. She is sound and wants to get back to work, to the point that when she sees me she will actually come over to the gate to be caught. 

After her shoeing it was recommended that she shouldn’t be ridden for 48 hours and then only light work on Saturday.  So that’s what we did.  Saturday she walked a lot of patterns, practiced her softening and bending and learned how to turn on the haunches.  We did some trotting of figure eights and called it a day.  Even with an injury like Dusty’s it’s still possible to ride and train, and we went back to easy basics to reinforce her previous lessons.  She was a good girl, as usual, and more than willing to do anything as long as she could get back to work. 

Sunday, she was going to work again but circumstances on my end prevented us from riding.  My son called to say my daughter–in-law was in labor and I went to their home to watch my 2-year-old grandson.  I’m happy to report that we now have another grandson who is a happy healthy newborn.  I may be busy for a few weeks and not able to devote any time to blogging.  Enjoy the autumn weather and I wish many good rides for all my blogging friends. See you soon.

Until next time

Quote for Today
No hoof, no horse!

Dusty's Most Excellent Weekend

' Dusty '

Dusty and I added some new training movements to her repertoire this weekend and I can only say she was in excellent form.  Where to begin?  Well, the first thing we’ve got to clear up:“will the real Dusty please stand up and identify herself ?”  The new and improved Dusty that was most likely hatched from an alien pod sometime Friday night has been absolutely brilliant this weekend. It could be her new shoes, the new sand footing with no rocks, the stupendous training she’s been receiving or perhaps a combination of all three. Whatever the reason, I’ll take it.

As usual we always start with walking, softening and bending.  We’ve added serpentines and leg yields to her warm up to mix it up and get her focused.  In my opinion, all the softening and bending work we did for months at the walk has really helped her and I think all horses can benefit from this type of work. It takes a long time but the end result it well worth the effort.

Instead of starting with her fast choppy jog-trot she has decided that a longer frame with an even pace is the way to go for her comfort (I’m sure she’s not worrying about mine.)  For the past two weekends she has been softening, tracking up and coming softly onto the bit of her own accord. She feels like an entirely different horse when she’s like this, and I’m told she looks as graceful as a carousel horse.

This weekend we worked on her canter, which is not one of her best natural gaits just yet. I’m happy to report that she got the correct lead in both directions, a big accomplishment for her, especially to the left.

Normally with her left lead, when we try to circle, she will spiral into the center of the ring like water going down the drain regardless of proper steering.  It was time to try a different approach; instead of circling I let her go straight down the long side of the arena.  It wasn’t pretty, but there was no spiraling.  Until she balances herself more, I think we may have to accept her head going to the outside, shoulder inside and butt who knows where. I’m trying to counter this effect by opening the outside rein, using an indirect inside rein behind the wither and pressure at the girth with my inside leg. With more practice I think she will find her balance and her muscles will begin to strengthen and conform to the right way of going.

The right lead (her good one) was much more confident, balanced and comfortable. Of course, coming down the long side she was picking up speed and I’m thinking she may have decided a nice gallop was in order. Or she may have been trying to terrorize Molly, our Australian Shepherd, who decided to park herself on the rail and refused to move for the entire lesson.  In any case, after we had a conversation about this she relented and came back to a normal pace. We didn’t over-do the canter, just once around in each direction.

Dusty was also introduced to lengthening her trot today. First we started by having a nice even pace at the working trot. Then by opening the inside rein to take her head gently to the inside, she would soften and relax her neck, lower her frame and come onto the bit; from there I’d simply ask for more trot while allowing her a little more rein and she lengthened beautifully.  After a few steps, I’d use a light half halt on the outside rein and bring her back to the working trot. She got it in both directions.  Smart girl!

My philosophy is:  if you get it mostly right, end on a good note for that exercise. I don’t believe in drilling a horse over and over until I’m satisfied; there’s always tomorrow and I like to reward a good effort right away, leave my horses feeling good about their accomplishments and give them time to think it over.

We ended with that; I dropped the reins and let her meander around the ring. She took herself over to my daughter for a treat and then she circled the arena once, marched over to the mounting block, parked herself there and looked back at me, as if to say, “That’s it, you’re done for the day.  Get off!”

Until next time

Quote for Today

Correction does much for the horse, but encouragement does more.

It Wasn't Me !

" Dusty"

This morning upon arrival at the barn for morning feed, Dusty was standing in the grooming stall, which is next to her stall.  As she stood there looking as innocent as she could, we had a Vulcan mind-meld and the telepathy that passed between us was nothing short of amazing.  She was telling me how she had no idea how she came to be in the grooming stall; all she remembers from last night was she twitched her nose like Samantha in the old TV series “Bewitched” and, lo and behold, she was magically teleported into the grooming stall. She’s a little fuzzy on the details but she thinks this is what may have happened to her.

She has no idea why Mellon’s stall looks like an army of soldiers marched through it in the night, or why he is all lathered up.  He’s really such a baby. Maybe he had a nightmare? (And that nightmare couldn’t have been named “Dusty”…?)

And I should disregard those hoof prints in the freshly dragged arena; they weren’t her hoof prints and she was definitely not roaming around investigating things last night.

Dusty has no idea how piles of manure got sprinkled around the outside of the barn on the lawn.  Maybe it was the deer or the foxes or an errant dog perhaps?  Or maybe it just fell out of the wheelbarrow on the way to the dumpster?  You know how messy humans can be.

Oh and she has no idea how pansies taste either.  There is absolutely no way she would have gone into the gardens in front of the barn and tore it all up and then snacked on the pansies.  She would never do that!  The footprints in the mulch are also from those pesky foxes.

If there is any lingering doubt in my mind that she had anything to do with the destruction in the night one needs only to look at her stall and the innocent expression on her face. As she has so meaningfully pointed out to me, her stall guard is still up and do I seriously think she could fit under it?  The only rational explanation is she must have had an out of body experience or perhaps been beamed-up by aliens and re-deposited in the wrong stall upon returning to earth. How else could she have mysteriously wound up in the grooming stall? Really, it’s the only explanation.

Sounds good to me, how about you. Are you buying any of this?

Until next time

Quote for Today

A little horseplay... the way best to enjoy a summer day!

 

Coming Along

'Blue'

Blue and I are making progress together, but for now it seems to be slow with little triumphs here and there.  As I’ve always said, there is no such thing as taking the fast-track when training a horse and oneself.  He is a very talented horse with a very set way of going and on occasion he either gets confused or just downright refuses to do what you ask, I haven’t decided which yet.  Then again, you could be pleasantly surprised that he does listen to all your cues perfectly at other times.  It all comes down to riding the horse you have today. And by “today” I mean that he came out and was trying to be a good boy. For a smaller horse (15.2 hands) he feels as though he has as big a stride as my 17.2 hand horse Erik did.

Today he was very animated and covered a lot of ground in trot.  One of the things we have to work on is his body language.  Blue loves to get out of proper work by either over-bending to the inside or popping his shoulder in and turning his head to the outside.  This is made even harder to ride by his insistence on falling on the forehand with his nose doing an imitation of a snowplow in the dirt. To get his head up I will gently lift one or both reins.  Usually lifting only the inside rein and releasing the outside or visa versa works better than lifting both, but it all depends on which one works best in the given situation (or which he feels like listening to at the moment.)  We used mostly the outside rein aid today and it worked well on getting his balance up, as he was more prone to his over-bending evasion today, and the outside rein was not only helpful in straightening him, but lightening his forehand, both of which helped rebalance him.  I should mention that as soon as he comes up he gets a release, and this rein aid lifts the bit straight up into the corner of his mouth, and not back onto the bars or tongue at all.

We’re also working on steering.  Blue is one of those horses that feels comfortable falling in and not staying on the track; sort of cutting corners and being a tad lazy is his MO.  We fixed this by using an opening outside rein aid. It works well for him.  By using the opening rein to lead him back out to the track he will stay there for a few strides and then we repeat when necessary, releasing the inside rein to avoid confusion.

I would like to add that some of this is unorthodox riding and I am in no way saying I have the credentials to be a trainer.  I do what works with my horses and don’t advocate anyone else taking my methods as gospel. This is simply my diary of how I’m coming along with Blue.  It will give me something to look back on to see where we started and how far we have come when I check back at a later date.

Until next time

Quote for Today
Just knowing we have both learned something when I have finished riding is enough for me!

And So...

" Dusty'

Our vet examined Dusty today and she will be laid up for at least two more weeks.  Her toe reacted to the hoof testers letting us know that she is still sore.  For the past few weeks she has been wearing Soft Ride boots to ease her pain and make her more comfortable walking. I would definitely recommend these boots for any horse with an injured hoof.  These boots can also be worn (according to their site) for riding, but I’m not sure how well that would work.  Even though she was measured correctly for the proper size, she still manages to leave one behind now and again. The boots are a great medical innovation for injuries and other foot issues, and I like that they sell orthotics that can be inserted into the boot depending on what type of injury the horse is recuperating from. They have enabled her to be relieved of the boredom of constant stall rest and have allowed her to graze in a small grass paddock with Mellon, who is also in rehab for a torn tendon.  I feel like I’m running a MASH unit here on the farm with all the injuries lately.

The vet recommended that Dusty be shod in natural balance shoes pour-in pads to help ease the pain of having a coffin bone rotation of about 5 degrees and a possible bruise.  We knew nothing of the rotation until she had x-rays and, even though it’s not much, it’s still there and has to be dealt with.  She may have had this for years and it’s just coming to our attention because of her soreness now.  Dusty’s always been a very stoic mare and never complains, so when she started limping, we knew it had to be bothering her quite a bit.  It could be that since it’s been so dry and her hooves were so hard she may have stepped on a rock and bruised her sole.  Regardless of how it happened the vet has decided to treat the rotation as a new injury. He’s contacted our farrier and they discussed her options and what would be best for her.  I think it’s a plus that the vet and farrier confer on cases.  Dusty will get her new shoes tomorrow and in two weeks will be checked and x-rayed again to see where she is and when she can get back to work. Our vet seems to think that she will return to normal with the proper shoes and should be as good as she always was.

Last night we had a saddle fitter out who had previously taken a tracing of Dusty for a custom saddle.  Since she is wither-deprived and very round, there are no saddles that fit her off the rack so to speak.  This girl sent the tracings to the company she works with in England and they sent her a tree.  Well, lo and behold, it fits her perfectly and as an added bonus it fits Blue perfectly too.  Now the only question will be whether or not I go ahead and buy it. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me the price of the saddle; it was nowhere near how expensive I thought it was going to be.  My Albion dressage saddle (off the rack) was much more than this custom saddle.  Thinking of that Albion saddle, I’m probably going to have to sell it because it doesn’t fit any of the horses we have now. It was Erik’s and the shame of it is I only used it maybe a total of five times before he died. Still, it’s classified as a used saddle and I’ll probably get a lot less for it than it’s worth.  Secretly, I think I just held on to it because I’m a pack rat and never get rid of anything, with the “hey you never know when a horse will come along that can use it” attitude.  In the meantime, I’m waiting for the next set of x-rays and diagnosis before making any sort of permanent decision on Dusty’s saddle.

Until next time
Quote for Today
EQUINOMIC$ - The distribution and depletion of a large percentage of a horse owners cash flow.

Happy Birthday Dusty !

Dusty's 14th Birthday

Today is Dusty's birthday, so a very Happy Birthday Dusty!  Of course, there will be lots of treats for her today. There will be no work because, after all, who wants to work on their birthday?  And the weather is miserable.  This heat wave has got to blow out of here soon. No one should have to wear a saddle when it's over 90 and humid.  

In the past year, Dusty and I have come a long way from where we started. She and I have used many different training techniques/activities to get where we are now. At times it is slow going and repetitive, but patience is the key to a well trained,willing horse. We are working on forming a solid partnership and I hope that some day she will form a connection with me. So far that has not happened on her end, unless you count how cute she can be when waiting at the tack room door after her lesson for a Stud Muffin treat. She's a very independent mare and earning her trust may or may not happen any time soon.I believe that she does like the attention she's receiving from me. Then again, due to her celebrity status around here, would anything less be fair to her delicate sensibilities?

In conclusion, Id like to congratulate her on being such a smart girl and having a more than adequate work ethic. I was joking the other day with my daughter during our lesson, and said, " If by some chance we ever do go to a show, I think her show name should be "Curb Your Enthusiasm"!

Until next time

Quote for Today

A horse is an angel without wings

Weekend Update

'

'Dusty'

Just a short post to fill everyone in on the goings on around here.  The contractor has agreed to pay for the tractor repairs.  The tractor company hasn’t picked it up yet but will next week.  The contractor and crew have primed the doors to the barn, finished leveling the sand in the arena and in general have been doing all the little finishing touches that need to be done.  So we’re almost there. We have contacted two companies that have a substance that would coat the sand and keep the dust down and doesn’t require watering.  If anyone has ridden in arenas or know if these products are good please let me know.  The products I’m thinking of using are Arena Kleen or Arena Rx.

I took Dusty into the indoor arena to familiarize her with being inside. We walked around the whole arena while she looked out the windows and investigated the sand with her nose.  She hasn’t been in too many indoors in her life and the times she was she wasn’t particularly impressed.  As a matter of fact, it’s one of the few times she unseated me by rounding a corner at a trot, stopping dead and running backwards rather fast.  I wasn’t ready for the awkward sudden change of direction and came off.  This was when she was five years old and hadn’t been ridden more than a few times. Let’s hope she’s a little more mature now and can rationalize working indoors.  Except that, after her antics today, I’m not so sure she’s changed her thinking about being indoors.  We lunged her for a bit after her walk around and she was very excited.  There was no way she was going to walk calmly, and the trot wasn’t there either.  However, she did a very animated unauthorized canter in both directions with lots of bucks thrown in for good measure.  It sort of validated my decision to not jump on her and walk her around for her first few times in there.  I’m of the opinion that she’s in for a lot of walking around until she gets used to the idea that you are allowed to ride inside.

This morning (Saturday) Dusty and I worked on sitting and posting trot but no cantering, as she was being very fresh.  Instead of doing cavelletti we concentrated on getting her relaxed and supple by doing bending lines on circles and figure eights.  I feel it’s always good to go back once in a while and review what she already knows before continuing with new exercises.  It gives her the confidence and inspiration to put her best hoof forward.

(Sunday)  We got a short ride in today very early this morning.  The heat and humidity around here is unbearable. Temps will hit 95 today and continue through the week.  One of the main reasons I hate summer (besides the bugs) is the heat. I’m looking forward to the autumn.  Dusty and I had a good ride; she was relaxed and bending, which made me think that it was the right decision to go back to basics with her yesterday.  She did two beautiful canter transitions in each direction and we ended with that.  I don’t think I will ride again until the heat breaks a little; I hate it and it’s unfair to her.  I wouldn’t want someone throwing a heavy saddle on me and working me in this heat and I can’t imagine she does either.  So she’ll have a few days off to think about what a good girl she was today.

On the medical front: Grady had his tendon sheath injected, the vets seem to think this may help him return to soundness.  He’s on stall rest until Tuesday.  Nate and Blue had their hocks injected Friday also, so they weren’t allowed out with the rest of the herd until Saturday night.  So, along with Mellon, we had a barn full of laid up horses covered in bandages for Friday and most of Saturday.  I’m thinking of painting a big red cross on the roof of the barn and renaming it a MASH unit.

Until next time

Quote for Today
I wake up every day determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult. - E. B. White

This & That

This & That

Over the weekend Dusty and I took a spin around the ring and had a wonderful lesson.  It would have been even better had the thermometer not hovered close to 90 with at least 85% humidity.  We didn’t ride for very long but we did have a major breakthrough: Dusty has now settled down and stepped off on the correct lead for her canter transition in both directions.  She did quite a nice balanced flowing canter and came up through her back and was actually taking the bit softly.  It sort of felt like we were gliding along, bending perfectly on the circle.  Good girl, Dusty!  Thank you for being such a smart and willing student.

Of course, even though we didn’t ride for very long, we still had the pleasure of ringing out every article of clothing we wore that day.  In case Mother Nature is listening, I was under the impression it is not supposed to be this hot and miserable until the dog days of August. Please get your act together soon or I’ll have to consider moving to a colder climate.

Below are some pictures of Dusty after her bath modeling her new Shimmer Weave Farnam Fly Mask with the faux cheetah trim.  Sami is glad it’s not ‘cougar’ trim or he might be in trouble from an older lady like Dusty, since he considers himself the young stud around here.

These little baby turkeys and their mama showed up yesterday, luckily I was able to snap a few pictures before she herded them back into the woods.  I counted nine and will be keeping an eye out for them every day.  I’m hoping the foxes and coyotes around here are well fed.

Until next time

Quote for Today

There are many wonderful places in the world, but one of my favorite places is on the back of my horse.     - Rolf Kopfle