I thought Jay was sound, because he has been looking good in the pasture. Specifically last Wednesday the BO put another mare and gelding pony in the pasture with Jay and Jay's gelding buddy, and the pony decided that Jay should not go anywhere NEAR "his" mare. The pony became a screaming whirling dervish, LOL, and didn't make much if any contact with Jay, but he got the message across. The BO's asked me that night if I picked Jay because of his beautiful movement at the trot, because he was just lovely, so I know he wasn't lame because they definitely would have noticed.
Friday night I tacked Jay up planning to lunge him just a bit to make sure he was listening to me, and then get on for a little bit and walk around. I started off trotting him to the right...and he was still lame on the RF, about a 3 out of 5! I was so discouraged. I didn't get a reaction to hoof testers.
Yesterday DH and I pulled up to find Jay playing in the pasture. He looked good and looked pretty sound at liberty. He was DEFINITELY feeling good! I put him in the round pen, and his lameness was a grade better than Friday.
After thinking it over and talking to the BO (who was at the farriers meeting and also saw how bruised Jay's RF foot was), I think he is just still sore from the extensive bruising. I hope that is all it is. Jingles for Jay will be much appreciated!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Jay's Farriers Meeting Update
A week ago today (July 14th) Jay went to the farriers meeting at my vet clinic. Unfortunately for us, they had FOUR cases that night (they usually only have three), and for whatever reason Jay was put last. So by the time Jay's turn came, another horse was still being worked on, people were more scattered, it was getting late, etc., and Jay didn't quite get the level of attention that I had hoped for, and that he would have gotten earlier in the meeting.
Jay was definitely more sound than he was when he went to the vet June 22nd, but was still a consistent 2 out of 5 lame on the right front, and at times he was definitely 3 out of 5 lame on it. His palmar angle is 0 degrees...flat...where it should be a positive angle of 2 to 5 degrees. His soles are also thin, approximately 8mm where they should be at least 10mm thick to be comfortable.
The farrier who has been helping Jay since June doesn't shoe with traditional shoes (she is an awesome trimmer but only uses Hoof-It composite shoes), so I spoke up early on and let the group know I would need a farrier. A farrier was there that night who just moved to North Carolina from Alberta Canada, so he stepped forward to do Jay.
A few ideas on how to best help Jay were floated about, such as using a natural balance shoe, or the quick "cure" of using wedges and pour in pads. I just want a sound and happy horse! Jay had been sound in regular shoes before this, and I was concerned that putting pads, etc. on him would just give him more to grab and pull off. Jay was trimmed (revealing BAD bruising on the right front...not surprising), and several shoe options (without using wedges and pads) were discussed. Thankfully enough hoof had grown out on that right front that there was something to nail to! Because Jay has thin walls, though, a St. Croix rim shoe was used, so that the nail holes are further to the outside. Jay was trimmed to move his breakover back, and the right front was fitted a little closer in the heel.
Jay left the meeting with two front shoes on! The vet told me not to change anything about his turnout routine for a week, so he was kept on stall rest with limited turnout. Well, on Thursday morning I went out to check Jay and found him with a swollen, hot right front fetlock with a wound on the back inner side, right where it would be most "convenient" to have been hit by the left rear. I was really not happy to find this, even though I realized that Jay could have even done this some other way.
I gave Jay a gram of Bute, and by mid-day the swelling and heat were down. That night Jay was sound and obviously feeling MUCH better than he had in a LONG time. It has been apparent each day since that he is really feeling a lot better and happier. Yesterday I walked the fence line in the pasture with Jay, and turned him out for the afternoon. Today he started on his new turnout schedule!
I hate it that Jay (and I!) had to go through this, but there have already been some very positive things to come from the whole ordeal. Jay is at a much nicer, better barn. Jay, DH, and I are so much happier there! Our new BO was even interested enough to go to the farrier meeting with us! Also, this past Saturday I saw the farrier who did Jay, and got to talk with him some more. So long as Jay does well with his shoeing, I have a new farrier who would have been very hard to find otherwise because he is so new to the area. (In fact HE didn't even know he lived close to where Jay is boarded...his girlfriend who knows the area spoke up that night!) He cold shod Jay, but should it be needed he also does hot shoeing, something that is hard to find in this area.
Later this week I will be able to start thinking about riding Jay. The vet said to not even think about it for 10 to 14 days. ...OK, I admit it, I AM thinking about it, LOL!
BTW, where is everyone? I know that I am guilty of being MIA/AWOL too! It has been a busy time with moving, multiple trips per day to the barn, moving barns, etc....plus I haven't been able to ride to post any updates on that! I hope everyone comes back! :)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Pony Club Camp
Well, this is a bit overdue...but better late than never! I went to Pony Club camp the last weekend in July. It was supposed to be a mix of Pony Clubbers and Horsemasters, but it turned out to be all Pony Clubbers and one lone Horsemaster, me. Let me tell you, those Pony Clubbers are way more horsemastery than me!
I arrived Thursday evening and attempted to settle Skate in his stall. He was not a happy camper...lots of pacing and calling out. I slept in a tent outside the barn and slept maybe an hour total b/c I just knew he was going to work himself into a colic. One of his neighbors had severe allergies and spent the evening coughing - I kept panicking that it was Skate and he was choking. It was ridiculous - this is why I should never have my horse at home, I'd be a total helicopter mom.
By Friday morning he had settled a bit...I had a dressage lesson late morning. Funny thing was, once he was out of his stall, he was perfectly content. He just didn't like being in there all alone. It was also a cinder block barn - and visibility was low for the horses. The windows were barred and he couldn't really see his neighbors. Anyway, Skate impressed everyone with his ground tying skills, he was that quiet once out of the stall. I found out there were enough turnout paddocks for the him to go out in the evening, so that was my plan.
The dressage lesson was good. The woman teaching the lesson was a woman I had seen ride at Skate's first show - her horse had a meltdown so I remember it really well. We discussed how that judge was TOUGH for a schooling show - no one had scored above a 62 that whole day (I had scored a 54 and a 50, and my rides were not that bad). Anyway, we worked a lot on transitions, as I have a tendency to collapse and cause Skate to sorta shuffle into the next gate. I also learned my left shoulder is way ahead of my right. I had no idea I was that crooked. We then worked on TL 3, so I could ride that test for the fix-a-test that evening. That evening I rode the test and she scored me a 62...with instructions to work on my circles (as usual) and that Skate's not really reaching down consistently for the stretchy circle or the free walk. He stretches at first, but then pops back up, down, up, down. This was our first attempt at TL3, but it was way more entertaining than TL1. Geez, that test is boring!
Skate was out all night Friday, and was happy as a clam. I, however, was a nervous nelly over my upcoming jumping lesson. I haven't really jumped in a year! Thank goodness they let me do a private lesson. The instructor was awesome. Super positive and supportive. She helped my confidence and gave me some great position pointers to make me more secure. The lesson was focused on gymnastics....and she tricked me into doing the whole thing by saying we'd stick with poles if she felt I needed to. By the end we were doing 4 poles to a x-rail, to a 2' vertical, to a 2'3" oxer, to another 2'9" oxer! Yay! Thank you Skate, for being a trooper and toting my unbalanced butt over those.
Sunday was another jumping lesson, with the focus on our position. I sucked it up and rode with the big kids : ) That lesson was super fun. Skate was a little rushy and cranky - once the height went up he bounced the one stride and commenced to continue bouncing up and down after the line. I managed to hang on and come back through, and learned my lesson about trying to sit on Skate's withers over fences. He's already prone to getting on his forehand due to his conformation, so I've got to help him stay balanced by staying BACK over fences. I got to do the whole gymnastic with NO HANDS! That'll teach ya not to lean. The other teens were brave enough to do no hands, no stirrups, but I said no thanks to that. Ha.
We then went on to switch horses. The first horse I got on was a huge mare that was a Hobbes replica. She was the horse everyone needs to learn to jump on...very flat easy peasy jumper. I loved her although she did require some encouragement to go forward. That's the type of horse I ride better, anyway, though...Skate's tendency to get rushy has taught me a lot, but its not my specialty. The next horse I got on was a 14 h pony! She was the cutest little thing - basically pushbutton but was a jumping fool. I was terrified that she'd have to crack her back over those bigger oxers, but her jump was easier to ride than Skate's! She's got little springs for hooves.
While I was riding the other horses, Skate was getting schooled by the teens. The first girl who rode him whipped his rushy butt into shape. She's a super rider and had much better control of her body than me, so she was able to really focus on balancing him between fences. He was transformed into a cute hunter pony after she finished with him! We all agreed she rode him way better than I did - we had to critique each other's rides and discuss what we would work on with each person's horse to improve their way of going.
Lots of other things went on during the weekend; we drove to Tryon to watch a dressage show and do a little shopping (bought some Akene leather conditioner, that stuff is awesome), did a bunch of crafts (tie dye, anyone?), and watched some horsey videos. I had a great time, although I wish I had another horsemaster there with me!
Since that weekend, Skate has been a superstar. Every ride has been easy and I'm really looking forward to my lesson tomorrow. I think the 3 days of hard riding must have refocused him, maybe?
I arrived Thursday evening and attempted to settle Skate in his stall. He was not a happy camper...lots of pacing and calling out. I slept in a tent outside the barn and slept maybe an hour total b/c I just knew he was going to work himself into a colic. One of his neighbors had severe allergies and spent the evening coughing - I kept panicking that it was Skate and he was choking. It was ridiculous - this is why I should never have my horse at home, I'd be a total helicopter mom.
By Friday morning he had settled a bit...I had a dressage lesson late morning. Funny thing was, once he was out of his stall, he was perfectly content. He just didn't like being in there all alone. It was also a cinder block barn - and visibility was low for the horses. The windows were barred and he couldn't really see his neighbors. Anyway, Skate impressed everyone with his ground tying skills, he was that quiet once out of the stall. I found out there were enough turnout paddocks for the him to go out in the evening, so that was my plan.
The dressage lesson was good. The woman teaching the lesson was a woman I had seen ride at Skate's first show - her horse had a meltdown so I remember it really well. We discussed how that judge was TOUGH for a schooling show - no one had scored above a 62 that whole day (I had scored a 54 and a 50, and my rides were not that bad). Anyway, we worked a lot on transitions, as I have a tendency to collapse and cause Skate to sorta shuffle into the next gate. I also learned my left shoulder is way ahead of my right. I had no idea I was that crooked. We then worked on TL 3, so I could ride that test for the fix-a-test that evening. That evening I rode the test and she scored me a 62...with instructions to work on my circles (as usual) and that Skate's not really reaching down consistently for the stretchy circle or the free walk. He stretches at first, but then pops back up, down, up, down. This was our first attempt at TL3, but it was way more entertaining than TL1. Geez, that test is boring!
Skate was out all night Friday, and was happy as a clam. I, however, was a nervous nelly over my upcoming jumping lesson. I haven't really jumped in a year! Thank goodness they let me do a private lesson. The instructor was awesome. Super positive and supportive. She helped my confidence and gave me some great position pointers to make me more secure. The lesson was focused on gymnastics....and she tricked me into doing the whole thing by saying we'd stick with poles if she felt I needed to. By the end we were doing 4 poles to a x-rail, to a 2' vertical, to a 2'3" oxer, to another 2'9" oxer! Yay! Thank you Skate, for being a trooper and toting my unbalanced butt over those.
Sunday was another jumping lesson, with the focus on our position. I sucked it up and rode with the big kids : ) That lesson was super fun. Skate was a little rushy and cranky - once the height went up he bounced the one stride and commenced to continue bouncing up and down after the line. I managed to hang on and come back through, and learned my lesson about trying to sit on Skate's withers over fences. He's already prone to getting on his forehand due to his conformation, so I've got to help him stay balanced by staying BACK over fences. I got to do the whole gymnastic with NO HANDS! That'll teach ya not to lean. The other teens were brave enough to do no hands, no stirrups, but I said no thanks to that. Ha.
We then went on to switch horses. The first horse I got on was a huge mare that was a Hobbes replica. She was the horse everyone needs to learn to jump on...very flat easy peasy jumper. I loved her although she did require some encouragement to go forward. That's the type of horse I ride better, anyway, though...Skate's tendency to get rushy has taught me a lot, but its not my specialty. The next horse I got on was a 14 h pony! She was the cutest little thing - basically pushbutton but was a jumping fool. I was terrified that she'd have to crack her back over those bigger oxers, but her jump was easier to ride than Skate's! She's got little springs for hooves.
While I was riding the other horses, Skate was getting schooled by the teens. The first girl who rode him whipped his rushy butt into shape. She's a super rider and had much better control of her body than me, so she was able to really focus on balancing him between fences. He was transformed into a cute hunter pony after she finished with him! We all agreed she rode him way better than I did - we had to critique each other's rides and discuss what we would work on with each person's horse to improve their way of going.
Lots of other things went on during the weekend; we drove to Tryon to watch a dressage show and do a little shopping (bought some Akene leather conditioner, that stuff is awesome), did a bunch of crafts (tie dye, anyone?), and watched some horsey videos. I had a great time, although I wish I had another horsemaster there with me!
Since that weekend, Skate has been a superstar. Every ride has been easy and I'm really looking forward to my lesson tomorrow. I think the 3 days of hard riding must have refocused him, maybe?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Good boy!
Pro has been great lately, and I've been miserable about updating. Friday's lesson was quite good. We started off with the poll-flexing exercise. Gayle reminded me that I need to do it SLOWLY, otherwise it becomes the razor in the monkey's hand. He really needs it done more to the left, and not so much to the right. Although he tries to overbend it right because it's easy for him and he thinks that's what I want. So then I have to carefully and slowly flex him back left, and I even saw his nuchal ligament pop back into place, which was pretty cool. Once we had him flexing AND staying attentive, we walked off. Gayle corrected my hands right away and with that, he started stretching and looking for the bit.
It's one thing to be conscious of keeping your lower legs off of the horse unless needed, but it's another to lift both your legs off the horse from the hip - I felt a few things in my lower back crack! It's sort of fluffing your legs, so the horse realizes he can poof his sides out. I remember the judge I took lessons with occasionally would have us do that periodically at the sitting trot, to sort of fluff out the horse. Pro seemed to really enjoy this fluffing, and poofed out! Unfortunately, there were a lot of distractions on Friday. Big Horse was doing some work with his owner in a nearby field, a brush hog was mowing across the pond, and the metal roof on the shed was banging and flapping in the wind. It was clear that Pro was getting nervous about these things, so Gayle stepped in to take advantage of the situation. We had to remind him that there is ALWAYS a safe place for him when he gets scared, and that safe place is chasing the bit.
So when he got nervous, I offered him the bit, and he actually remembered! He relaxed into his game of chasing the bit, and the nervousness disappeared. I was so proud. :) We did some spiraling in and spiraling out - spiraling in involves taking control of the horse's shoulder, and pushing that toward the inside. At the same time, you keep that inside hind leg engaged with your inside leg. It's easy for the horse to feel trapped here - with you in control of his shoulder and inside leg, so it's critical to make sure that they know they have an open door in your inside rein, to chase the bit. Pro hates feeling trapped, but I kept offering the inside and he relaxed! To spiral out, you switch the "door" to the other side, and open your outside aids - the horse steps over and over to fill those aids. He did so well.
We worked on longitudinal elasticity - lengthenings! Posting is following an arc, so to lengthen, you flatten that arc and post more forward, in a way. I had to remember to be prepared for his jump, and not get left behind the motion in that moment. He figured it out, and enjoyed himself! From there, we cantered, and he was just so well-behaved, and at this point Gayle had used up her lesson quota of "good boy!" sayings ;) so we ended it there.
Last night was pretty much a repeat of the lesson, only quicker. At each gait and direction I tested for the basics and once they were there, I moved on. I did let him work at the trot for a bit, since he felt really correct and it was giving his muscles a good workout. Once I checked the canter in each direction, he was done. :)
Here is us experimenting with leg-yielding - Gayle tells me to just turn my head and think sideways, and Pro SHOOTS sideways!!!
And the lengthening:
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