tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51919087571223829232024-02-19T06:49:49.023-08:00Sofie Learns DressageWhen I got my first horse in late March 2009, she was an obese trail horse with crappy feet, incorrect muscle development and a whole lot of anxiety. Correct dressage training, along with natural trimming, a good diet, groundwork and massage, has made her a very different horse. Follow along on our journey.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-17998367902579057392013-12-16T14:27:00.000-08:002013-12-16T14:27:15.364-08:00And We Have Liftoff!We trotted under weight today! And we weren't hobbling lame! We weren't lame at all!<br />
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She is so relieved, and so am I. She's got all this pent-up energy, and I had to keep her from jigging when I picked up the reins. Pony wants to GO! I was super nervous to trot her, but it all went great and hopefully I won't ever have to feel that horrible lameness ever again.<br />
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My tentative plan is to actually tack her up on Wednesday and give her more of a real ride, maybe put her together a little bit at the walk and start to get back into the dressagey aspect of things. I don't want to let it go for too long and have her regress, her neck and everything is looking so nice that I just want to preserve that.<br />
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Last night there was a snowstorm, and she must have flipped out or something because this morning as I was feeding I looked over and saw her in this stallion's paddock (the stallion is in a roundpen in the paddock, fortunately!). It was one of those surreal moments, like, "Is that my horse? Where she definitely should not be?". She crawled through the fence at some point in the night, walked all over the paddock, and got covered with snow. She also lost one of her magnetic boots, which led me to declare "I'm not even <i>looking</i> for that thing!" But luckily enough, it was sitting right in her paddock, on the pathway the horses have made to the gate, easy to see.<br />
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I just put in 48 hours at my job this week, and I was hoping to go home today (haven't been home in 6 days), but my car had other ideas...it broke down in the middle of the street, and I had to call a tow truck and then stand there watching people try to drive around me. Then I couldn't get a ride home, so I just had to pick out what worldly possessions I needed, and walk back to the place where I've been staying (fortunately within walking distance of my mechanic!).<br />
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I know exactly what broke on my car, too...it's a $30 part that I just replaced a few weeks ago when this happened the first time. Ugh, life. Why is everything I own hanging on by a thread and duct taped together?Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-21538018276822929132013-12-14T11:46:00.001-08:002013-12-14T11:46:03.613-08:00Good Things Are HappeningThe rest/light work/bute/magnetic blanket combo seems to be working. It's been bitterly cold, but Sofie has been sound enough to trot around her paddock without a hitch in her gait (she was also bucking and jumping around the other morning, and didn't go <i>Ouch, ouch, ouch</i> afterward).<br />
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The applesauce method has been working well for getting the bute into her. She's not the greatest at taking oral meds, but I can deal with her, and this way I know it gets in her. She's just so fussy. I've been leaving her magnetic blanket on almost continuously. She's had it on since Wednesday, minus a half hour a day. I finally took it off and left it off today for fear of making her radioactive, or something. Although that's probably unfounded.<br />
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We haven't been doing much, but I've been enjoying myself anyway. On Thursday we went for a brief driveway ride even though it was like 10 degrees out. It was sunny! And it was nice to get outside and go for a little mini trail ride. Then yesterday the arena was empty, and I was going to ride but I decided to go old-school with some good old free schooling. I turned her loose in the indoor, and she trotted off right away and went several times around at a trot. She looked good - free-moving, pretty even, maybe a little tight still on that right hind but definitely much improved. She has so much pent-up energy from not being worked like she's used to - I could tell she was happy to just move for a change. She trotted both directions without an issue, and then as we were winding down I turned away from her, and she followed me. So I decided to play around with it, changing directions, jogging, stopping and transitioning back up to a walk or jog. She stuck with me the whole time and trotted right by me, close enough to touch. We haven't done that in forever, and I forgot how much fun it is to play the "my horse and I are one" game. She's just stupidly adorable sometimes.<br />
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It's supposed to warm up (kind of) tomorrow and Monday, so I'll get on her again and see how she's doing. Depending on how she's moving, I may or may not try a few trot steps. I'm kind of nervous to trot her under weight again, but she is doing way better. I'll just have to judge the situation.<br />
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In other news, I recently took the plunge and stuck my novel on Amazon (well, the process was actually sorta involved..."stuck it on there" doesn't begin to cover it). I'm still super new to the process of marketing and networking, but I'm excited to have it out there, and hopefully it takes off! <br />
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I'm sure those of you who frequent this blog have seen the (hopefully not too obtrusive) link on the homepage, but I just wanted to share the cover, which still makes me super happy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6IpgtFtJu5Of5_uIi8NeNVl8ezxwX4vuAJjUAN7T5diXqzt90EKgtSY8kB6dv77zf2R2Yj0WuNCG0vQgisdqAgw7jV6Kw0rQR5X5xMfmZ_-VJu1s2fgViQebLdn-ksVp6JFEe2DkAzfg/s1600/training_harry_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6IpgtFtJu5Of5_uIi8NeNVl8ezxwX4vuAJjUAN7T5diXqzt90EKgtSY8kB6dv77zf2R2Yj0WuNCG0vQgisdqAgw7jV6Kw0rQR5X5xMfmZ_-VJu1s2fgViQebLdn-ksVp6JFEe2DkAzfg/s400/training_harry_cover.jpg" /></a><br />
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Very glad I had a horse person design it for me. Accuracy is so important in the equestrian-writing arena! And I figured, if I'm going to make the investment and put it out there for the world to see, it better look damn good!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-84309513252874187522013-12-08T11:55:00.000-08:002013-12-08T11:55:14.509-08:00Sometimes you just have to rideThis morning dawned cold, and I thought I wasn't going to go to the barn. <i>I'll wait 'til tomorrow,</i> I thought. <i>I don't want to drive over there...</i><br />
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Inertia nearly took over, and I thought about leaving my boyfriend's place and just going home. But something stopped me. Peeking out the door, I realized it wasn't that cold. Cold enough that no one else would be out riding, but not too cold for me.<br />
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I got out the Friesian mare's stuff, and brought her in from the field. She was agreeable, with good ground manners, and soon I was on her back, settling into her swingy walk and riding out the occasional spook. She was looky, stopping and staring at the snow under the door, or the harrow behind a metal gate, or a light patch in the footing. I was annoyed, and a little tense myself. But I kept riding, praising her when she crept past the scary objects. I took her up to a trot, fumbling through the motions of posting and keeping up with a typical Friesian-cross trot when I'm used to my comfortable, smooth operator. But we worked it out. By the end of the ride I was keeping up with her a little better, and she was walking on the rail and listening to me. <br />
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And somewhere in there, I just felt better.<br />
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I gave the Friesian mare a quick brushing and rubbed her face. She was sweet and cuddly. I returned her to her field and went to get Sofie. She was walking fine, no better, but no worse after our last ride. I set out her magnetic blanket to put on her later, looped her lead through the D rings on her halter, and climbed on her bareback. <br />
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I didn't pick up the contact, or do transitions, or do much of anything. I just let her walk freely, and I just rode. My mind calm, I was able to enjoy the moment. The warmth and comfort of her broad back, the soothing rhythm of her walk, the gentle expression in her eye as I watched her in the mirrors. The promise of what's to come. <br />
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We've had many setbacks, and much progress has been made. We're not about to be taken out by a mere pulled muscle. It may take until the warm weather comes, but we'll be back. We'll come back. <br />
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And until then, I will relax, and ride, and trust. These little things can be the hardest to master.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2n4fWKoynTMpLC1LO4BeUWen5ItEZsfgSbWcPhZtzfuKgZlvoQabaaYNowY0o3khLpglIq_X8Orr7WG0oR2JakrVycH0HtA0uA5B8Rj5aw_uLCjSRRUTZW8BEbtFNZ6h52wSUwvIqat8C/s1600/DSCN0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2n4fWKoynTMpLC1LO4BeUWen5ItEZsfgSbWcPhZtzfuKgZlvoQabaaYNowY0o3khLpglIq_X8Orr7WG0oR2JakrVycH0HtA0uA5B8Rj5aw_uLCjSRRUTZW8BEbtFNZ6h52wSUwvIqat8C/s320/DSCN0501.JPG" /></a><br />
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We'll be alright. We'll be alright. We'll be alright.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-77400901722174811012013-12-07T09:16:00.002-08:002013-12-07T09:16:29.890-08:00Prognosis: BlahThings are much the same since my last post. My mom came out to look at her, and she pointed out that her right rump is definitely tight - it even looks visibly smaller than the other side. I walked her around, and flexed and wrenched on her pastern joint some more, and nothing. She is just really super tight and painful on that side, and now that the cold weather has set in it seems like she can’t get any relief. <br />
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She’s fine at the walk for riding, but after a little while she starts to rush a little and not be as relaxed. At the trot, she’s bad. I did an experiment the last time I rode her and kept trotting her for a while, doing more transitions instead of just testing it out for a few steps. She actually seemed to work out of her lameness and loosen up somewhat with the continued trot work, which was encouraging, but then afterward she was visibly gimpy at the walk again. She wasn’t horrible, but she clearly wasn’t feeling too great. I’ll see how she is when I go back out on Sunday or Monday. If nothing magical has happened, we’re probably looking at walk-only rides for the foreseeable future.<br />
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The good news is that she seems to be getting around fine in her paddock, even now that there is some wet heavy snow on the ground. The only question is how much exercise to give her at this point. Giving her time off doesn’t seem to do her any favors - she had a whole week off recently, and it just makes her go stir-crazy and do dumb things like run around in her paddock. She’s a relatively high-energy horse, and she’s used to being ridden frequently and doing things. I think she needs some semblance of a normal routine, to at least be walk ridden a few times a week. Which I can do, but it’s really hard to take. It’s depressing to see her not getting better, especially when I spend so much time at the barn working. Other people are out riding (or at least have the option to) and then I finally get done with my shift and all I can do is limp around on my horse. It really sucks. <br />
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Banamine and time off don’t seem to do any good, so I’ve quit giving it to her (plus I’m running low and I need some on hand for emergencies). I tried putting her magnetic blanket on, and that didn’t make any marked difference in her way of going. I can do massage and stretches, which are probably somewhat helpful, along with the light exercise just to keep her from losing her mind. <br />
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The obvious thing is to give her bute, but she won’t eat the flavored powder I have on hand, so if I want to bute her I’ll need to mix it in some applesauce and just give it to her orally. I’m working six days in a row next week, so that seems like the ideal time to give it a try. I’ll be there, so I can dose her (and watch for adverse side effects), and it will be consistent. I see no sense in giving her bute on one random day, and then nothing for a day or more. It’s hard on her tummy, and it won’t solve her issues if it’s not given consistently over a length of time.<br />
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On the bright side, the lady who is leasing the Friesian cross mare offered to let me ride her, because she can’t get out as frequently as she would like. So I have a horse to ride, which is awesome. But the days are so short right now that after<br />
working 7+ hours and taking care of myself and my horse, I have to make the choice between riding this other mare or driving an hour home over questionable roads while I still have daylight. Still, I’m hoping to get on her soon. I really just need to ride a horse that isn’t falling apart, just for my own morale, which is pretty low right now.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-24513176066409936512013-12-01T13:51:00.000-08:002013-12-01T13:51:07.777-08:00TroublesWell, it looks like we’re in for our annual, ominous start-of-winter, is-this-the-end routine. We were due for one of these. <br />
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It’s been over a month since Sofie came up lame, and she is still really bad. Apart from those two promising rides mid-November, when she cantered without an issue and seemed like she was on the mend, she has come up hobbling at some point during every one of our rides since that day she pulled something, or did something, or <i>something</i> happened. <br />
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On our last “real” trail ride, she was feeling good, and when I first started trotting her she broke into a canter, which of course disintegrated into hobbling. We went on, and I tested her occasionally. She was mostly okay at the trot, and when I tried the canter once more, she felt great, but then she just broke and started limping again. She was fine on hills, and fine trotting, except occasionally when she’d limp, but then she’d work out of it. <br />
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The last time I rode, I just got on bareback in the indoor arena for a few minutes. She was okay at the walk, but she couldn’t trot to save her life. She’s not lame at the walk, and she’s not lame even when she’s not carrying my weight, so we’re not quite back to square one. But it’s still very discouraging.<br />
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I’m at the point where I may want to have a vet out and have some flexion tests done, because I can’t figure this out. She did so well throughout this year. She was so strong, and so sound. And this doesn’t feel to me like the typical arthritis flare-up. With arthritis, there’s usually more guarding, and disengaging and self-protecting. There’s more buildup. And when she’s not cripplingly lame, she looks and feels great. Even the other day, her canter was spot-on before she broke. It just doesn’t make sense. It feels more like an acute injury than ringbone. <br />
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But then I recall all the things I’ve read about how ringbone can be career-ending and super painful, and I get confused all over again. Maybe this is just what happens. Maybe this is how it goes. But there’s no heat in the joint. The lump on her pastern is cold and hard. It’s set. It shouldn’t be causing this much pain. And besides that, I can pick up her hoof and flex that joint hard, basically wrench it and torque on it, and I get no reaction from her. If I palpate up on her rump, where Chiro Lady said she pulled that muscle, she moves away from me more often than not. And a lot of the muscles on that right leg and rump feel super tight. So, I don’t know.<br />
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What has changed? Certainly the mud was a factor. I can blame myself for not being more proactive, but mud happens where horses live, and it has never been a problem before. And, we remedied the situation when it did become a problem. That’s all you can do.<br />
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The main thing is that Sofie’s herd has undergone a lot of changes. Horses have been moved out of there, and new ones have been introduced. The new herd seems perfectly peaceful to me, but the fact remains that my horse keeps going lame. Something needs to change, because what I’m doing is not working. <br />
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Fortuitously, one of the mares Sofie used to live with needed to be moved out of her new herd. She is a pretty nasty, dominant mare, and she was causing dangerous situations when people went to bring their horses in. Sofie always got along with her, though, so when I heard my boss was thinking of moving her to a smaller paddock I asked her if we could move Sofie, too. She loved the idea, and I moved both horses the day before Thanksgiving. <br />
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They have a nice spot right out in front of the barn, with a shelter big enough for the two of them. They even have a slow feed haynet. Sofie is fine being by herself at night (the other mare is on stall board) and she has a friend during the day. The other mare has a friend she likes and gets along with, and she’s not endangering people and their horses. And I’m hoping that being in a smaller space, with only one other horse will be what Sofie needs. As much as I like having her in a big field, with an active herd, it’s no good if she hurts herself all the time. And maybe as she gets older, and with all her fused joints and old injuries, she just needs to be a little less active on her downtime. <br />
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It feels like a good decision for all involved. Hopefully it pays of for Sofie.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd8419c97xX5GymAo-tmWYrWDU7ubT8fa3PUTx_dUhNIAr3PO7LtH7q3y4Y0_yeC0BTecH-w2Bf4-wQLKwGWwzbhPfPZRXrzFoeWzcPCTFtZVlqNOSnpaDpT67Mtaopb30BDeZ9yuLw9W/s1600/DSCN0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd8419c97xX5GymAo-tmWYrWDU7ubT8fa3PUTx_dUhNIAr3PO7LtH7q3y4Y0_yeC0BTecH-w2Bf4-wQLKwGWwzbhPfPZRXrzFoeWzcPCTFtZVlqNOSnpaDpT67Mtaopb30BDeZ9yuLw9W/s320/DSCN0475.JPG" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-27807369789282430692013-11-23T09:31:00.001-08:002013-11-23T09:31:09.185-08:00Conformation Shoot FailAs I type this, it's 8 degrees outside and blowing snow. Who's excited they're not working today? This girl!<br />
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Recently, on a way-better-weather day, I spent some time hanging out with Sofie after a ride. And I had the brilliant idea that I would take some conformation shots outside.<br />
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My horse, historically, does not take good conformation pictures. She doesn't set up, doesn't square up, and stands really awkwardly in general. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIvL05AJYbUq3yhx6fuAwvwDGDOSNuHrvkaBWfW5HHMxP9XECgzsJHb3h0lco347MTRjFPKRntuZY8mR6SNVy1Jc_NOcCZXGXON0Z4Ww7gorNCX_ELiYElb1Qp6tw-nHMN9UgKhvzimpq/s1600/DSCN0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIvL05AJYbUq3yhx6fuAwvwDGDOSNuHrvkaBWfW5HHMxP9XECgzsJHb3h0lco347MTRjFPKRntuZY8mR6SNVy1Jc_NOcCZXGXON0Z4Ww7gorNCX_ELiYElb1Qp6tw-nHMN9UgKhvzimpq/s400/DSCN0488.JPG" /></a><br />
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Well, with legs like this, I guess you can't blame the girl...<br />
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But I persevered, and set her up outside. She was standing nicely! Yeah, this was going to work.<br />
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But. Then. She. Kept. Moving. I'd set her up, tell her to "stay", and step back to take the picture (because horses are more like landscapes than plant life. The Macro setting doesn't work!). And every time, inevitably, she would take a step toward me.<br />
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So I ended up with this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj497dniXOh2mwqQvzmqJxc021cGThYkt2bnstJCaaockGh8Dfd6zlV6HUjh-3G1NeW2YOs_6iGTnu25vNx3H7tKMbPbPSoE1irNmUppG0Xqfya69-Kn1JyKNrHbQeLRZn9hvfgmoLlWRrp/s1600/DSCN0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj497dniXOh2mwqQvzmqJxc021cGThYkt2bnstJCaaockGh8Dfd6zlV6HUjh-3G1NeW2YOs_6iGTnu25vNx3H7tKMbPbPSoE1irNmUppG0Xqfya69-Kn1JyKNrHbQeLRZn9hvfgmoLlWRrp/s400/DSCN0498.JPG" /></a><br />
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Almost a decent shot, but not quite what I was hoping for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKihX9q2_CYF3BwYnjeF3XCAM0OMv-jyBLNl2g17M-syTbVCGwfGPbP_SnDbd7V_RNaueFLSqlUbYaDT4-8Kzkqk5AtlY6k0S8Hq7PuFibPKr8sKHTKtjHygq1a_Uv0LWSuMOFkAqMCRr/s1600/DSCN0499.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKihX9q2_CYF3BwYnjeF3XCAM0OMv-jyBLNl2g17M-syTbVCGwfGPbP_SnDbd7V_RNaueFLSqlUbYaDT4-8Kzkqk5AtlY6k0S8Hq7PuFibPKr8sKHTKtjHygq1a_Uv0LWSuMOFkAqMCRr/s400/DSCN0499.JPG" /></a><br />
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Would've been a nice shot, but now it just looks like she's doing a very slow reining spin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcyCFT1Md08eUmp9vNIDie8bBOMVdMWdsvPJgDW8ZXlZtx6GsfpUoRu1AOBa8Y__5aCgg4_NiOWvTaq3TA00RSG2NkWwQaCyTPFXovU_ZAiE7enYw_guQ0968eUf-ffsAcbFzKnswu02s/s1600/DSCN0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcyCFT1Md08eUmp9vNIDie8bBOMVdMWdsvPJgDW8ZXlZtx6GsfpUoRu1AOBa8Y__5aCgg4_NiOWvTaq3TA00RSG2NkWwQaCyTPFXovU_ZAiE7enYw_guQ0968eUf-ffsAcbFzKnswu02s/s400/DSCN0500.JPG" /></a><br />
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Oh, well. I guess unpretty conformation photos are the price you pay for a pony that loves you.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-1364171970193493392013-11-20T13:41:00.000-08:002013-11-20T13:41:59.013-08:00Ugh, horse ownershipDo you ever have one of those weeks where you just think, <i>ugh, horse ownership</i>?<br />
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I had one of those weeks (actually, a couple of them) a little while ago. After a great year of strong rides and minimal soreness, we hit a rough patch where Sofie seemingly just could not stop injuring herself. <br />
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The start of winter has been very mild and wet, resulting in serious mud in the paddocks and pastures. Sofie’s pasture was mainly dry, but there was some deep mud by the haynets where the horses spend much of their time eating. She had been a little off, not bad, but I figured the footing was probably aggravating her ringbone a little, so I took it easy on our rides.<br />
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When we headed out on a Wednesday afternoon, the weather was good, the footing was decent, and Sofie was feeling good. She was eager to trot, and I felt no hesitancy in her gait, so we went on our usual route, ending up at one of our favorite trail loops that is very wide and open, with gentle slopes and good footing. We often canter here, and we did some of that, slowing to a walk at times when the surface turned slick with mud. She felt pretty good, but started breaking in the canter so I figured she was at her limit, and we turned back to head home at a walk. I took a slightly different route than usual, over a trail that is still being developed. So the footing was a little uneven, but by no means terrible. <br />
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After a few minutes, Sofie seemed to be struggling, and it became more obvious as time went on. She was lame. Really, really, dramatically lame. Going uphill, it was even more clear - I could feel her hiking up and almost dragging one of her hind limbs. <br />
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Not. Good.<br />
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I rode on for a little while, thinking she would walk out of it as so often happens, but she never did. I even got off at one point to check her legs, but of course nothing was amiss. She was just really, really sore. Unfortunately we were out on the trail, so there was nothing I could do but take my poor horse home and reassess when we got there. <br />
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When we got back, I untacked her, and even after standing and resting for a while she was still really. Fucking. Lame. I debated whether to give her pain meds, but I didn’t have any syringes on me at the time, and I also didn’t want to mask her symptoms when I wasn’t really sure what was going on. Whatever it was, it was making her hurt pretty dramatically, and I didn’t want her running around on it when she clearly needed to take it easy. So there was nothing I could do but take her back out to the pasture and watch her limp away. I felt really shitty about it. <br />
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I was back the next morning to feed, and she seemed okay first thing in the morning.<br />
But later, when I went back out to play with her, she was standing off to the side while the other horses ate hay, resting her bad leg and looking pretty miserable. Obviously that deep mud was the worst possible thing for her right now. I went to talk to the barn manager, kicking myself for not realizing how disastrous that mud would be. <br />
<br />
I asked if we could feed the mares away from the haynets until the ground froze or dried up again. That got shot down, but we eventually settled on a solution. I would leave Sofie in the paddock right next to the mares’ field until the pasture could be dragged and the mud could be scraped back with the tractor. I felt pretty good about this. She still had access to the automatic waterer and she could be right by her friends, but she was on better ground, resting her leg, and the mud situation would get taken care of. I also put her on a diet while she was in solitary, since she needed to drop some weight anyway.<br />
<br />
After all this, I went home for my day off, where I relayed the situation to my mom. I was feeling sick about the whole thing, and worried by how much the ringbone appeared to be hurting her. I assumed this was officially our start of winter, This Is The End arthritis flare-up (we were due for one, after all). <br />
<br />
After I told my mom all this, she went “She probably pulled a muscle. That’s what it sounds like to me.”<br />
<br />
And I went OMG YOU’RE RIGHT. The sudden, dramatic onset, the marked improvement with rest, the aggravation of the deep muddy footing…total muscle pull. Sofie had gotten those before, she used to get them all the time. We were due for one. Muscle pull it is!<br />
<br />
And I felt vastly better about the whole thing. Sure, my horse might still be super fucking lame, but at least it’s not the big, scary, potentially career-ending KIND of lame I thought it was! It’s ONLY a muscle pull! Hooray, champagne and cupcakes all round!<br />
<br />
Sofie did well in her temporary paddock, and the next time I rode she was vastly better. I even trotted her some, and while she took a few bad steps she felt like she was on the mend. I also had her chiropractically adjusted, and the Chiro Lady confirmed the muscle pull. Basically, she pulled a giant muscle in her rump, on the right side. <br />
<br />
The mud got scraped back, and the footing by the haynets was once again solid. Brimming with happiness, I opened the gate so Sofie and her friends (who had joined her in the side paddock while the work was being done) could have their field back. Hooray! Be free, ponies!<br />
<br />
Yeah, uh, THAT was a giant error. Because of course the two other mares <i>took<br />
off</i>, and Sofie went with them, straight up galloping around on her bad leg (or bad butt, I should say), bucking, leaping, and doing that super-excited, “ooh look I’m an Arabian!” trot with the tail up over the back. Also, she went to the extra trouble of <i>galloping straight through one of the piles of scraped-back mud</i>. Yup. After all that, she was super fucking lame again. But still, I was happy to see her out with her friends, happy and full of herself.<br />
<br />
The next time I came out, the field had been dragged, and the mud piles had been scattered up on the hill. The footing was as perfect as could be. Sofie, of course, was still pretty lame under weight, so we just limped around bareback for a little while. She was kind of okay at the walk, but at the trot, she was dramatically lame. Oh, well, I thought, she’ll be better in a few days.<br />
<br />
And then they introduced the Friesian Mare to the herd.<br />
<br />
And my horse fell in love, which is to say, she lost her fucking mind. <br />
<br />
Picture this: I walk out the field to collect my horse, and the new Friesian-cross mare who had previously been in the round pen is in the field with my horse. No big deal, herd introductions happen all the time. My horse is sensible, she never gets all that excited by newcomers. <br />
<br />
But. I forgot that Sofie loves mares, and her old best friend had just been moved. I forgot that Sofie loves Friesians, as the Friesian stallion who used to board here was the only stallion she was ever sort of bicurious about. And this mare looks like him. But she’s a mare.<br />
<br />
Sofie brain = explode<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s9alKk4uSY4v2f7zN5JGaYKAEP1sUaTAQsTRR6quFCspAS1-ANqlSrvyFa7tP-HMvcbZJcZRSQIy6O7jjnlrW6locGOB2_FotajqdFDrUtFp-wgXIdpd9yMeOOUfzIIcgTeXaT8_sn_z/s1600/DSCN0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s9alKk4uSY4v2f7zN5JGaYKAEP1sUaTAQsTRR6quFCspAS1-ANqlSrvyFa7tP-HMvcbZJcZRSQIy6O7jjnlrW6locGOB2_FotajqdFDrUtFp-wgXIdpd9yMeOOUfzIIcgTeXaT8_sn_z/s400/DSCN0508.JPG" /></a><br />
Mmm, sexy...<br />
<br />
My horse (who, btw, was still super fucking lame) looked right at me, and took off in a canter. As I watched, she broke to a walk (well, a hobble would be more accurate to describe her gait at the time). I caught her up so we could go limp around for a while, and she kept craning her neck, not wanting to leave her new best friend/love of her life. Also, she was nonstop talking to this horse, whickering and just not shutting up. You know how they make horses sound in those old Westerns where they dub the sound in? That’s how my horse sounded. Like a movie horse. <br />
<br />
In the barn aisle, my horse typically just stands there, ground-tied, while I get her ready and/or leave her for extended periods of time. Like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL50ZmgqKKBLv8j5WJN0-rPI9zgHwZhsCgkekleVZzz9BQt4XUqok3bCZH8wi-xNcraXrYeoW7dRBjfl9qeAQxCYlRDZ2nT2m4hWikz587nC4ZHFWrw-fSUdoJwPym7C5-ypY-rDlXE58/s1600/DSCN0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL50ZmgqKKBLv8j5WJN0-rPI9zgHwZhsCgkekleVZzz9BQt4XUqok3bCZH8wi-xNcraXrYeoW7dRBjfl9qeAQxCYlRDZ2nT2m4hWikz587nC4ZHFWrw-fSUdoJwPym7C5-ypY-rDlXE58/s400/DSCN0479.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Well, she would. Not. Stand. She kept moving forward, peering out the barn door in the direction of her lost love, and I’d keep backing her up. But she couldn’t really back up, due to Super Fucking Lameness, so she’d just kind of hop/hobble backward, and then look at me like “Ouch”. At one point, I left her for a second to grab something, and she just straight up walked down the aisle and out the door to<br />
the gate that leads to her field. She kept stepping on her lead rope, which would normally cause her to feel the pressure and stop, but on this day she just twitching her head to free the rope, with an expression on her face that basically said “I will stop at nothing to get back to my new best friend/love of my life”.<br />
<br />
I did ride her, and we limped around for a little while, but it wasn’t very enjoyable because whenever I’d try to trot her at all, she would basically start hobbling. I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m making my horse super fucking lame (although she was really doing it to herself at this point with her antics), so I put her back in the field. <br />
<br />
Does it end here? Nope. I went out the next day, and immediately noticed there was blood on her leg. <br />
<br />
Her good leg. Her other leg. Her non-ringbone, non-butt-pull, non-fucked-up leg.<br />
<br />
It was a nice, fresh wound too, so it was still dripping blood. I dragged my horse out of the pasture, and segued easily from “Oh I might actually get to ride my horse” to “LOL nope now I just get to deal with my horse’s leg wound”.<br />
<br />
Which I did, in short order. I got out my hydrogen peroxide, my Vetricin, paper towels and my headlamp and got to work. I cleaned it out (although it was a very clean wound, but I still needed to get in there and see what was what) and did my usual “how deep is it, is it a puncture, and are there any tendons or ligaments affected” visual inspection. I freaked out at first because there seemed to be yellowish joint-or-tendon fluid coming out of it, but I determined that it was just normal seepage, because the location of the wound wasn’t really near any tendons or joints, and even if it was, she wasn’t dramatically lame enough on it for me to think that such a structure would be affected. <br />
<br />
She was flinchy when I touched it, but she cooperated pretty well (we’ve done this a lot). It was her usual kind of wound - about the size of my thumb, with hair missing from the outer edges and then a deeper chunk of skin missing in the center. She normally gets them on her pastern or coronet band, this was up on her gaskin, which kept it way cleaner. <br />
<br />
I didn’t want to ride, because the wound was still so fresh and I just wanted it to set up and stop bleeding. So after I had cleaned it and stared at it a bunch, I Vetricined it and just stuck her back in the field. She limped off (it was now impossible to tell which of her legs hurt more) and I went back to put away my stuff. I mentioned what had happened to the people at the barn, asked them to “text me if her leg stocks up like a tree trunk or if she’s bleeding to death or something” and went home, hoping I did NOT get a text the next day (my day off).<br />
<br />
At this point, my mind was so overwhelmed by all the ways in which my horse was hurting herself, so frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t do anything but limp around on<br />
my horse (I may have told her, in a mildly threatening manner, “I could really use that extra $250 a month that I work off for your board, Sofie”), and so perplexed as to why my horse had lost all her good sense. This horse has lived a life of chronic ailments and little injuries like this. She knows how to take care of herself when she’s in pain. This is a horse, who, during a time when her hocks were fusing and she was in a lot of pain, walked straight into her field when I turned her out after a short ride and lay down immediately, resting her achy joints in a pile of hot sand. She knows better!<br />
<br />
This is when things started to get really weird in my head. I thought things like, <i>I hope she doesn’t keep running around, because that wound will never heal.</i> Then I started to think, <i>Hey, maybe this is a good thing! If she’s sore enough on that left hind, maybe she won’t run around and she’ll rest her butt muscle! Yeah, this is good. I hope that wound really hurts!</i><br />
<br />
In conclusion: she didn’t stock up, the leg wound is healing uneventfully, and her butt muscle is on the mend...with the occasional setback. We had enjoyed a real actual-ride-resembling rides, and even some cantering, and then today, as soon as I got on her...super fucking lame. Again. I was not that sympathetic, as I had been hobbling around on a killer shin splint all day at work, so I walked her on flat ground and she worked out of it a bit. We had a nice little hack and called it a day. She limped out to her haynet, and I limped to my car.<br />
<br />
<i>Ugh, horse ownership!</i> Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-1892972770513691572013-11-14T15:06:00.001-08:002013-11-14T15:06:07.955-08:00Is it wrong to love horsey feet this much?(That is a great question to ask random people, by the way. Particularly non-horsey, non-trimming people who will have no idea what you mean but will be seriously confused and/or creeped out)<br />
<br />
Since I started trimming Sofie's feet back in March, I've gone through many phases as a DIY trimmer. At first, I tried to leave her with more wall and heel because she seemed to like it better than the classic barefoot trim. And she did like it (for some reason she loves having giant hoof walls and absolutely no sole and frog contact) but I did not love watching her feet degrade into wonky, flare-y messes (not to mention her frogs shriveled up to nothing without stimulation). <br />
<br />
I have pictures from that stage, but I don't want to share them because yeccch. <br />
<br />
So I changed tactics, and went back to more of a Ramey trim on her, although I do leave her with a bit more wall and heel than Ann used to. She just does not like having her heels taken all the way down for some reason. Her soles are plenty thick, and her frogs are nicely developed, but she lives on soft sand, so when she faces gravel or rocks, she wants a little bit of wall support. I don't blame her for that one.<br />
<br />
Having absolutely no guidance, it was a bit of a challenge for me to figure out what I was doing with her feet. (I love it when people ask me "Oh, did you take a course or something to learn how to do that?" And I always give some lame answer back, like, "No, but I always paid attention to how she was being trimmed in the past". Like, basically, I'm a clueless idiot rasping away at my horse's feet for no reason whatsoever. Be afraid!) I compensated for that lack of leadership with a genuine interest and enthusiasm for horsey feet. I've always been a hoof nerd (taking your horse through hoof rehab and seeing hurting feet become rock crunching will do that to you) and I had been interested in learning to trim for a while. When it became a necessity, I went with it. I have a pretty good feel for it, and if I pay attention and make a thorough effort, I do a good job. But I still occasionally do dumb things like let her toes get too long, and then wonder why she's walking weird in front (of course my mind immediately jumped to "OMG she is developing arthritis in her KNEES now!" Uh, nope, you just left way too much fucking toe on your horse, so now she's landing toe first. Good guess, though. Extra points for the note of panic in your voice, too).<br />
<br />
If I had access to a reliable, quality barefoot trimmer, I would not trim my own horse. But, I have come to enjoy it (it helps that summer is over. Everyone who trims probably agrees with me that summer is the worst time to do trimming. It's hard for your horse to even try to cooperate when they're covered in biting flies, ugh). It took a while, but I feel like I've finally reached a point where I'm competent, I'm consistent, and I'm doing the best thing possible for my horse. And, I've gotten faster, too. I just recently did a full trim in less than an hour. I appreciate quickness, and so does my horse, who is not exceptionally patient or cooperative when a trim drags on and on.<br />
<br />
So, onto the pictures! We'll start with where we started from, Sofie when I bought her. Fucking. Neglect.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeiv30Mn0e8Z8istW-d_lmAxrWEbs_nClprdzUcDyIdgMSbj406Q-zwfFcFtS0GoIzWus5VaNmsoSI029yiAITU74jM8k-kP35gEXeQjPeSmjKf8Ox_7wTxMzJ5MATVn4feWLSNA4ipMf/s1600/Ugly+Sofa+feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeiv30Mn0e8Z8istW-d_lmAxrWEbs_nClprdzUcDyIdgMSbj406Q-zwfFcFtS0GoIzWus5VaNmsoSI029yiAITU74jM8k-kP35gEXeQjPeSmjKf8Ox_7wTxMzJ5MATVn4feWLSNA4ipMf/s400/Ugly+Sofa+feet.jpg" /></a><br />
Anything's got to be better than this, right?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxxZEnYz5jkhpHol9qdNKVS2dAG6bO4evmvgS7MpQMy7ZVZiRRwSQgwlUD7RNGSmxLE8pkNDNUf1x4OYT484gBl0vGr2udlceIQ0pn3EYHCRzspIOO9G0E8HW3twnsSMOUPIVtT7v58aW/s1600/DSCN0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxxZEnYz5jkhpHol9qdNKVS2dAG6bO4evmvgS7MpQMy7ZVZiRRwSQgwlUD7RNGSmxLE8pkNDNUf1x4OYT484gBl0vGr2udlceIQ0pn3EYHCRzspIOO9G0E8HW3twnsSMOUPIVtT7v58aW/s400/DSCN0402.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYIjecXghdHFjSNp_0P943uBLYeIjdPY4Gsebxo7dEwx7OGfz4Z6h-FFfYr_48To7vuVfW02EcDpEhxAZQ9xzwIhZsD5oha8ZDLYbVYpIP39W8mDsg72rSBqZ39T94WqWY1WV3znh5J4-/s1600/DSCN0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYIjecXghdHFjSNp_0P943uBLYeIjdPY4Gsebxo7dEwx7OGfz4Z6h-FFfYr_48To7vuVfW02EcDpEhxAZQ9xzwIhZsD5oha8ZDLYbVYpIP39W8mDsg72rSBqZ39T94WqWY1WV3znh5J4-/s400/DSCN0401.JPG" /></a><br />
Left front.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrV826eI840lo02_PKjJqO7Xxj6ZO9Yla2AY0KiTPXcaW0t5NasvKtTYcmAPOCQRx9xTHkI2ItBee_pcK3uqz_99Q4tZLPXjFvC2RQLDIhJFDky7DRrxETLDFB6ZPoThB3pZo_nZf-YY5V/s1600/DSCN0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrV826eI840lo02_PKjJqO7Xxj6ZO9Yla2AY0KiTPXcaW0t5NasvKtTYcmAPOCQRx9xTHkI2ItBee_pcK3uqz_99Q4tZLPXjFvC2RQLDIhJFDky7DRrxETLDFB6ZPoThB3pZo_nZf-YY5V/s400/DSCN0403.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33ZvN_IAKPKddqCyIYQotPfsQOB8FQP_OmO07yuqfQ1au4qugRh9YPVt_EUDQuk7yMYAIaxHpB5abQmu2AVf-SmYzgqBaY-mp8pp2JsytSEpLDyOUXkzB2nXhLbBrDXc8vkkpOFdq61Tr/s1600/DSCN0405.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33ZvN_IAKPKddqCyIYQotPfsQOB8FQP_OmO07yuqfQ1au4qugRh9YPVt_EUDQuk7yMYAIaxHpB5abQmu2AVf-SmYzgqBaY-mp8pp2JsytSEpLDyOUXkzB2nXhLbBrDXc8vkkpOFdq61Tr/s400/DSCN0405.JPG" /></a><br />
Right front (I see the wonkiness with the bar on that one side, and I fixed it right after I looked at these pictures).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8Q2mmZB0Hc7hqs_AIseb6jRGuN5dX4hwBlZE-4N-i1eserZMpaU-8sIS2Vcdl8KDD4mYe0MO-CicPXwFwwJRbLS_m4nLmzlyFsC8cJ65RGXzW7kUD4DnL1RyHm2sE9A8Zx8CEMCypFYP/s1600/DSCN0404.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8Q2mmZB0Hc7hqs_AIseb6jRGuN5dX4hwBlZE-4N-i1eserZMpaU-8sIS2Vcdl8KDD4mYe0MO-CicPXwFwwJRbLS_m4nLmzlyFsC8cJ65RGXzW7kUD4DnL1RyHm2sE9A8Zx8CEMCypFYP/s400/DSCN0404.JPG" /></a><br />
Fronts from the front! I think there's a bit of flare on those outer walls that I've been working on eliminating, but Ann saw these and didn't mention anything?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb8VA-i2BK3JnDvmkDsnUJEZa_VOuaD8GksnBY3sz93-Ov9z7VzJ7i1z6i64ZBvuI6jfqxxPCCKb6-8c6imCSfWKK8Lnllx6TRqeOzVNWqdAXwZAXHWmTRYjBAkIXlvnM8uvTbLY54ocg/s1600/DSCN0408.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb8VA-i2BK3JnDvmkDsnUJEZa_VOuaD8GksnBY3sz93-Ov9z7VzJ7i1z6i64ZBvuI6jfqxxPCCKb6-8c6imCSfWKK8Lnllx6TRqeOzVNWqdAXwZAXHWmTRYjBAkIXlvnM8uvTbLY54ocg/s400/DSCN0408.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rkBT2zUjhNKr5o4i-GmiA1dNrwr0xNQryVZkhf0oEMJJqC2kyvdBNYIH-FGQ_bK1aisy1zY-l3PKpIozKflMn_BMM6KyW34bQpzf90PhC-hZ5hXhNff5pulJ8IE_-4OgBzJDQn_KCZNB/s1600/DSCN0412.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rkBT2zUjhNKr5o4i-GmiA1dNrwr0xNQryVZkhf0oEMJJqC2kyvdBNYIH-FGQ_bK1aisy1zY-l3PKpIozKflMn_BMM6KyW34bQpzf90PhC-hZ5hXhNff5pulJ8IE_-4OgBzJDQn_KCZNB/s400/DSCN0412.JPG" /></a><br />
Left hind.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmI0sXrLzMagwKknxIYIMARB_t6hiGJbJm2ev_VxEhcyQN_Upvxw5XRZlXBQI1GZGn5NBsbxumKXIaucuVkOUPmMsOoyHOL4FWhBV10vWjkAsVDVyb9o5RupTchAL7dTAnYVo6p0vpJUx/s1600/DSCN0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmI0sXrLzMagwKknxIYIMARB_t6hiGJbJm2ev_VxEhcyQN_Upvxw5XRZlXBQI1GZGn5NBsbxumKXIaucuVkOUPmMsOoyHOL4FWhBV10vWjkAsVDVyb9o5RupTchAL7dTAnYVo6p0vpJUx/s400/DSCN0410.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29bM4mQ2go4U5uv0IalO1krjFdmrIz0HSOgI3RKZ5FkINN2MMGEdjGdRY5RbrCO1MxxDPicC-geLT5dzNcIG-_XONEh0tz5EJ7_sj9Cl_GylNdxIX_QyOTiRkPg12ihPc3A9OvAp8I-TQ/s1600/DSCN0409.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29bM4mQ2go4U5uv0IalO1krjFdmrIz0HSOgI3RKZ5FkINN2MMGEdjGdRY5RbrCO1MxxDPicC-geLT5dzNcIG-_XONEh0tz5EJ7_sj9Cl_GylNdxIX_QyOTiRkPg12ihPc3A9OvAp8I-TQ/s400/DSCN0409.JPG" /></a><br />
Right hind, the wonky hind, the one that always wants to veer off sideways and be all twisted. You can see it's not quite right, but it's stabilized at least. You can also see the ringbone on that leg! This is most definitely a case of body issues causing foot wonkiness. She just does not track straight or land straight, and the hoof grows awkwardly because of all the landing and twisting. If I take the inside wall down all the way and pretty much leave the outside wall alone, it balances as much as it's going to.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6NkX0DLRszzyaKl2cWmHlDUYcBl470CEtX5-vEAQOHNhq4Q_FmbObCPBDoSYx2Xsgu8t3hnFqB5RqU3-r7UPrP23F-qHEU9GBhY1vL1LildaMsN-W2jsM8gbLCwoUNdObM7yWUoRQVdB/s1600/DSCN0411.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6NkX0DLRszzyaKl2cWmHlDUYcBl470CEtX5-vEAQOHNhq4Q_FmbObCPBDoSYx2Xsgu8t3hnFqB5RqU3-r7UPrP23F-qHEU9GBhY1vL1LildaMsN-W2jsM8gbLCwoUNdObM7yWUoRQVdB/s400/DSCN0411.JPG" /></a><br />
Hinds from the front. Even the wonky foot doesn't look terrible from this angle, and in the past, you could clearly see that it was all twisted. <br />
<br />
I had Ann, my old trimmer take a look at these pictures the other day, and she had nothing but good things to say. It was extremely heartening, and nice to get a professional opinion. She's pretty outspoken if she doesn't approve of something, so I must not be doing a terrible job!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-40736787007325726292013-11-12T17:28:00.002-08:002013-11-12T17:28:45.374-08:00In a Relationship...with my horseAfter much holding out, I recently joined Facebook, and I was surprised by how awkward it was for me to fill out a profile (well, not really, because I tend to feel awkward about a lot of things, but nevertheless). The site seemed to glorify and dramatize such basic human achievements such as being born (OMG who does that?!) and getting a job, referring to them as Life Events in your Timeline (the Capitol Letters make it all very Important Sounding). Which is all a bit much. But Relationship Status is by far the most awkward part of it. I came a smidgen away from just leaving it blank, but I decided that since I actually have a relationship now (a rather big change for formally perma-single me), so too would I have a Relationship Status. So I filled it in, and, yep, just like that it became yet another Life Event for me.<br />
<br />
But recently, while I was contemplating the total awkwardness of Relationship Statuses, considering my own romantic history versus other people's, and questioning what it really takes to commit to someone over the long term (yup, things get real deep up in here), I came to the realization that I <i>have</i> been in a long-term relationship. With my horse. Sofie and I are approaching five years together.<br />
<br />
And it's been a turbulent five years, not exactly smooth sailing. When we got together, there was baggage, considerable baggage that we both struggled under and dumped on each other continually. There has been chronic pain, injury, health crises and a whole shitload of anxiety. I've seen her through hoof rehab, hock fusion, ringbone and the unforgettable Christmas Eve colic. She's changed me from a girl who needed help bringing her own horse in from the field to someone who takes care of 50 horses in the dark, the snow and the cold, single-handedly. She took a girl who was crippled by lingering fear from a years-old fall from a lesson horse and gave her the confidence to walk into a field of horses and hold her own. To stand her ground and firmly discipline a boundary-testing stallion. To ride a runaway and come away laughing. <br />
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After this long together, we both know where we stand. She watches me when I walk out to her field; she knows I'm her person. I look out for her, keeping the bitchy mare in the next field from bothering her when she wants a drink from the waterer. She looks out for me, watching her surroundings carefully when we're out on the trail, or remembering I'm there when she spooks and I'm crouched underneath her, wrapping a leg wound. She stops from the mere tension of a strip of vetwrap. She's that in tune.<br />
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And like any long-term relationship, there are good moments and bad, long stretches of comfort and enjoyment deviated by the occasional annoyance. There are times when, much as you love the other person (horses are people, too), you just feel like yelling "I hate you" at them (or just straight up murdering them). We certainly have had those days, particularly last spring, when I was stressed out and unhappy, dealing with the dispersal of my goats after a long winter of struggles with disease in my previously healthy herd. We clashed, we struggled. We got caught up in each others' anxiety. <br />
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We are alike, Sofie and I, to a shocking degree. We both work hard, we don't quit easily. We dig in. And when we get nervous, when we get tense, we don't stop and think. We plow forward, full speed ahead, going faster and faster in all the worse ways, making a mess of everything, trying way too hard. She tries so much, even through the pain. That's where we're similar, too.<br />
<br />
The riding gets better with time, certainly. Sofie is more connected, more consistent than she has ever been. For my part, I'm sitting taller, more engaged, working with her. Dressage has become steady and fun, and easy language of seat, leg and rein aids, bodies moving together in balance. Occasionally she'll get too quick, too strong, and she'll need a firm correction. But for the most part, she's a dream to ride, and I'm getting more of those lovely, weightless moments when she's moving lightly, almost catlike, highly controllable but energetic and free.<br />
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We've been through so much, and there is so much more to come. I'm looking forward to our future together, and I'm pretty sure Sofie would say the same. Because the best thing that has come from our time together, the thing I am most proud of, is her trust. After more than four years, I feel as though she's taken a deep breath, and let go of a lot of her anxiety, for good.<br />
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It will never be completely gone. There will always be her past to contend with, and some of it simply stems from her basic nature - tough, smart, overachieving and overthinking. But it doesn't flare up like it used to, leaving her incapable of thinking, a prey animal on the run. It's controllable. It doesn't take over her mind. I can push her now when I couldn't before, working on new skills, eliminating annoying little habits, or working her through the inevitable stiffness. She can work through the discomfort now, mental or physical, and give a little more. She's more willing than ever before. She just seems content, even happy, to go to work for me.<br />
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I think she's realized, finally, that whatever my flaws and shortcomings, I care about her, and we are in this together. She's realized that I won't treat her like an ATV, that I won't take her on a five-hour ride when her hocks hurt and her feet hurt and everything hurts. She knows I will take care of her, because I've proven it over time. And she finally believes it.<br />
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And without having this horse in my life, I don't know where I'd be. I know I wouldn't be driving a car. I wouldn't have my job, I wouldn't have ambitions and hopes for the future. I'm pretty sure I would still just be aimless. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0knESslmSSwWBofOrgMuKb5fvHY0qqxJD_P762gjznWXo1RBVI9BR-d5NC0WMat2EGvakbT_igKPIEHhltdcY09sQOMfKVWUBBI42KQ1kUHYmcFkQiS4nE5JIy-n_h-aJKqtY0XWCaPNJ/s1600/meg+&+sofie+day's+end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0knESslmSSwWBofOrgMuKb5fvHY0qqxJD_P762gjznWXo1RBVI9BR-d5NC0WMat2EGvakbT_igKPIEHhltdcY09sQOMfKVWUBBI42KQ1kUHYmcFkQiS4nE5JIy-n_h-aJKqtY0XWCaPNJ/s320/meg+&+sofie+day's+end.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I love you, Sofa. Finding you was the biggest Life Event of my life.<br />
Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-50956136230867829422013-03-10T18:01:00.001-07:002013-03-10T18:01:06.995-07:00First trimDue to some serious scheduling issues that left Sofie going way too long between trims, and a growing desire to be able to maintain her feet myself, without ever needing to make those major adjustments that can be jarring to a sensitive horse like Sofie. With my farrier's blessing, I bought some tools and have begun learning to trim her myself. I now carry a Hoofjack in the backseat of my car, and have a bunch of rasps riding around with me also. <br />
<br />
And let me just say, I LOVE the Hoofjack. Best, easiest design EVER! So many things are NOT user friendly...this is!<br />
<br />
I began by just taking her toes back a little, and familiarizing myself with the rasping process. By last Wednesday, I was ready to do more of an actual trim. I found the process to be much less physically taxing than I'd feared (it helps that I'm only doing light rasping, and, again, the Hoofjack is a miracle), and it was enjoyable because I know and like my horse. I would not want to do other people's horses, ever, but I'm not going for professional status here so that's just fine.<br />
<br />
Her fronts were very, very easy. They are in very good shape with no issues other than that they tend to grow a lot. The frequent rasping will really help with that! I mostly worked on making sure that her toes were not getting too long, and I tried to address some balance issues that have crept back into her hinds with those long intervals. They are still far better than they used to be, but some flares and general wonkiness resulted from her going way way too long between trims. <br />
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I would like to aim to eventually leave her with a bit more heel, and a bit more wall, as I think she likes having some additional support. But it is still winter, and I am going to use this time to seriously address these flares and try to get those hinds back to where they were this summer, when they were almost perfect. No sense leaving her with a longer wall if it is all flare!<br />
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I was reasonably pleased with the way her hinds looked after my trim. I did see some improvement, and I found out with some belated reading that my instinct to take down the inner walls more was right on. I still have a lot to learn and get comfortable with, but I'm confident that I will be able to do a good job and I can only improve from here. <br />
<br />
Her feet were professionally attended to around a month ago, so I have not yet had to break out my shiny new hoof knife, but I will need to trim those bars pretty soon.<br />
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Fronts:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2X9Ca9-_-oaCOS1ixPLEb4ND6OvC15DCLbbdxLq0QVJo1QH1quKRmPdACKbZtZsF606aHkJVW-yh9wMqsewF8Flk6JNGwBXZRCEMDHhjTEfPBU-sqtBrg7el9BUIe2tCqHkAEvBVaYxm_/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2X9Ca9-_-oaCOS1ixPLEb4ND6OvC15DCLbbdxLq0QVJo1QH1quKRmPdACKbZtZsF606aHkJVW-yh9wMqsewF8Flk6JNGwBXZRCEMDHhjTEfPBU-sqtBrg7el9BUIe2tCqHkAEvBVaYxm_/s320/DSCF0002.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Hinds:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTR0w5Dq78g7mN-zaoaxXiwoLi6EWtNy4_GNf8jRgwHwjb6LyttQJpccqU8fTDu0Z0CtFkE0_xSSxBvw_-DDX89NJkGjQFPQ_6H9OX2c9Mj79FRs-mhQA2G5NjRUvE3z09JNkapE6LPMk/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTR0w5Dq78g7mN-zaoaxXiwoLi6EWtNy4_GNf8jRgwHwjb6LyttQJpccqU8fTDu0Z0CtFkE0_xSSxBvw_-DDX89NJkGjQFPQ_6H9OX2c9Mj79FRs-mhQA2G5NjRUvE3z09JNkapE6LPMk/s320/DSCF0006.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
LF, side view:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV27Q926gClHPDBgRv23rNgu775Hj30RGNScCIJhjbYjo-I2o0IGVdCD8_maPL6-L8JiSqS2DyFvf4xpZUZcWglH1_rNqkQQuNMgO2iSYkQ4fX7rw3Bgr1Ce9ceQ3F_tf6-QUpdkV24XGp/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV27Q926gClHPDBgRv23rNgu775Hj30RGNScCIJhjbYjo-I2o0IGVdCD8_maPL6-L8JiSqS2DyFvf4xpZUZcWglH1_rNqkQQuNMgO2iSYkQ4fX7rw3Bgr1Ce9ceQ3F_tf6-QUpdkV24XGp/s320/DSCF0003.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Hinds, side view:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r1lqO1SaEsJb3Mb1EWX2-8EKj_mTLB_UjN_aAjxXuLjzy27Sk6zUuErDTGhN8oKQkYkATZ27OqfgSmiAVYWKYhRb4M0l3NcvP6DQGLWDwUtWpenZchmR-VLyexdhLFgPVk3SkKzxLaYY/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r1lqO1SaEsJb3Mb1EWX2-8EKj_mTLB_UjN_aAjxXuLjzy27Sk6zUuErDTGhN8oKQkYkATZ27OqfgSmiAVYWKYhRb4M0l3NcvP6DQGLWDwUtWpenZchmR-VLyexdhLFgPVk3SkKzxLaYY/s320/DSCF0004.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
LH, underside view:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMCrGWUj-r54sQZnkD3O4hRjJ1dDsI9qWYPYopKC4BSA3fuBNFsJLViqChZsTT1BEdjtUehgeAjFlH3_HV88h5WybjRKpMAIn1TQVRFRyoVlJR7jIELyRF6jrtUNZzrG1lpbToNamvElX/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMCrGWUj-r54sQZnkD3O4hRjJ1dDsI9qWYPYopKC4BSA3fuBNFsJLViqChZsTT1BEdjtUehgeAjFlH3_HV88h5WybjRKpMAIn1TQVRFRyoVlJR7jIELyRF6jrtUNZzrG1lpbToNamvElX/s320/DSCF0013.JPG" /></a><br />
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LF, underside view:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUCO84rkj8QAGdisqtmunZ2QGw5ClAEg0zIXxcam9CKc_vI17Oa_inuLjC4C_8XskuUeiBpZTrzq6NpmFklnYhgipkt7F8HsvcXenSBIn5D4N-WSyiPCyh-rZe8I2l9Rz4qb5jYUtC3tn/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUCO84rkj8QAGdisqtmunZ2QGw5ClAEg0zIXxcam9CKc_vI17Oa_inuLjC4C_8XskuUeiBpZTrzq6NpmFklnYhgipkt7F8HsvcXenSBIn5D4N-WSyiPCyh-rZe8I2l9Rz4qb5jYUtC3tn/s320/DSCF0012.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Sofie, for her part, was super dubious the first time I broke out my trimming supplies. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5xr-F2sQsJ-jdxfu2lJ8Fnmfek4g3edo3M3ofVblICuNVqPlNjD6rMvAa2dr2k-ugggRxQvPCJmAU4j99Pvdq3lUKHJxWOBhbDXi0ymzPd_DcuV6TmQcwwyoZpGhP8EpME_zfN_d-ATd/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5xr-F2sQsJ-jdxfu2lJ8Fnmfek4g3edo3M3ofVblICuNVqPlNjD6rMvAa2dr2k-ugggRxQvPCJmAU4j99Pvdq3lUKHJxWOBhbDXi0ymzPd_DcuV6TmQcwwyoZpGhP8EpME_zfN_d-ATd/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" /></a><br />
"Are you even qualified to do this?"Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-15240300906953841702013-01-20T21:00:00.000-08:002013-01-20T21:00:41.914-08:00Getting SomewhereWe had a great fall, with a solid month of being able to canter during rides and feeling unstoppable. But during the transition to winter, we hit a few snags, as usual. Sofie began to show signs of soreness on turns, so we did more straight work. She was still sound at the canter. Then, at the end of November, she developed a lump on her right hind pastern. High ringbone. The lump was cold and hard when it appeared, so it was clearly not new or acute, but it was still troubling, especially when I read some fairly dire-sounding articles about the effects of ringbone. I was crushed that we had come so far, having seen her through hock fusion, only to be hit with another type of arthritis. And I felt terrible for having not clued in to the signs that she was feeling sore sooner than I did. Could I have prevented this from happening? With the hocks, our battle plan was always go, move as much as possible and keep moving to facilitate the fusion. That appeared to have worked, but was ringbone different? Would I need to work her less, and would that even be in her best interests? I was very scared.<br />
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I kept riding, and Sofie, having not read the equine medical journals, carried on like she always does. She really only had a couple truly bad days (one time, she was clearly uncomfortable tracking left and could not go straight. It felt like she was compensating in several different ways and corkscrewing her body to avoid weighting certain limbs), and the rest of the time she seemed okay. I treated her with Banamine on a few separate occasions (she won’t eat her bute, but will take Banamine if I give it to her orally) when she seemed sore, and that helped a lot. I also stopped cantering her for about the first week, then gradually added it back in when she seemed better. <br />
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In the midst of all this we also were forced to change farriers (something I was not anticipating ever doing), and they also added slow feeders to the mares’ field. All of this added up to a lot of change (and anxiety), but everything seems to have worked out for the best and I am very happy with our situation.<br />
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It’s now been over a month since I last gave her any Banamine, and Sofie is doing better than ever. We bought her some magnetic pastern wraps, and they do seem to help her. She gets “magnetic therapy” four days a week, as I apply them when I work in the morning or evening, and before and after every ride. We also got her some sports medicine boots for her hind legs to give her some extra support where she needs it most. She was a little unsure of them when I first put them on, but they really seem to help give her a better “platform” behind when she is working.<br />
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We’ve resumed our canter work, and we are also starting to play with leg yield and shoulder-in. Sofie has gotten really good at leg yielding left, and I recently was able to “unlock” her right side and get some good steps of leg yield right. She is very “stuck” on the right in this movement, despite her great progress with right bend and suppleness in general. She used to be very stiff tracking right at the trot, and now it is her best side. She reaches down and moves forward very reliably tracking right, so I am sure the leg yielding will come with time. I’ve been working on shoulder-in at the walk, and it is a great warm-up exercise for her. It really helps with establishing an honest connection.<br />
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Sofie is truly amazing me with her willingness and ability in her canter work. The fact that she is now sound more often than not means we can consistently work on the canter, which has greatly increased her comfort level. Before, when I cantered her, it would be every once in a while, and she would display a lot of anxiety behaviors such as rushing into it, fluffing her transitions, kicking out, and going crooked. Outside, she was much better, but in the arena she was never relaxed about it. I believe the increased tension, coupled with a lack of fitness, lead to her being sore afterwards, and then we had to stop cantering until she was better again. But now she is truly coming into her own. <br />
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She is now able to canter on the rail, without swinging her haunches in or going crooked. She is 100 % reliable in her canter departs, and consistently lifts into them rather than flattening and running forward. I have been focusing on doing more transitions rather than long intervals, but she will canter on if I ask and as she gets stronger, we will canter for longer distances. <br />
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Sofie is becoming very responsive to my aids and her willingness to canter is super. Sometimes when I half halt and pick her up in the trot she will canter just from the half halt! These are always her best canters, and I’m excited to develop more refinement and sensitivity. <br />
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She still has trouble with the right lead, but rather than try to drill it and force it, I am going to focus on developing her fitness and increasing her confidence in the canter itself. She is capable of taking the right lead, but right now when I ask she is guarding, and holding tension. I think if I continue to work on the canter and get her more comfortable with it while building up her hind end and focusing on throughness, she will eventually pick up the right lead with no problem. If we can just get rid of the tension, everything else will come. But she needs to be 100 % on the aids for that to happen. It’s getting there!<br />
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I am slowly working through her lingering anxiety. Usually somewhere in the middle of a ride, she will start to invert between canter transitions, either out of anticipation or something else, and she will alternate between slowing almost to a crawl and speeding up. Before, I would have no recourse to correct this, other than allowing her forward and rubbing her neck to ease the tension. Now, because she is so much more trusting of the contact and we have built such a dialog, I am able to keep her within the aids without her getting too claustrophobic. I am able to say, No, stay with me, I want you like this. I am able to explain it to her, and slowly, she is getting it. <br />
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The last time I rode her, toward the end, she was beginning to speed up, slow down, and come above the hand. I kept her trotting, asking her to move forward, and provided soft resistance with my hands. Gradually she began to stretch down, moving over her back and I could see her start to realize, Oh, I don’t speed up and look for the canter, and I don’t stop. I stay here.<br />
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Looking forward to a great year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYOoiYwUHclHzLYs6EM8poxuDTfAThB642YQuITHbvupvv68KLRNHoJlicqQ3zxbo0-troygaaQPydwdhJfdrRsBuPTpznQdin657psuW4YmQgw2BjjBJJWGh9hCU_bUFRLLoW4XQBlVH/s1600/Sofa+ref+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYOoiYwUHclHzLYs6EM8poxuDTfAThB642YQuITHbvupvv68KLRNHoJlicqQ3zxbo0-troygaaQPydwdhJfdrRsBuPTpznQdin657psuW4YmQgw2BjjBJJWGh9hCU_bUFRLLoW4XQBlVH/s400/Sofa+ref+001.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-44825843399354324832012-11-28T16:27:00.001-08:002012-11-28T16:27:27.956-08:00Finally, Photos!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RPOGXkDGqRtluLkuAL7hkSUNbs7SLs29-sK4rebIPlyMZiX8YQ3OXNhMrw7RoQUr9a8raKaHCNrx03XU-TUPaU_3lP3-3rHqVDJYmsRGpFmu5k_0Cu-e_js4bZHnDqiWZ5BTIhJFzYG8/s1600/nov+ride+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="242" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RPOGXkDGqRtluLkuAL7hkSUNbs7SLs29-sK4rebIPlyMZiX8YQ3OXNhMrw7RoQUr9a8raKaHCNrx03XU-TUPaU_3lP3-3rHqVDJYmsRGpFmu5k_0Cu-e_js4bZHnDqiWZ5BTIhJFzYG8/s400/nov+ride+7.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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These were taken just recently. As you can see, Sofie has been doing very well and I am so happy with her progress. She was actually having a bit of an off day when these were taken and has been a bit sore lately with the sudden dip in temperatures. But I'm confident we will get through this too. She is still sound at the walk, trot and canter, just a little rough around the edges.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-72094927705523467442012-10-31T13:42:00.001-07:002012-10-31T13:42:21.384-07:00Not a real post, but.....7 consecutive rides with cantering!!<br />
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And Sofie is still holding strong. Today her frame, topline and way of going was the best and most consistent it has ever been at the trot. All I did was maintain an elastic connection and let her go forward, and we had real dressage happening! She did temporarily lose her mind when we worked on the canter (she's not fond of cantering in indoor arenas, and I have never practiced it with any consistency), but I just stayed calm and reminded her to stay straight and calm, and she came back to me very well. <br />
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Awesome pony!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-572780980459769872012-10-27T17:48:00.001-07:002012-10-27T17:48:11.050-07:00Cantering Into WinterWe did finally get out to an off-site event this fall. A couple of boarders at the barn graciously allowed Sofie to ride along with their horses to a poker run trail ride at the nearby fairgrounds. She loaded up fine, trailered fine, waited patiently to come out of the trailer, unloaded calmly, and she went right to the grass and ate the whole time. I just tacked her up while she ate, then rode her around a little before the ride started. I rode her out to the neighboring fields just to make sure she wouldn't get herdbound, and she did fine.<br />
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The ride was quite fun, and Sofie went right to the lead and led most of the way! She loves to be the leader. I was incredibly glad for our gate practice over the summer, because it sure made it easier to sidepass her over to those buckets to get our poker cards! The poker run was quite short so afterward some of the riders opted to go for a second trail ride. Of course I was part of that group. Sofie wanted to lead again, so I had to school her a little bit and convince her that she could be in the middle, since there was no way to pass safely and I didn't want to be passing everyone anyway. She wasn't bad at all though. So much better, in fact, than many of the other horses at the ride! And the people on the craziest horses were of course not wearing helmets. Morons...<br />
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Back at home we have been getting out for as many trail rides as possible before winter comes. The fall colors were fleeting, but it's still beautiful out there. We've been on all our favorite trails, including the river trail. She's been happy to go exploring. Her dressage has been excellent. I will sorely miss having our hills to work her on when winter hits. There's nothing like that feeling when she engages and floats up the slope on her circles.<br />
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My mom has been joining us for trail rides lately, riding another boarder's mare, Mica. We had a great ride on a beautiful sunny Saturday and did lots of trotting on the trails. When we got to a good place for cantering, we cantered the horses, and the mares got very competitive. Sofie wanted to race Mica! She was determined to beat her, and when I pulled her up she shook her head, clearly frustrated. "I was winning, damn it!" <br />
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After seeing how competitive she was, and knowing how well she is doing, I decided to start cantering her more often. I've cantered her the past four rides in a row, and she's done fabulously. The first couple of times I asked for the canter, she was a little tense in the transition, a bit racey, and she threw her head a bit when I kept her going. She's not used to being asked to canter, simply because I don't do it often enough! But she's caught on quickly, and best of all, she has experienced no soreness. She's really in great shape. She feels good, is happy and shows no signs of slowing down.<br />
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Today it was quite brisk, but a beautiful day for riding outside. I rode her on one of the easy trails, trotting almost the whole way. Then on the way back, we turned onto the canter-friendly trail, and I asked for the canter. She did a perfect canter depart! She's certainly capable of great canter work, and she's done it before, but usually her best canter departs are voluntary. This was the best involuntary canter depart she's done in a long time! Her canter was very nice and springy, and she kept going when I asked, with no head flinging or resistance. She's starting to accept some connection when cantering, and I can begin to put her together a little more. We have NEVER had any connection in the canter, so that is very exciting!<br />
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Her down transition to the trot was not too jarring, and she was willing to stretch down to the buckle immediately after, none of this running around with her head in the air because OMG WE JUST CANTERED. I patted her a bunch, and we walked back to the barn where she got her usual postride massage and stretches.<br />
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She's been a very sound, very happy, snuggly horse lately, and I feel so grateful. I feel like she is actually going to be okay, like we've maybe gotten through the worst and that she will come out of all this on top and stay strong for the long term. Regardless, I'm very happy enjoying my horse in the here and now.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-27335337954460905762012-09-19T16:34:00.002-07:002012-09-19T16:34:57.363-07:00Awesome RidesAfter a summer of nonstop trail riding, the transition to fall weather (cold nights, actual rain, stiff winds) has left Sofie feeling sore on hills. I'm not sure if it's shoulder or hock related, but I have a feeling it's in the shoulder, as she is definitely not into going down the steep hill that leads to the majority of our trails. She has not flat-out said NO, but she is weaving, pulling to the side and stopping. All this says to me "No more hills!" So we are taking a break from hills.<br />
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That leaves us with the trail loop near the barn, the parameter trail, the front yard area, Cathy's outdoor dressage ring and a couple wooded areas. Oh, and the indoor (blargh). Limited (now that I've gotten spoiled) but workable. There are at least a few good places to do dressage. And lately dressage has been where it's at.<br />
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Even as she was showing signs of "hitting the wall" on the trails, Sofie was doing some of her best work ever in the valley. On the tail end of one ride, we did our oft-practiced circle exercise on the slope, and she freaking nailed it to the wall. Her bend was consistent, her balance was great on the downhill side, and when we came back uphill, I brought myself up and squeezed with a lifting motion on her sides each stride. And she lifted, lifted, lifted til she was floating. I don't think she's ever been quite that elevated. The reins were soft as strings but not limp; the connection was true. I got actual chills. It was awesome.<br />
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On the day I declared a moratorium on trail rides, I took her to Cathy's dressage ring on a rather lackluster whim. Not expecting much, I picked up the reins and moved her up to a trot, and she just went straight to work. She was "with me" the whole time, super responsive, and the corners that used to give us so much grief were easy breezy. She molded to my leg and rein aids, transitioned readily, and all our work (I made up a little dressage test as I went along) flowed very nicely. I even played with some trot leg-yield. <br />
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Due to my work schedule, I rode her both yesterday and today. The weather has been shitty, but we lucked out with a window of opportunity for yesterday's ride. Of course I took it outside, and we rode the one trail loop with our favorite trail buddies, Janet and her young gelding Apollo. <br />
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The horses in the far-reaching fields had been moved closer to the barn due to the weather, so the fields were unoccupied. I jumped at the chance to add some variety to our schooling and picked a nice little field with rolling terrain and nice views. We practiced working our gates, except the thing was too heavy and I couldn't push it over on horseback. I kept pushing Sofie farther away from the gate (hand-yielding?). I dismounted and opened it from the ground.<br />
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Back in the saddle, I sent her out on a long rein. She was very forward and feeling good. It was a cold, breezy day, a happy day for ponies, even <strike>old</strike> arthritic ones. As we moved up to a trot she was rather inattentive at first, but I was patient with her and she soon began to actually bend and balance. We had one short canter up a hill, but the rest of the time was spent mainly trotting, with some walking and some work on sidepassing.<br />
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It was a great ride. She did not feel at all like she was in flare-up mode. In the past she has been short-striding and feeling awful, but she is so much more stable now. She had a ton of energy and was very forward, balancing over hills and dips with very little rein pressure. I will always adore her self-carriage and natural talent for this sport. <br />
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She did great with her sidepassing, and seemed to be really catching on. We called it a day.<br />
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Today I was exhausted after a hard day at work, but I still managed to ride decently. A recent chiropractic adjustment has really helped me sit straighter in the saddle! I opted for a bareback ride today as I lacked the energy to tack up, and since we were stuck in the indoor I also rode Sofie in her halter. Might as well see if we could still do it without the "technology"!<br />
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It turns out we could! Sofie still felt awesome today. She was moving out beautifully at the walk and seemed happy to be working. Her first rein-back was powerful! She really sat down and <i>moved</i> backwards. At a trot, she was exceptionally forward. Her self carriage was excellent, but she was eager to seek out an honest connection. When I offered her contact she went right to it and stayed there! At times she was almost a little too heavy in front, the connection was so solid. But it thrilled me that she's trusting my hands so much. <br />
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She's starting to "get" the sidepass. I've found it helpful to use some of Clinton Anderson's methods. When sidepassing to the right she wants to totally leave her hind end behind, and the only thing that works is to overbend her neck to the left, slow down her front end and move her hindquarters around so she gets the idea that they need to come along too! It's so not proper dressage, but it's really helping her understand. Sometimes I also sidepass her when she's facing the wall, so she gets the idea a little easier. We've struggled with this before, and I was unhappy with how demanding I was being, so I'm making an effort to be more encouraging and patient with her. She's doing an awesome job and trying really hard. In the last couple of rides we've gotten some really nice steps of sidepass, where I was able to let her neck go straight and she moved over, soft and slow, but definitely sideways! She just has a hard time going to the right because of her weaknesses. But I think it's good for her to learn, as long as I don't expect perfection right away. <br />
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I was really happy to see her eye in the mirror while we were working on this. She was never upset or fearful. The look in her eye sometimes said, "I'm really trying, ooof, this is hard!" but she never looked uncomfortable or stressed. This tells me that my minor transgressions haven't adversely affected her, and on the whole, our relationship stands strong. Which is exactly what I want. I couldn't be luckier.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-26207900309602983642012-09-03T07:10:00.002-07:002012-09-03T07:10:36.632-07:00A DilemmaThis year has been a banner year for the Sofa and I. Our relationship has hit a very comfortable point, we trust each other, and she will pretty much do anything I ask (as long as the request is reasonable). I have confidence with her, on the ground and under saddle. Three years ago, I would never ever ever have ridden bareback outside, in the woods. <br />
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Health-wise, she is doing fantastically well. I had x-rays done on her this spring (just two films of the right hock, as sadly, Dr. Aho will not let me work off his services) and the fusion seems to be progressing as it should. It is still a very ugly joint, to be sure, but to this day she has never had any heat or swelling in her hocks, and she has not had a significant lameness episode in more than a year. When she was first hit with the arthritis diagnosis, she would require a month off from riding every three months. After a while, that was down to only a few weeks off a year. And this past year she has had no time off (other than her normal days off, as I ride every other day).<br />
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She loves being out in the field with her little mare group. She's happy, shiny and beautiful. I feel good seeing her out there and knowing she's living a good horsey life. She seems to enjoy her trail rides, and she really is a phenomenal trail horse. I try to keep our brief dressage wanderings free from drudgery, and sometimes we can even find some brilliance.<br />
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She still has soreness here and there, but she's had none of the short-striding, gimpy horribleness of the summer before I moved her. She's striding out and almost tracking up at the trot when she gets going. <br />
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I've been managing her more carefully this year than I have before. In the past, we would push through everything and go go go until she "hit the wall" and began displaying signs of soreness. I became dissatisfied with this approach, so after this spring when her abrupt introduction to the trail caused issues, I started being more careful. I must push her to some extent, of course, but I began paying attention to how many hills I rode in one day, and alternating hilly rides with lighter, "lazy bareback ride" days to give her a chance to recover. I went back to my old standby of letting her decide how much she wanted to canter (mostly). I stretch her before and after every ride, and she gets a massage as needed. I've learned the trails, and there are a few I just avoid because they are too steep or too whatever. Our dressage work is typically brief, just ten or twenty minutes in a field in the middle of a trail ride. Interestingly enough, as much as I worried about the hills and their effect on her, she is often sorer after a "dressage day" than she is after even a rather demanding trail ride! So while I pay attention to how well she is handling the hills, I don't fret anymore about trail riding her.<br />
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Yesterday I took her out on a ride, and we meandered through a neighboring field to warm up. Sofa was happy to be exploring, and the reins lay loose at her neck while she strode out. I wanted a bit more of a workout for her that day (a slight downside to the kinder, more reasonable approach to riding is that she isn't in killer shape! Oh well...) so when we found a suitable place for cantering I took her up to a trot and suggested a canter. She cantered (not entirely happily, I must admit. I ask her so rarely that when I do, I typically get the "WTF" response) in her typical Sofa way, boinging around and head-flinging suggestively ("I could buck, I COULD"). She has gotten me up out of the tack before (recently when I was cantering her bareback she did that to me and I wound up on her neck. She stopped and let me get my seat back. She's not really a badass) but fortunately for me I had just spent the previous afternoon riding a hunter/jumper Quarter Horse who was a very "downhill" mover and a puller. So I just thought "UP, BACK" and stayed strong in the saddle. After a couple more haphazard canters we went on with our ride, with her jigging and blowing and anticipating the canter (she turns into a barrel horse when I ask her to canter because, once again, we hardly ever do it).<br />
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We got to the valley and I decided to do a little trot work there (just to reiterate that WE DO NOT ALWAYS CANTER NOW and please put your head back where it ought to be, kthanx). I was expecting a bit of the crazies, but Sofa was surprisingly sanguine. I put her on a huge circle for one of my favorite exercises, the large-circle-on-a-slight-slope. We've been struggling with this one all year, but recently, probably owing to my <i>freaking sitting up and getting off her forehand</i> we've fared better.<br />
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I rode her around the circle, toward the downhill grade, and she was in a reasonable nice balance. I felt her start to slow down and shorten her stride (she has finally figured out it does not work to run at a slope), and I sat up (up, UP) and gave her a little support up front. She sped up slightly on the slope and needed a bit of half-halting, but damned if she didn't keep her bend all the way through and not come slamming down on her forehand at the end, all strung out and floppy. That was awesome! Best circle ever. <br />
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We walked on a long rein, and I moved her over to the other side of the valley for one more little trot session. This time we started out heading toward home, in one of the places-where-she-likes-to-canter, but she didn't anticipate. She went forward in a nice (not crazy) trot, and when it came time to turn her back around, I sat up and half-halted, and she compressed beautifully, supple as all get-out, and flowed through the turn. <br />
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This was one of those times when your horse is just ON, and you have a really honest connection. "The contact to the bit should be elastic", oh yeah, we had that. It was siiiick. Dressage people will know what I'm talking about. That is the only reason we do this stuff, right there. Those moments of connection.<br />
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We went on Sofie's favorite trail as a reward, and she was still quite happy to move. She was pretty pumped up and would occasionally break to trot, but a finger touch on the reins brought her back. She was really on.<br />
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On the way back home, I let her open up through the valley, and she cantered all the way through and up to the first small hill (no head flinging, of course, because <i>this time I let her</i>). She dropped back to a walk until the base of the big hill that leads out of the valley. And she <i>leaped</i> into a gallop (or at least a Sofa gallop. Whatever, it was pretty power-packed!) and charged up the hill, while I tried to get up off her back (two-point, you are a heartless bitch). At the top of the hill she came back down (runaway she is not) and we walked home. I'm glad I let her fly, and I'm glad she still can.<br />
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Which brings me to my dilemma. I had a goal, this year, of taking Sofa somewhere off the property for a trail ride, schooling show, or whatever. Just an off-site ride. That's all I wanted. Things have gotten in the way of that (mostly not having anyone to haul for me). But I may have a chance, in a couple weeks, to go on some super nice trails in an annual trail-riding event called Sally's Ride. <br />
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I want to go. So badly. But I'm afraid it may not be in Sofa's best interest.<br />
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For one thing, the trailer ride is long. Up to an hour each way maybe, I'm not sure. But it's longer than the two trailer rides we've had to do to move her to new boarding barns. Those were only like ten minutes. <br />
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I hate trailering and it worries me, but that's not really the issue. I know she would do fine. The issue is the length of time she'll be standing in the trailer. I worry she'll stiffen up. And then, once we get to the trailhead, she'll undoubtedly be excited, so I'm concerned about her overdoing it.<br />
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The length of the ride is an issue too. The shorter trail is eight miles. My "big rides" are probably half that. It's not all flat either, there are some hills and varied terrain. All of which adds strain. <br />
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I'm concerned that, with the excitement of the new place and all the other horses, Sofie will overdo it. And she won't feel any pain until it's already too late. Especially after this latest ride, it's becoming clear to me. Sofie has a big heart and she is a trier. She pushes through. When the going gets tough, she goes faster. She won't stop, she'll keep going. <br />
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So I'm not sure what to do. Do I really want to jeopardize everything we've worked for this year? Sofie is healthy and happy. I don't want to break her down, and I'm afraid she will break down if I attempt this.<br />
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I have the chance to borrow a friend's horse and go on the ride without Sofa, but her mare is not a good fit for me and I've yet to try her gelding. Do I take another horse and spare myself a lot of stress, but potentially have less fun on the ride because I'm not on my girl? Do I take Sofie and turn back partway through? Or should I try to get a ride to a trail that's closer, where I have more control of the situation?<br />
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What do you guys think? Any ideas?Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-20597469794782944282012-08-30T07:52:00.000-07:002012-08-30T07:52:49.875-07:00Long Overdue Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost two whole seasons have gone by and I haven’t updated the blog. It‘s sad that I haven‘t kept up on it, but priorities have to be made and some things don‘t quite make the cut. But Sofie is still very much alive and well, and things are going well for the two of us.
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On the me front, I got my drivers license in May (after a year of practice, and many tears), and around the same time I got a job at the barn where I board Sofie, thus allowing me to work off my board, a very welcome financial boost. Aside from that, I love my job. I love the physicality of it, I love being around horses and feeling like I’m part of something. I also love that after a particularly grueling day I can walk around to the mare field and hug on Sofie for a while before I drive my hour commute back home to deal with my other responsibilities (and more hungry animals). Yes, it’s exhausting at times. But I’m so happy with how things have worked out. I’m really lucky.
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As spring began we hit the trails as soon as possible. But while Sofie was very happy to get out and go down the trail, we overdid it on the first outing and she was hit with subsequent soreness. I feared the worst, but with a gradual introduction to the hills and harder footing she began to get stronger. Even though I rode her all winter, she was still in very “soft” condition and she was not fit for the demands of trail riding. Within a few weeks she strengthened, and her jiggly flab began to resemble actual muscle.
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She experienced very little soreness over the summer, and we spent many afternoons trail riding, mainly solo outings, occasionally in company. I rediscovered a lovely trail I’d only ever been on once last fall, and I learned of a river trail that connects to Cathy’s land. Of course I had to try it, so on my birthday I went for it, bringing along a very intrepid re-rider on her young, green horse. The trail began with a very long, fairly steep descent (why I’d never explored it before) and once we got on the other property, the footing was fairly rocky but nothing that good rock crunchers couldn’t handle. Soon we came to the best river vista, and an unexpected challenge, a wooden bridge! I wanted to see if Sofie could do it, so I encouraged her and pushed her closer, but she got within a couple feet and wouldn’t go any further. I hopped off to see if I could lead her across, and she followed me immediately. She just didn’t want to be the one to test its sturdiness. I didn’t bother informing her that I weigh a fraction of her 900-some pounds, so the bridge failing to crack under my weight was hardly a guarantee, but it was touching nonetheless.
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We returned to the river trail several times after that, and each time I was able to ride Sofie over the bridge with no problems. After the first few rides I started putting front boots on her, since she wasn’t totally comfortable on the rocks, and I had a pair of boots that I had never even used due to the lack of rocky trails. So I started using the boots on the river trail and on the road, and she loves them. All other times she is barefoot and her feet are looking better than ever. Even her tricky right hind, which used to slant wierdly, is looking like a normal foot.
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We’ve enjoyed many trail rides over the summer. I can probably count the arena rides we’ve had since the snow melted on one hand. I do still enjoy dressage, but bits and pieces of training - usually on the way home from a trail ride - are enough for me. I like to stop in the valley after a trail outing, fitting in a ten-minute session - just long enough to accomplish something - before heading back to the barn.
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I’m piecing together the fundamentals of dressage over time, acquiring the muscle memory to achieve an honest connection. Trotting on the trail, practicing transitions and bend, is where the concepts I’ve read over and over really seem to fall into place. It doesn’t seem to matter how often I am told to sit up when I ride, I never really “got” it until recently when I was working Sofie on a large circle, placed upon a slight slope. It’s a challenging exercise for her, and it really seems to help with her balance on hills and in general. I was riding her down the slope, half-halting and trying to help her keep her balance, when I started to hold myself up taller. As if by magic (really? Who knew my horse was actually affected by my weight distribution and posture?!) Sofie seemed to attain her balance so much easier. Now I think of sitting up as part of my aids (for a transition, or a bend, or whatever) and it’s becoming almost an automatic.
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Riding bareback through woods and up hills. Learning to work a gate on horseback. Surviving exploding ruffed grouse and (horrors) deer. Crossing bridges (both the real, suspended-over-the-water kind and the fake, arena-trail-class kind, which proved way more challenging). Sticking a spook that took us all the way across the driveway. Making mistakes and learning from them. Always having another chance.
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The barn is a wonderful place to be. Recently, after being drenched to the skin by a downpour as I fed the horses, I was driving the big water truck (I will always take any chance to drive the big water truck) when I saw a rainbow stretching across the horizon over the far horse pasture. Even though I haven’t achieved my goal of taking Sofie on an off-the-farm outing, I have to admit I’m incredibly lucky to be where I am.
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I’ve made my mistakes with Sofie, and I struggle with that all the time. I struggle with the knowledge that I have invoked suffering in any living being, let alone one who means so much to me. But the fact that remains is that she is still there, beautiful, healthy, and able, still, to do so much. And when I go out to bring her in from the field, her head pops up when she sees me, sometimes from very far off, and she’ll watch me come in. When I draw near she’ll look up again, sometimes taking a step or two toward me, and she’ll sniff me and let me rub her neck, and occasionally there will be annoyance in her eyes, but mostly, now, there is contentment. She is happy, and I know she loves me, and in that moment I am able to admit that perhaps I have earned it.
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On a ride last week, it started raining just as I headed out, but I declared that we were not riding in the arena for the second time in a row. Sofie was a pretty good sport, despite her strong desire to keep her face rain-free. On our way home, I let her trot, and she moved into overdrive. I held her back until we got to the final hill, and she charged up it at a strong canter. I was up in two-point, following her motion, with wet reins and a lock of her mane in my hand, looking up through raindrops at the trail home. Somehow it was magical, and I was an eventer on the Rolex course in that moment, exhilarated.
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I love my mare.
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Conformation update. Please avert your eyes from the excess fat...
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THE FEET! This is what I am most excited about. Photo taken four weeks out from a trim. LOVE. IT.
Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-34273391810531839372012-03-02T21:51:00.001-08:002012-03-02T21:51:57.469-08:00Life Rushes OnI haven’t posted in forever, but I’ve been riding regularly, and Sofie’s doing well. We’ve gone out on a few trail rides, both alone and in company. The footing is changeable, especially on the driveway, and last time we ventured out we had to walk across a patch of glare ice. Not advisable, but Sofie is very surefooted on ice and she did just fine. <br /><br />Mostly we’ve kept to the indoor, and I’ve kept up my bareback riding. Sofie has learned to back up with more impulsion, and she stays straight much of the time. She’s sitting better behind and rounding throughout her body. She’s especially good at it when we ride bareback with just a halter, and I can really feel her lifting her back and using herself. I’ve done a little bit of leg yielding at the trot as well, which is a fun exercise. I’m hoping to improve our leg yields as we’ve done with the rein-back.<br /><br />Sofie has been staying round pretty consistently, and she seems in a nice frame of mind. As long as I don’t overreact and expect her to be round every second, she does very well. Overreactions never help, I’ve found. If she’s allowed to pick her head up when she loses balance or is a little stiff, she comes right back to me. On the unfortunate occasions when I forget how best to ride her, I always learn and return to the barn with a better attitude. <br /><br />I’ve been doing leg stretches before and after I ride, as well as back and butt lifts. She’s not fond of those, but she is responding better and it seems to be helpful. I was able to free school her for the first time in months the other day. No one was at the barn, so I let her loose in the indoor for a few minutes after a ride (horses aren’t supposed to be loose in the indoor…shhhh. They do let the minis out in the arena, though, and Sofie is hardly the type to shatter the mirrors with her crazy antics. Anyway, I cheated). I wanted to be able to visually evaluate her after her injury (more on that later), so I had her walk and trot both directions. She was perfect, of course, remembering all her previous training and going right on the rail, calm and steady. And I was happy to see that she looks more balanced and muscled.<br /><br />I recently started cantering on her again as well, bareback in a halter, of course. She’s been much better about going into the canter, which makes me think that my riding was affecting her before. My position tends to be more balanced when I’m riding without stirrups (or a saddle). In any case, it’s been nice. We still don’t have a right lead (we may never again have a right lead) and Sofie’s been a little disgruntled about the whole thing, but she hasn’t gotten sore. She’s been picking up the canter within a few strides, and holding it for at least a third of the long side. Her head does come up, and she’s still not entirely sure about cantering in the indoor, but it’s still a big improvement and I think in time we’ll be able to do even better. She hasn’t kicked out, thrown her head or done any other potentially unseating things, and she’s calming down quickly after coming back to trot. Instead of throwing her head up and rushing, she’s actually stretching down right away.<br /><br />I’ve cut out cantering for now, as last Monday I discovered a rather large scrape on the inner part of her left hind, above the hock. Most of it is just hairless, but there’s a small chunk of hide missing in the center. None of us have any idea how it happened. She was never lame but was pretty sore at first, and her leg was stocked up because she was constantly resting it and not moving around. Fortunately it is not a puncture, and there was nothing to stitch so veterinary attention was not needed. We cleaned the wound and have been treating it with Vetricyn, and she’s already feeling better. We also went out to check on and exercise her five times last week to help keep the swelling down, so I got to see her a lot. <br /><br />I stopped by late on Friday night (we were in the vicinity), sprayed her wound, cleaned her feet and did the short version of tacking up (helmet on me, reins on her halter). I hopped on for a few minutes, and without even a real warm-up she did nice transitions and rein-back and was basically a gem.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-37960876863753832302012-01-18T09:16:00.000-08:002012-01-18T09:17:33.229-08:00All Or Nothing WinterI am in the midst of preparing to submit my novel to literary agents (an arduous and emotional process, at least the way I do it), so I have fallen behind on Sofa updates. She continues to do well, with some very good rides in the recent past. We seem to be stuck in an “all or nothing” winter, consisting of temperatures in the teens with snowstorms that give way to 40 degree weather, snowmelt and distinctly springlike conditions. All this cold, wet, warm, changing weather can be tough on arthritic joints, and she has had a few stiff days. But on the good days, the warm days, Sofie is at her best.<br /><br />On the last day of 2011, we rode with Cathy and Nakota. It wasn’t overly warm or sunny, but it was clear, the footing was fine and we were both craving a trail ride. I had planned on riding outside that day anyway, but getting to ride with someone was a bonus. We rode over to Cathy’s land, passing through the valley and heading on into the woods. Sofie handled the hills well on the way in and out of the valley and we enjoyed a nice, relaxing ride. <br /><br />The next week was a little discouraging as Sofie was faintly “not right”. She wasn’t lame and she wasn’t angry or upset, just a little sore. I switched back to riding bareback and was amazed by how much I’d lost my seat in just a couple rides with a saddle. Fortunately I recovered my balance partway into the ride and stopped flopping around on poor Sofie’s back. I kept practicing and improved Sofie’s steering in the halter. We were even able to do nice circles that way. I also kept up on our rein-back, which is coming on well. I did have periodic issues with her getting crooked, but she was also powering backward with a little more energy and not dragging her feet so much. I worked on the crookedness when it showed up, and lately she’s been backing straighter.<br /><br />Sofie got her feet trimmed on the 7th, which was her worst day in a while. She seemed to be moving fine when I rode her, and I gave her a light workout so she would hopefully be loosened up but not fatigued. Even so, she was a real jerk for Annie. She seemed to have trouble standing on three legs and did a lot of snatching her feet away. She’s never terrific for the farrier, which I think is partly because of her soundness issues and partly just attitude. Still, I was not happy with her. I also began second-guessing how I’ve been managing her this whole time, based on some things I’ve read. I started thinking about the cantering we’ve done, and the hill work, and how I always seem to overwork her through sheer enthusiasm when she’s feeling good. I was feeling pretty bad about it all and wondering, once again, if it was best for her.<br /><br />Two days later when I showed up it was gorgeous and sunny. A prime day for an outside ride. Sofie seemed happy to get outside, and we hacked over to Cathy’s place. I rode her in the valley, intending to just do some walk and trot work. She was quite energetic but very responsive, coming back to walk from just a seat aid. I did mostly straight lines, with a little bending work here and there. Her head was up but I wasn’t concerned because she was power-trotting through the snow and definitely using herself. Apart from just making sure the basic response to my aids was there, I mostly just rode around the picturesque snowy setting, grinning and enjoying myself.<br /><br />Sofie, somehow magically recovered from her stiffness, was also enjoying herself, so much so that she burst into a canter without any prompting. In fact, we had four unplanned canters, each one more energetic and wild than the last. The one time I actually asked her for the canter (heading away from home), she accelerated to a Sofa gallop and was practically leaping through the snow. I saw the trees approaching fast, and knowing Sofie’s proclivity for trailblazing, I leaned back on the outside rein hard. Not wanting to stop, Sofie put her head down, pitching me forward, and stomped with her front feet several times. I was thrown up on her neck, but she stopped before I could go any further. The good thing about Sofie is she knows when to stop. After one more (slightly less out of control) canter, we went on a short trail ride and turned back. I did a little walk/trot work in the valley, and when that went well I took a second to admire the scenery. Then we went back to the barn. <br /><br />I fully expected Sofie to be stiff and ouchy the next time I rode. I figured her craziness would surely have a negative effect. Once again, it was warm out, if not as sunny as the previous time. I tacked her up again, and we headed outside. Sofie was definitely alert, and she seemed every bit as energetic as she had been. I rode her across the driveway to the shorter, flat trail on the barn property, and decided to turn onto the wide, grassy lane where we like to canter. Once there I tested out the trot, and Sofie was definitely “up”. So much so that I didn’t canter her right away. I wanted to establish that she was listening to me before we went racing off. So I rode her down the trail and back, and only then did I ask for the canter.<br /><br />When Sofie is “on”, the canter depart is an effortless thing. It’s really more of an “allow” than an “ask”. I just let her go up front, and think about sitting and raising my outside heel. It’s a real treat, those rare instances when it just works, effortlessly, and this was one of those times. I thought she might take off, but instead she went into this incredible, perfectly rhythmic collected canter. I haven’t felt her do one this nice in a long time. She never sped up, and she was straight through much of it. She was round, the contact was light and she just felt awesome. She’s always been capable of this, but it doesn’t always happen that way, what with her soundness issues and our general cluelessness. I was so impressed that I didn’t do any more canter work that day. So she got lots of praise and she got to walk back to the barn. I’d done everything I wanted outside, so I figured I’d finish up in the indoor, where the footing was better.<br /><br />As it worked out, I got to ride at the same time Jesse was working his Friesian stallion, Zen. He hadn’t been ridden with a mare in the arena before, but he was a very good boy. I did my part, and gave him plenty of space at first (easy enough in such a big arena). Sofie, of course, couldn’t care less (although I think she does have eyes for Zen over the other stallions we’ve encountered). Zen is beautiful, and I love watching him, so it was fun to be in the arena with him. Sofie was exceptional, doing pretty much everything right. Her trot work was super nice, she was steadily round, and her transitions were lovely. It was a very productive day. It’s nice to have rides like that. Reaffirming rides.<br /><br />I have a little more faith in Sofie now, and in my own ability too. There will always be difficulties, but Sofie is doing better than ever. She will have her sore days when the weather fluctuates, and sometimes I will push her a little too hard, but she will recover. The fact that she had one of her best days ever after a wild ride of plunging through the snow is heartening. It shows me I’m not destroying her, as I feared. Her balance is better than it’s ever been, and she’s learning to carry herself and move in the best way possible. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, of course, but I think I’m getting somewhere with her. There is no way of knowing if I should have done things differently. There are never any guarantees. But if I’m lucky, Sofie will be around for a long time, living mostly pain-free and able to move like I know she can.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-15046070180283342132011-12-28T14:40:00.000-08:002011-12-28T14:42:16.400-08:00Back In TackOn my latest visit to the barn, excitement (or at least spazziness) was in the bitingly cold air. The previous day had been a sunny 40 degrees, but a front had moved in and snow was blowing through the air with considerable force. Perhaps due to the weather, and also due to the recent arrival of an appealing Friesian stallion (dripping pheromones that even Sofie may have taken a liking to), Sofie was a little jumpy. As we struggled through the wind to the barn door, she looked over and saw a real or imagined Something, and became rather high-headed as a result. Once inside the barn, we walked past Zen, the Friesian stud’s stall. Sofie abhors geldings, and looks upon the Gypsy Vanner stallions at the barn with considerable disdain, but I swear she gave Zen the old once-over. I think Sofa may have a thing for black boys…<br /><br />After a quick brushing, hoof-picking and leg-stretching, I decided to longe the Sofa. She was still jumpy, and her mind was not all there. Looking at her elevated head with just a halter, and her bare back, I decided “Today is not a just-get-on-and-ride day.”<br /><br />I took her out in the indoor and let out the longeline, and she began trotting immediately. I walked along with her, keeping the circle large and jogging with her whenever possible, so she could go straight. I quickly overheated, so I stopped her and threw my coat off, then turned her to work on the right side. At first I struggled to get her going, and she merely spun around in a continuous turn on the forehand. Finally I got her to start walking, and she went up to a trot. After trotting her a while, I asked for a canter. She took the left lead, so I pulled her down, made sure she was bending right and asked again. She took the right lead! “Good girl!” I exclaimed. She hasn’t used that right lead in a long time! She picked it up several times, only taking the wrong lead once more. I was thrilled. She kicked up a couple times when she went into the canter, but she didn’t struggle or appear lame, and she tried so hard for me. It gave me renewed hope.<br /><br />Even after longeing, Sofie was still a bit spazzy, and intuition dictated I should ride with a saddle. So, I tacked up for the first time in a couple weeks and mounted up. She was, of course, dead calm, but I was still glad I’d gone with the saddle and bridle. I’d been wanting to try riding her in tack again anyway to see how she reacted. It already felt different for me, being higher up, off her back.<br /><br />Her straightness was very good initially, with very little meandering. I did some rail work, but many times I turned her off the rail to practice staying straight. I did lots of changes of direction. As we started trotting she was a little above the bit, which wasn’t surprising considering the weather. I pretty much left her alone, did a little trotting and went back to the walk for a bit. I started bending her, finding it was very easy to do circles. I did some halts, most of which were “Sofa square” (only one leg out of place). Her halts are really improving. I also tested the rein-back. She was a bit crooked and her steps were short, but she didn’t set her jaw at all. Then I trotted her for a shorter distance, asking for a bit of connection and softness. She started listening better and began to melt into her nice, open frame. I trotted her both ways and did some turns, and soon she was accepting a steady, light, definite contact. She even started foaming a little. I was surprised to trot past the mirror and see little bits of foam dripping from her lips. <br /><br />After riding bareback in a halter for a while, then returning to the saddle and bridle, everything flowed. It was all just so <em>easy</em>. It’s clear my skills have grown since I ditched all my equipment and had to focus on my aids and my seat. With a saddle and bridle, turns and circles became simple. Sofie just powered along, steady in her relaxed, balanced frame. I turned her onto the diagonal, put my hands forward, and she lengthened her frame, moving wonderfully forward. At the corner, I sat up and half-halted, condensing her before the next diagonal, when I turned her loose again. <br /><br />I did that several times, because it was so awesome, along with the occasional circle. Then I started a serpentine, and she was brilliant. Sick changes of bend, and straightness in between, remaining steady in my hands the whole time. She was at her best, because this horse can <em>turn</em>. She is so handy, and when she’s in balance and truly supple, she handles like a dream. I wound up doing a whole-arena serpentine, just because she was so damn awesome. It felt like she could keep going forever.<br /><br />After all that, Sofie got lots of pats, and we walked. By that time, she was a bit tuckered out and a little lazy in the walk. I could hardly begrudge her a little tiredness after that trot sequence. After making sure she did not forget my leg was there, and doing our transitions (wheee, there were some pretty ones!) and a little more reinback (straightness is improving) we were done! I hand walked her then untacked and put her cooler on. She got a hay snack, and I re-stretched her legs and gave her a light massage. She seemed to enjoy all that. <br /><br /><br />I’m not sure if it can be attributed to a recent switch to SmartFlex Senior with Devil’s Claw, work in the halter or a combination of many things, but Sofie seems to be doing very well. I was feeling rather discouraged for a while, but I have hope now. All it takes is a ride like this last one to let her talent shine through, and I have reason to believe if I continue improving her fitness and working on the basics (including bareback and bitless riding, which seems an integral part of the big picture), she just may be (within reason) everything I ever thought she could be.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-86866968729350986922011-12-25T08:51:00.000-08:002011-12-25T08:58:26.924-08:00Happy ChristmasThis time last year, Sofie was colicking. For reasons we will likely never know, her hormones decided to go insane in the dead of winter, causing a strong heat with painful cramping. She was pretty stoic, never fractious, but no vets were around and it was one of the scariest things I’ve had to deal with. We spent Christmas Eve monitoring her, regularly walking down to the barn, standing outside of her stall and watching her belly clench, with a deep line all along it that would fit your arm. On Christmas, we drove to the only place that was open and spent some time at the Christmas buffet. It was pretty much the worst Christmas ever, except we got through it. I realized I could get through it. Sofie’s gut never shut down, her pain never worsened, and she coped. She got through it like only Sofie can, and she lives on to this day.<br /><br />This year I spent a much more enjoyable Christmas Eve, grooming and riding Sofie. And when I was leading her out to the pasture, it suddenly occurred to me. One year later, here we are.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFx5xUyqemrLJPYRgKgp7BZwCc_q2KZ8LaN0Y8zg9JmQTHIVqlWa0pExyOVE8QptrD1hQ60aLZEdGpv5NoQArTcpW5c6P5qqeBfmpAq4-I4Sm2bEUVEp8g61MxB4j5g6h8-LD9gTf2O4x/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFx5xUyqemrLJPYRgKgp7BZwCc_q2KZ8LaN0Y8zg9JmQTHIVqlWa0pExyOVE8QptrD1hQ60aLZEdGpv5NoQArTcpW5c6P5qqeBfmpAq4-I4Sm2bEUVEp8g61MxB4j5g6h8-LD9gTf2O4x/s400/010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690110922544772914" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-80983521116088146122011-12-25T08:37:00.000-08:002011-12-25T08:49:53.674-08:00Bad Indoor Photos, and Good Ride RecapsThe last couple rides have been quite successful. We’re starting to have our little breakthroughs again, and we can pretty much do everything we were doing before, even with our minimalist approach. Which is all good.<br /><br />Thursday I changed up my warmup a little, and instead of going right into the trot after walking on a long rein, I picked up the reins and did a little bending work in the walk. Sofie did well with this, and was listening to my hand and bending nicely. This led to a fifteen minute walk warmup. After getting a nice circle in both directions we started trotting. In a slight reversal she was better to the left, at least when bending was concerned. It was hard to keep a consistent bend at first, which is typical for us now. I just worked a little on bending in between straight line work, rail work and transitions. Sofie did well throughout.<br /><br />Toward the end of the ride I worked on rein-back, something I’m hoping will help strengthen Sofie’s hind end. I’ve never been able to give the “proper” aids for rein-back - using leg as well as a slightly restraining hand - because Sofie would always think “forward” and just blow through my hand if I ever touched her. Recently she’s begun to understand me better, and I’ve been able to cluck to her and have her still go backwards. So as I was asking her to step back with the usual aids - hand and a little seat - I decided to experiment and lightly closed my legs. She rocked forward a little, so I closed my hand again, keeping my leg on, and she went backward! Even better, she seemed to get rounder and use herself more. I praised her, and soon I tried it again. While she did step forward once, each time she listened quite well and I was able to get a very nice, correct rein-back. Using my legs, I could put a little more energy into her backward steps and get her to lift her belly a bit. She was much rounder in front and gave me a very nice feeling. I was super pleased.<br /><br />Near the end she was much more connected, and she did some very nice, light turns with no issues at all. It was a great feeling.<br /><br />Saturday (aka Christmas Eve) I found that Vicky had left us a little gift bag of sugary treats for me and Sofie! Sofie’s treats were quickly re-gifted (Sofie doesn‘t do sugar. I, on the other hand, have been mainlining it this holiday season). I did give her a hay snack, though. I’m not <em>that</em> mean. I forgot my watch this time around, so I wasn’t able to monitor how long I rode or how long I warmed her up (note to self: Do not forget watch in future. Watch is very, very helpful!). She was a bit of a grump for whatever reason (although she still did everything I asked with no real protestation, so clearly it wasn’t all that bad). When I first started trotting she was kind of rushing and she was rather stiff. I think maybe my warmup that day was inadequate. She also has no opportunity to run around outside, because the ground is all icy and it’s been that way for the last week, at least.<br /><br />After the icky warmup portion, the rest of the ride went well. The only slight issues we had were occasional drifting in (which was easily fixed) and some wobbliness when we were supposed to be going straight. The usual suspects. Our transitions were all of nice quality, with only a little bit of a slow response time in one direction. Circles were a bit wonky, but she did do two nice ones for me, which is really all I need. Later in the ride, she was really solidly establishing contact, moving along in a good rhythm. I practiced lengthening and shortening the reins in trot, which she did awesome with, staying really steady. I did some more rein-back work, and discovered that when I do it off the rail, she gets crooked. She likes to swing her haunches left, probably compensating for something. I was able to correct it, and while it took a bit of stopping, repositioning and starting, I was able to get several straight steps from her each time. She should get stronger if I keep up on it.<br /><br />I finished up with a nice sequence. First I trotted her down the rail on a light rein. Then in the corner I turned her across the diagonal, mostly taking my aids off. She stayed nicely straight, and when we turned the corner I asked her to walk. She made a nice, prompt transition without sticking her head up in the air. Yay! Good girl!<br /><br />So, my immediate plan is:<br /><br />-Remember watch (‘cause it’s helpful to see how long I ride, and how long I spend on each part of the ride)<br /><br />-Do longer warmups<br /><br />-Do massage/stretching whenever possible<br /><br />-Perfect the rein-back<br /><br />-Improve straightness and self-carriage<br /><br />-Lots of connected transitions<br /><br />-Don’t forget walk work<br /><br />-And most importantly, remember to think. Remember to learn. True success, really, is to be kind, and never deviate from that kindness, no matter what happens.<br /><br />I think Sofie will teach me that this winter.<br /><br />These are from the icky warmup portion, and the quality is quite poor. But here it is, photographic evidence of our mad bareback-and-bitless skills! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn0zBzJmxgEWARjrvtNxr6H4WLaQ5BhExJU12WfJDGguQ8zFjekRBRYprQBZwnEmpZp8bw4U8z9CAgHFQd2JOuVJu_VsYqAlx1A_AwUQkBkBKCIU71gGxmbnudpK86JqFS6-Qs16JYTSr/s1600/DSCF0024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn0zBzJmxgEWARjrvtNxr6H4WLaQ5BhExJU12WfJDGguQ8zFjekRBRYprQBZwnEmpZp8bw4U8z9CAgHFQd2JOuVJu_VsYqAlx1A_AwUQkBkBKCIU71gGxmbnudpK86JqFS6-Qs16JYTSr/s400/DSCF0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107827283480850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIhSj359mBOhMMswzZ1BsmEuFWM5Dvkgi1Ds9f5Un_30mckwWeBGjmN2418lunRdmX-TWh3zGAK-SSqJytQSNF7LTA29yKOiyKhSWmELOjB7EVcBThnY8P2TEH68T3U_HuIi4vITCuybz/s1600/DSCF0028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIhSj359mBOhMMswzZ1BsmEuFWM5Dvkgi1Ds9f5Un_30mckwWeBGjmN2418lunRdmX-TWh3zGAK-SSqJytQSNF7LTA29yKOiyKhSWmELOjB7EVcBThnY8P2TEH68T3U_HuIi4vITCuybz/s400/DSCF0028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107822887491602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCBbI02sEQATZeYhGj3AQ9FZWJG12Gc4qf8gkI_1mGqO-aKBN6frF650aXp8scQta3ZVQx85A3UT7Tmqy3ziLLlBjoIY4E8a2NQUhGfwYvc2u4O8HYwXl5_Q_cER_CUyELSAt4snq0O7H/s1600/DSCF0027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCBbI02sEQATZeYhGj3AQ9FZWJG12Gc4qf8gkI_1mGqO-aKBN6frF650aXp8scQta3ZVQx85A3UT7Tmqy3ziLLlBjoIY4E8a2NQUhGfwYvc2u4O8HYwXl5_Q_cER_CUyELSAt4snq0O7H/s400/DSCF0027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107819870454578" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufi4_dirc8wr3pBVWFvkWea7IsHpipinr-TxdqgHV6J3pjAfbmAFVuwhDxiqk1KlxaIdPbaqUTfVMENmY58vK0mZnDNYb3c_rVH4VdzYdZN4qYfm-yjyLFQEpijRBHRg4M37JiztRgsGE/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufi4_dirc8wr3pBVWFvkWea7IsHpipinr-TxdqgHV6J3pjAfbmAFVuwhDxiqk1KlxaIdPbaqUTfVMENmY58vK0mZnDNYb3c_rVH4VdzYdZN4qYfm-yjyLFQEpijRBHRg4M37JiztRgsGE/s400/DSCF0013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107818793736450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku1MniVcsY82Vmo9m-at5xLp8flwHQtOuR4cZNMTJBY3Ft05lgS3MtTqjgix3AYVoX7vf9aPqZscudNzUwNKFUHyzwNIsfvQlRuyZKoBKmYLyWi3ChqCCeaU37BcrcWIN3_zm-ulhYS6A/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku1MniVcsY82Vmo9m-at5xLp8flwHQtOuR4cZNMTJBY3Ft05lgS3MtTqjgix3AYVoX7vf9aPqZscudNzUwNKFUHyzwNIsfvQlRuyZKoBKmYLyWi3ChqCCeaU37BcrcWIN3_zm-ulhYS6A/s400/DSCF0005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107815501337602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGXy-DtB6ZQ-OK8olpRZtqVwNCAvnCa3vIPd6YY4eDMlfx4QdZt6YJnUsYM0PuF0YgnSlVGQtP0klrFqqyvVFHvcqSweTG5FZrw3o2e_YsH2XK6TUibeiJPyW2aHCIzWDVmQdtmMUQMB3/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGXy-DtB6ZQ-OK8olpRZtqVwNCAvnCa3vIPd6YY4eDMlfx4QdZt6YJnUsYM0PuF0YgnSlVGQtP0klrFqqyvVFHvcqSweTG5FZrw3o2e_YsH2XK6TUibeiJPyW2aHCIzWDVmQdtmMUQMB3/s400/DSCF0006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107109344150770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9YIXbuCvkoDIIjQeufDjrEAfQrLjMA0GxIOAUbCdWvbuyjiS_I5qAgwL2OQyGFFOBGXyXcYoE25R92S50Z8_cqopX39Z1xn8eGavCcgHnIZguX3741OcZD1yqFXToGLk6_VW38KFZytq/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9YIXbuCvkoDIIjQeufDjrEAfQrLjMA0GxIOAUbCdWvbuyjiS_I5qAgwL2OQyGFFOBGXyXcYoE25R92S50Z8_cqopX39Z1xn8eGavCcgHnIZguX3741OcZD1yqFXToGLk6_VW38KFZytq/s400/DSCF0004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107108702058322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E-yDJeUz0V6laXbKGNEsuY_Hk4rHN7BAASGWBRN9BwtRsYDgGqq96jd9qjXsjTaQqY_Hn5VThRc9OVh4HtU7tTVJQ8s4ftWOgk82Ewg2awmeHCy3l9u3pUjwVVsd-14aLI6euUch_X90/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E-yDJeUz0V6laXbKGNEsuY_Hk4rHN7BAASGWBRN9BwtRsYDgGqq96jd9qjXsjTaQqY_Hn5VThRc9OVh4HtU7tTVJQ8s4ftWOgk82Ewg2awmeHCy3l9u3pUjwVVsd-14aLI6euUch_X90/s400/DSCF0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107105202198818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2QZAkwLpyYOJi2aO59flJVFfTuPtxxEbbpBwxA4olrg6dYSm6crrM3z5VBrLEi5ov0vGGTeFm9aaCqxKFs863PI9K1JRDE-JSAdGM7Tg9CuEFY9Fe30X_sGOzt1sOtqzQ3S54M3IAGGv/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2QZAkwLpyYOJi2aO59flJVFfTuPtxxEbbpBwxA4olrg6dYSm6crrM3z5VBrLEi5ov0vGGTeFm9aaCqxKFs863PI9K1JRDE-JSAdGM7Tg9CuEFY9Fe30X_sGOzt1sOtqzQ3S54M3IAGGv/s400/DSCF0002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107101176634418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPNJYYZYioa2cPd4JwpcTa03dcoZLt48Llmj8Dr-GwcCS7im-Wk3PD74Jl7jL5p9hvfIayV03dvveA5rmdgFfJIkJQDpZZTS9C2GOlug1nQAMf9ZyR1U-Basp-5MnFNNI0nHgkIlYtRuB/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPNJYYZYioa2cPd4JwpcTa03dcoZLt48Llmj8Dr-GwcCS7im-Wk3PD74Jl7jL5p9hvfIayV03dvveA5rmdgFfJIkJQDpZZTS9C2GOlug1nQAMf9ZyR1U-Basp-5MnFNNI0nHgkIlYtRuB/s400/DSCF0001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690107095340517298" /></a><br />Yes, I may have enjoyed playing with "black and white effects" on my computer.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-25755051871134654872011-12-22T09:55:00.000-08:002011-12-22T10:55:07.049-08:00Bareback & BitlessWe’ve been confined to the indoor arena since winter started, and boredom was starting to settle in. Turns out, even a huge, well-maintained indoor with mirrors is still just an indoor. Bleh.<br /><br />With nowhere to go and not much to do after determining that Sofie, for whatever reason, was not physically okay with cantering, I started to notice some disturbing trends in my riding. I was getting too easily frustrated, too critical. I was getting sucked into the “gotta-be-perfect” dressage mindset that surrounds me at this barn. I regularly ride at the same time as an FEI-seeking rider who expects a lot of their horse, and it’s hard not to be influenced by that. It’s something I will need to continually work on, I think. My corrections were occasionally overreactions, and while I was okay much of the time, I’d have pissy moments and later regret it. <br /><br />I decided it was time to change it up. I’ve been riding bareback on and off, and I noticed I was always more obnoxious when I rode with a saddle. Without one, I was more easily pleased. It really brought everything down to a simple partnership.<br /><br />I'd been wanting to try riding Sofie in a halter again, something I hadn't done in a very long time. One day when I brought her in, nobody was riding, and I decided it was time to test her out in just a halter. I had avoided doing it with other people in the ring, just in case the steering went out. So I "tacked her up", which involved merely tightening the halter by one hole, fastening reins to the noseband and putting on my helmet. I left on my snowboots and my blue fuzzy gloves, completing the rednecky ensemble.<br /><br />Slightly nervous, I mounted up and immediately asked the question "Do we have brakes?" Yup, brakes were there, just as much as usual in fact. Comforted, I let Sofie warm up as usual, working in some turns and changes of direction. Steering was a little wonky, but not too bad. We went up to a trot, and she transitioned right back down without a problem! I think it's helpful that I use a lot of seat in my down transitions, because I've never had a problem going bitless. We finished up the ride just fine, and I was quite pleased at our stripped-down approach to dressage.<br /><br />I've left the saddle and bridle behind since then, and we've had a couple more good rides. One thing about not saddling up - it saves a ton of time. I could get used to not messing with girth straps, sliders and keepers! I've always wanted to be better at bareback riding, and now that I've finally gotten comfortable enough to do it I hope to continue practicing this winter. I of course don't have a classic dressage position when riding bareback, but it's got to be good for balance and such. As far as bitless goes, I've never been against using a bitted bridle, provided the horse was comfortable with it. However, I think it is good to practice riding with fewer artificial aids sometimes. I may return to using a bit at some point, if I want a little more flexibility with my rein aids. A nylon halter doesn't allow for too much subtlety, and it's sometimes tough to get flexion. An actual bitless bridle might work better, but I don't feel the need to upgrade at this point. <br /><br />As far as "frame" goes, Sofie maintains a pretty nice, natural frame, even without contact on the reins. She doesn't tend to really hollow out too much, except if something makes her nervous or I sit too heavily in a transition (can't blame her for that one). It is possible to "put her together" a little more in just the halter, and she will stretch into the contact, but she does get a little heavy at times. I tend to alternate between self-carriage work, where I let the reins get floaty and just follow her movement along unless I really need to do a correction, and more "precise" (with air quotes) "dressage-type" work where I attempt to get an actual connection and do circles, leg-yield, rein-back and connected transitions, etc. She does rein-back well in just a halter (actually, that's how she learned it), and while circles can be reeeeally tricky (I often feel like we're fishtailing a little bit, just because of the limited steering capabilities of the halter), we can actually manage some nice, connected transitions in the halter just the same as with a bit. <br /><br />It's interesting, also, to feel the crookedness in her that I always felt when using a bitted bridle. Sofie has always been "hard" on her right side, and she often needs to be "held" more on the right rein, especially when tracking left. I always assumed it was "deadness" in her actual mouth, but she feels just the same in a halter, so it has to be more of a body issue than just a mouth issue. <br /><br />Anyway, while I'm going to be working toward hopefully being able to do our nice, vaguely-respectable-looking dressagey type work bitless and bareback, it should still be beneficial as a change-up, and helpful for my seat and fitness. Last time I managed a full hour ride, which is a first!<br /><br />And it just makes me happy when I set my hands down and she goes trotting down the long side in her relaxed, Sofa-round way with floaty reins and I just post along with her trot even as it quickens, because I'm not afraid anymore.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-56906040002848041082011-12-14T09:33:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:52:18.226-08:00Three Things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePtxspKn0mkQggfzUqosoLiVpHB5KOTnzz5p7cWw3GPIiWTmI42QZBgR6YCdSNRugnPH3_B0dvC3TaxT7u0129kjN8-u0yBj8MLCLiDNblhql6vd6nNpPzYe7GuiGQO6n8tAAyqYw1zCk/s1600/Sofie+blanket.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePtxspKn0mkQggfzUqosoLiVpHB5KOTnzz5p7cWw3GPIiWTmI42QZBgR6YCdSNRugnPH3_B0dvC3TaxT7u0129kjN8-u0yBj8MLCLiDNblhql6vd6nNpPzYe7GuiGQO6n8tAAyqYw1zCk/s400/Sofie+blanket.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686043179577867122" /></a><br />Sofie has a new blanket.<br /><br />Sofie no longer has a boyfriend. Her relationship with Dillon was short-lived. Dillon, a big, goofy, dumb Quarter Horse gelding, was in love with Sofie. He followed her around, trying desperately to get her to play. He just wanted to play! Sofie doesn’t like to play. She just likes to eat. So her ears were permanently back, and her expression was quite ugly indeed. When he provoked her enough, she’d lunge at him with her teeth out, then go back to simmering and glaring by the hay pile. Dillon would stare at her, clearly perplexed. <em>How could she not like me?</em> Within a few days, she started kicking his ass, and Vicky wisely separated them before Dillon could get himself hurt through pure stupidity. Poor Dillon. Sofie lived alone for a little while then went back out with the mares, and she seems to have gotten over her little wood-chewing phase.<br /><br />She's clearly not up to cantering under weight right now, so I'm focusing on other stuff for now. Last time I rode bareback and she was very good. We make quite the sight, bopping along next to the 17-hand Fourth Level mare and her rider. :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qRx7vwe8Zme6Yj3vm0edy-wHX4VNWqzYu9iT57pVP5LGux24nTkXyXjQT0hP7_WCy9k2l_JTE4bZG2DFHVkyjMxnFL9Uodvgs0T56xob2dWo5mm6BTWEklxjJktEawcpPLKT5X4M5ivc/s1600/Beautiful+Sofie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qRx7vwe8Zme6Yj3vm0edy-wHX4VNWqzYu9iT57pVP5LGux24nTkXyXjQT0hP7_WCy9k2l_JTE4bZG2DFHVkyjMxnFL9Uodvgs0T56xob2dWo5mm6BTWEklxjJktEawcpPLKT5X4M5ivc/s400/Beautiful+Sofie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686043184161750834" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191908757122382923.post-30553984147128158882011-12-02T08:46:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:47:46.745-08:00Why So Serious?November was weird. For a while there, I wasn’t having any fun. Everything seemed dire. Just after getting the walk and trot really nice, I tried a canter and we started dealing with tension issues and renewed soreness in Sofie’s left shoulder. There were also incidents, like the day barn employees decided to burn brush piles near the mare field, causing thick smoke in the middle of Sofie‘s living space, that caused me to obsessively worry and not think very clearly. <br /><br />For several rides in a row, I got bitchy. I picked at Sofie’s inadequacies, and I was rather unkind to her, and unfair. I couldn’t stop myself from picking and complaining, and I felt really badly about it after that fact but then I’d go and do it again. It got bad enough that I considered giving her to someone who might be kinder to her. <br /><br />At around the same time, we were also dealing with a minor Sofie health crisis. It was a typical Sofa malady, non-dramatic, apparently non-life-threatening, yet somewhat perplexing and worrying. It started the day Annie came out to trim Sofie. The trim went great, and Sofie was very cooperative. As I was holding her I noticed a lump on her neck. I figured it was another kick wound, but then I started finding more. They were small, firm lumps, maybe five of them in all, running down her neck and on her chest. Then my mom noticed Sofie’s face was a bit swollen, right underneath the side pieces of her halter. She had also developed a minor cough the previous day (for Sofie, a minor cough means like one cough during the two or three hours I spend with her on any given day).<br /><br />We took her temp, which was normal. She was eating and drinking fine, but her eye was dull and she was a bit lethargic. With no major signs that she needed veterinary attention, we asked people to keep an eye on her and left. <br /><br />The next day, I went out early to check on her. We were both worried, since that facial swelling could’ve interfered with her breathing if it had worsened dramatically. But when I went out to fetch her from the field her face was back to normal, and the lumps on her neck were all gone except for one, and even it had softened to almost nothing. Relieved, I brought her in, planning on just to playing with her a bit. I was massaging her hind end like I typically do when I felt some swelling on her upper hind legs. When I checked, her udder was swollen too, and she also had some edema on her belly. I of course had a minor freakout, then talked to a knowledgeable barn worker (and boarder). She thought that exercise would help the swelling go down, so I hand-walked Sofie in the arena while I called up various vets. Our local vets were both out of town (of course) so I called up the office of another vet we occasionally use (Chiro Lady). Chiro Lady was off that day, but I spoke with another equine vet, Dr. Way. She was super nice and very helpful, hearing me out. She agreed that it was likely an allergic reaction, and said it seemed to be moving through her system normally from the sound of it. We talked about potential causes, and although it had been a week since the brush-burning day and you’d think she would’ve had a reaction sooner, she said not always. She agreed that it could have also been something in the hay, since I hadn’t used any new products on Sofie to bring on such a reaction. Feeling much better, I thanked Dr. Way and got off the phone. I walked and jogged Sofie some more, took her temp again (still normal), gave her an apple and put her back out. <br /><br />When I next checked on the magical traveling swelling, it was still in the same places, and about the same if not slightly reduced. Her eye was brighter also. After our ride the edema went way down, and it appears her little allergic reaction has run its course with no ill effects on Sofa.<br /><br />In other (quite possibly related) news, Sofie got herself kicked out of the mare field. They recently added new panels on the run-in shed to make it more enclosed, and Sofie decided to start chewing on the brand new, treated (TREATED) wood. I heard this all secondhand, from Cathy while I was still dealing with the allergic reaction. And I went AHA, THIS must be the source of the allergic reaction! <br /><br />And then I thought, SOFIE, YOU IDIOT.<br /><br />I was worried sick about my dumb horse, and then I find out she brought this all on herself! By chewing on treated (TREATED) wood. That stuff has all kinds of noxious chemicals in it, and she decided to EAT it? Ugh. What a moron.<br /><br />Then a few days ago I went out to the barn, and found Sofie not in with the mares, but in the smaller dirt paddock right out behind the barn with Dillon, Vicky’s show QH gelding. So I went hmm, why is Sofie in with Dillon? I thought maybe someone just forgot to put her out with the mares after she had her breakfast (sometimes they put her in that paddock to get her supplements because it’s empty at night and it’s more convenient that way).<br /><br />Nope. Apparently Sofie was chewing wood excessively, and wouldn’t stop, so they had to put her in with Dillon, who has an old, regular three-sided run-in with no new, yummy panels. And she’ll have to stay there until the grass comes in, at which time they will attempt to let her be with her friends again.<br /><br />At first I was upset about this, too. I was happy with her living situation. She had friends, she was happy, she had a big field to be in and a long walk to the water from the shed. Sofie doesn’t like geldings, and I don’t like that paddock. It gets really muddy sometimes, and it’s not as big as I’d like and it’s just kind of…bleh. <br /><br />But I think it’s going to be okay. On the way home from the barn that day, my worrying kind of reached critical mass, and I was tired of it. So I went home, and I pretty much assumed Sofie would be fine. <br /><br />So far, so good. We had a nice ride in the newly-dragged indoor the other day. Our straightness wasn’t too horrible, and she was willing, not crabby. She started out a little high-headed, but I just left her alone and she soon started reaching down. <br /><br />I think I really needed to just chill and not take everything so seriously. If it’s not fun anymore, there’s something wrong. I hope not to get into that place again, but I know I probably will. I just hope I’ll remember what I’ve learned.<br /><br />Yes, Sofie has limitations, and that can be frustrating. But we also have a history, and I enjoy having a horse I can just do whatever with. I can ride bareback. I can ride her down the road, cross the highway and go exploring. I can drop her lead rope, and she’ll stand wherever I put her while I close a gate, find my glove that I dropped or change clothes. I can do stupid things like crouch by her legs when I groom her, or squeeze in between her and the wall, because I know her and I trust her by now. And that matters to me.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0