The day after my somewhat questionable ride on Fireball, I returned to the barn and found Sofie quite stiff in the hocks. I free schooled her in the outdoor, which is large and enables her to do more straight lines than in the smaller indoor. She had trouble holding up her right hind for me to clean it, even though I held it low to the ground. At that point I wasn't sure if I should even ride, so I free schooled her again in the indoor, after which I decided to tack her up and try for a short ride. We stayed at a walk, first in the indoor and then out in the yard, and just practiced our relaxation, steering and cooperation. I even walked her a little way down the road. She never got crabby during the ride, and seemed to be moving better when I turned her out, so I think I made the right decision, and it's good to know that I can ride her even when she is stiff, as I'm sure she'll have good days and bad days.
Yesterday I went back out to the barn, and she was stiff again, though not as much as the previous time. I started out by handwalking her in the yard, doing some hill work, some trotting and a bit of backing, as well as just basic groundwork, i.e. Pay Attention, Don't Walk Directly Behind Me, and the all-important Don't Barge Ahead Of Me. Then I walked her partway down the trail and found that there was a major break in the gelding fence, so I took her back to the barn, turned her out in a small paddock and went to tell Judy about the fence. I caught Sofie back up and free schooled her in the indoor, then when Judy came down to the barn I turned her out with the mares so I could help Judy bring the geldings in. Then I caught her again (for the third time that day...fortunately she's gotten over being hard to catch!) and led her to the aisle so I could start grooming her. Sofie was quite confused when she saw the geldings were in (she tried to drag me to her stall) and she was upset when she saw Judy filling the cans in the feed room (she kept shaking her head, as if to inform me that she, Sofie, had yet to be fed and was Not Happy about it).
Since the geldings were in, I decided I couldn't pass up an opportunity to ride in the Big Field, even though I wasn't sure how Sofie would be, since she was a little miffed at not being fed and a little distractable when I warmed her up in the indoor. But she was an absolute gem. I walked her allllllll the way around the Big Field, then practiced trotting her away from the barn. She moved nicely and cooperated VERY well, even though she was a little insecure about trotting in the "wrong" direction. We did a little trotting toward the barn, too, and I stayed relazed on her even when she went a little more forward, and she listened when I told her to walk (though she needed a few strong half halt "reminders" on the outside rein when she failed to pay attention to a light aid). There were lots of gentle slopes that we could use to our advantage, so even the walk became a bit more of a workout for her. Her belly actually came up a bit, indicating she may have actually had to (gasp) use herself! It was fun to have some a huge space to ride in, without the "problem areas" we have to deal with in the yard. I plan to get back out there as much as possible, since we can obviously ride in the evening without drama from Miss Sofie, and I no longer crash after 3:00 in the afternoon now that I am eating better.
My mom is going out of town for six days, starting tomorrow, so I will be dealing with Sofa on my own, but I'm no longer panicked by the idea of not having my usual support system. My old fears about being able to see when Sofie is "off" and being able to cope with whatever issues we may have undersaddle have been alleviated now that I've had plenty of practice doing both. I know Sofie better than anyone else, and if rides like the one we had last night are any indication, we work pretty well together.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Control
Sofie has been doing well. Our interactions are always a mixed bag of moments of cooperation, brilliance, baditude and snarkiness. Fortunately her idea of "acting out" doesn't typically escalate past the amusing/annoying level, and I no longer react to her displays of willfulness undersaddle with blind panic. And even though my equitation pretty much looks like crap (as I noticed while walking Sofie past Judy's house), the ability to relax and think clearly is invaluable when dealing with the Sofa.
Riding with Max and Jessie on a nice, warm day with a wind that kept the bugs away, we started out in the outdoor, with predictable results. Sofie does not like the outdoor. I don't know if it reminds her of an arena where she had a bad experience in the past, or if she just doesn't like being ridden in "her" field (the outdoor is part of the mare's turnout space), but she had a crappy look on her face the entire time we rode in there, she walked sloooooowly and trotted even slower (part of that was due to stiffness, I'm sure, but it was also due to resentment). Fortunately, she never acted out, as she has been known to do when ridden in the outdoor, so I considered that a big win, and Max and I took our lazy horses into the yard, where they immediately became perky (of course). Sofa started walking out again, and we had some difficulty getting on the trail (we were thinking about going to The Place Where We Like To Canter and our steering was out) but we enjoyed a nice trail ride.
Coming back from the trail, we trotted back to the barn (bad, I know) and then we had issues with wanting to do our own thing and not wanting to be told what to do. She did a beautiful power trot (well, compared to the slightly off jog she had been choosing to do) toward the barn one time, so I was thrilled that she felt good, but this not listening thing was so not working. So I took Sofie past Judy's house to break the pattern. She thought about trotting as we walked toward The Place Where We Like To Canter, but she listened to my aids and once we hit the aforementioned Place, she actually walked nicely. At the far corner, I asked for a trot, and we trotted diagonally towards Judy's house. She listened as I asked her to turn both ways, and trot a few steps away from the barn. Her trot was better than it had been since her arthritis flared up, even when turning. I was happy that she had listened to me, so I walked her away from the barn, dismounted, and that was it for the day.
After that day, a cold front came in, so on the next ride I stuck to the indoor to avoid biting winds and potential Sofie fireworks. She was quite visibly "off" when we started free schooling her, but worked out of it enough to where I felt I could at least do a light ride. We did lots of walking and a little trotting, and she tried really hard for me and never got nasty, even though she was stiff and probably a little uncomfortable from the cold. I got a little frustrated midway through when I had issues with Sofie falling in tracking lefy, and I inexplicably forgot that she was really trying hard despite her issues. I was upset with myself over that, but worked through it and finished the ride without being unfair to Sofie.
It was still chilly yesterday when I rode. Sofie free schooled well but was bratty during the tacking up process. I knew she would probably be a fireball since it was coldish and she had only gotten out of her stall for 6 hours the previous day due to crappy weather. She walked out boldly and trotted way more forward than she normally does in the indoor. I debated taking her outside, where I knew there might be fireworks, but decided that I wanted to take her out, so I went. I walked her outside, and she immediately drifted over to her new favorite place to trot and canter, started trotting, and then cantered. It was a nice canter, but she was a little strong and she was clearly not listening to me at all. So I decided to take her on the trail, and achieved this with difficulty. I had to get after her several times when she tried to take off (at the trot, but still) and she did NOT want to go down the trail, making it clear that she would prefer to take off towards the barn. I got her onto the trail, but just barely, and I'm hoping this won't become a habit. She started out wiggly on the trail (I think because it's uneven in places, and uneven footing is hard on her now) but improved, and I asked her to trot once we got to the best footing. She always trots nicely on the trail, and the straight-ahead track makes it harder for her to think about turning back to the barn. After turning around at the first turn-around, I tried going down the other fork of the trail, but found that the footing really sucks, so I won't be doing that again.
She walked nicely through The Place Where We Like To Canter, I trotted her a short way and she was fine, but then we started having issues again. If I trotted her away from the barn she turned sharply back toward it. She just had way too much energy, and I couldn't let her use it because she just wasn't listening, and I can't have her getting so out of control. She can't just be throwing in canters and tight turns, it's not good for her hocks. I felt bad about it, not because I thought I was hurting her or anything, but just because it sucks when we can't agree on anything and it feels like I'm always telling her "no". I want us to be a team, and both feel positive about what we're doing, but obviously we need to work on our control a bit and she's not going to like being told what to do because she is a snarky mare and she has a mind of her own. There were some positive aspects of our ride, but we're going to have to work out our issues and that's not going to be a whole lot of fun sometimes. Our issues may not be all that bad, considering how many factors were stacked up in favor of Sofie turning into her favorite alter-ego, Fireball. But I know we have some basic control issues out in the wide-open yard that is our favorite place to ride, and we need to work on them.
Riding with Max and Jessie on a nice, warm day with a wind that kept the bugs away, we started out in the outdoor, with predictable results. Sofie does not like the outdoor. I don't know if it reminds her of an arena where she had a bad experience in the past, or if she just doesn't like being ridden in "her" field (the outdoor is part of the mare's turnout space), but she had a crappy look on her face the entire time we rode in there, she walked sloooooowly and trotted even slower (part of that was due to stiffness, I'm sure, but it was also due to resentment). Fortunately, she never acted out, as she has been known to do when ridden in the outdoor, so I considered that a big win, and Max and I took our lazy horses into the yard, where they immediately became perky (of course). Sofa started walking out again, and we had some difficulty getting on the trail (we were thinking about going to The Place Where We Like To Canter and our steering was out) but we enjoyed a nice trail ride.
Coming back from the trail, we trotted back to the barn (bad, I know) and then we had issues with wanting to do our own thing and not wanting to be told what to do. She did a beautiful power trot (well, compared to the slightly off jog she had been choosing to do) toward the barn one time, so I was thrilled that she felt good, but this not listening thing was so not working. So I took Sofie past Judy's house to break the pattern. She thought about trotting as we walked toward The Place Where We Like To Canter, but she listened to my aids and once we hit the aforementioned Place, she actually walked nicely. At the far corner, I asked for a trot, and we trotted diagonally towards Judy's house. She listened as I asked her to turn both ways, and trot a few steps away from the barn. Her trot was better than it had been since her arthritis flared up, even when turning. I was happy that she had listened to me, so I walked her away from the barn, dismounted, and that was it for the day.
After that day, a cold front came in, so on the next ride I stuck to the indoor to avoid biting winds and potential Sofie fireworks. She was quite visibly "off" when we started free schooling her, but worked out of it enough to where I felt I could at least do a light ride. We did lots of walking and a little trotting, and she tried really hard for me and never got nasty, even though she was stiff and probably a little uncomfortable from the cold. I got a little frustrated midway through when I had issues with Sofie falling in tracking lefy, and I inexplicably forgot that she was really trying hard despite her issues. I was upset with myself over that, but worked through it and finished the ride without being unfair to Sofie.
It was still chilly yesterday when I rode. Sofie free schooled well but was bratty during the tacking up process. I knew she would probably be a fireball since it was coldish and she had only gotten out of her stall for 6 hours the previous day due to crappy weather. She walked out boldly and trotted way more forward than she normally does in the indoor. I debated taking her outside, where I knew there might be fireworks, but decided that I wanted to take her out, so I went. I walked her outside, and she immediately drifted over to her new favorite place to trot and canter, started trotting, and then cantered. It was a nice canter, but she was a little strong and she was clearly not listening to me at all. So I decided to take her on the trail, and achieved this with difficulty. I had to get after her several times when she tried to take off (at the trot, but still) and she did NOT want to go down the trail, making it clear that she would prefer to take off towards the barn. I got her onto the trail, but just barely, and I'm hoping this won't become a habit. She started out wiggly on the trail (I think because it's uneven in places, and uneven footing is hard on her now) but improved, and I asked her to trot once we got to the best footing. She always trots nicely on the trail, and the straight-ahead track makes it harder for her to think about turning back to the barn. After turning around at the first turn-around, I tried going down the other fork of the trail, but found that the footing really sucks, so I won't be doing that again.
She walked nicely through The Place Where We Like To Canter, I trotted her a short way and she was fine, but then we started having issues again. If I trotted her away from the barn she turned sharply back toward it. She just had way too much energy, and I couldn't let her use it because she just wasn't listening, and I can't have her getting so out of control. She can't just be throwing in canters and tight turns, it's not good for her hocks. I felt bad about it, not because I thought I was hurting her or anything, but just because it sucks when we can't agree on anything and it feels like I'm always telling her "no". I want us to be a team, and both feel positive about what we're doing, but obviously we need to work on our control a bit and she's not going to like being told what to do because she is a snarky mare and she has a mind of her own. There were some positive aspects of our ride, but we're going to have to work out our issues and that's not going to be a whole lot of fun sometimes. Our issues may not be all that bad, considering how many factors were stacked up in favor of Sofie turning into her favorite alter-ego, Fireball. But I know we have some basic control issues out in the wide-open yard that is our favorite place to ride, and we need to work on them.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Trying New Things
The last couple of rides have been very good. Sofie is still coping with her stiff right hock, and her ever-present attitude is still very much intact, but we are up and riding again, and figuring out our limitations (and often being pleasantly surprised by what we can do).
On my birthday I watched the Kentucky Derby at Judy's with my BFF and a girl who boards at Judy's barn, and then we brought the horses in. Sofie, Alex (a pinto pony gelding), Jessie (Judy's Appy mare, sometimes ridden by my friend) and Lilly (a QH mare owned by a boarder's mom) got pulled out of their stalls and tortured, I mean, tacked up. Sofie stood calmly, looking around at all the horses getting messed with ("Hey, I'm not the only one!") until I put the saddle on her back, when she started walking out from under it, and promptly stepped on her lead rope, jerking herself with it. Her eyes bugged out a bit, and she stood fine after that, not even reacting to the girth being tightened, except for a sideways glance on the last adjustment, like "Are you SURE that's necessary? Seems like overkill to me."
We all rode in the newly-dragged indoor (Yes! Judy's little yellow tractor is up and running again, and the arena got dragged!). Sofie walked around sloooooowly (it was 7:30 and warm, and she probably would have rather been relaxing in her cool, clean, hay-stocked stall) occasionally gawking at the other horses since we usually ride alone and she doesn't know Lilly and Alex very well (actually, she knows Alex all TOO well, since we got in with the mares once and she had to beat him up). Eventually we trotted (well, jogged) in both directions, and we even turned a corner tracking right without any crabbiness. Then Alex's rider was nice enough to open the gate to The Outside, and my friend and I left the arena.
We walked along the gelding fenceline, looking at Judy putting hay out, and we managed to get to the trail without trying to turn back to the barn or thinking about cantering (the trail entrance is right before The Place Where We Like To Canter, as well as the Scary Corner), so we went down the trail for the first time since the snow melted. Sofie was not happy about the swarms of bugs that swarmed her poor face and ears, but we got through them and also avoided whacking my knee on trees (although we had a few close calls). We handled the iffy footing in some areas (Sofie doesn't put her head down and pick her way through those areas. She speeds up her walk until she's almost trotting and haphazardly bulldozes her way through) but we couldn't get to the end of the trail because there was a freakin' huge branch down. Sofie was ready to go right through it, but I didn't fancy getting whacked in the face, so we did our signature "Oh snap, we gotta turn around, so STOP going forward, Sofie, and turn around" turn. She is excellent at those, even with a bad hock. She did NOT like Jessie getting right up on her butt (for some reason she liked it on the way down the trail, but on the way back it was way offensive) so she pinned her ears at her and my poor friend had to try to hold Jessie back (Jessie has a HUGE walk, and she has no mouth, so that went great).
We walked right through The Place Where We Like To Canter without incident, and I walked her around the front yard for a bit longer, enjoying how relaxed she was. Then we trotted a bit, even trotting up a slight slope. I was really happy with how that ride went because I was really nervous beforehand about riding without my mom around (even though it's not like she constantly instructs me) and riding later than I normally do (since Sofa doesn't necessarily like to be pulled out of her stall and ridden - who would - and the last time I rode after 5 PM it was kind of a disaster). Sofie must have known it was my birthday, because she is rarely that perfect.
On Monday I rode with Max (the BFF) again (this time, she was mounted on Judy's TWH gelding, Gypsy). Sofie was definitely stiff in her right hock, but moved soundly and I didn't see any reason why I couldn't ride if I avoided doing tight turns (which I try to avoid anyway). She was so quiet that my mom asked if I even wanted her to longe her. I said YES emphatically, because I have failed to longe Sofie before on days when she seemed really quiet and paid the price (like the day she decided she wanted to be an eventer, then kicked up her heels and sent me over her head). That would prove to be a prudent decision.
As our ride started, Sofie decided she really liked Gypsy (she actually whinnied at him when Max brought him into the indoor. She NEVER does that, so I wondered for a minute if she was in heat or something. We wandered around the indoor, walking and then trotting (or pacing, in Gypsy's case) then went outside, since Gypsy is notoriously lazy and I assumed he'd be good.
Sofie perked up as we left the indoor. Right off the bat, she moved up to a trot (apparently we have a new place where she likes to make gait changed without consulting her rider, how nice). And then she transitioned effortlessly into a smooth canter. I sat there, a bit surprised but happy. She threw in a little bounce with her hind end, but I wasn't unseated and when I tried easing up on her mouth a little it was not repeated. Then we trotted onto the driveway and I began attempting to resume control. My mom was watching, so I looked at her like "I told you so".
We headed out into the yard and had some technical difficulties when Gypsy didn't want to walk through the partially blown down blaze orange snow fence. Then after he made it through, Sofie promptly saw an invisible and possibly imagainary Something in the distance and spooked at it. Onward we went, and onto the trail we headed, where Gypsy promptly spazzed out. He insisted on looking at everything, which further contributed to his spazziness. Then a couple of the idiot geldings in the gelding field trotted up to the fence. Geldings that are above Gypsy in the pecking order and who probably beat him up on a regular basis. He spazzed, and we wound up turning around. Sofie's opinion of Gypsy was severely tarnished by his silliness (I could tell she was thinking "Hey, dumbass, they're locked in, they can't get you").
After that we rode for a bit longer around the barn area, and Sofie didn't really have on her listening ears. She kind of wanted to do her thing, and I was getting a bit of a weird vibe from her. She was probably just pissed off that I wasn't letting her eat grass, or maybe she was sick of Gypsy, but she kept wanting to trot back to the barn (she cantered once, too, but it was short-lived) and she just didn't want to listen to me all that well. I kind of had to finesse the issue with her a bit, and have her walk away from the barn for a few strides, then let her trot towards it again. I handled it the best way I could and I think I did the right thing, because there's no point in getting into a fight with her. It's not as if we haven't been able to get where we need to go, and we have been able to walk through The Place Where We (Used To) Like to Canter, it's just that now we sometimes have issues in that other spot. I'm sure lots of people would say I'm being too soft with her, but if I were to start jerking on her and going "You WILL do exactly as I say" I think we would get some fireworks going.
But the main thing is that we tried new things (riding at night, riding with other people, cantering again) and it all worked out. So good girl, Sofie, even though you are always odd and you can be bad sometimes, too.
On my birthday I watched the Kentucky Derby at Judy's with my BFF and a girl who boards at Judy's barn, and then we brought the horses in. Sofie, Alex (a pinto pony gelding), Jessie (Judy's Appy mare, sometimes ridden by my friend) and Lilly (a QH mare owned by a boarder's mom) got pulled out of their stalls and tortured, I mean, tacked up. Sofie stood calmly, looking around at all the horses getting messed with ("Hey, I'm not the only one!") until I put the saddle on her back, when she started walking out from under it, and promptly stepped on her lead rope, jerking herself with it. Her eyes bugged out a bit, and she stood fine after that, not even reacting to the girth being tightened, except for a sideways glance on the last adjustment, like "Are you SURE that's necessary? Seems like overkill to me."
We all rode in the newly-dragged indoor (Yes! Judy's little yellow tractor is up and running again, and the arena got dragged!). Sofie walked around sloooooowly (it was 7:30 and warm, and she probably would have rather been relaxing in her cool, clean, hay-stocked stall) occasionally gawking at the other horses since we usually ride alone and she doesn't know Lilly and Alex very well (actually, she knows Alex all TOO well, since we got in with the mares once and she had to beat him up). Eventually we trotted (well, jogged) in both directions, and we even turned a corner tracking right without any crabbiness. Then Alex's rider was nice enough to open the gate to The Outside, and my friend and I left the arena.
We walked along the gelding fenceline, looking at Judy putting hay out, and we managed to get to the trail without trying to turn back to the barn or thinking about cantering (the trail entrance is right before The Place Where We Like To Canter, as well as the Scary Corner), so we went down the trail for the first time since the snow melted. Sofie was not happy about the swarms of bugs that swarmed her poor face and ears, but we got through them and also avoided whacking my knee on trees (although we had a few close calls). We handled the iffy footing in some areas (Sofie doesn't put her head down and pick her way through those areas. She speeds up her walk until she's almost trotting and haphazardly bulldozes her way through) but we couldn't get to the end of the trail because there was a freakin' huge branch down. Sofie was ready to go right through it, but I didn't fancy getting whacked in the face, so we did our signature "Oh snap, we gotta turn around, so STOP going forward, Sofie, and turn around" turn. She is excellent at those, even with a bad hock. She did NOT like Jessie getting right up on her butt (for some reason she liked it on the way down the trail, but on the way back it was way offensive) so she pinned her ears at her and my poor friend had to try to hold Jessie back (Jessie has a HUGE walk, and she has no mouth, so that went great).
We walked right through The Place Where We Like To Canter without incident, and I walked her around the front yard for a bit longer, enjoying how relaxed she was. Then we trotted a bit, even trotting up a slight slope. I was really happy with how that ride went because I was really nervous beforehand about riding without my mom around (even though it's not like she constantly instructs me) and riding later than I normally do (since Sofa doesn't necessarily like to be pulled out of her stall and ridden - who would - and the last time I rode after 5 PM it was kind of a disaster). Sofie must have known it was my birthday, because she is rarely that perfect.
On Monday I rode with Max (the BFF) again (this time, she was mounted on Judy's TWH gelding, Gypsy). Sofie was definitely stiff in her right hock, but moved soundly and I didn't see any reason why I couldn't ride if I avoided doing tight turns (which I try to avoid anyway). She was so quiet that my mom asked if I even wanted her to longe her. I said YES emphatically, because I have failed to longe Sofie before on days when she seemed really quiet and paid the price (like the day she decided she wanted to be an eventer, then kicked up her heels and sent me over her head). That would prove to be a prudent decision.
As our ride started, Sofie decided she really liked Gypsy (she actually whinnied at him when Max brought him into the indoor. She NEVER does that, so I wondered for a minute if she was in heat or something. We wandered around the indoor, walking and then trotting (or pacing, in Gypsy's case) then went outside, since Gypsy is notoriously lazy and I assumed he'd be good.
Sofie perked up as we left the indoor. Right off the bat, she moved up to a trot (apparently we have a new place where she likes to make gait changed without consulting her rider, how nice). And then she transitioned effortlessly into a smooth canter. I sat there, a bit surprised but happy. She threw in a little bounce with her hind end, but I wasn't unseated and when I tried easing up on her mouth a little it was not repeated. Then we trotted onto the driveway and I began attempting to resume control. My mom was watching, so I looked at her like "I told you so".
We headed out into the yard and had some technical difficulties when Gypsy didn't want to walk through the partially blown down blaze orange snow fence. Then after he made it through, Sofie promptly saw an invisible and possibly imagainary Something in the distance and spooked at it. Onward we went, and onto the trail we headed, where Gypsy promptly spazzed out. He insisted on looking at everything, which further contributed to his spazziness. Then a couple of the idiot geldings in the gelding field trotted up to the fence. Geldings that are above Gypsy in the pecking order and who probably beat him up on a regular basis. He spazzed, and we wound up turning around. Sofie's opinion of Gypsy was severely tarnished by his silliness (I could tell she was thinking "Hey, dumbass, they're locked in, they can't get you").
After that we rode for a bit longer around the barn area, and Sofie didn't really have on her listening ears. She kind of wanted to do her thing, and I was getting a bit of a weird vibe from her. She was probably just pissed off that I wasn't letting her eat grass, or maybe she was sick of Gypsy, but she kept wanting to trot back to the barn (she cantered once, too, but it was short-lived) and she just didn't want to listen to me all that well. I kind of had to finesse the issue with her a bit, and have her walk away from the barn for a few strides, then let her trot towards it again. I handled it the best way I could and I think I did the right thing, because there's no point in getting into a fight with her. It's not as if we haven't been able to get where we need to go, and we have been able to walk through The Place Where We (Used To) Like to Canter, it's just that now we sometimes have issues in that other spot. I'm sure lots of people would say I'm being too soft with her, but if I were to start jerking on her and going "You WILL do exactly as I say" I think we would get some fireworks going.
But the main thing is that we tried new things (riding at night, riding with other people, cantering again) and it all worked out. So good girl, Sofie, even though you are always odd and you can be bad sometimes, too.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Happy Birthday To Me
Today is my 18th birthday. Yup. In case any younger people are reading this, no, I don't feel empowered, I don't have all the answers, and I'm not any cooler/less insecure/uncertain. Just a little older. It is a milestone, though. I can now vote for our lovely array of politicians. I can't get drunk in a bar yet, but I don't care about that anyway (and even if I did I couldn't afford it because of Sofie's, ahem, spending habit). I have survived to adulthood, which is a big WIN for just about any species. Kind of the whole point, actually. Don't get eaten, survive to adulthood, find a mate and procreate. Ugh...let's not go there, shall we?
And back to our regularly schedulted programme (hey, I'm British!). Sofie must have sensed that my super special birthday was coming up. Or maybe it was just the Old Horse Joint Supplement kicking in and making her hocks feel young again (or at least making them NOT feel terminally ill and close to death). This week was the first time in over a month that we actually got back to our normal, every-other-day riding schedule. On Tuesday I warmed her up in the indoor again and returned to the lengthening exercise that had worked so well the previous time. She was SO good, never even thinking about acting up at the trot. I lengthened-then-trotted her twice tracking left, AND once tracking right, and she was excellent. Then I took her outside for a little bit, and she was okay for that - I had her on long reins, so her steering was not all there, and she was thinking about the grass/the barn/her mare friends out in their paddock happily NOT being ridden, so we kind of just meandered about. Even on a long rein, she still thought about trotting, and finally did, neck arched prettily against my hand as she looked at the grass. But she didn't act up, and that was all I cared about, so we called it a day.
Then I brushed her, hand-grazed and hand-walked her, and Anne came out to trim her feet. And Sofie decided she didn't WANNA stand, didn't WANNA hold her foot up for Anne, didn't WANNA, didn't WANNA, didn't WANNA. She. Was. Awful. The mom and I were both embarassed by her behavior (which I don't think was because of her poor, poor arthritic hocks. She had too much energy, and she just didn't wanna cooperate. As much as I like to give her the benefit of the doubt, and look for the underlying cause, she was just an uncooperative BRAT.) and Sofie got to back down the aisle several times, and finally Anne had to back her down the aisle AND make her spin around, after which she stood her up loose in the aisle, put her foot on the hoofstand, and corrected her every time she moved her head. After that she was okay, but jeez, what a mannerless jerk she was.
Thursday we went out to see how she was doing with her new feet (she got her hind toes taken back and squared off, which supposedly helps with breakover for arthritic horses). She let me catch her, and when I took her to the outdoor arena to free school her she stood with me after I unclipped her lead rope rather than going for the grass. So I petted her for a while, and then we free schooled. She was stiff behind (maybe because of all the bouncing around/shifting/trying to walk off while Anne was working on her, and the subsequent backing down the aisle) but got better, and seemed fine with her feet. So I rode again, (yay! How nice to be able to ride one's horse...) starting off in the indoor (the best place to get a relaxed, focused warm up, which I think is a good way to communicate that I Am Your Friend, I Mean No Harm, So Don't Harm Me, K Thanx...anyway, after that I started my lengthen-into-trot work, and I asked for a little more, spending less time between trot transitions. She wasn't sure she liked that, but she did okay. I decided to take her outside, figuring if she wanted to trot out there, fine, she would probably be okay.
And she was. I rode with a shorter rein (because I wanted to actually be able to STEER, k thanx) which worked well, and I tried to keep a soft feel on her mouth and nip any resistance in the bud, rather than getting into a pulling contest. Right off the bat she trotted a good 50 feet voluntarily, with no baditude. I brought her back to the walk and got her to walk through what she has decided is a Scary Corner (she always stares WAY off into the distance, I don't know WTF she sees, or thinks she sees). Then we walked to the far end of the yard (which she doesn't like doing, so we always go left, right, left, right to see if we can just go back to the barn already. As we neared the far end of the yard, she decided she'd rather get to the barn faster, so she moved up to a trot. On a hill. A tiny little hill, but a hill nonetheless. I sort of went "Are you SURE you want to do this? I don't think you're gonna like it." And she was all "Yeah yeah yeah! Oh wait no I DON'T LIKE THIS!" and raised her head and bounced her hind end a little, but I just went "Let's walk," and we walked back to the barn through the other Scary Corner. After that we trotted some more (she has a new place where she likes to trot, since we don't go to The Place Where We Like To Canter anymore) and then it was quittin' time.
We are still a long way from where we were a couple months back, and I don't know if we will get there again until the fusion occurs. But given the x-rays, and the way she felt not so very long ago, I'm very happy with what we've been able to do. I remember thinking when she couldn't even handwalk happily or comfortably that we might end up putting her in the ground right before my birthday if she didn't get better. But she is better, and so am I. Since finding out that I have built up intolerance to all the foods I was eating on a regular basis, which was spiking, then crashing my blood sugar and making me an overly emotional mess, I have improved my diet, and I'm able to cope much better with stressful situations (instead of NOT coping with non-stressful situations). I'm able to sit relaxed in the saddle and take things as they come, which is a very good thing when you're riding Sofie.
"I'm not a difficult horse, I'm a project horse. Like Project Runway. Which reminds me, my cable bill needs to be paid."
And back to our regularly schedulted programme (hey, I'm British!). Sofie must have sensed that my super special birthday was coming up. Or maybe it was just the Old Horse Joint Supplement kicking in and making her hocks feel young again (or at least making them NOT feel terminally ill and close to death). This week was the first time in over a month that we actually got back to our normal, every-other-day riding schedule. On Tuesday I warmed her up in the indoor again and returned to the lengthening exercise that had worked so well the previous time. She was SO good, never even thinking about acting up at the trot. I lengthened-then-trotted her twice tracking left, AND once tracking right, and she was excellent. Then I took her outside for a little bit, and she was okay for that - I had her on long reins, so her steering was not all there, and she was thinking about the grass/the barn/her mare friends out in their paddock happily NOT being ridden, so we kind of just meandered about. Even on a long rein, she still thought about trotting, and finally did, neck arched prettily against my hand as she looked at the grass. But she didn't act up, and that was all I cared about, so we called it a day.
Then I brushed her, hand-grazed and hand-walked her, and Anne came out to trim her feet. And Sofie decided she didn't WANNA stand, didn't WANNA hold her foot up for Anne, didn't WANNA, didn't WANNA, didn't WANNA. She. Was. Awful. The mom and I were both embarassed by her behavior (which I don't think was because of her poor, poor arthritic hocks. She had too much energy, and she just didn't wanna cooperate. As much as I like to give her the benefit of the doubt, and look for the underlying cause, she was just an uncooperative BRAT.) and Sofie got to back down the aisle several times, and finally Anne had to back her down the aisle AND make her spin around, after which she stood her up loose in the aisle, put her foot on the hoofstand, and corrected her every time she moved her head. After that she was okay, but jeez, what a mannerless jerk she was.
Thursday we went out to see how she was doing with her new feet (she got her hind toes taken back and squared off, which supposedly helps with breakover for arthritic horses). She let me catch her, and when I took her to the outdoor arena to free school her she stood with me after I unclipped her lead rope rather than going for the grass. So I petted her for a while, and then we free schooled. She was stiff behind (maybe because of all the bouncing around/shifting/trying to walk off while Anne was working on her, and the subsequent backing down the aisle) but got better, and seemed fine with her feet. So I rode again, (yay! How nice to be able to ride one's horse...) starting off in the indoor (the best place to get a relaxed, focused warm up, which I think is a good way to communicate that I Am Your Friend, I Mean No Harm, So Don't Harm Me, K Thanx...anyway, after that I started my lengthen-into-trot work, and I asked for a little more, spending less time between trot transitions. She wasn't sure she liked that, but she did okay. I decided to take her outside, figuring if she wanted to trot out there, fine, she would probably be okay.
And she was. I rode with a shorter rein (because I wanted to actually be able to STEER, k thanx) which worked well, and I tried to keep a soft feel on her mouth and nip any resistance in the bud, rather than getting into a pulling contest. Right off the bat she trotted a good 50 feet voluntarily, with no baditude. I brought her back to the walk and got her to walk through what she has decided is a Scary Corner (she always stares WAY off into the distance, I don't know WTF she sees, or thinks she sees). Then we walked to the far end of the yard (which she doesn't like doing, so we always go left, right, left, right to see if we can just go back to the barn already. As we neared the far end of the yard, she decided she'd rather get to the barn faster, so she moved up to a trot. On a hill. A tiny little hill, but a hill nonetheless. I sort of went "Are you SURE you want to do this? I don't think you're gonna like it." And she was all "Yeah yeah yeah! Oh wait no I DON'T LIKE THIS!" and raised her head and bounced her hind end a little, but I just went "Let's walk," and we walked back to the barn through the other Scary Corner. After that we trotted some more (she has a new place where she likes to trot, since we don't go to The Place Where We Like To Canter anymore) and then it was quittin' time.
We are still a long way from where we were a couple months back, and I don't know if we will get there again until the fusion occurs. But given the x-rays, and the way she felt not so very long ago, I'm very happy with what we've been able to do. I remember thinking when she couldn't even handwalk happily or comfortably that we might end up putting her in the ground right before my birthday if she didn't get better. But she is better, and so am I. Since finding out that I have built up intolerance to all the foods I was eating on a regular basis, which was spiking, then crashing my blood sugar and making me an overly emotional mess, I have improved my diet, and I'm able to cope much better with stressful situations (instead of NOT coping with non-stressful situations). I'm able to sit relaxed in the saddle and take things as they come, which is a very good thing when you're riding Sofie.
"I'm not a difficult horse, I'm a project horse. Like Project Runway. Which reminds me, my cable bill needs to be paid."
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thanks, I Needed That
Last Wednesday Chiro Lady came out to adjust Sofie. She definitely needed some adjustments in her pelvis, low back and up by her withers as well. She was very good for the adjustments despite being nutty because it was cold/her friends were running around like maniacs/a dog had wandered into the arena earlier and pissed off her kitty friend, Leo, therefore she decided It Must Die. She stood well and just made nasty faces, which I can understand because I go to a chiropractor, so I know how it is to get your back cracked.
We also told Chiro Lady about Sofie's arthritis and her yucky x-rays, so we got our "third opinion". Chiro Lady's take on it was that the arthritis is not new, that Sofie has been coping with it for some time and that she will be okay. She recommended warming her up on the ground before I ride (we're already doing that every time we come out to evaluate her movement and attitude and stuff) and doing lots of trotting undersaddle (um, yeah, we're working on that, but I'm not about to get bucked off, k thanx). She was surprised that the hock injections didn't help, and said we could do Adequan (too expensive) or Legend (too expensive) or glucosamine injections to complement the supplement. The latter was affordable, so we said okay and she got her first injection right then. She had to be twitched to have blood drawn for her Coggins test and get vaccinated the week before, but she trusts Chiro Lady so she was fine for her shot. I asked Chiro Lady about the potential for laminitis (since all the barefoot people I know/know of tend to freak out at the mere mention of sugar, and she's already on a supplement with high levels of glucosamine) and she said it wouldn't be an issue. I don't think Sofie is insulin resistant or prone to laminitis, and she needs the supplement to feel better, but I like to be cautious anyway.
I rode on Friday for only the third time this month. I took Sofie outside since the indoor was dusty and she was quiet, and she was awesome. And a beyotch. But that's Sofie. She was content to walk around on a semi-long rein (not hanging-on-her-mouth short, but not so long that she could turn back to the barn/eat grass/run away). She walked right through The Place Where We Like To Balk And Get Pissy, The Scary Corner and The Place Where We Like To Canter, even though there was a lady in the neighbor's yard running a hose. We walked around in the yard a bit, doing turns and stuff. She trotted voluntarily back in the Scary Corner area and didn't get pissy and felt nice and sound, but I brought her back to a walk within a few strides. And then I decided to see if I could take her on the trail, and she decided she'd been good for far too long, and started trotting and then getting all pissy, nothing too dramatic, but nothing I wanted to encourage, either. So I kept pulling her down, which made her pissy too. I figured out we were not going to be able to get to the trail without drama, so I rode her over to the front yard, where she promptly spooked at the barn owner bringing something out of her house ("OMG it's Judy! She's going to EAT me!" WTF, Sofie?). I think she just needed an excuse to trot, because she trotted nicely, soundly and without complaint. I got her to walk again, and finished up with some rein-back (which she was SUPER good about. She was SO light!).
Today her right hind was stiff (it looks like she might have gotten kicked on her right hock. AGAIN.) but she free schooled reasonably well (she had attitude, but Sofie without attitude is a rare and breathtaking phenomenon). She was not happy to see the saddle ("Didn't you people HEAR the veterinarian? I AM A CRIPPLE, therefore I should be RETIRED from weight-bearing activities!"). I decided not to take her outside, because it was cool and windy and I knew she would not be content with just walking, and I did not trust her to not "act up" when her hocks inevitably twinged/ground together/snapped/crackled/popped/whatever. So we were stuck in the indoor (because she hates the outdoor, and it is HUGE, and she spooks just as much in there as she does in the yard, if not more) but my mom put cones out. Sofie likes cones. So much that whenever I see cones anywhere, I contemplate stealing them for her.
She stood for me to mount (but not for me to put my right foot in the stirrup, 'cause apparently that was just too much to ask) and I walked her around on a long rein. She felt good, and walked out well. I started doing simple turns and changes of direction, and eventually shortened my reins a little and weaved her through the cones, did serpentines and smaller circles. I tried to think about all my bending aids and use my eyes and weight first and then "supplementing" with leg and rein. She did really well with this and only got a little miffed about my leg once when I had to emphatically insist that NO, we are NOT falling in here.
Then I decided to try something new. I let her have a long rein, and I worked on lengthening and shortening her walk. On the long side I used my legs in time with the swing of her belly and let my seat swing with her walk, almost thinking about using a little bit of a driving seat. At first she only went a tiny bit more forward, but then she started to get it and really started to move out when I asked. Shortening was a bit more difficult for her to figure out, she kind of raised her head and lost all of her momentum like "Uh, are we stopping here or what?" but I wasn't looking for perfection, just cooperation. After a few rounds of this I shortened my reins a bit and started tracking left. We did the lengthening/shortening thing again, and her bigger walk started to be on the verge of a trot. Then finally it became a trot. At first she raised her head a bit and thought about being mad, but then she went forward without hesitation in a nice, relaxed, soft trot. I brought her down to a walk after maybe ten strides, let her walk on a long rein, and when she halted off my seat I got off and petted her and scratched her a lot and she was done for the day.
It was a really successful ride, even though we did absolutely nothing by most people's standards. But I think that's what I need to do. I need to do what I'm comfortable with, what she's comfortable with, and forget about the clock. A good fifteen minutes of schooling, and ending at the optimum moment is far better than pushing for more and losing what we had. I can second guess myself to death, going "Oh, maybe I should have just let her keep trotting, she might have been fine with it", but the fact is that I did what I felt was right in that moment, and it was probably the right thing to do. I've never screwed up my horse by quitting at a positive moment after a short ride. I have screwed up my horse by pushing for more this or that or the other thing, and regretted it later.
I'm not on a timeline. Right now my horse is arthritic and limited in what she can do, though she's getting better. I'm not getting ready for the WEG or even a schooling show. I have no trainer to impose their standards or ideas or demands on me. Sofie is my horse, and I'm training her for me, so going by my instinct is really all I can do. It's all I have. And I think that's good for me. I'm no longer dependant on constant lessons and constant feedback. I'm thinking and figuring it out as I go along, and I think you learn more that way. Thank you, Sofie, for that. You're making me a trainer. And thanks a lot for today. I really needed that.
We also told Chiro Lady about Sofie's arthritis and her yucky x-rays, so we got our "third opinion". Chiro Lady's take on it was that the arthritis is not new, that Sofie has been coping with it for some time and that she will be okay. She recommended warming her up on the ground before I ride (we're already doing that every time we come out to evaluate her movement and attitude and stuff) and doing lots of trotting undersaddle (um, yeah, we're working on that, but I'm not about to get bucked off, k thanx). She was surprised that the hock injections didn't help, and said we could do Adequan (too expensive) or Legend (too expensive) or glucosamine injections to complement the supplement. The latter was affordable, so we said okay and she got her first injection right then. She had to be twitched to have blood drawn for her Coggins test and get vaccinated the week before, but she trusts Chiro Lady so she was fine for her shot. I asked Chiro Lady about the potential for laminitis (since all the barefoot people I know/know of tend to freak out at the mere mention of sugar, and she's already on a supplement with high levels of glucosamine) and she said it wouldn't be an issue. I don't think Sofie is insulin resistant or prone to laminitis, and she needs the supplement to feel better, but I like to be cautious anyway.
I rode on Friday for only the third time this month. I took Sofie outside since the indoor was dusty and she was quiet, and she was awesome. And a beyotch. But that's Sofie. She was content to walk around on a semi-long rein (not hanging-on-her-mouth short, but not so long that she could turn back to the barn/eat grass/run away). She walked right through The Place Where We Like To Balk And Get Pissy, The Scary Corner and The Place Where We Like To Canter, even though there was a lady in the neighbor's yard running a hose. We walked around in the yard a bit, doing turns and stuff. She trotted voluntarily back in the Scary Corner area and didn't get pissy and felt nice and sound, but I brought her back to a walk within a few strides. And then I decided to see if I could take her on the trail, and she decided she'd been good for far too long, and started trotting and then getting all pissy, nothing too dramatic, but nothing I wanted to encourage, either. So I kept pulling her down, which made her pissy too. I figured out we were not going to be able to get to the trail without drama, so I rode her over to the front yard, where she promptly spooked at the barn owner bringing something out of her house ("OMG it's Judy! She's going to EAT me!" WTF, Sofie?). I think she just needed an excuse to trot, because she trotted nicely, soundly and without complaint. I got her to walk again, and finished up with some rein-back (which she was SUPER good about. She was SO light!).
Today her right hind was stiff (it looks like she might have gotten kicked on her right hock. AGAIN.) but she free schooled reasonably well (she had attitude, but Sofie without attitude is a rare and breathtaking phenomenon). She was not happy to see the saddle ("Didn't you people HEAR the veterinarian? I AM A CRIPPLE, therefore I should be RETIRED from weight-bearing activities!"). I decided not to take her outside, because it was cool and windy and I knew she would not be content with just walking, and I did not trust her to not "act up" when her hocks inevitably twinged/ground together/snapped/crackled/popped/whatever. So we were stuck in the indoor (because she hates the outdoor, and it is HUGE, and she spooks just as much in there as she does in the yard, if not more) but my mom put cones out. Sofie likes cones. So much that whenever I see cones anywhere, I contemplate stealing them for her.
She stood for me to mount (but not for me to put my right foot in the stirrup, 'cause apparently that was just too much to ask) and I walked her around on a long rein. She felt good, and walked out well. I started doing simple turns and changes of direction, and eventually shortened my reins a little and weaved her through the cones, did serpentines and smaller circles. I tried to think about all my bending aids and use my eyes and weight first and then "supplementing" with leg and rein. She did really well with this and only got a little miffed about my leg once when I had to emphatically insist that NO, we are NOT falling in here.
Then I decided to try something new. I let her have a long rein, and I worked on lengthening and shortening her walk. On the long side I used my legs in time with the swing of her belly and let my seat swing with her walk, almost thinking about using a little bit of a driving seat. At first she only went a tiny bit more forward, but then she started to get it and really started to move out when I asked. Shortening was a bit more difficult for her to figure out, she kind of raised her head and lost all of her momentum like "Uh, are we stopping here or what?" but I wasn't looking for perfection, just cooperation. After a few rounds of this I shortened my reins a bit and started tracking left. We did the lengthening/shortening thing again, and her bigger walk started to be on the verge of a trot. Then finally it became a trot. At first she raised her head a bit and thought about being mad, but then she went forward without hesitation in a nice, relaxed, soft trot. I brought her down to a walk after maybe ten strides, let her walk on a long rein, and when she halted off my seat I got off and petted her and scratched her a lot and she was done for the day.
It was a really successful ride, even though we did absolutely nothing by most people's standards. But I think that's what I need to do. I need to do what I'm comfortable with, what she's comfortable with, and forget about the clock. A good fifteen minutes of schooling, and ending at the optimum moment is far better than pushing for more and losing what we had. I can second guess myself to death, going "Oh, maybe I should have just let her keep trotting, she might have been fine with it", but the fact is that I did what I felt was right in that moment, and it was probably the right thing to do. I've never screwed up my horse by quitting at a positive moment after a short ride. I have screwed up my horse by pushing for more this or that or the other thing, and regretted it later.
I'm not on a timeline. Right now my horse is arthritic and limited in what she can do, though she's getting better. I'm not getting ready for the WEG or even a schooling show. I have no trainer to impose their standards or ideas or demands on me. Sofie is my horse, and I'm training her for me, so going by my instinct is really all I can do. It's all I have. And I think that's good for me. I'm no longer dependant on constant lessons and constant feedback. I'm thinking and figuring it out as I go along, and I think you learn more that way. Thank you, Sofie, for that. You're making me a trainer. And thanks a lot for today. I really needed that.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Read 'em and weep
That's what our vet said when we came in to look at Sofie's x-rays. We chose to have the right hock and stifle done since that is her worst leg. The stifle is fine, but her right hock (and the left, too, I'm sure) have advanced arthritis. His opinion on the injections was that they probably just blew right through the joint and made no difference in her condition. We asked him what she could do, riding-wise, and his answer was "Not much." Walking around, maybe, but nothing more. I had ridden her twice in the last week or so, and she did fine at the walk but when she trotted a few steps (I picked up my reins abruptly to see if she would trot, so I could see how she was doing) she was reluctant and unhappy. She was content to walk around, except for one time when she spooked at the spooky corner in the outdoor arena, so she can probably be a walking trail horse.
We're putting her on a senior joint supplement that has good feedback from lots of people with badly arthritic older horses, and that should keep her comfortable. There are other horses at the barn I can ride who can trot and canter, so I'll be able to keep my riding up. I was already planning to do more rides with some of the other boarders, and just have fun, not worry so much about training. I really don't want another horse, I love Sofie so much and I don't care if she can't do too much. But it's still really hard to hear that, because I never intended to have a pet horse, and I really can't afford a pet horse. There are so many perfectly sound horses at my barn collecting dust because their owners don't ride, and now my horse is unsound for anything but walking undersaddle. It's really hard because I love training horses, and I can't train other people's horses because it just doesn't work. I've done it before, and I've invested a lot in someone else's horse and then ultimately had to walk away because I had no control over what happened to the horse, how it was taken care of, who rode it, anything. But I'm not about to let Sofie go, because I don't want to not have control over what happens to her, either. So I guess I'll just do what I can with Sofie, and maybe someday I'll have my dressage horse.
We're putting her on a senior joint supplement that has good feedback from lots of people with badly arthritic older horses, and that should keep her comfortable. There are other horses at the barn I can ride who can trot and canter, so I'll be able to keep my riding up. I was already planning to do more rides with some of the other boarders, and just have fun, not worry so much about training. I really don't want another horse, I love Sofie so much and I don't care if she can't do too much. But it's still really hard to hear that, because I never intended to have a pet horse, and I really can't afford a pet horse. There are so many perfectly sound horses at my barn collecting dust because their owners don't ride, and now my horse is unsound for anything but walking undersaddle. It's really hard because I love training horses, and I can't train other people's horses because it just doesn't work. I've done it before, and I've invested a lot in someone else's horse and then ultimately had to walk away because I had no control over what happened to the horse, how it was taken care of, who rode it, anything. But I'm not about to let Sofie go, because I don't want to not have control over what happens to her, either. So I guess I'll just do what I can with Sofie, and maybe someday I'll have my dressage horse.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Cautiously Optimistic
The last time I went out to see Sofie (Saturday) she had improved quite a bit. She actually came around to the back of the barn and was waiting to be caught when I went out there with her halter, which she hasn't done lately. When I free schooled her in the arena she moved better at the trot - her movement had a little suspension and she was more willing to move out. She wasn't swishing her tail as she trotted around, and while she was still counter-cantering on the forehand in both directions, I did eventually get her to take the correct lead tracking right, and her canter was decent (and I didn't get a huge tail swish/kicking out/ear pinning reaction).
I opted not to ride her as she was still "off", though improved. If she keeps improving, I will hopefully ride her again later this week. At this point I'm just glad to see her feeling better. I was very concerned by the level of discomfort she was experiencing just walking around.
We did some grooming and massage on her, and then I took her out in the yard and did some hill work and backing in-hand.
She is on a new joint supplement (Acti-Flex 4000) with higher levels of glucosamine (and a type of glucosamine that is supposed to be better absorbed) as well as other good stuff for joints including hylaronic acid. She wasn't eating it very well at first (I don't know why; normally she is a food vacuum. Pellets, liquid, powder, anything. And I tasted the stuff and it tastes good) but apparently she got enough to make a difference, and hopefully she will get used to the taste soon and not be such a fussy girl. The vet is coming out fairly soon to do vaccinations (ugh) and he's going to x-ray her hocks so we can see what is actually going on in there. And Chiro Lady is coming out to do her thing, but unfortunately not until the 21st. I should have gotten her an appointment sooner; I'm sure she needs an adjustment after that fall, and that may account for some of her stiffness.
So hopefully we can fix/manage whatever problem she has, and she can be ridden again. I really think I am the right person for her, since I have no interest in jumping/showing/ten mile trail rides/doing lots of cantering/riding for two hours/moving up to Grand Prix. I don't mind if we stick to light work, as long as we can have fun and she can be comfortable doing it.
Here are some pictures from early March, when we started having behavioral/soundness issues. As you can see, she was nice and relaxed on the driveway...
...But "difficult" out in the snow. This picture is veeeeeery telling. You can see how hard she's having to work to get through the snow, and how intent she is on getting back to the barn and better footing. Although she has an awful lot of hock action for a horse with bad hocks...hmm. Maybe she's just inverted because I'm clinging to the reins. You can see how crunched forward and apprehensive I am because my horse is not steering and is now trotting away with me.
BUT look what nice shape she was in! See how much that belly came up? And I love this stretch down. I'm hoping for more rides like this in the future.
I opted not to ride her as she was still "off", though improved. If she keeps improving, I will hopefully ride her again later this week. At this point I'm just glad to see her feeling better. I was very concerned by the level of discomfort she was experiencing just walking around.
We did some grooming and massage on her, and then I took her out in the yard and did some hill work and backing in-hand.
She is on a new joint supplement (Acti-Flex 4000) with higher levels of glucosamine (and a type of glucosamine that is supposed to be better absorbed) as well as other good stuff for joints including hylaronic acid. She wasn't eating it very well at first (I don't know why; normally she is a food vacuum. Pellets, liquid, powder, anything. And I tasted the stuff and it tastes good) but apparently she got enough to make a difference, and hopefully she will get used to the taste soon and not be such a fussy girl. The vet is coming out fairly soon to do vaccinations (ugh) and he's going to x-ray her hocks so we can see what is actually going on in there. And Chiro Lady is coming out to do her thing, but unfortunately not until the 21st. I should have gotten her an appointment sooner; I'm sure she needs an adjustment after that fall, and that may account for some of her stiffness.
So hopefully we can fix/manage whatever problem she has, and she can be ridden again. I really think I am the right person for her, since I have no interest in jumping/showing/ten mile trail rides/doing lots of cantering/riding for two hours/moving up to Grand Prix. I don't mind if we stick to light work, as long as we can have fun and she can be comfortable doing it.
Here are some pictures from early March, when we started having behavioral/soundness issues. As you can see, she was nice and relaxed on the driveway...
...But "difficult" out in the snow. This picture is veeeeeery telling. You can see how hard she's having to work to get through the snow, and how intent she is on getting back to the barn and better footing. Although she has an awful lot of hock action for a horse with bad hocks...hmm. Maybe she's just inverted because I'm clinging to the reins. You can see how crunched forward and apprehensive I am because my horse is not steering and is now trotting away with me.
BUT look what nice shape she was in! See how much that belly came up? And I love this stretch down. I'm hoping for more rides like this in the future.
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