We've got Thrush. I though it might be Thrush yesterday because it smelled pretty bad but I wasn't sure if it was just an aged mud/manure concoction. I did some research last night to learn more about Thrush. I know we had it a few times on the Arabs and we would just use some Coppertox and it would go away, but I never had to diagnose it myself. So I had two people look at it today and they agreed it's Thrush. I know it's fixable. I just have to fix it.
I also spoke with KAT about the depth of old, wet bedding in his stall and she informed me that that isn't as clean as the stall cleaner is supposed to be keeping it. Now, I understand that frozen solid bedding isn't easy to move in the winter, but it's thawed now and should be taken care of. Once it gets stripped I will be more diligent with my Saturday cleanings and hopefully it'll stay cleaner longer. He was getting bed sores on his hocks when I first brought him home so I had been keeping his bedding deeper, but now it's too deep to keep reasonably clean.
He rode very well for our lesson tonight. He was turned out Monday, ridden Tuesday, and turned out today so I did not need to lunge him. He was great! He got to work right away and we had only one momentary argument. We loped FOREVER on the left lead and I can feel it in my seat. Ow. He started really slow but sped up again. He is moving better though and really improving. It's still tricky to get him to stay where I point him and I have to work hard with my legs to keep him going and going where I wanted him. There were only 5 of us in the lesson and there were no other riders so we were able to spread out, use the whole arena, circle if we needed to, and work on staying where he was pointed. Eventually one of the girls brought in her 2 year old to lunge and Jr became totally distracted. That's when we had to have our one conversation.
After the lesson he didn't want to go in the stall so I ground tied him in the aisle and he was content to stand there. I even left him, went into the stall and got his halter off the tie and brought it back out. He didn't walk off even once and I only had to say STAND if he moved a foot and he would stop. He was still a little nippy but not bad. I can tell he's learning. It's so much a part of his personality to lip everything that I know it'll take a while to totally break the behavior.
If the past two days are any indication of how turn out is benefiting him I am sold.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday
Junior got his first round of spring vaccinations today so there was no turn-out. He was in a pretty good mood and was pretty laid back. It was 77 degrees today so it was too warm in the arena, comparatively chilly in the barn and VERY windy outside but he didn't spook once, even with the very weird noises from the wind going through places and things flapping about. He was REALLY lazy on the lunge and did not keep his right lead going very long. That's the hind he skinned his stifle on Saturday so I was a little concerned but his gait seemed even I figured he was just lazy with the temp and from having his shots/deworming and that was the second direction. It was clear he didn't have extra energy so I put his bridle on and mounted. I put his old thinner pad on because the new thicker one has given him bald spots on his hips. I have to figure out what to do about that. It's not pretty and it's obviously not comfortable for him. I read a review of the pad that mentioned that happening and they said something about stitching fleece over the edge. Of course I cannot find that review any longer. I'm not sure if my industrial sewing machine can get through that pad, which would mean I'd have to sew it by hand and I'm not sure if I can do THAT. Anyway the thinner pad felt MUCH better on him than it did before he lost some weight. I think I'll keep in that one until I get the other one figured out. Give the hair a chance to grow back.
I rode for an hour. About 40 minutes in the arena and he was very good. We had some conversations, but they were small. His lope seemed faster than it has been, but he's using his hindquarters well and I didn't have to do as much maintenance. I even loped one-handed for a while, using my legs to keep him vertical, and we did a big figure eight with a simple lead change and it was really smooth. It was so warm in the arena I opened the gate (still mounted) and rode out around the farm. The outdoor arena was open so I jogged around in there for a bit. It was REALLY windy but was very well behaved. We finished up walking down the side of the big turn-out and back.
I had a long conversation with KAT when I was done. She thinks I should still try to do both Western and English this year. The plan is that when I am out of town next week for my conference she is going to to a couple of rides on him to get him to accept the different disciplines. Then when I get back I'll do a private lesson and she can teach me how to tell him what to do.
We talked about lessons, too. She think's we're working well enough together that he won't be too bothered by being ridden by different people. I told her if she has a student who she thinks would pair well with him we can talk about that and then perhaps after summer when I go back to school we can see how it works out in the lesson program. But that's a ways off.
I rode for an hour. About 40 minutes in the arena and he was very good. We had some conversations, but they were small. His lope seemed faster than it has been, but he's using his hindquarters well and I didn't have to do as much maintenance. I even loped one-handed for a while, using my legs to keep him vertical, and we did a big figure eight with a simple lead change and it was really smooth. It was so warm in the arena I opened the gate (still mounted) and rode out around the farm. The outdoor arena was open so I jogged around in there for a bit. It was REALLY windy but was very well behaved. We finished up walking down the side of the big turn-out and back.
I had a long conversation with KAT when I was done. She thinks I should still try to do both Western and English this year. The plan is that when I am out of town next week for my conference she is going to to a couple of rides on him to get him to accept the different disciplines. Then when I get back I'll do a private lesson and she can teach me how to tell him what to do.
We talked about lessons, too. She think's we're working well enough together that he won't be too bothered by being ridden by different people. I told her if she has a student who she thinks would pair well with him we can talk about that and then perhaps after summer when I go back to school we can see how it works out in the lesson program. But that's a ways off.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Happy Anniversary
Today marks 6 months that Junior has been my boy.
Yesterday he got turned out with his buddy Max for 4 hours and he was in heaven. Max's mom turned them out at about 1:30pm. When I got there about 4:00 I got the whole play-by-play of him running circles around Max and then seeing how close he could graze next to Max before Max got annoyed. The proper distance is 3 feet. Max does not participate in Junior's shenanigans. He grazes - period. But Junior tries to get him to play. THEN they let a little red mare named Zippy out with the boys and it seems Junior is in love. That boy has a thing for redheads. Those two ran around and played and spent several minutes with their noses together telling secrets.
I spent my time cleaning his stall and wishing I had gotten there earlier so I could have stripped it, but the manure wagon was FULL so I'll have to wait for another day.
When we finally brought the boys in at 5:30 (Zippy had been brought in earlier by the girl that leases her) Junior was more relaxed than I've seen him in ages. I gave him a quick brushing, picked his feet, soaked his tail in Vetrolin Shine (Max's Mom SWEARS it makes it grow and be strong and if Max's tail is proof I believe it.) took his halter off and let him get to his feed. I planned to ride but I had tickets to a show at 8pm and still needed to get home, shower, eat dinner and get to the show on time and that's just not enough time. I thought he deserved an easy happy day. If his demeanor is any indication of how he's going to be when he gets more play time it will be WELL worth the money for turn out. He did have one battle scar that I can only assume was from rolling? Just a half-dollar sized skinned section of the point of his stifle on his right side. It appeared only a flesh wound so I put some goop on it. It didn't seem sore and he was walking fine.
Until next time, enjoy the love story of Junior and Zippy:
Notice he's the only one running in that one?
Yesterday he got turned out with his buddy Max for 4 hours and he was in heaven. Max's mom turned them out at about 1:30pm. When I got there about 4:00 I got the whole play-by-play of him running circles around Max and then seeing how close he could graze next to Max before Max got annoyed. The proper distance is 3 feet. Max does not participate in Junior's shenanigans. He grazes - period. But Junior tries to get him to play. THEN they let a little red mare named Zippy out with the boys and it seems Junior is in love. That boy has a thing for redheads. Those two ran around and played and spent several minutes with their noses together telling secrets.
I spent my time cleaning his stall and wishing I had gotten there earlier so I could have stripped it, but the manure wagon was FULL so I'll have to wait for another day.
When we finally brought the boys in at 5:30 (Zippy had been brought in earlier by the girl that leases her) Junior was more relaxed than I've seen him in ages. I gave him a quick brushing, picked his feet, soaked his tail in Vetrolin Shine (Max's Mom SWEARS it makes it grow and be strong and if Max's tail is proof I believe it.) took his halter off and let him get to his feed. I planned to ride but I had tickets to a show at 8pm and still needed to get home, shower, eat dinner and get to the show on time and that's just not enough time. I thought he deserved an easy happy day. If his demeanor is any indication of how he's going to be when he gets more play time it will be WELL worth the money for turn out. He did have one battle scar that I can only assume was from rolling? Just a half-dollar sized skinned section of the point of his stifle on his right side. It appeared only a flesh wound so I put some goop on it. It didn't seem sore and he was walking fine.
Until next time, enjoy the love story of Junior and Zippy:
Notice he's the only one running in that one?
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Reality Check
Isn't it always when you feel like things are going really well that something happens to smack you back into reality?
I haven't ridden in an English saddle in over two years. I haven't put ON and English saddle in that long and never on Junior. It took me forever to get the saddle on and in a position I thought was correct. It seemed really far back and the girth looked like it was reaching forward, plus the saddle blanket was sitting funny. I had to pick up the front end of it otherwise the girth keepers were too far back. The pictures are BEFORE I rode. When I went to mount the saddle slid off towards me. Ooops thought it was tight. I moved it again and it wanted to be even further back. KAT saw it and said she liked it and that I had it fit correctly. I made it as tight as I could get it on the stiff billets. This new saddle has barely been ridden in - the plastic for the tag is still on the saddle. I LOVE the color. I mounted but still felt like it was loose. I eventually got him to stand still and I took it up one more hole.
Here is where the reality check comes in: I've been planning to show him in WP and HUS. I THINK we've been making really good progress, I even loped him this week one handed and he did pretty well. Probably not in the ribbons, but respectable progress. Now, here I am THINKING I will only use an English saddle for a few lessons and then at shows and that he'll be so used to working in frame he'll be fine in a snaffle. Um. Yeah. NO. Neither of us passed this test. When I started riding I felt just like I did when I took a lesson after not riding for about 5 years. SACK O' POTATOES. You can see that it's not the deepest seat available, but it's certainly NOT racing flat, but I was VERY unbalanced and insecure. It doesn't help that he hasn't been ridden in a plain (slow twist) snaffle since December and I could NOT get him into frame. I got about a half a lap of JOG in proper frame a few times, but when I would ask for extension he would pop his head up. I do not think the saddle was ill fitting or that he was uncomfortable, I think he was confused why I was using some contact and asking him to trot out. He has been going so nice and slow at the jog without much interference from me so I think he was saying "what the hell lady?! You're giving me bit contact and leg - doesn't that mean you want me to stay at the same gait, slow down and get in frame? And why are you bouncing? What's with the bouncing? And why can I feel every little movement of your legs and shouldn't I be weaving around if I LISTEN to those floppy legs of yours?!?" I'm not sure if HE'S ever had an English saddle on either and my guess is NO.
On the bright side I actually thought our canter wasn't all bad, but I could be wrong, it's hard to see from atop when you're trying REALLY hard to just not fall off. So I THOUGHT I could just jump on an English saddle a few times and be fine but it seems I've gotten used to the bulk and security of my western saddle, he's gotten used to a shanked bit, and it's going to take some serious work to get us comfortable in English. This is not something I anticipated because I STARTED riding English and didn't even take a western lesson until fall of 2007 when I started riding here. I used to HATE how western saddles felt so stiff and bulky. I guess the tables have turned and this means a LOT more work is ahead. I think I like the saddle, though. I wasn't uncomfortable, just weird.
Once I get new leathers (I was using my god-awful old cheap ones and they were not comfy) I will schedule a private lesson with KAT and that should put us on the right track..... I hope. Maybe I was doing to wrong? Riding my WP horse like my old Arab hunters? I'll see if she thinks we should concentrate on one discipline for this first year or if she thinks I should try to do both. One would certainly be cheaper, but would make going to a show for one class a little expensive.
I haven't ridden in an English saddle in over two years. I haven't put ON and English saddle in that long and never on Junior. It took me forever to get the saddle on and in a position I thought was correct. It seemed really far back and the girth looked like it was reaching forward, plus the saddle blanket was sitting funny. I had to pick up the front end of it otherwise the girth keepers were too far back. The pictures are BEFORE I rode. When I went to mount the saddle slid off towards me. Ooops thought it was tight. I moved it again and it wanted to be even further back. KAT saw it and said she liked it and that I had it fit correctly. I made it as tight as I could get it on the stiff billets. This new saddle has barely been ridden in - the plastic for the tag is still on the saddle. I LOVE the color. I mounted but still felt like it was loose. I eventually got him to stand still and I took it up one more hole.
Here is where the reality check comes in: I've been planning to show him in WP and HUS. I THINK we've been making really good progress, I even loped him this week one handed and he did pretty well. Probably not in the ribbons, but respectable progress. Now, here I am THINKING I will only use an English saddle for a few lessons and then at shows and that he'll be so used to working in frame he'll be fine in a snaffle. Um. Yeah. NO. Neither of us passed this test. When I started riding I felt just like I did when I took a lesson after not riding for about 5 years. SACK O' POTATOES. You can see that it's not the deepest seat available, but it's certainly NOT racing flat, but I was VERY unbalanced and insecure. It doesn't help that he hasn't been ridden in a plain (slow twist) snaffle since December and I could NOT get him into frame. I got about a half a lap of JOG in proper frame a few times, but when I would ask for extension he would pop his head up. I do not think the saddle was ill fitting or that he was uncomfortable, I think he was confused why I was using some contact and asking him to trot out. He has been going so nice and slow at the jog without much interference from me so I think he was saying "what the hell lady?! You're giving me bit contact and leg - doesn't that mean you want me to stay at the same gait, slow down and get in frame? And why are you bouncing? What's with the bouncing? And why can I feel every little movement of your legs and shouldn't I be weaving around if I LISTEN to those floppy legs of yours?!?" I'm not sure if HE'S ever had an English saddle on either and my guess is NO.
On the bright side I actually thought our canter wasn't all bad, but I could be wrong, it's hard to see from atop when you're trying REALLY hard to just not fall off. So I THOUGHT I could just jump on an English saddle a few times and be fine but it seems I've gotten used to the bulk and security of my western saddle, he's gotten used to a shanked bit, and it's going to take some serious work to get us comfortable in English. This is not something I anticipated because I STARTED riding English and didn't even take a western lesson until fall of 2007 when I started riding here. I used to HATE how western saddles felt so stiff and bulky. I guess the tables have turned and this means a LOT more work is ahead. I think I like the saddle, though. I wasn't uncomfortable, just weird.
Once I get new leathers (I was using my god-awful old cheap ones and they were not comfy) I will schedule a private lesson with KAT and that should put us on the right track..... I hope. Maybe I was doing to wrong? Riding my WP horse like my old Arab hunters? I'll see if she thinks we should concentrate on one discipline for this first year or if she thinks I should try to do both. One would certainly be cheaper, but would make going to a show for one class a little expensive.
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