Our Horse Curly

This is fun?

2012-01-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Pony Club and Horsemasters took advantage of the recently clear weather and went on a trail ride at Bennington Lake. E and I were both very excited to join in; I love a chance to ride somewhere other than the arena at our barn and I'm sure the horses like the change as well.

Group shot, with Molly's ears in the foreground (Isn't she a great photographer?) ;)

I wasn't worried about taking Zoe (or Monte, for that matter) up to the reservoir since they have both been before, and we actually had a decent ride then. So my nerves were not jingling as we loaded up. (I'm basically trying to say that my energy was calm, so my horse shouldn't have gotten anything spooky from me....)

The moment we unloaded, Zoe started to jig and dance around. Just getting her tacked up was a bit of a challenge, but I thought that once I got on her and we started moving she would begin to calm. Boy was I wrong! And by the way, Monte really wasn't much better...

There were about 10 other riders going along with us. Most were calm; only Zoe, Monte, a Tennessee Walker and a very green Morgan were having any visible issues. Right away my girl decided she needed to be near the lead, but not actually in the lead. The baby Morgan got that position. But I had to work to keep Zoe off his tail; I felt like I was yanking on her mouth almost the entire ride! I tried keeping her busy, side passing back and forth, but she was still frequently jigging and spooking.

Monte decided that he needed to be right behind Zoe. But she decided she hated him and actually kicked out at him a few times when he got too near! (That's not a fun feeling, by the way, having your horse kick out while you're on them.) It's safe to say I had one of the worst behaved horses on the trail.

Luckily, there were no run-away moments for Zoe and I. E did have to dismount once when Monte just plain refused to go down a somewhat icy/slick hill. Zoe stumbled and fell to her knees at one point (she was too busy watching imaginary monsters and didn't pay attention to the trail!), which scared me a bit, but we quickly recovered.

On the final stretch of trail (about the last 100') a dog jumped up in the brush. That was pretty much the last straw for Zoe; I could feel her bunching up under me, so I dismounted and chose to walk her down to the parking lot. I had to remind her of her ground manners, but once we did a little re-schooling (only about 20 seconds), she was her wonderful self again.

If only I had had that wonderful pony for the rest of the ride!

A friend taking pictures commented that even though I claimed this was a far from stellar ride, I am smiling in every single picture she got of me. What can I say? Any moment spent on my horse makes me deliriously, irrationally happy! This is true in lessons as well. All the other students will be so serious and stone-faced and there I am, laughing and talking to my horse the whole time.

I'm crazy, I know. ;)

...And to answer the first question: Yes! This is fun!

Pig Pen

2012-01-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Zoe, rolling in her favorite dirt spot in her pasture.

Remember the character from the Snoopy cartoons, Pig Pen? Always dirty and traveling around in his own cloud of dust? Lately, it seems that my Zoe is channeling her inner-Pig Pen full time!

Even after a full brush-down, she is still dirtier than most of the other horses at the barn before they are groomed! My mare just loves to roll in the dirt. It's the first thing she does whenever she is put into her pasture and by looking at her muddy coat, I assume it is a favorite activity throughout the day as well. :)

I love watching the horses stand up. Such an awkward process, actually.

Christmas boots

2012-01-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last November or December, Zoe actually cut up the heel bulb on one of her front hooves during a ride. She has a wonderful, full stride but sometimes overreaches a bit and clips her front hooves with the hind. I'm sure this can't feel all that great and it definitely could lead to infection, so I needed to have a way to prevent this in the future.

So for Christmas I specifically requested some bell boots to protect those precious feet. :) And look at the wonderful boots E picked out! (Tiger stripes makes total sense since she still sleeps with a giant stuffed tiger every night.)

I also got a new helmet (Yeah! My very own helmet!) and some very nice riding gloves. It was a great Christmas, indeed.

Making it last

2011-12-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Zoe is now wearing a coat of many colors on the coldest days.

You can just see the patches on Zoe's blanket.

The fur on the right belongs to her pasture mate, Cami. :)

It irks me to no end that our horse blankets end up being fairly useless after one, maybe two, years. I get that the horses are hard on them but since the darn things cost so much, I've been attempting to fix the rips.

Last year, I tried mending them with thread and needle. That was only somewhat successful. This year, I'm trying nylon patches I found at the local fabric store that are meant for tents, umbrellas, etc. They are cheap, waterproof and the best part, no sewing required! Just peel off the back and stick them on.

So far they seem to be holding (although, she's only worn her blanket a handful of days). I have learned that the area I stick the patch to needs to be clean-ish; it appears that dirt doesn't help the patch adhere to the blanket. :)

It's getting better!

2011-12-03T08:03:00.001-08:00

Wow! I have been quite delinquent in my blogging and so much has happened in my horsey-world.

A couple of weeks ago Elizabeth Anderson was up from California visiting her sister (a dear friend of mine). And lucky for me, Elizabeth agreed to give me a couple of lessons while she was here! Now, I've only had instruction from 2 or 3 people, but I've watched E with many more instructors...and I have to say that I clicked with Elizabeth the best out of any of them. It was amazing!

Our first task was to teach Zoe (and me!) to walk/trot/canter in the round pen. As Elizabeth said, Zoe has been "leading the dance" and it is time for me to take control of her feet and her pace. Easier said than done. :) With practice, however, Zoe and I are getting better at this; I can consistently get her to transition between trot and canter. Getting a walk is challenging, but we will eventually get it! After working with Zoe on this before each ride, I have found that I have a more willing, less "rushy" horse. Just this one thing has changed my rides for the better so much.

When tacking up, Elizabeth had me change back to the French link (I had begun using the curb/Kimberwick again a week or two before, to get some control back). I was a little nervous about this, but she's right that I need to learn to ride my horse correctly and not rely on tack to do the job for me.

Our second task was to work on my seat and position. Elizabeth really had me concentrate on where my seat bones were and how I was sitting in the saddle at all times. The visualizations she gave me really clicked in my mind and by shifting my body just a bit this way and that, Zoe and I achieved a more synchronous ride. I have so much more control over my horse's pace and direction and I can actually (finally!) feel when I should be posting! Yeah, a major breakthrough for me!

Now don't go thinking that we are ready to start competing or anything; I am still very much a beginner and quite frankly, I can barely keep myself together for more than a few seconds at a time.....but it's a beginning.

After Elizabeth left, I had another lesson with Patti Jo. Towards the end of our hour we were doing an exercise that involved small 10 meter circles and for a brief moment (5 or 10 seconds) it ALL finally came together! Zoe was going smoothly, back rounded up, nose down, and I was in the right place as well.

It was heaven! I could feel the difference and I want more of it! :)

Unfortunately, I haven't had many rides this week (I went from 3x a week to 0x! Yikes!) Cold weather and mud season are fast approaching. In fact, here's a pic of my princess, in all her grimy glory!

This is what I find most days when I arrive at the barn now - a dirty, muddy horse. There's no quick grooming these days!

Other big news: I finally posted Monte on DreamHorse. It is so hard to sell our little guy, I just love him so much. But it really is time to find him a good home...of course, that may take a while (which is okay with me 'cause that means I can have that many more pony-snuggles with him!). :)

Why can't you just walk?

2011-11-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Zoe has been more than a handful the past couple of rides. She is so full of energy, I can barely keep her to a walk. I made up my mind that I wouldn't allow her to trot until I achieved a decent walk and stop. Yesterday it took almost 10 minutes to get her to fully stop at the mounting block while I got on and another full 30 minutes to get a single circuit of the round pen at the walk....we never did try (purposefully) trotting - although she had trotted plenty! I was so frustrated with her at that point that I wanted to get off at the first "good moment" I could find. After talking to E about my not-so-fun ride, we both decided that perhaps I should go back to the harsher (Western curb) bit for a while to re-establish some control over my rushing, headstrong horse. Crossing my fingers that that helps.

Catherine has been riding Monte fairly regularly. She seems to enjoy riding him and even commented that he is easier than Zoe, which I would agree is true in some respects. He is much more willing to please his rider and he is super responsive to the slightest cue. It's really just his spookiness that makes him a non-beginner horse.

Back to work, Monte!

2011-10-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Catherine wasn't too happy this past Sunday about my decision to take Zoe back for my own use. She really enjoys my pony (Well, she is rather fabulous!) and didn't think the other horses being offered would measure up.

After considering her choices (Monte or Dawn for Sunday's lesson, possibly Sally for future use if neither of those suited), she decided to give Monte a try. I talked her through some of his quirks (spooky, fast, headstrong) and warned her to be aware of any pain he might experience in his withers. Her host-mom was very nervous when I told Catherine that he would try to seriously buck her off if she ignored his pain-signals. I was nervous because I know that Monte performs best with a very light hand - and I wasn't sure Catherine would give him that. I didn't know what his reaction would be to her more aggressive riding style....

I watched just a bit of their lesson with Patti Jo, holding my breath the whole time. As I expected, Monte was not very happy with the stronger hands and signals, and let his displeasure be known by giving little crow-hops, bolting and shaking his head. But Catherine was able to get him back, make him tuck his chin and perform as he should. It didn't look like a fun ride to me (way too much work!) but she seemed to enjoy it. Go figure!

I don't know if she'll continue to use Monte. She was surprised that he knew as much as he does; I think from hearing other conversations about Monte, she had assumed he was a very naughty, untrained animal, which is so not true! He's just not the easiest horse to ride. I told Catherine that if she gave it time and developed a relationship with him, Monte would give her everything he had. He really is a special little horse who wants to work hard for the one he connects with.

Lovin' my birthday present

2011-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law generously sent me some money for my birthday this year - which I promptly spent on some tack!

I purchased a new black leather bridle and a French-link bit for Zoe, and I love them! The black looks wonderful against her white/gray fur and it is much more supple than the cheaper-quality one I had been using. I also got a new dressage saddle pad (white with gold trim, of course!) and a couple of other little items. There was also a new saddle pad for Monte - a nice, thick one that will hopefully ease some of his wither woes.

Zoe and I have been struggling the past week or so. She now believes that whenever a saddle is placed on her back and she enters the big arena it is time to run, run, run. E and I spent an hour on Tuesday just trying to get her to lower her pretty little nose, round up her back and give us her nice trot. I could barely keep her to a walk and E had difficulty getting her to perform a controlled trot; neither of us let her go into anything resembling a canter.

It wasn't a fun ride.

But we will work through this and get her back to where she was.

E rode Monte as well and declared that he is healthy - and lazy. She thoroughly enjoyed her pony.

Transitions

2011-10-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

I managed to get three rides on Zoe this week - that may be a record for me!

After riding her on Monday, I decided it is imperative that I ride her frequently if I want to be sure she maintains her responsiveness and softness to my cues. With another person using her (who rides very differently than I do) Zoe is picking up what I consider bad habits. I found her to be rushing and less sensitive to my directions - both things I DO NOT want!

So during yesterday's ride I began the (somewhat boring) exercise of working on transitions. Zoe was choosing to not immediately transition up or down to either the trot or walk when I would ask. After a bit of work (maybe 30 minutes), we were working more in sync again and she was doing as asked most of the time. She still was rushing and jumping into her bouncy trot...but that's a problem for another day!

Catherine rides Zoe at least 2 times a week - and rides her hard! Cathy has even moved her into a new pasture, with lush grass to fatten her up a bit. I think the exercise is good for my horse, but the practice of running Zoe full-out without maintaining softness or control is showing up in undesirable ways.

Stephanie, the chiropractor, is coming out on Monday to do an adjustment on Monte. Assuming, he's back to full, pain-free, health after that, I think I will ask Catherine to transition over to him. He needs the exercise, plus I think he would be a great challenge for her.

I wonder how she'll feel about moving on from Zoe.....

Green snot

2011-09-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was E's last official 4-H ride. She decided a while back that she didn't want to continue in the club once she started high school - a reasonable choice given the number of extracurricular activities and amount of just plain school work she has. Last night the club hosted its yearly potluck/awards ride night. E wanted to take Zoe since Monte is still plagued with a sore back (we have a call in to the chiropractor).

As she was loading up her tack, E heard Zoe coughing in the trailer. Being a little concerned we all peered in the windows and saw what appeared to be coughs caused by choking. E had hung a hay bag up in the trailer to give Zoe something to munch on while we drove out to the ride...and it seemed that Ms. Zoe gobbled down her treat too fast, causing her to choke on some.

We quickly unloaded the horse and watched anxiously as she coughed so much that green yuck came out of her nose. E ran to ask a visiting vet/instructor who happened to be in the arena just what the heck we should do. She was told to get Zoe's head down if possible and try to get her to drink some water to help with any obstruction in her throat.

Zoe was distressed and a bit panicky at this point - and still coughing green slime out her nose. I found a syringe and forced her to drink some water (about 180 cc's worth). About then her coughing subsided and she seemed to be okay. We put her into her stall to keep her from eating anything for a while....and then loaded up Monte and headed off to the ride night. All of this took about 30 to 40 minutes.

Upon return from the 4-H ride, we checked on Zoe and decided that she was just fine. I might have a new gray hair or two, but the horse is going to be okay. :)

Zoe has been used quite a bit lately by our foreign exchange student friend, Catherine. Catherine is a very good rider and has been schooling Zoe in jumping. I have noticed a change in Zoe, however. Her responses to my cues aren't as quick or as easy as they used to be; she just seems less reactive/responsive than before. I knew that this would probably happen to some extent, but it does make me a little sad. In hopes of stopping this change in Zoe, I have decided to ask Catherine to use a gentler bit while riding her(a french link); since Catherine is tighter with the reins than I am, perhaps this will help me regain some of that soft feeling that's been lost.

Going down the trail....

2011-09-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my first time riding Zoe outside of our arena. I decided it was time to just suck it up, get over the fear and head on down the trail on my pony...and she was fabulous!

E has taken her to the reservoir one other time (and I believe she has been there with her previous owner) and discovered that Zoe, while not the most courageous horse, did okay. Her biggest quirk is that she insists on being behind another horse. As soon as she is in front, she just stops. No spooking or jigging....just. stops. and. waits. Once another horse (Monte in this case) is in front she's more than willing to move forward. Funny girl.

We did have a little spooking incident before I got on her. Don't know what caused it, but she ended up stepping on my left foot, bruising my big toe. It isn't a serious injury and didn't even delay our ride more than the few moments it took to take off my boot to make sure I wasn't bleeding. (I wasn't.)

It's been a busy month of competing at the fair and starting school. E and Monte weren't able to compete in the Western disciplines at fair this year; we discovered that his saddle is causing him pain (sitting too low in front, pinching his withers/shoulders a little...and he's a sensitive guy!). This would explain some of the bad behavior he's exhibited the last few times E's used the western tack. It all hurt the poor boy!

Zoe is being used by a third rider recently - an exchange student from France who is living with a Pony Club friend. She's quite taken with my pony and announced yesterday after their lesson together that if she were to live here, she would buy Zoe! I smiled and said, "Ah, but she's not for sale." :) It makes me happy that someone else loves my pony too, though.

To sell or not to sell....

2011-07-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is the question. I have begun to tell people that our lovely pony is available, and even emailed one family about him (crying the whole time I typed the message!). I also have a flyer extolling his virtues ready to go - and then E put a small kink in the process.

She rode Monte last Wednesday for the first time since June 12. And promptly fell back in love with her pony. During the trip back home from the barn she suggested that she should keep Monte and just give up jumping. Work with the horse she has (and loves) and limit their activities to things they can do together safely and successfully.

How can I argue with that logic?

Lookin' for shade

2011-07-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought we had the sunburn thing under control but then I started to feel sorry for Monte, wearing that hot fly sheet in the blazing sun. He was roasting under it! So a few days ago, I tried letting him spend a day with tons of sunblock and no sheet...big mistake. The poor pony got another nasty burn in the same location on his neck.

Beginning yesterday, he will now have to spend the days in the barn and his nights in the pasture. And he was NOT HAPPY about that arrangement at all! We actually had to move him into an interior stall with a solid door because he was attempting to jump over the chain blocking him in his normal run. I'm really hoping that he adjusts to this new routine quickly because I hate to see him so unhappy.

Other big Monte news: E and I have decided that it is time to find a new home for Monte. She is just too tall to ride him over jumps safely; he struggles to stay balanced as they go over the standards since there is just so much of her poised over his neck. I now find that I am just as sad as E about letting him go - in fact, I've been delaying posting him for sale online for over a week now, and I'm sure it's because I don't want him to leave our little family.

Now that the decision to sell Monte has been made, E has transitioned over to using Zoe almost exclusively. Luckily, Zoe is a great horse and it's no hardship to have to use her instead of E's fabulous pony! :)

The only hard part for E (and Zoe) is that Zoe has never jumped, so E will have to help her learn this new skill. So far, E is finding it difficult to be patient with Zoe, who is a very careful horse and hence very hesitant to charge over these poles we keep placing in front of her! But in the end, I think that carefulness will make her an awesome jumper - and she already has the dressage part down pat.....

Sunburns and headaches

2011-06-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

E is still banned from riding. Her headaches are less severe and take a little longer to appear, but she does still get them whenever she exerts herself. Poor kid.....

Monte is probably okay with this break, though. He has gotten very sun-sensitive and has a nasty sunburn on his neck and his nose.

There are little cracks on Monte's nose from too much sun....

...and his neck is very pink and peeling profusely in sections.

We have been going out to the barn every morning to apply sunblock and to put his fly sheet on him for additional protection....and then we trudge back out again in the evening to take the sheet off. So far he's only burned those two places - hoping they'll heal soon and that we'll avoid any further burns. Poor horse.....

Recognizing the problem...

2011-06-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

....is the first step, right? Okay, so it's not really a "problem" but I am finally beginning to understand what I'm doing wrong as I attempt to post while trotting. Like using my feet and stirrups to propel me up rather than my thighs and knees. And not keeping my leg on her the whole time (which goes back to using the stirrups too much). I also can't keep the rhythm of the up-down motion going for very long - I usually end up bouncing along within a few strides.

But I'm determined to get it eventually! This has become my goal for the summer - learn to post a trot. On my horse. (As opposed to someone else's - Zoe has such a smooth stride that I don't always feel when I should be up and when I should be down! The motion is much more prominent on other horses I've ridden recently.)

I had a lesson with Pat this past Sunday; she hasn't seen me ride in a couple of months and was surprised at how "brave" I had become - she was with me during my first few rides, remember? I no longer begin to hyperventilate when asking for a trot and am actually beginning to look like a real rider. It's nice to look back and see some growth.

E and I have had to cancel our Deary horse camp plans. She had her "big running test" to determine if she was healed enough to ride - and didn't pass. After running a mere .5 miles, she had a headache....that promptly disappeared once her heart rate was back to normal. It's pretty clear that her brain is still recovering. She was sad to miss out - this is one of the big highlights of the Pony Club year for her, but the risk of serious brain trauma is just not worth it.

Monte is dealing with a sunburn on his neck right now. We have begun going out to the barn each morning to put a fly sheet and some sun block on him, and then back out each evening to take it off. Poor guy! It's supposed to get up to 90 today and I'm sure that sheet is making him hot, hot, hot. I think it's kind of ironic that we don't blanket for the majority of the winter but will end up sheeting him the whole summer!

Really??? Another head injury???

2011-06-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

E participated in a clinic with Victoria Cliff on Sunday, riding a flat lesson on Zoe and then a jumping lesson on Monte.

The first lesson, the flat one, was beautiful. E and Zoe looked wonderful together and made all the movements seem easy. E was able to get Zoe to round up into her trot and to carry her head in a nice position for most of the lesson - and Zoe appeared to be enjoying the work for the most part.

The second lesson, on Monte, started out okay but quickly went south. As usual, Monte was rushing a little and while they were cantering around the arena in a warm-up exercise his hooves struck a patch of loose dirt over hard-pack. Monte's feet slid out from under him and he fell completely on his side, taking a bit of skin off his left shoulder in the process.

E fell with him, of course, and ended up with a mouth full of dirt and a banged up shoulder, jaw and head. My first concern was another concussion, but her eyes looked fine and she was coherent and as stable as a person can be after having a 900 lb. animal fall on them. And she actually wanted to get back up on Monte - such a brave child! (Monte, by the way, stood quietly by us the whole time we were examining E - very unusual for him to not bolt after a scare! But maybe that's because this wasn't really a fright/flight situation.)

So she spit out some dirt (literally!), took a drink of water, wiped the worst of the dirt off her face and got back on her horse. After about 10 minutes of riding, however, E came over to the side of the arena and told me that she was feeling unbalanced - not dizzy or nauseous, but definitely "off". I told her to immediately get off the horse! (She also added that Monte was stiff as well, so she figured he was not feeling so great himself.)

After last week's concussion, we are a little freaked out about another head injury. E does have a headache again (plus she just plain aches all over!) so I am watching her carefully. We may have another trip to the doctor today - at the very least, she is scheduled for a sports physical tomorrow morning and I'll ask the doctor to check her thoroughly then.

Zoe side note: We gave Zoe a quick wash before E's lesson and she did beautifully. No nervous jigging or bad behavior at all. What a good little horse!

So much going on.....

2011-06-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Another school year done! I'm hoping that summer allows for a lot more riding (of course it will!) and that I finally begin to gain some skill riding my Zoe. I'm ready to get past the early beginner stage. :)

E hasn't had too much time with Monte recently. She took a tumble out of a hammock and got a mild concussion, so there was no riding for her for a bit. I find it ironic that she rides this wild, bucking pony but gets hurt while lying down! A week later and she still has a bit of a headache - poor kid. I let her ride yesterday in the round pen - where Monte spooked and promptly dumped her! Luckily she didn't hit her head again, but she does have a nasty bruise on her arm.

We introduced another friend to Zoe yesterday as well - a foreign exchange student from Portugal. She's going home soon and really wanted to ride a horse before she left. Surprisingly, Zoe was very calm and careful with her novice rider. But after their ride together I decided that we had probably exhausted Zoe's patience so I didn't ride her.

As we were putting her away another barn friend, Angelia, offered to lunge her horse Tantrum for me so that I could get a better feel for posting while trotting. I was plenty nervous (I mean, there has to be a reason the horse was named Tantrum!) but it turned out to be a wonderful ride. I could totally feel the lift telling me when to post out of the saddle - something I've had trouble feeling while riding Zoe because she's so smooth. We'll practice with Tantrum again - and I'll practice on Zoe too, of course.

My mom took us to see the Lipizzaner Stallions last Sunday - what a treat! A sale booth was set up at the entrance of the arena - and I immediately saw and commented on the little Breyer Lipizzaner horse. While talking to the sales guy I told him that my horse is from the Favory line, to which he replied, "They are known for their intelligence." Being the proud mama, I got all smiley and agreed that yes, my Zoe is definitely that. So silly!

It was wonderful to watch the horses and riders working together so beautifully. These horses truly are amazing. I was surprised to learn that two of the riders are local. At one point E did say that she would never attempt to ride such powerful animals, though. Their energy was a bit intimidating!

The show jumping and dressage rallies scheduled for this weekend were cancelled (darn EHV-1 outbreak!) but E will have the opportunity to ride in a clinic at our barn tomorrow. She plans to do a flat lesson on Zoe and a jumping lesson on Monte. Should be fun!

No steering required

2011-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

I'm still having trouble figuring out this whole posting thing. I'll be in sync for a few strides and then I completely fall apart and begin to just bounce along. Not very pretty and not very comfortable!

Trying to find a solution to my issues, I rode Cathy's horse Traveler on Saturday. Traveler is a very calm quarter horse who has packed many children around. He's about as opposite of Zoe as you can get in quite a few (important) ways, the most important of which for me is that he's not super responsive and hot. I had to actually kick to just get him moving at a walk, and finally resorted to using a crop to get him to pick up a trot. My legs were so tired after my short ride on him because I had to apply constant pressure to get him to go where I wanted - so much work! I found that I much prefer Zoe's reactive, seemingly psychic ways! I also discovered that I prefer to ride a horse who is "uphill" rather than downhill like Traveler; I felt like I was going to just slide down his neck whenever he put his head down!

After my ride on Traveler (in which I didn't practice posting much because it was so hard to get him to trot!), I pulled Zoe out. By this time my thigh muscles were worn out. And guess what - my ride on Zoe was one of the best I had had so far! My hunch is that the usual tension in my legs was missing, so she was happier. We trotted around a bit, but I was finding it difficult to steer and post at the same time (she still wasn't keeping a steady pace). At one point Zoe did take off into a canter for a few strides, freaking me out, but I managed to slow her back down and continue on.

On Sunday, I decided to try longing her in the arena (the round pen was occupied) and discovered that she definitely has that skill. I was able to control her speed and direction fairly easily. When another barn resident, Angelia, heard this she offered to longe Zoe while I was riding so that I could practice posting without worrying about steering. I was nervous, but soon found that this was a perfect solution. Zoe kept a better pace and stayed on a nice circle and I had time to figure out just what the heck I was supposed to do (not that I did ever get it totally right for more than a few seconds!)

I will definitely be using this method again soon!

Small town

2011-05-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I chaperoned a middle school trip to Spokane. I had the privilege of riding a school bus 2.5 hours (each way!) to go see the musical "Wicked." Totally worth it!

While chatting with other parents on the bus, it came out that we have horses. One woman, Kim, asked what kind and when I replied Arabs, she said that she had leased an Arab/Lippizaner cross. Amazed, I told her that that was what I owned, to which she asked, "Do you have Zoe?!"

Come to find out, Kim had leased Zoe for a year, learning to ride Western. It was nice to hear more about my horse (she had many of the same impressions I have had - super responsive, almost psychic in fact; hot and spooky; generally kind; very smart) She added that Zoe was pretty awful at trail riding with her and that Zoe also had a very good work ethic. Kim also said that occasionally she would unintentially do something that would elicit fancy dressage movements in Zoe. I would love to see a rider proficient in dressage ride my horse; I so want to know the extent of her talent!

"Should I stay or should I go....."

2011-05-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

The song is running through my head as E and I try to decide what to do about traveling to upcoming rallies and Deary while there's a risk of EVH1 exposure to our horses.

I got a call from Cathy last night informing me that our barn is currently closed to any in or out traffic. Two of the horses there have had indirect exposure to some horses that attended the cutting event in Utah - our friend's horses were at the fairgrounds this weekend, as were animals that had been to the Utah event a couple of weeks previously. Chances are everything will be okay, but there have been a couple of suspicious cases that are being closely watched right here in Walla Walla. So everyone is being cautious. Our vet's office isn't allowing horses onto their property and Pony Club lessons have been canceled for the time being as well.

The rallies are in mid-June, and by that time any infected horses should have already shown signs of the virus....but I'm still unsure about traveling.

So I continue to ask, "Should I stay or should I go...."

Mother's Day lessons

2011-05-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Another Sunday, another lesson. I'm loving the regularity that Horsemasters is providing. I actually let myself take time to ride...and that's the only way I will ever get any better at this activity that does not come naturally to me. :)

Learning to post has become my big challenge. Zoe and I just aren't in sync yet, which frustrates the heck out of her and makes it even harder for me to find that magical balance point that will make it all click into place. I am beginning to actually feel when I should be lifting out of the saddle - a huge breakthrough! - but then we quickly loose our rhythm and the transition back to the walk is just a train wreck.

I discovered that even though I have been using very light pressure to ask for the trot, I really can ask with much, much less force. Like I just need to think "trot" and she'll pretty much get my mental image. Such a sensitive animal!

At the end of our lesson Marla and I talked about the fact that Zoe is just not a beginner horse and that is making it more difficult for me to get the hang of it all. We finished the conversation agreeing that I really should borrow a steady-eddy horse for a little while and then move back to Zoe. Both she and I will be happier for it after all is said and done. :) Cathy has offered the use of her quarter horse, Traveller. Unlike Zoe, he is not so sensitive (I'll probably have to kick him to get a trot) and he'll be less bothered by my unbalanced seat.

As a Mother's Day present, E took a few pics of me riding - and a video even though I specifically requested that she NOT do that! But in the end I'm glad of the video because it showed me that I'm not really as awful as I thought.....

Coloring in the corner

2011-05-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have to start out by saying that riding my horse on Sunday made me deliriously happy. It wasn't a perfect ride, but any time spent with Zoe brings me great joy.

There were four of us in the lesson and I was by far the weakest rider. And this became even more apparent as Marla worked with us. She would ask the other riders to attempt some skill...and follow up her instructions with, "And Vanessa, you just walk Zoe around the middle." I wasn't bothered by this in the least and actually found it a little amusing towards the end.

A friend at school likened my lesson to the times when she teaches her class something but asks the slow kid (me!) to just go color at the back corner. :)

So I colored for most of the hour....smiling the whole time!

Headset

2011-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

E and Monte had a 4-H lesson with Anita last night. E didn't want to ride at all, but I forced her to go. Monte's outburst on Sunday is definite proof that she needs to work him several times a week.....

And by the end of the evening, E was so very glad she had gone to the ride night. They really worked on Monte's headset and Anita also instructed her on how to help him learn to use his hind quarters more since he was so heavy on the front-end for much of the night.

Plus, she just plain had fun. And that's what riding should be!

Two-point torture and other stuff

2011-04-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a crazy life! We've all been go, go, go for what feels like weeks. (My other mode this past month has been sick, sick, sick. Uhg! Worst case of the flu ever and I'm still sniffling - probably allergies now.)

So this will need to be a short, short, short post.

Spring is only beginning to arrive; the days are still relatively cool and definitely wet. Consequently, not too much time has been spent out at the barns. I did have a lesson with Marla last Sunday. I was plenty nervous about it (first time riding with her) and my high-strung, spring-fevered pony didn't calm me any. But let me back up a little.....

E had a lesson the hour before mine. Monte was feeling a bit energetic (she hadn't ridden in almost two weeks) but didn't appear unmanageable.....until they got into the arena. As soon as they got past the gate, he became a pretty good imitation of a rodeo bucking bronc. He bucked about half-way 'round the arena before she got a chance to attempt an emergency dismount, and just as she started to dismount, he bucked again, making her fall to the ground. (She was okay, just shaken, although she did end up with a nice bruise on her shoulder.)

He then proceeded to run like a crazed animal around the whole arena several times, going so fast that he actually fell on a corner. It took a few minutes before E could catch him. We thought something must be wrong, but the instructor (also a vet) checked him over and declared that he was fine....and that E needed to work him so that he didn't learn he could get away with such awful behavior.

So E decided to go on with her lesson and Monte behaved beautifully for the remainder of the afternoon. Go figure.

After seeing all this, and then having my pony start out all high-headed in the round pen, I was plenty nervous. But once she was tacked up and I was in the saddle, Zoe settled nicely. My first challenge of the day was to ride her from the dressage arena (where I was warming up) past the various wood piles (where all the trolls and gremlins live, according to Zoe) to the big arena for my lesson. And we did it! I know, sounds minor, but really it gave me a bit of a confidence boost.

And then the two-point torture began. :) Marla asked us to get into a two-point position and ride...and ride and ride and ride. This is the first time I've ever done this, so I was plenty off-balance. Zoe was not appreciative of my beginner ways and about half-way through the lesson began to lose patience with me. I was able to stay in two-point for most of the hour, though, and even managed to trot while perched on my stirrups. This was a lesson where a steady-eddy schooling horse would have been nice. Zoe is so reactive that any shift in my balance caused her to change her pace....which then made it even harder for me to maintain my balance!

By the end of the lesson I was noodle-legged and could barely walk upright. :)

And I will no longer give E a hard time when she has a lesson like this and then complains. I have a new appreciation for the skills she makes seem so easy.....

Off the couch

2011-04-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

I've been down with a nasty flu virus for over a week now. After E got sick during the clinic, I was doing okay until Monday morning, then it hit me like a truck full of bricks. I literally stayed on the couch for 5 days, feeling like I was going to die.

But Horsemasters started last Sunday and nothing was keeping me from my horse! I got dressed (first time out of pj's in a week!), groomed my horse (hope no one looked too closely at her!) and climbed into the saddle for a lesson. I only lasted 30 minutes before exhaustion got the best of me, but I was so happy it didn't matter. Riding my horse definitely has a restorative effect on me.

Clinic Weekend

2011-03-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a big fundraiser clinic weekend for our pony club. We hosted Jim Briggs and invited participants from all over the region to take a lesson or two with him. E was signed up for both a jumping and a flat lesson with him.

Unfortunately, Monte was not up to the task of jumping by Saturday; his withers were still painful under saddle, so she decided to not use him for the lesson. Luckily, we board at a barn with many generous owners of many capable horses. E rode a pony (who really is a pony!) named Oscar on Saturday.

E and Oscar

Now Oscar has a bit of a reputation around the barn. He's not exactly a beginner horse - you could rightfully call him "Oscar the Grouch" - but he does know his stuff. He's very headstrong and takes a strong rider to make him go through his paces, however. After her ride, E compared him to Curly in that it took quite a bit of strength in both her arms and legs to keep Oscar doing what she wanted. Not exactly a willing partner, you see.

To make this all harder for E, she started to get pretty sick in the morning and by the time she rode her lesson she was achy and feverish. But she insisted on going through with the lesson. Oh, and it was cold and rainy. Not exactly ideal conditions.

But they did it. Oscar did not refuse any jumps and did a respectable job on the course. E managed to get through the lesson before collapsing in the truck. And Oscar's owner was quite happy that her pony had behaved well and redeemed himself, even if only a tiny bit, in the eyes of the spectators.

Sunday's lesson was impossible for E (high fever, sore throat, etc.), so we gave it to our barn owner C. Ends up that the lesson was pretty miserable since it was full-on raining and the horses were a little nutty. C's horse Maxwell bolted at one point and dumped her in the corner of the arena - a scary moment to say the least. But all was well in the end and the clinic has been deemed a success.

We will have the chiropractor out again to take a look at Monte. I think it's just lingering muscle pain, but we want to be sure.

Little Big Man

2011-03-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Monte is a pony...okay, he's really a "small horse" since Arabians can be below 14.3 hands and still be considered a horse. But in his mind, he's the big guy in the field.

Consequently, he frequently feels the need to assert himself with the other horses pastured with him. This would be all well and good if he were the head honcho...but he's not, really, and in the process of being put back in his place he sometimes gets hurt. Nothing serious, just a few scrapes and the occasional pulled muscle.

We think that is what happened recently. Last Friday, E saddled him up for a fun ride but as soon as she tightened the cinch on her Western saddle he became a bucking fiend. Luckily she was able to quickly loosen the straps and get the offending tack off of his back - also luckily, this all happened before she got on his back! We've seen him buck before, but this was a show worthy of the broncs in the rodeo.

It was quickly discovered that he had extreme pain in his withers, so a call was made to the chiropractor. We finally had our session with her yesterday afternoon (yes, the poor boy had to suffer for 5 days!) and the relief he felt was almost immediate.

He had a very worried look in his eyes when the chiropractor began but as soon as she did a few seconds of work on his shoulders and then his withers, he relaxed, gave a big sigh, and closed his eyes. He started to fall asleep by the end of her visit.

E is hoping that he is back to 100% by Saturday; she is signed up to ride in a clinic with Jim Briggs and wants to ride her pony rather than mine. Don't blame her, really, since she does happen to have a pretty awesome little guy.

3/26 update: Monte is still hurting - poor boy. So E will be riding Zoe for the Jim Briggs clinic, which is fine for the flat, but questionable for the jumping. Oh, and C corrected me about Monte not being big-man-in-the-field. She says that although he doesn't kick and bite the others as much as another pair out there, he does "growl" at them quite a bit and they all pretty much get out of his way. But unlike most other alphas, he doesn't mind not being first to go in for dinner. So she called him a "benevolent leader." Ha! Benevolent is not a word I would ever have thought to use to describe Monte. :) I kinda think it might have to do with the fact that he defers to the human handling the horses and if that human says he has to go last, then last he will go. Now that's a well-trained pony!

Ambivalence

2011-03-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

E is a busy girl. She has lots of school activities and projects as well as being a part of two horse groups and having a weekend job. Next year will probably be even busier since she plans to add debate team and more music/choral stuff to the schedule. She's even talking about trying out for a team sport at the high school.

And some days, she just really doesn't want to go out to the barn. I get that.

But she also has a pony who really needs to be kept busy. He's not the sort you can leave in a pasture for several weeks and then expect to have a good ride. Ideally, he should be ridden at a minimum of three times a week; we usually manage two. And both of those are usually for a club meeting/lesson, not because she wants to go out and practice some skill or even just ride around for the fun of it.

So here's the rub: given the horse she has, along with the big investment we've made in the sport of horseback riding in general, I really think she should willingly, happily and eagerly be wanting to interact with Monte several times a week. I don't want to have to drag her there like I did yesterday. In the end I think she had a very good time out at the barn, but I don't think it's right that I have to initially force her in that direction.

Consequently, I have a bit of a "deadline" in my head these days. If E doesn't get over this ambivalence she has about horses by the end of summer, I think we will seriously consider selling Monte. I can't justify the expense of keeping a horse "just in case" she might want to ride. She has to show some commitment and step up to the responsibility of owning this animal.

(If we did sell Monte, I would be happy to share Zoe with her for those times she might want to ride, btw. I don't want to deprive her fully of the joy of riding. It's just that since we don't own our own property and have to pay monthly board, keeping a horse for those occasional riding moments is too darn expensive!)

Off topic, but when I rode Zoe yesterday she had a major spook moment, dropping and bolting to the side for a few steps before I could stop her. Funny thing is, I didn't really get all that scared. I had a bit of an adrenaline rush, but no lingering fear or racing heart. I stayed on and kept walking her around the round pen, trying to get her to approach the gremlin-spot (not very successfully, I might add). Overall, it was a great ride for me as I saw that I can manage her spooks.

Road trip for Zoe

2011-03-09T06:42:00.001-08:00

The horses had all their shots on Monday, so when we pulled Monte out for 4-H last night I wasn't too terribly surprised that he wasn't feeling so hot. When E took him into the round pen prior to loading him in the trailer, he was practically dragging his head on the ground. Kinda scary actually - I'm so used to his high energy! There are several horses that have had varying degrees of adverse reactions to the shots, however, so I understood why he was feeling the way he was.

Zoe, on the other hand, did not have any noticeable reaction to the shots, so E and I made a quick decision to take her to 4-H instead. E had to pull her out of her stall and away from her dinner and Zoe made her displeasure over this disruption apparent by kicking out at E. Not a great way to begin an adventure! But the horse settled down in the round pen (E wanted to make sure Zoe had a brain before making the final commitment to riding her!) and loaded into the trailer fairly well. Of course, a manger of hay in there helped considerably. :)

Neither of us had high expectations for this ride night. Zoe has led an easy life these last few months, with little being asked of her. We were also taking her to a new arena, with new horses and people. All of these factors combined did not build a solid foundation for the promise of a smooth ride. But Zoe surprised us! She only had one incident of spooking (the traffic cone in the arena was going to eat her and caused her to back up several feet, snorting the whole way) and really gave E a nice ride. Being that she is so out of shape, E did have to finish up a lot sooner than she would of on Monte, but that ended up being okay too since our trailer buddy was riding a young horse who also pooped out after an hour of work.

I'm so glad that Zoe proved to be adaptable enough for E to use in a pinch!

Finally spring?

2011-03-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend totally feels like spring - 30s at night, 40s to 50s during the day. And sunshine! That's the best part, having sun shining on your shoulders until well after 5:00 p.m..

I didn't plan on riding today but when I got out to the barn this morning it was just too nice to not pull Zoe out and at least groom her. And if I'm going to groom her, well I might as well as lunge her...and if I'm going to lunge her I might as well saddle her up and get on!

Really, she was just so cooperative and sweet that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hop on for a short ride. I think the high strung, spooky horse I've been experiencing the past month or so must have been the result of her cycling into heat combined with a bit of windy, variable weather. Today she calmly waited for me to put on her halter, was attentive while we walked, and even lowered her head for me during bridling. What a good pony!

E also took a short turn on her and managed to make Zoe sweat a bit. Zoe is in much better shape, though, and was able to maintain a canter for a longer period of time. She's not quite as flabby when she runs past now. :)

Zoe did give a little buck when E cantered in the left lead. Nothing major - I'm sure even I could have sat it. E says you can totally feel Zoe rounding her back just before she tries to buck, so you have plenty of warning. We think she might be a little bit sore and was complaining about the cantering. Just a guess though.....

Lots of Pony Club happenings these days. I'm coordinating our region's Quiz rally, which will be taking place next weekend. Looking forward to the event - and to its conclusion! :) I also joined Horsemasters, the adult version of Pony Club. I'm totally looking forward to riding on a regular basis with other adults. We'll start taking Sunday lessons along with the kiddos in a couple of weeks.

Getting jiggy with it...

2011-02-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

E and her 4-H club went out to a local trail last Monday to change things up a bit. I had planned to join them, but another member needed a ride so I gave up the trailer space to her horse - the ride really was for the kids, not me. :)

Monte was a wild-eyed pony from the moment E backed him out of the trailer to pretty much the end of the ride. She had to deal with his constant jigging and trotting the entire ride....although he did finally give her a calm walk once the trailer was back in sight.

I asked her how it went, thinking she must have hated the ride, and was surprised to hear her say that she actually had fun. The child (seems strange to call my 6' daughter a child now!) has come to love the energy her pony has. She likes having to actually ride and work as opposed to just sitting on her horse, and enjoys the challenge Monte poses. In her own words: "I like that I can ride a horse that most people can't."

Horse camp in June is an eventing rally - which is a form of terror for Monte. Go out in the woods, by myself???!!! He's not the bravest of creatures. There are several other riders at our barn who regularly trailer to various locations - and they have offered to take E and Monte along. He needs the practice and exposure.

By the time E decides to sell him, Monte is going to be a wonderful, all-around horse...

Spring Tune Up

2011-02-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

I was told when I purchased Zoe that at one time she had actually competed in dressage events along the West coast. For the last few years, however, she has been packing beginners like myself around, never being asked to use those skills learned oh-so-long-ago.

I decided a little while back that I'd like to make sure Zoe doesn't completely devolve to my level. It would just be a big shame, really. So I'm supporting a local teenager, paying her ride and exercise Zoe this spring. Teenagers always need a little cash (so do adults!) and my horse really does need to remember that she does indeed know how to look beautiful under saddle.

G had her first ride on Zoe yesterday. The arenas - even the round pen - are terribly wet again, so she was limited to a few grassy areas at the barn. Zoe wasn't too sure about this new person on her back, but she was relatively well behaved. The challenge for G is to learn Zoe's cues; G has learned her considerable skills from Western trainers predominantly. I don't think Zoe is drastically different, but there are still some differences. Like asking for a canter - and unfortunately, I'm not much help in telling G how to get the response she seeks from my horse.

In the end, though, I think this will be a good experience for both rider and horse. :)

Slow ride

2011-02-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for the past week (flu bug) and am still feeling bone-weary most days. Decided I needed some horse-hugs on Sunday though.

Zoe must have sensed my low energy. She was (surprisingly) cooperative and sweet while I groomed her and again when I lunged her. And when I finally started riding, she calmly walked, never spooking.

As I finished up, I asked E if she wanted to take a quick ride since Zoe was all saddled up and ready to go. What's funny, though, is that once E and Zoe went out into the arena, my calm little pony was seen no more. I guess she figured E wasn't sick and didn't need the coddling that I had required. :)

The Present Truck Arrived!

2011-02-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

And it brought my new saddle! WoooHooo! We were in the midst of preparations for the monthly neighborhood soup night we host at our house when it arrived but I didn't care - I immediately ripped off all the wrappings to see my new treasure. I was so excited.

I was on cloud 9 all day after riding my pony!
Note the tag still hanging from the girth. :)

I tried it out yesterday and I love it. I bought a Wintec Isabell dressage saddle with the CAIR system. It was so comfy and soft, I think I could ride all day. Before purchasing this saddle I agonized over what type to get. I've really only ever ridden Western and like the safe, surrounded feeling I get when sitting in those saddles. I was afraid that I would feel like I was precariously perched on top of my horse in any type of English saddle, but I discovered that this dressage saddle (all dressage saddles?) gave me a sense of security similar to the Western saddles.

Zoe was a bit of a pill when I pulled her out of the field. She kicked out at me so closely that her back hooves tangled in the lead rope I was twirling and pulled it out of my hands. Rather scary - so I made her REALLY work before letting her rest. Bucking and general silliness are allowed in the warm-up pen before I get on - seriously threatening me is not!

She was also terrified of a shavings bag that blew past her during grooming. So I gathered up the plastic bag and set it at her feet to help desensitize her (couldn't touch her with it, she was so terrified). Another boarder, A, placed some carrots on the bag for Zoe. It was funny to watch the battle between fear and desire for carrots. Desire for carrots won out. But just barely!

Happily, Zoe totally settled down once I got in the saddle. She really does garner courage from her rider - which means I need to become confident and skilled in my riding before tackling a trail or open area with this horse.

Riding past the scary, cougar-hiding woodpiles...and staying calm. :)

I asked E to help me figure out how to post. I just can't seem to figure out which leg is moving on my horse to get the correct rhythm going, though. E also points out that I also haven't learned to get an even, steady trot yet. So perhaps I need to accomplish that feat first. :)

Hoping I can squeeze in a short ride this morning before Pony Club.

Sharing the fun

2011-01-29T19:22:00.000-08:00

E's boyfriend is a very sweet young man....who also happens to be terrified of horses. (He also seems to be terrified of me, but that's a posting for a different blog! I'm told by my daughter that I can be rather intimidating. A bad thing? Probably not.....)

N joined us for E's barn chores today, happily mucking stalls right along with her. After they were done, E asked if she could ride Monte bareback. N thinks we are rather crazy to be riding these large animals (he may be somewhat right on that), but when E asked him to try riding Monte with her, he didn't seem to hesitate.

What a tolerant, patient pony!

I did notice, however, that N didn't ask us to start giving him lessons on the ponies. :)

Taking it easy

2011-01-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

The barn owner's geldings have the cutest habit of standing nose to tail when waiting at the pasture gate. Just before I snapped this pic, all three were standing lined up like this, heads resting on the rump in front of them. Made me smile.

My sassy girl is back!

2011-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

It's been daily trips out to the barn this week, giving Zoe doses of pro-biotics and generally making sure she was okay. She was back to eating a regular amount on Wednesday but still picked at her food and was pretty lethargic for most of the week. On Thursday she wouldn't even eat the handful of alfalfa E tried to give her. What healthy horse turns down candy like that????

But yesterday I was greeted by my normally sassy girl - Yippee! When I pulled her from the field she was walking quickly and was actively reaching for more and more and more grass to graze. (She's never terrible when I hand graze her but she does test to see just how far and how much she can get.) And when I went to put her back in the field, I took her halter off just outside the gate (didn't want to walk in the mucky-yucky mud) and instead of docilely walking through and into the field, she backed up and started grazing again. Naughty girl! Once I got her to go through the gate (no real challenge, actually) she took off galloping down the fence line, tail raised high.

I loved it.

Tummy Troubles

2011-01-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Sad Zoe, confined to a stall

What a roller coaster weekend! I went from a fabulous Saturday ride to a colicky Zoe on Sunday.

Barn owner C called Sunday around dinner time to tell me that Zoe was laying down in the mud - even though it was feeding time and all the other horses were waiting at the gate. I rushed out to the barn, we administered Banamine (a horsey NSAID) and began watching her closely. She was confined to an interior stall - which she found terribly upsetting since it meant she had to be separated from her pasture buddy, Toika.

The colic did not appear to be life threatening, and after a call to the vet I decided to just keep her in overnight so that we could monitor her water intake and BMs closely. (I swear it was just like having a sick baby; I've become obsessed with the contents of Zoe's stall just as we were with our babies' diapers!) I could see that she was in pain (high respiration rate - around 90/min. at one point!) but she had calmed some by the time I left (respiration rate down to around 40-50/min. - keep in mind that 15 to 20 is more normal!)

I went out early Monday morning and Zoe appeared to be much, much better so I decided to let her go on out to the field to join her buddies. As I was closing the gate behind her I told C that I would hold off calling the vet unless Zoe laid down....which she immediately proceeded to do. It became immediately obvious that Zoe was still suffering so the call to the vet was made and she came out to the barn within the hour.

When Dr. Adams arrived she didn't think Zoe was the sick horse. She appeared to be calm and relatively happy walking around with me. But upon examination Dr. Adams could tell that Zoe was indeed off; her heart rate was over 50 (normal is usually 30ish to 40) and there were no gut sounds at all. We all suspected an impaction.

But an examination showed no impaction, only a slightly enlarged right ovary. Huh? So what was going on? We decided to draw some blood to see if there were any kidney or liver problems. During all of this, it was discovered that Zoe has a huge fear of needles and requires a twitch to keep her calm-ish and still-ish and that she reacts to one of the sedatives in a not-so-great way. She began breathing super-fast just after it was administered - kinda scary, actually. The blood tests showed us that Zoe is very anemic - but why? Possible causes include tapeworms, ulcers or an internal melanoma tumor. I'm leaning towards the ulcers, myself, and will begin treating her with appropriate supplements once we get this current colic stuff under control.

Zoe was kept in her stall another night and fed small amounts of hay. When I arrived this morning she appeared to be her old self, although there still was almost no poop in her stall. As I was standing there, wondering what to do she proceeded to poop, pee and pass gas. Hallelujah! I decided to let her go out to the field where she would be happier. I talked to the vet at 8:30 and told her the good news and we laid out a plan of action for the anemia. I was so relieved to have survived our first colic episode so easily.

And then not 15 minutes later C calls to tell me that Zoe is laying down and getting up repeatedly in the field again.

Another call to the vet, I leave work, meet her at the barn and another examination. But all vitals are normal. Gut sounds could be heard in all 4 quadrants. We have no idea what is causing Zoe to colic.

We will continue to watch her closely, but have decided against stalling her any further - it just upsets Zoe too much. (We'll work on breaking her emotional dependence on Toika later!) I got some more Banamine to help make her more comfortable and also purchased some pro-biotics to help with any imbalance she might have in her stomach juices. I'll start her on something to guard against ulcers and too much stomach acid soon (Uguard, perhaps) - Zoe appears to be one of those high strung horses that may be prone to these problems. Not surprising considering her history and her breed (cougar attack, 1/2 Arab). I also picked up a tube of wormer to get rid of any possible tape worms - although I really don't think that's the issue here.

Right now, I'm just tired. I'm looking forward to not being constantly worried about my pony.

Bareback

2011-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

I've been a little worried about riding Zoe lately. The last two times I've gone out to see her at the barn, she's been easily spooked and very high energy. Not something a fearful, beginning rider wants to deal with!

The weather warmed dramatically this week, hitting the mid 50's for the past few days. The downside to all the warmth is that the snow has melted and rain has been falling. The barnyard is a mess - like "suck your boots off" mess. So the arena is unrideable.

Working in heavy coats last week, and shirtsleeves this week!

Going out today, I planned to only brush off the worst of the mud, give her a little treat and send her back to her pasture. But when I pulled her out she seemed so much calmer and attentive that I figured I'd work with Zoe a bit more.

After brushing, her round pen exercises were still calm - even when I led her around the outside of the ring where all the goblin-hiding wood piles are. I decided that perhaps I could ride her bareback today. (I don't think I've ridden her bareback before - or if I have, it was in the first week of getting her and I have no memory of it. At any rate, I have very limited experience - like next to none! - riding any horse bareback, so this was going to be an adventure.)

I put her bridle on (she even lowered her head nicely) and asked E to hop on first. After a few turns around, Zoe was declared wonderful and ready for me. Zoe stood beautifully while I scramble onto her back. Since I was still nervous, E walked with me as we went around. And....nothing happened. :) Some adventure, huh?

But just the sort of adventure I like. I rode for a couple of minutes, trying to keep my balance (boy do I have a lousy seat!), wobbling back and forth - all of which confused poor Zoe terribly. She has such a wide, soft back that it was not uncomfortable at all and she was so attentive that she stopped at my slightest leaning.

E hopped back on after I was done and had a wonderful ride. She told me that Zoe works to keep her rider balanced and on her back. If E started to slide, Zoe would try to move her body under her. At one point E commented that she definitely would have fallen off of Monte given the same circumstances.

All of this helped me regain some trust in my pony. And I think I will be spending more time bareback to help develop better balance.

1/18 update: Rereading past blog posts and saw that I have ridden Zoe bareback one other time - when she first came to the barn. And just like this time, I found her easy to ride. :)

Peppermint Ponies

2011-01-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's still pretty frigid out at the barn, so no riding for me. Cold weather doesn't cancel mucking chores, however, so E got to spend a few hours outside working.

I brought a thermos of peppermint tea to help warm her insides - and she discovered that the ponies like a little tea as well. (Or perhaps I should say they like a little peppermint!)

What's in the thermos?

Mmmmmm...slurp, slurp......

Wild Child

2011-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

I had to make a quick trip to the barn yesterday to remove the blankets that had been put on a couple of days ago during a cold snap. The temps are finally rising again (Yeah!) and we broke into the 30's by the afternoon.

I pulled Zoe out of the field and actually took the time to groom her since she's had her blanket on for longer than I like (almost a week) - needed to check that everything was still looking okay. She was a good girl, if a little spooky, and seemed happy to have the attention.

But then I took her into the round pen. My plan was to trot her around for only 4 or 5 minutes - just enough to warm her up. The little poop, though, kicked out at me as I was walking towards her! With both back hooves!

So that was the end of my "short warm-up" plan; we were now in for a full on workout until she regained a better attitude and became my sweet little pony again. As I made her move out into the circle, she was snorting and blowing, her tail standing so high it was arched over onto her back. She was a maniac! And she continued to kick towards the middle of the ring a few times.

After 10 to 12 minutes of trotting/cantering, she was finally beginning to calm down and wanted to stop. Which of course I didn't let her do. Zoe was made to trot nicely around for a few more minutes, until she did finally decide that yes, I was the alpha, and yes, she did know how to do her job.

Either the warmer temps were really energizing yesterday, or she's beginning to enter her estrus cycle and I'm gonna have a handful this spring (please let it be the warmer temps, please let it be the warmer temps!).

But I have to say, either way, I love my pony. :)

Holiday happiness

2010-12-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind of activity! Everyday has had at least one thing planned - not the least of which was Christmas itself.

M and E know me well - I was given a pair of fabulous muck boots and a bucket of grooming brushes on Christmas morning. I was so excited to get these things! I know, I'm a hopeless horse person these days! I had to laugh at myself the other day when I was feeling a tiny bit envious of friends and family who had received rather grand gifts this year. Then I paused for a moment and realized that I receive a HUGE gift every day in the shape of my horse. :)

What a shaggy pony!

Riding has been impossible for me with all the snow, ice and rain we've been getting. I have gone out to brush Zoe and work her in the round pen a bit, but that's all. E squeezed in a short ride around the barnyard and we were able to trailer to a jumping lesson on Sunday, but that's been it for horse activities.

Zoe's winter coat looks better these days, so I think the supplement must be helping some. I think I may add black sunflower seeds to her diet as well. I've been told that would help bring out some shine; her fur still seems a little dull and dry to me. I really can't wait to give her a good bath. She is absolutely filthy! But it may be a few months before we can manage that task.

Indoor arenas...

2010-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

That's what I dream of these days - an indoor arena. The weather has been fairly decent temperature-wise, but also just rainy enough that the outdoor arenas at our barn are sloppy and slick. So to ride, I would have to haul Zoe to another location. Normally this wouldn't be so awful but this past month I started an exercise class that seems to be eating up most of my free time. I love the exercise, though, and honestly, I need it more than the riding. I can feel my body getting stronger - Yeah!

So the most I've been able to do with Zoe is brush her mud-coat off, untangle her snarled mane and exercise her for a few minutes in the round pen a few times these past couple of weeks.

The chiropractor came out last Monday and confirmed my suspicion that Zoe has pulled a muscle or something in her left front shoulder region. Probably did it by sliding on ice or in the mud recently. Doesn't seem to be serious, but she did react when brushed in the painful area.

It's snowing again right now and the ground is a bit icy as well, so no riding today. Tomorrow maybe? I'm hoping that we can get in at least 3 rides over Christmas break.

The snow continues...

2010-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's a gray, snowy day at the barn...

We've had a full week of snow on the ground now. Very unusual for Walla Walla - especially this early in the season. Consequently, our horsey activities have been curtailed a bit. The roads are just dicey enough that I don't want to haul the animals anywhere, and the arena footing has become a frozen mess.

Monte has adjusted to the colder temps just fine. He has a wonderful, thick, teddy-bear coat that is keeping him toasty warm. Zoe, on the other hand, is not so lucky. I received a text from my barn owner on Wednesday telling me that my horse was shivering and would I like her to put Zoe's blanket on her. I felt so terrible for not putting her blanket on sooner! But my baby is nice and warm now (Thank you C!). And her nice blanket already has two big rips in it - obviously it is not hindering her from rolling and generally farting around! (I'll try to mend it today...)

Cleaning stalls in this weather has become a big job for E. It's either a muddy mess or frozen to the ground. And being cold doesn't seem to be speeding her up much. :) We bought new muck boots for E on Friday. She wore them for the first time yesterday and said they almost kept her feet too warm! I was shocked that she actually chose the hot pink boots over the plain black ones.

Can't miss those boots!

Both horses have learned to come to the fence when we arrive now. I've been more lenient about treats, so they are happy to see what might be in our hands. :) I have to admit that it's kinda nice to have them come to me rather than me chasing them down...

"Whatcha got?" (notice the icy whiskers)

Waiting for his apple......

Snowy lesson

2010-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

Winter has arrived at the barn...

The first snow of the season began today just before E's Pony Club lesson. Dedicated riders that they are, though, the weather was not an impediment at all. All of the parents stayed huddled around a bonfire while the kids and their ponies stayed warm jumping in the arena. Everyone was happy. :)

E and Monte, ready to ride.

E especially enjoyed today's lesson because she got to ride with the "big girls." Often she is grouped with the more inexperienced riders due to the fact that she has not achieved (or even attempted!) her D3 rating. Today she rode with a D3 and a C-level rider, so the jumps were higher and the whole vibe of the lesson was more challenging - which often means more fun.

Snow started accumulating on the girls' helmets during the lesson...

I didn't pull Zoe out today. The footing at much of the barn is still sloppy and frankly, I'm a fair-weather rider! It was cold out there this afternoon. And I'm sure Miss Zoe didn't mind being left out in the field in the least.

Zoe running over to get a treat...

Take your vitamins

2010-11-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

I love the teddy bear feel the horses get each year as their winter coats grow in. They become so soft and cuddly. Monte's is very nice - and Curly's was especially thick and wonderful. But Zoe, well, her's is not coming in so great.

While talking to the barn owner last weekend, I mentioned that Zoe's coat didn't seem to be as thick and healthy as all the other horses. She quickly agreed, saying that she was actually a little concerned about what she was seeing. Zoe's fur just seems a bit dull and dry - not at all what we'd like.

Another horse owner had left some vitamin supplement (about half a tub!) almost a year ago; my barn owner gave it to me, hoping it would do the trick for Zoe. So Zoe now gets extra vitamins mixed in with a bit of grain each day. Crossing my fingers that this does the trick!

Rushing

2010-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

I've been taking advantage of the time E spends mucking stalls each weekend to actually ride my horse. I know that if she didn't have that commitment, I probably wouldn't be so regular in my riding. (Although it's pouring rain at the moment, so I'm thinking that I won't get a ride in today.)

Ever since we had the chiro out to adjust Zoe's hip, she's been more energetic and even a bit spooky. I don't know if these things are all connected, but the timing of her changed behavior certainly makes me suspicious. Yesterday she was spooking at piles of wood, ATVs speeding along in the distance and our barn owner up on a ladder. Yup, these all must be horse eating monsters!

I'm less afraid of her spooks than I was initially. She doesn't bolt, only jumps and drops sideways a bit and gets a wild look in her eye. And I've found that so far, her spooking is less when I'm actually in the saddle - a good thing, to be sure!

Yesterday was not as smooth a ride as I would have liked. Stopping was atrocious - she had a hard time just standing still for some reason (all those horse eating ATVs?) and would ignore my request to stop. So we got to do it over and over and over again. She was also super rushy in her trot, which is not comfortable to sit at all. I could get her to give me a few strides of her soft, even trot and then she would begin speeding up and get very bouncy.

I look forward to the day I know how to consistently ask and can get Zoe's floaty trot. I hear it's wonderful....

Spooky

2010-11-05T06:43:00.001-07:00

I ignored all the chores waiting for me at home and stole a few minutes of the day yesterday to go ride my pony. Since I got sick I haven't ridden - so it's been over a week. Too long! And the weather will be turning nastier soon; I need to take advantage of sunny, (relatively) warm days like yesterday.

Zoe was still wearing her Halloween costume - brown horse. It took a while to get the thankfully-dry-mud off of her and to untangle a big snarl in her mane. While doing all of this, she decided that there were lots of things to spook at in the barnyard: the guy mucking stalls, cats, dogs, cars driving by, etc. I had no idea there were so many things at our barn that would eat a horse!

So before I could even consider riding her, we had to spend some time in the round pen. I led her in, released her lead rope and stood quietly in the center of the ring...while she proceeded to tear around the circle like a crazy horse, tail standing straight up in the air. After 6 or 7 minutes of this, she decided she was done and wanted to stop. Now we began to work (not that she wanted to!). Another 10 minutes of trotting circles finally helped her find her brain and recognize that she had a job to do. Silly pony!

By this time, I was out of time so my ride was necessarily short. (Darn those commitments at home!) I was only able to squeeze in 10 minutes, but at least we were able to practice a bit. We have gotten much smoother at stopping and standing at the mounting block while I got in the saddle was almost perfect. I was so happy. :)

Mmmmm....wormer paste

2010-10-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally got around to worming both horses. And true to their natures, they were both highly suspicious of those little tubes of worming paste near their faces. :)

In the end, Monte was fairly easy. By now, he's probably pretty certain that we aren't going to do anything that will purposefully hurt him. Zoe, on the other hand, was a two person job. E kept her from backing away while I squished the tube o' paste as far into her mouth as I could.

I'm still sick, so no riding (waaaaay too tired), but E took each horse into the round pen for a bit of exercise. Zoe was quite the pill, kicking out at E several times. I'm thinking that she feels much better and friskier after the chiro visit on Tuesday...not that that makes it okay to kick at anyone. I had to work on her desire to rush into her stall (and to her food!) as well. It took several tries before I let Zoe go to her dinner.

Aching backs

2010-10-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday included a visit from the chiropractor for both horses. And it appears that this may have been Zoe's first manipulation ever - or at least she acted like that! My little girl was very tense and unsure of what this person was trying to do with her and was not the most cooperative pony. Stephanie commented several times on the horse's tenseness and on how she was holding her breath for long stretches of time. At any rate, Zoe had a hip out and was extremely stiff in the shoulders - there may have been a rib or two out as well, I don't remember.

Monte had a session with Stephanie as well. His problems were less severe (2 ribs out and some other minor adjustments) and totally in line with his current job as jumping pony.

After a chiro visit, we usually give the horses a day or two off, which made the timing of this particular visit unfortunate. Last night was our annual Halloween ride with E's 4-H group. Since E couldn't ride, she ended up leading all of the games for the other club members. The riders discovered that jousting with swim noodles, spoon & ball relay races, and flag races are much harder than they first appear! I think they all had fun, though.

Rainy days

2010-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Poor E! She had to muck stalls yesterday in a sideways-rainstorm. It was so miserable that the barn owner even came out to help her. I, on the other hand, stayed dry inside the barn, sniffling and coughing with my cold.

And then it was time for Pony Club. The rain clouds parted, the sun came out and the footing in the arena, while wet, was deemed safe enough. E, however, was cold and grumpy. And mean mom forced her to saddle up. She was not happy (to say the least!) to be going out. I soon learned that part of this feeling was being driven by memories of falling in a wet arena and having Curly land on her ankle.

But this was a different day and a different horse. Ultimately, she and Monte did just fine and even got in a few low jumps. I won't say she was a happy, smiley rider but she was at least no longer teary.

I just wish my cold would go away so I could ride my pony.....I'm tired of being tired.

Squeezing it all in

2010-10-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

What a day! I had one of those schedules today where every thing had to happen right on time or the whole thing would fall apart - no wiggle room for any variance at all! And surprisingly, it all came off without a hitch.

I knew as the day began that if I would just cancel my riding lesson this afternoon, tons of stress would be alleviated from the hectic pace of the day....but I just couldn't do it. I so wanted to ride - and now I am so glad I did!

Zoe and I spent our lesson working on getting her to lower her head and to quickly respond to me asking for a trot, then walk. I had to work on relaxing my arms (bend those elbows!) and shoulders, sitting back and tall and looking where I wanted to turn. I kept holding my head to the side, looking down at Zoe's head, trying to see where her nose was. Not a good riding position, to say the least. I just don't have much feel for when she's doing the right thing yet, so I keep looking.

I was able to trot a full 20 meter circle without stopping and we are getting better at picking up the trot and slowing to a walk.

I still feel like I'm pulling awfully hard on her mouth, but my instructor says I'm actually being soft and to not worry. If Zoe wants to feel less pressure, she just needs to lower that pretty Arab nose of hers!

Lesson #1

2010-10-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

I actually consider today my true first lesson. This was the first time I've ever paid someone to instruct me in horseback riding, anyway. And my family now thinks I'm nuts. Okay, they already thought that...but this evening I just reinforced that perception. ;) I've been a smiling fool ever since I got back from the barn. I just loved riding my horse and learning how to work with her. I can't wait until my next lesson!

This afternoon, we spent much of the time going in small circles, working on achieving an even pace at the walk. And then she introduced the trot - and I wasn't scared! My goal was to get Zoe to trot for a few steps (her slow, smooth trot) and then to have her transition immediately to a nice walk. If she rushed, I either circled her and asked her to do the whole exercise again or made her stop and start up again. And if she took a step after asking for the halt - well, we just kept doing all of this again and again and again......you get the picture. :)

We also worked on asking Zoe to give her head rather than keeping it high in the air like she wants (like most Arabians want, actually!). I know this is something she can do - I'll just have to remind her of her long lost skills.

So I learned that I have a tendency to lean forward and to hold tension in my shoulders. To be sitting up straight in the saddle I have to lean back so far I feel like I'm actually leaning back. Strange feeling, actually. I also forget to keep my thumbs up while turning and move them too far out from the horse. My foot position was never critiqued, but I could tell that I spent the majority of the lesson with my toes pointed down. I'm sure this is something I'll eventually have to work on but my instructor thankfully didn't choose to focus on feet as well as hands....I don't think I could have done it all! There's just so much to remember!

By the end of the lesson, my legs were noticeably tired and I could barely swing my leg over the cantle to dismount. I look forward to the day when I can ride for an hour and still look graceful coming out of the saddle.

First Lesson

2010-09-30T15:03:00.001-07:00

I just love my pony! :)

We went out to the barn for a short visit this afternoon and while I was brushing Zoe another barn resident (A) offered to ride with me. When I got into the arena, she helped me with some mounting tricks (mainly getting Zoe to stand still where I wanted her) and then showed me the correct way to steer Zoe. I was amazed at how much more responsive my horse was once I started doing things a little more correctly - her turns were almost immediate and so smooth. A also helped me with the position of my feet and legs (I had my toes down and legs/ankles too far forward).

She then taught me how to cue for a forehand turn and a haunch turn. Those will take a bit of work for sure. Zoe definitely knows how to do these skills, but she is not one to give anything to me unless I ask correctly. Which I'm not able to do yet.

At one point Zoe picked up a nice trot - and I wasn't scared. I didn't let her keep it up, because that wasn't the point of today's ride, but it was nice to realize I could handle the increased speed. In fact, I felt in control and not nervous for the whole ride. What a nice change!

As I was riding around I remembered that E's first real ride on a horse and "lesson" came from A over 4 years ago! How fitting that she should be the person to help me with Zoe and give me my first lesson too.

Jumping with Briggs

2010-09-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

So today's lesson for E was a jumping one. And boy does her pony love to jump! As soon as they get into the arena his ears prick forward and off they go, rushing to the first obstacle. E is very proud of the fact that she and her pony were the only ones not called back to redo any part of the pattern. All of the participants did well - some even doing more than they ever thought possible. This instructor has a gift for successfully pushing the students out of their comfort zones a bit.

She also loved the fact that Jim Briggs really - and I mean really! - liked Monte. He asked if he could pack him into his suitcase and take him home. :)

While chatting on the sidelines, one of the parents suggested we start a parent Pony Club group (I think they are called "Riding Masters" or something like that). Wouldn't that be a hoot? I'm hoping I can be a part of that should it actually come about.

Jim Briggs Clinic

2010-09-25T16:10:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy day at the barn. E rode Monte in a dressage lesson with Jim Briggs, cleaned some stalls, rode a second lesson (on Zoe this time) and then finished mucking stalls. She's one pooped kid - but that didn't stop her from running off to a birthday party at the corn maze tonight! :)

The lessons went well on both horses but E says she still prefers Monte. Her words were that "Zoe knows how to do all that stuff but she makes you work for it. You have to ask her precisely and correctly. Monte just does it because he wants to." So for her, Monte was more fun to ride. I think they know each other so well that it all just flows so much more easily. Given time, she and Zoe could build the same relationship...but for now, she doesn't want to do that.

But I do. :) Next year, it will be me riding in this clinic.....

Into the arena

2010-09-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Me and my pony....don't you just love R's pink helmet!

Photos courtesy of R....

So today I finally made it out of the round pen. After R and I worked with her on the ground first, I saddled Zoe up and made sure she was responding to my ques while riding in the round pen. Then I asked R to open the gate and off we went into the big arena.

We begin the trek around the big arena....

Zoe's pace picked up a little and her ears perked forward as we entered this new space. She was very aware of all the birds coming and going all over the place and was a bit wary of the stacks of jumping standards on one side, but we managed just fine.

Next step - get over my fear of speed and finally ask for a trot. (My heart starts twittering just thinking about it! Yikes!)

E & Monte update: E had her first real gallop last Sunday. We spent the evening at a good friend's house and while the burgers were cooking the kiddos raced through the pastures. It was great to see E and her pony tear by at breakneck speeds - until we saw just Monte race by without his rider! All riding came to a screeching halt while we made sure E was okay (she was - she immediately popped up, stomping up a hill, mad that she had come out of the saddle.). Turns out they tried to jump something and halfway through the jump Monte reconsidered. Rather than pull on her horse's mouth terribly, E let go and fell off. A new rule was set down by me - no jumping in her Western saddle! E quickly agreed that maybe it wasn't the best idea. :) But she did decide that she loves to gallop....and I think Monte loved it too.

Early Birthday Present

2010-09-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that Zoe officially joins our family. Yeah!

She has continued to be a sweetie and everyone who has had to handle her sings her praises. Last week our barn manager even told me that if I didn't buy her, she would. We all just love Zoe that much.

Zoe was placed with a small group of mares this past week and seems to have integrated fairly well. She is a little nervous, and definitely not the alpha, but the other horses out there haven't kicked or bitten her; the alpha does run her around a bit, but eventually lets Zoe be. And there is an upside to the running - Zoe is beginning to lose some of her fat and is starting to tone up a little.

I have lost some of my fear while riding Zoe - or at least am more confident that I can manage her at a walk. And a walk is all we have done. I planned to take her up to a trot yesterday, but after a 6+ mile walk earlier in the morning I was already sore; my hips just couldn't take much more! E rode her out in the arena, though, and had a great time. She said that Zoe has a powerful stride and can be quite fast. Hmmmmm......

Fair update: So we survived and there was only one spat of tears this year. And they were quite justified, too. The judging was very strict (no grade inflation this year!) and our motto became "red is the new blue!" The judges would have whole classes with no blues, or with only one or two, and then would decline to hand out Grand/Reserve Champion ribbons. It was unbelievably tough. And disappointing to the children. E managed 4 reds, 1 white (She forgot the pattern, so really deserved the white. But the pattern she did was quite lovely!), and 1 blue. The blue was in Hunter/Hack - the jumping class, so it makes sense that she would get a blue in it. That's what she and Monte have really focused on this past year.

E and Monte participated in the open English show on the Saturday of the fair. This was a hard day for them. In the English Equitation class, the judge asked for the riders to drop their stirrups and post around the arena. E managed to do this - not perfectly, but pass-ibly. The upset came when riders were placed that did not do the skill and she did not get a ribbon at all, even though she had done what was asked. Several people came up to her saying that she really should have been placed over at least 2 of the other competitors. The only reason I can think she wasn't is that the judge was remembering previous rides E had had that were not so stellar and was not basing the current class on the current ride only. So unfair, really. But there's nothing to be done once the judge has made her decision.

Jumping Lessons

2010-08-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

At the end of the jumping lesson tonight, E's instructor called Monte a "scopey pony." Scopey pony? What's that?

I now know that means a horse or pony that has a large "scope" or can jump a large distance/height. Tonight, Monte jumped a 9' spread. A ground pole had been set out to help them set up the jump; he just started his jump from that point and never took the step or two that were supposed to happen in between.

Silly pony. Don't you know I'm just joking when I say you can jump over the moon?

Barn Project

2010-08-24T06:27:00.001-07:00

I think that's what I'm becoming - the "barn project." :)

E had a jumping lesson last night, so I pulled Zoe out for some halter work. Another parent at the barn, L, stops me and declares that I need to ride and that she will ride her horse with me. I immediately tell her that I'm still stuck in a slow walk - but that's no matter to her, she'll walk right along with me. Well, how can I back out now? So I swallow the ball of fear in my throat (which settles quite nicely and solidly in my belly, thank-you-very-much!) and begin to tack up my horse. This may be only the third or fourth time I've ever tacked up a horse completely on my own - and definitely the first time in over a year.

It takes me a bit longer to get ready and L is already out in the dressage arena by the time I get out there. Another teenager was trotting and cantering around that particular arena so I decided to begin my ride in the round pen by myself; a second adult rider then joins L and the teenager, and she understands my hesitation to go out there. I'm still not sure enough to leave the controlled environment of the round pen. Everyone needs a security blanket at times!

Zoe and I did just fine together. I think I'm getting more consistent in letting her know what I want and she's figuring out what my pullings and pushings mean. :) I had to get off once to tighten the girth and Zoe was very quiet and patient during the whole process. At one point in our ride, she did start to trot so I slowed her back to a walk; the trot was easy to sit for those few steps she took, but it needs to be my idea, not hers! In the end, I spent about 40 minutes in the round pen walking with my horse.

Throughout the ride various barn residents would call out encouragement. It was really sweet. L stated that we need to get a pattern together and ride the doubles class in the fair next year - our horses are almost identical in size and coloring. I laughed since I'm not sure I'll be cantering by then. Several people assured me that yes, I would be!

See, I've become the barn project. And I'm quite happy.

Horse-filled day

2010-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

What a busy day! I started off with a 6 mile walk (14:30 pace) up the Mill Creek trail. I actually get energized by my morning walks, so that was a great way to begin today. Once home, I prodded E out of bed so we could make it to the barn by 10:00. I had a "date" with C to ride Zoe and I wasn't going to be late for nothing!

C pulled out one of her Western saddles to try on Zoe; it actually fit fairly well so I felt a little more comfortable/safe getting on her back today. Zoe was patient as I put on her tack - I bet it's the first time I've done this in about a year. I led her into the round pen and C held her while I got up, but really, she stood quite still on her own.

I spent about 30 minutes just walking with her, getting a feel for her movement and learning how to turn, stop, move over and back up. Zoe was very good for me, only spooking a little bit when we got near the side of the pen that has a tree (wind was blowing this morning). My hesitancy probably didn't help her get over her own fears, but we managed.

After my 30 minutes, C got on to see what skills Zoe actually has. She was so impressed with the smoothness of Zoe's trot and also found her canter nice. Zoe didn't offer to kick-out today when asked to go faster; not sure what the reason is, but happy she didn't act out. The horse spooked a little more significantly while C was riding, but it wasn't anything I wouldn't be able to control once I have a few more skills myself. At the end of her ride, C said, "Go write a check for this girl!" Obviously, she enjoyed Zoe. :)

The afternoon was spent preparing for E's D-2 rating and then actually completing the rating. She passed with flying colors, managing a few "exceeds standards" in the riding portion of the test. To help make sure Monte was ready, E has been riding him daily since Thursday; she didn't want a repeat of the star-gazing pony she rode during Hot August Nights!

Congratulations E!

It's back to work for me tomorrow, and then fair preparations begin in earnest. I think our horse time is going to be seriously encroached upon. I'm hoping we can squeeze in some fun rides, though. Crossing my fingers right now! :)

Practice makes perfect

2010-08-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

E and Monte participated in a local show last night, Hot August Nights. It takes place every year on the first 3 Thursdays of August and is pretty low key - a great way to help prepare for the upcoming county fair.

Between bug bites, vacations and sprained ankles, E has not really ridden Monte in about a month. She got two decent rides in this week but that's it. And last night showed that it's not enough either. Her little pony was more than a handful and truly lived up to the Arab stereotype of a hot headed horse. It's heartbreaking to watch your little girl struggle to do her best. Needless to say, no ribbons were won (they did get one reserve - a.k.a. 7th place) but on the bright side, she managed to keep him under hand and did not come out of the saddle.

So, E will be putting more time in the saddle over the next week or so. Hopefully fair goes smoother.

Oh, and as I was sitting in the stands I realized that I could have brought Zoe and participated in the showmanship class. Told myself that next year we'll be competing at Hot August Nights....hmmmm, sounds like I'm making my decision about this horse, doesn't it? ;)

Bareback, part deux

2010-08-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Both E and I are loving this new horse. We can't wait to get out to the barn each day to visit with Zoe and are happy to just be with her, letting her graze in the grass. It makes me smile each time I come around the corner of the barn and see her waiting at the gate for us. It seems like she enjoys our visits as much as we do!

Yesterday I had my first ride on her. Given that I have next to no experience in an English saddle, I decided to try bareback. (Feel free to question my logic here - I've never ridden bareback either! I just thought that if I was going to fall off, at least with bareback there would be less equipment for me to get tangled up in.)

Climbing on was no problem; she is pretty good at standing patiently. I was surprised at how wide she is once I go on; her broad back definitely stretched my hip and leg muscles a bit! I asked E to lead us for the first couple of circuits in the round pen - I freely admit to being a chicken! But after I got a feel for the movement under me and realized that I could indeed stop her, I walked off on my own....for maybe a total of 3 minutes. :) But I did it.

Today when we go out we're going to see if our Western saddle is wide enough for Zoe. If not, our barn manager thinks she has one that might fit. I'm looking forward to trying Zoe for real!

Monte update: E has been hesitant to push Monte (His reaction to our touches are rather dramatic.) but I showed her that I could brush him and he didn't shy away from me. So she went ahead and saddled him up and was able to ride for a few moments. Unfortunately, she has a sprained ankle and isn't able to do much. At any rate, she was very happy to see that he's getting better.

Oh, and she got a job! E will now be mucking stalls at the barn on Saturdays and Sundays. I think it's perfect.

Bareback Excitement

2010-08-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Took grandma out to the barn this afternoon to meet Zoe. She was suitably impressed with how pretty our new pony is and said that she seems kind and gentle.

I hand-grazed for a bit, although Zoe didn't seem too interested in the grass. A night in the pasture must have agreed with her. :) After a bit, E decided to ride bareback in the grassy area around the barns.

E was surprised how easy it was to sit Zoe's trot; she compared it to riding Monte's with a saddle. So either Zoe is incredibly smooth or Monte has a truly awful trot. Probably a bit of both. At any rate, E said it was really fun to ride bareback with her. After a few minutes of warming up, E asked for a canter. Like before, Zoe did not want to go into the requested gait....and she actually bucked this time. Her buck, however, was more surprising than scary. It really was more of a hop, and pretty much straight up and down. E had no trouble staying on, even bareback.

After the buck, E really insisted on getting a canter, which she was able to achieve for a few strides a minute or two later. She then dismounted and after unbridling her, we let her graze for a few minutes before going back to the stall.

So what does this mean? Maybe there is something that hurts when she picks up the canter? Or she is out of shape enough that she just doesn't want to? Or stubborn enough? Maybe she's just testing a new rider to see if she can get off easy? And is this something that is trainable/fixable? Probably. As for possible pain, we'll be going to the vet on Tuesday for a pre-purchase exam so I'll ask about that then.

And if she's still doing this buck thing at the canter towards the end of our trial period but we think she is otherwise great, I'll call the chiropractor out and see if there's something physical that might be contributing to the misbehavior. I really want this to work out.

Settling In

2010-08-14T07:46:00.001-07:00

We went out to the barn to hand-graze Zoe for an hour or so yesterday. She's still separated from the other horses and has spent her time cooped up in Monte's stall and run.

Enjoying some green grass

As we were hanging out, C, our friendly barn manager, came over to say how much she likes Zoe so far. She is super excited for us and is really hoping this works out. As we were chatting, E took Zoe back to her stall - which she wasn't too happy about (understandably!). When E turned to leave the stall, Zoe snuck past her and trotted happily out of the stall. E got a little animated and called out for help but in the end it was Zoe herself who helped. She just walked right back to E within a minute. What a good girl!

As we were watching all of this, C got all excited about seeing Zoe's trot. This horse has beautiful foot movement and is wonderful to see. It is obvious that she is meant to be a dressage princess. :)

Zoe got to spend the night in a pasture last night. Today's schedule is a bit wonky due to various events (sleepovers, bbq's, weddings, etc.) so I think she might be relegated to the stall again but I'm hoping that tomorrow we can put her in a pasture with other horses. I know we are being overly cautious about all of this, but we just want to make sure she integrates well - and there is someone around to make sure that that is what is happening. I don't want any meanies picking on my new baby!

Monte fly bite update: He still shies away when we touch the area but I'm wondering if his reaction is becoming habit rather than actual pain. Or maybe it's itchy? Anyway, the reaction is greatly reduced and we can gradually get him to allow us to touch the area. E thinks she might try a saddle on him either this afternoon or tomorrow. Crossing my fingers that all goes well.

Hello Zoe!

2010-08-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ever since we lost Curly I have been keeping an ear open for a potential mount for me. I haven't actively searched, but whenever someone I knew suggested a horse, I considered it. I got really excited a few weeks back over a Rocky Mountain Pleasure horse named Haley, but ultimately decided she would not be a good fit for our family.

Yesterday was a different story, however. A friend knew of a horse that needed to find a home ASAP and thought that we might be interested. I delayed calling the owner for a few weeks (didn't want to pursue anything prior to leaving for our vacation - plus I have to admit that I get terribly anxious whenever we look at a potential horse!). I finally got up the nerve to call and after a nice conversation with the owner, wondered why I was so anxious. :) I started to get more excited about this mare as we talked; she has been ridden by beginners and her daughter for the past three years, and is generally a sweet, calm horse. Her name is Fancy Favory, but her barn name is Zoe, and she is a Lipizzaner-Arab cross. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? We made plans for us to come visit them that afternoon.

Fancy Favory, a.k.a. Zoe

Zoe was standing calmly tied when we arrived and didn't seem too concerned that all these strange people were swarming around her. Within minutes of our arrival, she let me pick up her feet and was happy to have the girls brushing her. Her owner demonstrated how well behaved she is while being sprayed and even during clipping. Her only real vice seems to be pinning her ears when you cinch her up - but she still stands still while you do it, so hey, I can live with that!

E took a short ride on Zoe and decided that she is almost as responsive as Monte - a high compliment from E! Zoe's first owner had used her as a dressage horse and traveled to competitions up and down the West coast. She hasn't used those skills in several years, but the potential is there.

After a short visit we decided to ask for a trial period - and her owner gave us a generous month to determine if this was the right horse for us.

Unloading Zoe at the barn...

I picked Zoe up this morning (she loaded beautifully and stood quietly for the whole trip) and we brought her back to our barn. She'll be taking Monte's stall for the short term as the barn is pretty full at the moment. I'm sure he won't mind being relegated to the pasture full time. :)

Checking out the new pastures...

Zoe was very nervous when we arrived, looking at everything and unsure about what was happening. She willingly followed us around the facility and into the run of the stall, but did not want to approach the stall itself. R tried luring her in with treats and hay for about 10 minutes, but Zoe just didn't want to set foot inside that scary, dark place! (Later in the afternoon, E was able to lead her in.)

R trying to lure Zoe into the stall...

We made three trips to the barn today to make sure she was settling okay. On the third trip, E saddled Zoe up and had a quick easy ride on her in the round pen.

E says her trot is so smooth. (Anything is smooth compared to her pony, though!) Zoe is responsive, but does need more leg pressure to get moving. That may partly be because they haven't developed a rapport yet, however. After walking and trotting for about 10 minutes, she wanted Zoe to pick up her canter - and discovered that she couldn't get her to do it. After trying and trying for a minute or two, our barn manager suggested E use her inside leg to "hold up" Zoe's shoulder and then put pressure on the outside leg to ask for the canter. And that did the trick - Zoe immediately cantered a few strides.

As E was asking however, she did lower her head - E thought she was stumbling; C thought she was thinking about bucking. Both are totally plausible. I don't think much has been asked of Zoe for quite a while and I'm sure she wasn't too happy to be made to work. ;) It probably wasn't easy for her to give E the 15 minutes she asked for since she's really out of shape right now. At any rate, we'll keep an eye on this.

I'm so excited right now!

Yearly Goodwill Run

2010-08-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our local Goodwill saves all Western wear donations throughout the year and puts them out for sale just before the start of the county fair. We learned about this practice 3 years ago and have begun to make a yearly pilgrimage of sorts there at the beginning of August. Almost every year we find a great pair of boots for at least one (if not all!) of us, as well as a few other doo-dads.

And this year was no different:

So for just under $60 we picked up 2 show shirts (with appropriate sparkle and bling!), 2 hats, and a pair of gently-used Justin boots for E. Not too shabby!

R, showing off her new cowgirl hat.

E, waiting at the dentist in her new hat.
(Note the braces-free smile! Yeah!)

Pesky flies

2010-08-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

After a break from riding (we were on vacation), E had her first lesson in two weeks yesterday. We were both happy to be heading out to the barn and I looked forward to seeing Monte. Plus E really needs to buckle down and practice some of her riding skills before the county fair hits.

Monte was happy to see E and even seemed pleased to see me. At one point E went to get something from the trailer, and while she was away he inched closer to me, lowered his head and gently rubbed his nose on my knee. Too cute for words! :)

Unfortunately, the fly bites on Monte's back are still bothering him. They are not quite as large as before, but he shies away whenever we try to touch them. And he was definitely throwing dirty looks at the person trying to do the touching!

Consequently, E did not ride him for Pony Club yesterday. But she was able to ride another PCer's horse, Sienna. Sienna is a Tennessee Walker - and E was (pleasantly) surprised how smooth and responsive she was. Monte is so light that she often finds other horses a bit hard to cue; Sienna was just about as easy as Monte.

The best part of the lesson is that E finally got her D2 checklist completed and can now schedule her rating. Hoping to have that done in two weeks.....

Bug bites?

2010-07-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

E and Monte had to skip their riding lesson last night. It appears that Monte has been repeatedly bitten by either some sort of vicious fly or bees. There are big lumps near his withers, in the brown spot he has there. And it seems to be painful for him.

He was quite agitated whenever we tried to touch the spot, twitching and moving away quickly whenever his skin was brushed there. Poor pony!

So, we'll be keeping an eye on him and be more regular with the fly spray in the coming weeks.

Managing fear

2010-07-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

R ended horse camp last week with a bucket-load of fear. She went back on Tuesday - did okay - and the same can be said for Wednesday. But on Thursday, there was another incident that caused her to be afraid again. It caused all the campers to be afraid, actually. So I got another call on Thursday morning and then she decided to not ride on Friday. And I totally understand.

But here's the kicker - she still wants to try riding! She just needs to find a horse and an environment that helps her feel safe and in control.

So good friend T has stepped up and offered lessons on her horses, which we took advantage of this morning.

R and Spirit on their first ride together.

T is a gentle teacher and is hopeful that R will fall in love with riding like the rest of us crazies. They spent the first 30 minutes of their lesson choosing a horse, brushing and generally getting to know Spirit, and then leading him around with the halter. Only then did R get to mount up. To help R relax, T showed her how he was really trying to do whatever R asked. She also got her to let go of her death grip on the horn by having her drop her reins and pretend to be an airplane, guiding the horse with only her legs and body movements.

At the end of the lesson, R was smiling. And on the way home, she was totally happy and asking to come back for more lessons and rides on Spirit. Thank you T!

R loves the dorsal stripe and zebra leg markings that Spirit has. So do I!

Tiny saddles

2010-07-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

I rode today. For the first time in over a year. And, boy, was I scared!

Let me elaborate.....

Another boarder at our barn owns several horses that are currently just sitting in the pastures. His children aren't currently using them so the horses are really living on easy street. I approached him about possibly leasing one of them (horse, not child!) and he thought it would be a great idea.

So today was my first trial ride on Badger, the 18 year old quarter horse. Badger is a generally sweet guy, is supposedly well versed in trail riding and prefers to go at a slower pace. Sounds perfect for me, doesn't it?

I was warned that he will try to test a new rider, making steering and just plain forward motion difficult, but that once the rider shows who's in control, Badger will buckle down and do what is asked. Okay. I can do this.

Upon arrival at the barn this morning, I discovered that the western saddle we currently have available (remember, R is using the good one at camp) does not fit Badger. Alrighty, then. E and I saddle him up with her English saddle.

E rides first and says that yeah, this is the horse for you mom - meaning, he doesn't want to go faster than a toe-dragging walk. Badger does try to take her out of the round pen at one point and she has a bit of a struggle keeping him going in the right direction, but they get it worked out.

So, it's now my turn. First challenge - this guy is tall! Taller than Curly, anyway. And I have no strength in my legs to hoist my fat butt up there. So we walk over to a mounting block and on I get. Did I mention the English saddle? Well, it's tiny. At least, it feels tiny compared to the huge ol' Western ones I'm used to. And I've never sat in an English saddle before. So there I am, riding for the first time in over a year on an unfamiliar horse, in a saddle I've never used, with weak legs and suddenly I'm scared. There is nothing holding me on there - no horn to grab, no comforting seat cradling me, nothing.

But I don't let on how scared I am....I just squeeze....no motion....okay, I kick his sides, and forward we go. And true to his nature, Badger starts his toe-dragging walk. He is very quick to halt when asked. Steering turns out to be bit of a problem for me. I kept forgetting that there is no neck-reining in English but other than one moment when Badger tries to run me against the gate (E gamely gets between the gate and my leg, saving my knees from scrapes and bruises), we manage okay.

So, I think Badger and I could get along. We still have to work out who is boss....and I definitely want a Western saddle. It was so strange being perched up on that little saddle, able to feel the movement of the horse so much more fully (and alarmingly!). Eventually, I think I want to learn to ride English. But for right now, I just want to get my courage back. And maybe Badger is the horse to help me do that.

The Tunnel of Death

2010-07-13T12:27:00.001-07:00

The kids heading out for camp instruction...

What a first day at horse camp....and not one I'd like to repeat. I'm sure R is thinking along the same lines.

The morning started off breezy (not a good thing), but bright. R caught Monte, nice and easy, and we loaded up and headed out to the first day of horse camp. I helped her unload and set up her stuff and then headed out for a trip to the grocery store.

As I was checking out at the store I decided to take a quick look at my phone - and then panicked when I saw a message from the camp instructor. R had been thrown - twice - and was on her way home with Dad.

So here's what happened: R saddled up (with help, of course) and easily mounted Monte and then headed out to the trail course. She immediately headed towards the tarp tunnel (a.k.a. "The Tunnel of Death" - at least according to Monte now!) - in hindsight, probably not the wisest choice. As they were standing at the entrance, a big gust of wind came up and the tunnel expanded into a huge horse-eating monster, which terrified Monte, who then proceeded to back up as fast as possible, leap over a pile of logs, dash off to a back corner of pasture, do a speedy 360, helicoptering R out of the saddle in the process. I hear the display was quite impressive. They even broke one of the reins.

The Tunnel of Death

There were tears (Of course! Who wouldn't cry after all that!), but R got back in the saddle and went out into the arena. All was going along smoothly for about another 10 minutes until other riders began to speed up. Well, Monte (who's still plenty amped up from the previous performance) decides that he needs to speed up too. And he kept speeding up, as R tried to (ineffectively/inexpertly) slow him down. Her death grip on the horn and with her thighs weren't helping much, unfortunately, and the end result is that she fell off again. After this fall, she was done for the morning - and it was only 10.

Luckily, there were no serious injuries but she does have a nasty bruise on her side and it now hurts to run or walk on uneven surfaces. And surprisingly, she wanted to come back to camp for a second day. What a tough girl! I am so impressed with her courage, 'cause heaven knows I probably wouldn't have gone back for round 2!

R's bruise. She also has a scraped up elbow and bruised knee.

The camp instructor has very generously offered up the use of her amazingly trained horse, Julima, for the remainder of camp week. R went out this morning, saddled Julima up, and tackled the trail course again. She even went through "The Tunnel of Death" with Julima. Did I mention how courageous she is?

R and Julima, getting their morning instructions.

R is scared, of course, and is pretty much keeping Julima in a slow, steady walk, but she's up there, conquering her fear and trying new things right along with the other kids.

A, handing a flag to R

At the end of the lesson today the kiddos were asked to show the instructors one new thing they learned to do with their horses that morning. R immediately came over to the side rail, picked up a flag, and proudly showed A that she can walk and trot while holding the flag. We were all very proud of her today.

R & Julima, doing parade practice. :)

Back in the saddle again?

2010-07-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

R recently announced that she would like to start riding again. I was totally surprised - and very happy! I so want to share my joy with horses with both my daughters, but have been very careful to not force either one into the activity.

Anyway, Monte being our only horse at the moment, R went out and had her first real ride on him yesterday. We saddled him up, shortened the stirrups (by 6 holes - and shoulda gone up at least one more really!) and led the horse and rider to the round pen.

Now, R has been up on Monte before - usually on lead-line and one other time in the round pen. But this ride was to be a test of sorts. In the past, E has ridden him first to get all his tricks worked out and quite honestly, to tire him a bit as well. Yesterday we decided that R should be the first rider so we could find out if he will attend to her without the prep and to make sure she could stay in charge as well. And they did fine.

Since R is a beginner, and Monte is pretty much a one-person-horse at this time, the pony was very confused by the cues (or lack of!) being given. It took R a bit to turn him and in the end she had to just pull his head in the direction she wanted to go. But she could steer. And go. And most importantly, stop.

Then she asked if she could go out in the big arena. I was a bit nervous (There are so many spooky things out there! - according to Monte, anyway!), but said yes. R calmly entered the arena, I gave her a pattern to follow.....and she did it!

Monte drags his feet terribly while she is riding and he did little naughty things like rub her leg up on the fence. But he didn't bolt, or try to even go faster, and in the end he basically did whatever R asked. I couldn't ask for much more at this point.

Monte took R through a tall bush - bad pony! - and got a mane and tail full of flowers for his effort!

So.....here's the big news....R gets to go to horse camp next week! The same camp that helped E learn to ride and really cemented her bond with Curly in the very beginning. Both R and I are really excited.

And I have my fingers crossed that Mr. Monte keeps his head the whole week and doesn't do anything stupid to scare my newest rider. I really want her to like this.....

Deary

2010-06-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

E and Monte had horse camp this past week - and what a blast it was! Ever since she started Pony Club we've been told "You HAVE to go to Deary!" E was also told that it was more intense than the rallies we went to. Which had me a bit worried, because heaven knows, the rallies took quite a bit of energy!

We packed on Tuesday, trying to make sure we had whatever we might need for the coming week. And I think we did pretty good, except that a couple of key items were left behind at the last moment.

While picking up hay at the barn on Tuesday afternoon, another boarder requested some help from E (Their pony was being a butthead and pulling back while tied - but that's a whole 'nother story!). In the process of helping them out, we forgot to reload the extra stall bedding and the muck boots that had been temporarily taken out of the truck while we packed in some extra hay. Those two things would've been mighty handy once we got out to Deary since there were torrential rains a couple of nights before we arrived, turning the whole property into one huge mud pit.

I also walked out the door on Wednesday morning without my foot bands (for my plantar faciitis) and my sunhat - both things I can live without, but again, sure would've been nice to have them!

Wednesday started out very smooth, but way too early. Out of bed at 4:45 and on the road by 5:30. We picked up our friend's horse, Handsome, and hit the highway around 6. Check-in at camp was between 9 and 11, and I had been warned that earlier is better because you can choose a better camping spot. Given that we were staying in a tent, a prime spot was VERY important to me! So, we arrived at Deary around 9:30.

Entering the Pony Club camp.
This was taken after several days of no rain, so the road is no longer a river of mud.

We immediately discovered that the whole place was sopping wet, with part of the property being totally closed off to any traffic. People driving 4-wheel drive trucks couldn't even get through the road. After some truck juggling (since we only have 2-wheel drive and couldn't safely position the trailer ourselves), another rig pulled our trailer into place and we found a relatively dry, if not flat, spot to put up our home-away-from-home. I decided sleeping on a slope with toes downhill was preferable to sleeping in a bog.

E returning to the campsite after 6 a.m. horse chores....note the incline - and her smile!

Camp could now begin!

Deary is both a horse management rally and a summer camp with riding lessons. E's team was made up of younger Pony Clubers, one from her own club and two boys from others. Their counselors were also on the younger side, although both very experienced PCers. It took the team some time to figure out their rhythm and pull the tack and feed rooms together, but in the end they managed to place 7th (out of 8) in the rally.

The Red Team - ready to put on their skit. :)

The first riding lesson, on Wednesday afternoon, was led by a veteran PCer named Erin who has been coming to Deary for 32 years (she is also 32, by the way!). The other students in the group were young riders and after the lesson, E asked to be moved to a different group. Although she is still rated as only a D1, her skills are a bit above that rating. I was very proud of her for taking the initiative and approaching her instructor to ask if she could join a different group. When she asked, Erin agreed that E was definitely able to do more than was being taught and arranged for E to move to lessons with another instructor, Sarah Stanton.

Riding up to the arena for a lesson.

E's first lesson with Sarah proved to be a better placement. And Sarah was able to get E to finally SIT UP STRAIGHT AND NOT LEAN FORWARD while riding! A major, if simple, breakthrough for E. She also had the students trot over poles with no hands.

Look, mom. No hands!

The second lesson with Sarah was a jumping lesson. They jumped cross poles and small banks. Because E is so tall and her pony is not, she has to be super conscious of her body position, especially when jumping. Slight changes in her body angle can have big consequences on his balance. This makes jumping a bit difficult for Monte and E, but with practice they can be quite successful. And in the end, E will have great body control and awareness.

Thursday night was skit night for all the campers. E's team had planned ahead, bringing costumes and whatnot for the festivities. Due to E's "memorable" performance as Princess Ella, the other campers called her Princess Emily for the remainder of the week. (PC parents from our own club were surprised at how goofy she was as she's often pretty quiet during our regular lessons. If they only knew!)

E's final lesson with Sarah was on the cross country course. I was nervous about how Monte, a true arena baby, would do out in the open and in the woods. I was especially concerned about all the mud and the pond they would also go through.

Sarah schooled all the riders on how to approach the jumps - and Monte did it! In fact, I think he even enjoyed the experience. I know that E did, anyway. Huge smiles the whole time we were on the course.

Jump #3 on the beginner XC course at Deary.

The footing was still a bit messy, but safe enough.

The last jump on the XC course; they just came up a hill to jump this.

As expected, Monte was totally unsure of the pond. After 2 days of dealing with mud, he had become accustomed to mucky ground that sucked at his hooves, but entering a pond that was almost 3' deep in the center was not his idea of fun. You could see him thinking, "But I'm a desert horse, not a water pony!" E managed to coax him into the water, and I swear that if a horse could tip-toe, he would've been! We all were laughing as we watched him gingerly cross the water with his ears off to the side.

First time into the pond.

At this point, camp ended. But we stayed on to participate in two competitions - Combined Tests, and the Hopeful Horse Trials. Combined tests consisted of a dressage test and a stadium jumping round. In this competition, the lower the score the better; E and Monte scored 34 in dressage (all 6s and 7s, with an 8 thrown in for good measure!) and had a clean jumping round, so they ended up in 2nd place for their division. Yeah! The Combined Tests were over by dinner, and then E began the Hopeful Trials, which consisted of another dressage test, a round of stadium jumping and a cross country competition. E and Monte competed in the Nervous Novice division, along with 14 other competitors.

The dressage portion was completed Friday evening (the same test that they did earlier in the day). By the time they rode the test, Monte was done so their score was a bit higher than the first time through (40.5 - which is still quite respectable for a novice rider).

Saturday was jumping day. E was very happy that she didn't begin riding until early afternoon (a nice change after early mornings during camp). The XC course was deemed too wet in portions, so a few spots were eliminated (including the pond) and/or changed. E found that Monte was VERY nervous about entering the woods without his herd. She had to work to get him over all the obstacles but they managed to get through the course with no refusals.

The last portion of Hopeful, the stadium jumping, took place late afternoon. I hoofed it up the hill to watch the higher level competitors, thinking that I'd leave sometime during that portion to help E get ready. But the competition was so exciting I never left my spot so E had to manage on her own (which she did splendidly, btw). Watching those huge horses (and some not-so-huge horses!) speed through the jumping course was incredible.

Being in the Nervous Novice division, E's jumps were substantially lower than the first riders'. Her challenge consisted of 10 jumps, all 2' or lower. Which was plenty challenging. :) By this time both horse and rider are exhausted, but being the good pony that he is, Monte willingly did whatever E asked and knocked down only one pole at jump #4. Their main problem during the round was that E wasn't focused enough and didn't give Monte clear directions for part of the course.

In the end, she and Monte placed 6th in the Hopeful. Not bad for a first time!

A tired rider, wearing her medal, on her tired pony.

And what was I doing during all of this fun? Well, washing dishes up in the cook shack, cleaning the bathrooms one afternoon and volunteering as a jump judge during the cross country portion of Hopeful. I was plenty busy. :)

And we are both totally looking forward to next year at Deary!

Show Jumping Pictures

2010-06-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

Pics from last weekend!

You'll notice that you can see E's feet hanging under Monte's belly. :)
So far he's the one knocking down the rails, though, not her!

Dressage and Show Jumping

2010-06-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

We got back from the dressage and show jumping rallies late yesterday evening (10:30ish) - a very exhausting weekend but so much fun!

During the dressage competition on Saturday, E chose to complete the easiest tests, with a reader, and managed to score a 59 on Test B and a low 60's on Test A. Very respectable for her first time out. As a team (Pony Club rallies are team events, so individual scores are added together to get the "team score" for ranking), her group placed 5th out of 6 (one competitor forgot her test - hence a bad score) BUT they scored first in horse management! Not an easy thing to do, btw. E was very happy with the results and thinks their stable manager (a fellow pony clubber from her club who chose to keep the team members on track rather than ride himself) was awesome. He definitely made sure they were up to snuff on their animal and tack care and kept them on schedule for all the required inspections and competition times. Stable manager is an important job in the Pony Club rally world.

Sunday was the show jumping rally. Being fairly new to jumping, E and Monte entered the crossrail division. And this time E was moved to what is called a "catch team" comprised of 4 riders and a stable manager who came from 3 different clubs. The highlight of the day for E and Monte was that they ended up with a perfect score - no faults made during their two jumping rounds and no penalties accrued for horse management! Her team ended the day in first place for both overall team competition and in horse management.

We tent-camped during the rally, which was fine except that it did get a bit cold at night (around 48) and there were no showers available. On Sunday I found a friend with an RV and begged a short shower from them - oh the joy of hot water coming from above!

E was super exhausted by the rallies, but like last time, thought it was totally worth it.

Looking forward to our next Pony Club event at the end of the month!

Budding Dressage Princess

2010-06-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

E has been prepping for her upcoming Dressage Rally with a few extra lessons. This is the first time she's ever really focussed on this discipline but it already seems to be a good fit for her personality. So good, in fact, that her instructor commented at the end of the first lesson that she forsees E becoming a "Dressage Princess."

I wonder what Monte thinks about this. :)

I finally figured out all the confusing entry forms for our upcoming trip to the Deary, ID, horse camp at the end of June. By joining Pony Club I feel like I've learned a whole new horsey vocabulary! I think this will be a very fun trip, though, and totally worth all the effort to get there.

Free horse?

2010-05-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was offered a free horse last week - a (supposedly) nice, white older Arab. I seriously considered taking it - or at least taking a look at it - for a day or two. But then my better judgment kicked in. The woman giving it away has hit some hard financial times and needs to re-home her horse ASAP. That's fine, I get that. But....if we take the horse and it doesn't work out, I can't give it back like I've been able to do with previous animals we've tried (remember Ginger?). So we could potentially be stuck paying board for an animal that we don't want.

So I said no.

Last Tuesday E's 4-H group did some work out at our old horse barn. Friend A is struggling right now (her mom is seriously ill) so we all pitched in and cleaned stalls and water troughs. Afterward, a few of the girls exercised some of her horses. E got to ride a cute little Appy named Boomer. Boomer is about the same size Curly was, but with tons more training. And Boomer has just about the smoothest trot E has ever ridden; she was so happy up on his back, going around the arena.

Boomer's big flaw is that he is spooky, just like Monte. He thinks everything is going to eat him. But unlike Monte, E said he gives you a little more warning before he jumps plus he's bigger, so it's just plain easier to sit whatever he dishes out. She REALLY likes him.

And he's for sale.

So then we ask the question - are we buying a horse for me or for E? E thinks I would like Boomer. And he would more than meet my needs. But if we are buying with her in mind, we'd have to see if he has the potential to handle her jumping and dressage needs.

Oh, and remember the no-name-horse we named Quinn (who has been renamed again to Ceasar)? Well, he was out at the barn too, and looking oh-so-beautiful. And I mean really beautiful. I heard that he is now receiving some training and that he has a beautiful English trot - nice extension, high energy, plus he likes to jump. He's for sale too.

I'm getting that anxious feeling in my stomach again.

Games Rally

2010-05-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Quiet barns at the Games Rally

E and I attended our first Pony Club rally this past weekend up in Wenatchee. I was totally anxious before we left, not knowing what to expect. Plus I was nervous about hauling the horses so far (180 miles) but everything went like clockwork and we had a great weekend.

This is the first horse competition in which E got through the whole event without at least one spat of tears. She was actually happy, laughing and smiling pretty much the entire weekend! And I think the difference was that NO PARENTS are allowed to assist the children in the barn area. We were totally banned from setting foot in the barns, in fact. The kids had to help each other (which they did very nicely) and there were a few adults assigned to various duties that were allowed to help if asked. It was amazing to watch all these kids work together and support each other.

E did get sick on Saturday - had to hop off her horse during the clinic, run to the bathroom, throw up and then hopped back on to complete the session. I insisted that she nap during the afternoon (thus missing part of the clinic) and I filled her up with medicine while she rested. She was good to go by late afternoon and had tons of fun "horsing" around with a bunch of the kids until bedtime.

Her team was made up of one other girl from her home club (Macy) and two other girls she had never met before. None of the four were super accomplished riders but they all seemed to enjoy the races. I asked E later if it frustrated her that some of her teammates chose to walk the relays rather than trot them and her reply was that no, that's what they needed to do and really the whole thing was about having fun and just finishing the races, not winning. What an awesome kid she is! :) In the end, they got second place for the junior division.

E and Monte, morning jog-out inspection

While E was taking care of herself and her teammates, I was chaperoning another team comprised of little girls ranging in age from 6 to 9. The 6 year old had to be the cutest thing I ever saw on a pony! She did most of her races lead-line but every once in a while she'd attempt one without the help. Her pony, Sweetie, was fairly cooperative but sometimes would decide, "I'm done" and just stop in the arena. So a coach would have to jog out with a lead rope and lead the two through the rest of the course. Too stinking cute!

The girls I chaperoned

"My team," running back after lunch

E and Monte have been focusing on jumping lessons for the past couple of months so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when Monte decided that he was supposed to jump over the white lines painted on the arena floor. It was pretty funny to see him hesitate over some chalk and then take a giant leap.

E and her chaperon talking before the final gaming session

Oh, and I almost forgot, E's chaperon gave her a new pair of half-chaps! I couldn't believe it - these things aren't cheap (and she wouldn't let me pay her for them). They were her daughters and she has been looking for another super tall, very skinny girl to give them to....pretty much describes E!

Overall, I'm totally sold on Pony Club rallies now. I know that not all of them will be as relaxed as this one is, but I can see how they are designed to empower the kids and create a safe, fun atmosphere. Next rally is in June - dressage and jumping.

Compliments

2010-05-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Monte had a hoof trim. As our farrier was finishing I made a point of complimenting him on his work. He really has improved the angle and look of Monte's hooves over the past year. When we first got the horse, he appeared to have a bit of a "post-foot" in the back - almost straight up-and-down.

Mike's reply was, "Well, I always knew there was a good hoof in there just waiting to come out. And it helps that Monte is so well put together and has such good confirmation."

I have to admit that I felt unreasonably proud of our little horse at that moment and I swear you would'a thought Mike was complimenting me or one of my children! So silly! :)

Today we are preparing for a Pony Club clinic and rally in Wenatchee (180 miles away). I'm a little nervous about hauling that far, especially since we are taking another Pony Clubber's horse with us.

Figuring it out

2010-05-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Monte seems to have figured out what all those poles out in the arena during lesson time are meant for. E's instructor, Marla, set up several different jumps and he actually went over them quite nicely. Monte did have a couple of "young horse" moments, knocking over jumps completely, refusing a new set-up during the first attempt and getting squirrely enough at one point to unseat E, but overall they had a great lesson. E is becoming a stronger rider and is able to help Monte through all his little upsets.

Marla commented that he's becoming a good little jumper and that both E and Monte are doing great together. She doesn't see his size as too much of a hindrance to E at this point in time, and suggested that he might even be able to see E through her whole Pony Club experience.

I'm just happy to watch E and Monte work together. They truly have a great bond.

Riding with Pony Club

2010-04-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Pictures from last Sunday:

Pining for a horse

2010-04-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

I find myself scanning the Dreamhorse and Craigslist ads very regularly now. I guess I really do want a horse. Or I at least want E to have a horse that I can ride too. I miss caring for Curly and working with him, even if I couldn't actually ride him.

Our farrier mentioned a gray mare he knew of for sale (less that $1k!) that he thought might be a good animal for us. Perhaps I'll give them a call this week.....

Talented ponies

2010-04-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

I learned about a talented pony this weekend, Seldom Seen ridden by Lendon Gray.

Seldom Seen advanced all the way to Grand Prix level in dressage and even earned a gold medal in the Olympics. And he was only 14.2 hands!

Monte is 14.3.

But....I don't think Lendon Gray is 5'11" and they weren't trying to excel at jumping. Unfortunately for E, her height and desire to jump might be the things that force her to move onto another horse.

Which is really too bad, because Monte's turning out to be a really great little pony. If it weren't for the jumping, I'm pretty sure we'd hang on to him for a long, long time - even though you can see E's feet hanging below his belly! :)

E still hasn't committed to looking for another horse and I'm not pushing it yet. But I won't be surprised if we begin trying out new mounts by the end of summer.

D-1 Rating Accomplished

2010-04-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Macy, Pat Prince (the examiner for the mounted portion), E and Carla (examiner for unmounted)

Riding during the mounted portion of the rating.

Receiving her D-1 certificate.

E and Monte successfully rated for D-1 in Pony Club this afternoon. She was very relaxed about the whole examination and came away from the experience with a positive attitude. Plus we had cake! Couldn't ask for a better end to the weekend. :)

Mmmmm.....cake......

Let the shows begin...

2010-04-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

E and Monte completed their first show of the year today. No champion ribbons but they did get a handful of red and blues. E would have earned a couple of more blues except that she still chooses to ride Monte two handed in the Western classes. Overall, they did wonderfully and enjoyed most of the day (There was one spat of tears near the beginning - nerves can be a horrible thing!) This was a great show to start the season out with. Only a small number of competitors and a nice judge who really tried to give advice on how to improve.

Coming home was a bit more, well, exciting, than we had planned, though. We were helping out a friend who is currently trailer-less and when we stopped at their place to drop them off something happened to spook their horse as he was unloading. And he took a nutty. A major one.

He began to rear and buck and pull back and unfortunately his lead rope got stuck in the tie ring and his halter held....and his little rider was stuck in the trailer with him going nuts. VERY frightening, to say the least. After the first 10 (very long) seconds or so, I was able to get in the trailer, let her out, and have E hand me a second lead rope to replace the stuck one. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The horse has a scraped up head (from rearing several times and hitting his head on the roof of the trailer) and a scrape on his back leg as well.

E took over at this point. We didn't want the horse to finish the day with a scary trailer incident, so she lead him around to calm him and then tried get him to load. Which he wouldn't do, of course. She worked with him for 30 to 45 minutes, trying to get him to see the trailer as a place of calmness - he was allowed to rest whenever he stood quietly at the trailer at first, but if he pulled away she worked him in the area surrounding the trailer. Eventually she got him to put one foot in. We called it quits then - she was tired to the bone and he was lathered up as well.

I was very proud of her.

The owner of the horse asked me what I thought about the horse. He's a nice looking animal, and I do think he is probably just fine for most people, but they are now afraid of him (this not the first negative experience they've had with him). And he knows it. The horse walks all over them (literally) and is difficult for them to control. I hated telling her that I thought he might be too much animal for them, but this afternoon convinced me that they are not safe around him because they don't know how to assert their dominance over him. I don't think he is dangerous in general, just terribly disrespectful and in need of some ground manners. I really do hope they find a solution to their problem.

Oh, and by the way, Monte just stood still during this whole spectacle. Have I mentioned what a good little man he is? :)

Tomorrow is Pony Club. E has her first rating exam. Hope all goes well.

Cold Bums

2010-04-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

We finished up the first "bath" of the year with a good tail and mane washing. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing a bit and the temps were in the 50s - not the best conditions for a comfortable experience. Monte was a trooper and stood (semi)quietly through the ordeal.

Another barn resident graciously loaned us a slinky for his head to help keep all that newly-washed hair clean. I was worried that Monte would freak out as we put it on but as we slid it over his head and covered up his eyes it became obvious that he has worn one of these contraptions in the past. He didn't flinch at all as we struggled to get the eye and ear holes in the right places. I know some 3 year old children who freak out more pulling on a shirt than he did! He's such a great little guy.

After all of this he will be semi-respectable for the first show of the year. Hope the judge doesn't look too closely at the base of his mane, though! :)

Poor Monte!

2010-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Monte probably felt extremely picked on yesterday. During his spring shots out at the barn the vets did a general condition check on all the horses and determined that our little man needed his teeth floated. So off to our vet we went and after a little sedation and much filing his teeth are all nice and even again. We were a little surprised that he even needed to have his teeth floated, let alone filed as much as the vet ended up having to do, because Arabs tend to have great teeth that need almost no attention - especially at Monte's age.

Being sedated, Monte was extremely relaxed and, well, let it all hang out. Seeing this our vet promptly says, "Oh, let me clean that all up for you too!" Not being one to turn down a free weenie-wash, I said sure. :) I also got a lesson on horse anatomy and how to take care of the "bean" that often forms in little boy parts. Poor Monte just had to stand there while we pulled and flushed and generally poked around.

The vet tech assisting during all of this also grabbed some clippers and cleaned up Monte's bridle path and forelock for us too. Gee, what great service!

But this was not the end to all that Monte had to suffer through yesterday! E has her first show of the season on Saturday. Usually we would bathe the horse the night before but the weather forecast isn't looking all that great and the only day that looks even remotely warm (low 60's) was Wednesday afternoon. So to top the whole afternoon off, we washed the main part of his body and his mane, and then threw his blanket on him to hopefully keep him from becoming brown again. It was breezy during this last bit and the poor guy was shivering terribly before we could (quickly) finish. I don't think E will win any showmanship classes based on the cleaning job we did!

Monte wasn't too happy by the end. But he did stand patiently during all of our ministrations.

A new horse?

2010-03-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

In the last week or two people have come up to me repeatedly to tell me about horses they know about that I might be interested in. And while I am beginning to look for the next big guy to add to our "herd" I also have to admit to a rising feeling of anxiety about the whole process. This is a decision that honestly makes me want to run and hide!

I remember the feeling of release I had when we finally found Monte. I don't enjoy "shopping" for horses at all; I'm constantly worried that I'll either pick a bad one or skip over a diamond-in-the-rough bargain. When we settled on Monte, I was able to stop all the internal voices that kept me second guessing myself.

Unfortunately, as E begins to learn to jump I can see that Monte will not be the perfect horse for her for very much longer. While he excels in the Western arena, English is not proving to be a place of strength for him. Most of that has to be connected to E's phenomenal growth spurt these past few months - my 13 year old is now almost 5'11"! It's hard to balance when you're hanging out over your pony's head. :)

And here we are again, back to looking for a second mount. Secretly I'm hoping that someone I know will come along with the perfect horse for us and say, "Hey, I just need a good family to take care of my guy for a while. Would you do me the favor of leasing him?" I know, I should just keep dreaming!

And I'm not even sure what kind of horse I should be looking for. With Monte, the criteria was a horse who would help E find her confidence while in the saddle. And he's done that beautifully. But now I'm not sure what to do. Do we look for an animal that can jump/event/excel at dressage for E? Or should I focus on a steady-eddy type to go down the trail with me? Perhaps I should be looking for two horses - and sell Monte?

This is too hard to think about. I think I'll go have a cup of tea instead.

Jumping, Part II

2010-03-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Rainy day out at the barn today. But that didn't stop the Pony Clubbers.

Monte is finally starting to get what he's supposed to be doing with all those poles. He still tried to go around the trot poles and jump standards but we created barriers (both human and inanimate) to keep him on track. He actually stopped trotting over the low cross-rails and even jumped up to 18". At the end of the lesson E's words were, "That was terrifying. And totally awesome!"

I think she is hooked.

Jumping ponies

2010-03-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Monte had his first real jumping lesson today...Oh, and E did too.

He wasn't convinced that going over trot poles was really all that necessary. Eventually the instructor had to put wings on the trot-poles to keep him from side-passing off the course. Silly pony.

They never did jump over the poles, but he did finally figure out that they weren't going to eat him.

PC Quiz Rally

2010-03-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

E competed in a Pony Club Quiz Rally this past weekend up in the Spokane area. This was her first quiz rally...well, actually, it was her first rally of any type.

We drove up to Spokane on Friday afternoon. I let the GPS on my iPhone pick the route - perhaps not the best move. It took us through all kinds of country roads (rather than the more usual highway/freeway route) and I wondered more than once if we would actually make it to our destination. We were able to take one side trip because of this, however. Palouse Falls is a beautiful site of an ancient flood area that now has just the one falls. Very grand scenery, indeed.

Palouse Falls - I'm guessing that it's about a 150' drop.

We tried to eat dinner at The Milk Bottle in Spokane but discovered that it closes at 4:00 - we arrived at 4:45. Maybe next time....

The Milk Bottle - supposedly some of the best diner food in Spokane....

PC Quiz Rallies are a fun team event in which the members test their horse knowledge against each other. E's team was made up of 2 other girls from her local club and a "pick-up" team member from the Cle Ellum area. The theme of the day was the "wearing o'the green" and their team name was the Limerick Lasses. They had lots of fun - and looked sufficiently ridiculous - and were declared the best-dressed team for the day. They also happened to take second place in their division. Not bad for a first time out.

The Limerick Lasses, with their chaperone-extraordinaire!

Heading out to the Barn Phase....

This next pic is totally unrelated to horses, but I just love the free-spirit that is my youngest daughter. She is such an individual in so many ways....including her choice of clothing!

And finally, here's the last pic I took of Curly - just a couple of days before we had him put down. I'm still sad. In fact, I am surprised by the depth of the grief I have been experiencing. I was really unprepared for these feelings.....

A hole in my heart....

2010-03-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

I'm still a little weepy - and am dreading going out to the barn today. I didn't realize how hard this would be for me.

So, briefly, here's a recount of Curly's last couple of days.

After the vet opened up the abscess on his hoof, Curly was walking fairly well, putting weight on all four hooves. She was optimistic that all would go well. On Friday morning, however, he had developed a problem with the other hind hoof and was back to being 3-legged. Another abscess was suspected.

After talking about Curly's history of recurring abscesses, his general health issues and then taking a hard look at his poor hoof conformation, she recommended that we not go any further with treatment. The vet's exact words were, "If this were my horse, I would put him down today." So hard to hear, but I am thankful for her truthfulness and willingness to offer her advice even if it's not what the owner might want do.

Curly was in extreme pain - even while on meds - and was very agitated. So I decided to follow her advice. (I learned this afternoon that after I left him on Friday morning he laid down and spent most of the day this way. This helps me know that I did indeed make the right choice.)

Our barn owners graciously offered to take care of the details for me. Curly was euthanized in their trailer and then taken up to the mountains to be buried. I am very grateful to have wonderful people like this in my life.

And I am very grateful to have had Curly in my life as my first horse.

He is missed.

E hugging Curly....

Goodbye Curly

2010-03-05T10:20:00.001-08:00

I'm too sad to write anything more....

Abscess update

2010-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Got a call from the barn manager last night - Curly appeared to be doing worse.

After rushing out there again, I re-cleaned the hoof and we put him into his stall, adding a gate across the run so that he was forced to stay out of the mud for the night. Curly was NOT HAPPY with this arrangement.

The farrier arrived bright and early this morning to trim both boys' hooves. Curly was still a 3-legged horse, though, so there was no way his could get trimmed. Mike tried to determine just what the heck was going on with Curly but he wasn't able to find anything else.

So after we finished up with Monte's pedicure, I hauled Curly off to the vet. The vet's office was totally packed today so she squeezed Curly's care in between other appointments. She took some x-rays of his hoof and found a pocket of infection that she was then able to open up. And it was indeed related to that crack I had noticed on Saturday on the outside of his hoof.

When she sliced into the area black pus, and then blood, came out - YUCK! They had to sedate and then do 2 nerve blocks on Curly in order to accomplish this and she still wasn't able to make him comfortable enough to open the abscess up completely. The doctor medicated and wrapped the hoof up after they were done and then gave the poor boy some bute. He was not feeling too good after the whole ordeal.

Curly is spending the night at the vet's office. I'll pick him up early tomorrow morning. Crossing my fingers that he's feeling much less pain now.

Curly the 3-legged horse

2010-03-02T08:51:00.001-08:00

I ended up calling the farrier out yesterday. Curly looked miserable and I just had to do something to make him feel better.

After a little investigation and a bit of shaving on the bottom of his hoof, what appears to be a drain hole was found. Didn't see anything come flowing out but we are hopeful that by opening up the hole to the surface the pressure in the hoof will now be released.

I packed the area with an epsom salt poultice, put the medicine boot on and led the poor horse back to his stall.

I'll go out again this morning to check and re-clean the hoof. Crossing my fingers that he's doing better today.

Another abscess?

2010-03-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

E is sick. High fevers (101 - 102), sore throat, fainted on Saturday (That was scary! You try catching someone taller than you as they collapse to the floor!).

We had previously purchased tickets to a local fundraiser/banquet for Saturday evening. Since dinner was already paid for, hubby and I decided to pop in, eat dinner and head out before the auction fun began. Just as we sit down to eat, my phone rings.

Our barn manager is worried. Curly is laying down in the field and won't get up. Colic? Injury somewhere? She can't tell at this point.

So I jump in the car (leaving hubby at the banquet) and rush to the barn. By the time I arrive Curly has successfully made it to the tie bar on the side of the barn. But it is obvious it took some effort. The poor boy won't put any weight on his right hind hoof, which makes us all immediately suspect that there is an abscess forming even though we don't see anything on the hoof yet. Curly doesn't respond to any pressure with the calipers, either, but abscess is still our best guess.

I apply an epsom salt poultice, wrap it up and put on the medicine boot we have. Curly is (painfully) lead to the round pen for the night and given some bute to help with the pain. It just breaks my heart to see him hurt so much.

Since I'm still in my steppin' out clothes, and hubby is still at the banquet, I head back to dinner and then home to my sick child (who still has a fever over 100). I'm exhausted and my eyelid is twitching - a little stress, perhaps? :-)

My wonderful barn mangers checked on Curly several times throughout the night; he seemed to be doing okay - or was at least standing the whole time! When I arrived Sunday morning I took off the poultice. It smelled pretty bad but I didn't find any obvious drainage hole. Since he was moving with only a slight limp, I decided to let him go on out to the field for the day. He was able to use the hoof, but we could see that it was tender.

I checked on Curly a second time yesterday afternoon, re-cleaned the hoof and soaked it in a bucket of water and epsom salt. I didn't find anything that looked like his previous abscesses, but there is a crack on the outside of his hoof, with a horizontal crack at the top of it. It may be that the abscess is draining from this spot.

Throughout this whole ordeal I've watched Curly's face and eyes. I want to know what he looks like when I KNOW he is in pain so that I can be a better judge of days when I think he may be but I am not entirely sure. And here's the weird thing - his eyes and demeanor during the last two days have been exactly the same as they always are. He has a slightly worried look over his sweet, dark eyes. And he's the same gentle dope that he usually is - sometimes pushy, but generally trying to do what ever it is you're asking. What does this say about his general pain level? I wish he could tell me more clearly....

The farrier is already scheduled to come out on Thursday. Unless there is some drastic change, we'll just keep that appointment rather than call him in early to take care of this. In the meantime, I'll be going out to clean and soak his hoof several times each day.

Vaulting

2010-02-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

E's Pony Club had a vaulting lesson today. The owner of Happy Horses Riding School brought out two of her lesson horses and taught the club members how to vault onto the animals, do scissor kicks, mills (turning around on the horse) and other tricks. Before we arrived, E had imagined a pretty simple lesson in which they might vault on and turn around on a horse that is walking. She quickly discovered that they were in for much, much more!

Here's a bunch of pics from today:

Waiting patiently to take a turn.

E learns to balance on Bubbles, the Belgium.

We were teasing E that she finally was riding a horse that was the right size for her! ;)

Riding double, learning to stand.

Trying to coordinate swinging legs around so that both riders end up backwards.

This is when they really needed helmets - to protect their heads from swinging feet!

By the end of the lesson they were doing tricks at both a trot and a canter. Tons of fun!

Ouch!

2010-02-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

The following was said by daughter E, last weekend:

"Should we put you down, too, because your back hurts?"

A hard decision just gets harder and harder....

And the chiropractor says....

2010-02-05T21:28:00.001-08:00

We finally had the chiropractor come out to work with Curly on Thursday afternoon. She found a couple of painful spots at the top of his head/neck, as well as further along his neck, a couple of ribs out of place, and then a spot on his right hind leg that gave her a bit of concern. She said it felt like something was pinching some nerves back there (midway down his leg) - or something like that. I have to admit that we talked about so many things that some of it is now a jumble in my head.

Anyway, she manipulated his body a bit and said that perhaps she might be able to help him. But perhaps not. She really isn't sure that his physical ailments can be fixed - but also offered that she didn't think it was time to give up on him yet either. That fact that Curly is a generally kind and well-behaved horse makes everyone who comes in contact with him want to help the big guy out.

We talked about what's been going on and Curly's conformation (not all that good) and what this might mean for his future ride-ability. She felt that he probably can be brought back to being strong enough to handle child-sized riders, but she is not so certain about his ability to ever being able to handle an adult's weight. The way his legs cross over in the back has created prolonged strain on is hips and back. And there may be permanent damage.

But all of this is just supposition at this point - we really won't know what Curly will be capable of until we start trying him out.

So, I've asked her to work with him each time she comes out to the barn (every 4 to 6 weeks). I will be more aggressive in our ground work, trying to strengthen his back and bring him up to a better level of fitness in general. And then we try riding again.

Now I just need to find an experienced, light-weight rider..... ;)