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.
Showing posts with label E. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Lookin' for shade
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.....
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.....
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Recognizing the problem...
....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!
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!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ambivalence
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.
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.
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