Soon

Soon:

• I will be visiting Zoe again.  Last week we couldn't figure out a day(s) that would work for both me and the trainer.  Tomorrow is the day for now...possibly Wednesday too!
• I will have a major announcement.  I cannot disclose just yet because of some small details that need to be ironed out.
• We will know what is going on with our bull, Bo.  He is our bucking bull that we were competing with in Oklahoma and Kansas, mostly.  So much up in the air with him right now that it's causing major stress...answers to come soon, hopefully.
• My life will slow down and I can fit in some fun time with my horses at home???  Maybe???  Hopefully???
• I will have another post up...

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"Whatever you are, be a good one."

-Abraham Lincoln

Boot Camp Update #3

I visited Zoe at the trainer's again this past Wednesday and guess what?  I rode her!  Walk, trot and canter both directions!

Ok, I'll start over...just couldn't wait for the big news... 

I got there and took Zoe out.  Groomed her up (the trainer had other clients she was wrapping things up with) and waited.  I wasn't sure which saddle and bridle she used so I just spend the few minutes just hanging out.  The trainer finished her tacking up and headed went to the indoor arena.  She did a short lunging session and then got on.  Zoe did really well for her!  They worked on steering, headset and moving off her leg.  Still working on neck reining but she's getting there.  Oh, and she was backing.

Trainer's two daughters were there riding their gelding around, which I thought was a good lesson for Zoe.  They got done riding and asked for my help with taking the bridle off and putting the halter on their horse.  While I was doing that the trainer asked if I wanted to ride...ummm...YES!!!

I got on Zoe.  I was nervous, I'll admit that.  The last time I rode her she was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.  This time she was different.  I wouldn't say relaxed but ready to please.  Any little thing I did she was trying to guess what I wanted.  She really wanted to please even though she didn't really know what I wanted her to do.  She was trying really hard to do it right! 

The trainer said she noticed how Zoe really responded to verbal praise, I told her I talk to my horses all the time so I'm sure that's why.  When I first dropped Zoe off, the trainer told me that I shouldn't be giving verbal cues; the cues should be physical.  That was hard for me to do but now the trainer told me to talk to Zoe because that's what Zoe likes.  Yeah!!

Anyways, Zoe doesn't need much encouragement to go anymore.  She has a very powerful and forward trot and canter.  Her walk is a working walk as well.  Very nice gaits!  Did I mention she has a stop that would make a team roper (heeler) get excited?  I know I've mentioned that Zoe tunes into her rider very well and if she feels even the slightest posture change (meaning leaning back, even slightly) she will slam on her breaks.  Sometimes she even stops when you open your legs up too wide (like to adjust your foot in the stirrup). 

Back to the ride...we trotted around a while.  I was trying to get a feel for her.  I've never stayed on this long at this pace so I had no idea what she was going to be like.  Once the trot was comfortable, I asked for the canter.  She got to moving right away!  What a powerful canter she has - I'm impressed!  Her headset is good most of the time, needs some reminders every now and then.  I just pick up my inside rein and she puts her head down and I can feel her back lift up and she collects.  She will stay collected for a few steps and then hollows out.  She will need more work on that but that will come with practice and as she gets stronger in her back.  I dismounted with a smile on my face.  This was the horse I knew I had bought, just needed some help getting her out!

We untacked her, sprayed her down and put her away.  It was time to talk business.  The trainer said that if I wanted to take Zoe home now, that I could.  She said I looked comfortable on her but Zoe would definitely need more saddle time to stay that way.  She's definitely not kid safe yet but has the mind to be.  Then the real question from me came up...will she make a reiner?  The trainer said (after a long discussion) probably not.  She said she would have at least another year of training ahead of her and after that she still might not have what it takes.  She said she would probably make a really good roping horse with her awesome stop, but definitely a great family horse.  Roping is in her blood but my passion is reining and western dressage (that's new to me...just started reading about it).  If I want to try my hand at reining, I should buy a different horse.  So what's our next step?  I'm leaving Zoe there for another month.  I will be going twice a week for riding/lessons on Zoe and the other three days a week the trainer will be working with Zoe.  At the end of the next 30 days, she will be coming home.  I will be trailering her in to as many indoor arenas throughout the winter as I can.  My plan as of right now is to bring her to middle daughter's lessons on Mondays, and trailer her to the trainer's on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings.  If I can fit in more time, than I will.  But that's my winter schedule...I guess I better get more comfortable pulling a trailer!

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"It is always brave to say what everyone thinks."

-Georges Duhamel

Not Lame, Then Lame Again! AHHHH!!!

The title of this post says it all.  After my last post about how Star was getting better, I lunged her and she was going BEAUTIFULLY!  So I put her through her paces.  She held up great!  Not a lame step at all - it was so exciting!  Middle daughter jumped on and walked her out while practicing her position (sit up, heels down, look ahead, elbows bent...).  It was an awesome night of riding.  We both had a great time!

A few days later (didn't want to push Star too hard) we took her back out.  I lunged her to see if there was any soreness and she looked good again. I was happy.  Middle daughter jumped on and did some walk/trot/canter for a bit and then I told her to walk her out.  As she was walking away, Star came to a dead stop.  Middle daughter didn't know what happened so she asked her to walk again.  Star tried and about fell over because she wouldn't put any weight on her front driver side foot.  CRAP!!!  I ran over to them and middle daughter got down.  We took the saddle off and middle daughter ran to get the hoof pick, halter and lead rope.  We picked her foot out - clean.  No stones.  Tried to make her move another step and there was no improvement.  WTH???  Her fetlock looked swollen and she was very tender to the touch on her heel.  We very slowly walked over the barn and cold hosed her leg/foot for 15 minutes, gave her some banamine and put her in her stall.

We did chores (takes about 45 minutes with all that we have to do everyday!) and came back to check her.  She was calling for Tyson the entire time so we moved Tyson to his stall (next to Star) and fed them both.

Next morning, I got up extra early and took Star out.  Still limping just as bad as she did the night before so I cold hosed her again and put her back in her stall.  Fed the horses and went back inside to get ready for work.

All day at work I was worried about Star.  Worried that she did some permanent damage and we would have to put her down.  I wasn't ready to say good bye!  Let's just say I was a wreck and move on...

I got home and saw that hubby had moved her and Tyson outside.  She was grazing and had weight on her foot!  WHAT????  Hubby said when he led her out of her stall that she was still tender but walked pretty good.  A phone call would've been nice so I didn't have to worry all day that she was in so much pain!!!

So I've been checking her at least twice daily and everyday she improves.  She still favors it some but not too bad.  I'm thinking she may have overstepped or twisted it a little in while riding.  Either way, she's SOO much better than before and keeps getting better everyday. 

In Zoe news, I will be visiting next week.  I wanted to visit this week but the trainer had a show this weekend and had a busy week.  Next week it will be 60 days that she's been at the trainer.  I will determine if she needs another 30 days then.  I do miss her...  I've also been tossing around the idea of boarding her somewhere where there's an indoor arena so that I can continue with riding her throughout the winter so we won't have to start over in the spring.  The barn where middle daughter takes riding lessons doesn't have any outdoor boarding spots available and their full board rate is WAY more than I can afford right now.  But I really enjoy that place so we'll see I guess. 

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity."

-Augustine of Hippo

Tyson

So where is Tyson among all the Star and Zoe updates?  He's been living the good life.  No riding, just brushing, eating and pooping with the occasional visit from the farrier.  His life is good.

I don't think that the lack of riding bothers him a bit.  He's always been on the lazy side but if we didn't take him out to brush him after we were done with Star, he gets really upset.  He wants his attention too!!!

Middle daughter sat on him bareback a month or so ago just for fun.  Naturally, he didn't care.  But that's all we are going to do with him.  He is still quite lame and can't trot at all.  He bobs his head at the walk occasionally as well, so I started him on the same joint supplements as Star.  The head bob is gone now so it must be helping him too. 

Almost every day (I say almost because I admit, there are days where I'm just feeding and running because of family commitments!) I do a thorough walk-around.  Checking his knees, fetlocks, joints and hooves for any signs of soreness or heat.  I noticed this last time that the foot that he hurt really bad this past winter seems to have new growth coming in.  Like maybe he's regenerating some new hoof where it had been torn off???  This is the foot that causes the severe lameness issues so I'm only slightly hopeful that he will keep growing that hoof and maybe someday be somewhat sound again.  One can only hope...

And now to end this post with Mr. Handsome, himself... (that's what I call him, Mr. Handsome.  I think he likes it!)

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"Don't give up.  Don't lose hope.  Don't sell out."

-Christopher Reeve

Lame

In other news, we are battling lameness with Star again.  I suspected that she had some arthritis starting in one of her hocks but the soreness was coming from the other hock.  I started her on some joint supplements and she seems to be responding very well.  Part of me wonders if she took a bad step out in the pasture because we rode her on a Saturday afternoon and then on Tuesday she was LAME.  Three legged, couldn't trot, LAME.  The other day I went out with her grain and she trotted up to me, without pain so I think we are heading in the right direction.  I haven't tried her in the round pen yet, that's coming soon.  If she's good, we will try riding for a few minutes and go from there.  I don't want to re-injure her so we will take it slow.

Until next time!




Quote for the day:
"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it."

-George Halas

Boot Camp Update #2

I visited Zoe at the trainer's yesterday...

Guess who's walk-trot-canter now???!!!  It's a REALLY bad picture but I was too excited to think about pictures at the time.

Zoe was soft, had a good headset, giving to the bit and pressure, and overall worked really good!  I was so excited with what I saw!  Let's just say I was very proud of my girl!  The trainer LOVES her big stop.  At one point they were cantering around and she asked to stop and Zoe slammed on her breaks so hard that she slid!  Do we have a reining horse after all?  Time will tell but it's definitely possible!

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"The best time to make friends is before you need them."

-Ethel Barrymore

Boot Camp Update

I had the chance to visit Zoe at the trainer's last week and let me tell you that she's getting a reminder on what is expected of her!  I thought I had her ground manners under control but this trainer has this mare saying "Yes Ma'am!  Right away Ma'am!" instead of "Oh, ok."

Unfortunately, the trainer had a vacation planned during the first 30 days so Zoe didn't have much done yet.  They have been working on lunging and giving to pressure on the bit, breaking at the poll, bending, and overall obedience.  She's coming along nicely, the trainer likes her a lot!

At the end of the lesson, Zoe got a quick hose down...she really worked hard so she was dripping with sweat!  She will be nice and fit when the trainer is done!!!

I'm going to be visiting her again next week and this time she's going to have me ride one of her reiners to see what I can expect Zoe to be like at the end of the 90 days.  I'm really excited!

Anyways, the trainer said that she fully expects all horses that she is working with to be able to be handled safely on the ground by anyone, kid or adult, beginner or experienced so that's why they are working on ground stuff right now instead of jumping on her and riding right away. I appreciate that.  She's a no-nonsense, knows what she wants trainer and I believe I made the right choice bringing Zoe to her.

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"There are no original ideas.  There are only original people."
-Barbara Grizzuti Harrison