DefinitelyDressage.com

SF--poop ,
You know who is standing around a couple miles away. For some unknown reason, my butt has been on the warpath so I haven't been riding much. Have managed a bit of ground work though. If you feel like you are going to ride her much, I will have to clip and blanket. She is one wooly critter and I don't think you would fare well on cool down time if I don't clip her. Just let me know.

Glad you are getting on with the riding Sue. I don't think it is crazy to send him to a cowboy. I had to send my last mare to canter boot camp. I would get to riding defensively then be unable get out of her way (she was long and downhill) and she would react with this giant kick/buck thing (just one). After doing the lawn dart thing (me being the dart) for the 3rd time I realized I needed help.
I sent her to someone that was able to stay out of her way and let her figure it out. He had her for only 2 weeks...that's all and it totally helped. I took a couple lessons before I brought her home and she never did that again. We have nothing to prove and at least an assessment from someone else might help.

I hope you get to feeling better Rye. Winter just sucks for chronic pain...it just does.

Susan

Thanks Susan - Cathy was already scheming about who else I could ride. I told her a need a few days to feel sorry for myself first. I'll have to do something this winter/spring if I want to be prepared to swing a leg over the baby giraffe next summer though.

Wow this has been the aching and injured thread. I feel sympathy and send jingles to people and horses needing health

Chisamba wrote:I dont really want to buy more if Texas is warmer. What layers would I realistically need for a Texas winter? Is it worth buying or should I just walk around in a tent?

What part of Texas are you moving to? The climates are quite different in the different regions!

If you're moving to south Texas or even central Texas (hill country, San Antonio/Austin) - you can get by with your big warm clothes, you'll rarely need em.

DFW area - might be worth investing in one set of warm clothes that fit - it's not like the north, but gets nippy semi-frequently. Just find a good sale.

West Texas - still not the north, but worth investing in two sets of warm clothes. Also make sure the outside layer is wind-proof.

StraightForward wrote:Well, FML. Had a new vet out and she pinpointed Annabelle's issue: fractured coffin bone wing. Good prognosis, but she is going to be layed up for 6-8 months. So much for 2019.

I will need to muster the ambition to ride other people's horse, I suppose.

well, now that *is* a problem
So sorry and sending many jingles. Glad you got a clear answer

So sorry about Annabelle...that sucks.
If you get too bored, you could always exchange Annabelle for Tio; they are the same color after all.

Since Christmas is coming, let us all wish for healthy, happy horsies AND riders.

Bummer SF. I am sorry.

Laddie is also lame. No clinic for us tomorrow, vet on Thursday. Ugh.

SF so sorry about Annabelle! That just stinks.

Moutaineer, jingles Laddie is nothing serious.

All other DDBB horses please stay healthy and sound! Bad juju going on around here.

Kelo wrote:

Chisamba wrote:I dont really want to buy more if Texas is warmer. What layers would I realistically need for a Texas winter? Is it worth buying or should I just walk around in a tent?

What part of Texas are you moving to? The climates are quite different in the different regions!

If you're moving to south Texas or even central Texas (hill country, San Antonio/Austin) - you can get by with your big warm clothes, you'll rarely need em.

DFW area - might be worth investing in one set of warm clothes that fit - it's not like the north, but gets nippy semi-frequently. Just find a good sale.

West Texas - still not the north, but worth investing in two sets of warm clothes. Also make sure the outside layer is wind-proof.

Thanks Kelo. DFW area. I am going ir next week to see the area and attend the corporate holiday party

Ugh, do not like the horse lameness news at all. SF, I'm glad you have a clear diagnosis, but what a bummer. It is so nice that you and Susan can help each other out.

Speaking of cold in the south, it was our coldest ride of the year late yesterday afternoon @29 F. Em felt like a tight prancing sludge at the start but we hung in and got to very nice work despite nearly all of the horses running around their paddocks and screaming. Just one of those brisk days!

We are doing ok--Nothing super new, just understanding different ways to fill the outside rein of the horse. I have had a lot of clinics and lessons from different trainers which is a lot to process, but its fun to see the themes emerge.

SF, that is really crappy news. I am glad that you have a diagnosis though, that helps IMO. Just goes to show you. Horses suck. Sigh.
(I'm totally saying that sarcastically

Aw StraightForward that stinks but at least you know what's going on and have a good prognosis.

I am.. frustrated. Some days I feel like we are making good progress and other days I feel like we couldn't even make it through a decent training level test. Her new trick is balking behavior where I put my leg on and she balls up and turns into a pretzel/snail or just refuses to move forward at all. Her being her I'm fairly certain she won't push it much further than that thankfully. I've managed to get her through it successfully and moving easily off a light leg each ride and I feel like the quality of our good work once we get there has improved pretty significantly. However I really hate spending half my ride convincing her to just work with me and then all we can really do is a light workout because I don't want to over work her or make her feel like arguing was the better option. I may be grasping at straws here but this really ugly stuff started a couple of days after I ran out of a magnesium supplement which I wasn't going to continue with but I've ordered it again just in case so I guess I'll see what happens.

Imperini wrote:I may be grasping at straws here but this really ugly stuff started a couple of days after I ran out of a magnesium supplement which I wasn't going to continue with but I've ordered it again just in case so I guess I'll see what happens.

That could be a real clue and IMO is not grasping at straws at all.

When my PSSM mare has challenges (colder weather) and needs her supplements adjusted (I increase her ALCAR in winter), she can exhibit very similar behavior.

Thanks all! This diagnosis was quite a shock yesterday, but probably better in the long run than some of the other possibilities. I'm working on getting her into a stabilizing shoe and setting her up with some toys to alleviate boredom. At least she is allowed out in her small pen, where she has a view of most of the activity around the stable, so it won't be as mind-numbing as complete stall confinement. But it is going to be a loooong winter.

SF, I am glad you kept at it. I had something similar...sort of...vet said one thing but in the back of my mind I was going...no, I don't buy that. Turned out to be an abscess...a little easier recuperation than what Annabelle has ahead. I wondered if she would need a shoe to stabilize things. Damned Kuna rocks .

I actually rode today. Very nice weather for late November and I just hate to waste those days (even though my rides are a whopping 20-30 minutes). I decided my foot hurt more than my butt so a ride it is. Just worked on some suppling work in walk for our warm-up then did a bit of trot and canter (just rode the rail concentrating riding in position) then went on a short walk about over to the track. Since it is now raining, I suspect our track walks are over for the winter so I got one last one in. She worked very well for not having been ridden in a couple weeks.

I am starting to feel stronger...after over a month working at the gym or in the pool 3-4 days/week. Damned, when it goes, it goes and it's hard to get back. I don't feel I have much choice. Riding my horse or sitting in the rocking chair (oh, yeah, sitting still doesn't work so good)?? The choice isn't hard.
I finally got an appointment with the orthopedic guy to look at my foot. I am going to query on PRP or stem cells if it is indeed tendonitis. Oh, and Abby...I truly hurt for you. I hope you can get things righted and get back in the saddle. Foot problems really suck.
Susan

Sorry to read about all the health issues. Hoping that the holidays will bring speedy recoveries to all. My personal challenges are financial, not physical. I had to pay for unexpected family expenses which forces me to forego the upcoming Heather Blitz clinic. Still, I got to have a lesson yesterday and acceptance of the bit continues to be our challenge. This time, however though nothing new just a scab that had to be picked off completely, it was all about turning from the left rein. Once we got it through to Junior that he could and will turn in response to the left rein pressure WITHOUT turning his neck left and bulging through the right shoulder things really came together better even at the canter. He is also managing walk to canter departs pretty well. The strength is there (especially now that we're riding 20 -25 miles a week on the trails). Now we just have to put suppleness and strength together consistently. We lack the elasticity and fluidity needed though we seem to conquer the separate pieces alright. Eventually I hope the light bulb will come on.

The weather had been challenging this season. We are swamped with mud. Literally. I dont even know how to cope anymore.

Chisamba wrote:The weather had been challenging this season. We are swamped with mud. Literally. I dont even know how to cope anymore.

Ditto. Clearly, the worst weather year I can recall. So very depressing every single day.

So vet and farrier coincided this morning for Laddie, which was true serendipity.

With his left front foot blocked he was completely sound, so we did a bunch of foot x-rays. Nothing sinister going on, but a negative palmar angle on both fronts--the right more than the left. His right front is hard to manage, it grows forward with no heel, sort of the opposite of a club. He also grows an astonishing amount of hoof in a short time frame.

So he got trimmed and shod to his xrays and a 2-degree wedge on the right front--the hypothesis being that he's made himself sore loading the left compensating for the poor balance on the right. He'll get bute for 5 days and a very conservative exercise schedule, and if he stays sound when he comes off it, we are good. Vet is going to come back and x ray again the week before his next farrier visit. My vet is also a farrier, so that helps.

My farrier is very good, but just, until today, didn't get why I was unhappy about his lack of ability to come on a short enough schedule. 7 weeks just doesn't do it for a shod horse with this kind of foot. I think we solved that.

So I'm feeling a bit better about the whole thing. The next week or so will be the test.

There were some good things--the foot xrays also showed the pasterns and fetlocks, and they are all as clean as whistle, as well as the coffin joint. I'd nailed the lameness to the correct lower leg, which made me feel a bit more competent in my diagnostic skills, and it wasn't a suspensory, which was the other possibility.

I must be the only person on the planet who wished her horse's hooves didn't grow so fast. I'm wondering if it's the Tri-Amino.

I hear you on the weather, we have had rain, cold, wind and now T storms forecasted for the weekend. Today was the nicest day of the week and I had to spend it with my parents at the cardiologist (dad is in AFib) and then teeth for 3 at the farm. Too cold Tues for the vet to do teeth, wind was brutal. Tuesday she just did Rip chiro/acupuncture. Was so interesting, he had fallen in the field so was a bit out of wack in his pelvis. He was quite antsy during the chiro almost piaffing. She put the first needle in him and he went to sleep, slept with lead rope dropped for almost 20 min!

Mountaineer the TB/Perch Juliet had the same lameness. Think combo of big draft feet with low heels of TB. My farrier put her in heart bars both front. She still wears a heart bar on the RF which is the lower of the two. She had collateral ligament issues due to the neg palmer angle. Took about 3 months I think for her to come sound.

I do appreciate you all sharing details about healthcare, shoeing, and comfort. It is quite enlightening and leads me to more learning. In a small contribution, I'll note that I have Emi (barefoot) trimmed every 5 weeks on the dime, even in winter. Actually every 4 weeks in summer would work well, but usually I ride enough to counteract that need.

Tonight was one of those horrid southern evenings: 35 F and raining. In between rain showers, I lunged Emi to see where she was at physically (PSSM). Really, she was pretty good, given the cold and damp. But then I asked for canter right and she was a wild mare! :-0 After a few minutes of that, I was relieved to see her very sound in trot right. So then we did "wild" (or not as it turns out) canter left and all was copacetic. That was a relief, and I was glad to have made the trip to barn in the wet dark. I have kind of a "grand loop" to go from work to the barn to home (maybe 50 miles total). I do think that I can never move north as my dear mare could not take all of the cold that y'all handle. Maybe a dry cold would work but no way a wet cold for my little Florida-Iberian girl.

Snowing hard here today. I guess we'd better get used to it. Laddie was a wild man on the lunge for the vet's assistant this morning--especially once that foot was blocked. I don't lunge him often and it showed--especially with the roofalanches…

Thanks for that info Khall--I think we've caught it pretty early so we are hoping for just generalized soreness rather than ligament damage.

If I could get a respectable farrier to work on mine every 5 weeks, I'd happily do so, it's just seems to be a thing here in Utah that they just won't do it. Talking to my barn manager earlier and it's a major annoyance of hers too. You'd think they'd be happy to take my money...

Funny story. My vet didn't read his instructions well this morning and came to my home barn instead of "Laddie's" boarding palace. He'd apparently given "Lucky", my 35 y.o quarter horse, a pretty thorough health exam before he realized I obviously wasn't home and maybe he should check where he should be... Fortunately the two places are only 10 minutes apart, and Lucky got a very good report for free

Moutaineer wrote:7 weeks just doesn't do it for a shod horse with this kind of foot.

7 weeks?! That's too long for my two barefoot wear very evenly mares. I can't imagine a shoe staying on that long

heddylamar wrote:

Moutaineer wrote:7 weeks just doesn't do it for a shod horse with this kind of foot.

7 weeks?! That's too long for my two barefoot wear very evenly mares. I can't imagine a shoe staying on that long

Agreed, surprised there are not a lot more farriers willing to come on a shorter schedule and, as you said, make more money.

My mare is best on a 4 week schedule, but we have to settle for every 5. In Florida, I was at a large barn, where there were enough horses that the farrier came every week. It was great because you could just add your horse to the list whenever it was ready. I miss it.

Moutaineer wrote: Laddie was a wild man on the lunge for the vet's assistant this morning--especially once that foot was blocked. I don't lunge him often and it showed--especially with the roofalanches…

I don't even put my horse in the indoor when the snow is sliding because I'm too worried that he'll hurt himself. If it slid more often he'd get used to it, but every once in awhile just isn't often enough.

If I could get a respectable farrier to work on mine every 5 weeks, I'd happily do so, it's just seems to be a thing here in Utah that they just won't do it. Talking to my barn manager earlier and it's a major annoyance of hers too. You'd think they'd be happy to take my money...

Exactly why I started shoeing my own. I just felt that the time I was spending waiting for the farrier and holding the horse would be better spent learning how to at least take the shoes off (with my farrier's encouragement). And then one thing led to another until I was resetting shoes that my farrier had shaped, and eventually fitting and nailing my own shoes. The big advantage for me was that I could trim and shoe the way I wanted my horses to be done as often as I wanted them done, and I didn't have to spend any time waiting around for my farrier to show up!

Fortunately the two places are only 10 minutes apart, and Lucky got a very good report for free

Moutaineer wrote:You'd think they'd be happy to take my money...

We struggle with that reality every day on so many things, so I totally understand! I am very grateful that my barefoot trimmer likes a proper schedule (one that is best for the horse) and is very reliable.

Moutaineer wrote: Lucky got a very good report for free

That is very funny and awesome!

I'm so lucky to have great professionals that do the work on my horses. My farrier in the summer is here every 5 weeks to keep my horses shod in a timely manner and every 6 weeks during the winter when their growth slows down. He is fanatical about keeping them in proper alignment. He is also married to my holistic vet and I count them both as friends. He is also great friends with my go to regular vet who thinks his shoeing is spot on. I feel very blessed to have such support in my care of the horses. I've been down the road of bad farriers and second guessing the vet and it is not fun. My farrier just told us he was having to go up on his prices in the new year due to increased cost of supplies, he was almost apologetic about it. I told him in no way am I upset about it, I know how good he is and he is worth every penny.

heddylamar wrote:

Moutaineer wrote:7 weeks just doesn't do it for a shod horse with this kind of foot.

7 weeks?! That's too long for my two barefoot wear very evenly mares. I can't imagine a shoe staying on that long

OTOH, I'm on a barefoot trimming FB group, and they're asking how to convince cheap owners that they need to come out more frequently than every 8 weeks. It is seriously disturbing how long horses can get with most people thinking it's totally fine.

I found a great shoer for Annabelle. He came out yesterday and made her a lovely custom heart bar shoe with long clips. She even behaved for the most part; I doubt she's ever been hot shod before. She was kind of guys, I think the barn is on fire and we should leave!

Moutaineer wrote:If I could get a respectable farrier to work on mine every 5 weeks, I'd happily do so, it's just seems to be a thing here in Utah that they just won't do it. Talking to my barn manager earlier and it's a major annoyance of hers too. You'd think they'd be happy to take my money...

My vet does come every 5 weeks and sticks to his appointment day and time. However, in the past I have had several farriers that didn't even make appointments. You had to call them when you wanted them. More often than not, they didn't return the call and you had to keep pestering them. They also would rather take on more clients on a longer schedule rather than fewer clients on a shorter schedule. It makes no sense, but many were like that. Here in my area of NJ, farriers think they are the cat's meow. They do not have any trouble getting horses to shoe and they can charge what they want. That is because there are a lot of big barns here with wealthy clients. I cherish my current farrier. I still pay $300 for 4 plain shoes and $50 for a barefoot trim.

musical comedy wrote:

Chisamba wrote:The weather had been challenging this season. We are swamped with mud. Literally. I dont even know how to cope anymore.

Ditto. Clearly, the worst weather year I can recall. So very depressing every single day.

And more rain predicted this weekend

Chisamba wrote:And more rain predicted this weekend

Yes and we can't even rely on the forecast the same day. I put horses out without a rain sheet, and now it is lightly raining and they are wet. Grrr. It rains nearly every single day. We will get cold, non-rainy weather in Jan/Feb, and then in March the rain will start up again. My pastures are a choppy mess and they will freeze like that making navigation difficult for the horses. I'm so disgusted.

kande50 wrote:

Moutaineer wrote: Laddie was a wild man on the lunge for the vet's assistant this morning--especially once that foot was blocked. I don't lunge him often and it showed--especially with the roofalanches…

I don't even put my horse in the indoor when the snow is sliding because I'm too worried that he'll hurt himself. If it slid more often he'd get used to it, but every once in awhile just isn't often enough.

I wouldn't ride all winter if I did that... neoprene ear muffs do a pretty good job, but he didn't get them yesterday!

Ugh MC and Chisamba, I'll take snow over mud any day. How miserable.

Farrier was up here this morning to trim the old men, and we had a chat about scheduling... we have our next appointment set and things are squared away, I think. I've told him I'll schedule him in future rather than the barn manager--they seem to butt heads and misunderstand each other at every turn.

My farrier - a rerun since he went on walkbout several years ago, then I "re-hired" him when his replacement passed away - called me this morning at work. "If it isn't one thing it's another." (Roseanne Roseannadanna) He was a few days late - I try to keep to a strict 6 week schedule, especially with the suspensory injury, but that's okay. But while my horse is well-behaved for vet and farrier, something bothered/distracted him for a moment and he jerked his foot away and farrier accidently cut him (and of course, it was the injured leg). Farrier was extremely apologetic and assured me horse was fine, but it had been a bit bloody, so he had wrapped it and he didn't want me to worry when I showed up tonight and saw the bandage. I'm sure he's right, and it's good that he called me, but really, don't need all this. Moving horse Sunday. Packing up/disposing of/trying to find storage for stuff after 30+ years of boarding at the same barn, through 3 different horses - it's a task. I may have to buy a storage shed, since I really don't have room at home to store it except in a carport shed - that's the only "open" space I have. Sigh. Another, what? $1,000 to add to the expenses.

So last week I attended a clinic with a woman that works a lot with biomechanics and rehabbing horses. She has been the most precise instructor I've been to and was able to tell me subtle things to look for in my riding and in how Ding was going. I've always had conflicting advice on what to do with his neck. Put it lower, do the high lifts etc.. all I know is that he compresses his lower neck and I can see the wrinkles and dip in front of his wither and then raises his poll. I guess this is where Pedro had his neck lower (but was able to keep him off his forehand) and others doing the high lifts to try and raise the sternum that way.
Anyway, long story short we did none of this. Kept him pretty straight and watching for the (I call it the pat spot muscle) to fill and keep his gullet open which helped him lift up more in front. She picked straight away that he is weak on his right hip, (he wears that toe down). In our piaffe Ding compresses that lower neck and gets his front legs too far under and she helped us a lot with that. We worked on piaffe/suspended trot trans. Canter piri's (keeping him much straighter), then piaffe to ext trot, although by that lesson Ding had run out of puff by then. She comes back in Feb, so hoping to attend again then.

First pic, getting more reach of the outside shoulder, and second pic more up in front. I just need to let go of that left rein!

Nice Flight, really nice! I came home from work to find out I won the Passier bridle that was being given away at the last recognized show as part of a raffle. Christmas came early! I'm going to pick it up tomorrow and see how well it fits Junior and if not I've got a few others to try it out on. Showing is costly but these kind of paybacks definitely make me rethink my budget LOL......yes I'm a sucker.

Flight wrote:So last week I attended a clinic with a woman that works a lot with biomechanics and rehabbing horses. She has been the most precise instructor I've been to and was able to tell me subtle things to look for in my riding and in how Ding was going. I've always had conflicting advice on what to do with his neck. Put it lower, do the high lifts etc.. all I know is that he compresses his lower neck and I can see the wrinkles and dip in front of his wither and then raises his poll. I guess this is where Pedro had his neck lower (but was able to keep him off his forehand) and others doing the high lifts to try and raise the sternum that way.
Anyway, long story short we did none of this. Kept him pretty straight and watching for the (I call it the pat spot muscle) to fill and keep his gullet open which helped him lift up more in front. She picked straight away that he is weak on his right hip, (he wears that toe down). In our piaffe Ding compresses that lower neck and gets his front legs too far under and she helped us a lot with that. We worked on piaffe/suspended trot trans. Canter piri's (keeping him much straighter), then piaffe to ext trot, although by that lesson Ding had run out of puff by then. She comes back in Feb, so hoping to attend again then.

First pic, getting more reach of the outside shoulder, and second pic more up in front. I just need to let go of that left rein!

Dingbelindaclinics1.jpg

Dingbelindaclinicsmall.jpg

Finding someone you appreciate working with is difficult. I hope this continues well for you.

Did you feel he was still a bit braced in the under neck up? Or did he feel good relaxed?

Moutaineer wrote:
I wouldn't ride all winter if I did that... neoprene ear muffs do a pretty good job, but he didn't get them yesterday!

One of the many perks of being retired is that there's no pressure to ride until the snow is done sliding off the roof. If I really want to ride I can ride one of the calmer horses, but I usually just wait because I'd rather ride Sting. But ear plugs are a great idea. I'd never even thought of using them for when the snow slides off the roof, as most of his fears are related to what he sees rather than what he hears. Do you use the ones that go inside the ear, or are there others? Do they come out if they shake their head?

StraightForward wrote:
OTOH, I'm on a barefoot trimming FB group, and they're asking how to convince cheap owners that they need to come out more frequently than every 8 weeks. It is seriously disturbing how long horses can get with most people thinking it's totally fine.

7 weeks is nothing. I have trouble convincing those who own pasture potatoes (so no wear) that it would be better if they had their horses trimmed more than twice a year. But they'll still call me when their horse develops a hoof crack, wanting to know if I think they need to have their horse shod because he's got a crack in his hoof. So it's not always because they're cheap, but is sometimes because they don't get it, and sometimes because they don't want to have to go out and get the horse up.

A friend of mine is a barefoot trimmer, and because she's meticulous she prefers to trim more often and charges less when she does. But some owners don't want her to come more often even when it's better for their horses and doesn't cost them any more, because they don't want to have to go out to hold horses for her.

Sorry for the lamenesses, human and equine. Chisamba the mud!! Bleah.

We got over two inches of rain. We need it so badly. My little property drains really well overall so I barely had puddles and only a couple of mild wash outs.

I am getting better. I can crutch myself over to the barn and can actually walk a little on my heel. I went to see the boys close up today for the first time. They were very interested and came right over and we had big snugging face scratches. Man I have missed them so much. Dilly doesn't really get a winter coat but George is a big hairball. Their manes are long. They are fat. I had a trimmer friend come do them so their feet are ok but of course no one does them as well as I do HA! so I cant wait to be able to trim them again. And clip them. And ride them.

I only have to go the wound doc once a week now yay although he tells me it will be another couple of months until they have granulated ad epithelized (sp). I told him an old horse remedy was meat tenderizer to stimulate granulation. He was not amused. I go to the surgeon for xrays Tues and am hoping my joint has fused and my plate is holding. I am beyond ready to be done with this. I want to put up my Christmas tree. I want to feed the boys. I want to cook Christmas dinner. Waah waah waah.

The wound guy measures my left leg. My calf is over two inches smaller than my right now and my thigh is almost two inches BIGGER than my right thigh. Its a big flabby blob. Bleah!

Enjoying and commiserating with everybody!

Chisamba wrote:Did you feel he was still a bit braced in the under neck up? Or did he feel good relaxed?

So long as I didn't brace with my hand (like I am in the photo - but didn't have a lot of photos so used this one), he was pretty good. It came and went, he's not consistently soft yet though. I should be getting more vid, I'll send you a link when I do

Flight wrote: I've always had conflicting advice on what to do with his neck. Put it lower, do the high lifts etc.. all I know is that he compresses his lower neck and I can see the wrinkles and dip in front of his wither and then raises his poll. I guess this is where Pedro had his neck lower (but was able to keep him off his forehand) and others doing the high lifts to try and raise the sternum that way.
Anyway, long story short we did none of this. <respectfully snipped>

Do you find it the switching between instructors and systems beneficial? It seems to be working for you, but it wouldn't for me.

musical comedy wrote: Do you find it the switching between instructors and systems beneficial? It seems to be working for you, but it wouldn't for me.

No, I really dislike it. I had an instructor who followed the more classical style of training and I liked it but circumstances happened that I could no longer ride with him, so I've tried to find another that I like. This woman trains very similar to my old instructor, so it works. I definitely can't do the different methods as they are completely opposite!

I'm sorry for all those out of commission due to injuries. Heal up and get well soon!

Queso and I have been alternating "real" work days (with all that bothersome baby-bending and arena work) with just happily hacking around the property. Things were going well, as we admired the work of the local shrike-- known as a butcher bird because it kills prey by stabbing it onto the barbed wire fences-- and the day was picture perfect.

Evidence:


Well, he got stuck at the same spot we've been stuck before. It's a bit of a step down into the creek bed and then a steep(ish) hill back up to the field, which Queso decided was just too much to ask. What a great schooling moment! We got stuck for upwards of 10 min, and just when I was about to despair and give up for another day, I got some help in the shape of a bot fly. Faced with the choice of going forward or having to deal with the bot fly, Queso chose boldly forward (like a good boy).

He got a bath because he needs to become two-toned again, and was super for that, too. Naturally.

I'm in mud hell. Yet more rain. I seem to spend my days upside down washing horses lower legs. I do some turn out in the indoor and the outdoor to give horses a break from standing in mud so riding is interesting.

I am not looking forward to freeze because although it will solve the mud problem, the pastures are so uneven and pocked up it makes it very difficult for the horses

We had a show yesterday. Elementary (2nd level). My first show in 2 years since my neck injury. I was happy with my ride, but the judge wasn't really. We ended up with a 58%. Much to work on, but a nice day out for both of us.

So frustrating not being able to recreate what is coming so easily at home. But I guess that is showing, I just haven't done it in so long that I've forgotten how much it sucks

Mud hell is no good, and it's often how our winters go also.

Fight, glad you found someone you really like. Is she in your area/is she someone you can work with regularly or semi-regularly?

Mari, your boy looks lovely, especially in that canter picture. And good for you on getting out into the show ring. I also stared showing again last year after a break and had forgotten how tough and unfun it can be. But I was also reminded how much structure it gives my training. Because of showing I ever up with a very productive training year. Hoping, showing does the same for you and becomes more fun!

Great Job Mari! your photos were lovely. Second level is a big step, and getting out there is really awesome! Good for you!

I signed up for more lessons in Jan, I need to stay accountable.