First lesson on Dude tonight! Was a wee bit crazy because I had to tear home from work to let the dogs out, change, then leap into the car to get to the barn for the 5 pm lesson. I got there around 4:15, so I ran Dude and Bestie out to graze for about 10 minutes each, then got Dude tacked up. He seemed a bit ouchy on his back left hoof when I picked it out. But he had trotted going out to graze and didn't look off. I walked him down the path before heading back to go into the indoor.
When we first went in, there were three other horses in there, so he was all caught up in watching them and tucking in right behind whoever might pass us. The arena had been watered so it was a lot less dusty than yesterday when I lunged Bestie. The other horses left the arena right about the time my lesson started up, so then Dude became focused on the fact that NO OTHER EQUINES WERE IN THE ARENA. He'd stop or pause right by the door the first few times we went around, but we worked through it.
Tonight was a walk night. Fine with me. I haven't had a lesson on him in so long; years, in fact, and Emma's style is very different from those long-ago lessons so I'm happy to start at ground zero. "Turning the key" was step one: just encouraging him to turn by twisting my wrist slightly in the direction I wanted him to turn. Very little movement of my wrist, combined with looking in the intended direction. Amazingly, it worked. I say amazingly, because with Dude I often feel like I need to be heavy-handed because he is such a strong horse. I couldn't believe that such a light touch worked.
We worked on transitions at the walk, halting and starting up again in a relaxed way. Then we went on to serpentining at the walk. Which, if there could have been a line diagram of my route, would've showed the most jagged serpentine ever. No way was it a smooth s-curve; it was more like a series of z's strung together. We had a couple nice smooth curves, but overall, it was pretty crazy. So let's just say I have some things to work on. Which is good. This way I can spend 15 minutes or so in the indoor working on something concrete, then head outside. Or mix it up and do a few minutes before and a few minutes after going out in the field.
The plan was to do a lesson each week, alternating horses. Technically it should be Bestie's turn next week, but I'm going to see how it goes since I just lunged her for the first time yesterday. She looked fine and was amazingly (that word again) well behaved considering she has been off for two months. Tomorrow they are both going out in new turnout situations and I have my fingers crossed. There's been some shuffling around in the fields with a new horse's arrival and horse "issues" and horse personality differences. Dude will be with three other geldings again (different from the geldings he was with before), and Bestie will be with two mares. One of the mares she was with briefly before she got kicked and she had no problems with her, and the other one is supposed to be extremely passive. Gotta say I'm nervous. Can't deal with any more vet bills.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Lesson on Monday
This whole week was nuts with late departures from work nearly every day, which means late arrivals to the barn nearly every day. And now with the time change, the dark is coming so EARLY. Bleh. I pretty much have to get there by four if I want to ride outside.
Today I had planned to lunge Bestie because Friday nights are never busy in the indoor and I was a bit nervous that she was going to be nuts. But when I got there at 3:45, she had just been fed. Not sure what was with the early feeding, but it messed up my plans. I brushed them both really well and grazed them outside for a bit.
I had talked with Emma a while ago about taking lessons, but with Bestie's injury I hadn't followed through. But after thinking about the week's "fly bys" to the barn, I decided I just need to bite the bullet and do a weekly lesson. Get it on the calendar and commit. So, 5 pm, Monday is lesson numero uno. On Dude. He likes having a job, so that will make him happy. And the following week I'll have one on Bestie; that'll give me some time to put her on the lunge line and work the kinks out. I'm sure there are lots of kinks--she's been off for two months. At least she's going out every day now. 7:30 to 3:30/4 ... you wouldn't think she'd have a lot of energy left after a full day outside to be uncooperative!
It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend with *SUN*, so I am planning on riding Dude tomorrow afternoon. I'd better factor in some time to de-cobweb his saddle. :)
Today I had planned to lunge Bestie because Friday nights are never busy in the indoor and I was a bit nervous that she was going to be nuts. But when I got there at 3:45, she had just been fed. Not sure what was with the early feeding, but it messed up my plans. I brushed them both really well and grazed them outside for a bit.
I had talked with Emma a while ago about taking lessons, but with Bestie's injury I hadn't followed through. But after thinking about the week's "fly bys" to the barn, I decided I just need to bite the bullet and do a weekly lesson. Get it on the calendar and commit. So, 5 pm, Monday is lesson numero uno. On Dude. He likes having a job, so that will make him happy. And the following week I'll have one on Bestie; that'll give me some time to put her on the lunge line and work the kinks out. I'm sure there are lots of kinks--she's been off for two months. At least she's going out every day now. 7:30 to 3:30/4 ... you wouldn't think she'd have a lot of energy left after a full day outside to be uncooperative!
It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend with *SUN*, so I am planning on riding Dude tomorrow afternoon. I'd better factor in some time to de-cobweb his saddle. :)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Gotta whine
Ok, the weather. I am just so sick of rain. And I think I'd be sick of it even if I didn't have horses and dogs that come in muddy, leading to major, frequent, exhausting cleaning efforts on my part of equines and their turnout sheets, and canines and their paws. The fields at the barn are so wet I can't even imagine that they'll dry out unless we get some good hard freezes at night. The downside of that is while the moisture may get sucked out, the fields will likely freeze with deep little hoof-produced pockets that are sure to yank off shoes. There's one field in front that actually has a little pond at its front end. Even the usually dry spots, like up on the hill where I handgraze Dude and Bestie, are very squelchy.
One more rant. This summer I very carefully sprayed two each of Dude and Bestie's turnout sheets with a spray for water repellency. I read the directions and everything (didn't wing it as I usually do). The sheets are in good shape but were not exactly water repellent any more; the goal was to keep them going for another season or so. On the first day Dude and Bestie wore them, the sheets soaked through. The description on the can made it sound like I would see beautiful beads of water on the surface if the sheets were worn out in the rain. NOT.
At yoga tonight we had a little discussion about how it's ok to be cranky; that crankiness is a legitimate feeling. That made me feel better. Sometimes it's just fun to wallow in it for a little while. I am totally owning my crankiness tonight.
One more rant. This summer I very carefully sprayed two each of Dude and Bestie's turnout sheets with a spray for water repellency. I read the directions and everything (didn't wing it as I usually do). The sheets are in good shape but were not exactly water repellent any more; the goal was to keep them going for another season or so. On the first day Dude and Bestie wore them, the sheets soaked through. The description on the can made it sound like I would see beautiful beads of water on the surface if the sheets were worn out in the rain. NOT.
At yoga tonight we had a little discussion about how it's ok to be cranky; that crankiness is a legitimate feeling. That made me feel better. Sometimes it's just fun to wallow in it for a little while. I am totally owning my crankiness tonight.
Monday, October 26, 2009
What's new ...
... not much. For days now I have been thinking to myself, "Gee, I gotta get back to the blog," but a whirlwind of activities involving work, hockey games, relatives visiting, book club, yoga, 4H achievement night, husband out of town, blah blah blah have kept me from Horse Mom-ing. Not that much has happened, pony-wise.
Once it became clear that the fields were just not going to dry out, barn owner Larry rigged up two little paddocks right around the indoor for Dude and Bestie. They are perfectly happy there, although I heard that Dude had one meltdown when Bestie was brought in before him, despite the fact that his field is surrounded by the other horses' fields and they were all still out. He is pathetically needy at times. They had a few days of 2-3 hour turnouts because there was quite a bit of grass in those fields, and now they are going out all day.
We had a good stretch of days last week until Saturday, when the rain started again and continued through the night. Sunday everyone stayed in because the fields were so spongy. Last night was cold, which seemed to suck out some of the moisture, so everyone went out today.
I got to the barn around 3:30 to wait for the farrier, a no-show. While waiting I did an excavation of the tack box layers to dig up Dude's winter shoes--labelled, in a little baggie, "Dude's shoes from winter 08-09. Farrier says ok for 09-10." Pretty organized, huh? Only because last winter I had a BIG bag of miscellaneous winter shoes and kept hopefully pulling shoes out as our farrier shook his head at each one, "Nope, that's an OLD one. Wow, that's a REALLY old one. I don't think THAT one even belonged to one of your horses."
After finding the shoes I did a really thorough grooming of both horses since this weekend my visits were a little rushed due to visiting relatives. Lately I have been shocking Bestie when I groom her, which makes her a bit psychotic when I reach out to pat her (understandably). It's wierd, because I don't shock Dude. Poor mare. Between the shocking and me picking burrs out of her forelock, she had a few wild-eyed moments tonight.
No evening activities this week except for yoga Thursday, so I'm hoping to ride. Would be nice!
Once it became clear that the fields were just not going to dry out, barn owner Larry rigged up two little paddocks right around the indoor for Dude and Bestie. They are perfectly happy there, although I heard that Dude had one meltdown when Bestie was brought in before him, despite the fact that his field is surrounded by the other horses' fields and they were all still out. He is pathetically needy at times. They had a few days of 2-3 hour turnouts because there was quite a bit of grass in those fields, and now they are going out all day.
We had a good stretch of days last week until Saturday, when the rain started again and continued through the night. Sunday everyone stayed in because the fields were so spongy. Last night was cold, which seemed to suck out some of the moisture, so everyone went out today.
I got to the barn around 3:30 to wait for the farrier, a no-show. While waiting I did an excavation of the tack box layers to dig up Dude's winter shoes--labelled, in a little baggie, "Dude's shoes from winter 08-09. Farrier says ok for 09-10." Pretty organized, huh? Only because last winter I had a BIG bag of miscellaneous winter shoes and kept hopefully pulling shoes out as our farrier shook his head at each one, "Nope, that's an OLD one. Wow, that's a REALLY old one. I don't think THAT one even belonged to one of your horses."
After finding the shoes I did a really thorough grooming of both horses since this weekend my visits were a little rushed due to visiting relatives. Lately I have been shocking Bestie when I groom her, which makes her a bit psychotic when I reach out to pat her (understandably). It's wierd, because I don't shock Dude. Poor mare. Between the shocking and me picking burrs out of her forelock, she had a few wild-eyed moments tonight.
No evening activities this week except for yoga Thursday, so I'm hoping to ride. Would be nice!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Spontaneity can be hazardous to your cell phone
Rode Dude on Sunday and Monday. I know, very energetic of me. Sunday was ok; I mean, the ride itself was fine, but the periodic gun shots were a bit unnerving. Some sort of hunting season must've started up. The barn land is all posted, but still, it annoys me and freaks me out to hear them. I was telling Kris when I got home about hearing the shots and of course he starts quizzing me. Him: "Well, were they shot guns?" Me: "Like rifle shots, I guess." Him: "How did they sound?" Me: (irritably) "Like GUN SHOTS."
The shots didn't seem to bother Dude, he was more focused on the mooing cows across the road. But I can't help but tense up every time I hear one, so he definitely was feeling my nervousness.
On Monday I got to to the barn early. Grazed Bestie for a while and ran her up and down the path like a crazy woman. Her legs seemed a bit stocked up. I hadn't wrapped her for two nights because her legs had gotten so dandruffy/scurfy (new barn word) and I'd scrubbed her with Betadine two days in a row. But with the stocking up I went back to wrapping, with my fingers crossed that that's all it is and not a return of my dreaded enemy, cellulitis. Today her legs looked much better, so it appears to be swelling from standing around in her stall for a month.
After getting her all set I got on Dude and rode out to the outdoor ring, went around it twice, then headed back to the barn. On the way back I had a brief thought -- wouldn't it be fun to canter across the field -- and Dude broke right into a canter. We yeehawed across the field to the path; very fun. Unfortunately my cell phone popped out of my jacket pocket, which I didn't realize until we got back to the barn. Oops. I walked back out to the field after asking someone to call my number in five or ten minutes. Tried as best I could to retrace our route. Was standing in the field thinking that it would be a miracle if I found the phone when I heard it ringing. There it was, not three feet from where I was standing. Very funny to stand in a field and hear a phone ringing. Even when you know it's yours.
Today was cold with just about every form of precipitation known to mankind. Snow, rain, sleet. Well, no hail (that I saw). Wasn't a great day for extended hand grazing, but I got them out for about 10 minutes this morning and about 20 minutes this afternoon. All the ponies were stallbound today. Hayburners, barnowner Larry called them. Hay=happy horses=no chewing on each other or stall walls.
The shots didn't seem to bother Dude, he was more focused on the mooing cows across the road. But I can't help but tense up every time I hear one, so he definitely was feeling my nervousness.
On Monday I got to to the barn early. Grazed Bestie for a while and ran her up and down the path like a crazy woman. Her legs seemed a bit stocked up. I hadn't wrapped her for two nights because her legs had gotten so dandruffy/scurfy (new barn word) and I'd scrubbed her with Betadine two days in a row. But with the stocking up I went back to wrapping, with my fingers crossed that that's all it is and not a return of my dreaded enemy, cellulitis. Today her legs looked much better, so it appears to be swelling from standing around in her stall for a month.
After getting her all set I got on Dude and rode out to the outdoor ring, went around it twice, then headed back to the barn. On the way back I had a brief thought -- wouldn't it be fun to canter across the field -- and Dude broke right into a canter. We yeehawed across the field to the path; very fun. Unfortunately my cell phone popped out of my jacket pocket, which I didn't realize until we got back to the barn. Oops. I walked back out to the field after asking someone to call my number in five or ten minutes. Tried as best I could to retrace our route. Was standing in the field thinking that it would be a miracle if I found the phone when I heard it ringing. There it was, not three feet from where I was standing. Very funny to stand in a field and hear a phone ringing. Even when you know it's yours.
Today was cold with just about every form of precipitation known to mankind. Snow, rain, sleet. Well, no hail (that I saw). Wasn't a great day for extended hand grazing, but I got them out for about 10 minutes this morning and about 20 minutes this afternoon. All the ponies were stallbound today. Hayburners, barnowner Larry called them. Hay=happy horses=no chewing on each other or stall walls.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Attack of the Killer Cows
Dude and Bestie's rules ...
Cows in the field behind the pastures: ok.
Cows grazing close to the fenceline in the field behind the pastures: not so ok; cause for alertness, but not panic.
Cows moved to field ACROSS THE ROAD from the barn: Most definitely not ok, because it marks a change to the status quo (even though the cows are in fact farther away).
Cows in the field across the road who MOO INCESSANTLY: cause for high alert. When on high alert, behavior includes grabbing a mouthful of grass and chewing it while peering anxiously across the road, and frequent random speedy circlings of the owner trying desperately to hold on to the end of the lead rope.
That was my a.m. visit to the barn. It was sort of misty and the clouds were low, so the mooing cows seemed like they were right in the driveway. And for all Dude knew, they were, because the shed was between him and the driveway, so he could hear but not see the cows contained in their field ACROSS THE ROAD. Each time they mooed his head snapped up and I'd hear his neck crack. It was a little disconcerting. He did get some exercise in the indoor--no one was there so I took him off the lead, and he trotted back and forth peering at the cows through the clear plastic windows that run the length of the indoor, all the while doing his "I don't like this AT ALL" snort.
I figured that Bestie would be fine with the cows. She's pretty "whatever" about most things. Not today. She was ok grazing (grass, the great distracter), but once we went into the indoor she ran back and forth peering out at the cows too. Even I got a little sick of their mooing; I mean, they were mooing every few seconds. And there's something about repeated mooing, it sounds like the cow is being tortured. But when I peeked around the edge of the barn, there they were at the fence, looking perfectly fine. So I'm not sure what all the noise was about. Perhaps just a bovine plot to drive the equines crazy.
Cows in the field behind the pastures: ok.
Cows grazing close to the fenceline in the field behind the pastures: not so ok; cause for alertness, but not panic.
Cows moved to field ACROSS THE ROAD from the barn: Most definitely not ok, because it marks a change to the status quo (even though the cows are in fact farther away).
Cows in the field across the road who MOO INCESSANTLY: cause for high alert. When on high alert, behavior includes grabbing a mouthful of grass and chewing it while peering anxiously across the road, and frequent random speedy circlings of the owner trying desperately to hold on to the end of the lead rope.
That was my a.m. visit to the barn. It was sort of misty and the clouds were low, so the mooing cows seemed like they were right in the driveway. And for all Dude knew, they were, because the shed was between him and the driveway, so he could hear but not see the cows contained in their field ACROSS THE ROAD. Each time they mooed his head snapped up and I'd hear his neck crack. It was a little disconcerting. He did get some exercise in the indoor--no one was there so I took him off the lead, and he trotted back and forth peering at the cows through the clear plastic windows that run the length of the indoor, all the while doing his "I don't like this AT ALL" snort.
I figured that Bestie would be fine with the cows. She's pretty "whatever" about most things. Not today. She was ok grazing (grass, the great distracter), but once we went into the indoor she ran back and forth peering out at the cows too. Even I got a little sick of their mooing; I mean, they were mooing every few seconds. And there's something about repeated mooing, it sounds like the cow is being tortured. But when I peeked around the edge of the barn, there they were at the fence, looking perfectly fine. So I'm not sure what all the noise was about. Perhaps just a bovine plot to drive the equines crazy.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Waiting for turnout
I'm still going to the barn twice a day and grazing Dude and Bestie and mucking their stalls. This weekend one horse on solo turnout was at a show, so I was able to use his empty field to put them out for a couple hours (separately) on Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a washout ... after heavy rain Saturday night the fields were a mess and in fact, all the horses were in both Sunday and today.
The weather forecast does not look at all good. At this point the fields are so wet that we would need at least two and maybe three days of sun before they'd dry out enough for me to consider it "safe" to put Dude out without the risk of him losing a a shoe. And because the horses were turned out when it was pretty muddy, the fields are punched pretty full of pockets.
The muddy conditions are also making me nervous with Bestie, because the vet had preached caution about putting her out when really wet because the risk for picking up cellulitis would be higher. I guess once it gets nicer the plan is to try her with Lexie, one of the mares in the group that she was out with before, whom she didn't seem to have any problems with. Fingers crossed. I told barn manager Emma tonight that I didn't want that arrangement to be tried unless I was present. I'm just playing it super cautiously. At this point she's well on the way to recovery and I don't want to jeopardize that.
Despite the lack of turnout Dude and Bestie have been very good. They both seem to have chilled out somewhat at the new barn. Tonight a rabbit shot out of the woods about 15 feet from Bestie and I and she didn't even pick up her head. Dude had his door open today with his stallguard up and from Emma's report he was perfectly well behaved, except for some cranky faces--that will never change!
Last week I heard the very sad news that my friend Caroline had to put her Jake down. It ended up being liver cancer; who would've thought. He had been up and down healthwise since we all departed the Fairfax barn in early May, and it sounded like she had investigated everything medically with nothing conclusive until recently when a tumor showed up. Very, very sad for her since she had owned his grandma and his mom. I hope that when she's ready she will find another pony to love.
The weather forecast does not look at all good. At this point the fields are so wet that we would need at least two and maybe three days of sun before they'd dry out enough for me to consider it "safe" to put Dude out without the risk of him losing a a shoe. And because the horses were turned out when it was pretty muddy, the fields are punched pretty full of pockets.
The muddy conditions are also making me nervous with Bestie, because the vet had preached caution about putting her out when really wet because the risk for picking up cellulitis would be higher. I guess once it gets nicer the plan is to try her with Lexie, one of the mares in the group that she was out with before, whom she didn't seem to have any problems with. Fingers crossed. I told barn manager Emma tonight that I didn't want that arrangement to be tried unless I was present. I'm just playing it super cautiously. At this point she's well on the way to recovery and I don't want to jeopardize that.
Despite the lack of turnout Dude and Bestie have been very good. They both seem to have chilled out somewhat at the new barn. Tonight a rabbit shot out of the woods about 15 feet from Bestie and I and she didn't even pick up her head. Dude had his door open today with his stallguard up and from Emma's report he was perfectly well behaved, except for some cranky faces--that will never change!
Last week I heard the very sad news that my friend Caroline had to put her Jake down. It ended up being liver cancer; who would've thought. He had been up and down healthwise since we all departed the Fairfax barn in early May, and it sounded like she had investigated everything medically with nothing conclusive until recently when a tumor showed up. Very, very sad for her since she had owned his grandma and his mom. I hope that when she's ready she will find another pony to love.
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