Broken Bodies 101

Hmm...

2010-12-09T20:34:00.002Z

I haven't been blogging anything partly because nothing is happening and partly because I haven't felt like it. Thinking about it, it could be considered a funny thing to want to put all this horsey stuff on the internet. I'm not feeling the purpose of it at the moment.

Quadi is very well. He's been doing next-to-no work what with the metre of snow in the field but the same snow is making him work quite hard to move around. To that end, he is building his own topline and looking a little snug in his rug. His rug is a generous fit (and it's a Premier Equine so made to fit broad horses) and despite being in more work last year, his shoulders and neck are filling it more this year. And he's not fat!

I've sat on him a couple of times but nothing to write home about, just a little time around the paddock.

Home Again

2010-11-26T21:48:00.003Z

Back to home life after my brief trip. I only have a short-ish time here before I head out for Christmas and New Year offshore...

It's quite the contrast to arrive home to the bracing cold. And snow! Sadly, as pretty as I find it, said snow is hampering me from seeing Quadi. But, he's on good form and, as ever, is enjoying the best of care.

I had some mixed reports on him whilst I was away. I'll have to rummage through my emails to remind myself of the exact circumstances but the condensed version is that Quadi rudely reverted to Everything No mode on two occassions. Sometimes, he is a neep.

"Quadi Says...

2010-11-11T11:45:00.002Z

...trot work on top of lateral work is horse abuse!"

That was the email I got from Kate yesterday *lol* Here is a little more:

"He was a good boy, we did some lateral work in walk, including some half pass! He surprised both of us by doing a step by mistake, so I made him do it on both reins ;-)

Then asked him to trot, which he did nicely until we went past the stables, then he had a stroppy nap! Once he realised I wasn’t giving in though, he worked nicely again! I was then super cruel and made him walk around the field at the end too."

Can you imagine how miffed Quadi must have been, having accidentally taken a step of half pass? He's been well and truly rumbled now! I'm sure he felt very put-upon. I mean, trot work, lateral work and a cool down walk around the field, abject cruelty(!) He'll never truly ditch his Can't, Shan't, Won't routine but it's on the wane with every work session.

Now, I really must finish my packing. I'll leave a little space so that I have room to pack some sun to bring home(!)

Breathe, Stay Standing, And Try Not To Fall Over

2010-11-09T20:44:00.004Z

Whilst the delay to my work trip is irksome, it has meant I have been home for my physio's new pilates classes, which started this evening.

I started doing a bit of pilates way back at the start of the year, but have only really had two 1-to-1 sessions with Anna. The rest has been from books and just practicing the core exercises to work on. It was nice to be in class environment :)

We went over the fundamentals of pilates and into some warm up and warm down exercises. It was like learning something new on a horse. For example, the aids for new lateral work. I found it difficult to co-ordinate my body and breath as instructed. When working on some balance exercises, I almost fell over and felt rather silly, suffering a fit of giggles as I did so! This was mainly due to my gammy right ankle, which is still not 100% after a champagne-fuelled sprain in the Spring. As we progressed it all became a little easier, to my relief. What I struggled with the most was relaxing and trying to breath fluidly, I have a habit of holding my breath when I'm concentrating. I'm usually pop-eyed and blue-faced by the end of a showjumping round!

I'm pleased that the exercises Anna had given me a few weeks ago are becoming easier at this level (Level 1), and some of the new ones were very effective, especially in indicating just how stiff some bits of me are! There is one exercise called The Clam, we were taught this one tonight. There were several groans around the room after a few repetitions! I don't know if you've ever been tortured with a mounted exercise where you have to open your hip and lift your legs off the horse from the hip? If you have and you're not quite as pliable as a Cirque du Soleil performer, you'll know how brutal this feels, and how I felt in class tonight! I can barely lift my legs of the saddle like this at a halt, I believe if you're a superfreak it's possible to maintain this pose at a canter!

Some of the upper body exercises I had to really tone down my range of movement in order that I wasn't becoming sore quickly. More work required here too!

I'm hoping, but not holding my breath, that I'll be away before the end of the week, so will miss the next couple of classes. But I've asked nicely that I can be emailed further instructions each week. I dare say even if that doesn't happen The Clam is going to keep me very busy indeed! It's brilliant I've found a way of training for horse riding offshore.

No real pony news. Quadi's bedding had swirled into funny patterns yesterday, thanks to some hefty gales, and he deemed his stable floor much too dangerous to step on because of this unauthorised change to his surroundings(!)

Softly Softly Catchee Monkey

2010-11-07T19:43:00.003Z

Brr! The sun was misleading, it was not warm today! But, at least no rain so riding was in order! Just a play in the field like we were supposed to have yesterday.

Having gone through our new stretch homework from Liz, I attempted a little in-hand to start (Fin and Kate were already in the field schooling), but my hands were icey and I lacked both the feel and the co-ordination to walk alongside, ask for forwards and flexion, and correct as required. So I hopped aboard, at least I'd eliminate the walking alongside aspect!

Once I'd mounted, naughty Quadi thought it rather too cold and windy to stand still so that I could tighten his girdle a little. We walked around for a moment till he retrieved his brain from up his bum. Sometimes that appears to be where he keeps it, I'm certain it's not always between his ears! Immediately he was forward, soft and carrying his front end properly. Ready for work :) I didn't have to do anything, just make sure I was correctly postured. Not what I was expecting at all, especially considering he found standing for girthing such an unreasonable chore! This is solely down to the fact that Kate has schooled him a few times in a row now. She is very quick with correcting aids as she's that much more balanced and experienced than I, and the penny is dropping with him that it is easier to hold himself up and not be testing every single avenue every single step! I guess some of the credit must lie with Quadi for working correctly that little bit more with every session, and for trying that little bit harder each time we ask him to step outside his comfort zone.

We just went over some suppling homework, and in doing so we tested out straightness in between school figures:

Circling, all the while aiming for true bend - this was easier today. I was observing my aids, and I'm pleased that the majority came from my seat and legs. I can now isolate the inside seatbone, control the quarters and bend with my outside leg and sustain the tempo and energy with my inside leg, all without falling over or curling in a tense ball. My hands were only really supporting what the rest of the bits of me were asking for.

Shoulder in, slowly and on three tracks - not as good as we're managed before. My hands were the problem. When I remembered(!) that I have two long legs at my disposal, I was prone to gripping up with my heel, which is the equivalent of grasping someone and shouting in their ear. At this point Quadi would come to a polite halt, and quite right too, how rude of me! For my sake I took it back a step, looking ahead and feeling, plumping for a wider rein gesture with an open wrist since I was lacking the dexterity in my fingers. Once I sat up straight, really straight, and allowed my leg to swing along with his barrel, suddenly we were shouldering-in.

Turn about the quarters, always thinking forwards - all I wanted today was to sweep a couple of strides left and right from one move to another, without losing impulsion and the feeling that with every step we could march forwards. I don't think we're anywhere near the point of restricting the hind legs to marching almost on the spot for a pirouette without either a confused halt, trying to wriggle out a shoulder or going backwards. But we can move in the direction of bend about a very small space, and do so without any knotted knitting. I'd say we can go a quarter turn effectively, so with more practice we'll aim for a 180 change of rein.

Leg yield, not an excuse to wriggle - I didn't get so far as to playing with one of my favourite exercises, which is leg yielding in and out on a circle. I merely wanted to push the buttons to test how well we could do so without the supportive bend of a circle. He was more emphatic from right to left than vice versa, presumably because my right side is dominant and easier to apply. In any case, we could do so without bending away from the direction of movement. A pleasing little milestone of progress, and no attempts from Quadi to escape.

I also wanted to use the hills to walk up and down a few times, concentrating on straightness. He was at his wriggliest here, and on the first was trying to halt on account of sheep being in the opposite field. Since he'll happily graze this fenceline at other times, I didn't deem this a decent excuse and asked politely twice to move off. When I had to ask the third time I applied leg and stick (not hard of course, but I was serious about going down that hill without nonsense), and Quadi responded with a halt and a fly buck. I asked again in the same way and this time he heeded me. A big rub on the neck for him for that!

After this we went for a stretch around the field in Kate and Fin's company, we never came out of walk but I was happy to end on a positive note and not potentially spoil such a good period of work. Kate remarked that when Quadi walks out on a free or long rein he will carry his neck level and relaxed. Obviously not when he is in full Drama Llama mode ;)

Thinking back, there are lots of aspects of ridden work I'm finding so much easier. Last summer when we were on a livery yard, I remember arguing with Kate because I was finding even holding my hand correctly an almost impossibility. I had to constantly shift my pelvis to the correct tilt, and could never maintain this for very long. When I did, I was tense because I was concentrating so hard. Quadi was dead on the right rein and tried to find every escape possible from working correctly. It's all feeling a lot better. I think I'll ask Santa for a new camera battery for Crinklemas so that I can video what we're doing and compare it to last year.

I'd like to work on the in-hand and also some clicker work. As far as the latter goes, I have plenty of books and have dabbled for specific problems or exercises. I'm more interested in the theory but am finding books and articles hard going. I need to be shown. Becky Holden is up here regularly, we need to get along to her. She was worked with Quadi before.

After our work session, I swapped Quadi into a 100g rug with neck cover. I wasn't going to, but his Amigo rainsheet is too tight in the shoulder and pressing down on his neck :s I have to say the Premier Equine rug is looking a little more snug in the front than it did when I used it a couple of months ago. It's not tight, and was rather roomy before anyway. There are no fat pads, must be topline :)

I think this will be the last schooling session for a while, I am supposed to be flying this week. Shan't hold my breath of course!

Time To Get Serious

2010-11-06T18:28:00.002Z

After taking Oscar to the vet (all healing up nicely, still the same issue with his squeaky jaw sadly!), I arrived just in time to catch the end of Quadi's massage.

He seemed to be quite enjoying it. At one stage he had his head over the stable door and his eyes were shutting. He is a little itchy as he is dropping his summer coat so at times was a wee bit of a fidget.

Casting back to last time, we were all a little disappointed that Quadi seemed to have taken a reverse step in terms of how comfortable he was in his body. He didn't enjoy his massage and was tense in several spots. With hindsight, this may have coincided with some hoof issues rumbling away. I'm so pleased that this time he is where we predicted he would be. Not totally without stiff bits and lacking topline, but overall soft and pliable and ready to crack on with some serious work. In particular he was stiff in his sides (his intercostal muscles I think?), which is a new one and hopefully just an occurence of field antics gone too far. He's not 5 years old any more!

Liz commented on how much more square he is standing, and also on his current bodyshape. At first glance, you'd look at his tummy and be inclined to think he is overweight. But if, as per the World Horse Welfare guidlines, you split the horse into three sections, you can see he's spot on in front and behind, and that he's not carrying too much over his back. It's merely a lack of tone. I'm suffering something the same at the moment, so really we both have to work hard to develop some core strength. He's ready for it now, and thanks to pilates I feel that I can sit properly and be effective without 'holding' myself.

We have a little homework. Liz showed me a stretch she feels every horse should do, where you hold a treat low, nearly to the floor. You have the horse stretch forward and down but without moving his feet, and doing so get a really effective stretch over the poll. Quadi's actually quite good at this stretch, he demonstrates is at the base of trailer ramps when we try to bribe him with treats *lol* Also, I regularly use a stretch where you start at the head and bring the treat along and down to the hind foot. Liz showed me a more effective stretch along the same vein. You stand at the head and step out sideways so that the horse is stretching along his entire side and really opens out his shoulder. You then move back and down to the hind foot but this requires a lot of flexibility. It'll be interesting to see how quickly we progress with this one, I plan to try and slow the tempo when he does this, I feel he rushes through in order to snatch the treat out of my hand. We need smoother movement!

Sadly I didn't get to test out that feeling today. Kate and I decided that just a wee sit on in the field, doing some gymastic flexions from the saddle, would be enough post-massage. I trapsed over to my horse and he wandered off. Everyone got a little wound up with bonfires on the horizon and sheep being herded in the next field. We approached them a couple of times and each time they bogged off, bucking and farting as they did. Probably more physical exercise than they'd have gotten under saddle and when they have their heads up their bums it's more fun to stand back and admire clean heels flying through the air!

They have a Hay Hutch in the field, Quadi was particularly terrified as it rolled towards them, but Coffee (18 months old, compared to Quadi's 13 years!), showed him it was safe! Being very pampered boys, they also have new Hay Bars in the stable. The first time Quadi saw it, he didn't clock it straight away. When he did, he was hat-dancing in the opposite corner! I should point out that this was after Coffee had already been in Quadi's stable for a mooch without batting an eyelid...*lol*

Grounded

2010-11-04T18:39:00.004Z

A technical hitch has left me stuck at home until next week instead. Typical, was rather looking forward to my trip, the long flight aside. Looking on course for early next week, better late than never. Hopefully I'll be flying after the Brazilian GP, don't fancy my chances of a hotel in Rio before or during!

On the plus side, this means I will be home for Quadi's massage with Liz on Saturday. Or at least part of it, as I'll be heading straight to the boys from the vet practice anyway. We have another broken body, he'll be having his post-op checkup on Saturday.

My battlecat, Oscar, has had two tooth extractions and also had to have a puncture wound in his hip stitched. He's doing very well indeed, except when it comes to administering antibiotics at mealtimes. Understandably he's a little fed up with the unwanted attention! I don't think he realises he has had two teeth out, as soon as he came home he was weaving round legs, giving everyone 'furry beets' and demanding his dinner. He looks a little more miffed that he has a bald patch on his side though *lol*

Gone Till December

2010-10-31T20:26:00.002Z

This time last week I was blogging about how I'd been soaked through to my knickers in a hail storm...thankfully this Sunday the weather was far kinder and undergarmentals remained dry! Although the air temperatures could only have been in the high end of single figures, there was no wind and plenty of sun, so it was plenty toasty.

I rode Quadi with just a cotton numnah under his saddle. I noticed, once on board and securing the girth, that although he'd put on a bit of weight at his last weight-taping, his girth is no more snug. This goes hand-in-hand with his saddle fitting better without the need for pads or shims, rather than getting fat he's broadened over his back and wither. I could really feel his hind legs and hips pinging my hips with each stride as we set out. I also booted him, he's still feeling his frogs a little. The central sulcus of both fronts is still a little deep and contracted, so pony trainers are necessary for outings.

From the off I asked him to walk smartly without gawking or stargazing. Kate had ridden him yesterday and the effects of that were apparent, he was completely ready for work and I made little effort in my aids for forwards, soft and level. A small part of that was Kate's advice from last weekend to be more effective with my leg aids, but a whacking huge part of it was down to her riding and 'fine tuning' of my horse from the day before! I was most pleased, and grateful, as this proves how much I have to learn and improve, my horse is plenty capable :)

On the road out I could pretty much maintain this softness in hand the whole way, using my legs as I vibrated the reins (I was re-reading Heather Moffett's 'Enlightened Equitation' book tonight and she describes this like squeezing water out of a sponge, I like that a lot). He was a little head-tossy/snatchy out of the driveway, and I wonder if I ought to put the nosenet back on? He wasn't like that for Kate yesterday, but I'm not sure I was doing anything to prompt this, so I can only assume the cause is something environmental?

Also, because our normally-dependable lead pony Fin has a wee issue with passing a particular house...when he stopped, we stopped. It's just such a pain that I can't ask Quadi to take the lead in these situations! Well, I can ask, and I do ask, but by this point Drama Llama takes over and we grow roots, the farthest we can ever proceed is to Fin's shoulder *lol*

I gave him plenty of stretch breaks and played a little with some slowed lateral work, as he is prone to rushing through without bending otherwise. On the way home I could feel him tire mentally which resulted in some restless head carriage, but nothing horrid and by the time we were nearly home he'd settled down. I rewarded him with free reins along the driveway and loosened his girth, and we sauntered up the road :)

I did come home with a sore right knee, in an effort to keep him straight past the spooky house I fear I've been too crude and tense and hurt myself. I merely had my leg placed along his side but I was trying to tie myself in a knot, somehow thinking this was an effective means of aiding my horse. Lesson learned!

I'm glad he was such a good boy today and that we had such a pleasant and productive hack, it'll have to tide me over until I return from work in December!

Thwarted By Rain Clouds

2010-10-29T21:18:00.002+01:00

I had high hopes for a ride today but by the time yard chores were done with, the gale force winds brought with them shards of rain. To that end, I gave schooling in the open field a miss!

What I did do was check Quadi's saddle fit. It now fits without the aid of a Prolite riser or a lambskin half pad :) He's looking the best he ever has, muscles (albeit soft!) in all the correct places and just the right shape. For a horse who has not been in any 'proper' work for a couple of months now, this makes me very happy indeed. Obviously I'd prefer to be able to work him a lot more often and I anticipate a quiet winter for us both, but this year has zipped past so quickly, it won't be long before spring again. Very personally, the sort of sporadic work that Quadi is in right now is a pet peeve of mine, but it can't be helped.

Rather than lose all opportunity to work, I opted to do some carrot stretches/target work. It's been months, maybe even over a year, since I did any considered clicker work with Quadi, but he hasn't forgotten anything! Unfortunately asking him to follow the target to do his stretches was too exciting, he was abrupt and jerky rather than moving smoothly as he does for a treat in-hand. But he really enjoyed the target work. I remember the excitement being why I stopped, I didn't (and perhaps still don't) have the desire to learn more about it in order to harness this enthusiasm and channel it more effectively. Once again I noticed a marked difference between stretching down and right, and down and left. The latter being his better bend for this work.

His feet were also trimmed, and are really taking shape too. The whole inner hoof capsule continues to shift back and up under him, and those slipper-like hinds are finally looking like horse feet from all angles.

Caught Out

2010-10-24T19:29:00.002+01:00

It was sunny but windy, and Kate mooted the idea of clipping instead of hacking. I pointed out the blue skies and said we should take the opportunity to hack whilst we could. So it's my fault really...

Today I wanted to see if I could make any impact on Quadi's way of going, trying to spend at least part of the hack doing some decent flexion and softening work. What hard work! It's been an age since I was last thinking seriously about schooling, and to that end I'm a little rusty and lacking timing. I managed not to give away my contact but still use too much hand and not enough leg. When I finally redressed the balance (after a few pointers from Kate!) we were going along really nicely, I don't think I've ever managed to maintain shape and softness of my horse on a hack. Ok, so it was only for 5 minutes but hopefully next time it'll be 6 minutes, and then 7...

We investigated a lane which, once you've gone through a farm, gives us opportunity for a cheeky canter. We didn't go that far today but now I know where to go when we're out on our own >:)

As we doubled back for home I pointed out some very low grey murk in the distance. Only it wasn't really in the distance, it was on top of us. We were quickly and completely battered silly by north winds, rain and then hail! On the way out both boys had pratted once again at the llamas and ducks, but give them their dues they got us home despite facing into the weather the whole way! I broke down with giggles even though I couldn't feel most bits of myself *lol*

We could tell they really wanted to turn their bums to the weather, but apart from some sideways prancing and Quadi putting in a cheeky and uncharacteristic buck we were fine. Which is just as well as I quickly lost feeling in my hands and face! When Quadi wasn't passaging he was marching very promptly in walk. It was great to feel him lift and round his back, just wish I didn't have to ride in such wintry conditions to achieve this!

I can't describe how horrible it feels to have the rain running off the end of my jacket making my pants rather cold and sodden :( Have to say we were rather wet-nappied walking the boys to the stables!

Still...nice to be back on board and my horse is definitely sound.

In The Saddle

2010-10-23T17:09:00.004+01:00

With no sign of lameness and the sun in the sky, we were invited to hack along with Kate and Fin. Just for half an hour of walking. It was the first hack Quadi and I have been on, we've only been to the end of the drive on the long reins. Whilst Quadi has been sound for a few days I thought it prudent to boot his front feet.

It really was a glorious day, but the gusts of wind were bitter. The boys were very keen to get going! Not very far into our hack, the boys took offence to not only the house with the menagerie of llamas, ducks, et al, but also the farmer on the opposite side of the road shifting big round bales of hay. Fin thought it terribly foolish and dangerous to continue, and of course Quadi could not pass Fin's shoulder because he's an insecure wimp :)

Because an issue was made, naturally we had to make sure we got the boys safely past in order that this does not become and invisible line in the sand. In the end I dismounted as pratting on the road is just not safe, of course having me on the ground made everything safe again! Some days they are just cookies!

Apart from that it was really lovely hack. Fresh air and back on my horse. We had a very brief trot and he wasn't nodding, so I guess this was just an out-of-hand foot infection we're now on top of. When I remarked about how nice it was to ride my relaxed horse on an equally relaxed rein, we were treated to some fabulous jig-jogging and sideways antics on the way home. Serves me right for making comment *lol*

I practiced asking Quadi to drop his head when he started spectating and gawking, which he maintained but soon after threw his head up. Kate observed that when I get a response I drop the contact. Instead I need to just vibrate the rein and still my fingers as soon as I achieve a positive response. This was very effective and we managed to stay together for longer and longer periods until he realised I wasn't giving him room to wiggle. He did start to curl behind and under as a result but I asked him more up and into my contact with a little leg.

On the weight tape today he measured about 510kg. Perhaps a smidge over perfect but he's not been in any meaningful work for a while so we'll forgive him that, and it's less of a big deal going into winter. I'm really pleased with his general appearance and demeanour at this juncture.

Hopefully we can squeeze in another wee jaunt tomorrow!

Little Bit By Little Bit

2010-10-20T22:06:00.002+01:00

Lameness layoff means there isn't much to tell. Quadi's feet are being treated with Hibiscrub hot tubbing and plugging the suspect area with Red Horse Hoof Stuff. Which is easier said than done when the clay has been out in the cold! And every day he's coming in to stand in the dry.

He certainly seemed sound cantering up the field for his tea. They all displayed varying degrees of muppetry tonight, I think there was a fox in the field. For whatever reason, they were on their tippy-toes and not feeling helpful *lol*

As it happens Kate's guys have their vaccinations next week, if there's still any concern or sign of this lameness then I can have him checked out then.

He's being fussy with feed again. Am laying off the light MagOx which is making a little bit of a difference, but I think he's just not hungry. None of them are clearing their plates. They have the run of the whole field now so I guess bellyfuls of fibrous grass is all they want right now.

At least I'm seeing an improvement in soundness, long may it continue!

Haven't We Been Here Before?

2010-10-18T14:58:00.002+01:00

Before we'd gotten together to do some flexions and trot-ups, Kate had let me know the other day that Quadi was sometimes nodding in walk in the paddock :(

There were still no external indicators of a soft tissue injury (swelling, heat) and because he'd been sound coming off the Danilon, I opted to leave him be. Plus he has wrecked his stable door for the third time so clearly it will do him no good to be cooped up.

Sometimes he's perfectly sound walking and he can put weight on that leg correctly. Sensible money is on an abscess right now. We cold-hosed the offending hoof and leg up to the fetlock, and had a good feel for heat, which was detected around the inside heel bulb. This corresponds with the separation in the hoof wall being worst on the inside of that hoof. Turning him around in the yard he looked three-legged, yet trotting him back across the paddock he never took a bum step!

After a quick chat with the vet today, we're going to try more hot-tubbing and then using Red Horse Hoof Stuff to pack the area and hopefully get on top of this. If he's not improved by the end of the week then perhaps we'll need the vet to take x-rays and resect part of the hoof wall as per the last infection Quadi had, the one in the off fore that had him laid off for weeks. He's happy for us to try this method of approach for a few days, as long as the lameness remains intermittent.

The snag is that I am due offshore again by the end of the week, but on the bright side it's more money for a car, which I still haven't been able to buy!

I'm a little annoyed with myself that this separation has potentially allowed in an infection, but the vet said he'd seen a lot of horses with similar complaints this year. The good news is that the new growth is very tight and the hoof horn is very tough. I was despondent about this but the good thing about hooves is that they keep growing and this is hopefully just a blip on the road to much better feet.

Clear As Mud

2010-10-14T21:23:00.003+01:00

On Sunday Anna determined that even on a full dose of Danilon, Quadi was showing lameness.

He turned himself inside out in the stable a few days ago, to the point where he chested the bolted door open. Got himself in such a lather despite being ok (if not happy) in the previous days. Preventatively I had upped his dose of omeprazole but this didn't stop him having a very runny backside. The box walking and the tapdancing at his door were doing him no favours so he went out with the other two in a small paddock. Room enough for everyone but just as well our guys get on without a cross word or lifted leg.

As it happens he's been pretty good with that and there's been no evidence of idiocy in the paddock, too much grass to think about!

His last painkiller was one a day for yesterday and at lunchtime today I assessed him as best I could. In this instance there was no-one to help but the vet wanted me to call him after we ran out of painkillers.

Because it was on the lunge I noticed the lameness, and because it was the easiest place to start, I gave him a spin on a flat area of the paddock. The surface was running a little damp with recent rain and mist, but good for our purposes. He was sound if unhappy at having to trot without warming up.

I took him out onto the driveway for a trot up. Not easy running backwards in yer clumpy thermal wellies! I could see no head-nodding, I tried really hard to watch his stride length and I gave him a basic flexion test. Obviously I'm not a vet and I didn't pull him hard in case I made him sore, plus I was on my own, but I figured holding his leg up passively for one minute would certainly highlight a joint issue. Still nothing as far as I can see.

After discussion with the vet, we've decided to have him continue without painkiller for the weekend until I've had help with trot-ups. If he's sound, perhaps it was just a silly strain. I may push for scans and x-rays anyway, my gut feeling is one of negligence if I don't. Very hard to know what to do!

I can work him but he said only very lightly, and if the lameness shows even vaguely then we're onto investigative work with the portable machines. I may take him for a walk down the road under saddle (straight lines, good terrain) and see how he feels. But maybe not, there's no urgency to ride or work him.

So, in short, I wouldn't want to put a wager on him being 100%. Mostly because I'm leery of being too confident in my own judgement, I just need a fresh and unbiased pair of eyes this weekend.

Process Of Elimination

2010-10-10T19:15:00.003+01:00

Quadi had the once over from our physio today. She said he looked unfit (lacking topline muscling, to be expected) but that there were no soft tissue problems. We did have a few attempts at his tummy reflex but we got there, he becomes more responsive to this with more attempts, so I am to persevere with those. Apparently because of the angle of his pelvis, there really isn't much more upward flex he can have, but he doesn't need to do a big flex for it to be effective for him.

Because of the initial reluctance to stretch work the day I found him lame, she gave his front end flexibility a thorough check, and could find no stiffness. He's becoming quite bendy and limber :)

We also discussed pole work. She suggested taking things right back to basics with him, which would be unraised poles on a straight, then we can graduate to a curve no smaller than 20m and then think about raising them. And to stay off the small circle work for the moment. Looking over his notes and his Pessoa programme from his back treatment, she suggested I could also go back to the beginning with this, although we both agreed we prefer long-reining our horses to lunging!

We trotted him up and she could see him lame every few strides, even though he'd had Danilon this morning.

So, what could it be? Still the slight chance of an abscess but he had no digital pulse and no heat, but not impossible of course. Those things can grumble away deep inside the foot. Or a strain from being a twit in the paddock, but again I'd have expected swelling/heat and also that he'd be more sound on painkillers. Which leaves joint issues, top of my list is arthritic changes in a joint somewhere. Disappointing if that's the case, but not unexpected. It could be that nodule on the tendon too, of course, Anna agreed that was an odd thing to find and a possible cause.

Tomorrow I'm going to lay out a new paddock, large enough for the three of them but not too big, hopefully the fresh grass will encourage them to keep their heads down and all legs on the ground!

R&R

2010-10-09T17:57:00.002+01:00

The vet arrived yesterday, with the x-ray machine in tow but as yet no x-rays are required.

He started with his hooves, using the pinch testers which Quadi didn't react to. He couldn't smell anything that would indicate a thrush infection, and we haven't changed the balance of his fronts recently to cause an issue. He does have separation in the walls in both fores, but they are picked clean every day and checked for stones, and again there's no smell or sign of infection up there, though obviously it's not impossible.

So we took him along the driveway for trot ups, which I always find hard work *lol* The walk and trot-ups revealed the lameness but the vet noted that it was not at every stride. We also did a flexion test on each foreleg. Flexion of the left leg revealed him to be very lame on the trot up. He was a good boy despite the Spanish contingent, on seeing us disappear up the drive, careering around the field with their bums in the air!

Upon close examination of Quadi's limbs, the vet found a small nodule or lesion on an exterior tendon on the near fore (he did tell me which tendon it was but I'd have to consult a book to remind myself!). It could be an area of bursal fluid or a lump. It might be something, it might be nothing.

The vet doesn't think it's an abscess but obviously we can't rule it out. The plan is to give him Danilon to reduce an inflammation which is causing the lameness, but to decrease his dose quickly over the course of a week and see how he looks off of painkillers this time next week. If he is still lame, then we'll take ultrasounds and x-rays in that order. Obviously if he worsens then we'll rethink that strategy, and if he's sound in a week without medication then it's been a soft tissue strain or joint pain which has resolved itself.

I'll keep him on box rest for a couple more days, with access to the yard area under supervision, and move everyone to a new, smaller section of fresh grazing. He is allowed to be out in a restricted area and hopefully lots of new grass will stop anyone feeling an urge to hoon around. If it seems like he won't be able to behave himself then he'll have to stay in. If it's an abscess then turnout on wet long grass would be ideal but I can't be sure yet that this is the issue.

Anna's still due on Sunday. With Quadi being on painkilling meds, we will be limited to what we can look for, but if this is an upper limb or shoulder issue it should still show up.

On two Danilon twice a day for today, he's looking totally sound. We'll see how this progresses over the course of the week. Am trying to keep him amused with in-hand grazing and gentle stretch work.

Vet Tomorrow

2010-10-07T17:40:00.002+01:00

This morning the boys seemed well and Quadi was moving freely to graze and still no heat in his legs, so I didn't feel the need to check how lame he was until taking-in time.

Everyone had their soles sprayed with purple spray, which means my hands are all stained now too *lol* Before Quadi's feet were treated, I took him out onto a flat, grazed part of the paddock to see how he's looking. Very nodding lame on the left rein on that near fore, less so on the right rein but still obvious.

Managed to get him an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, and I'll keep him in tonight. It's probably overkill, but you never know. i've given him 24 hours and he's no better. As I poo picked several worrying scenarios were rattling through my head. I'll give him pain relief tonight in case it's something which could be aggravated by standing in, really hard to know what to do. In fact, it could drive me quite mad figuring out which course of action is best!

I've requested the x-ray equipment for the appointment, hopefully they'll be able to bring it to save time and callouts!

Anna, our physio, is coming on Sunday anyway so if the vet happy there isn't a hoof or joint issue then that would be our next port of call anyway.

We've Been Here Before

2010-10-06T18:51:00.002+01:00

Today I found myself in a huge new garden emporium (it's way bigger than a garden centre), and whilst there I had a wee nosey in the aquatics section. I used to keep fish and really miss it. This evening I'm wondering whether it would be less hassle...

I hadn't the chance to work Quadi until taking-in time. He was fine to groom and I only noticed a hint of a problem when I was stretching out his forelegs to make sure there were no creases under his girth, where he was reluctant to lift his off fore. Normally Quadi will anticipate a leg or hoof lift so this was very unusual. Even when he gave me his leg he was leaning on me. I managed to stretch him out but he never really 'released' this leg. He did come out of the stable a little doddery but he walked it off.

We popped out for a quick spin on the lunge, starting on the left rein which was fine in walk. To check him out, I asked him up into trot and immediately he was nodding, the issue in this instance appears to be the near fore. Unsurprisingly, he was equally odd on the right rein.

So it was a very short session. I brought him in, cleaned his feet and scrubbed them with Hibiscrub. Historically when he's been showing these symptoms it's because of thrush, and we're still fighting some separation in his hoof wall. I felt all up and down his forelegs and could find no heat or pulses. Realistically though, it could be many things. Sore heels, infection up the hoof wall, thrush, ligament damage, strained tendon, shoulder pain, back pain...I don't suppose it really helps to make a list right now :(

Since I was in the stable with him, we did a couple of stretches, just some bows and the nose-to-hindfoot stretch. Once again he was a little stiffer on the right but very willing. Where food is involved, it's hard to tell whether or not he's sore, I think he'd walk through burning flames and over broken glass for a sweetie, even if it were a vet proffering said treat ;)

It's hard not to get down with recurrent lameness, I'm doing everything and more to make sure he is ok. Not planning on giving him any pain relief today, will see how he looks tomorrow.

There's The Tell

2010-10-05T19:11:00.004+01:00

After much fumbling with poles covered in slugs, and through long grass, I had managed to set up some poles for physio work. On reflection I ought to have set it up in an area already grazed as the grass is rather long and thick, but I can move it tomorrow :)

I did get rather caught up in trimming Quadi's feet so didn't spend as much time on the polework as I had planned. But before that I did manage to do rather a good stretching session. I had two pockets full of treats and suddenly a very keen horse! It did make me wonder if I ought to properly study clicker work since it so obviously motivates him.

One thing I did notice is that when we did one particular stretch, where he has to reach down and round to his hind foot, he struggled with this on the right side. Nothing obvious, but on the left side he can reach right around almost whereas on the right he stepped and moved with his feet to catch that pesky treat! We do this stretch as opposed to just reaching to his hip as he was hollowing his back, which he cannot do if he's trying to touch a hindfoot.

Also, when I was stretching out his hindlegs he was a little more reluctant with the near hind, but was fine after a couple of goes. At his age, with his history, I expect a few creaks so not sure if this is something or nothing. We'll repeat these stretches every day and see if there's an improvement by the end of the week.

We briefly went through the poles I'd set up. I'd placed a few in a row on the ground, not particularly carefully spaced out as I believe this makes him work harder as to where his feet are. Some were flat, some had one end raised, and one or two were just off the ground.

First time he clattered them all :) I walked with him and he was cool about it, so it was just carelessness. In fact, we both were. My Muck Boots combined with the long grass made me catch my toes several times, so I guess it was good practice for me too! We repeated a few times on both reins and he did rattle them a few times. I'll not read too much into this and move the poles to a clearer space before I think any more about this.

I also set up two poles end-to-end and raised the ends that met, the idea is that we can constantly circle over them, if that makes sense? He stopped a couple of times on the left rein doing this, which I was surprised at, but he tried hard. Ideally doing this exercise I'd stay almost still in the middle and activate his side with my hand (where my leg would be) as he's stepping over, in order that he fully engages his abdomen.

I will, before the end of the week, try Jean's idea of giving him a painkiller to see if the ridden work improves. It won't hurt him and it's not like I'm medicating him where otherwise he could not be ridden.

Interesting today but I'd no idea how to interpret what I observed...

I changed the routine yesterday, bringing the boys in at teatime and turning them out before I went to bed. So overall they're out longer, and I don't have to be greeted by knees on stables doors every morning. Last night was pretty windy but in double figures and dry. When I went out to check them they were all sleeping, it must have been a tiring night in the wind, but they seemed content to be out. I managed to catch The Baby doing his best Dying Fly:

Puzzling Pony

2010-10-04T16:50:00.002+01:00

As advised, I gave Quadi a spin on the lunge in the Pessoa.

He was most willing today and first off I warmed him up on both reins without any attachments. As I predicted and as ever I guess, he tried to bend to the outside and was loading the inside shoulder. i didn't want to interfere too much before he was warmed up but I did take a feel in the lunge line every time he looked to the outside, coupled with using the handle-end of the whip pressed where my leg would be if I were riding. So I had to be quite close to him, and work as hard as he was on co-ordination! His carriage was nice though.

Then I hooked him in to the ropes and pulleys. I had it on the baby settings and left the reins pretty loose, but did have the inside rein shorter. So it didn't really come into play unless he threw his head up or to the outside. He did back off of it and was curling behind, but not vastly and it wasn't holding him tight like this.

On the left rein he was managing to curl behind in order that he could also bend out, yet he was light and uphill and responsive. The evasion was harder to correct in walk but more noticeable in trot. On the right he was also as light and contained and despite this being his weaker rein he didn't try to bend out so much.

When he bent to the inside in trot I praised immediately and asked him back to walk. So we had lots of transitions which really worked well, plus I didn't want to push him into maintaining the bend. On a couple of occasions on the right rein he needed a couple of revolutions to balance into walk. Once again I did have to correct the bend with rein plus a feel of the whip handle on his side, but he responded well to this. I paid close attention to his back and hind end, he was trying hard to work up into his back, which is good because I know he can reach well under himself even with a hollow back.

Strides were even and rhythmical, transitions were uphill, no really bum moments...he never seemed sour or sore. I didn't ask him to canter, I'll do that tomorrow maybe, I didn't want to spoil what we'd done. I felt he looked better than when he started, his back was more level and he looked 'engaged'.

I'll set up the pony pole physio gym tomorrow, and use the Pessoa again. It occurred to me as I was working him today that Perry had shown me flexion and in-hand work to do with him. I really ought to do that before every session (naughty me for letting that lapse), and I guess we'll have to do some form of pony pilates (pole work or carrot stretches) every day. I will get at least one more ride in this week and see if I get the same reaction. I also really need to investigate two-rein lunging!

Puzzled! He's such a tricky horse, poor chap is stuck with bumbling me *lol*

I'm not as sore as I thought I would be today, but a hot bath is on the cards tonight. It's really pleasing to see our very lovely winter hay all neatly stored :)

Jenga!

2010-10-03T16:34:00.003+01:00

100 bales of hay, and four pallets, all shifted by little me. Am pretty sore now but I know tomorrow will be worse, I may treat myself to a hot bath after turnout tomorrow, else I shall be creaking the rest of the day! I'm covered in hay scritches o_O

Sadly the weather would not allow for us (me plus physio) to go investigate some hacking routes on the boys, nor could we really lunge Quadi as it was rather unpleasant. So we went to a tack shop instead, and I was extremely disciplined indeed, managed to keep my hand out of my purse :) Both Quadi and I are booked in with her for next Sunday. In the meantime, she suggested putting the Pessoa on him on an easy setting and see how he copes with lunging in that. I could lunge him 'naked' to check his soundness but he'll do his damnedest to avoid inside bend. Perhaps this will have the same effect as two-line lunging, which Claire suggested yesterday? If he looks ok I will keep riding him and see what happens. Now all the jumps are out I can set up a gym in one corner, if we do nothing else this week that'll be really good for him.

I do still think it was napping, given that he and Fin both bucked the time before last. But I will always try to give him the benefit of the doubt. Trudi suggested video, which I'm dying to do but haven't a means of taking any at the moment, will try and sort that out though!

Hopefully tomorrow will bring more agreeable weather. Tonight, however, I feel like a rest, and a beer!

Buck Buck Splat!

2010-10-02T16:37:00.004+01:00

Blimey, this is a fair chapter:

In the five years I've had him I've never fallen off Quadi...till today!

Yesterday was a write-off with the weather, and today the hay delivery was due, but that's been postponed till tomorrow. Which meant I had a whole dry and sunny day in which to do as I pleased today :)

Field poo-picked, I fetched in Quadi, first to take some condition and hoof photos, before I tacked up.

Our start was not the most gracious, but quite funny. I mount and dismount from both sides, and this time opted for an offside mount-up. But Quadi moved forwards as I was swinging my leg over, which takes more concentration from this side anyway, and I ended up behind the sadde, quite unable to haul myself forwards! Luckily I did manage after a few strides. Not exactly the strongest part of his back to be sitting on but bless him for not rocketing me off. Shame he wasn't so mellow for our entire session!

We warmed up by walking up and down the steepest part of the paddock, making loops and figure shapes as we went. This was on a long rein, so nice and relaxed. Then we moved up to the flattest part of the paddock to start our schooling. i must say we got off to a good start. Not great, but definitely not bad either. I felt him stiffer through the left rein than normal and, as usual, more resistant along his right side. I started off with easy stuff, shoulder in and leg yield, and we had more above-bit antics than what has been normal of late. I continued with the big open and very smooth rein gestures I've been using, which I guess is a step-back from where we were pre-move but no matter as it always has to be clear and easy for him.

I wasn't really achieving full-on softness, but we were managing a few strides before we lost it. I decided to really boil it down to very slow and deliberate lateral work. Every few steps we would change from leg yield to travers to pirouette to renvers to half pass to reinback (note that although I describe some advanced moves here, it doesn't mean they're fabulously executed!), and also changing bend very frequently. Whilst doing this I had what was a very basic but huge-to-me revelation...that if I concentrated on flexing my fingers and not using my hands I could achieve more with less effort and, rather embarrassingly, much more kindness to my horse. I'm sure it's something eyes on the ground would have spotted straight away, not always easy on your own! It's quite refreshing to not be riding in a school for this, something Perry told me was ringing in my ears - "ride the horse, not the school".

This really helped and I could feel his back and shoulders lift, it really caught me as I was worried we were about to bounce off somewhere but it felt great and contained. Quadi was, I presume because of my shouty hands, beginning to curl behind. Not always, and I raised my hands gently when this happened to ask him up a shade. Ideally I'd not want to see a horse in any one frame for too long (at this stage of training) and I know a better rider can achieve superior results, and much sooner too! But Quadi is not a blank canvas and unfortunately it's me at the controls! In any case, I feel the lesser of two evils is not to have him star-gazing and building up his braciocephalic muscle. At this stage we were able to halt softly and flex both ways, so I thought about trot.

Now, I didn't wear my new pair of jods because I thought that would be tempting fate with a big red flag. I also was conscious of a thought to have my mobile phone in my pocket and not the tack room. And for some reason, it's been in my head I might part company with him at some point. I can't explain why, this wasn't a self-fulfilling prophecy today. I wasn't nervous, nor anxious, I was prepared for bucks but didn't encourage them.

First trot came a big buck, so much so that his tail flicked right over my hat and dangled momentarily well over the peak of my hat! I wasn't unseated and pushed on. I got what I asked for, a slower more steady rhythm with correct lateral bend, in this instance on the right rein.

We came back to walk with the best carriage he could muster, which wasn't bad, so big paise for him and we regrouped for the other rein. He bucked again and once more I asked for forwards and sensible. At which point we started hippity-hopping sideways, which I corrected and was met with an even larger twisty buck. My foot pinged out of my left stirrup, I was sliding out the side door bum-first and tried to grapple for something to hang onto but such attempts were in vain. Quadi threw his head up, the expression on his face "keep it together up there woman!". I managed to get a foot down but momentum sent me on my derrière in the damp grass. Thankfully are soft so my landing wasn't at all sore :D

Pleasingly, amongst the obvious negatives of this situation, Quadi stood when I was on the ground, so no hooves on me and also no slogging across the field to catch him. I bounced back on and once mounted saw that a neighbour was over the fence straining to see if I was ok :o I gave him a big thumbs up! Mortifying, but nice that someone was there, and useful if I had been hurt.

We went over everything we'd done so far to establish balance and calm, and I asked again. I wasn't being brutish, but I needed to have a positive outcome. Prior to the move he didn't find this work much easier but he tried very hard without such physical evasion. I understand that's it's new and exciting where we are but I would rather he didn't have what may be dangerous to call a strop. Dangerous because being huffy is human and not horsey but I do think they're capable of being 'pissy', it's over as soon as it's thought of, of course! I don't feel this is a physical issue, his saddle is carefully padded for his current physique, he's on his ulcer meds and he's shown no changes or signs of physical issue.

Anyway, when we moved into trot he thought about bucking, but I growled at him and asked him to direct his energy up and forwards through is forehand ;) and then he tried to teleport sideways a few times but I only had to adjust my leg position on his barrel and we were heading straight again :) But he really was setting himself against me. At this point I figured if he's supple enough to buck that high and twist and bend himself sideways then he was ok to work on 15-20m circles at trot. i restrained the tempo with my rises and really gave him all the room a boy could want on the inside rein. He needed a lot of inside leg to stop him motorbiking and one-by-one I shut his escape routes. After a minute he gave and I halted, good boy :) Repeated this on the other rein and once again, as soon as he gave I didn't push him on but came back to walk and told him what a star he is for trying.

Funny thing is, after all that, in walk his frame was shorter and collected, and he was light as a feather. At this point he very much reminded me of the horses I rode in Portugal. For example, just shifting my weight and the feel in my reins gave me a very smooth turn around the forehand. We got in a pickle in the other direction but I broke it down into step-and-reward, step-and-reward. But really, he comes so light it's unreal!

I've been mulling everything that happened today. Should I infinitely postpone even trot work and potentially make an issue of it in my head, or push on and get these episodes over with, risking more bucks? My answer is the latter, which I am aware is not a path everyone would agree with. Also, with using stronger finger and hand aids means a shorter but more embattled periods of resistance, this means he will soften his jaw but is it correct to achieve in this manner? Is it kinder to let him go around with is head in the air and his back hollow? Is it right to have to go through such a rigmarole in order to achieve what I want? With Quadi, I don't see how I have a choice some days...

Challenging times. If someone else had been recounting to me what he's like, I'd never want to blame it on a behavioural issue. But I guess they do have feelings and moods and different personalities, so why shouldn't it be because he's unhappy at being asked to do something difficult?

That's Better!

2010-09-30T19:34:00.005+01:00

What a difference from yesterday! Here is Bennachie in the distance as I walked the dog:

Despite starting my day by uncovering an orgy of earwigs under a gate catch (they all wriggled out, I'll admit I shrieked and piaffed, all before brekkie too!), today was horsey bliss. Once the sun was up a couple of hours it was very cosy indeed. I cleared the field, bar one barrowful, in the afternoon sun with the boys hoovering away the grass around me. Very relaxing way to work up an appetite for dinner :) I've cleaned both the dressage saddles too.

Because it was such a fine day, and because I've seen the impending weather forecast (boo!), I made the very most of the blue skies and worked both the boys. Fin accompanied me on a bijou road hack. We were only out about half an hour but I'm keen not to venture too far on my own just yet. He was, of course, great company. Just along the road there are some llamas or alpacas (I think they're the former?):

Kate had warned me they are there but said Fin is used to things like llamas since he lives with Quadi *lol* I think the second photo is easily mistaken for my Drama Llama. The head and neckset, the splayed legs...the first guy, the brown and white, marched towards us all imposing-like. I can understand why people have them around their stock, they seem very territorial!

Once back I swapped ponies in the field, Quadi stood loose on the yard as I groomed him in the sun. I wanted to take him out along the road but felt in-hand would be a little too light. However, I'm not sure he's been across the threshold yet so didn't want to ride him out and end up having a tussle on my hands. I plumped for long-reining :) He was just super! Had to steer/yield him off someone's garden (lucky he's not shod!) but he was forwards and didn't imagine any 'mawnsters' or draw and imaginary lines he could not cross, nor did he have a fit because I wouldn't let him chat to the neighbour's horses. I played a little with some light flexions/bend and asked him not to gawk and pay attention to my contact. Nothing exciting or taxing, we were only out for 10-15 minutes, but I daren't overwhelm him and give myself months of rehab/conditioning because I've pushed him into his 'No More Questions' mode. For today, he was very onward bound and obviously keen!

Because tomorrow I know there will be grey skies, I took some phone snaps this afternoon of our nudey ponies under clear skies :)

Everyone trying to groom one another, 3 is NOT a magic number:

Quadi being coarse to The Baby:

All our duckies in a row :) Coffee looking very tall, especially his back end!

And again, Quadi being a bully:

5 Good Things About Winter

2010-09-29T16:58:00.002+01:00

Have to say I was rather grumpy as I mucked out in sideways rain and galeforce winds, which was blowing directly into two of the stables to boot. I hope I don't have to shut their top doors overnight but at the same time I'm quite sure they won't want another night of sodden bedding! My comments on Claire's blog the other day were ringing in my ears as I had to slip-slide my way to the muck heap with a heaving barrow, soaked to my knickers and the wind is driving the cold rain into my ears *lol*

To snap myself out of my foul humour, I managed to find 5 reasons why winter will be good:

1. Quadi is now out of his nosenet, so we can enjoy a winter without headshaking and I'll have a little less tack to clean. I prefer the aesthetics of no noseband, and presently this suits us training-wise too.

2. No crawlies and flies, which means no flyspray and facemasks.

3. Whilst there is always a risk of laminitis from frost and snow, I'm glad to see the back of the summer grass, Quadi is far easier to regulate on hay.

4. The horses will be rugged so they'll always be clean which saves grooming time. I know that's shallow but with thenights fair drawing in, time is limited!

5. If we get lots of powdery snow again this year, it'll give us great footing to ride in the field. And it keeps our horses' hooves clean and bug-free.

You'll gather the weather is too foul today for anything but basic chores. I even neglected to sweep out in front of the stables. Only once over the course of the day have I seen any of the horses not grazing, they've had their butts to the wind the whole time :)

Hopefully this weekend half of our winter hay supply will be delivered, weather permitting. 100 bales for me to shift, I may have to rope in some helpers in exchange for a cooked meal and copious cups of tea/bottles of beer!

Mizzle

2010-09-28T17:27:00.003+01:00

Today's weather is best described as mizzle. The sort of opacity you get from lots of drizzle. It's not cold though :)

This afternoon there was still lots of moisture in the air, and it's very grey, but the wind subsided some and it wasn't rainy. I mucked out and swept up, and started to think about tidying/arranging the tack room. I wigged out at least a dozen times at 'forkytails'...earwigs! They give me the shivers, I really hate them. Spiders and beetles and bees are always welcome, in factI don't have a problem with bugs in general. But forkytails are, to my irrational mind, hideous and I admit without much shame I stomp on 'em. I apologise if that offends, I do try to respect all creatures but I really really hate these things and my blood runs cold at the thought of one nipping me. When I'm in the stable block and, for example, a tag on my top is bugging me, I'm now worrying perhaps one of the little blighters is in my clothes jabbing me! So I spent a good while last night and today flamenco-dancing on them. And squawking like a prodded parrot every time I happened across yet another one.

Virtuously, I also poo-picked the boys' old paddock and took a good heaped barrowful out of their current paddock. It'll take a lot more to clear it but in a couple of days I'll be back to clean grazing. I'm won't do any work with them tonight but I have brought in some of their gear to wash, and all the bridles are in the house to be cleaned tonight.

Have to say, I'm a little miffed about Quadi. I wonder if he's feeling 100%? This morning his stable only had one poop in it. He had peed too, it wasn't terribly smelly, and he's obviously eaten some of his hay, but there was a good bit left. I've been leaving their feeds in overnight since no-one's super-hungry at teatime, I only stay until I know they've eaten their omeprazole which I heap at the top of the feed so it is definitely consumed and not wasted.

It's just not like him to not have an appetite and I can only assume the grass in the field is really doing it for everyone, therefore they're not ravenous when they come in. But the lack of droppings is unusual for Quadi, he did stop once when we were working last night and then there was one in the stable, which is low output for him, so to speak. I turned him out as normal and checked him every half hour for a few hours, don't think he's stopped eating all day and he seems well in himself, tummy noises are normal and he's not distended or in any discomfort.

I'll take his temperature tonight and check it in the morning. I am aware of my back tonight, presumably from the today's barrow-wielding. Perhaps Quadi and I have swapped appetites, I can't stop stuffing my face *lol* I was quite happy to burn a few calories in the field today!

I Won't Be Greedy

2010-09-27T20:04:00.004+01:00

The rain I was anticipating never came today, so in between walking the dog and cooking dinner, I rode two horses in the field! one at a time of course...

Fin first. He was a very good boy, apart from two bucking instances. Very rude! I pushed him up to trot and when I saw his forelegs start to dish I knew what would happen next. Just as well I made a deliberate effort to allow more weight down through my stirrup as we went into trot, as I thought he would buck in the transition. He bucked very high but I surprised even myself by asked him on, which I felt as a better solution than allowing him to continue to coil under me. He did it again in similar circumstance, and again we worked on as if it didn't happen. Luckily my butt never left the saddle to unseat me! He's just immense fun to be on and very pliable, I played with all sorts of bendy lateral work, and focused on being straight and not nagging with my right hand. Again, like yesterday on Quadi, I felt a little 'handsy' but he didn't curl behind so I guess it was the right strategy to contain the tickle in his toes.

Quadi, well, he stood in the yard loose whilst I groomed and tacked him. I guess he does have some redeeming features ;)

We started by doing some figure 8s, loops and serpentines on the grazed part of the paddock, which sits on a hill. not very far in I was aware of his breathing. I find hill work vital but have been frustrated by the lack of varied ground at our previous locations. I aim to be clever with the slopes of the paddock in our schooling work.

We moved onto our usual checks and balances of circling, maintaining softness through bend and transitions in and out of halt. he was a little more equal in both reins, which on reflection means he was more resistant in his left rein than usual. We worked through it as we leg-yielded in and out of our circles, trying out some shoulder-in and quarters-in too. When I asked him up into trot he didn't felt backward and threw his head up. I asked him down and to flex with big, babyish, inviting rein aids. They wouldn't have been pretty but they were sensitive despite appearances, I concentrated on my hands being of a fair height where the bit would be acting on his lips and not the bars of his gums. He tried to run through my hands, flung his head up Drama Llama-style and flicked a big buck. Not big compared to the much taller and much more lithe Fin of course ;)

After that though, he really knuckled down and yielded some great soft moments, peppered with gawping at the cows and protests that he shan't, can't and won't. As soon as he gave to me, we came back to walk and he got lots of verbal praise. We worked some more in walk and it was much softer. Of course I ask myself why we need to have this fight but he hasn't settled in here so I expected him to revert to type. Is he mentally settled enough for me to be asking him to trot in the field? Well, whether I was right or wrong, I ended on a great note before he was tired and starting to sour.

I only rode for 20 minutes so had he been fit we would have just been warmed up for proper work, but he tired physically and mentally. I gave him a long rein and walked him off, and called it a day.

Both boys were warm and a smidge damp under their girths after only 20 minutes of work. The girths are synthetic so it's partly that, but also a combination of lack of fitness and hairy bellies. Some clipping needs to happen soon!

Back To School

2010-09-26T21:31:00.003+01:00

Man, I'm beat. I had to partake in a Sunday Sofa Siesta this afternoon.

I have a few horsey chores outstanding but i guess my travels are catching up with me. in fact, I know this is the case, because i'm grumpy and sore and tired! My first day mucking out took a toll on my unexercised muscles, having been sedentary for the best part of two months.

I did ride both boys tonight. Fin and I went along the road in the bright dusk light, fully geared in high-viz of course. He was lovely and relaxed on the way out, checking out his new surroundings. On the way back he was a little more curled, the cows were looking at him funny, or something *lol*

Fin was duly turned out after his leg stretch and I collected Quadi. The other two helpfully bounced and bucked and bronced as Quadi stood transfixed in the yard. They'd been quiet all day of course, sometimes I'm sure the Spanishees conspire against me! Quadi didn't seem keen on work but it's hard to read with him if he's just being pissy.

Either way, we set about the field. I've checked it over for rabbit holes, I know there are rabbits but don't want any broken fetlocks.

He was really very good indeed. As soon as my bum touched the saddle i had a huge grin on my face, it was great to be back on board. For the first few strides it was apparent he was more interested in his field-mates So i asked for his attention and some relaxation. This meant some vert big and open rein gestures. I did feel i was being rather 'handsy' with him, not strong or abrupt but I was aware i was overdoing the asks on the rein. None of this was in the vein of what i have been taught, nor what has been right for Quadi. But in the circumstances of a brand new yard, next to his fieldmates, in an open field, and my not having ridden for two months, I felt this kept us safe.

The open reins were great to establish bend and to stop giraffing and snooping around. I have to say, his attitude impressed me. He cracked on with our work without quibble or tantrum. I did feel him leaden in my right hand and fragile in my left, but he responded to my every aid.

I didn't want to ride for a long time. This is his new home and him being settled here is of prime importance, so I wasn't to be greedy and push for too much from Quadi, he is a delicate chap. I got about 20 minutes in but every one of those minutes was good :) Would i have been saying that a few months ago?! in any case, he's not fit so we're back to muscle-building basics.

i started out just asking for a slight flexion either left or right with the correspondingly correct carriage (ie. not star-gazing!), moving out in an active rhythm. Then we moved onto circling and shoulder-in, all the while i tried to give him room to lift his back. I didn't have it the whole time but a good proportion of our session, i'm pretty pleased! We also played a little with leg-yielding in and out on a circle, i switched between the two every few strides to keep Quadi from starting to lean on the hand. Weight in the right-rein aside, he was wonderfully responsive. i also schooled him a bit through the jumps set up in the field, and up and down the slope of the paddock.

He had a little moment when Fin and Coffee tried to rile him from the fenceline with their antics. He slowed, threw his head up and took a couple of steps sideways. I halted him and stroked his neck until the naughty PREs settled. Have to say how pleased i am at how he responded to me, I told him how good he was for standing still for me. Happy days with my handsome horse :)

I teased him into his stable, unheadcollared, with a small handful of The Baby's balancer. He came right in, so it can't be too scary. It's the biggest stable and just the same as the others. I wonder if perhaps he wind blows in differently or the view from the door casts a blind spot which makes him nervous? I hope in the next couple of weeks I can teach him it's a fine stable for him and a positive place to be.

Today we had sun and no wind, i don't think we'll be quite so lucky for the next few days!

Playing Ponies

2010-09-25T20:48:00.004+01:00

For the next three weeks I'm house-, horse- and dog-sitting. So in addition to spending every day with Quadi, i'll be enjoying the company of Kate's horses and dog whilst she heads for more tropical climes :)

Today was a lazy day in that I wasn't going to ride, but I was busy.

Upon arrival and for the past week or two, the gang were on restricted grazing, a big concern was an attack of laminitis or a colic because of too much new grass. They've gradually strip-grazed their way to a reasonably-sized paddock but today was the day to give them a whole fresh paddock. So I busied myself with electric fencing for a couple of hours, then mucking out. It was windy and rainy which initially irked me, and then I reminded myself I was desperate to be home to do this *lol*

They were most dull in that they had their faces in the grasses as soon as I removed their headcollars, but surfaced a little later to oblige my need to take cameraphone snaps:

I laughed when I took the last one, he was looking very alert and pretty, and I managed to catch him with his eyes closed :)

I'll be up at 7am every day to punt the boys out. My PJ bottoms were on under my jeans this morning, couldn't bear to change properly for the sake of turnout *lol* I had a vague idea I might lunge Quadi this evening but I didn't have the energy to do it properly.

Everyone was fussy about their dinners, not surprising given they'd had a brand new part of the field to graze through. Well, The Baby finished his, good lad! I left the grown-up boys with theirs, I'm sure they'll pick at them overnight. Annoyingly, their daily feeds contain their omperazole. But this is heaped at the top of the feed rather than stirred through so I think they ate the bulk of their meds immediately.

My Prima Ballerina Drama Llama Extraordinaire, however, has apparently been picking at his dinners of late anyway. Anyone ever lucky or unlucky enough to make my horse's acquaintance will know this is outrageous! One of his many monikers is Noo-Noo after the slurpy hoover-thing in Teletubbies which noisily cleans up spilled food :)

I thought i might start giving him sugarbeet now that we're out of summer and Quadi will need to build muscle and have energy for work. But given that he's just moved paddocks I didn't feel an increase in feed would be wise. Sugarbeet would have been ideal to encourage him to eat. I tried adding mint. That was enticing for a second. Then I tried adding a smidgeon of the yearling's balancer (which in retrospect was probably worse than adding the sugarbeet but it was immediately available!). This sort of worked but even still he stopped eating way before I left them in darkness.

Quadi also has a problem with the stable he's been giving, I'm rolling my eyes as I type this...he won't tell me if it's a question of feng shui, dimensions, furnishings, light sources, etc, but I'll try and find out tomorrow ;)

There's No Place Like Home

2010-09-24T13:35:00.003+01:00

I made it, and without too much of a delay. Flight times were changed but no extra journeys or routes, lucky me! I did get very wet feet crossing the tarmac in flip-flops, and I'm a little wonky and crumpled, but it's bliss to be home :D Even if it is 26C cooler here than Rio *lol*

Tonight I'll see The Boys, very excited about that!

Never Make Plans

2010-09-21T19:29:00.002+01:00

It would seem they always have a habit of being scuppered!

There is some species of strike happening in France on Thursday (which is when I arrive in Paris) which may prevent me from getting home on my planned flight. Air France are operating their long-haul as planned but there are supposed to be disruptions to short- and medium-haul. Who knows when I'll get home and by what means?! *lol*

This, of course, has nothing to do with either mine nor Quadi's Broken Body :) Although it's worth mentioning I've been on a vessel with free access to all manner of sugary treats and have not seen the inside of the gym since I had my induction seven weeks ago! I suspect my horse may feel the difference when I finally managed to scramble onboard...

One Week

2010-09-15T23:58:00.002+01:00

One more week and I'm home, 7 weeks offshore is plenty for anyone I think, looking forward to getting home and back to real life!

Word on The Boys is that life is slowly settling down, they're all having their little princess dramas in turn but nothing exceedingly dramatic. Quadi continues to broaden out a little over his back and has crept up to 485kg on the weight tape.

Fingers crossed I am home in time for lunch next Thursday :)

Here He Is

2010-09-08T04:10:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Kate's OH for this gorgeous photo of Quadrado

There were a couple more headshots but that's it for the moment. I think this was taken as he waited for the other two boys to arrive, glad to see he wasn't so stressed he couldn't eat :)

All is well so far, save some high jinx from the three of them whilst rules and manners are established at taking-in time. The stables look over the paddocks so everyone's keen to get in for tea when it gets to that time. Once they know the routine they'll be back to their amenable selves.

Three Horses + Five Acres = Two Happy Owners

2010-09-04T04:55:00.003+01:00

Bleurgh, 12 hours of pipeline processing is leaving me bog-eyed at the end of my shifts. Sadly this means I haven't the time nor energy to comment on blogs, I'm reduced to communicating with my colleagues in clicks, whistles and grunts! But I'm still reading everyone's entries, your blogs are keeping me sane and I'm learning lots as always :)

Last update from home was that the boys moved safe and well. Quadi loaded just with a little beet bribery and a special treat to tease his back feet in...a little taste of The Baby's balancer *lol* I expect we'll have to take some backward steps and reiterate loading practice post-move, but that's to be expected.

Everyone's settling in well and Quadi's general health is under close monitor. I'm very lucky to have a friend whom I trust to treat my horse as if he were her very own :) I hope to be able to post next week with some photos!

Part of Quadi's last schooling session was continuing the good canter work, practice and reward will breed more and more of this pleasing progress...I hope Kate won't mind reproducing a small part of her email to me:

I schooled Quadi last night, who was a very good boy again. We did some canter work again, and got a great uphill canter on the left. Not quite so nice on the right as he seemed to think he couldn’t bend and canter at the same time, so kept losing it and trying to motorbike on the short sides. We got some nice moments though when he did bend, and we did make it round the short side without motorbiking once, plus a circle in the middle (where somehow it was easier to bend, probably the lack of necessity!).

Whilst there is obviously room for practice and improvement, it's so encouraging that he is steadily developing flexibility and strength. I guess it helps having a balanced rider! I also hear he is carrying a little more healthy condition and his back is looking a little broader. Although probably not so good for Kate who is far narrower in the pelvis than me!

RIP Jet

2010-08-29T05:00:00.002+01:00

A little OT...

...one of my cousin's cats passed away two days ago :( I'm still offshore and especially hate to get such news when away from home, so just wanted somewhere to say 'something'. It always hurts to lose a four-legged member of the family.

Jet was a little black cat of 23 years (yes, 23!) and his health was deteriorating. Poor love was going deaf and blind and had no teeth left, but still enjoying his little world until very recently, and what a character! You couldn't visit the house without Jet having a little shottie of curling up on each visitor's lap :)

I know two little stories about this little guy, they made me smile as I thought of him today. On the one hand, when my cousin's son was a toddler, he used to drag Jet by the tail across the wooden floor (the floor is pretty slick so there wasn't much resistance). My cousin would always freak out about this and explain why pulling cats by the tail is a bad idea for everyone, but Jet would always just lay there passively and be dragged along until the floor was suitably polished with cat hair! (Said child is very scared of our cat after attempting the same thing and not receiving the warmest of responses regarding such activity :s )

On the other hand, I remember one time when there were shouts from the front gate of the house. A man walking his Alsatian shouting, begging them to call off their cat!!! Jet had sprung out and wouldn't let them pass the gate, the poor dog was curled behind his owner! I think at that point Jet had just one canine tooth left and was baring it menacingly *lol*

Some pets are just extra special :) And 23 years old, what a credit to them, how old is that in cat years?!

Can't wait to get home and give my two rogues extra bosies!

The Diet Worked. A Little Too Well.

2010-08-26T21:35:00.003+01:00

Feedback from the equine massage therapist is more of the same. Keep up with our carrot stretches and more pole work. She felt he was ok but subdued, and I guess we're all in agreement the feet are the issue there, and diet (grass) at the moment is the cause. Bum, poor boy. I wish I could make him better faster than this.

So, the plan of action is for Quadi and I to have a joint physio session once I'm home. I'll demonstrate his stretchiness for treats and make sure we're executing those properly, and furthermore we will review his performance over poles and tweak those exercises if need be. I'll have to demonstrate my ability to sit upright without falling over, and my core strength progress.

As part of our routine with our guys, Kate weight-taped Quadi. 470kg. I seem to remember him regularly measuring 520kg and at one point I recall seeing 570kg somewhere. So whilst the actual figures are rough it would seem he's shed at leat 50kg and possibly up to 100kg. He's no hat rack of course, but needs more correct muscle and perhaps could carry a little more condition. He's not a ribby, lean guy and whilst I don't want him to carry excess fat anywhere he doesn't look right running this 'light'. I anticipate he should look healthy around 490-500kg, carrying much more muscle with that.

He's also started his omperazole, which should also help with any pre-, during and post-move stresses. And of course will allow any suspected digestive tract ulcers to heal.

Moving day is midweek next week. Have requested photos in eager anticipation. Can't wait for my first proper visit to Kate's new house, I'll enjoy that first cup of tea in the kitchen as we stand and watch our horses, like giant goldfish, out through the kitchen window, very soothing :)

I spent yesterday in Rio. 37C in the sunshine! Which, coincidentally, is the melting point of a Caucasian Scottish female-person in direct sunlight *lol* Factor 40 was liberally applied! Of course I'd rather be back in Blighty, at the yard in two jumpers and a scarf, having my hair 'groomed' by The Baby, my tummy boofed by Fin and Quadi wiping his sloppy alfalfa-stubbled muzzle all over the backside of my jeans...heaven!

News From Home

2010-08-23T20:40:00.002+01:00

Lucky Quadi had his massage today :)

The good news is that he has no specific spasms about his person. This pleased me greatly but isn't a suprise since he's not exactly working hard at the moment prior to moving house.

He is still stiffer through his left side, which would explain why he is so blocked on the right rein I guess? As this means on a right rein flexion he has to stretch along his left side, which is tricky if he's not as flexible that way. There was a lack of lumbar flexion but he produced some good back lifts (where you 'activate' the pressure point on the chest where the girth lies). I'm awaiting email homework from the bodyworker (as I'm still in the Southern Hemisphere) if that will be necessary. He's probably due another physio check up too, more stretches and more pole work methinks. Given that I have previously fallen over from a seated position trying to flex right (for the physio), it's probably worth booking us both in for some further exercises!

In other Quadi news he has been back in the school and by all accounts it sounds like some rest has done him good. He's carrying that little smidge of extra condition he was lacking, and with Kate up he can canter both reins in the school, proper circles too! Whereas before we'd have to let him build up a little head of steam and run into it, now he is offering freely. Amazing what horses can do with a balanced pilot! I should also mention this was with the distraction of a pony careering around outside the school, and he was very happy and willing to work, so I'm very proud of him!

Soon he will commence his ulcer meds too. He is footsore at the moment, it wasn't my expectation that this would be the time of year he'd be most susceptible to LGL. Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to winter, cold and all? It makes keeping an IR/EMS horse that little bit easier...I hope I'm not eating my words come Christmas!

Thinking Purely of Brakes

2010-08-14T21:32:00.002+01:00

Further to the post below, where I publicly state that I wish to take my barmy pony out in company and hare across the countryside and all the obstacles it has to offer whilst trying not to maim or injure other participants...I was thinking about brakes. Mostly because I'm offshore and thinking of ponies keeps me sane :D

Now, I'm not for overbitting instead of proper training. Far from it, I like as little tack as possible (less to clean!). But I have to remember that there will be lots of other people and horses who will not appreciate having Quadi's flared nostrils rammed up their backside, or making enthusiastic banana shapes around them at speed. He's already strong in hand just doing fast work around our current hacks, although this tends to ease off as he becomes fitter.

I was thinking about a pelham with two reins. My reason for this is that I don't want to have to use a strong action until it's necessary, so would have the bottom rein in hand but looser. I'd also pad the curb chain. He's worn a pelham before so wouldn't be too surprised about it in the first instance, although obviously I'll be trying out new tack way before we go anywhere.

My only concern is that he might need a breastplate with running martingale, and I wouldn't want to use a martingale with a pelham. He's worn a martingale before, not with me, so again wouldn't be totally surprised if it came in to play.

I'm really not into lots of tack but don't wish to be left wanting for safety at a critical moment, far away from home. Thoughts are, as always, very welcome.

I guess the title is a lie because I'm not thinking purely of brakes, I wanted to ask a question. Can anyone recommend a good liver supporting addition to feed? Something that will aid and heal minor liver damage in an equine?

Call Me Crazy...

2010-08-13T10:38:00.002+01:00

...but I'm planning to go hunting this winter! There are two meets I can go to. Both have non-jumping groups.

I'm not sure on turnout though. For me or him, will have to do some research.

With Lusitanos, it is supposedly tantamount to sacrilege to pull their manes. Trouble is, as Quadi lives out he has a real neither-here-nor-there mane. It's not so short that plaits would be neat and small, but not so long that a healthy running plait would hold for the day.

For ease, I was thinking of hogging it and leaving his forelock on. Actually, I was thinking of doing that anyway...

Better Boys

2010-08-10T18:05:00.002+01:00

Quadi was a Very Good Boy for his jab! The vet was female, which I think would have helped. He's not inherently scared of men, but mannie vets he can spot a mile off! She also gave him a little once over before jabbing him so I reckon that will have eased him in her company. Perhaps it's because I absent from proceedings *lol*

He's being very well-tended to and having his feet disinfected for nastiness (thanks Kate!) so he's looking a lot happier on them.

News from home is that Oscar, my cat, is feeling much better after a night sleeping on my Mum's legs :) She said he's seeming more normal. If he remains so then I'll get him to the vet for an MOT and some bloods when I get home. Mum said she'd get him straight to the vet if it happens again in the meantime. He finds the vet very stressful (I don't know what it is about my guys and vets!) so it's just a whole lot easier if I'm there. Plus I'm well-versed in Cat Judo and don't flinch if my hand is used as a means of distraction for his teeth and claws! Poor little guy, have never found the right way to explain to him that being handled, poked, prodded, having thermometers up his bum and needles in his neck actually aids his wellbeing!

My 'Manimals' Conspire Against Me!

2010-08-09T16:16:00.002+01:00

It surely is the way of the world, when you're away from home, animals get sick *lol*

My Mum emailed to say my cat is poorly, hopefully nothing serious. And I had another email to say my horse was footsore over the weekend. He has a sore frog so, although he's finding it pretty painful, I'm hoping for this resistant infection rather than LGL. Although he had run out of yea-sacc as the delivery hasn't turned up yet, so toxic LGL is a possibility. We're doing everything in our means at the moment but I think next year will spell grass-free periods for him :(

He has his flu jabs tomorrow, the vet can give him a run over.

Kate and I have been musing ulcers and are pretty much of the opinion once they move to her new place we'll give them a course of treatment. On my part it'll mean foregoing a chance to ride at a Perry Wood clinic but needs must.

People Are Not Chew Toys

2010-08-02T20:52:00.003+01:00

Not much happened today. A bit of a kerfuffle at work, I thought I may have to fly to Brazil tonight but was granted a reprieve until tomorrow, and it's still not 100% certain.

Once I knew I wasn't travelling today I scooted straight up to the yard as per my original plan. Where I spent a happy-ish hour poo picking. Only happy-ish because there were a lot of weathered poops in long grass! But The Baby thought it was time for high jinx, which was fun. It always takes me longer to poo pick with him around but he is very entertaining. Taking off bucking and farting, leaping around to encourage me to play, etc. At one point he was lifting a fully laden poop scoop in his mouth. When I offered and then succeeded to remove it from his mouth I was met with a love bite! He got his teeth right around my (albeit scrawny) wrist. Luckily I reprimanded him before he bit down, naughty little guy! *lol* You definitely have to watch the mouths of curious and cheeky babies :)

Before I poo picked I took off Quadi's muzzle but was sneaky and put on his headcollar at the same time so that he couldn't sneak off and pretend he was too hungry to be caught. So he was first to come in, and he had his feet soaked again.

Apart from that and a few kisses and cuddles, that was it! I may or may not be flying to Rio tomorrow, for an undisclosed period of time. Makes my job sound very mysterious but the truth is it's simply disorganised...

A Little Too Svelte?

2010-08-01T20:03:00.004+01:00

I got a call last week from my office, looks like I'll be offshore this coming week. So I've been squeezing in some horsey time :)

Because he's been lame there's not much to report with Quadi. Today though, I discovered what I think has caused his sore foot. A pocket of separation in the white line, near the toe, which has been growing tight until now. I scraped it out and it stank. Given that he had to have two months box rest for a deeply infected hoof crack last autumn I'm not surprised he's so gimpy. He was looking better but he's sorer again. In fact, he was looking so much sounder across the yard yesterday, not really putting a hoof wrong, that I took him in the school for a spot of free lunging, nothing taxing. First trot = nodding lame :(

Today both fronts had a good long soak in a warm solution which was anti-everything, and then I plastered the sore bits in Sudocrem. He is sometimes landing toe-first which would suggest heel pain, but it's not constant, and then there's the now obvious WLD...

Now that all three are in a new paddock I've also muzzled him for the time being. Poor Quadi, his eyes were on stalks the first day he saw it, he backed away from me in total horror. I think muzzling must be the suckiest part of owning a good doer, I hate to do it to him but at least it's only temporary. I poked a few treats through the hole once it was on, which went much smoother than I'd imagined. So once I'm home and have more time I'll have to clicker train him to at least not wig out at the sight of it.

He's also lost a bunch of weight, and some condition has departed with it. With me not working him in the school very often (slapped wrist for that!) I'd put it down to lack of correct work but it's been suggested I could up his feed a smidge whilst still restricting his grass intake. That'll allow him to build muscle without soring his feet or upsetting his tummy. So we'll do that. I have some condition photos of him from mid-July (see below), they really show off his lack of tone and his saggy tummy :( What they don't show is just how much he's dropped off his butt. Muscling aside, I'm pleased we've managed to slim him down, it can only be a good thing for his general health.

A little bit of the problem here is the angle of the photo, but you can see how much he's lacking over his backside. In fact, you can see he's lost something all along his topline. His feet still have a way to go but look way better than they were. This was two weeks ago and they're even smarter looking now.

He has a well sprung ribcage but it's nice at least that his backside is wider than his tummy!

I just thought this was a terribly sweet photo of him and it shows how much squarer he can stand of his own accord. Shame his high neck set is showing how dippy his back can be though :x Actually, I can see his under neck muscles bulging in this one. He is straining on the leadrope but still they are still too prominent.

I hacked Fin yesterday, which was lovely and it gave me a chance to work some more on feel, timing and my posture. Today I had a brief spin on him again, but this time in his Spanish Alta Escuela (sp?) saddle. It really holds you in place. What I found interesting was that I found it more comfortable than Kate did, which is odd given how much work my position needs! You can't rise to the trot in it so we even cracked some sitting trot, very comfy indeed!

Better, But Not Sound

2010-07-29T21:48:00.004+01:00

Nothing much to report on account of continuing lameness grumbling away there...

He had half a Danilon Sunday and Monday, don't believe I remembered to mention that. But that's all. Kate told me he'd been hooning around the paddock being all silly and deliberately spooky yesterday :) As my Nan would have said, his head's full of broken biscuits!

I panicked this evening because whilst the other two were at the gate waiting, Quadi was stood in the corner of the top paddock. He neighed to me. Laminitis, in big red flashing letters, flashed across my mind. I got to him and he was reluctant to move. But the mares were just over the fence, and when I got to picking out his feet to put on his hoof boots he was fine about this and not stood oddly. Weird for him to be on his own though!

I brought him in to soak his feet and then dry them out on the concrete. With the warm wetter weather we're experiencing I'm leaning towards overall infection as opposed to abscess. His heels are spongy and whilst not smelly, they don't look too clever. We're about to switch paddocks to a better-drained one.

I've been having some thoughts about his feed and so on. First of all his feet, tummy and topline do not please me! I think I've let something slip diet-wise. Fin and The Baby can often be found licking their stable salt licks or the pasture mineral lick. I don't think myself or Kate have ever really noticed Quadi use either. Plus I was reading somewhere (EE?) about how you should supplement with mag-ox if you feed an alfalfa/straw chop. I do, which incidentally is Hi-Fi and is coated with mollasSes extract. I'm just getting through the last of his Top-Spec joint supplement and will be switching him to MSM only. The former has glucosamine in it, contraindicated for laminitics I believe.

To that end, I think I'll have to start dosing his feed with salt. I haven't yet worked out how much to give him, I don't want to give him a full dose in case he is using the licks. Plus I'll get him some magnesium oxide. On top of switching to MSM, I'm going to look into a different kind of forage. With the linseed he's getting, I'm not sure the alfalfa as a source of protein is necessary, and it's kind of a hit-or-miss legume to feed to a laminitic. I'm thinking of an uncoated grass/straw chop....

In his stable, Quadi has access to the straw for bedding as well as his own hay. Not easily, but there are ways and means for a hungry boy! Despite my offering perfectly nice hay in abundance, he's expressing a preference for the straw. I've always been wary of feeding straw in case of colic, but am wondering if lacing his hay with straw will be good for him in order to feel full without calories?

At the end of August, the boys will be moving house. We'll be very sad to leave where we are, the only reason this is happening is that Kate has bought her own place, complete with grazing and stabling :D Quadi is very lucky to be allowed to move in too! There is a point to bear in mind that the grazing there is richer but the stables have a concrete yard and there's my aforementioned idea to give him hay and straw. Combined with strip grazing, a dry lot and muzzling if need be, as well as a full workload >:) we should be ok.

Lots of jumbled musings from me tonight...The Feeding Challenge rumbles on.

Hot and Bothered

2010-07-27T18:40:00.003+01:00

Whilst he's looking better, Quadi's still not right. Still very sore over stones and pottery across the access field (it's quite uneven). He's much sounder in his own paddock, the footing is nice and level there. I think it's worse if he's been stood still for a while and then has to move.

I brought everyone in this afternoon. Partly because it's good for them to come off the grass for a bit and partly because it's easier for me to get through the poo-picking without the boys following and mugging me for attention every two minutes :)

Quadi had his feet soaked whilst I carried on with my chores. He was stroppy about the poultice boots. Not a big deal, we got there in the end. I gave him a few cuddles and a smooch and he was falling asleep on me, we were both rather groggy in the heat! It was, if I'm honest, a little liberating to not have to ride because I felt too hot in the humidity we're currently experiencing. Even now that I'm home, hours later, I still can't keep cool.

So no change really. Glad the lameness is no worse but hope for him it will resolve soon :(

Abscess?

2010-07-25T17:44:00.003+01:00

Haven't worked Quadi for two days on account of him being lame coming in yesterday :(

He's sounder on soft ground and will bear weight on it, but he hirpled over the stoned yard and was less-than-amused at having to stand on his cobbled stable floor. No puffiness, heat or anything to indicate soft tissue damage thank goodness. But he did have a slightly raised pulse in that leg.

It's either an infection up the white line (we're on a constant face-off with white line disease whilst the last of the flare grows out) or an abscess. I'm leaning towards the latter. Poor love has had both fores soaked and today he wore boots in the stable whilst we were at a show with The Baby. He was much happier walking to the field in them too. I've seen a slight improvement today.

I did ride Fin out yesterday for a little hack and he was super, I shimmied my position a little whilst he walked out and felt a stretch down the front of my thigh as the stirrup bars on his saddle are set-back. It's always nice to be able to ride other horses :)

And The Baby was a superstar today, definitely the best-behaved of our bunch *lol*

Hanging Out

2010-07-23T20:21:00.002+01:00

Although I knew by the end of the day (ie. now!) I'd be in agony with my sciatica, I plumped for long-reining Quadi around the woods. It was a perfect sunny afternoon and offered a good chance to see how he is moving.

I didn't put boots on him so that I could observe his gait and footfalls without them. The ground in the forest is forgiving and he wasn't wearing me so he wouldn't have been too encumbered even over stony patches.

And he was a Very Good Boy. A stop or two at some tarpaulin writhing in the breeze but that's allowed :) We tried a couple of trots but he was rather onward bound and I found it hard to walk to his trot speed, and he didn't seem to want to alter the pace any, so mostly we walked briskly.

Jean asked me in the comments yesterday about ulcers.

I am 90% certain he has ulcers. I discussed them with the vet last time he was out. In order to have Quadi scoped he'd have to travel to either Edinburgh or Glasgow (respectively 130 and 150 miles away). Not the end of the world, but my poor pony has had his fill of vet and vet centres and needles and fuss recently, and he's not been bad behaviour-wise, so we haven't travelled him. Whilst scoping is vital to diagnose, we all feel it's too much at the moment for Quadi.

Since we moved yards, his distended tummy has radically subsided. He's on a high-fibre, low calorie and low sugar diet, and I supplement this with Yea-sacc every day. So although I haven't done anything to heal his ulcers (I hope at least) I'm managing the situation.

I had a grand plan to buy a 2-month supply of Gastrogard or other generic ulcer medication this summer to treat him, and then everything we're doing to maintain him at the moment would be good to maintain his hopefully-healed tummy. Sadly this hasn't happened because I've worked 24 days offshore in an eight month period (I expect to work about 180 days in a 12 month period!), so finances won't allow this.

It's another stick I'm beating myself with at the moment. I think about it every time I tack him up. I hope that he's not in pain when I ride him unless he acts up, and when he does I try to avoid a confrontation and diffuse the situation (apart from yesterday, that one got away from me). I'm not 100% convinced he's fully able to engage his abs but he goes so well in the school these days, even better when my friend rides him. I really want to film him working in the school but trying to co-ordinate everyone is tricky.

*sigh*

You Can't Fox a Fox

2010-07-22T19:25:00.003+01:00

Pleh.

I knew, I just knew, he was going to be a turd. Did I jinx us?! Perhaps it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The reason I knew today would be a problem was because I wanted to do a long road hack. Which meant going along the previously-closed road which is apparently terrifying and traumatic when it's just us two.

I booted him, it was going to be a long hack, for better or worse, he definitely wouldn't have coped without. Hopefully in a couple of weeks his feet will be crunchy crunchy again. Because we departed the yard with a right turn, as opposed to the expected left hang to the forest, I expected some stop-starting along the track.

Even heading out he was ok and then we came to his first bogey. A road sign, and on the opposite side of the road a lorry was parked without His permission! Behind said lorry were two horses in a field. Bum. I did actually manage to unstick him but from that point he was just a goober. Dragging his feet, gazing wistfully over the hills to the left where he knew his fields were just out of sight, shying, insisting that The Road Was Lava and that he could only walk on the verge. Like I said, goober! I tried to occupy him by using some flexions and shoulder-fore. This was interpreted as Distraction Tactics and was not well-received.

Eventually he sunk anchor and just absolutely could not take a step further. It's a slow and painful process, I knew he was going to do it and I tried to remain positive and 'up' and only rewarded with verbal praise. But no, he decided any further advance could render him a little bit dead and I was most unreasonable to ask him to do so. So Drama Llama posing it was...I had no idea what he was seeing. Wee green men for all I know!

I tried to outfox him which led us to two-legged displays of threatening behaviour. I hopped off, by this point I'm ashamed to admit I was quite mad. Mad at him even though he seemed genuinely fearful and mad at myself for being mad at him. He was reluctant to walk or trot with me. Can't say I blame him, by this point I was gritting my teeth, silently seething.

I remounted and off we went again. I pushed on into trot, he clocked something else to be scared of. Once again I couldn't tell what it was. Halt, spin, rear and plunge. I said no, please, this way. Really. He rebutted with rein-back. I dismounted again, he was pricking about next to barbed wire again. At the point of totally losing my rag, I marched us both along to a safe spot so that my backside may be reunited with the saddle for more than 5 minutes.

This was all on the road of course. A very quiet road in broad daylaight and we were decked in high-viz, but nonetheless I expected better of a teenage horse who has hacked this road plenty before.

The very reason I wished to hack this route was partly because of the length and partly because of the hills. There's a great long ascent I wanted to first walk up, then go back down so we could gallop back up. Really work us out. By the time we got there I gave him a good length of rein and we galloped up there first time. Only because we were both winding each other up, I thought a blast would clear my head. He was good! Slowed when I asked and moved from one side of the track to the other as I picked the best footing.

We pressed on past the quarry and onto a now-overgrown track which would loop us onto the next road to go home. If there was a place to spook, where tigers might be lurking, it was here. Yet he bulldozed his way through thick ferns, low branches and gorse thickets as if they weren't there.

Back onto the next road, he was up but listening. He spooked at a mirror at the end of someone's driveway but just wibbled his legs and carried on. Funny how much less spooky things seem on the way home. Hmph.

That's what was bugging me today. I understand that horses see things we don't and any perceived danger is very real to them. That applying human logic is not appropriate and that growing ever-more frustrated solved absolutely nothing. But come on! Scary things on the way out are less scary than scary things on the way home?!?!

At any rate, when we cut back into our usual forest, instead of heading home, I steered us into the forest. We'd only been out an hour (it felt much longer), and he felt rather fresh. I took him round The Loop the other way, to the left. Just as we drew level with the last track to home he set his head and neck, and tried to tow us in there. A few times actually. I opened the right rein to demonstrate very clearly we would be going this way, thank you. After some jigging, halting, and discussion (I did actually sit there and explain I wanted to go that way and we could go really fast on the return loop), we pressed on.

And galloped as promised. Brakes were present and in full effect again, he seems to be improving with practice and fitness. I snuck out some more rein after the bend (taken much more sensibly on this rein) and let him go flat out.

On the way home we popped a couple of jumps and he was still chipper as we warmed down along the track. He only broke a sweat under his girth (it's synthetic) and under the back of the saddle. He feels better with the Prolite pad so not sure if this sweat pattern is something or nothing.

Whilst I'd have insisted post-hack I didn't feel stressed and didn't focus on him being bad, I had chest pains and a palpitation as I was poo-picking. Perhaps it was the heat.

Tomorrow's another day I suppose. Today I felt totally inadequate for this sharp, sensitive and terribly clever horse. I definitely let him down.

Distractions

2010-07-20T20:51:00.002+01:00

This afternoon I suffered(!) 23 degrees and sunshine to school, when I'd much rather have been in the chilled shade of the forest! Despite being in a sleeveless vest, I flaked before Quadi did...

I don't usually like to school during the day because the school has been built within a paddock, and during the day there is a pony in the paddock grazing. Quadi finds her most distracting, and it doesn't help that she mooches at the fenceline. Can't be helped. Perhaps it's good to work with distractions but right now he just seems to focus that much better without a cheering squad!

I put a Prolite saddlepad under his saddle. It has pockets for shims in the front, so put them in. Seems to work quite well...

Today's session was much in the same form as the one before but didn't feel as light or easy. He seemed even heavier in my right hand than last time, I never seemed to break his leaning. The closest I got was towards the end of the session when I used figures of 8 to switch bends, and a little earlier on I played with a slow trot I could sit to. That seemed to work.

He kept napping towards the sides of the school and the pony. I couldn't be done with that really, I never quite had his attention.

On the plus side, I could feel him lift his back up more (because of the pad?) and he was very attentive to my leg for lateral work. He's anticipating things like shoulder-in and pirouettes so I'll have to come up with more tricks to keep him thinking forwards.

I've asked Kate to be our eyes on the ground next time. I've peaked in terms of schooling unsupervised!

A Quiet Mooch

2010-07-19T21:10:00.002+01:00

With the changing weather, I brought the three of them in today to give them some respite from the weather. Although it's not cold, the rain had soaked through Quadi's coat, I thought he'd appreciate a roof over his head and some hay in his face! Plus I can't put a cotton saddlecloth over a wet back and he needs the work!

Today's jaunt was in the company of Kate and Fin. We went out in the drizzle which kept the flies at bay, which are fast becoming a pest. Once we reached The Loop we had a canter with Kate in front. Well, that is until the left-hand bend. Kate has taught Fin to approach here properly (ie. balanced, carefully and slowly). I have not been so careful with Quadi and as they slowed to take care over slippery mud, Quadi zipped around the outside and took the lead, feeling most pleased with himself! He didn't tank off and slowed up when asked, he just very much wanted to be in front. Who'd have thunk it a year ago!

We did the same thing along the next canter path...Kate and Fin setting a sensible pace in front, Quadi and I on their 6. At the top, where the path widens and we go into the forest, Quadi shot up their right hand side and this time he did bog off. Braking signals eventually reached Quadi's brain and we pulled up. He's so naughty but it's hard to do very much as he makes me giggle in such instances :)

Actually, he did this for a third time when we left the forest path and were onto our home track. Only at a trot, but he insisted on leading and was weaving back and forth on the path, to stop Fin moving in front. When Kate asked Fin to overtake Quadi found this to be a perfect excuse for some body contact...a frustrated polo pony perhaps?!

I booted him for today's hack as his feet have taken a backward step in progress, no pun intended. He seems to be feeling stones when he wasn't before, and his front soles look more flat. Am assuming it's LGL. I thought we were out of the woods since the grass had gone to seed and therefore wasn't so sugary, and I'd managed to avoid any hoof issues whilst the grass was seeding. However, there is a patch of the field we are strip grazing which is shorter grass. I imagine with this warm and damp weather it is more lush than I'd anticipated. He was sound in boots today and in the school yesterday, so that's something. But still... :(

Just...Brilliant.

2010-07-18T20:02:00.002+01:00

Even whilst I poo-picked at tea-time the flies were relentless in their swarming, so hacking was out of the question. I had a brief, mad thought about loose-jumping him but it was too muggy for that to be a one-person job! I'd have ended up doing more work than Himself!

So schooling it was. Despite my not being in quite the cheeriest frame of mind for it, he went so sweetly. That's always the way I guess, low expectations = no pressure!

I really wasn't expecting much when I had to drag him into the school, he was feeling the heat as much as I was. I figured if we mooched around in walk and gained any semblance of correct work, then I'd have been content with that.

Pretty much straight away I cracked on with achieving bend and softness. I can't remember exactly the order but I felt today he required shoulder-in (on the straight and on a circle), quarters-in, rein back, leg yielding in and out on a circle, and we worked a little on pirouettes in walk. The latter were coming straight off of shoulder-in on a circle, I was most impressed with him. I worked a little in trot but he wasn't quite ready for that step so we went back to do more of the lateral work.

Through all this he remained very soft and light in hand on the left rein, to the point he could almost worked off the weight of the rein. Only in walk and in a calm frame of mind of course, I'm not suggesting for a second he's working in total harmony all the time, but today he really was great on this rein. On the right he made me work very hard to get any bend, I had to do a lot of give and retake of the reins when he tried to lean on me, along with lots of bend to keep him flexing. I did some in-hand stretches the other day and he was noticeably stiffer stretching along his right neck muscles. Today, when using some flexions in halt, he preferred to avoid the right bend (all I wanted was to see the corner of his eye as his head flexed uniformly) by side-stepping, reining back, etc. I broke it right down for him and we got there in the end :)

Returning to trot, he was totally different. He didn't scoot off, he didn't throw his head up (20 minutes before it was a 50/50 split as to whether I could retain roundness) he was snug around my inside leg and tried his damnedest to flex right when we were on that rein. I gave him big pats and called it a day. To be honest at this point he was just warmed up to be pushed farther but I hadn't the physical or mental stamina today, I guess at that point I could have used a little direction from the ground. But despite that, he's starting to feel like a real Luso, a real riding horse, like the ones I rode in Portugal.

Couldn't be more pleased really. With him for his progress, both within this session today and looking back over the past few months. And with myself for being able to work through the issues as thoughtfully as I know how, and feeling a real positive difference by the end of the hour :)

Shan't! Can't! Won't!

2010-07-17T20:36:00.002+01:00

Because I deigned to interrupt our regular hacking route, I was dealt some airs and strops...

We started out well. I even had him stood without restraint in the yard to have his mane plaited, he dozed as I tried not to include my fingers in the weaves of hair! The flies, whilst not too troublesome at first, were plentiful. Unusual since it was just after midday, so we trotted in some straights where we normally only walk. I let him pick his paths on the way, up until the point where he was thinking about which routes would take him home, then I took back piloting rights!

He was good but just awkward, seemed to want to do exactly the opposite of what I was requesting, so first time around the loop he was a little backward in going past the water container. I cantered him along until just before the left-hand bend, where we went to a trot in an effort to not motorbike the corner (that needs more work) and back up to canter. He came back down to walk a lot better as we ran out of track. I decided to track right, just an entrance road along a short way to a main road, nothing exciting. He was looky but ok along there. Back onto our usual route he was no bother until he came to a place we like to canter if you head up to the left. He jig-jogged, I asked him to walk, and then pushed on ahead (towards the underpass, as if we were heading towards the houses). He complied, but I could just feel him looking for stuff. I'm not sure horses are sneaky enough to look for excuses to spook, but it's what it felt like. Lots of infuriating stop-starting. Then the spinning and leaping commenced. I insisted that this was not appropriate behaviour, Quadi countered with a new game, Hat Dancing Towards Barbed Wire Fencing, followed by little rears (the sort Iberians are good at, you actually sink a hand in height as they collect and gather their forelegs in protest). And then a great big boxing stoppy rear! Since he was being such an outrageous gimp at being asked to walk a track he's traversed many times, I hopped off.

We walked along to the point where I discovered what was spooky, a natural burn which was fenced off for cows to drink at. We've seen this many times. Today it was scary. I asked him to walk to a point beyond where he was comfortable and it just so happened I had a spare sweetie in my pocket, so he was rewarded for the mental stretch.

And on we went. Second time around, and he took complete offence at being asked to go around again! Nothing I can do except sit tight and time my aids for forwards when appropriate. Which is not when he decided to zoom backwards at speed. I steered his backside into a tree and he thought better of this. I convinced him just halting and waiting was a good game, and played with some slight flexions. Suddenly he decided it was less work to go with my original plan of continuing our hack!

Another canter, this time I really asked him to collect instead of bombing off (fun as that is!), and he was reasonably good. We're making progress out of the school, which is fab.

Our third time off the loop and Quadi was hell-bent on going right. Which was my intended path, but since he made such an issue of it, I made him walk up to and around the water container on both reins a few times. No drama. Then we headed home, an uneventful hack from that point.

Despite all this he's just been super to hack recently. He lifts his back into my seat and strides out well, all this on a long rein. Good relaxation work to compliment to slow and deliberate work we do in the school.

Lots of waffle on what was not a ground-breaking hack, so it seems I've missed blogging more than I realised!

Returning to our Scheduled Programme

2010-07-16T21:15:00.004+01:00

I didn't think anyone would notice I wasn't blogging. Turns out they do, apologies!

All is well with Quadi but frankly, I just haven't felt like doing anything constructive. That includes schooling and blogging! I've spent the past couple of months doing nothing more than either hacking on the buckle of the reins because I can't be arsed doing anything properly. Or haring around farm tracks flat out being silly. Both put a smile on my face :) And here's proof (I never smile when a camera's around, can't bear to have my photo taken!):

In that photo Quadi had locked on to the photographer (I guess he thought he might have a sweetie for him!) and whilst it's not apparent from the photo, we were bearing down at quite a clip, so I was deftly trying to steer left with a hellish fit of the giggles! Anyway, I'm just so chuffed he's sound enough to do all of this, he's still unshod so far.

Quadrado also celebrated his 13th birthday this month, I decorated him a little to mark the occassion. He thinks himself lucky that I couldn't find party hats and helium balloons in the supermarket:

Tonight was the first time in weeks I've schooled him. There were some unpretty moments in trot where he was anticipating canter (which I had no intention of attempting!) and I started to feel negative about it (wondering what I was doing wrong to send him into Llama-mode) but calmed my mind and worked through them. Whilst I had been offshore Kate had been trying a little quarters-in and he's starting to get it with me despite my lack of control over my limbs and seat. We also had some shoulder-in on a circle and rein back. All of this with a calm and relaxed front end, and connected back end. Not bad going considering I almost wimped out to go for another hack!

I've had a lot of thoughts and have made a lot of progress, will have to try and get them Blogged asap.

Last One Before...

2010-06-03T20:50:00.002+01:00

...I go on holiday! Am zooming down to Portugal for a few days to catch some of the Lusitano Breed Festival and also to visit friends and have a cheeky lesson or two on some Lusos :D

Yesterday Quadi had the vet out to to have a check over because his insurance company has excluded various bits of him. Unfairly I feel, and the vet agreed, so I am contesting it :) After a few face pulls and a bum swing he was fine, the vet is fab with him. Called Quadi a drama queen *g*

Running short of time I decided to just give him a quick spin on the lunge and see how he's looking. He'd been out on a hack with a friend the night before so I didn't feel a huge urge to make sure he did some real graft. In the blazing afternoon sun I ended up doing far more work than he did, hardly the point! I'm not a passive lunger but I also don't like having to pratically hound my horse into canter because he can't be arsed ;) He went really sweetly from voice aids in walk and trot, and livened up with lots of transitions. But canter was sticky. I decided not to persist once I'd gotten it once, lest I collapse. I changed my plan and worked him at whip-length on the correct bend in walk and a little bit of trot. Equally hard work but probably achieved a lot more!

Today I harboured great intentions to school but I am a little nervous of riding in front of new people when I go away so thought a hack would be more relaxing until I get back. Hopefully refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm for all things manege! Plus it was a beautiful afternoon.

Quadi stopped six or seven times coming across the field as I'd moved the other two into a fresh paddock and he was most upset at being brought in, despite there being a huge pile of hay waiting for him. I let him have a good feed on this as I groomed and tacked slowly.

We set off sluggishly. Since it was warm, we headed off into the first turning into the forest. Not much to report, it was a glorious hack. He wasn't perfect (he never is!) but we had two fantastic canters which rapidly became gallops. Both times he pulled up without too much fuss. The second time around The Loop we met a kid on a scrambler/dirt bike. He switched off his engine and waited until we were way past him before he set off. Kind of made my day that he was so considerate!

Once we got back I strapped and stretched him, and gave him a wipe over with cool water. Not that he even broke his coat, his fitness keeps improving :D I left him munching on hay with his feet soaking in poultice boots and lovely Kate put him out for me. I came home early to get ready to fly tomorrow...I've yet to make a start!

Birthday Blast

2010-05-31T21:29:00.002+01:00

Once again, despite having a day to myself I didn't manage up to the yard until late afternoon. I achieved a few previously put-off tasks at home so no bad thing!

I couldn't decide between a long-rein hack and a ridden one. Feeling rather lazy, I plumped for for the latter ;)

Whilst it wasn't a roasting day it was warm in the sun, so Quadi was a touch sleepy and had to be dragged in from the field. He's not putting on any weight on the sparse summer grazing which is good, but I'm having to juggle this with getting enough fibre into him so that he doesn't get a bloated tummy. He was keen on his hay when he came in, munching away whilst I groomed his muddy butt.

I'm not sure if it was just his humour or the heat or tiredness from shivering yesterday but he was a little backwards today. Just not striding out as I'd thought he would. He was bright and alert in the stable and on our hack, and I took his temperature prior to work (37.3C for reference), nothing indicated he was feeling poorly.

We had a lovely hack save him being a little nosey and tripping up, or almost bashing his nose/my knee off of trees as he wasn't paying attention to where we were heading. Typical boy sometimes...

We did the reverse to our usual circuit around The Loop, so we had a little leg stretch down the hill and round the bend to the right. He was lovely and bouncy, I asked him to lengthen his stride once around the bend and he did so without going hell for leather. Very Good Boy. I hadn't really felt him use his back until after this so I think it was good for both of us! Not that I can really expect him to be using his back, we've regressed somewhat in our training but it'll come back as I get my head screwed on and we get some schooling under our belts. Both of us have reverted back to old habits, oops!

Rather a boring birthday by most people's standards but I was just happy to spend some time in the company of my favourite bloke!

One in Seven

2010-05-30T20:14:00.002+01:00

That's how many days I've ridden. One, in seven! I hacked him the other day but apart from that it's either been tipping down or I've had to work late.

Today it rained all morning, I dragged our motley crew in to give them a break, so that they could dry off and warm up. Mostly I was thinking of their feet. Quadi initially neglected to be gathered in but he soon realised he would have been solo and obliged me in having his headcollar on. All the while I was feeling super-attractive in full waterproofs and a woolly hat!

Once all in, Quadi began to shiver :( I put his fleece on, and a stable rug over the top. Plus he got a warm feed, which he was most grateful for. Anyway, he stopped shaking pretty quickly but looked a little withdrawn so they gang stood in for a few hours with hay and water until he brightened up. Of course, it was dry and sunny all afternoon, but I didn't want to ride him just in case his kidneys had gotten a chill.

To cheer him up we did some physio stretches for treats. Hopefully he'll be feeling like his old self tomorrow and we can do some real work!

Interruption to Regular Services

2010-05-26T21:31:00.003+01:00

Ugh. Just...ick.

Quadi has yet to do any real work since the weekend. This is partly due to the shape-shifting weather we seem to be experiencing. I can only describe myself as looking like a homeless and soggy spaniel-type pooch by the time I arrive at the boys' field. The only assurance I seem to have is that it will rain as soon as I leave the office every day >:( It makes for a soggy and unpleasant journey to the yard.

The other part is my being tired. I know I'm tired because my shoulder, neck and back hurt. Clearly I'm so preoccupied with carrying tension around with me all day, I haven't the time or inclination to do anything enjoyable like ride my horse! My shoulders have returned to their default position, lurking somewhere around my ears.

I've been maintaining 6am starts with 9pm finishes (when I leave home and when I arrive back each day) for some time now and they're starting to tell on me, I'm knackered to the point of forgetfulness. So I'm taking Friday and Monday off work :D

I did do some stretches with Quadi last night, tonight I would have worked him but he was a sodden, muddy mess and it rained most of the time I was at the yard. I decided to come home and soak my weary bones in a bath instead :)

Quietly Does It

2010-05-23T17:39:00.002+01:00

Not quite such a sunny start but I felt the need for more hacking today. So that's what we did. Once I caught him of course. I had been up in the field earlier and touched him to say Hi as I snuck through the switched-off electric wire. When I touched him as he saw the tape wiggle he shot off, poor love must have thought I was going to zap him! So when I returned to capture my pony he was having none of it. But the field they are in is much smaller so it didn't take much time to persuade him that I wasn't going to make his coat stand on end!

I booted his hind feet for a change, they seem in need of a little support, the heels aren't changing as much as I'd like so I think they need some help. So he was a little careful over stones but not stumbling or sore. I reckon we'll have to get another pair of boots...

We took the first track over the ditches and meandered through the forest. All very pleasant. He took a look at the water container both times around today but since we stuck to a walk for the entire hack he seemed calmer. I played once more with flexions and I think we're losing some ground so there will be much schooling this week.

On our way back into the forest there were some folkies cutting up fallen trees with chainsaws which made Quadi beetle his way home. Once we were in the forest and out of earshot I halted him and regained some calm before we continued. Much better :)

Not a terribly exciting day but productive. And most pleasant in the scorching sun, despite wearing SPF40 I seem to have caught some rays...

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

2010-05-22T19:00:00.002+01:00

I had every intention of schooling Himself last night. Sadly the weather put paid to my enthusiasm. Glorious sunshine all whilst I was trapped in the office, and then the clouds opened at 4pm. The rain had subsided before I arrived at the yard, unfortunately Quadi had managed to find himself a mud patch in which to wriggle around in. Little worm! There was no hope of having him suitably clean or dry enough for tack so I fed him and chucked him back out...

Today it reached 26C, and I rode at lunchtime >:D

I didn't mean to, but got caught up a few chores, like giving the Baby his Very First Bath. He found this agreeable once he realised he would not end up dead. Then I had help trimming Quadi's hooves. In the sun, I was dying on my backside! We'd also had some clearing of hay and poop in the field so I was glad to get in the saddle for a rest!

Despite Fin being mid-bath on our way out, Quadi managed to tear himself from the yard. A couple of stop-starts but better than I expected. The sun had slipped behind a high cloud so our walk out was very pleasant, we even managed a little trot without any hysterics, and the forest was reasonably cool, humidity aside.

As we turned right for our first circuit of The Loop, Quadi took great offense to the now-fallen over water container, we had a few stops and sideways steps but we managed past it and onto a great canter. He spooked at something at the top of the brae so good brakes on this occasion! We also had a canter up the next part of the track, the forest was abandoned. Unusual for the weekend, I guess people had better places to be in the blazing midday sun :)

Mr Princess took exception to being asked to go around for a second time. Some ploughing backwards and indignant halts, but he passed the water container better this time. And I put my foot on the loud pedal! He took a good contact in the reins and really levelled out up the hill. I wish there were more room to do fast work with him...

After this he was a little jog-joggy, and heading up the next part of the track he was fine in walk. Instead of cantering I asked for a sedate trot. He returned with his head in the air and forged through the rein into a really daft big trot/canter/trot/canter every two strides. I harshed the good work we were doing by asking for trot, I should have continued in walk.

As we came back to the relative cool of the forest shade, Quadi started playing up again. I wanted to return home using the track we came along. As we stood that was furthest away, near the water container. Quadi assumed I wanted to go past the Scary Thing a third time. Which was tantamount to horse abuse in his little herbivore brain. He is nothing if not imaginative, we have a new evasion!

Once he realised that marching backwards over tree stumps, divots, etc, was making no impression, he decided to try his new tack. I reasonably and gently asked him to make a move forwards and he set his neck, ran through the right rein (his stiffer but stronger side), reared, plunged forwards. And reared, and plunged forwards. And reared, and I think you get the picture. He was in enough of a huff to keep this up the whole way home. I found myself bouncing through trees trying to wrestle a horse normally quite sensitive of the mouth! My upper body strength is non-existent, my arms are vestigial...I wouldn't fight a horse anyway but certainly I wasn't going to win this one.

I regained some semblance of control, dismounted, and walked him straight to the water container. In his mind, the danger is genuine because he was apprehensive even with me on foot. I asked him to sniff and touch the container. Which he did, and he was rewarded with praise and pats on the neck. We moved further along the track, and I mounted up (from the ground, not something I usually like to do but pleased I even could!), and he moved off happily. Go figure! I walked him a little further and, when it was my idea to do so, turned and retraced our steps to the track I wanted to use in the first place. We managed some flexions with varying degrees of success. By this point we were both tired, he was rather sweaty but only after having the aforedescribed hissy fits.

Home was reached without further incident and I gave him a bath. Despite the glorious start to the morning I ended up doing this in the rain but the water was brown running off of him so it was clearly overdue.

Quadrado, of course, pointedly rolled immediately on turnout. Didn't even wait until I couldn't see him do so!

Tired, but Happy

2010-05-19T22:23:00.002+01:00

Am One Tired Blogger so it'll have to be short and sweet...

Yesterday:

I decided it was high-time we went back into the school. Good move :) Despite a ham-fisted attempt at in-hand, and a distracted start he went superbly. I worked in all the exercises Perry gave me and muddled in some work of my own. He worked with his back up the whole time and was soft in my hand. All of this in the evening sunshine. Just bliss!

Today:

Because we'd schooled yesterday, I decided on a hack tonight. Once again we had sun and warmth. Little bit of a pest in that we also had a fair few midges (I've been bitten!) and Quadi did headshake out in the open, but a nice evening anyway.

We went out over the ditches, Quadi's starting to get to grips with just hopping or stepping rather than leaping! We had two flat out canters, managed to get him up to a gallop the second time around the loop, as we swerved round the bend downhill! Sadly I don't have the stopping distance to really open him up, and I'm always worried I meet a hidden dog-walker!

On the way home we met some young bulls :)

Oops!

2010-05-17T21:56:00.003+01:00

Nothing doing yesterday, naughty Danni!

But tonight I took Quadi for a hack. Not as long as I'd hoped, but it was work nonetheless. I think given his spooky humour I'd have gotten more out of him in the school. He didn't ever settle down properly, seeming to find everything very dangerous. We went for a couple of canters around the loop and the first time we had a 6 Ft Lateral Teleport. Bizarrely I managed to stay secure and central! We managed to collect our brains long enough for some respectful bend and relaxation but the minute I relaxed he was off jig-jogging or spooking. Just one of those nights, he was full of it :)

It was peaceful to be out in the evening sunshine with him, and great that he feels so good!

Child-Wearing

2010-05-15T18:05:00.002+01:00

Quadi indulged us in a little lead-reining today, my Mum's friend's daughter just loves horses and had asked to come up. Now, Quadi can be a real handful for those of us who chose to pose him questions. But kiddie wearing he can do, and he's super gentle. A real dope on a rope!

As we went up the field to collect him I even got a neigh hello, first time I've heard him do that in years. In fact, I wondered what he wanted ;) But he was just cheerful to see people I think.

I was helped with his grooming and tacking. Bless him, he stayed rooted to the spot. Once his Child was on board we set off to the forest. In addition to all the usual safety gear I put on the seat-saver because it's a little grippier. Just in case. And I had him on a lead rein obviously.

He was a little square paragon of virtue, he didn't put a foot wrong. Walking nice and slowly and not up to any mischief. My Mum said she was very proud of how he's changed, and proud of me for helping him to change. Big grins all round :D

His headshaking is getting worse though. I even tried Vaseline to line his nostrils but it just got snorted out. And onto me!

At some point tomorrow we'll go for a long hack. I could sure use another blast!

Couldn't Be Happier!

2010-05-14T22:07:00.003+01:00

After bringing young Coffee in solo one day for a feed, Kate noticed just how relaxed he was about being on his own whilst eating his tea. So we decided to venture a short hack with the Grown-Ups.

Couldn't have gone better. Coffee received his feed as we set off and was still tucking in when we came back. Not a hint of a fuss.

Our hack was lovely too, it's been what feels like an age since I've hacked with anyone! Quadi was a little up Fin's bum as we set off, and there was some rain. But once again he was lovely and soft and happy to flex both ways. Once we were in the forest I could really feel him lift up his back and collect his stride a little. We decided not to stay out too long at all, and retreated back over the ditches. Quadi leading the way :D

He's looking wonderful just now, finally dropping his winter woollies for his silky summer coat. His ribs are clearly felt under his coat and his tummy doesn't look distended. Just perfect for heading into summer grazing. He's headshaking in the field now but we're on the case to make him more comfortable.

Not a ground-breaking day but still... :)

24 Little Hours

2010-05-12T21:27:00.002+01:00

And what a difference they make!

As it happens I'm still struggling along, to the point where I don't mind revealing I was crying into my horse's mane tonight as I groomed him. He smells of grass and mud :) I can't say I was in the best frame of mind for schooling. Or so I thought.

I led him along to the school and thought I had best do some in-hand to start. But there were cows in the field next door. Probably a great opportunity to instill some discipline in proceedings, but he was much too distracted and I felt I'd be better able to hold his attention with legs and seat.

At first the cows were to be viewed from a halt and we had to do some advance and retreat but eventually they were considered ignorable! We warmed up with a lap of the school on each rein with shoulder-fore/in, and then set to some serpentines. The rascal clings to the outer perimeter of the school so I, rather sneakily, did our serpentines in a bit from the track. This required some reminders from my outside leg but good practice for us both. I noted that coming from a right loop he tends to want to drift when returning to straight. Wonder what it is I'm doing? I should have noticed which way he was drifting, but I didn't.

In any case, this went really well and after some leg yield on circles we progressed to the exercise Perry had us doing. Just putting him on a circle or equally bent school shape (we do good squiggles!) and using the merest of aids for bend, halt and walk.

You couldn't wipe the smile from my face, he was such a star. Naturally a little stiffer on his right rein but he hadn't been school in a couple of weeks and he was trying so hard, I could have burst! On the left rein he was fab and I didn't have to use any rein at all, he was just 'there'. Once I'd realised I didn't need to nag, I had him in both directions. Super pony.

Staying in walk, we went on to our shallow loops. They went well apart from a couple of places where, instead of riding each stride as it happened, my mind wandered and I got distracted. But he was fab.

I thought about trotting. I thought about being greedy and spoiling my session by doing so. But I felt we could do more. So we did trot. Once again sticky on that right rein but I was pleased with myself as my timing was good and I dealt with him with tact. Makes a change! We had carriage both ways and lovely soft transitions. Pony was patted repeatedly and given his tea, good boy!

His summer coat is finally coming to the fore and I can feel the end of his ribcage, so feeling quite pleased with his appearance. I think his massage has helped too :)

Bah.

2010-05-11T20:42:00.003+01:00

It's been raining on and off all day. I decided to chance it and got the bus after work out to the horses. The minute I stepped off the bus the skies opened, and with every step I took I swear it got heavier and heavier. By the time I reached the yard I was soaked to my skin. Kate had offered to look after the boys tonight anyway, I just wanted to school! So I spun on my heel and came home.

Really could use a car!

Better still

2010-05-10T19:53:00.002+01:00

Yesterday Quadi had a massage from Liz, and it was really pleasing. He stood really well even when other horses came and went, and Liz agreed with my observations. He's lost a bit of muscling all over but I tried not to be disappointed given I haven't been doing the work to maintain his physique. She also reminded me to remain, in the nicest possible way, realistic. This actually helped me a lot, instead of trying to achieve what may not be possible I should strive to enjoy how well he feels now. She finds he is a totally different horse mentally to the one she met last year, and she's pleased with how well he's looking.

Probably because of the less-than-ideal shape of his hindfeet as we try to match heel growth with toe growth, he has tight hamstrings on both hind legs. But everything else is looking really loose so we're both pleased as we both expected him to feel worse than he currently does. I have to keep doing his hindleg stretch, pulling it forwards as I support his weight a little, and also use the pressure point in his abdomen to engage those muscles as we continue to 'unlock' them. And he really enjoyed having his neck treated. Funny, that's where I've been feeling I could use a massage lately!

I had a knot in my tummy and Quadi was asleep post-treatment so I didn't ride.

Onto today. Despite a horizontal onslaught of hail en route, I decided it wasn't too cold to catch a break in the weather and have a relaxing hack. I have the offer to use Fin instead but I was feeling positive about my own horse :)

Because of the hail and cold I dug out an exercise sheet and my winter jacket and gloves. I didn't feel cold when I got back but Quadi didn't feel too hot either. Good choices.

He marched right off the yard and only stopped when he saw the foal in the field and the mares on the other side came to greet him. How helpful ladies(!)

Sadly we were caught in a hail shower on the way but it meant he had to lower his head and flex right to avoid the worst of it, every grey cloud has a silver lining ;)

Once again I felt I had his back for more of the time than I didn't over the course of the hack. Round the loop we worked in walk on flexions the first time. I had to work really hard, my shoulders ached and I harboured some concern I was being too harsh but I think it was just lack of proper posture. I'm finding there is a very subtle difference in how I try and maintain my upper body in an upright position. It's very easy for me to arch my lower back the wrong way to 'cheat'. I know I get it right when I manage to sit on my seatbones properly.

The second round on the loop we had a lovely canter, nice and relaxed and rhythmical. On the way home I just let him pick his way on a long but maintained contact. I was rewarded on the home straight with a horse carrying himself so well on the lightest of reins. Really it was out-of-the-blue but so pleasing :D

Think we're almost ready to get back to schooling!

A Little Better...

2010-05-08T20:09:00.002+01:00

I took a couple of days off Quadi and rode him today, first time since his leaping and plunging.

Just a hack, just the route we normally take. He was fine to set off apart from a little distraction I will reveal further on ;)

He's still very backwards-thinking and spooky. I'm not sure if it's a flush through of grass, or if it's in-season mares, or something else.

I had his back working up for more time than it wasn't, which is good. We went around the loop twice in the opposite direction to what we have been doing. I used the opportunity to ask for flexions as we walked, and to contain the tempo of the walk a little. Quadi was a smidge resistant to this but in the end, on the way home, I got him both ways and he was really soft in-hand. We had a canter but he was rather strong! Funny what a couple of days off can do to them. There were too many dog-walkers around to do any more than that but it was good to work in walk.

Not much else to report, it was a nice enough hack and he was, in the main, a good boy. Very distracted though, am hoping increasing his workload back up will help. He has a massage tomorrow too :)

Onto the distraction we had on the way out...she is a week early but this little bundle popped out from behind her dam's legs this morning, much to my confusion!

Chalk and Cheese

2010-05-05T19:53:00.002+01:00

That's what the past two days have been :(

Yesterday:

Quadi was booted up with slightly thinner pads and we set off for a hack. It was a little drizzly and windy so we headed into the forest. Apart from a little stop/start at the Fell pony field where a dog walker stood every-so-patiently waiting on us to pass, he was great on the way out, save being a little backwards. We had a little trot and once into the forest he was really using his back and working off of my seat and legs very sweetly.

I took the unusual, and not very safe, decision to listen to my iPod on our hack. Just as we approached the track I canter him on (naughty habit, I know!) a song came on that, for the whole time he was on loan, I couldn't listen to for crying. Dayvan Cowboy by Boards of Canada, I have no idea why but it reminds me of him. So I got to canter him along whilst listening to it, magic. We lost a boot but I dismounted and put it back on, and off we continued. We went around the loop again and cantered there AGAIN. Big smiles from me, just what I needed!

But today, oh dear:

Firstly I must say that I'm not proud of my reaction. In fact, I'm ashamed of my behaviour!

The weather turned dire as I brought Quadi in. Really awful mizzle. But I had it in my head I ought to ride him on the road, we're staying out of the school this week. So we donned high-viz and set off. He stopped as we turned off the driveway. I got him going but he was even more backwards than yesterday. But forwards momentum was maintained. As we approached the closed road, the 'Road Closed' sign was no longer there. How busy can it be, thought I?!

Quadi took objection quite early on to some tractors in a field (we see these a lot, so I was having none of it). As the wind started driving the drizzle horizontally, Quadi would not be asked, told or foxed and decided to physically express himself by rearing. Absolutely any muscle movement in me set him off. I got off and led him to the stationary tractors and made him touch them. We walked on to the next passing place on our side of the road and mounted up again.

The saddle seat, by this point, was soaking. And I was in beige jods with pink knickers underneath. Great(!)

We managed about three strides before he started again, exactly the same. By this point my temper was gone and instead of trying to understand what Quadi was objecting to (I can't say I'm any the wiser now), I was rude and obnoxious. As a human I am in control of my feelings and emotions, except I wasn't!

He kept gawking around, so to try and regain his attention I asked for flexion. He decided I was taking a huge liberty by asking him to focus and put on his F*ck You and Your Commands t-shirt.

In my full-on seething strop, I dismounted again and could barely get him past the invisible line he'd drawn for himself on the ground. We walked on a little and he went well until a tractor appeared behind us.

I trotted him on because there was nowhere to let them pass us, and he was good. Worried, but did as asked. I halted him at the foot of the next farm track so that he could see what was 'chasing' us. He settled and I asked him on.

Once again, we were going backwards and then he whipped round and reared, and stomped, and reared, and stomped.

So I dismounted for a third time, led him a little up the way and remounted. By this point my jaw was clamped shut and I was grunting through my teeth. Anyway, once on board for a third time, and by this point soaked through, we set off briskly. He took exception to most things on this track but as soon as we were at the foot of the long hill I sent him up for a blast.

He spooked this way and that but he kept going and we waited at the top of the hill to catch our breath and I turned him right around for home.

The same tractor was bearing down on us on the way back. I pulled Quadi into a gateway and asked him to halt. I could feel him clearly worried but he did stand, and the farmer was very kind to slow right down and give us lots of room. I thanked him very much and he set off.

Sadly a driver heading towards us shortly after did not slow at all for us and she zoomed past, despite my signalling her to slow. Quadi was great, he didn't flinch and moved himself to the verge to avoid her, but hardly the point!

The tractors in the field were working on the way back, so we ended up jittering on the verge again, and an oncoming van driver also failed to slow.

Just an awful ride, I wish I'd gone into the forest. I'm off to harsh in the corner about all of this, I'm really not happy about any of it.

Back on the horse

2010-05-02T16:52:00.003+01:00

Proverbially, and literally!

I'm feeling a lot better. Having a couple of days off was good but I did miss Quadi. I've been having internet woes the past few days which seem to have magically resolved themselves, thanks to gnomes or fairies or something...

Yesterday I jumped Quadi. I wimped out of it on Friday but decided gave myself a swift kick to get on and use the handy pole exercises that Kate had left from the day before.

We didn't start well. By the time I'd built up from trotting over some poles to putting up a weeny cross with a pole under it for a groundline. In short, very easy! My first and only attempt before Kate arrived resulted in Quadi halting in front of it from a trot, before throwing himself over. I guess it was honest of him to jump it given my yes/no/yes/no/yes/no wimpy aiding won't have helped him!

Kate put us back down to trotting poles and just got us trotting over things again. She had me shorten my reins and also shouted Look Up on every approach to make sure I was thinking forwards. Next I was to pick a set of poles plus wings (all were handily colour co-ordinated!) I planned to approach next and shout the colour of them. Likewise in order to get me to think forwards, plan ahead, and take a bit of responsibility for what I was doing! It worked because Kate put two of them up as crosses, just on the first or second rung, and we were trotting over them without the fly-swatting, plane-signalling, bouncing-llama impression we usually do. Once we'd done a few in a good rhythm I called it a day, gave him a pat, and am arranging a jumping lesson PDQ!

Today I sort of, maybe, had it in my head I'd do a road hack but it was cold and windy so opted for a walking hack in the forest. Which was a good choice. We met tractors and cows in fields where there previously were no cows, it was nice to just mooch along and not think too much. I did get a bit cold on the way home, it was tempting to have a good blast but I didn't want to ruin the nice tempo we had going.

I hacked him in boots plus pads in front, which made a difference to his way of going even on the soft. I ought to get some for the backs too, I'm not happy with the hoof/pastern angle on his hinds and he seems to have heel pain there. Hmm...

Also, we moved them into the far back paddock to give their winter field a rest, and since there's not much grass in there either, the boys decided to remove themselves into the next field, where grass is plentiful. Sadly it's not set aside for greedy Iberians *lol* I'm assuming the Baby just went along with what the Big Boys were doing, since ropes were lifted and knots were undone...

Face Full of Nature!

2010-04-27T22:20:00.003+01:00

I opted for a hack :)

Since it the sun was trying to peek through the grey, I groomed him outside. Got lots of dust in my eyes for my trouble, and the curry comb actually got stuck in the mud on his backside *lol*

Quadi was in a most agreeable mood today :) We saw an old lady walking her barking dog and he had a stop and a think, but once I felt him less tense I asked him on and off we went.

Once we arrived at The Loop, having bounced our way through the forest, me grinning the whole way, we met a dog walker. Sadly she was along the track we wanted to canter. So I stopped and shouted to invite her past. Instead she about turned with her four dogs and went back along the track. So Quadi and I stood and watched her until they were well onto the next section and off we went. He was fab! He wasn't too gung-ho, went off my leg when asked, slowed to my whistle and responded to a small (but not sharp!) check on the rein when I felt him try to level out.

We walked to the next track I wanted to canter to and the dog-walker was up in front. Quadi was feeling a little fruity so I decided to walk this bit.

And we went around again. This time I walked him at the part we had cantered at 10 minutes before and let him have a good canter up the track we previously walked. I had a little trouble establishing brakes this time but he was fine. Took a little moment to settle but we marched back through the forest on a slightly different route from the one we had ventured out on.

I let him pick his paths and he seemed to pick lots with low, spiky branches! Hence my getting a gob full of nature and twigs, pleh!

I've been having a very crappy couple of days but was much cheerier after riding my pony, he was exactly the horses I needed him to be today. I'm having a day or two away from the yard and life in general in order to sort my head out, and hopefully I can be the trainer he needs me to be again. I'm responsible for my own mood and feelings but sadly they're somewhat out of whack. I was feeling grumpy that I'd have to miss out on a couple of horsey days but then it occured to me that I couldn't guarantee it would be a positive experience for either of us, in my current humour.

He was a doll for me today though :)

Friends again

2010-04-26T21:05:00.003+01:00

Whilst I am still very achey I landed on the idea of lunging instead of hacking or schooling. My moving around on the ground with Quadi was better than being on his back.

He went really nicely, as I suspected he preferred to bend to the outside of the circle rather than work harder to bend in. But I was lunging off the headcollar and he did try whenever I asked. But he slipped back to an outside bend time and again. Maybe some work with the bungee again this week, for a short time?

I have to say though, he knows his job and he stays on a good circle until I move him along the long side with my body, or move the circle to another area of the school. I let him warm up on both reins, left first, and then we had walk, trot and canter on both, and asked for some extension to his trot strides down a long side. We finished with some close-in work at walk, I kept him bent inside and used the handle of the whip on his side where my leg would go when required. I simply kept the whip handle pointed at him until I required it, then I moved it forward and touched him with as little pressure as I could get away with, until I could see him lifting through his loin and bending around it. I guess about 30 seconds of this on each rein. Not a lot.

He was also responding very promptly to my body and voice, and I could see him concentrating hard on me. His back also looked flat and 'up' throughout. Still can't see those abs engaging but he was a lot better than yesterday that's for sure! He didn't look so bloated today, it seems worse when the grass doesn't grow but Kate suggested perhaps any sudden fluctuation could be the cause?

As an additional reward to his after-work sweetie, I let him have a good old roll in the school. It's great to see him well enough to roll right over his back now:

Tomorrow I'll do a bit of schooling and precede that with some in-hand. Unless the notion of a hack takes me of course...

Achey!

2010-04-25T19:19:00.002+01:00

Firstly, yesterday's result! I ran the race in 32 minutes and 36 seconds :) I'm so pleased to have finished in under 35 minutes. I can't find any photos but that's probably no bad thing!

I was half-woman, half-mattress this morning! Pain in my ankle woke me up in the middle of the night. But I wasn't too bad, everything hurt evenly which I was happy about, not too much squintness.

I took Quadi out for a hack today, since we were in the school yesterday. I soaked his front feet in warm water and Hibuscrub too. Well, on the second attempt. He took great offense to the first booting attempt...

As I rode him off the yard, I saw that Coffee and Fin were still around the gate. So Quadi stopped. I got him going again but he repeated this over and over all the way down the drive. Since we were heading out on the same road hack as the last time, I didn't want to start this badly.

At the end of the road there were people in their garden, Quadi took offense to them too.

But we set off, and then he planted because he saw some horses. I got really very cross, ended up giving him a Pony Club boot to snap him out of it and show him I was very serious about the hack, and growled at him. Perhaps not the softest way to deal with him but I know he can hack perfectly well on his own and this was getting boring.

We strode out into a big punchy trot, which was nice and I was pleased he was forward-going. And he continued in the same vein. I don't mind him having a good look at things but dribbling along and then taking offense when I try to control a situation is becoming tiresome. Especially today, I didn't have the physical or mental wherewithall.

I got to the hill and let him have a blast up it, he actually didn't go as fast as I'd thought, so I was pleased to have some brakes. Here is the hill, we started cantering at the white house on the bottom right-hand side:

Since he was not in the most agreeable mood I decided not to go along the 'live' road, and instead double-back and head home the way we came. He was fab and we had another punchy trot home.

I strapped him after work and turned him out rugless.

Still feeling very tired so just jotting everything down before a bath and then bed!

All The Queen's Horses

2010-04-24T20:53:00.004+01:00

I've got my feet up this evening. At lunchtime I participated in a 5k race around Balmoral! Haven't run in two months due to my squiffy ankle, and barely started jogging before that anyway. So my race prep consisted of eating lots of carbs last night and this morning :)

I was running with Kate. We set off together but she peed off really quickly. I tried to keep up but thought better of it, the faster-than-expected start went straight to my legs *lol* As we doubled back along the first straight, there were Highland mares with foals at foot, running their fenceline..."Anything you can do we can do better!" They looked spectacular, and there were more ponies up the hill (which I walked due to a stitch!), again running the fence. They were gorgeous! Puddingy apple bottoms, looking rather well after winter. I must admit I could have stood and gawked, I felt refreshed and pushed on. I walked another couple of times, only for half a minute or so. My finish was 30-something minutes and I recovered reasonably well so quite pleased with myself considering I only decided to run that morning!

Being such a beautiful part of the world, I'd love to have taken photos, even on the drive. The morning started rather grey, brightening up as we left, but I managed a shot of the Queen's summer residence:

After a rest and lunch I went up to ride Quadi. I didn't want to do much but felt we both required a spell in the school. The pony was still turned out in the field the school is set into, so Quadi started off being a bit of a pain in the backside. Nothing drastic, but apparently he couldn't comply whilst someone was grazing nearby.

I worked straight into our circles and halts. I struggled to keep the bend and softness whilst halting and when I made attempts to regain it, he decided to turn on his forehand or walk backwards rather than comply. I was soft as soft could be too :( On the right rein he was hard against me, not even quick gives and retakes of one rein helped. Shallow loops were ok on left bend on each rein.

Just as I was thinking about just getting off and leaving him be, the pony was caught and magically I had a soft horse in halt whose head I could place with the merest of hinting flexions. Strange boy *lol* Perhaps my focus shifted...

From that point, when I asked for right bend I was met with a micro-resistance and then correct bend. And halts were stationary. A little trot on the left rein was nice and it was easy enough to control his pace with my seat, and still maintain his softness to the hand. I gave him a little push along the longside and the second time he offered canter. I just gave him a light seat and let him go half a loop softly before returning to trot, then walk, then halt, all without stargazing :)

On the right rein he was more buzzy so I returned to walk and shoulder in on a circle.

Funny thing I'm finding is whilst on the right rein, he is obviously very stiff but my contact is a lot more pliable and consistent. On the left he is so soft he can duck in behind the bridle but my rein contact is baggy, intermittent and lacking finesse. I daren't take more of a hold than I have to though. He's also responding mostly to my voice aid (a whistle) for halt. I guess I need to use this whilst giving the aids and gradually turn down the volume of the whistle until it's not required?

Rather a clipped post as I'm sleepy, think I'll be in my bed early tonight!

I LOLed!

2010-04-23T19:37:00.004+01:00

Very stupidly, I did not heed Kate's comments 24 hours previously about today's weather. It rained on and off, mostly on, from this morning. I asked her to bring in Quadi to dry off about an hour before I arrived. When I reached the yard I found this mudlark in Quadi's stable:

They're not terribly clear mobile photos, they really don't do justice to how disgusting he looks! I laughed, very loudly! It's a fairly dreich night so I wasn't too fussed at not riding. Quadi clearly felt he needed an extra layer of insulation! And yes, you can see lumps of poop on his backside. I chucked him back out after a feed, it'll get the loose hair out of his coat if nothing else :D

Despite slipping in the shower this morning and having to pull some naked ninja moves in the shower to avoid landing on our sharp-edged taps, my back isn't so bad today.

Back Pain

2010-04-22T21:31:00.002+01:00

Mine that is :(

Quadi hadn't been ridden since the weekend until yesterday. I was in, frankly, a foul mood from physical pain. Abdominal cramps and all of a sudden my pelvis feels as out of whack as it's ever been.

I decided to hack. We went straight off the yard and had a lovely hack. Save getting strong in canter, which was ill-advised as I was not feeling terribly buoyant or coherant in my riding. He stag-leapt the second ditch on the way home, luckily I had to foresight to anchor myself in before he did so!

Tonight Kate rode him for me, it was really useful to see him being piloted by a more consistent rider, and also to admire how much he's improving.

Kate hasn't ridden him since we got the new saddle, but had previously tried him in the same model of saddle last year. She said he felt really fab, especially when he really started working properly. We even got a glimpse of some lengthened strides, really nice rhythm and uphill. A really positive experience for him today :D

I was sore just standing to watch, but hopefully I'll be feeling a little less buckled tomorrow!

No Time

2010-04-19T22:30:00.002+01:00

Despite leaving work early I had no time to do anything, not even soak his feet. Just feed and hay and out again, I'm sure he won't mind.

Day off for me tomorrow so we'll crack on back in the school, weather permitting!

ETA: I almost forgot what I wanted to write about. Quadi's behaviour yesterday and his recent grumpiness (but I wouldn't say bullying) with the baby would suggest there's been a change in the grass. He chases the other two off the hay piles until he has ascertained which is biggest for him, and he's been stuffing himself as soon as he gets in. I suspect there's been a flush in sugar levels without there being any more fibre. More sugar coarsing through him without the satisfaction of any more fibre. I guess it's muzzle time, although the grass isn't very long at all.

I do hate this bit, those pleading guilt-inducing looks from the paddock in his Hannibal-type mask!

Half pass in reverse anyone?

2010-04-18T19:45:00.003+01:00

I don't mean reversing aids, I mean half pass in reverse gear! Much swearing from the pilot on this hack. I shall spare you that much though!

I knew it would perhaps not be the smoothest of runs when he was hat-dancing in his stall. Frantically snatching and hay, jigging, etc. He did settle down eventually.

We set off well too. Right off the yard, down to the end of the road. Quadi had a stop and think at the end of the track. Yes, I did actually want him to head up the closed road, just us two, gave him a squeeze and off we went. He was spooky and looky, blood a little up, but no bother really.

We hit our first bump when he decided that he couldn't possibly ever ever ever cross the threshold of The House With The White-Walled Entrance. He bimbled to a halt. I find that letting him stand and look is less stressful than immediately asking for a reaction. When I feel him less tense I ask him forwards. This has worked so far, but he felt that there were tigers just beyond the driveway and I was wholly unreasonable to ask him to go forwards. He sidestepped sideways. No good on the road. Albeit a closed road on a Sunday with us both head-to-toe in high viz. It's the principle of the thing, he's normally ok on the road and suddenly being on the wrong side is unacceptable to me.

If this had been a used road I'd have gotten off and led him past until I could find somewhere safe and off-road to remount. We were visible in both directions to I stayed mounted.

Having given him the chance to trust that I was not putting him in any danger and walk forwards, where he started zooming backwards, I turned him around and reined him back for a bit, and turned him the right way. Oh dear, we happen to be farther on Quadi. Heavens, how did that happen? Wasn't it hard work going backwards, would you like to try forwards now?

No he would not! He went into "No More Questions! Everything No" mode. So I repeated rein back, this time we zig-zagged from one side of the road to the other, and I asked him to halt. He threw in a couple of two-finger, half-hearted bucks and a declamatory levade for good measure. I just giggle at him, there's no point in getting wound up when he does. I made perfectly reasonable requests on a route we've hacked quite a number of times now.

I swear he forgets why he gets angry, because he walked past as if nothing had happened! He pulled the same routine at the next house, as did I, and we were on our way.

We had another halt and look when a farm dog barked at us, and as we headed up a farm access road, I pushed him up into a bouncy, collected canter. He was fab and light and I would have gone for longer but I spied a pheasant in the field making her way towards us. He'd already shied at some daffodils and I thought it prudent to return to walk before I ended up prone with a face full of game. Of course she didn't make an appearance but had I not slowed I bet she would have ;)

So we walked the rest of the hill. Great for his back end.

We crossed through some woodland and onto another road to head back home. This road is a 'live' road but is long and straight. The first house we came to had one of those mirrors to see oncoming traffic placed opposite their driveway. Quadi took exception to this too and slammed on the anchors in the passing place on our side. Just as a garish turquoise pick-up truck was coming up behind. We were well out of his way and I waved the moody driver on. Doubt he'd even have realised I hadn't meant to stop.

Having had quite e-bloody-nough of his dicking about, I growled at him to get a wriggle on so we could get home. And he did. We located our turning into our home patch of forest. Instead of taking the turning left to go home as I assumed he would, Quadi was most insistent on going straight on into the forest. I figured he'd be too tired but let him lead on. When he started neighing I realised he hadn't gotten his bearings at all *lol* So I led him home. Definitely shan't leave navigation to him in future!

I got off a little way from home to let the blood return to his back and to stretch myself off. He was nicely warmed but not lathered. Barely broke his jacket. More long hacks are required methinks!

Being the Grown-Ups...of sorts!

2010-04-17T19:44:00.003+01:00

Today I had planned to go for a long road hack to increase Quadi's fitness but we had the opportunity to hack with a nervous friend and her greenish horse. I tacked up in the courtyard in the sun which was blissful.

Quadi's great to leave the yard on his own, not so much in equally wibbly company! We had to have a little lead to start with and then once we were side-by-side all was ok. Until one stopped, then both stopped! So initially our hack was a little 'dribbly' but we kept going.

Eventually Quadi and I made it into the lead, one minute he couldn't possibly and the next minute it was no trouble at all. Strange lad! I had to constantly keep his walk slower as he was marching out and away from our company.

We were out for quite a while because we had to double back on our paths in the forest a few times. Greeny Pony didn't want to step over any ditches, so we had to find ditch-free routes which is impossible. This meant we had to dismount once to cross. Greeny Pony is a mare and we thought she'd love to follow a handsome loon like Quadi anywhere but instead she took offense to having to walk with a boy *lol*

We met Introooders in the forest in the form of some kids on bikes, which meant both slammed on the anchors again and we weren't the first to make a move. Never mind, we all set off again. Once we came to the scary water container they both stopped again. When Greeny Pony was asked to walk forwards, she went backwards and into Quadi. Being indignant about having to keep company with a stinky boy and being asked to lead past a horse-eating container was too much and she raised her back end to kick. Luckily she was too close to connect and instead just shoved her arse into Quadi's ribs. We couldn't get out of the way quick enough and Quadi meeped a girly meep when she made contact with his barrel. I'm lucky to have such a chilled out dude, he'll press flesh with any horse. I do love my gelding, he's always on a reasonable plateau!

We were back in the lead and went a little farther before heading back home which was lovely and uneventful. This was our company's first hack in ten months, so whilst we weren't perfect I think we did well considering how unreliable a pairing we can be!

We must've been out a fair while, well over an hour, and Quadi was rather warm but not sweaty when we came home. I think the controlled walk work was good for him. For most of the hack I could feel him lifting his back, it bothered me some because I was convinced he must be ill or away to buckle at the legs. I'm just not used to it!

I bought some very fancy new stirrup leathers, to match the colour of my saddle and they're too short :( Bummer.

Before I forget, here is the new boy. Espresivo RPB, a little PRE out of a Yeguada Militar mare. Photos are taken by Kate's OH, a hobbyist but very talented phototaker (who was also responsible for our clinic photos):

Here he is with Quadi bringing up the rear. He'll be a year old at the beginning of May, so a tall boy already!

Perfect Friday

2010-04-17T10:54:00.002+01:00

Once again I was much too bush-whacked to blog. Terrible!

I didn't want to school again last night owing to a crappy day at work. It was a beautiful 'orangey' evening, perfect was a relaxing walk around the woods.

Thirsty boy had two buckets of water when he came in, am going to clean the water trough this weekend in case it's he's not wanting to drink out of it. I suspect it's more a case of laziness on his part but can't take the chance.

He marched off the yard and only stopped when he saw Introoooders like dog walkers and cyclists. Which I don't mind especially as he was a little on his toes last night. We saw a red squirrel on the way too! Didn't get a chance to take a photo, was concentrating on my horse ;)

When we set off I let him have a long rein, but I wanted to experiment with contact. Working with Perry I realised that a gentle contact is vital for communication, so that's what I worked on. Soft but consistent hands. During the hack I worked on some flexions. Left was ok. Right, not so much but he was very looky and spooky.

Having said that he worked really well off my seat and legs and I could feel him using his back. Lush!

We met the aforementioned dog-walkers, cyclists, cows and kids on motorised toy cars! He was great, we stopped to chat to the kids who thought his name was funny.

Around the loop we had a lovely canter. It started off slow and controlled, as we motorbiked around the corner I realised we were picking up the pace somewhat! Luckily there were people at the end of the track who popped up and made him slow right up, ears pricked *lol*

We even headed home over the ditches, the pilot getting rather left behind jumping the second but he was very pleased with himself. Pleased enough to have another canter up the hill, through some very narrow trees (I have a lovely bruised, scratched knee), erupting onto the track from the forest and only slowing to a trot near home. Shan't be doing that again but I had to giggle!

Hopefully more of the same nice work today.

First schooling post-clinic

2010-04-15T22:27:00.002+01:00

Just quickly because I'm knackered!

I was apprehensive about schooling after the clinic. We did a little in-hand. Shoulder-out on the right rein down towards the end of the school was sticky because he was spooking at Nothing in the bushes there. But I got some nice positive rein-back from him so I moved onto riding.

He was spooky about a lot of things and trot was a little motorbikey so we stuck to walk and in addition to the work Perry gave us on a circle I also did some shoulder in at the spooky places and to finish played with placing his head at halt.

I think we were probably a little scatty to watch at times but I recreated some moments from the weekend which made me so happy.

I wish I wasn't so tired because I'm sure I could write more but I really must go to bed!

Clinic Photos - Finally!

2010-04-15T21:29:00.002+01:00

A little in-hand:

Warming-up and taking up a polite contact:

Asking for softness with a touch of the whip, you can see he comes a little behind the bridle and then levels out:

I like this photo because you can see my leg asking for some bend. Sadly I've tensed up the right ankle:

You can see here I've not been quick enough and he's going hollow:

This is my favourite. Ok, so we're not going anywhere, but a sustained halt is a big step:

Moving into trot. As in a lot of the photos, my inside hand in particular is too low. but he's forwards and not totally upside-down. I'll take that much right now :)

I got my knitting in a knot and he's very pokey-nosed here. But I like the expression on his face and the pairing of his legs:

NB: His feet, just like the rest of him, are a work in progress. Not very pretty at the moment but better than they were!

A Different Horse

2010-04-12T21:49:00.002+01:00

Day 2, and that was one of the first things Perry said..."He's a different horse today". Thrilling to hear!

We went up first, partly to avoid the napping issue and partly so that Kate got a chance to unwind before her session as I had the previous day.

Before I got onboard Perry asked if I ever did any in-hand with him. I did, initially, and we got on quite well with it but it was off of the lunge cavesson and I was keen to learn off the bridle so we set to work. Perry said he usually, if not always, warms up a horse to ride with some in-hand work. So we'll aim for that!

First up was shoulder-out along the long side of the arena, around the first corner and then as we about-face, leg yield as much as we can to the opposite side. We started on the left rein, so shoulder-out to the right. As in ridden work, if asking for flexion and softness from a hand aid was ignored, I backed it up with a touch of the schooling whip, which was along his side. The inside rein was in my left hand which in turn sat where my right leg would be. A lot of co-ordinating! We did this on both reins. The shoulder-out was actually easier than the leg yield, whilst doing the latter I got my knitting in my knot a few times but we got there :)

Next was rein-back. Now, as an evasion this is Quadi's forte! Trying to extract a decent rein-back when asked for is much trickier. We placed him along the school side. I stood to his side, held a rein in each hand under his jaw and used a vibrant rein aid up and back. He really grew roots so I tried tapping his chest with the whip in a slow rhythm (initially I was too fast but was corrected) until he gave me a step. Likewise this was tricky so I tried both reins in one hand and whip on his quarters, and finally whip on chest. The latter combination worked best but this was very hard for me to do so lots of work required here!

I mounted up and gave him a relaxed walk around on a longer contact. Then we set to work. Once again we were on our circle and I went over what we did the previous day. Happily I didn't have to be reminded much, if at all, of any of the corrections made 24 hours earlier. This is where Perry said he was like a different horse! Soft and reacting to the slightest of aids, which were thoughtfully set up by me, much preferred to of the two of us braced against one another and fighting. A highlight of this work was maintaining this softness with bend, and even a little lift in the forehand as we moved off from walk to halt. Not much to most people but hugely rewarding baby steps for us.

We had a discussion about bend and Perry suggested that, since constant changing of bend as well as change of pace will all help supple Quadi, we employ shallow loops. Of course in this case in the school but we can also do them on hacks. But not just a shallow loop along the 40m side, lots and lots of them. Very shallow and constant. We set off on a right rein and immediately it became apparent that left bend was easier than right. I was asked what I could do next, so I changed the rein and worked the same shallow loops on a left rein. Really illuminating and a Very Useful Tool for me to employ.

And onto trot! Much improved on the day before. He tried at every point to motorbike on a 12m circle so it was tricky to keep him upright with my inside leg without tensing or shortening said leg.

Whilst I needed little reminding to retain the changes made the day before, I found some new foibles! Because I lack balance, I was hanging on with the reins which set Quadi against my hand, or vice versa! Two things were suggested. First, if Quadi hangs onto me, give one rein, just for a moment. It doesn't matter which although I should try and assess which would be better. I gave the outside rein for a moment, then re-asked for bend to the inside and his head yielded as I asked. Lovely :) Secondly, I was to really control the tempo with my backside and tummy. Then lots of transitions of trot-walk-trot on Perry's command, without hanging onto the reins. Easier said than done and it really dribbled on for several strides more than it ought to, but I did it off of my seat and inhaling to sit up. I had to work quickly to re-establish bend if I had lost it because in a few strides we were to be off at a trot again.

Quadi did try hard to zoom off with me and I was at the point where my left shoulder was aching. I may have muttered a different F-Word a few times under my breath, just at myself as it was achey and I didn't want to have to stop!

By this point both Quadi and I had peaked and we ended with some gorgeous trot strides in harmony, with my correcting little slip-ups without prompting.

We pulled in and Perry made sure I understood what sort of contact he wanted there to be between my horse and I. To demonstrate, he had us at a halt, my hands on the reins and he used my hands to show how one rein gives and one rein asks for bend. And we placed Quadi's head right, central, left and back to central on the most delicate of rein aids I've ever felt. Perry said any softer and Quadi would want to duck behind the bridle so now I know and have felt what we're aiming for. I feel a little more empowered that I can do this. I have spent the past 24 hours focussing on some negatives but now I feel that for our first ever lessons together, Quadrado and I did rather well indeed :D

I'm sure I've skimmed over a lot but I think by this point in the weekend my brain had reached maximum capacity!

I have some, but not all, of the photos and want make sure I've seen them all before I select my favourites so they'll have to wait another day. Tomorrow I also hope to post photos of The Latest Addition to the herd, due tomorrow teatime!

My horse is my...toothpaste?

2010-04-11T22:05:00.003+01:00

Tonight the boys had a night of grooming and fussing only. Quadi and I did carrot stretches and I took off a lot of his loose coat. Bliss.

Here is Day 1 of our clinic (Saturday):

Quadrado embarrassed me before we even got to the arena, he decided to grow roots as Fin walked past him after his session. We were on our way in, they were on their way out. Quadi decided he could Go No Farther. I changed his mind ;)

I mounted up and rode around to get Quadi moving out and so Perry could see us going.

Perry asked me if I ride with a schooling whip. I said no but I'd brought one down in case he'd like me to use one. Which he did!

With my newly-whipped inside hand, we went onto a 12-ish metre circle ("ride the horse, not the school"; it didn't matter what shape we made at this stage) and worked on inside bend. The idea being that I was to ask with just a squeeze of the inside hand but also a very open rein so that whilst the finger movement was slight, the invitation to move into the space was very clear.

If there was no response to this then I was to very lightly indeed touch with the whip behind the leg, and further from that a gentle tap if a touch went unheeded. It's easy to get lost in semantics to when I say tap I do mean as if to tap a fingernail on a windowpane, probably even more delicate than that. When I obtained a good quality bend the idea, obviously, was to maintain that. Something which is all still very new to me so we lost it a lot but I had to get it back. When it worked I got a cheer from Perry and he'd ask me what I did, so that I was learning what to do and not just taking instruction from the side. Becoming a thinking rider.

We then went on to discuss the importance of transitions for Quadrado. As many as possibly, from pace to pace and within the pace. Perry asked me to work on walk-halt-walk, still on our 12m orbit.

Once I had a soft inside bend I asked for a halt, and in the process tried to maintain softness. At first this wasn't possible but the idea was to regain it as soon as possible, and to keep a good contact regardless. A little ask of the inside rein (I'd say a centimetre or two) and he was back with me. Then move off again. His head would shoot up when I asked him forwards and Perry called me over.

He said the reason his head was up was because I used too much pressure. I am to think of him like a tube of toothpaste. I you grab the middle and really give it a good old squeeze you lose your toothpaste. I only need a pea-sized amount, as all good dentists will tell you. I was already amazed at how little rein I needed and now I was in awe at how little leg I needed. All this time I'd been giving the most ferocious aids. My intention was never fierce, they've never been given out of anger. But it's a bit like the British tradition of talking loudly at someone who is not a native-English speaker. Quadi's not deaf, he just didn't understand. It's amazing what they'll put up with, and even more amazing that they don't just ditch us off their backs!

In order to help Quadi as much as possible I am to remember many things. Firstly the try and reach up and forwards with my ears. It's not necessarily the most helpful analogy but Perry went on to explain he wants me to incline forwards. Not from the waist, but just very upper body. Not all the time, and without looking down or dropping my chin. This will help align my body and also stretch over the vertebrae in my upper back, a source of much tension. It will also help remove the hollow in my lower back. When trotting I am to think of keeping my coccyx under me at all times. It feels very exaggerated to me but I know to look at it means I look more 'normal' up there.

Legs forward. I have to keep my legs very softly on Quadi's side, almost not at all, and the whole leg forwards. Opening my hips is very difficult but will give him room to lift his front end up under me. I also placed the balls of my feet behind the foot of the stirrup as directed by Perry, so as to prevent me anchoring weight down that way and to lengthen my leg without over-stretching my tight hips by simply dropping the stirrup a hole.

Inside bend, which I worked on for the whole session, is also imperative. If the horse's head goes up, no reins clearly aren't the answer. Two reins will only exacerbate the situation so the only answer we have is bend!

We moved up into trot. I wasn't sure I wanted to, I insisted it would be a messy and ugly disaster but was willing to try and wanted as much help as possible. So trot we did and continued the exercise. In trot I was to control the tempo with my seat and my stomach muscles. Very hard work for me. Perry said he likes to work his horses either a little faster or a little slower than they would which I think is a great idea, so we worked on slowing everything down. The slower the horse works the harder the muscles work, which is a good thing. For a while it was just Perry shouting over and over the list of things I had to correct..."Ears! Inside Bend! Legs forward! Bum!" It made us all giggle and laughing actually stopped me getting too tense because I was trying to do a lot at once. But we did it and received much praise. Everything I corrected helped Quadi move softly and slowly in trot.

Before the end, we worked on shoulder-in on a circle. To be honest, we ended up doing almost giravolta work, spiralling on a very small circle in order for my body to get it right. I had to point my hips in on the circle and give the aids for shoulder-in. When I got the leg aid just right it worked and he really gave me some nice, active steps. I couldn't help but beam when I felt his back lift up under me, pretty amazing feeling!

This was a substantial physical and mental workout for both of us so we stopped there. We had more to do the next day.

Perry Wood Clinic - Lecture

2010-04-11T21:35:00.003+01:00

I have been rather remiss at blogging because I've attended a two-day clinic with Perry Wood this weekend. Ideally I ought to have taken more notes and blogged when I got home but circumstances and lack of energy dictated otherwise!

The original plan was to take the boys to the clinic but owing to the threat of strangles in the area we were very lucky and Perry was most gracious to come and teach us at home over the two days.

We still attended the clinic and the lecture, but chose to take the precaution of not touching strange horses and not travelling our own. Not least because in two days we expect the arrival of A Bay Baby...

Onto the lecture:

We sat around and introduced ourselves and what we wanted to get out of the clinic. And to describe in one word how we felt at that moment. I said 'nervous'. Not imaginative but very true! Given that I've been told I don't know what's good for my horse, I don't deserve him, etc, I certainly was apprehensive! It's taken a long time to galvanise my self-esteem to go and do something like this. So it was disappointing not to have left the yard for this clinic!

Next we were asked to do a little meditation/visualisation. I remember when we've felt best on a horse and to recreate everything about that moment/those moments in our mind's eye. A lovely way to settle us all and to open our minds positively to the two days ahead of us.

The first thing Perry asked of us is that we Do Not Judge. As spectators, we were not to judge the horse and rider combination in front of us. And as riders, not to judge the horse we are riding. Not to judge ourselves, or even that moment. We were to observe in order to learn. The theme for the weekend (from my perspective) would be that doing nothing is the hardest thing for our minds, but why shouldn't riding be easy?!

Horses and riders have physical limitations. It was nice to hear that. Not that every horse shouldn't be capable of quite a high level even if their conformation is far from ideal, but injury/stiffness/etc can further prevent this. It's our job to ensure they are as fit and supple as possible to do their job, which is to carry us with ease. Something they're not designed for.

It is the rider's responsibility for how they feel when riding. We cannot make another being feel a certain way, but we can create the best possible environment for our horse to learn and co-operate in. When we focus on negative aspects of a riding session, the focus we give them lends them power and we will be offered more of the same. So we ought to try to focus on the positives, ignore the negatives and only ride moment-to-moment. The horse-rider partnership is a dynamic one and the same pairing change year-to-year, month-to-month, day-to-day, from start-to-end of a session and indeed moment-to-moment. This sound a little hippy out of context but really all that is meant is to drop expectations and ride the horse under you and what's happening now.

Quality of riding is affected by quality of feeling, and we have to take responsibility for our own bodies. Easier said than done!

Leading from our expectations...many of the beliefs we hold are unconscious and we ought to question them. To illustrate this point, Perry started sentences and had us all finish them.

"Horses are..."

"Riding is..."

"Men are..." *lol*

From this I learned to experiment. Just because I believe that doing x and y will produce z, what if I experiment and use less or more of each, or try something else entirely? My prior experiences and teachings may lead me to believe certain things, but why do I believe them and do they even work?

Finally, we talked about contact and had demonstrated using pairs of reins what contact should be and what it ought to feel like. Not every horse is the same of course but we have to start somewhere. The elbow must be under the shoulder and ear because this is where the arm can be passive (in that no tense muscle tone need be engaged) and it can just hang all loose and lovely. Anywhere else will introduce tension, particularly between the shoulder blades of the rider.

I learned a whole bunch from watching everyone ride. The second lecture on the second day was what we learned from our own session on the previous day, what we learned from other peoples' sessions and what we wanted to achieve on this second day.

As far as what I learned from my lesson, that'll come in a further installment ;) But from other people I learned that we need to give ourselves a break. Perry always says remember the F word...FUN! We invest our emotions hugely into what we do and whilst we do need to take responsibility we do need to to chill out and not take everything quite so seriously. And personally! Another thing I learned was that tiny, subtle changes can produce amazing results. These changes are sometimes a physical and mental challenge, but sometimes not. At times I could have slapped myself for little changes which feel easier not having been so obvious to me. But that's why we have lessons :)

The last thing I wrote down was 'Listen to what the horse is telling you'. Enough said!

I will follow this with a post for each day's session, and hopefully tomorrow I will have photos :D

Handbrake on!

2010-04-06T21:11:00.003+01:00

A lovely hack today, after a day off yesterday :)

Once again he was a little stick-in-the-mud about leaving the yard but only for a moment and with a nudge of the leg we were off. When I attempted trot away from the yard it was like having the handbrake on! I think he thinks when I ask him to trot I'm trying to rush him past something spooky, so he slows down. Funny boy.

We had a lovely mooch through the forest, a calm and bouncy canter around the loop and he was totally compliant when we went home a different way. Under the underpass. He forged ahead all by himself, I'm so proud! A huge improvement on last time.

The handbrake-on feeling returned as we rode around the housing estate but he hugged the kerb and didn't shy at the many horse-unfriendly objects on the route. And we waved to people in their houses who came to the window. Despite being in the countryside they obviously don't see many horses *g*

Despite the sluggishness, I was very happy. We were contented upon return :)

Circumstances conspire against me so Quadi has another day off tomorrow.

Warmer, but tired

2010-04-04T21:51:00.002+01:00

Thankfully the snow has melted and we're all starting to thaw out a little. I couldn't, and still can't really, be bothered blogging on account of an ear and throat infection, coupled with an irksome dry cough. Hasn't stopped me riding of course :)

I broke my No Schooling Till Clinic rule and that's what we did yesterday, after a morning feed run. I stopped after about 50 minutes as it wasn't feeling good, despite being told it looked good. Quadi kept trying to nap towards Fin and was reluctant to even try to balance any weight over his back end, choosing instead to run through my hand. So I took him along towards the forest with the intention of having a little blast, and was unable to satisfy this want because the track was busy. I assumed they didn't wish to be mowed down by us pair so we stormed back home in a dreadful huff. Ok, I say 'we', I mean 'me'!

Today we hacked, booted as we were going along the road. We found a way to get from the closed road we hack along to the forest next to the yard in a loop. Which was nice. I was messing around with my seatbone placement and becoming frustrated with my pelvis misalignment. Lack of any sort of core strength! I really ought to chill out about it but I can't at all. We had a mad canter on the way home resulting in near stirrup entanglement and several sliding stops. Once home I discovered Quadi was deficient to the tune of one hoofboot. I trudged back up the track through the mud and found it right where we started cantering.

Not to sound like a complete Moaning Minnie, I am pleased with Quadi's physique at present, and I trimmed his feet which look much better for it.

Am back in the office this week so I expect to be even sleepier by the end of the week. I think I'll have the day off on Friday as we have a clinic to pack for and also, hopefully, A Very Special Delivery ;)

C O L D

2010-04-01T20:43:00.002+01:00

Not being in possession of a personal form of transport, I elected to duck horsey chores whilst the snow hit us. We did get about a foot I think but it was book-ended by 24 hours of torrential wind and rain each side. Because of this, the boys spent the night stabled. They were drookit and miserable and their bodies needed a break. Two thumbs up for them, their stables were a breeze to muck out this morning :)

Owing to Fin's increased protests at being ignored when I work Quadi, I opted to work in the school. Plus no matter how much hacking we do, Quadi always runs out of puff in the school. It's sand and a lovely surface but (good) hard work.

I put out trotting poles down one side and a pole at the extreme ends of the other long side. The idea being that we would work on some lengthening and shortening of canter strides between the two.

Warming up, I could feel that he felt spooky and reluctant to go down the far end of the school. I wasn't going to have any of it and we worked down there until I had flexion and also he wasn't slowing down before the scary bits and scuttling past. I was rewarded with rhythm and softness...eventually!

Apart from a couple of attempts to bound through trotting poles at canter, he tackled them well and lifted his back. He did keep spooking at the jump wings flanking either side of the school, most annoying since they're always there.

I had to work very, very hard for a good contact. His head was up, then he leaned. It required very square and open shoulders from me, not easy with my left-side weakness, good leg aids and to STOP NAGGING with my hands. I did have a moment when I realised that if I stopped asking then he yielded. From that point I could use leg aids to correct any hollowing. Imagine that(!) Once I'd figured out my timing and feel trot work was much easier.

I didn't hang around too long before I started canter work. He was really spooky and lunged left and right going past the jump wings. So we returned to walk to work on some shoulder-in and maintaining some decorum!

I shan't be returning to the school except for in-hand work between now and our Perry Wood clinic. Despite having a good session, for the most part, I returned to the stables and all I could think of was what I did wrong.

Hopefully the weather and light will be kind to us tomorrow night for some hacking. And no more wintery weather please!

Fruiter still ;)

2010-03-29T22:07:00.003+01:00

We were in the school tonight to do something 'constructive'. Ha!

I set up a little grid down one side, and two jumps along the other (at a related distance, boys have gotta work for their keep!) and also some raised polework down the middle for some physio warm-up.

Once again I pulled their rugs whilst I poo-picked which left me with two very muddy-but-happy horses. Luckily the mud isn't too gloopy anymore, it brushed right out.

Warm-up over the middle section was ok, Quadi didn't see how he could possibly step over them, and was doing his wriggly best to avoid attempting them properly.

We had trotting poles down the grid to start, which Quadi went through really well a couple of times and then tried to canter a couple and whilst he didn't get in a pickle it made for some interesting shapes down the lane! Once there was a little crosspole at one end he sat back properly and popped it really nicely. But kept cantering around and not paying any attention to my increasing brake aids! By the time we got to proper jumps there was no petrol in the tank and he kept refusing. He wasn't feeling terribly compliant either, he was ok but wilful. I'm not complaining, he was zoomy and a good giggle, even when I went airborne over one jump and landed in front of the saddle. Thankfully he has quite and 'up and out' neckset and bless him, he kept his head up whilst I clung with arms and legs clasped to his neck. We did half a circuit of the school like this, but only at a walk. And only because I was giggling furiously and wholly without the strength to stay on and wiggle my way back to the saddle seat!

Composure was regained in time to see Kate bail over a crosspole after doing much the same thing. A big jump and awkward landing in the saddle meant she decided Fin was better off without her on board. If you can imagine clanging two metal dustbin lids behind an unsuspecting cat, this is the style in which Kate and Fin parted company, landing on her back going backwards. Laughing and knickers full of sand! I collapsed in tears and fits of laughter, didn't think I'd ever exhale!

Not a terribly constructive approach to jumping. Well, it was to start with but degenerated into capering around. We all enjoyed ourselves, and Quadi and I will return to polework on the ground and improved canter work :s

The forecast for the next couple of days isn't fantastic but I live in hope it will sneak around us...

A Little Bit Fruity

2010-03-28T19:15:00.002+01:00

The boys that is! Windy day + fit ponies who've had a couple of days off = much excitement!

I hacked them both. Fin was full of himself and I almost came a cropper out the front door when he spooked and wheeled around. I was busy footering with my ankle at the time (trying to find a way to put more weight through the stirrup without being sore) and he took offense at something or other nearby. Anyway, composure was regained and we had a nice hack.

Quadi next. I put the seatsaver on the saddle. Didn't like it, it was like a space foam nappy! I think the high pommel and cantle of the saddle didn't lend themselves to needing the seatsaver, in actual fact I find it a lot more comfortable without. All it really did was allow me to sit squint which isn't much help. I will save it for long hacks but it's not required at present. I was very aware of it for the whole hack.

Naughty Quadi didn't want to leave the yard and stopped a couple of times on the way out. I say he was naughty, he stopped, I asked him on, and he went. Much better than he's ever been but still a way to go.

We had nice long trots and a big canter where once again no brakes were present, luckily there is a scary big water container at the end of the track we were on otherwise I think we'd still be doing laps right now! It was lovely though, nice to have my boy feeling so well. Despite the breakdown in communication in stoppping versus going much faster I got a fit of the giggles. I suspect I am leading my impressionable horse astray ;)

Bring and Buy Bargains

2010-03-27T21:19:00.002Z

Today I had a day off, but not from horses entirely. I have been helping out, in my own small way, with a riding club. Classical Riding and Equitation Society Scotland, or CRESS for short. Things are really starting to pick up now and a sort of bring-and-buy sale was arranged so that we could bring horsey items we didn't need to sell on, and perhaps pick up a few second-hand bargains. Which I did. Well, I did the shopping part! I procured a Heather Moffett Seat Saver in Havana, brand new for less than half price. And a pair of brass-coloured Icelandic safety stirrups. Feeling most pleased with my purchases, both were on my list of tack wants!

We were also raising awareness of our RC, so I was tasked with selling raffle tickets which will be drawn in May :)

Back to yesterday, the vet phoned me at the end of the day to say he'd looked at the x-rays. He said the off fore was absolutely clear, no hidden cracks in the hoof so two thumbs up that is gone. He said that in the hinds, he just had a quick look and there is still a negative palmar angle of P3 in one foot and it's bang on level in the other, so we really need both of those to shift a little with some trimming help. I'm a little disappointed that they're still like this, but not totally surprised, and they're better than they were. Will have to come up with a Plan Of Action for these troublesome tootsies!

I'll be getting digital copies of the x-rays so hope to post them when they arrive, hopefully I'll find a way to post them here.

The Best News!

2010-03-26T14:49:00.002Z

Phew! All clear! Well, am still waiting on a phonecall about his x-ray but even if there is more gappy infection up there, which would contradict everything indicated on the exterior of the hoof, I know we can deal with it.

I clipped his pastern in preparation for his scan, and he stood really well for me to do this. It bade well that he was in a compliant mood whilst we waited on the vet.

Despite there being a bin-lorry on the road we did our walk and trot up, the vet was smiling as we came back as he said he looked absolutely fine. He said if anything he was a little more careful on the near fore but totally sound. We trotted up the driveway which had odd little stones all over it, and Quadi's been on soft ground all winter and his sole is not tip-top yet because of that, so for him to run up 100% is terrific :D

We stood out and had a look at his (Quadi's!) feet and had a chat about hoof balance. I have a few things to correct but it was fab to chat with a vet who cared about hooves, he even crouched down to the floor to see them exactly side-on! There was no evidence on any proper separation up the white line, a little bit but not where we had the crack and certainly not to the previous extent.

Next was x-rays. Quadi was being such a good boy we did these without sedation. I also snuck in a couple of hind hoof x-rays so we can see how the pedal bone and other structures are doing. To slightly dull the shine on his halo, Quadi did put a hoof through the foam cover which was part of the case the x-ray machine came in! Oops, but perhaps it shouldn't have been so close to his feetles ;)

Lastly was the ultrasound. The ligament in question (medial collateral) was thicker than the the accompanying one on the other side, don't ask me what that one is called! But we clipped his other pastern and scanned his good leg and it was the same, so because he came up sound we can assume this is normal for him now.

Kisses were then lavished on said pony by me for being so helpful and not jumping on any expensive equipment or breakable vets!

After a feed I decided he could have the day off. I'm sure the x-rays won't show up any nastiness so I'm quietly very excited, although I have just lost my excuse for not competing!

Mizzle

2010-03-25T22:07:00.002Z

Mist and drizzle. Yuck. Instead of lunging I opted for stretches in the stable. I would have been happy to ride had I made the time but lunging and then having to wait on a wet horse drying didn't appeal. Carrot stretches certainly appealed to Quadi anyway, nipped my fingers for more as I did a foreleg stretch with him, monkey!

Tomorrow the vet's coming. Am nervous, should I be?

Itty bitty jumps

2010-03-24T17:28:00.003Z

I just got it into my head I should do some jumping, and with my new-found enthusiasm for riding I couldn't see a reason not to. Ok, I could think of a few but I breezed ahead anyway!

Before catching the boys I set up the jumps. Two crosspoles, one at B and one at E, and two little uprights across some diagonals. They sort of surrounded one wing of the crosspole set-ups, handy to stop him running out to the side ;) They were very dinky indeed, only about 80cm in height, real nursery stuff!

Quadi was most amenable in the stable too, so nothing to put us off doing something new. As I took him in the school his face lit up, his ears pricked as soon as he clocked the jumps.

Warm-up was fine, little more tricky than usual, he was looky at the wings and took me a while to achieve any yield on the left rein but we got some. Trot was fine too, he didn't try to tram ahead, and I checked we had our Sensible Canter hat on. We did :)

Can't say it was a spectacular, glittering session in that I was lobbed almost as many refusals and run-outs as I was rewarded with jumps. But it was something to do with the right rein. On the left I could barely get him to stop. He wasn't being dangerous and taking off, he just kept cantering a loop and jumping whatever was in his way! On the right he wasn't very keen even from trot. But when I bolstered my confidence and really put my leg on and kept up with him he jumped with such gusto! Much bigger than was appropriate for the height of the poles!

As I cooled him down to a walk on a long rein he picked up canter from walk and took us back over another jump, I managed to gather my reins in time but it was unexpected *lol*

So I can't surmise he was in any huge pain because he went over ok from the left. Perhaps the dodgy right fore? It will be thoroughly x-rayed and checked on Friday, and our physio is coming for a hack on Sunday, I can have his back checked over then too.

He did pick up canter on both reins but it wasn't easy on the right. One thing I did notice was that he was a lot more off my leg and I was a lot more relaxed about the transitions, perhaps we should school around jumps more often!

I should say I was using my dressage saddle today, I was happy to end our session with me still in the saddle and both of us feeling more confident. If I didn't give it a go I wouldn't know what we need to work on now.

Tomorrow is just a lunge day, good for me to check him over before the vet on Friday :s

Spring has sprung

2010-03-23T21:01:00.002Z

Day off the horses for me today. I thought that instead I'd have a run. I started getting stuck into spring cleaning and ran out of time to do anything else! Never mind, another day's rest for my ankle is no bad thing.

I did have a horsey playdate with a friend and her mare but that's postponed so tomorrow I think Quadi and I will do some work in the school. If I'm feeling bold I may assemble a few jumps...

Claire asked me a few days ago whether Quadi has LGL. When he came up last year and was still shod we were seeing evidence of laminitic episodes when he had his shoes off to have his feet trimmed. He wasn't ever lame because of it on account of being shod (I guess!). To be honest, I can't decide whether he is suffering a bit of LGL or alfalfa sensitivity. His new hoof growth is still tight as a drum at the top, perhaps it is the alfalfa, which is his sole feed. He literally gets a handful to provide some protein without excess energy, and also to carry all the powders he gets.

He is lacking puff on hacks so I'm wondering about feed and whether it's providing what he needs.

The feet thing could also be weakness after a long winter of very soft going.

Always something to think about isn't there!

Weekend catch-up

2010-03-22T16:57:00.002Z

Whoops, naughty of me not to keep up. There have been a couple of opportunities to sit down and blog but being honest I just wasn't in the mood. I'm feeling much perkier now :)

Friday we went for a teatime hack, just round the woods with Kate and Fin. Lovely night and Quadi was a Very Good Pony :) I started on the poo-picking (it'll take several long days to clear the field) whilst the boys hooned around naked, rolling and playing.

Saturday we trailered both the boys to a local forest. Much bigger and more open trails than what we have next to us, so great for hooning around for a few hours. Rather pleasingly, Quadi loaded without much fuss at all. We gave him a good chance to load for sweeties, he advanced and retreated a few times and although he went in further each time he wasn't quite up for walking right in. So we put the lunge line around his backside and he walked right in with it loose, just touching him. He hat-danced some whilst we took a little longer with Fin, but for a horse who has in the past taken two hours to load I was left amazed!

The forest was wonderful. The boys were a little jiggy when we tacked up but we set off, Quadi booted as we do for longer hacks, and they were just lovely to be with. The forest track was a windy hill so poor Q was blowing a little at the top, but we had a canter (downhill!) and then on the road back we had another couple of brill canters with us in front. He took a hold when behind but I had to keep my leg on in front. Funny boy! On the homeward route I hopped off after about 2/3 of the way as he was sweating like a woolly old bear along his neck and belly. Poor chap was dragging his toes by the end, it was good for us to stretch out legs on the downward home straight.

Again Quadi loaded up really easily to go home and didn't jig too much whilst we worked to get Fin on board. Our first 'family' outing where they didn't move house, I think they enjoyed themselves!

Yesterday was a day off for us all. I was hungover! I fed the boys in the field and did some leg stretches with Quadi whilst Fin ate his food.

Today I hacked again. I'm not going to do too much schooling yet, I am losing my way with it a little so I'm going to back off until our Perry Wood clinic. The aim of the game is fun after all!

Quadi tried to stop on the way out of the yard, I asked him to keep going and he did. I set off a little way from the yard at a trot and he did bobble to a halt but moved off again. There was a time he wouldn't leave yards without walking around on his back legs! We did a lot of trot and canter today, wherever there was a safe stretch. He was also bending nicely around my legs as we weaved through the trees, and we walked over as many obstacles as possible. I rode him around the loop twice, and really gave it the beans at one part. He goes very long and flat and takes the rein, it felt fantastic to trust him to go flat out. He did stop as we headed around the loop a second time, had a little objection but did as asked. I don't mind him having an opinion but he must always do as I ask. The second time he tried to go fast and snatch the rein, so I held him in a really collected bouncy canter :D He got the message!

A little sweaty once we got home, but happy to have been out and I'm chuffed to bits that my little horse is so easy to be around now!

I LUFF my new saddle, I feel much straighter and far more secure in it than the Fhoenix. It seems to suit us both :D

A day off tomorrow but on Wednesday I am using Quadi to show a friend some lunging techniques. I am also planning some jumping and roadwork trotting too, and on Friday he has his long-awaited lameness check-up!

Saddle success

2010-03-18T16:22:00.002Z

Finally I made it up to the yard WITH my new saddle :D It's got a few of the expected scrapes and scratches but I'm confident they'll look better once I polish it. But the leather's in fine condition and more importantly the tree and panels look straight. It has an interesting girthing arrangement. Firstly it's got short straps, odd for a dressage saddle but it actually works out better for Quadi as he has a very forward girth groove and he is very close behind his elbows, so the buckles are better up out of the way.

Once again he looked sluggish coming in and I was wondering about LGL? The grass is barely coming through though.

Whilst I'm not a saddler I trust myself to fit a saddle to my horse and try it out on the basis that I'll have a saddler out soon to check and reflock. There is great wither and spine clearance, no bridging and light even contact all through the shoulder. I put a sheepskin pad and saddlecloth underneath and took the boy for a whirl.

On the way to the school he was very odd about walking through the mud. Doubly paranoid by this point about his feet!

He felt great as he moved off, I didn't feel split in two over his back and oddly I could feel his movement MORE through the tree. Great swinging strides too, I was happy. I could only have worked him 20 minutes at the most, didn't want to do too much without having saddle fit checked. Because there was a pony in the turnout next to the school he was a little inattentive to start and apparently the poles down the sides of the school were terrifying(!) But it wasn't long till I got some sense out of him. We did a good stint of trot work and finally he's starting to understand that snatching the contact and ploughing forward and down at speed doesn't help. I used serpentines to really bring down the tempo whilst not losing energy. Unfortunately I found it troublesome to maintain correct rises in trot, had to resort to posting up and down rather than up and forward, but we can work on me once we're settled with the new saddle arrangement. Can't say he was 100% co-operative on the left rein, I had to work very hard for achieve any sponginess down that rein. As soon he gave me that and stayed reasonable soft from trot to walk I called it a day.

What made me happiest was that he didn't bite at his sides when I untacked, so here's hoping the longer girth arrangement suits him better :) And no headshaking! Not a groundbreaking day but positive nonetheless!

Then I hacked Fin. Boing! Fun from start to finish, we even popped jumps and had a cheeky canter :D

Quadi is currently out naked. He's not bloated or padded with fat (the crest on his neck is at least soft just now) but if I muzzle him I worry he won't get enough fibre over a 24 hour period and he'll get an acidic tummy. Which will leave me with a poorly and grumpy horse. The grass is a little short and sparse for that yet. It's going to be mild over the next few days so even if it rains he won't catch a chill, his coat has been flattened with a winter of rug-wearing but I never groom the grease out of his hair.

Of course, if he has LGL putting him out without a muzzle on might be a very stupid idea on my part. Just never sure what to do for the best!

A Most Frustrating Horse

2010-03-16T19:08:00.003Z

Let's just say I wasn't hopeful for today when the b*ggers wouldn't even catch!

Quadi intimated that he would rather roll before he came in. Stupid Me took his rug off to let him do so, which left me with a damp skewbald. Damn. Caught them in the end by fooling Quadi into believing there might be an edible treat in the offing.

He was sluggish again. I took up warm water in a hot water bottle but forgot to soak his feet, so I had to endure a hot back through my rucksack for no reason!

Because he was rather backward yesterday my game plan was to lunge with Pessoa, but it was such a clear day I fancied a hack on the road. So we were done up in our finest high-viz and headed out via the forest.

Sticky to get off the yard because there were people around and he tried to plead with them that I was about to take him out and feed him to a tiger and really Quadi shouldn't be expected to work as hard as he does so could he please stay home?!

Once out we saw the people with their ponies again, moving field. So we had a repeat performance of yesterday where we stopped and started and stopped and started and stopped and started...

I did push him up into trot and we had a few sudden halts and plants. Once into the forest he was ok, but most insistent on going home. I had planned a little canter but he spooked at the start of the track I was about to use so I thought it safest to regain composure and not bother!

Heading to the underpass which leads to the housing estate we ride through, we stopped on the approach and gazed around. The worst was at the underpass where he refused to go in and I had to back him up, I was losing patience. On reflection, I should have sat it out and gone in forwards but once in there he realised it wasn't the belly of a dragon and we headed on.

I have to say he redeemed himself fully on the roads. It wasn't busy and every driver was so polite and considerate (I made sure I thanked every one!), but there were ample 'opportunities' for silliness and pseudo-spooks which never occured to him. I think he was so far out of his comfort zone he did exactly as asked, and I managed to leg-yield him back and forth to check my controls. As we trotted up a hill he received compliments from pedestrians on how pretty he was, he does cut a fine dash even when he's in giraffe mode.

He was very sluggish though, and only picked up once he realised we were heading for home. I couldn't relax my seat and felt like I had to shovel him on. Absolutely the wrong thing to do. I dunno if I was making him tense and switch off or if his mood was causing me to feel like I had to over-ride him. Either way, it didn't feel too good :(

Oh, and he started headshaking today :( Nosenet from now on and if there's no improvement there will probably have to be another powder or potion in his meager ration. Poor love gets more powder than chaff.

On a positive note, I've lost half a stone. Hope I can keep it off.

I took some shots today, I think he looks worse than he has. Although his stance on all four legs has improved dramatically, despite my not being happy with his feet at the moment. I don't like the way his hind toes point out, he always looks like a ballerina in first and third position. His tummy doesn't look so dropped, but look at the lack of muscle :(

This one is just because he was being a sweetie whilst I inspected his all-over muddiness:

Cheers Ears!

2010-03-15T20:04:00.004Z

What a mad hack!

Can't say I was too confident for this afternoon as Quadi was less than amenable once his tack was on. Perfect to tack and seemed happy about the whole process, but sluggier than a slug to come out of the stable, stand by the mounting block, etc. Never mind, I mounted up and he walked off the yard without any encouragement from me.

It became apparent almost immediately that I am squinter than when I left :( I couldn't get comfy at all. I'm not too worried, I will do my pilates ever day, I just couldn't find where I wanted to sit. The Fhoenix isn't helping of course. The saddle didn't arrive today so hopefully I can at least get to fit it tomorrow.

We rounded the first bend to find two neighbours shifting their ponies to another field. Quadi stopped. I relaxed my contact to the buckle (he rarely whips round these days so we can hack low and slow) and asked him on. Quadi took two steps, and stop. Repeat this, oh, about seven times. I started to feel irk rise in me but by the end was giggling hysterically at him. There was also a car up ahead and he just stood like a sentinel trying to ascertain whether all was safe. I knew he was going to be sticky somehow today. I hate to say it but some forecful leg aids and seat shovelling happened. Not exactly what I wanted to do but feeling so out of sorts in the saddle just wasn't helping. Anyway, we continued.

And trotted all along the track :) He was very 'looky' today and teleported sideways whilst giving several object the eye. But I don't mind this, he didn't lose forward momentum and I'll take that any day!

Actually, he was rather gung-ho from this point. Where I wanted to trot out of the forest, he spooked and slowed. Then he tried to trot all down the next path. I was naughty and gave in and let him out into a huge round trot, me giggling like a loon the whole time.

The next section of our hack was spent convincing Quadi that he needn't jog with his head in the air and soon we were back to the buckle and swinging out nicely. As we completed our loop we came across some kids playing on swings in their garden. Quadi and I stopped to wave whilst they strained through their fence to see The Pony! I was proud of him for not spooking at the kids on the swing, all you could see was a kids popping up in random time over the fence, like little meerkats!

A little further on we had another long trot and I got much more sense out of him, he relaxed into my hand. He had a little nap to go back into the forest but just as he took a step back and I thought I would have to whip him around and reverse a bit, he marched forwards. High praise for him!

He also jumped the first ditch after a quick little sniff to make sure it wasn't a chasm to the centre of the earth. The second one was trickier because the route which was narrower and more inviting had muddier footing, but the other side was much wider and too big a question for him. We settled on the muddy side and after 5 minutes he went over. Rather awkwardly I'm sorry to report, but we did it and he got a sweetie and was allowed to trot all the way up this much more open section of the forest. He blew very briefly once we reached the top but not very long after so I can only surmise that was just enough work for today. Not the most disciplined hack but lots of fun!

I hopped off a little before home to stretch my legs and let him walk out and warm down.

Here are a couple of cameraphone shots I took:

Something to the right of us?

My favourite view, he was very happy to be out!

First day back

2010-03-14T18:09:00.002Z

Boy it was good to be out! So pleased to be home and out in the fresh air. Anna and Kate already had a hack arranged for today and since I am still travel-sore I was happy to play groom and ground staff :)

Quadi seemed a little grumpy coming in, he pulled a face across the field and the yard and seemed a little shy of striding out properly. I checked over his legs and feet in the stable and nothing seemed hot or sore, no swellings. I figured if he was sore we'd spot it on the hack so didn't worry and tacked him up. It was joyful just to groom him and fuss him, even if he didn't quite reciprocate *lol*

Once out of the stable and moving around the yard he seemed fine. A little sticky to go off the yard, he couldn't possibly lead and to ask was an outrage! I walked ahead with the dog and he was fine, he seemed confident with this arrangement. He'd been playing up last weekend so not sure if it's just spring fever? He went into the lead through the forest, he soon forgets what he was arguing about!

Because I was on foot we thought it would be fun to go over the two ditches/burns. Quadi almost, almost followed me straight across but hesitated. I stood across and waited to see if either horse could summon up the courage to ford this massive obstacle ;) Both were being pickles and standing watching me across the way, so I gently took hold of Quadi's rein and asked him across. We jumped together, me taking care to be very clear of his legs and let go of his rein as soon as his momentum could only go forwards! Fin followed suit. First one down.

On the second ditch Meg and I crossed first and we barely got time to stand clear before we heard rumbling feet behind us! Both boys were massively praised and got a sweetie for jumping the ditch so enthusiastically :) Hopefully they'll be as good without a foot helper soon.

Quadi had another sticky moment just before they headed off for a trot, but he overall he was very happy to be out. Cheerful even, popping a couple of fallen trees across our path home without fuss. I had planned to take some photos but I got a little too warm and had to work hard to keep up! Anna our physio agreed that our forest paths were great work for Quadi and they were pretty good to test out my ankle on too! I might do some in-hand hacking this week because I need to build up strength too :)

On return I had one very chipper-looking horse afterwards, keen for his lunch. He is on more powder than chaff at the moment but he eats it all up :)

The grass is still a bit yellow and sickly in the field but the mud is firm. His tummy is still big but not distended or turgid so hopefully we can manage from here on in. He looks better than when I left him!

Saddle should arrive tomorrow, can't wait till then!

Home time!

2010-03-12T12:25:00.002Z

Have packed my bag in the hope that no-one changes their mind again, all very last-minute this.

Despite leaving tonight I won't arrive on home soil until teatime Saturday. Trouble in securing flights means I have a 10 hour wait in CDG, Paris. Pretty much the worst European airport to be stuck in. I may just venture into Paris for a nosey...

Never mind, it's homeward progress nonetheless. Very much looking forward to seeing My Boy on Sunday morning :)

A significant purchase

2010-03-11T16:18:00.002Z

Still offshore. My tummy burns after every meal, am thinking ulcer or some sort of gastric issue, so not much in the way of pilates has been done. Shame on me.

My pony, however, is a lucky boy because I've finally managed to find the saddle he needs. Trying to find an Ideal Jessica in a wide fit with a 17.5in seat which isn't a stupid price was challenge enough, but I've managed to find one in beautiful condition in havana :) I hope it will be delivered sometime next week. Fingers crossed! We'll see how it looks in the short-term and I'll arrange to have a saddler check the fit and the flocking.

Kate also informs he he was a Very Good Boy for schooling last night. He is much more bendy than last time she schooled him, which was a while ago, so that's very pleasing. They even ahd a little canter on both reins. Right rein was tricky and he had a buck to start but his head was in the right place. He is checked over every month by one veterinary professional or another so I'm pretty sure the bucking is to register his dislike of having to work so hard.

We might return to a little lunge and long rein work to establish the canter without a rider. I also though to check which leg he favours when cantering on a hack. If we can ever get more than one sensible stride out of him, cantering on a hack is still rather exciting!

I realised that both Quadi and I have soft tissue damage in our right 'ankles' and now it seems we both have gastric impairment of some sort. Whatever next?!