I'm...melting!

I'm struggling in this heat!

I was a little tardy in getting up today so didn't head out as early as I'd liked, but it was still cool enough to cycle. I walked a little more than usual, but I had to make sure I had the energy to work a horse and get home too!

I hauled Quadi off the grass when I arrived before I went to poo-pick, the longer he is off the grazing the better. His muzzle should arrive shortly but we may have to go as far as 6-8 hours in with soaked hay. We'll see how the muzzle fares!

I'm so pleased he seems so happy to work, he's always keen to take the bit and be tacked.

Lunging was hard work today. It was nearly midday by the time we got into the school. But hey, he's a Luso, and he's usually more sensible in the summer. Today he was like a little boy going round the supermarket with mum, being dragged along by the arm! He was just trying to find ways to make life easier. When warming up he was falling in through his inside shoulder, bending to the outside, running flat, etc. In the Pessoa he was curling back and shaking his head, so I sent him forwards. Normally I can see bits and pieces of good work not using the Pessoa, very much because we use it, but today...not so much. His trot was great when I used it, but both in the warm up and afterwards, his head was up up up!

The polework was an effort and he kept trying to dodge them. I didn't have my game face on because it was so hot; I struggled to concentrate but I tried my best. I got a couple of nice runs on each rein. But even then, as soon as he was over the poles his head was up, back hollow, hind legs in the next postcode. And yet, he was bang on with transitions, every time.

But I wasn't finished there. I donned high-viz and took him for a walk down The Scary Road. In-hand, exercise for both of us :) He was a little 'lookey'. There was a old garage door lying in a driveway, he baulked at it, so I asked him to come and touch it. I put a treat on it, it was much less scary when food was involved ;) I had to work hard to keep him next to me, so that I was level with his shoulder. I don't like to let him pootle behind when we are working, because if he leaps in any direction I'll likely get broken ankles! He was very good though, very up but taking everything in. We stopped a little further down the hill than yesterday and went home. He was a little naughty and kept trying to snatch a bite to eat, I don't like that on any sort of hack. He really is obsessed by food.

Anyway, he was great on the way home too. I left him in the school to have a good old roll whilst I put away his poles. A happy looking horse :) His back didn't look better for having worked but he seemed content.

I found the ride home both excruciating and infuriating. My legs wouldn't work hard and the wind was fierce enough to slow me down as I freewheeled down steep hills. Grumble! And some ponce in a jumped-up hatch thought he'd try and turn right as I was crossing his path over a busy road. I had right of way of course, he didn't even look.

I'd like a car now please!

Quarrels

Mixed up day today.

Since he went so well on Thursday I decided to have a little sit on...against my better judgement it seems. I was wondering if I ought to because of my back and seat being so tight. But I'm also sick of worrying about the what ifs.

Lunging was fine. By the time I had set up his poles and come back out there was someone else wanting to ride. They didn't mind sharing and neither did I, although it meant we have to have our own halves of the outdoor school. It meant I couldn't use the full school to make lunging interesting, and also I had something else to concentrate on, but it was fine.

He warmed up really well. I got a driving whip to lunge with and this seems to have helped a lot, although he lacked respect for it (I couldn't point it at his side to bend him around it so easily!). I do find it easier to move him in and out, and up and down in tempo with the lunge whip.

Pessoa went well again, although he got a little arsey with me on the right rein as I asked him for a bigger stride in trot. The bottom swung at me a little but he goes through several stages of 'warnings', he's not explosive that way! I backed off, I'm not sure if my body language was too shoutey or whether he found it too hard, or whether he was just expressing an opinion at having to work at all!

The Pessoa was removed and we did a bit more pole work. He's getting good at looking properly and lining up for the trot over, he clunks them less in trot. Walk wasn't so good but he did improve each try. Throughout the session he was harder to bend in on the right rein. There's always a bloody tractor doing something on the farm, it's really distracting so he was good to ignore it with the groundwork.

I lacked focus today because, if I'm honest, I was looking forward to sitting on again. He was great to tack up and mount but immediately went on the defensive. I don't mean with his back, but just refusing to leave the yard. He walked off the other day no bother??? Two fellow liveries were returning from a hack as we were trying to leave. He got his knickers in suck a twist that wretched NS bit came through his mouth. I still use open baby reins to guide him so I hope this wasn't me, I don't usually need much hand with him.

I got off and fixed that, not sure what the two liveries must have thought at the sight of us. I led him further down the yard and remounted. Same song and dance. I can't, I shan't. I think it was a perfectly reasonable request to leave the yard!

After a small exchange we got onto the road and he stopped. Just stopped. I just sat with him. When he tried to move off I stopped him. I asked him to soften his jaw and return is head to a more fitting position, which I gained with so little of an aid (I'm delighted with that!). So eventually he seemed happy to walk on. I should mention the road is dead quiet and you can hear cars coming so I didn't mind too much, plus we were on a straight so could be seen playing statues from afar :)

We drib-drabbed further along the road where Quadi drew an imaginary line in the road and just couldn't possible go further. Spun on his quarters (I'm sure it would have been even more beautiful if it was intentional) and tried to whisk me home. I stopped him. Cue one temper tantrum. Hand on heart, I was completely passive. I was giving him a verbal command to halt, my seat was as passive as it ever is with me. I tend to tense up more thinking about schooling than naughtiness! My legs were quiet by his sides and my fingers were with his mouth. Eventually we were stationary and pointing the right way. He tried to move. I said no thank you, let's stand. Again this worked and we moved on. What a good boy, lots of encouragement from me.

Just when I dared to think "Oh good, we're on our way now", he whipped again. This time, when I requested a ceasefire and a peaceful sit-down he retorted with piaffe and fire-breathing and a couple of fairly spectacular-yet-balanced rears. My requests were friendly, passive and suggestive. He didn't seem scared because he kept snatching at available food, mid-tantrum...

Since he seemed more determined than I to stand in the middle of the road, I dismounted and we walked for a bit. I showed him there were no monsters and that I can be trusted to look after him. I remounted at a suitable spot further along the road. All seemed well. A little onward bound in his walk, like the last time, but I'm willing to take any forward motion at this point. I walked him further than the last time, and asked him to turn around calmly. I got that, two thumbs up. When he shied at various detritus along the way he moved off my leg into the side of the road so easily. I managed a bit more softness up front too. It was sporadic but this is normal at the moment. I was happy.

A little more tense and onward bound on the way home. I tried to give him his back by inclining forwards ever so slightly. I tried to ask for less of a giraffe impression and more of a horse-shaped head and neck please. I struggled with that. He seemed to think lighter seat meant blast up the road.

Then, a car! It was the livery who was schooling earlier. I asked him to step up into a trot, she had very kindly pulled into a passing place but I didn't want to keep her all day. He tried to canter, but was happy to come back down to trot. I stopped by the livery to thank her for pulling in, and she said he looked very fancy coming up the hill. As I moved him off he threw up his front end and then levelled out a buck, and then tried to storm home. I can only imagine what we must have looked like in her mirrors! He came back to walk at my behest, but was just so intent on getting back to the yard, he'd have trotted into his stable if I'd let him.

I think I went too far. I shouldn't have ridden. What should have been a ten-minute pootle ended up being a sizable foot-stomping tanty! Maybe I ought to have arranged company? He was fine the other day, I thought it was reasonable to expect him to be fine today? Especially with the lunging going as well as ever. It's not so much that he had a nap, it was that he didn't listen to me.

I didn't lose the rag with him, I just sat there. I despaired more than anything. I can actually deal with these issues better than the schooling ones but it's been a while since he's been like this.

I think I'll stop riding. He can just be an in-hand professor. His back looked dippy when we came home. Usually his posture improves with work.

Oh, I did give him a little bath. He still has muddy patches, but mane and tail are silky and he smells divine. I caught him rolling as soon as he went out but they all do that :) I also took piccies of his neck, tummy and quarters to see if I can condition score them. Muzzle was ordered last night, I'm sure he'll be thrilled(!)

I'm off to sit in a corner and obsess about all the things I ought to have done differently...

Hot hot heat

No pony news today.

I am getting a lift tomorrow because I think I'll melt if I try to cycle. It was about 24C today, my heart rate sky-rocketed for some reason. Not enough water probably, and maybe a little bit of stress. I meant to go to the running shop today to ask about electrolytes, I think I need more than Powerade. My legs were a dead weight just walking around town!

I've ordered Himself a grazing muzzle, the Shires one. I'm actually worried that the short-cropped grass might be causing the biggest problem. The field they are due to move into has longer grass, and sadly it is a dairy farm, but shorter grass is more rich in sugar and subject to greater fluctuations, I'm led to believe.

Will have a chat to YM and see what we can do with him.

Tonight my mission is to research feeds. I think he needs to be on a balancer and joint supplement soonest. I'm a bit leery of Top-Spec because of the anecdotal evidence that it causes footiness in some. But it does contain Yea-sacc I think, and does have the best vitamin and mineral balance. I don't know what the soil nutrition is like on the farm's fields though. Norvite do good supps which are NE-specific, that's another option.

As for joint supps...where do I start?!?!

I think by this time next week I'll be offshore. Will miss my pony :(

Top of the class

What a lovely day :)

The trek out was marvellous, because it was cloudy so not too hot for me. I think the sun knackered me on Tuesday!

The boys had additional turnout into the jumping paddock to help trim it down. Sadly for Quadi I removed him for a couple of hours today. I can't feel his ribs. His backside and his neck look fine, but his tummy is almost distended. Probably more to do with his lack of abdominal tone. But I'm now trying to decide between muzzling and bringing him in for a few hours each day...he did look ten times better after having worked.

Once he'd been in a wee while we had a nice groom. Needless to say he is still shuddering his shoulders. He will spend the next few days at least without a rug so maybe not having the neck opening pressing on it will make a positive difference?

He seemed very happy to be tacked up and happy to be with me. I set up his poles on the corner. Four in total, the two middle poles having the inside raised.

We started off without the Pessoa as ever. He warmed up well, transitions were really very good. I had to work hard to capture his attention. He does tend to bend to the outside and lean in over the inside shoulder, which means that inside leg never articulates properly. I took inspiration from PK and made sure I did straight lines and moved around the school with him. Moving the circle around the school meant I kept his attention.

Once we had inside bend and back legs coming underneath, I hooked him into the Horse Torture Pulley ;) He curled back as ever but I didn't panic. I pushed him up into trot and he looked fan-bliddy-tastic! Joints all working hard, the Pessoa was doing it's job and getting him reaching under. His head carriage has improved so much, he is still fiddling but I think I need to get him a fixed cheek bit, maybe with a straight mouthpiece. Once again I moved him around the school, and kept changing the tempo of the work.

He was brilliant on both reins. Off came the Pessoa and I worked him 'naked' over the poles. He cheats, he drifts in and out over them. To start with, he was clunking them with his feet but he soon got better. I also have to bear in mind that he doesn't have the correct shape of foot yet. He was much better in trot, and he really powered his hind legs through them. I didn't even have to remind him too much to bend to the inside like we did with the physio.

Due to handler exhaustion we stopped there, but we worked hard and for quite a while.

I stayed longer than expected so the cycle home was hard work with more traffic. But all in all a great day. I will have to get a video of him working this weekend, I find it hard to look at how he's going and concentrate on my knitting ;)

Sound horse, lame rider

A day late but here's yesterday's installment:

For some reason the cycle out was killer, I had to stop a lot. It was rather sunny and hellish windy, so hard work all round! I didn't actually take much longer, but I walked all the way up the hill to the yard. I had a palpitation earlier in the morning, which makes all my limbs heavy and sore anyway, so I can only imagine it must have been that causing me to feel so tired. I was very lucky in that my support crew (my Dad!) came to pick me up because I finished so late :) Hopefully next run out will be less of a struggle.

I started off by riding, because the physio wasn't coming till later. Fin was great. Me...not so much! As soon as I got on he did the same as another friend's very well schooled horse...half pass left. I think my left seatbone is locked in, it would make sense as both horses are trying to move under the side I am weighting. I also found anything on the left rein hard work, my left arm is pretty useless and uncoordinated, so asking for inside bend is crude and muddled. Same goes for my left leg really. In fact, my left side has no business being on a horse. The right side is ok, but sadly I can't split the two so the left side has to tag along as well. He was lovely and patient with me, although not without tension. Tension caused by my shouting seat!

I despaired of myself a little more post-ride. I need to get out and walking in straight lines and thinking about the swing in my back and also trying to find a little more freedom in my hips. I don't allow any movement from the horse, I brace against it. Of course, I'd rather not ride at all, I don't like subjecting horses to my riding!

And so to Twitchy. Still twitching. Still stamping and swishing. To pass the time before the physio, I jabbed him with his second-last dose of Cartrophen. I enlisted the help of another livery as Chief Horse Holder and Feeder Of Treats. And she's a nurse so helped me with the scary bit, the needle and the jabbing! After several false-starts I managed. One grumpy but patient horse! HIs skin was little bumps where I'd attempted to slide the needle through his skin and failed. No matter, I did it and he's still speaking to me. And only one more dose to go!

The physio arrived and saw him walk and trot up. This was a little to my disgust, as I almost passed out on the second run. Not as fit as I'd like to be! I didn't trot so much as gallumph!

He was straight and sound, which is great news. We headed back to his stable for some more poking and prodding. He has great range of movement through his forelegs, neck and poll. And she said his back is looking better, even from the last time she saw him. Still a bit of stiffness through his back, on the left right next to the spine, but reduced from last time.

Sadly this doesn't shed any light on this twitch. I've spoken to the vet and he said if he's still doing it next week he'll come out. He said it won't be a trapped nerve, those are painful and he'd let us know about it. The only thing that it might be is a psychosomatic reaction to the injections. The area that is twitching is the area the nurses down south were injecting into. I am injecting further up the neck but perhaps my lack of skill as a horsey nurse is making him twitch! Watch this space I guess.

We went on to pole work. Working on a fan of poles on the lunge. I have never been so rubbish at lunging, I even got the line under his legs at one point! Coordination and forward planning are two of many aspects I have to work on!

When Quadi goes over the poles, I have to activate his side with the end of the whip. Actually, the handle end, he's not especially switched on at the moment! And raise the inside of the middle two poles to really bring under his hind led. All of this should engage his abdominal muscles.

He was rather lazy, and in my enthusiastic endeavours to ask for more forwards, I have been pushing him flat and with his hind legs trailing. So really what I ought to try is moving the tempo up and down within the pace. He did show signs of lifting his back, but also had moments of hollow, hind-legs trailing, star-gazing motor-biking. Thankfully the good moments are ever-increasing and the bad moments are less with every session.

I think I will try some in-hand work before I lunge him tomorrow to increase his attentiveness. I live in hope!

And fingers crossed I am fit for the trek tomorrow!

Gratuitous Mucky Pony pics!

The squeals and squabbles of the first couple of weeks were just bluster and posturing, firm friends now! Doesn't Fin have the coolest tan lines?! You can see the dip in Quadi's back, although he does have his head quite high to groom his taller buddy.

Nothing from me or Quadi today. I'm carrying a lot of tension, I woke up with a splitting headache. Am relaxing watching PK's first DVD. I daren't try any of the techniques of course, no worries there. I am, however, very inspired with my lunging and groundwork for tomorrow, hope it's a nice day!

I may even ride The Sound One, I just have to get on with it :)

Itchy and Twitchy

Twitchy first. He was a happy little toot today, lovely company. This twitch though, it's still there! Because I had to cycle today I decided to do groundwork. So Quadi was suited and booted for a spot of lunging. I put some poles around one corner of the big school, which runs alongside his field. I couldn't be bothered lugging the poles into the little school! Just a fan around one corner with the edges raised on the outside, I wanted to try something new and interesting, as well as beneficial, instead of pushing the same work too far.

When warming up, before the introduction of the Pessoa, it became apparent that Quadi was not sound in front. The off fore lameness that the vet warned me about has crept back in, I hadn't seen it since he arrived. We were doing so well :(

At the vets, it was worse on the left rein when the off fore was on the outside. But today it seemed worse on the right rein. It wasn't until I first asked him up to trot, his head was nodding quite obviously. He popped up into canter no problem though. Downward transitions were dribbly again but I couldn't ask him to balance when he wasn't sound. On the opposite rein he immediately popped up into trot. I'm not sure if my body language was pushing him or if he wanted to. The lameness was less obvious but still there. It didn't disappear with warming up, which is my biggest concern. So we called it a day. The physio is going to try and come out on Tuesday night but she is poorly. A couple of days off for Twitchy.

Itchy (Fin) and I didn't do anything because we didn't get on very well in the stable! I need to learn to be more patient. At least he seemed none the worse for wear after my riding him!

The great news is that the boys get to stay in their stable little herd of four, which I am so happy about on the poo-picking front! They all seem happy with each other :)

The cycle in both directions was a real chore today. Less so on the way out but the wind was in my face both there and back, AGAIN! I really struggled on the way home, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I need to keep a stash of Powerade at the yard and at home. I have adjusted my saddle to be a little higher in order to try and alleviate the knee pain I get post-ride. And I finally have mud guards, which were tricky to fit. Yay for Dads and cable ties!