Archive for the ‘Horses’ Category

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All kitties to the vet tomorrow

March 5th, 2010, posted in Cats, Horses

All of the kitties are going to the vet tomorrow morning. Ambush and Stella are having fluids. Kiesha is going to be tested to see if she has a UTI like the other two, and if so, she will needs meds.

The farrier is also coming out tomorrow morning for Isis and Kasane. He’ll check Prize’s feet to find the best way to get her on the same schedule as the other girls. (Her feet look great.) Chris at the barn is going to keep an eye on the girls and let me know how they are for the farrier.

After finishing with the kitties, I’m going to head to the barn and spend the day with the girls. It’s supposed to be really pretty. I can’t wait!

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Two peas in a pod

March 2nd, 2010, posted in Horses

Prize arrived on Saturday. It’s hard to describe what it is like to having a horse come back after so many years. I couldn’t stop smiling all day at work on Friday. Saturday I was bouncing off of the walls and wanting to make everything perfect. I had Prize’s halter, photos of her as a yearling/weanling, and her old tack box with her name on it with a backwards Z (from when I was in high school).

Prize arrives

Prize backed off of the trailer like a champ and looked around. Gena walked Prize over to Isis so they could meet. Isis arched her neck. Prize didn’t look impressed. They both squealed and struck with their front legs.

Isis and Prize

Isis and Prize meet for the first time

What I wasn’t expecting was how much they looked alike: same build, same rumps, and two back white stockings. It says volumes considering their ages: Isis is 17 and Prize will be 25 in May.

Prize’s first night was spent in a paddock with Isis in an adjoining area. They went nose to nose again, turned and kicked at the same time — and both hit a board in the fence in the same location (at a knot of course) and split it. No damage to either horse (just impressive noises). I spent most of the remaining daylight helping fix the fence. Silly girls.

Before I left on Saturday, I helped Chris, the barn manager, throw hay. We were walking through Isis’ paddock to give the horses hay in the field next door. Chris gave me some flakes to toss to Prize. I called to Prize and Isis immediately walked over with her “you are my Mommy why are you near HER?” look. She squealed at Prize (20 feet away on the other side of the fence) and Prize squealed at Isis (20 feet away on the other side of the fence).

By Sunday afternoon, the two of them were walking the fence with each other and acting like a little herd.

On Sunday, Prize walked along the fence when I free lunged Isis. Not trotting or
upset, just staying with us while we worked. When I took Prize to the round pen
to play with her, she hollered and carried on for Isis. Isis hollered back. Prize ripped around the round pen like a mare half of her age. I caught her and we did some walk and whoa and basic ground work. She remembered so many things that we used to do (including standing up in halter). I couldn’t stop grinning.

You can always tell if a horse is happy: their eyes, their demeanor, and their body language tell you volumes. Prize looked fabulous and happy. It is so obvious how much she has been loved and cared for. Prize gives Gena kisses. :)

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Almost riding

March 1st, 2010, posted in Horses

It’s been a while since I wrote about Kasane’s progress on the Great Path Towards Riding. She’s learned quite a bit this winter: left/right/whoa/back while ground driving, bits aren’t nasty when given with treats, and dressage saddles aren’t scary.

All of the exercises Kasane and I do build towards riding. Voice commands when lunging teach her the words so when I’m behind her ground driving she’ll understand walk or whoa. Ground driving teaches left and right so when I get on her she will know steering and stopping cues. Standing up on a panel on the round pen shows her that it’s not scary if I’m taller than she is (which I would be when I’m on her back).

Last weekend we did the usual routine of free lunging, in-hand ground work a la natural horsemanship, and ground driving with a halter and two long lines. The hardest part when ground driving is getting her to stop in a straight line. She wants to keep one eye on me when we stop so she swings around to look at me (an action that would turn over a cart). Getting her to stop square means I’m behind her (at least initially) so it takes a few tries to keep her straight when we whoa.

Two weekends in a row, I added something back in that we hadn’t done in a while. I stood up on the round pen panel so I was taller than her and guided her parallel to the fence. From there (and while hanging on to the panel), I rubbed my foot along her back, slipped my leg over her side, and just rubbed her. It didn’t bother her at all. If something had upset her, I could quickly be back on the rail. The last time I stood on the panel, I slid my leg over her and had about 80% of my weight on her back. Her response was to bite my boot.

We still have more work to do with ground driving. She needs to have more time with the bit (once she has stopped teething) and actually use it with reins. (Fruit roll-ups on a bit — brilliant!) I figure we have about another month of work before the true first ride (taking in to account daylight savings time is next weekend).

It’s been so long since I started one under saddle. I hope she turns out as well as Prize and Isis.

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Prize is coming home

February 26th, 2010, posted in Horses

It has been almost exactly one year since I got to see Prize for the first time in 12+ years. Since then, I’ve been out to visit Prize a few times. Last time she even nickered at me.

Last weekend, I met Gena, Prize’s current owner, and her Mom, Rody. (I’ve met Rody several times.) They are great people and have such love for Prize. They met me at the Isis’ and Kasane’s barn to see what it’s like there. Both Gena and Rody were impressed and really liked the barn and the people. I also really like them both.

This is where it turns into a fairy tale (Gena’s words). Gena and Rody are blessing me by giving me Prize. (It is through the generosity of Jon and Chris at the barn that this is even possible.) Prize will most likely arrive this weekend. I know how hard it is giving up Prize. I cried for weeks and never got over feeling guilty about having to sell Prize to pay for back board. (Yay bad post-college financial management! Not.)

I am almost in tears thinking about having Prize back home. The Original Bay Wonder Mare home with the other two Bay Wonder Mares. (How odd is it that since Prize, I have had only owned bay mares with three white socks?)

I know how difficult it is for Gena and Rody and I will do everything I can to take care of this grand old mare. She will have love and lessons with people discovering horses for the first time. And lots of pampering.

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Soup, part 2 and Weight Watchers

February 9th, 2010, posted in Horses

I don’t know what’s gotten in to me, but I actually cooked again. I used to cook all of the time, but when it’s just me, I usually have meals that require little to no preparation (i.e., salad).

I changed the recipe I cooked last week to add more garlic (3.5 cloves instead of 2), added 4 Tb of tomato paste, and let all of the veggies simmer in the pot instead of cooking half of the veggies separately.

Oh my. Nom nom. ‘Twas good to have on a cold day. Tonight I had left overs and I may have more for lunch tomorrow.

Yummy zero point soup.

Weight Watchers uses points to determine how much you can eat per day. One point is approximately 50-60 calories and is determined by a ratio of calories to fat to fiber. A 80 point food with low fat and high fiber may be 1 point. A higher fat food with low fiber might be two.

I’m doing pretty well on Weight Watchers. I lost 45 pounds on it before. I’m down 10+ pounds now and counting. Not bad for a month. :)

I keep thinking about riding and wanting to not feel embarrassed if I’m in breeches.

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Wet weekend

February 8th, 2010, posted in Horses

It was a very wet weekend at the barn. Isis played on Saturday and apparently enjoyed herself so much that her front right tendon was swollen. She wasn’t lame and the swelling wasn’t warm, so I put some liniment on her and put her back out.

Kasane’s cut looks much better. I went out to the field to check on the cut and it was a little goopy. (Amazing what mud + scab makes.) She followed me back to the barn without the halter or lead rope. I opened the gate and let her into the holding paddock. She stayed there quietly, across the fence from Isis while I made preparations to bring her in. It was a treat to see both of them hanging out without Isis squealing or carrying on.

Overall a quiet evening at the barn. Mud city from the rain but not suck-your-boots-off mud at least.

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Isis as a yearling

February 4th, 2010, posted in Horses

Here is a video of Isis (bay) and her sister Asiirah (chestnut) when they were yearlings. Hard to believe Isis will be 17 this year. Funny how her blaze took up her entire face as a youngster and how she grew into it.

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Bay Wonder Mares

January 28th, 2010, posted in Horses

It was gorgeous today. No clouds in the sky. Amazing warm weather (60F) and a light breeze. I weighed in at Weight Watchers today and then wanted to skip out of work. Instead, I went back, finished up some projects, and got out of work early. I was itching to ride Isis and work both girls. I didn’t care if I was in my work clothes. I wanted to be out with the girls on a gorgeous day before the snow hits this weekend. (Supposedly we could get up to 10 inches. Arg.)

I got out to the barn and no one was there. Because of Isis’ history of tripping, I never ride if I’m at the barn by myself. So, I went out to the pasture to get Kasane. She looked up at me when I entered the pasture and didn’t object when I put on the halter. She walked slowly and carefully towards the gate with me. Too slowly. Something was wrong.

She had a cut on her forearm between her knee and her chest about 1.5 inches long and about .25 – .5 inch wide. The skin above the cut was swollen. Whatever she did to cut herself was recent: the blood hadn’t dried but it had clotted. She was sore on it but not lame. I wasn’t sure if the cut would need sutures or not.

I brought her back to the barn and called the vet. Better to be safe than sorry. I was told to use cold water therapy on Kasane’s leg for 15 minutes and then the vet would call me back. Good thing it was warm: freezing water with freezing temperatures would not have been pleasant (that will be tomorrow when the weather turns cold and I still have to hose her leg).

We have a new boarder at the barn who is also my small animal vet. She came to the barn just as I was finishing hosing Kasane’s leg. She checked the cut and said she didn’t think it would need stitches. My large animal vet called back and I let him talk to my other vet. Consensus was no wrapping, use an antibacterial ointment on it (Nolvasan) and hose it once a day until the cut starts healing (maybe a week).

I walked out through the field and didn’t find anything Kasane might have cut herself on. Her pasture mate didn’t have any cuts on her either. Who knows what she cut herself on. I put Kasane into a paddock by the barn and gave her some hay.

I still had some daylight after caring for Kasane so I pulled Isis into the big ring and free lunged her. At first she was quiet and did what I asked quietly. And then she glanced at me, tossed her head, shifted on her haunches, and reversed directions and started strutting. One of the other mares in a pasture ran back and forth, excited over something in the woods or looking for her pasture-mate. Isis snorted once, and then cut the back end of the ring. Tail came up and she took one of the jumps and landed at a full gallop. She ripped around the ring with her tail up at a gallop. (That mare can move when she wants to!)

I stopped, held the lunge whip in front of me and waited. Isis trotted slowly over to me, tail up, snorting, and lots of hang time. Tickles me whenever she does that. I didn’t want her to run too much so I put the lead line on her. And she bounced instead of walking as we walked the length of the ring to cool her off.

She was so good and fun to work. I wish we could have ridden but she still made my day.

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Farewell Blue Hors Matine

January 26th, 2010, posted in Horses

In 2006, a friend of mine sent me a link to a YouTube video of the international WEG2006 Freestyle Dressage Final at Aachen. A big grey mare gave a performance that was truly inspired and had the audience clapping and rooting for her. (HIGHLY unusual — dressage tests are about as loud as a tennis match.) I was blown away and inspired to ride more. This big mare, Blue Hors Matine, was dancing and having fun. You could see how much she enjoyed herself and how much her rider, Andreas Helgstrand, adored her. They rode beautifully. Inspiring. Even non-horse people were excited by the video:

Blue Hors Matine was only 9 when she won the silver in that championship competition. Very young for a horse to be performing at Grand Prix level (highest level in dressage). Amazing.

Today a friend of mine on Twitter posted a message that Blue Hors Matine was put down because she broke her leg while playing in her paddock.

She was one of the most amazing mares. Over 16 million people watched the video of her performance at Aachen. I hope whereever she is that she has green pastures, herd mates to play with, and lots of love and affection.

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Left, right, whoa, back

January 23rd, 2010, posted in Horses

I was ambitious this weekend. After being sick last weekend and part of the week, I rode Isis and worked Kasane with the surcingle and long lines. Pretty ambitious after a month of being out of the saddle. :)

Isis was awesome under saddle in the dressage saddle. We only rode about 20 minutes, most of that at a walk to get both of us warmed up. She is such a joy to ride. She drops her shoulder in around corners, which makes it feel like she is leaning to the inside. If my posture isn’t straight — if I have dropped my inside shoulder — then she will will lean to the inside. We did a little trotting and focused on keeping my posture upright so she didn’t lean in. When we went around one time both directions in the ring, we stopped for the evening. I am not sure how much more posting my legs could take.

Kasane was worked in the round pen. We did a little free lunging and then I put the surcingle on her. The surcingle is like a girth that goes behind her withers. There are rings on the surcingle for putting reins through the side or attaching side reins. I use the surcingle for ground driving by using two long lines through the surcingle and attaching them to the halter, one on either side. The long lines become reins and the surcingle holds the reins in the proper location, no matter where I might be behind Kasane.

I’ve used a lead rope tied to Kasane’s halter like reins before to encourage her to understand the signals for left, right, whoa, and back. She has usually understood what I meant and has done well with it. Having the long lines on and me behind Kasane is a whole new game: I’m in a different location so she can’t read body language or visual cues.

To teach Kasane to move left or right, I pulled gently on the rein until she moved her head in that direction and then I released pressure immediately. Once she would move her head both left and right, I asked her to walk on while doing that. She figured out ground driving in about 10 minutes (very fast — other Arabs I’ve worked with took an hour). Normally, someone helps me at this phase by leading the horse in the direction I’m steering. It helps the horse understand what I’m asking for. Kasane got left and right quickly on her own.

Whoa was another matter. When I asked her to whoa, she tried to turn and face me. This is okay when we’re lunging, however when I’m ground driving and ask for a whoa, she should stop where she is without turning. (Especially important if the horse is actually hooked up to a cart. The cart shafts would prevent her from turning sideways.) Kasane didn’t seem to understand what I was asking for. She knew I wanted her to stop but not stop and stay where she was. We did a refresher course on walk and whoa in hand, and then I stood at her withers and used the long lines like short reins (with my hands just behind the surcingle). When she had stopped several times properly, I moved again behind her and used the long lines. We stopped at that point.

I was so proud of her. She’s making great progress–and fast. One more major step towards getting on her.

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