The vet visit went well today. Both of the girls got their shots. Isis tickled me: quite a few times when I went out of her sight, she would nicker as soon as she saw me. Yup, that’s my kid.

Isis was a model reformed mare — she used to be terrified of vaccinations. Today, she was great (and distracted by horse cookies). It’s taken a few years for her to calm down about vaccinations. I’m just greatful that the years of slamming me into the wall are over. Age or training, who can say?

Rajiyyah was also very good. Horse cookies are such great distractions. My vet was amazed at the marked change in Rajiyyah between the vet’s visits. Rajiyyah has put on weight and muscled out beautifully.

Rajiyyah has been coming around. Really since this past Wednesday. I skipped out on an extra belly dance class to work the kids. It had been a week or more since I’d been able to do anything with them. That workout was one of the first ones where Rajiyyah focused on me and wasn’t acting like an child with attention-deficit disorder: trot? okay, I’ll trot… but there’s a birdie! The difference? I quit using the lunge whip.

When I worked her on Sunday, I did an experiment. For most of our workout, the lunge whip stayed on the ground I and used the end of the lunge line to make noise. She was awesome. Relaxed, laid back. The second I picked up the lunge whip, her body language changed. She was nervous, her tail came up, and she looked at me sideways. Whip set back down and she relaxed. Interesting.

The chiropractor came out tonight. Isis was sore (who knows from what). Maye she had been running out in the field and pulled something. Maybe she was sore from being worked (althoug once in a week wouldn’t seem to strain her).

Isis has learned a trick: if she hops her hind end up, the accupuncture needle won’t go in. These needles are long and very thin. You barely feel them when they are inserted. When the chiropractor went to insert an accupuncture needle, Isis jumped even before anything touched her. Smart little girl she is.

The chiropractor told me to hold Isis’ front foot up. Imagine the position: bent over holding a front left hoof with one hand and with the other trying to hold the mare’s head so she understands she doesn’t have free rein. (I’m really lucky she is well behaved. Most of the time.) One leg off of the ground and she *still* managed to bounce her rear end up when the chiropractor just tapped her rump. We laughed at that — this is one balanced horse.

We ended up getting the needle into the right location and Isis eventually cooperated. She is a silly critter.

Rajiyyah was ancy– she is in heavy heat and didn’t feel like standing still for anything. One of her don’t touch me unless you are a stud days. For the most part she was good about things. She has always been touchy about her neck. She is stiff in her neck — possibly from an old injury.

Normally with Rajiyyah you just speak to her and she understands. This time, whether it was hormones, bad day, wrong moon phase or what, she did not want to have anything to do with treatments. For the first time ever with her, I had to use a mild twitch (fingers placed on both side of her upper lip and squeeze — releases endorphins). I used a finger twitch briefly while we inserted the needles into known trouble spots on her neck. I released her lip and she was quiet, mouthing her tongue and relaxed. The needles really do help her. You can see it in how she relaxes and moves freer the next day. She just some times fights us when we are trying to help her.

The treatments we’ve been using with her have made a real difference in her performance under saddle. She doesn’t hurt when she moves now. Her feet are not sore. She is reaching out and getting under herself very well. Every now and then she just gets in her moods…

Overall they were both very good. I hated that I had to briefly twitch Rajiyyah, but better that then fight with her and have a bad experience.

Both of my horses have a chiropractor who sees them regularly. (Most of my friends think I’m a little nuts because my horses get better medical care than I do.) The doctor came out today and had some excellent news about Isis and Rajiyyah.

Isis seems to be back in the shape she was before the surgery in August! Even though she still has soreness and stiff spots, they are in the same locations where she was sore/stiff prior to the surgery. Excellent. Now all I have to do is get her into shape. She has a huge hay belly.

Rajiyyah has also made really good progress. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to ride Rajiyyah over the past month due to rain rot and being sick. It turns out the time off has been really good for her. The doctor was delighted at how much Rajiyyah’s overall physical appearance has changed and how much more comfortable she seems. The stiffness that Rajiyyah had when the doctor started working on her in November is about 90% gone. Rajiyyah is still stiff in her neck, but that is a long-term item to work on.

Overall both kids are doing great. I’ve been having dreams about riding Isis again. Long walks up and down the pastures, trail rides… things to get her out and build her muscles. I am so looking forward to being back in the saddle!

It had been nearly two weeks since my last visit out to see the kids. I finally went out to see them on Sunday. Man, I had been going through withdrawal. It’s hard to explain what it is like. Visiting my horses has always been my sanity check, especially when I’m under a lot of stress. (And if I am not under stress my body seems to try to create enough stress… something about addicted to levels in the brain or something).

I was really too sick to go out to the barn still. Too sick to spend much time at least. It was so pretty out. Nice and warm. Not a cloud in the sky… So I bundled up and went into their field. Isis and Rajiyyah both nickered when they saw me. Isis lowered her head and butted me a few times, asking me to take the grazing muzzle off of her. (Of course once the muzzle was off she was focused on grazing.)

Rajiyyah was very sociable. She followed me around and was happy to have her ears and face scratched. She has been wearing a blue Hug turnout rug (by Rider International from Dover Saddlery). It fits her well — not easy to do on a dainty Arabian. She was wearing it and seemed warm and toasty under it. It’s a medium weight turnout rug. It is supposed to breathe and prevent the horse from sweating too much. It seems to be doing a very good job. The blanket still looks brand new, even though she has been wearing it for months. It helps that she doesn’t roll.

I left the kids in the field and picked out their feet. It felt so good to just be out with them. Isis still look ribby and still has a pot belly. I will be so glad when I can really get back to working her.

I really hated being sick during a week that was perfect riding weather.

Rajiyyah was full of herself yesterday. When I lunged her, she kicked up her heels, pranced around, and was a holy terror on the lunge line. After a few minutes she settled down adn we were able to get some productive work done. What a silly girl. Poor thing has rain rot on her hips and her face. I put furacin on it, so now the green goop has turned black with dust. She looked like she has smudges on her face and ears and hips.

She was awesome today. Some of the other girls were at the barn working their horses in the ring. Rajiyyah enjoys being worked when other horses are around. We worked in side reins and with the saddle. She was so good under saddle, too. I was tickled with her. She was happy to have a bath at first. Once the sun went down she started shaking. Her face was so nice and white, except where the black padding on the halter had left a smudge. She looks like she stuck half of her nose up a chimney. Only part of it washed off. Poor kid.

The big news from this weekend? I worked Isis twice. She is doing great! We’re just free lunging right now to help build up her stamina. She’s getting muscles again on her back and hips from being out in the pasture. She and Rajiyyah romp around during the day and play. She is such a delight to work with. I think something and she does it. I’ve really missed her.