We are still alive!

The first week of school is kicking my butt.  I haven't ridden since Sunday, however, tomorrow is the day. So look for an update then.

I have had 3 GREAT rides this week, but I feel like I am cheating a little.  I have been riding in his hackamore.  I always call it easy mode when we don't have a bit in his mouth.

Even with no weight on the reins he fusses.

Our first ride was in the grass dressage arena.  It tends to be the softest on his feet.  I started by just walking and trotting a few laps in both directions to check soundness.  After we got all our coughs out and he proved to be sound we went to work at a walk.  I insisted that we move forward with purpose.  WITHOUT jigging or curling up.  I wanted him to reach forward.  After about 10 minutes we had a beautiful adjustable swinging walk no matter what I asked: shoulder-in, check; Leg-yielding, check; turn-on-the-hind, check.  Our work went forward from there - his trot was supply and easy to sit.  He bent himself around my leg and was really 'stretchy.'  We even did shallow counter canter loops.  PERFECT.

Our next rides were much the same.  It seems that waiting until we have the perfect walk is the key to relaxation.  Even today when the canter work made him spazz out and get tense; going back to calm lateral movements at the walk made him settle.

We are bringing this sexy walk back!!  I know you are jealous!

The only bummer - I tried to jump.  Pony was awesome: my knee was awful.

All that aside, I cannot think of a better note to leave town on.
That's right Chicago here I come!

Trailer Repair

Although a new truck and trailer would be the stuff of dreams, I believe I am stuck with what I have for at least the next two years.  This being so I am going to start working on repairing the buts and pieces of my trailer my self.

This is going to be a complete and on going list of the repairs and upgrades that are needed as they happen in real time.  If anyone out there is reading this I would LOVE any advice, tips, or improvement ideas.  I have created two lists describing the necessity of each thing and rough time line where jobs are put into phases.  My goal is to do a phase per month and have the whole thing done before November when time and weather will make it harder to complete.

Need:

- New tires

- Repair damaged fiberglass

- Repaint Exterior

- Fix Lock on 2nd window

Want:

- Repaint Interior

- Gut Dressing Room

- Repaint Dressing Room

- New Ramp Locks

Luxury:

- Move Rear Tack Pieces into Dressing Room.

- Stud wall divider
- Walk Through Tack Door

Phase One:

1) Strip all internal pieces out of trailer - dividers, tack, ect.

2) Power Wash interior and exterior

3) Repair all damaged fiber glass

4) Repaint

Phase Two:

1) Fix Window

2) Repaint Metal Interior Pieces

3) Replace Door Hardware

Phase Three:

1) Gut Dressing Room

2) Paint

3) Redecorate
4) Walk through Door

I will post images and up date this as I go.

On the horse front - shoes are back on and he is SOUND!!  I had a GREAT ride and lunged him 2x and he has been a super star!

Arg!

So this has been the crappy week full of crappy things.

Crappy thing number 1:  I went to jump last Thursday and had terrible pain in the knee I had surgery on.  The only change in the last 2 weeks was the number of times I made it to the pool.  It seems for the time being that my knee requires 3 days of swimming to be comfortable jumping.  My current work schedule makes that impossible.  I can just fit in 30 mins on the bike 2-3x per week.  The 7 fences I did jump were perfect.  Well, the pony was perfect.  No weaving, no stopping, no bucking.  Dutch was a star!

I just want this again.

Crappy thing number 2:  Due to a number of issues (money and reset time) we had to pull his shoes again.  Day 1 - not bad, sore on gravel but fine on sand and grass.  Day 3 - only walk sound on grass, boots are helping but not enough and I feel like a terrible person.

Or this....

I do not know where to go from here, feeling kinda hopeless.

So where are we

Ok, so here is the low down skinny on everything Princess Pony.  When I got Dutch 6 years ago he was a mess.  Over 400 lbs under weight, no hoof care for the last 3+ years, and very, VERY green.  We had a few years of trainer troubles, falls (and the concussions that go with them), and lameness issues.  The end result: I know this horse backwards and forwards, but I am still scared of jumping 3 ft; Dutch is sound. but his feet truly look terrifying; and my body is on the mend, but I am at least 30 lbs over weight.

I really do hate this picture, but it is honest about what we look like right now.

Our other issue is conditioning.  I love the sleek well fed look of a show hunter.  Dutch is a hard keeper who believes that turnout exists for no reason than doing gallop laps for 15 - 20 mins every couple of hours.  This means that instead of this:

Photo from wikipedia

I tend to have this:

Summer 2011

Right now, due to roughly 4 months off over the winter because I had knee surgery, he is in perfect weight.

Spring 2013

Summer 2013

I rode throughout my recovery - shhh, don't tell my doctor.  However, it took over six months for my knee to be comfortable in a saddle.  So I bought a big western bareback pad and schooled dressage.  I LOVE that pad and so does Dutch.  He is so much more relaxed and soft.  I have started doing all my flat schooling in it.  We started jumping again in the Spring.  It was like a light clicked on, not all the problems are gone but jumping is fun again.  So we are just schooling right now.  I ride on the fat 2-3 times a week and if my legs feel good I jump 1-2 days well.  We also go on fun little trails, mostly walking, just as a mental breather.

The BEST view in the world!!

Soon I hope to be here again, but without the fear.  That video was cut to not show the tears and refusals and the yelling, oh man the yelling. He is my sweet soft pony again and although is is still not an easy ride, we are trusting each other again.


As I was able to do more during our rides it became clear that having no shoes was not working.  He was being trimmed every 4 weeks and his feet had never 'looked' better.  His soles were still too thin and soft for any taxing footing, including sand arenas.  He had been barefoot for 2 years.  We tried booting him and it worked great while we were under saddle - but if he stepped on a rock in turn out he would be sore for weeks.  When I went in for surgery the rider that worked him 1-2x per week could never get his boots on, and no one cleaned up his toes between trims.  It all just seemed to fall apart.  So we put shoes back on and he is sound.  He still does not like gravel, and his feet bruise easily, but he is ridable everyday.


So there we are.  Getting back to work, making compromises, enjoying life.

ReStart

Ok, so I started this for a class years ago.  I am now going to make an attempt to revive it and become an actual blogger.

To begin again - Who we are-

Me: a not-yet-thirty high school teacher.  I have only three serious  horse goals. 1. A solid season eventing at BN; 2. Complete a 25 mile endurance ride; and 3. keep my horse sound and happy.  I also want to loose 20 lbs this year.  Hopefully typing these goals out will hep keep me motivated.

Pony:  Dutch is 2000 model Thoroughbred cross gelding.  He has been mine for 6 years.  He has a heart of gold, feet of glass, and the temper of a drunk Irishman.  In the next post I will expand a little on our never ending hoof saga, but really I see it as our only major road block to complete world domination.

I hope that by recording my thoughts here it will help me celebrate the good, shake off the bad, and keep moving forward.

Until next time, Life is good!