1/11/12 The Hawk

I'm hanging out at home, as the antibiotics fight off my sinus & throat infection. This one came with either a flu bug, or just nastier-than-normal germs. This is the longest-running fever I've had in a very long time. So, instead of riding, I thought I'd share a few pictures from last night.

We have a hawk living in the neighborhood, and occasionally, he comes to visit. He was hanging out around the round pen gate, sitting on the fence posts, and looked to be darting to the ground in hopes of pulling a field mouse out of its little house-holes.

Hi Hawk!

OoH! Hi Harley! *who came out of his stall, and was immediately startled, as he didn't know I was out by the barn. See the wrinkly eyes? I disrupted supper!*

Well, that's that.. Didn't come to see me? Came to get a drink.

Okay.. back to the pretty bird.

Harley! No, thanks! I don't want a water bath!

I started back to the house, when Hawk came even closer to the barn.

Hi Hawk ! Hi Boss!

Boss then informed me it was time for his daily scratching. After he bumped into my camera a few times, I gave up. Instead, here's what I think is one of the better Hawk pictures of the night.

1/8/12 Instead

Mine & Harley's plans were changed Saturday night. Available lesson time was too reasonably late to get back home, unpack, feed everybody, eat my own supper, and rest, then wake up Monday morning for 4:30am alarm. In some ways, I like my work schedule, when I get every other Friday off, and am able to get home before it's dark in winter time. When I have to end Sunday evening activities early enough to get rest, it's a hassle to be at work at 6:30am. *sigh*

Sunday morning, I decided to make the best of the situation. I put the HDR event seat on Harley, as my Collegiate hunt seat needs a gullet change. Thinking it would fit him well enough, I put it on with a simple square pad, and off we went. At the arena, I realized it was a bit too wide for him. Yup, that's why we're going one narrower than avg on the hunt.. grr. This changed our plans just a hair... anyways..

After a quick warmup longe, I hopped on, laughing at myself. Ouch, my legs screamed. We haven't been this bunched up in over a year, lady. What makes you think we can stay up here and not use different muscles? Ouch! It took me nearly fifteen minutes at trot and canter (even with trot over poles) before I felt my balance again without leaning forward. My heels bounced down with every trot stride, making me laugh quite a bit. Boing!

I sent Harley through the trot poles posting trot, with the same success he's had. Stepping lightly through, no toes on the poles. Fantastic, despite my wobbly legs. Good kid.. I lifted myself up into two point, and he came to a walk. Seems Harley thought Mom was falling forward, and didn't want to lose me. Cute kid! I went on the rail at two point trot a little while, moving my upper body upright enough to keep him going forward, inching up a little on his front end, while clucking and talking to him. A gentle pat, and he realized he had the right answer by moving forward. Through the poles again, two point trot, great results.

At the canter poles, we had all the same problems. Two point in front of them, and he was back to trot. *sigh* Back up to canter, two point on the other rail side, upper body inching forward just a little while trying to keep heels down and centered over the saddle. Aimed at the poles, kiss kiss kiss, through them again with no toes touching.

Changed direction, and now realizing I wasn't going to fall off when I leaned forward, Harley was more agreeable to the two point over poles.

I had this brave idea in the morning that, if the ground pole work went well, I'd set up a tiny x-rail. This was a great idea, but knowing the saddle was a bit too wide, and therefore sat a little too close to his withers, I scratched that plan. This would be Harley's first jump over anything beyond a ground pole, and I didn't want to risk any sort of discomfort, at all, due to tack fit.

I'll change the Collegiate gullet out today or tomorrow. Seems my ornery little head cold has migrated up to a sinus/throat infection. I finally gave in and went to the doctor yesterday (1/9) afternoon. I'm sure I did more damage out riding all weekend, and bathing Harley with cool water. Ah, well.. too stubborn to quit until I know for sure my activity makes me feel worse rather than better.

Harley enjoyed a huge handful of cookies after his near hour long efforts. R was out in the arena for the end of the ride, and got the pleasure of watching H work through the ground poles near effortlessly. We're not perfect yet, but he's enjoying his work, and I am enjoying something other than 20m circles. Jump and huntseat work will break up the dressage boredom, at least until the temperatures are trending warm again.

I didn't meet my "mailbox goal" for 2011, so it'll be back on the books for 2012. I think I'll start with hand walking again, and progressively go farther from home every trip. Plenty to get his attention down the road, with young boys playing sports in the front yard, vehicle traffic (of all kinds, shapes, and sizes), neighbors walking their herd of dogs, along with the occasional "doesn't stay in their home yard mutt". Add a paved road, and a line of horse-eating mailboxes, it's a journey of wild baby-learning adventures.

1/7/11 Next in Poles

Knowing trot poles were a non-event for Harley, I adventured to the next level - canter poles. I set up two poles at a reasonable distance apart, and started him out with a longe over them. He was lanky, disorganized, and broke gait almost every time before or during the poles. I could see wrinkly thinking eyebrows, and decided about the only way he'd understand what I wanted, was if I rode him through the poles.

ooh boy.. here goes nothing. We rode through the trot poles three times in one direction, and then I picked up his canter. Past the poles like they weren't there, back around past the trot poles, and line up with space. He broke to trot the first time through, and easily went back to canter. Realizing I didn't offer enough leg or voice support, I lined him up in front of the canter poles again, and kissed gently as we approached.

loose reins
hands forward
heels down
eyes looking up
da da dump, da da dump

Harley stepped up and over the two poles steady at canter. I gave him a nice pat, and some verbal praise, and asked for a gentle trot back down the other long side. A short walk break, and a change in direction.

We had about the same results heading in the other direction. A few weebly wobbly entrances, a break in gait, but then finally a nice canter over both poles. It took nearly 45 minutes to get there, with lots of walk/praise breaks, and some floats over the trot poles. Fun, but physically exhausting. Harley was tired, and so was I.

The weather was unusually warm, high near 80, and moderately humid. Romeo broke into a sweat just wandering the pasture. I couldn't bring myself to ride his sweaty self.

1/6/11 Trot Poles, and My Mo

Boss Update
Ate good yesterday, drank better, good uh, *clears throat* output. :) He even stood patiently in his paddock while I rode the other two, a miracle I didn't expect. I did him a favor, and didn't take Romeo down the road, even though I wanted to.

Harley
Worked 45 minutes. All three gaits. I found a little "go" in his giddyup. Spurs. Little 1/4" nubbies. Not much, but when I asked with my calves and he ignored me, I gave a little nudge with my nubbies. Good go. Rode through the trot poles about 6 times each direction. I rode three times through each way, then picked up canter in the next corner. Wow! Lots of good "go", correct lead. One of the trot-pole sets leading into canter, I must've accidentally glanced at the pole set. Harley quickly turned, and lined up for the poles. Oops, not at canter, babydoll. Oops! I will set up a pole by itself today and try canter-over. Anxious to see how *that* goes. While I know there's plenty to be done at the "collected gaits", I'm bored, and I suspect Harley is, too. He is fighting the bit more now than he used to, and I really think he's just bored with the repetition.

Romeo
Another 40 minutes. Good. Delightful, in fact. All except for that whole "left my spurs on, taking off" part. :) Yeah, everybody's reading this, and giggling to themselves, thinking, "Well, genius, whaddya expect? Put spurs on the horse that's already responsive, he won't slow down!" Yea, Yeah... enough from the peanut gallery out there.... ;)
Romeo and I rode through all the gaits, turns on forehand, haunches, side pass. Backed up circles each direction. I skipped rollbacks, since he was already pretty darn forward, he didn't need any encouraging. His canter was fast, and fluid. There for just a second, I imagined he was a nice reining horse, circling wildly around the arena. It was just for a second, then he tripped. That's my Mo. ;)

1-5-11AM Boss update, and other musings

I arrived home from work, and after letting the dogs out to potty, wandered back to Boss's stall. I found only an inch down off his pretty big water bucket. Shucks... After discussing with Dr. Sam and Jen, I gave Boss his 1/4 supper, mixed with antibiotics, electrolyte powder, a bit of water, and a touch of corn syrup (after finding some of the AM antibiotic powder still in his bucket, monster). He joyfully gobbled up supper. I found two nice poop piles in the paddock (and he gave me another while I was preparing supper for him and the others). I later found a tiny bit of grain "mush" left in his bucket. Added a touch more of water, and held it to his face.. Slurp!

Later in the evening, I found about two more inches down off the water bucket, so he was drinking a bit more. Good!! This morning, no change in the water, but the same joyful Boss dove into his breakfast. Good news again.

I'll be riding Harley and Romeo through their paces, and fighting off the rest of this awful headcold. Stuffy, sinuses bring on an inflamed headache by day's end. I have been fighting it since last Friday, when it began with a weak sore throat. I don't have any of the true signs of a sinus infection except for the evening headache.

I'm *still* excited about upcoming Sunday with Sam. Most Excellent!!

Boss 1-4-12

Boss had a LONG day yesterday. I went out to feed breakfast, and found a handful of grain and all his hay from supper still sitting. He nibbled at breakfast grain, but wasn't really interested. I called R, and asked him to "go visit" Boss in a while and see how he was feeling and acting. I tore off down the highway to work (and said my prayers as I sped by the county-mounty police officer on the highway).

R called around 8:00am. Said Boss hadn't touched his breakfast, and wasn't acting quite himself. I took emergency vacation from work the rest of the day, and by 8:30am, I was on the road home. I called Dr Sam on the way, got some instructions, and kept on for home. Arrived back home around 9:15am.

I immediately gave Boss a full 1250# dose of Banamine paste, which he agreeably took. Hmm.. not a good sign. I hand walked him while R cleaned out his stall and paddock completely. No more hay scraps or grain nuggets, or old poop in the paddock. I even lightly longed him for a bit, and the longer I waited, the lazier he got. One tiny little fart, and no poop in sight.

Two hours later, we were pulling into Dr Sam's office, and Boss had pooped about ten hard turds. Not good either... Heart rate normal, temperature normal. Gut sounds limited. He checked for sand colic, nope. Found some very solid hard poop trapped in his colon, and got *most* of it out. Then, in through the nose the tube went into his tummy. Dr Sam pumped him full of water, mineral oil, epsom salts, electrolytes, probiotics. Boss stayed at Dr Sam's office for the afternoon. All vitals checked out good in the late afternoon, and he was able to return home.

Boss is on a modified diet for the next four days, and antibiotic powder. He's locked to his stall & paddock, and dove face first into breakfast. Well, after a little sniff to identify the antibiotic powder. I'm sure his nose said, "What's that?" And his brain said, "don't care.. Hungry.. Eat!"

This means Boss WON'T be making the trip with me to go see Trainer Sam this Sunday. Boo.. But! It does mean...
*drum roll pleeeeze*

Harley gets to go!! Road trip and his first "formal" lesson time. Fantastic! Should be fun!

Bringing In 2012

First, after the Championships, I gave Harley a few days off to rest.

Then, it rained. Not complaining about the rain, but it rained. Quite a bit, quite a few days in a row. Then, I got busy with holiday cheer, and cooler weather.

Now, I've got a head cold. Sinuses are stuffed up, sneezing, coughing a bit. No fever, so I am trying to do my best to avoid anything worse than just a viral cold. To that end, I haven't been riding a ton.

Harley hopped through some ground poles at trot with me, but otherwise, I have had some loose rein rides with him (something that puzzles him... work without bit contact... time to refresh that memory and make him go independent of me).

Boss and I have learned a dressage whip is our friend. :) Not as many difficult rides physically. Lesson coming with Sam soon. YahOO!

Romeo? He's just Mo. Walk, jog, lope. Turn on forehand, turn on haunches, side pass, back up. Back up circles, stand patiently. He does well. I don't expect perfect, since I don't ride him often enough to keep him fit for perfect. But he is paying attention to me, and being polite