They Had Other Ideas

I had planned on blogging tomorrow AFTER I had a lesson with both my guys. They had other ideas.

Toby came down with a cut on his right front knee and it's swollen up (no heat and he's not favoring it at all). He has arthritis in that knee so maybe he banged himself and it irritated his arthritis? I have no clue. All I know is that he enjoyed getting a cool bath today and I cleaned out the small cut and doctored it up. Toby loved the attention and I don't want to push the issue and make it worse.

Ollie seems to be a bit fussy about things. He's eating like there's no tomorrow but his poops are as loose as they've ever been. I'm afraid that the antibiotics I had him on last week paid a price to his stomach. He has the most sensitive tummy... I say this because when I put the new beautiful luxurious saddle on his back and tightened the girth he was not happy. Then when I got on him, he was very anxious and sensitive. Overly sensitive. So sensitive that he broke into a trot and then into a canter. He has a LOVELY canter it's just that I didn't ask for it... Once I got him to calm down a bit and got him to halt, I walked him a bit (pushing my luck) and halted him again and got off. Then I thought if he had so much energy that I'd try longeing him. Well he was a freak then too! So all I could figure is that he's in pain. Having a girth around your belly when it's sore is making him act silly. So I canceled the lesson with Betsy. I gave him a good dose of Cosequin's probiotics (which he loves), and I'm hoping his tummy heals up soon. He's still on Kalm N EZ which is a good feed for horses with ulcers and other tummy problems. He just needs some time for his stomach to heal. I gave him a cool bath too and he was very happy again. He's was following me around like a puppy dog so I know I'm doing something right!

Then there is Jag. Yep! Jag made an appearance today. Well not really but sorta. And I'm not 100% sure what he's up to but from what I can tell he has a little SOMETHING to do with the Disney movie which is about to be shot called "War Horse." So this is all I know, the artist that did the pastel of Jag, posted the following on Facebook:

Quite a day! Met in the morning by the Art Director from the Harry Potter films. One-on-one meeting with the guy who won an Oscar for his work on Avatar. Straight into a production meeting with some of the biggest names in the industry, with the work I've done so far being shown to Mr Steven Spielberg on Saturday! I'd say more but I had to sign a confidentiality agreement -ooh err missus! :0)

So of course I comment on her "status" with the profound words of "Way cool!" This is what Ali wrote in reply;

Wendy, cooler still is that the picture that the Avatar-Oscar-winning guy picked out to talk about first was the picture of Jag hanging on your wall :0)

Now that's WAY COOL!! Jag could be meeting Steven Spielberg on Saturday! Ok, I don't really know if he will or not because Ali can't tell me any more details but I'd like to think that he is. Jag is a rock star!

This is the pastel which Ali created of him for me and it hangs in my living room:


I'm glad he's still a part of my life...

Lots of News

I have news! Good and not so good and then some good and more good!

First is the not so good... right when I was about to leave for my business trip to the U.S. Women's Open Championship, Ollie comes down with "something." I'm not 100% sure what but it was definitely something. He kinda went off his feed, his back left leg had a cut and was stocked up. So the day before I left I got him antibiotics and "Surpass" to help with his sore leg. Surpass is a topical lotion that acts like bute. It's not cheap but it's a relief since his overly sensitive stomach can't handle much of anything out of the ordinary. I had a friend at the barn take care of Ollie for me and when I came back home he was on his feed again and actually put some weight back on! I was thrilled! His leg was much better and he's moving around well but it was still slightly stocked up. We'll get there...

Good News! The new saddle has arrived!! Ollie was fitted for it today. Well, fine tune fitting since he was actually fitted a few months ago. I haven't ridden Ollie in a long time because my other saddle hurt him. When we tacked him up, he was clearly anxious but then he relaxed when he realized the saddle didn't hurt him. Finally we can get him back to work!!

More Good News! Toby and Ollie will be moving to my friend Heather's place. She has her 3 horses in training with Betsy and it will be much easier for me to get Ollie into more rigorous training. Betsy will be able to work him even when I'm not in town. Heather has a nice airy barn:


and a nice outdoor arena:


and the coolest indoor arena ever!


I'm very excited about the move. We will move there in early August.

And speaking of Heather and her horses, they had a fantastic horse show at Horse Shows By The Bay!!

Lily, in her very first horse show, came home with a 6th place in USEF First Level Test 1 O,AA,J/Y last Thursday, then a 4th place in the same division the next day and another 4th on Saturday! Her highest score was a 64.333%!! I'm so proud of Lily!



Thunder and Julia did very well too! He had scores in the low 60's which is great because he can be a real pistol to ride.



And then Betsy had a great show too! On Thursday, she got a 4th in FEI Intermediaire I O,AA,J/Y GAIG/USDF Qualify class on her horse Tanner (Cantana). On Friday, they got another 4th in FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle Open GAIG/USDF and the best was yet to come on Saturday... They WON the FEI Freestyle Test of Choice Open GAIG/USDF with a (are you sitting?) score of 74.75%!!!!!!!!!! I'm SO PROUD OF THEM!!



Another one of Betsy's rider won big on Saturday as well! Marva and her horse Elvis won USEF Second Level Test 4 AA,J/Y GAIG/USDF. Marva and The King rocked!



So much good news for my good friends!

Postcard Perfect

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I took the day off from work using one of my comp days from working 3 weekends in a row and had my camera in my hand. Betsy was coming out to give me a lesson later in the afternoon and I hadn't seen my riding friends in a while who also take lessons with Betsy so I went out to watch their lessons.

What a day!



It was actually rather cool for a late June afternoon with the highs only in the low 60's but it was perfect for riding! No bugs, beautiful warm sunshine and the biggest horse show of the year coming up next week. My friends will be competing at Horse Shows By The Bay so they were going over their tests and they looked great! I'm so bummed that I cannot be there even just to watch. But my spirit will be there for them.

Betsy will be riding Heather's horse, Lily in Level 1 Test 1. Lily is a saddlebred/Quarter horse cross and she's doing very well. Everyone loves her and her unflappable attitude.



She's really come a long way with Betsy and I hope they will do well.





Her breeding isn't at all for dressage but what I love best about dressage is that most any breed can do it! It's done wonders to help Lily with her balance and movement.

The other competitor next week will be Thunder and Julia. Thunder is an interesting Cremello who is a morgan/quarter horse cross. Julia has worked with Betsy and has ridden him in all his training. In fact, I don't think anyone else has ever ridden him!



Julia's done a wonderful job with him and let's just say he's not easy...







The next guy to be worked by Betsy is Bolder. He's absolutely gorgeous but he has many quirks and because of his quirkiness, he's not cut out for the showing world. Lots of looks just not a lot of brains all the time. I just drool over him as does his owner and sometimes just having a gorgeous looking horse with a goofy personality is all you need. BTW - Bolder (now a gelding) is the sire of Thunder.



and today my photography was all about the gorgeous sky...



It was a postcard perfect day...

Then I had a lesson with Toby. I told Betsy how much fun I've been having with him and she was duly impressed! Especially with his canter and then his trot afterwards. He can move beautifully! Stretchy, springy, round. We laughed that he was ready for a show - he's light years better than he was last year. I wish I could get a video up for you guys but we didn't have it and I have yet to be able to photograph myself while riding... :) Let's just say that my lesson with Toby was the perfect ending to a perfect day.