Good Looking and Better Moving

My lesson day with Toby went pretty well. He wasn't as outstanding as he was the other day but he was CONSIDERABLY better than when Betsy last saw him work. So my ground work with him did make a difference and he tries hard. I really have a tough time getting him to "go" when he's in a lazy mood, which of course he was in. In his defense, both of his back legs were stocked up from being inside due to our crummy weather. But he came through after a ton of urging.

Betsy, for the first time, actually worked on my leg position. Particularly when Toby and I were walking. Being a former hunt seat rider, I like short stirrups and to tip a little forward. Betsy didn't bother me about my position at first because she felt that I'd make my own changes as I learned how to ask my horse for certain movements. She was right about that! I have changed some thing but now I need to make a little more of a conscious effort to make further changes. I'm glad she started to pick on my position a little more. It helps everything all the way around.

I had another realization today. When I get Toby in the right frame, it's easier for me to sit up and back. Toby is a L-O-N-G horse. So he needs help getting himself together to make turns properly and stay balanced. Therefore I need to help him with my own balance as well! Duh! Sometimes I'm amazed at the realizations I make which seem so obvious but in action are not so easy to enact.

So I have something to work on with Toby and my position. BTW - Betsy mentioned how good Toby is looking. Did I not just write about how well he looks right now?? She said he does not look his age AT ALL! His coat is super glossy and with the rice bran I've been giving him at lunch, he's filled out in all the right places. I'm so proud of him! Secretly, I love it when people say "He's how old????? He doesn't look it!"

Hola wasn't worked today because of his leg. His leg was cold as ice - perfect! No swelling. Nothing. I'll be putting him back to work next week. He still is having loose poops but I'm confident he will improve. He was in great spirits and was the total busy body checking out everything we were doing. He's such a social horse - with people and other horses. Everyone at the barn is feeling badly about his loose poops, since everyone knows how hard I've tried to get them to be normal. So there is a good team in place to check on him. I can't wait till his tummy is normal...

Oh yea - Hola made sure to roll at least 3 times in the mud with his freshly washed turnout sheet. What a guy...

Dwelling on Poop

Tomorrow will be lesson day and I'll have it with Toby. Ollie's back left leg still has some very slight swelling in it and an itty bitty bit of heat. So he's getting some time off.

I rode Toby on Sunday and he was terrific! I sure hope he is good at lesson time.

I realize that my two guys are really lucky. They have me, a fun loving owner, who has few other distractions to keep me away from them. I'm single, no kids, a good job and am in love with learning about dressage (even though I'm not great at it yet). Having horses is more than just a hobby for me. Not only do my guys bring together two worlds that I love (racing and dressage) but my guys are also a part of my family.

So I do things that most people probably wouldn't or couldn't do. Such as, my lunch hour is spent running out to the barn to give Ollie his liquid supplement along with beet pulp/rice bran mash to help him gain weight and poop better. It's been working. But today - inexplicably - he had the worst diarrhea I have ever seen come out of him! It was "explosion diarrhea" which some was sprayed on the wall of his stall and it was all over his turnout sheet he was wearing. He's acting normally, his temp was a normal 99.1 and he woofed down his mash. It's pouring rain outside so I put Toby and Ollie out into our indoor arena to stretch their legs while I stripped Ollie's saturated stall. The two of them were their normal curious selves investigating everything they could in the arena while I took out 4 full muck buckets from his stall. Normally, it'd be 1 to 1 1/2 buckets. I put him back in his cleaned out stall (I wiped down the walls too) and took home everything he was wearing and pooped on.

I'm hoping he just ate something and that he'll be fine in a day or two. He's so normal otherwise.

It's times like this where I wish I had some other distractions so I won't dwell over poop...

Proud of My Boys

Aren't they a pair?

Toby is looking so regal lately. He's at an excellent weight and fitness right now and his coat is glossy and shiney. He's looking great for an old man! I'm so proud of him.

Ollie is growing up. He's quiet and can stand in the aisle in cross ties. For the longest time he was such a wiggle worm that I could only cross tie him in his stall. Now he's relaxed and comfortable even in the aisle.

I'm very excited for Toby and me. We have signed up to ride in our first clinic. Betsy has invited Maryal Barnett to come to Traverse City and do a two day clinic. I love having something to work towards so I signed team Toby up. At first I was apprehensive because we are still beginners and Toby is an old guy (i.e. it takes us longer time to warm up and get round). So I emailed Betsy and asked if it truly was ok to have a middle aged woman and her 20 yr old ex racer as part of the clinic. She said "Absolutely! Maryal is great with beginners and very encouraging." So we are on the books for going. It will be held November 19th and 20th. We will be riding on the 19th. It should be a great learning experience.

Ollie came up today with a swollen left hind ankle. He had slipped going into his stall a couple days ago and gave himself a stinger. There was no heat and it didn't swell up. But evidently, it was tender and yesterday (the day after the incident) I had worked him on the longe line pretty well without realizing it was tender - he showed no signs. So today when I arrived at the barn it was swelled up. Part of the reason could be from standing in his stall for 2 days straight while the winds and rain (and by tomorrow snow) howled outside. It was a little warm so I cold hosed, gave him a little bute for the swelling, walked him for about 15 minutes and put on stall wraps. You can see he's favoring that leg in the picture above. He is walking on it fine so I'm hoping that he'll be ok in a few days. His Tuesday lesson may not happen. Stuff happens...