What's Up Wednesday

 

The only trouble with my new take the days as they come attitude is that it doesn't make for very exciting blog discussion. For the most part, things are the same around here. It's getting colder, but we're still plugging away, having our rides, doing our thing! It was actually pretty warm over the weekend which was so nice! I definitely made sure to appreciate it. 

Something spooked Al while he was eating his hay in 
turnout on Sunday. So then he just stood here staring at 
whatever it was for the remainder of his outside time. 

Al has had an interesting week. We talked last week about the hole I thought I'd found in his training. But turns out, it's not a hole. It was just one of Al's bad days. Man this horse is frustrating to try and figure out. I opted to lunge him a second day last week because we've been having the craziest winds, and I do not have a death wish. And this time, he had no issue staying out on the circle. Which is great! But like, why was that so impossible the other day? I'm starting to wonder if horses can have split personalities, because honestly, you never which Al is coming to the ring on a given day. 

Riding hasn't been magical with him at all. He's very concerned about the neighbor's side of the ring, to the point that I cannot keep his attention when we're on that side of the ring. I've tried adding a circle each time he wants to be distracted. I've tried counter bend. I've tried haunches in. Haunches out. Shoulder in. But turns out, we can't actually do shoulder in when he's not paying attention. Doesn't happen. None of it helps to keep him with me. But despite this challenge, I do think we have made some progress in one area, and that's coming a little more forward. I won't say we've achieved actual forward. I'm not a liar! Lol! But it's improved. And I think I've discovered a voice command that he knows. I was trying to get him to walk forward on the lunge line. He kind of knows that BIG means more, like I'll ask him for BIG trot when I want an extension, and I do think he gets that. But I was throwing all kinds of words at him to see if anything got him really marching along. So I said what I wanted "March! Guys, I shit you not, that horse strutted off with the most delightful working walk I've ever seen from him. I figured it was a one off, but he did it every time I said March!  Who knew. I'll just tuck that right in my tool box thank you! 

I bought this jogging sheet ages ago and never used it.
But I busted it out for Al's lunge yesterday and I think 
he was very glad to have it! It was only 38 degrees
with wind gusts up to 30 mph. Glad I had that! (And it's
exactly these types of circumstances that perpetuates my 
borderline hoarding.)

Today was warmer, mid 40's and significantly less wind, so I womaned up and rode my horse. He was medium. Still a disaster about the one side of the ring. But I made him walk up the quarter line over there several times. He hated it. Tried to stop and turn away repeatedly. Then he started with his nervous tick. When he's very angsty and trying to get out of doing hard things, he gets itchy. He'll bite at his shoulder sometimes, or if he's feeling very dramatic he'll stop dead to rub his face on his leg. I've nearly toppled right off before when it's happened at the canter... Horse has no manners some days. But he did do the hard thing I wanted several times. Not without complaint, but he did it. And so I told him he was wonderful. Then we went and worked for real on the easy part of the ring. We did a bunch of spiraling in and out on the circle. A few canter transitions. I really liked that he was jumping right in to the canter. He'd kind of peter off some after the first few strides, so forward is still very much a work in progress. But even if it's just a couple strides of forward right now, that's more than I was getting before. So I'm taking the small win. Hopefully some day all these little wins will actually accumulate to something more. Hopefully.

Winter attire

Shiny is feeling herself finally with this temperature drop! I'm so relieved because she's just been so quiet for so long, I really was a little concerned. But sassy Shiny has made an appearance! She's been having a good old time in turnout, doing some zoomies and some bucks. She even kind of spooked both yesterday and today in our rides! I mean, tiny ones. We are talking about Shiny after all. Yesterday in the crazy wind she kept doing the wild horse head shake. You know the one I mean. It would be terrifying on another horse, but on her I just giggled. Which probably annoyed her. She's been great though. Still warms up at the western jog, but once we get past that she's been perfecr. Her step is opening back up and she's putting forth some actual effort lately, which is so fun! I jumped her around a little bit today and it was just so easy. I have everything really tiny in the ring. I think the biggest fence is 2'. But she's just going around so nicely. I put my leg on and she moved forward off it. Miracle! Love this pony.

I feel like quarter sheets tend to accentuate Eros' belly

E's still the same. Some days are better than others, but nothing is bad. I thought I might have solved the nqr-ness, but alas, it still comes and goes. I think I'm going to talk to my vet about doing a second round of doxy for him. His chronic number was lower than before we treated, but it's still in the unequivocal range. I feel like maybe now that it's cold, he's still dealing with it? I dunno. Just a hypothesis. But that's not what I thought the problem was briefly. He has this... thing on his elbow on the right side. Like on the very top of his leg in front of the girth. Sort of where you'd see a shoe boil, but it's not that. He's had it forever. 

The thing.

It resembles a callous, and I think it's probably from when he lays down. I've shown it to the vet a few times because it will grow once in awhile, and then I'll put some Animax steroid ointment on it, and it will go back to its usual size. Well I noticed it had spread again, and thought it was possible he was hitting it on the girth when he's working. So Saturday I smeared it with bag balm. I figured that might soften it up, so if that's what was bugging him, maybe getting it softer would feel better. Plus, bag balm is so sticky it would stick to the girth so I could confirm my hypothesis. And he did feel much better that ride, so I thought I was on to something. But alas, when I dismounted there was no bag balm on the girth. Which was a little disappointing, but also good because I didn't want to have to go buy another girth. I though maybe though the bag balm helped, so I continued with that this week, but he's been back to a little nqr this week. (I've also been putting the Animax on the callous thing, and it's shrinking back up again. Either way, it wasn't the culprit.) Saturday, the day he felt better was really warm I think it may have hit 70 even. So my current hypothesis as I mentioned earlier is Lyme. I dunno. Might be time for a vet visit and just really figure out what we're dealing with. 

Anyway, that's where we're at with the horses! I did end up taking Sunday off from riding, and headed up to Equine Affair right after I finished chores. There's definitely still a lot less vendors than they used to have, but I think it's building back up. The Covid years really hurt Equine Affair. I've heard chatter too that none of the European vendors came because they're avoiding our country... So yeah, I don't blame them! I had hoped to chat with the company I got my trailer from because I want to have a few things done on mine, but they weren't there. Guess I'll have to call them. Blech. I hate the phone. 

I struck out completely on the hoof picks I wanted. There weren't very many full tack store type vendors, so only handful even had grooming items. I was hoping to find some winter breeches that aren't stupid expensive. Specifically I wanted to see and touch the ROMFH Willow. But alas. Most winter pants I came across were tights. I'm not a tights girl. And the rest were stupid expensive. I'm just not spending $250 or more on breeches. Nope. I'm also not that girl. 

So what DID I get? The Back on Track Haze coolers I wanted! I've been low key stalking them online for awhile, but like I mentioned last week I really wanted to touch them before committing. They're never on sale, and at $199 a piece... I wanted to make sure I liked how they felt. Well, they felt very nice. The outside is polyester, but more like the type of fabric you'd feel on a stable sheet, definitely not fleece. So that bodes well for minimal static. And it's pretty soft, not stiff like I was concerned it might be. The best part? They were 20% off! I had to have them shipped as they didn't have them in stock at the booth, but shipping was free. They should be here tomorrow, so I'll try and remember to grab some photos next week to share. I'm excited for them. I also snagged an Essex Classics sweater that was on sale for $40 (and is a wool blend, yay warmth!) and an unexpected find:

A rhinestone front shield for my One K. Now, I have seen the black rhinestone shield for years. It's all over. But I have never seen a green one! So I had to buy it. How could I not? No brainer. Thankfully it's the same green as the pieces I already have, so everything matches. 

And then I also got a butterfinger caramel apple for the drive home (they cut it up for you for easy snacking). All in all, yes I spent a bunch of money on the coolers, but otherwise I was pretty well behaved! 

Otherwise, I've been hanging out at the farm, doing farm stuff. And staring at the sky because mother nature gave us this last night:

She might be back for more tonight. I'm going to check it out when I do night check. Never thought I'd see the northern lights in person, and now I have THREE times. And from my own house! The world might be imploding around us, but at least we get to see some beauty.