What's Up Wednesday

 

The big news around here is that Rita is home! She came home with me on Sunday from the barn, though we did hit a small bump in the road when she wouldn't let me catch her to get in the car!

She was feeling a little insecure as her foster parents had said goodbye to her, but I had one more horse to ride so she had to wait for me by herself in the barn lounge. Once I did finally catch her, everything went just fine! She and P aren't really BFFs yet, but they aren't fighting. I'm sure in time they'll come around to one another. She's settling in well, though we have some work to do on potty training. I put down wee-wee pads, but she prefers to go next to them instead of on them. She had a few accidents at her foster house, but not frequent ones, so hopefully once she's feeling more settled here this will improve. And if not? Well, I'll get her some diapers I guess. We'll work it out! Otherwise, things are going pretty well. She loves to snuggle:

And also really likes toys. She's content to just chew on them, but also is pretty good at fetch! So we've been having fun with that. I wish the weather was better because I know she enjoys walks, but it's pretty cold here and she doesn't have much hair. House fetch will have to do for workouts right now. 

Ponies are all doing fairly well. I apparently have to re-earn Shiny's love after leaving for a week and making her have training rides. She had MANY opinions on Sunday when I rode her. She's starting to come back around though and we had a nice ride yesterday and today. I think her neck is still feeling sore, but definitely improved from when a couple weeks ago. I think she'll be just fine soon. Hopefully at least! She'll have a recheck sometime this month. 

Eros, in normal Eros fashion, has been feeling a little off on his bad foot since I got home. This happens literally every time I go away and let anyone else ride him. I don't think it's at all from getting bad rides. I know that didn't happen! But maybe just from his routine being different. He warms up pretty slowly, and my guess he wasn't given as much warm time as he might like. But also, I think the cold weather probably bothers that leg of his too. He felt better today than he did yesterday (it's 20 degrees warmer), so hopefully he'll be feeling better soon too. I'm skipping his lesson this week though, just to be safe. He is also on the vet list this month, so maybe doc will have some ideas on how to keep him more comfortable. Last time Doc was out, he recommended the Sure Foot hoof pads for Eros. (L talked about them on her blog once awhile back, but her blog seems to be hiding at the moment so I can't link back. Hopefully she'll read this and drop a link in the comments to her post!) I did order them, but they were on back order. I have since received two of the three density levels, but not the one I'm supposed to start with. So we have to wait to start using those. Anyway, I'm not terribly worried about him. His legs are tight, and this is pretty consistent with previous winters for him. 

Caught Pammon having a snooze... 
And by snooze, I mean laying down eating his hay. 

All is as it was with Pammon. We're still walking 30 minutes every day. He'll get a recheck too when doc comes and I'm hopeful we will get to add some trotting into our rides soon. I'm so happy to be sitting on him again, but it would be nice to break up some of that 30 minutes with a little trot work.

Al's got jokes already.

Al is amazing guys. I gave him a light ride on Sunday since I hadn't ridden in over a week and had four of them to survive. He was a good boy as per the norm. But Tuesday, when I went to get him out of his stall, I discovered he was missing a shoe. He tried to pretend he doesn't wear one on that foot, but I know better. Found the shoe, and my farrier was able to tack it back on his way home that evening. I hopped on him today, a little concerned I might die after he had two days off. But I needn't have worried. He started out a little quick, but settled right in and we had a really great ride. I even managed to get him round for several consecutive laps of the ring. Which is a feat for me right now. (Lil' victories my friends.) We skipped the flat lesson this week for a bunch of reasons that are probably just me making excuses, but we have our jumping lesson tomorrow!

And in vacation news, you guys already read the less than ideal end to the trip. But the trip itself was pretty wonderful! My dad had his boat docked at the Atlantis Marina in the Bahamas. We had access to the water park, pools, beaches, etc being docked there, though for the most part we played with the boats. We had a chef for the week as part of our boat crew so meals were prepared on board, and we ate outside each meal thanks to the lovely weather. After breakfast, my step mom took the peddle kayak out for her workout, and my dad would follow behind her with the dinghy. Some mornings I joined him.

And then most afternoons we took the tender out for swimming and snorkeling in the ocean. So I got some sun, did some swimming (okay, mostly floating), and read a book! Oh, and I did take one trip down the tube water slide (NOT the vertical drop one!). It was a great week. For New Year's we had an extra delicious dinner on the boat, then watched "Don't Look Up" and I was in bed when I saw the ball drop. If I was a less lazy person, I'd have gone back up because there was a pretty fabulous fireworks show. And all the boats blew their horns at midnight which was kind of a fun thing. Probably less so for people trying to sleep... but I was up!

And now you're all caught up! Did you all have a nice New Years?

What's Up Wednesday

Happy Wednesday all! It's been relatively quiet around here. I spent my non horse time this weekend organizing the shoes in my house. If you think I have a lot of tall boots, it's nothing compared to the hoard of shoes I own. And they're utter chaos at the moment. I even discovered I had bought the same pair twice. THAT is when you know you have a problem. I just ordered some new storage solutions from Amazon, so I'm guessing this weekend will be similarly spent. But you're not here to talk about shoes! So let's look back at the last week.
The vet was out Friday to recheck Shiny pants, and he was really pleased with how she's healing. It had been two week since he discovered that giant splinter in her hoof, and everything is healing up nicely. There's just one little spot that is still a little soft, but once that hardens up she can go back to her regular life. She is all too ready. Poor thing hasn't had a turnout in just over a month. But she will soon. Yay!

Also, my vet posted her initial photos on his Facebook page and it legit went viral. Figures THAT is what would get us famous... ha! He didn't post who it was though, confidentiality and all that.

I also got a glowing report on Pammon. Doc ultrasounded him about a week prior to Shiny's recheck, and showed me how much healing has taken place. The ligament was a complete mess when he went to the clinic, with huge disruptions to the fibers pretty much throughout. It was bad. And now there's a lot of filling in going on. Doc is really confident he'll be back to jumping and at the heights I had bought him for. So that's fantastic news. There's no time line yet, which is fine with me. I'm not rushing this. I need him to get fully healed. Only then will we worry about getting back to business. And though I'm smart enough not to count any chickens before they hatch, I am feeling cautiously optimistic.

But then there's Eros... My perfect boy Eros has decided he no longer needs to, you know... travel correctly. He has concluded that he is perfectly content to trot and canter (and walk, I guess...) with his head up, back hollow, and completely locked up from poll to tail. So that's been fun. I'm going to get him on the list for doc to look at him, but since he was JUST here, I'm not sure yet when he's back next. Eros does not feel at all unsound, so I don't think we have something major going on. But never hurts to check anyway. He is doing all kinds of lateral work to evade doing what I'm actually asking for, which kind of suggests to me something is bugging him that he's trying to avoid. I still think getting a body worker out would do wonders for him, but for whatever reason, barn owner is dragging her feet on finding someone. We had briefly discussed injecting his SI the last time he had a lameness exam and we decided to wait. So it's entirely possible the time has come. I'm guessing the very cold weather (it was 18 degrees last night when I left the barn) probably isn't helping to loosen him.Other than being kind of inside out though, he's still his perfect self.
So we had some snow on Saturday night, which meant Sunday there was snowing coming off the indoor roof. The trainers opted to give the young horses the day off so no one would die (probably a good choice) but I figured I'd take my chances, and stuff the ears just in case. Now, I'm pretty confident I had stuffed Eros' ears more than a few times last year. If you recall, he was on light work and no turn out around this time last year for that sore foot of his. And he was quite spooky, and I'm really sure I used ear plugs more than a few times. But you guys... when I put them in on Sunday, this was the face I got:

 Unless something caught his interest, he ears stayed like this the entire time he had them stuffed. On the way back in from our ride, he literally was shoving his ears in my face asking me to take them out. (And I mean literally... I definitely got an ear in the mouth.) As soon as we reached the crossties I removed the ear plugs. He was very grateful. Such a drama king.
We had a butt kicking flat lesson last night. I'm definitely sore, though he's probably not since I was certainly working harder than he was. I finished that ride up with some really nice canter work, but the trot never really came together. We will have a lighter flat tonight and tomorrow he's getting a training ride. Trainer didn't think my timing was bad, and wants to see if she can feel what's causing this sudden resistance. And/or if I'm just doing something to piss him off. Not impossible! I really think some vet and/or body work is the answer but in the meantime, it doesn't hurt to have a different human get a feel.

That's about all that's happening with the horses. But I have a few other interesting odds and ends to mention. First, I bought a pair of boots off Ebay before the holidays. Not riding boots, just regular ones. Anyway, I pulled one out and tried it on when they arrived, but was in a rush and didn't check both boots. One was good, so you would assume they both were fine right? Never assume my friends.

 Whilst doing my shoe organizing this past weekend, I pulled those boots out to try on, and realized they had sent me two right boots. I don't have two right feet despite what my dancing skills may suggest. So I messaged the seller asking if I could swap one of my rights for a left. I mean, chances are good they have a pair of lefts sitting around, right? Well seller messages me back three days later that they can't help me because I'm outside the return window. Seriously? Fortunately, the negative feed back I left combined with my going to Ebay for a resolution got me a refund fairly quickly. But I still have two right boots. Someone suggested finding a charity that collects for veterans, so I'll look into that. It sounds awful, but amputees sometimes just need one shoe. And they're very nice!

Next, I had a little tack-cident over the weekend when I saw the Motion Lite coat I've been drooling at was on sale. So I ordered it. I now own almost all of the colors. Which wouldn't be SO bad except that I don't even show right now... But I WILL show this summer. It will happen. It has to. Eros even has a show bridle now. So things are getting real. Anyway, this is the jacket:

Obviously it's better suited to the jumper ring with Pammon... But doc says we'll get there. So I'm just preparing. Ok?

But then Amanda of 900 Facebook Pony fame made my buy a new bareback pad.

Which then meant I needed girths because I don't have a dressage style girth. So I had to get two of these (one for the horses, one for Shiny):

So moral of the story is... Amanda's the worst and she makes me things I can't really find an excuse for. Which wouldn't be that bad, except I buy a lot of things on my own that I can totally find excuses for. And now I'm broke. Good thing I'm not trying to show yet!

Ok, that's really it from here this week. I shall leave you with this confusing photo of Pia staring at me through the door to my living room.

Did you all have a good week? Did Amanda make you buy anything?

Truthful Tuesday: Pammon update

Well guys, the vet was out Friday for a few horses at the barn including Pammon (and I had him check on Shiny too after her stumble). Shiny seems to be just fine, with no real reason for her fall that he could find. We drew some blood to check her exposure to Lyme and EPM just in case though. He thinks probably we just need to have her toes rolled over a bit more. Hoping it's an isolated incident!

Pammon however, is another story. It actually seems that the area on his check that he initially injured has healed up pretty well. That's the good news. The bad news is that the meatier part of the check is completely (in my vet's actual words) shredded. SHREDDED. In other words, he really effed up his leg. It's a pretty big mystery as to how since he's been on stall rest and wrapped. But we all know horses will find a way.

 I asked if this is career ending, and doc said "I'm not saying that." But he also didn't offer up a time frame or prognosis for return to a job as 1.3 meter jumper. I don't think the future is bright in that area to be honest. I mean, I have zero plans of jumping 1.3 meters, but I did hope to do the high adults. I don't think that will be in his future. And if it is, we're looking at next year at the earliest. As in 2021. Maybe I really need to step back and reevaluate my riding life you guys. I'm not sure I can keep getting my hopes to get back into the show ring, and then have my horse break down before I even get started. None of them have had the same injuries or even same types of injuries, so I can't for the life of me pinpoint what I'm doing wrong in their care.
This is going to sound SUPER WHINY but I am so tired of nursing and rehabbing horses. I feel like it's been nonstop for the last five years. I guess we'll see what Shiny wants to do with her life, and she'll just have to be my focus. Who would have thought my showing dreams would land on the back of a large pony as an almost 40 year old? Ha! Good thing I like ponies.

What's up Wednesday...

What's up you ask? Nothing really. Slow news day over here! We're stuck in a bit of a weather pattern here it seems. I get to ride every other day pretty much due to rain, rain, and more rain! I'm willing to ride in the drizzle, but this time of year, I kind of don't when it's more than that. Especially given it's dark out and in the low 50's by the time I get home from work. No thanks! Though that will all change soon once I'm at a barn with an indoor! So rather than being grumpy about my lack of saddle time, I'm trying to enjoy the break before diving into real training with Miss Shiny pants!
Pammon's leg looks awful. I sent pics to the vet and he said they should come and see him. So I'll get him on the list over at the other barn. We use the same vet, and he's usually there a couple times a month. I don't know how he could have hurt himself while hanging in his stall with wraps on, but this is what I found when I took them off Monday night.

That's the worst it's looked since even the initial injury. I don't have good feelings about this. I don't have a budget for more horses... so this really needs to heal. I don't mean to be a whiny first world problems annoying human, but this is really kind of tearing me up. Between everything that's happened the last few years with Rio and Jampy (and Badger and Romey....) I was so much looking forward to getting back to real training and showing with Pammon. And it ended before it even started. Where do you go from there? Is it time to just accept that showing isn't in my cards anymore? I mean I know I have Eros and we can play in the hunters some hopefully. And maybe Shiny will do some little hunter classes. So it's not like I'll NEVER show. But I think maybe real competitive divisions and jumpers are just over for me. Wah. Sorry. I do want some cheese with my whine thank you.
On the other hand, there's more to life with horses than showing. I'm so incredibly lucky to get to ride regularly and spend time with them. I don't want it to seem like I'm not grateful for that. I absolutely am. I guess I'm just a little greedy and I want more. But it's not fair of me to pin all that on Pammon. So I'll try and swallow my wants and just get back to nursing that leg. I should be pretty good at that by now!

In other news, the puggers are bored with all the rain too. But they also are pretty happy to laze around the house. I played around with portrait mode on the phone with them the other night:

I know. They're the cutest puppers. And that's really about all that's happening around here right now. Saturday should be the big move, assuming Fefe gets picked up in the next couple of days. Hopefully the move smoothly and quietly. It's only a 5 mile trip so hopefully Pammon doesn't get too excited. I'll probably slip him a magic cookie before we go...

How was your week? Do anything fun and exciting? Horse shows? Lessons? Tell me all about it! (I swear I do want to hear about your horse shows, gotta live vicariously!)