What's Up Wednesday

 

It might not seem like it after yesterday's post, but things have been going quite nicely here for the most part. Up until winter showed back up anyway. Lol. I really just hate cold weather. My horses don't seem to love it either. They were all so silly yesterday. Eros was sure there were horse eating monsters in the woods, Shiny actually spooked, and Al... well you can imagine how Al was feeling if the others were like that. But before we get to yesterday, let's chat about the rest of the week first, when it was lovely out, and the horses were so happy!

Guys. I am terrified to put this in writing because it will definitely jinx things. But Al has been wonderful. Truly. I really make a point to not be in a hurry with him. We hand walk a bit before I get on, and then once on, we walk on a loose rein for awhile each direction before we get to trotting. Once trotting he isn't quite ready to trot around on a loose rein entirely, but here and there he does. He's still more likely than not to be behind the leg, but when I put my leg on, he is responding better than in the past. Lots of work still to do, but I think there's progress. He checks out way less, even with the neighbor banging and clanging away. I'm still staying off the rail on that side with him, but he's using the full ring otherwise. We even jumped a mini course on Friday, and there was no angst from either of us. Just so much more rideable. 

Oh I buried the lead there! They all have done a few jumps this week. 4 jumps on Wednesday, and then maybe 10 on Friday? And by jumps, I pretty much mean raised cavalletti, but you have to start somewhere. And I like the slow is fast method for getting fitness back. It was fun, and we all enjoyed it!

Yesterday not so much... It was windy, the neighbor was neighboring, it was COLD, and I was grumpy. But you know what? Even with all that, he still never fully checked out. I put him on a big circle rather than fighting about using more of the ring, and for the most part, we had a halfway decent ride. He was still tense and snorting the whole ride, but he did what I asked, and never went sideways nor spun. So while it was a crap ride overall, it was still a lot better than it could have been. Even if things fall apart completely this week, we actually had nice rides all of last week, which is probably the longest stretch we've had in a couple years

I don't want to pretend some miracle has happened though, and I'm honest on this blog. So I will tell you, he's still on Gabapentin, which absolutely contributes to this change. I don't know what will happen when we start taking him off it. I'm having the sports med vet out next month when we'll be discussing that. But even with the Gaba, I think there's been a shift for Al because it really wasn't helping much in the fall. I don't think it's ALL from the meds. But it certainly could be. Time will tell. Regardless, I'm enjoying my horse a lot more and that's something. I hope very much that's not solely because of the meds, because I still don't believe in medicating to get the horse you want. But it is nice to know that this pleasant, not overly anxious Al exists. I just hope I can keep him around without medication. I still think there must be some kind of nerve pain or something going on because the weather affects his anxiety so much. I know my body felt a million times better when it was warm, so I feel like that's probably true of him too. We shall see!

Shiny has been good too. I think the longer walks at the start of our ride are nice for her too. Which doesn't mean the Shiny shuffle has disappeared, that will always be her preferred warm up. But once she's warmed up, she's working nicely. She was SO excited when I aimed her at some jumps last week. I forgot what a different pony she is when she's jumping. Wednesday the four jumps were at the end of the ride, but Friday I did some flatwork after we jumped, and she was so loose and forward. She felt great. 

I've been using a poll cover on Eros' bridle because I really liked how he felt with Al's Back on Track hat, but don't really like sharing those things among horses. I had a poll cover already so figured I'd see if that gave me the same feeling from him, and it does! I didn't use it yesterday because I switched bridles for the day and he was clearly a bit off his rocker. He probably would have been regardless, but I'm going to use it today and see what we have. Not a fair assessment fully, as they're getting shots in about a half hour, but the weather is still gross. So he could be spicy or not today. Time will tell!

He had a great week last week though! He was lovely on the jump days, even Friday when I strung a few together. He didn't even torpedo in the little line. He got a little quick once for a lead change, but came right back without taking the reins away from me. Very proud of him!

In other barn news, we had a wee mouse invasion. I knew there was one making a nest somewhere because it ate a hole in my saddle cover. And then the next day a second hole in the same one. (Not happy, that wasn't cheap! But glad it was the same one and not a second one.) 

I couldn't find the nest. Well the next day, I still hadn't found the nest, but I found babies under Eros' saddle. 

There was a fourth one still in the cover. So gross.  And quite a surprise because the cover mama had been destroying was not on this saddle. I put the babies outside, and set some traps. I've since caught two mice. I'm assuming one was mom. Not sure who the other was. Maybe dad. I'm don't know how mouse families work, and truly I don't care as long as they aren't leaving their children in my stuff. I'm not a nanny!

That was enough excitement for me though. Nothing else to report thus far. How are things with you guys? Have you been gifted baby mice lately? I hope not!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Well this is awkward.... So, you know how I've mentioned that Al has a threshold for external stimuli? Like he can handle it being windy if it's warm out and the neighbor isn't around, but not if it's also cold and noisy. Well. I realized today that perhaps it's not all him. Because I too am quite dysfunctional with too much negative stimuli.

Let me explain. I have been having a terrible time with carpal tunnel, which is mostly just annoying. But the reason I'm struggling from it is that it's been waking me up at night. And sometimes it's so bad I have trouble getting comfortable enough to go back to sleep. Very annoying. Last night, it woke me up around 2:30 am and I didn't fall back asleep until after 4. So I got maybe 5 hours of very interrupted sleep. Annoying, right? So that was negative stimuli number one.

Negative stimuli number two was that it's freaking freezing again! Not quite literally, but close. It was in the 30's overnight and didn't get to 50 today. Also wind. Gross.

Which leads me to number three. I have told my worker more times than I should have to that he can't use his diesel blower in the barn if the doors will be shut. The fumes are terrible. Like SO BAD. The horses should NOT be left to breath that in. Nor should I. Definitely not good for my asthma. So did he use my electric blower today since the doors were shut? Oh no. No he did not. I was big mad. We're kind of back to the same problems I've complained about in the past, so this was like icing on my grumpy cake. 

Let me tell you. I was in a foul mood ALL DAY. I didn't even want to hang out with me. The horses were super spicy too, but thankfully we all kept our poo mostly together. Though I did nearly fall of Shiny trotting... Hahaha! That actually made my laugh. Not sure what startled her, but I was in the bareback pad and she teleported sideways. She's an angel though and caught me. Good pony.

So anyway, the real question is, am I the reason Al is the way he is?? Or has Al's neuroses rubbed off onto me? Hard to say for sure. But generally with horses, it's usually not them that's the problem. I suppose the first step is recognizing it. Step two is figuring out how to fix it. I'll just be over here trying to reset my grumpy meter.

Thursday's Threads

 

We've had some really silly outfits the last couple of weeks, so for today, we dialed it back. Shiny is our model, and here is what she had on this week:

I put a little weight on her this winter, because I really didn't like her ultra svelte physique from last summer. I know the vets were happy, but she just looked a little too lean to me. I think she looks perfect right now though. Well. A little under muscled, but that will come with work.

Bridle: Pinnacle

She really likes when I don't make her wear a bit. But she has to sometimes. It's the rules. Not today though!

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Stephens
Baby Pad: Ogilvy

Some day I'll get her a green Mattes half pad. But today is not that day. This one does the job for her just fine!

I have been a little lazy with the leg wear, so she doesn't have boots on. But she did wear our brown Busse ones yesterday when we popped over a couple crossrails. 

So that's what she wore today, and here's what I had on:

Kept it pretty boring today! But I kinda like it. Very earthy. 

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

I'm so glad I found this sparkly front shield at Equine Affair in the fall. It's made this helmet significantly more fun!

Shirt: FitEq

These tees are a wee bit smaller than I remember them being before winter... But you know, still works!

Belt: Silver Star

I forget where I found this belt, but I know I was really excited that it was my farm colors. I swapped out the boring buckle it came with for this fancy horseshoe one. Which makes it look like I've lost several inches, but really it's just a much larger buckle. It will be our secret. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

I haven't tried to stuff myself into any of my size 26 yet, but at least the size 28 still fit! This color is called Fawn, and it is different than the show tan ones. You all know I love all the shades of tan and brown. Even the weird ones. But this one is pretty tame. 

Boots: La Mundial

I was really wishing I had a nice green pair of Celeris. Well I do, but those are lime green and not what I was going for here. Then I remembered these and they worked nicely for today's outfit. 

And that's it! Any favorites from today? Suggestions for next week? I think I know what we're going to wear, but I'm not positive yet. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Finally we did it! We rode all six days this week! Thank you Mother Nature for allowing this finally. We've made it to our full 30ish minute rides, so slowly we'll start adding in more intensity to them. And we may even add in some baby jumps this week. Maybe even today! We shall see. My new approach to jump days is to choose them on the fly. I can't anticipate what the neighbor will be doing so I have to work around that, and I need to learn to be flexible with these things. 

I got a short clip of the types of sounds that happen next door when you least expect them, for anyone who thinks I exaggerate. Imagine jumping and having this happen?? 

Anyway, neighbor aside, it's been pretty nice around here with some unseasonably warm weather. Let's be honest, we deserve this after the winter. It's amazing how wind is so much more tolerable when it's in the upper 70's vs the upper 40's. So much better. Still scary if you ask Al, but not quite as bad. 

The horses will get their first set of spring shots next week, and then the second set a couple weeks after that. And we are on the list to be scheduled for mid-end of May with our sports med vet to get our maintenance tended to. I think Shiny especially will appreciate that. I wanted to get a little bit if fitness on them before that appointment which we are well on the way. 

We had our first post ride rinse off yesterday, but haven't done full baths yet. Still, the geldings' coats look so good this spring. Hopefully that means we're doing something right over here.

They are so shiny, and these photos are pre rinse off day too! They aren't wet! Shiny isn't quite there yet with her coat. She still has a LOT of shedding to do, but she's working on it. Yellow hair everywhere at the moment. Last year I wound up clipping her in spring, but we'll see what happens this year. I'd rather not... But will if need be. I think she's shedding better than last year. Fingers crossed!

In other exciting news (not really), my feed store was low on shavings the last several weeks and was only allowing ten bags at a time. Super annoying, because that's like just about a week or so worth. But finally last week they got their full shipment and I was able to get my full order. Yay! It's the small things right? 

I don't have too much to really report on with the horses. They've been pretty good. Al had one day that was a lot this past week, but there was a lot of stimuli going on which I know is hard for him. He has a stimuli threshold, and that day far exceeded it. But we also had a few really nice rides. And yesterday we had what I would consider a normal ride. Which is rare for him, so I was thrilled! I don't have any expectation that it will be regularly repeatable, but I will definitely celebrate that it happened. We stayed on the quarter line on the one side of the ring, but otherwise used the full ring. He stayed connected, and managed to canter full laps around the ring each way. Pretty rare for him. Was he still behind the leg more often than not? Oh yes. For sure. But ya know, I'll take that over nuttiness any day. Why was he so good that day you ask? Neighbor wasn't home and it was 78 degrees. If only I could get that combo more often!

I caught him having a little snooze during turnout on Sunday which was adorable. I mean sure I first panicked that he was dying because I don't usually see him nap out there... But he was fine, and thus it was very cute.

We've started some short time hand grazing, which they are all thrilled about. Last fall doc assured me that it was okay for Shiny to have a little bit of grass, so even she's been allowed. And all of this also means that Sunday Funday is back! I opted to keep my saddle on this week since we did full rides first. And Al I wasn't ready for the snackamore yet, so he had a hand graze. But still. It's a start! We were all excited for a little Sunday Funday.

That's really about it from here. A productive but quiet week, and that's what I like to have! How are things your way? Is spring doing nice spring things or bad spring things?

Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is not a new one. It's just freshly apparent to me and I don't have anything better to confess today anyway. Guys. All it takes for me to be a useful member of society is some sunshine and temps about 50. And I get progressively more useful the warmer it gets. We're expecting mid to high 70's today and I am HERE for it! Tee shirt weather! WOOHOO!!!

Anyone else? Or are you one of those weirdos that thrives when it's 30 degrees? No judgement... I just can't relate. 

Thursday's Threads: Peeps Edition

 

It's OUTFIT day! Did you think I skipped an Easter outfit since I'm Jewish and Passover overlapped this year? Well fear not. We have our Peeps finest for you today! Al is our main model today since he's well over due for a turn, but everyone got in on the fun so we'll have some extra photos at the end. 

Here's what Al had on for Peeps day:

I've been throwing a little extra hay because our new load of Timothy weighs a lot less than the grass mix we usually get... But he's looking a lil' chonky so I may have to step back a bit on the extra. I imagine though, that as we get going with more work his weight will even out.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Homemade by me

Cap: Back On Track
Bunnies: Peeps

Honestly. He's so cute. I love his messy star.

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Ippico
Baby pad: Ogilvy, embellished by me

It was no small task trying to find Peeps ribbon that had the chicks. I really can't say why, but I much prefer the Peeps chicks to the bunnies. It doesn't make any sense. If you offered me a real bunny or a real chick, I'd choose the bunny, no question. But marshmallow treats? Give me the chick. Every time. Yet for some reason, the vast majority of Peeps merch is in the form of the bunny. Thankfully someone out there made some chicks ribbon.

Boots: Premier Equine, embellished by me

I was less successful finding fabric with chicks. But I DID find pet bandanas that worked just as well for the boot straps.

That's what Al had on, and here's what I was wearing:

Sadly, I couldn't ride with the bunnies because the wind was insane this day. They'd have blown right off. And I can't imagine Al would appreciate bunnies hitting him on the butt. 

Helmet: One K Avance CCS with MIPS

Bunnies: Peeps

I found this headband this year at Walmart, and it's definitely my favorite of our Peeps headbands. They're fuzzy!

Sweatshirt: Fun

I was disappointed when this arrived as it was advertised as a sweater, but it's not. I got over that though because it's so ridiculous and I love it. Also, it features CHICKS!

Belt: C4

C4 also came through with a chicks belt. I've had this a few years now, and I still love it so much!

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

Last year I paired this top with purple breeches, but I didn't love it. So I tried these this year, and I think it's much better. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers
Sneakers: Heelys

Had to wear the peeps sneakers out to the barn for today. But don't worry, I didn't get them dirty! Also, in this instance, the bunnies are definitely the appropriate choice for the tongue. But fear not, the chicks are featured on the sides. I've also accepted the bunnies on the socks. But if they made chicks next year, I'd defintely buy them. Just saying.

Boots: Celeris UK

I hummed and hawed about which boots to wear today. I almost chose the lilac ones, and I still think they'd be a great choice. But they are also still bleeding onto the saddle when I wear them, so I opted not to use them. I should find something to seal them with so I wear them more. Those and the mint ones. My pandemic boots. The only time my Celeris boots weren't perfect. Anyway. These pink ones work great for this outfit!

That's what we wore today! Here are some cute shots of Eros and Shiny with their bunnies too.

Shiny's bunnies are on springs, so I thought they might survive the wind. AND THEY DID!

What's Up Wednesday

 Ah spring... That time of year where you can make no outdoor plans because you never know what you're gonna get! One thing is a certain though. WIND. You will definitely get wind. So much wind. 

Our return work is coming along slowly though. Despite the challenges! We've had to miss a couple days due to weather but we've gotten far enough along to add cantering to our daily workouts. Rides are up to about 25-28 minutes (sometimes we walk out a little extra) which is getting close to regular work. Our daily rides are typically about 30-40 minutes. Though intensity for "regular" work is a lot more than where we are at right now. But that's okay. We'll get there!

The big thing happening over here the past week was work on the driveway. You probably remember that the dumpster truck (for the poo bin) sunk pretty deep when they came to empty it a few weeks back. I had a guy out to take a look and he said he could fix it same day. Great! But he didn't really fix it same day. (Does that ever actually happen?) They just semi filled in the deep spots, and suddenly I had standing water on the driveway which I've not had before. To be fair, the ground is absolutely saturated from all that snow melting so quickly, but still. No one wants standing water on a farm. (Flies, am I right?) Plus, if money is getting spent to fix it, we should really fix it right? So I had him back out to get it actually level and to re-dig the swale that had somehow been filled in on the edge. It looks much better now, though the swale still has water sitting in it. I'll see if it dries out, but the answer there may be to fill it with stone? I have no idea, I don't have an education in excavation. Anyway, it wound up being a three day project. Right next to the barn and ring. So you might think I didn't ride all those days. But you'd be wrong! I put on some big girl panties and rode my horses! 

Look at that mostly level driveway! 

Well kind of. The first day was the initial partial fix day and that happened on a cold, rainy day so I didn't ride then. But that was last week anyway so it doesn't count in this week's total ride days. For the two days they worked this week I did ride. The first day I only rode Shiny and Eros, Al did groundwork. Which I actually learned a little more about how Al's mind works with this project. He had very low pressure the first day (just working in hand, and honestly, we didn't do much more than walk around, stop intermittently and occasionally backing up). I think this helped him really take in what was going on around him (he likes when he can see what's making noise) so when I rode him the next day with the extra activity, he wasn't too distracted by it. Did I have his full attention on me? Oh no. I'm not sure I've ever achieved that with him. But he wasn't startled by or anxious about it. Which for Al is a big step. At least I think so. I think he just needs a little more time to acclimate than some horses do. Like, you know how sometimes you need a minute to transition from your work life to your barn life? Al needs that too. But from inside Al to outside Al. Or free time Al to work time Al. Whichever. 

Shiny, as you might expect, didn't care even a little about the work happening. In this photo, they are pulling rock out of that truck onto the driveway. Not a quiet task to say the least. And Shiny barely flicked an ear. She really is a gem. I'm so lucky to have her. She's been doing pretty well in her work this week. I do think she's due for maintenance on her neck so I haven't asked for too much in terms of connection, but I want them a little more fit before we get the vet out. Otherwise we end up treating things that are from lack of fitness more than actual ailments. 

She was the slowest to start shedding this year, and I was worried that maybe she was developing Cushings (when she was so overweight my vets considered her high risk, not sure now but I worry). But she's now shedding with a vengeance so I'm less concerned. Her light over her stall has something wrong with it and it only turns on when it's about 65, so I'm thinking that made a difference. Plus she's part welsh pony and they're just hairy little beasts! I will still discuss with the vet just to make note though. Also, she's always the last to start shedding, so maybe I should calm down. 

I actually think Eros has been more anxious than Al this spring. He's been a little spooky and worried about distant sounds. But he doesn't really follow through with his feelings and that's what makes him so much easier to manage. I've been applying some of the things I've learned from Al to my rides on Eros when he's having feelings, and not at all shockingly, they help him too. I've also used the Back On Track cap on him a few times with a noticeable difference in his softness. I swear, that stuff is magic. I have a poll cover too, but I think the cap is probably better since it covers more. He's feeling decent through his body though. He also could use some vet work, but he's not unsound, so I'm thrilled. He's 17 this year, and has never been the soundest of horses. I'll take any win I can get in that department!

Al's had a few less rides than his siblings, but he's still coming along nicely. I can't say he's as consistently forward as he was the first few weeks of rides, but I don't expect miracles. He IS responding when I ask for more though, and that is really all I can hope for. I haven't forced him to use the full ring just yet. We're mostly still staying to the inside/quarter line on that one spooky section of the ring. But I've started thinking of it as as accommodation rather than as being a weenie. Kids with special needs have accommodations at school to help them succeed, and that's what I'm doing for Al. Anytime that we get a day without ridiculous wind and the neighbor isn't outside, we start incorporating that area more. So it's like managing the stressors for him. We push the boundaries when it's safest, and we are more lenient about it when there are multiple distractions happening. So far, it's resulting in a more relaxed horse that's willing to listen to me. He's also allowed to look at the things he's concerned about, BUT he has to do it in proper shape. So if he wants to watch the tree line by the neighbor, he can, but he has to do it with contact and proper bend through his body. So like counter bend down that long side. Being able to keep him moving through his whole body, I have a better chance of keeping enough attention on me, and we're not fighting over where he's looking. Is it "proper" horse training? I dunno. Probably not. But if it's getting the end result I'm after, does it matter? I guess time will tell. Some of the things I've tried in the past have brought on new issues later, so I don't claim to know what I'm doing when it comes to this horse. He's definitely a challenging one! I just don't think most old school training techniques work for him either, so we do our trial and error and see where we end up. He's my horse so if I royally mess it all up, it's no one's problem but mine anyway. At the end of the day, I need to enjoy him. No one else does. 

That's where the horses are at currently! Something funny I noted during my rides with Al and Shiny on Saturday. While I rode them, the excavator was out there doing his thing, but also the neighbor was doing HIS thing (isn't he always). What was interesting, Shiny and Al both were pretty unbothered by the excavator. But they each were keeping an eyeball on the neighbor. I swear they trust that guy even less than I do. Especially Shiny. Which tracks because she has a great memory and it was her I was on when he had his temper tantrum about paying for his tree work. (Back story for anyone new: several years ago, the neighbor asked permission to do some tree work on our shared tree line. I told him he could do absolutely whatever he wanted but he was responsible for the bill as I had just had someone out to do trees. He said oh yes of course, just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be upset about anything taken down. This was in the fall. Like October maybe. Then one day in April he comes over and wants me to pay half the bill. SIX months later! Dude, pay your worker. I said no. I had told him from the get go I wasn't paying for it. He walks back home. I got on Shiny. Suddenly he starts pounding on his metal shed with like a bat or something. Like SUPER loud. And varying intensities. Scared the poop out of Shiny, I nearly came off.) I SWEAR she remembers this. The boys are distracted by him, but Shiny mare glares so hard at him anytime she sees him. And she doesn't really ever give her attention to anything (except food). 

That's really it from here. I'm debating whether or not to ride today. It's freaking freezing out there! Horses are back in heavies... Yuck. We shall see what happens when I get out there.