2025 Transitions: January/February Goals and progress

[StraightForward]

Happy New Year!

Riding goals this period are simple - ride when the opportunity presents itself. Try to get a lesson or two if at all possible. At least the days are starting to get longer! If weather allows it, I might ride Kyra a bit as well while Susan is recovering from surgery.


SELF:
Diet and fitness will be my goal this period, since I can control that more than riding conditions.
Minimum 3, preferably 4 workouts per week.
Identify and address imbalances and weaknesses.
Take a break from wine for a few weeks.
Prioritize getting more movement during the workday.
More veggies and protein.

[Moutaineer]

Happy New Year to you, too, SF and everyone!

Simple goals here too. With cold weather, snow and being in a potentially busy, not terribly large, indoor arena for the next couple of months, it seems like a very good period to go back to the training scale basics and make sure we have them thoroughly refreshed before we do any fancy stuff.

For me, eat less, walk more, all those good things.

[exvet]

Happy New Year!

I'm currently at Thermal. Pony is as chill as can be despite how busy it is. So grateful for a sane pony. Now to the goals.....

Find a saddle that fits. I'd been suspicious that he'd outgrown his semi-custom and it was contributing to our lack of forward. One of my reasons for coming to Indio was not to show but to ride with Molly Martin again. It's been a year and our schedules just weren't meshing but I knew with us both held hostage at the venue I could get some needed expert opinions. Well none of my saddles work on junior and THAT is hampering our progress. He has despite the saddle pinching his broad shoulders improved in muscling and stamina but if I want the brass ring, I must find a saddle so let the games begin. Waiting for one fitter to get back to me.

For Troy it's my plan to work him towards wearing full tack and continue exposing him to as much as I can. Worked with Junior.

Me, get more bicycling in since running has toasted my knees.

[heddylamar]

Riding:
– Continue the regular lessons (today's was invaluable!) Add in working with the eventer, and Sundays afternoons for working equitation.
– Get out to ride 3-4 times during the week ... that's complicated by work, light, and cold, but it's do-able. I just need to get over the fact it's dark and cold. I have to be semi-presentable by 10 AM, and the barn opens at 7:30 and is a 20 minute drive. No time to dally!

Me:
– Use the DH's tonal 1-2 times/week.

[goldhorse]

Dropping in after a long hiatus. Glad to see 2024 in the rear view mirror. In chronological order, I lost a 6 yo cat to a mast cell cancer, a lovely lab mix to old age, my original Goldhorse to founder, and a best friend to a horrific traffic accident. So everything else pales in comparison. But we carry on. After 2 years, I have finally become comfortable with the canter although Piggy does me no favors and tries to dislodge my left seat bone so he can swap leads and go back to the trot. The STINKER! But I am figuring it out. Continuing with 2x a week lessons and a once a month clinic with another trainer. Piggy is in full training to keep his butt fit. He's turning 22 and doesn't show it! I am forever thankful to his vets at UC Davis and his wonderful farrier for dealing with his laminitis.
Goals for this year:
Showing at 1st level. Piggy can do it all. He can do 3rd level frankly. Just not me I have to be able increase my leg aids in the canter half halts and relax my pelvis and let it swing.
Exercise goals are being met but I need to discover why my pelvis likes to rotate left. Either a weakness in the piriformis or hip flexor? Maybe time to visit my body work person?
Weight loss has been achieved with a GLP1 drug. 50 lbs lost since March I have struggled my entire life with being overweight and the last doctor visits have been alarming. My family has a strong history of diabetes so I went on tirzepatide and now am off the blood pressure meds and the blood glucose meds. And it's a hell of a lot easier to exercise. And no knee replacement in my immediate future!
And I would like my eldest daughter to return from Africa where she's been working with Doctors Without Borders on the Sudanese refugee crisis.

[StraightForward]

Good to hear from you Goldhorse, but sorry to hear about all of your losses in 2024. Glad you have Piggy going strong and congrats on the weight loss!

Heddy, what is a tonal?

I'm already making progress on one goal, as long as the weather forecast doesn't take a turn for the worse. My regular instructor will be doing a clinic next weekend in Wood River Valley, so I'll be hauling the ~3 hours over there and doing two lessons. There are February and March clinics as well, so hopefully conditions will allow traveling. Yesterday I hauled to the indoor and had a good ride, including something that could probably pass as a working piri to the left, and a few half-steps getting closer to on the spot. T was a turd for loading to leave; just did not think she should need to abandon her friends (she self-loaded perfectly to go home). The indoor gets worked daily, but I've noticed the footing is getting pounded rather hard. The owner is 81 and was walking with a cane yesterday, so I wonder if he is having more limitations on being able to maintain it. A barnmate was talking about going to a different indoor tomorrow, so I might look into that, at least for a change of scenery.

[texsuze]

Still lurking but keeping tabs with interest with all the projects, goals and success, big and small, from everyone. Last month's spam session gave me a scare so hoping I'm not entertaining any bots, breaches or virus cooties by posting now . And Goldhorse, I feel your pain and sorrow with all the passing of so many close to you, critter and human. For 2025: hope we can hope for the best...

[blob]

Happy new year, everyone.

So sorry to hear about your difficult 2024, goldhorse, I can't imagine all that sadness. Glad you and piggy are carrying on.

Goals for these couple of months:

Me:
Continue to find good work/riding balance
Eat well
Get stronger/fitter

MM:
Figure out fecal water and stop it
Get her weight in a better place
Get in shape
Enjoy her

RP:
Use the equiband at least 2x a week
work on changes
Get in 1-2 lessons a month
ride through some test
Work on HPs

[Flight]

Goldhorse, sorry you had such an awful 2024. That is lot of losses.
My dr almost gave me a GLP1 drug recently too, but then decided to give me duromine. I tried it once and felt so strange and couldn't sleep that I'm not going to try it again!
So, I have a few months to try harder and see if I can make any progress myself. But there has been a lot of people have success with those meds.

My goals are to step it up with Norsey, just try and do everything 'better'. I still dont have a coach, so I have to stop coasting and concentrate more, and work on the hard stuff.
Ding is looking quite sound. I've just started light lunging and in-hand this week, if he stays sound I'll start lightly riding him and keep my fingers crossed. He's such a nice horse, I've missed working with him!
Bear, the young one is actually going ok. My sister came down with her daughter at christmas and rode Norsey and Bear. They have mostly and endurance background. It was good seeing my sister ride Bear (the one I fell off and broke my sacrum) because I clearly still had a bit of a hang up about that. She doesn't and just rode him normally without any worry. It helped me heaps to see that.
So, hopefully this year will be to have all 3 going.

[heddylamar]

Heddy, what is a tonal?

It's a pretty neat, but $$$, home gym system. I've got everything I could need — mats, weighted balls, free weights, bands with a wall mounted rail system. Plus rower and treadmill. But the DH absolutely "needed" this thing, and as the one who exercises regularly, I figure it should get some use.

[exvet]

Welcome back goldhorse; so, sorry about all the losses you've had to endure especially in such a short period of time.

So Thermal wasn't a huge bust in all actuality. I did scratch all my classes but between a couple of wonderful people on borrowed saddles with a winderen pad and shims I was able to get some fantastic eye opening lessons with Molly. I decided to come back a day early since I will be busy moving my mother over the course of this next week. However, my third and last lesson was so good and put me over the moon. I had several people comment on what a nice moving pony Junior is and everyone asking breeding. Maybe not an official means of redemption but definitely kept the wind in my sails. Junior of course is glad to be home but on the road back while driving I was able to schedule a saddle fitting for February and order a winderen pad to have so that I can at least keep his fitness level and strength from sliding back. Until I get the saddle fit issue reasonably answered, anything more specific with Junior is on hold.

Since entering my 60s and finally admitting that running isn't going to continue I've found a combination of working out, bicycling and intermittent fasting to be the most successful in keeping my weight down and maintaining fitness.

[Moutaineer]

Sorry you had to scratch Exvet, but happy it wasn't a completely wasted trip.

I signed up for an 8 week health and fitness challenge at the local gym that starts next Monday... I've got to be 20 years older than anyone else in the group. Oof.

[blob]

I'm in kind of a weird lull.

During christmas/new year time I got some good intense work/riding in with RP that was all really productive. But now he has some time off after getting his injections done and a bit of a slowish ramp up after. Meanwhile something has been not right with MM. She has some fecal water going on, which a few others at the barn do as well that we're trying to treat. In addition to that she feels NQR behind. She's not lame. She's just not sturdy or stable feeling behind like she normally is. She's usually very sturdy feeling even when out of shape, which definitely is now. But now it just feels kind of loose. It's nothing i can see on the lunge. I've asked the vet to pull a bloodwork chemistry panel on her as well as test for IR/Cushings.

[Tanga]

Glad to have the board back in control. Sorry about such a rough year, goldhorse.

I don't know if I can have goals, but the idea is maybe "one" more time do champs., and have fun. Quinn is easier at GP, so do her I-2 and GP, and GPFS. And give up on doing Quilla at GP, not because she can't do it all, but because once they start cheating on ones like she did, you can't change it, and she did it all. So drop her back down to PSG and I-1 and just have fun. Both horses are doing great. I am thinking positive, so I already made a hotel reservation.

I'm six months in and not a lot better. I'm a little better than I was most of Dec., which was pretty brutal. I am better in that I now can do more than ride one walking on the trail and have been riding one doing light arena work. I FINALLY got my GP to get a referral to a neurologist and GI specialist. Still waiting on the GI appts, but saw the neurologist and a little relieved. Going to get an MRI and muscle testing, but she thinks it's not ALS (deadly) and probably not myasthenia gravis (which my cousin has) and some other lifetime degenerative issues, and might be something like cervical impingement. So, that's a good thing because I was starting to think I have some degenerative muscular dystrophy.

One thing about being so weak and so little energy to ride, is it really has me having to try to do whatever I can, and I can't do anything with strength and a lot of work. Some days all I did was work on walk, TOH, TOF and piaffe. I have really gotten into verbal cues, and both of them, especially Quilla, I could pretty much do a GP test on mostly verbal cues, and they really like it because it makes it so clear to them they don't get anxious. It was interesting working on it with my leasor who was super sick one day and seeing how little we could get her to do and still get great work. It's lesson I should know well because I've had some of my best rides when I was so sick I had no tension at all.

[Aleuronx]

The depth of New England winter is some down time between cold/crazy winds like this week and work trips in February along with the inevitable storms. I’ll get rides in when I can and know that my horse is still in there and will emerge in the spring.

My tailcoat arrived, fits beautifully and is hung as inspiration in my home office.

February-ish I’m toying with having an in-depth wellness/soundness check. Kora is rising 10 and doing all the PSG work and I just want to ensure I’m supporting her the best I can. Started with Adequan this fall and will do this mini-PPE to see if she needs anything else before season starts.

Section goals:
Hack when safe
Shoulders up in the trot
Keep a running cadence

[Moutaineer]

I'm sorry you are still feeling so bad, Tanga. Here's hoping your various specialists can sort something out for you.

Potters is celebrating almost being at the end of his Adequan course by being a bit over-exciting to canter. Particularly to the right. He looks great, moving fabulously, so I really don't think he's in physical pain, but his brain is firing in all directions at once and the arena door, which he has ignored for the last year, has suddenly become a thing to spook violently at again.

The weather here has been weird, either freezing cold or warmer than it should be and raining. By now we should have a good cushion of snow on the ground but instead we have lumpy icy mud, so I don't think they've been moving around much in turnout, and then they get in the nice indoor arena footing and their brains fall out of their heads and they are making up things to spook at. He's not the only one in the barn who is being squirrelly. There's a lot of lunging and in-hand work prior to riding going on at the moment!

Come to think of it, I saw a load of new hay being unloaded at the end of last week. I wonder if that's got anything to do with it? It looks pretty grassy, but...

Anyway, I've got to be in a work meeting all day tomorrow, so Justin can have a crack at him and see if it's just me, which is always a possibility.

[heddylamar]

We're in the midst of a cold snap, so Maia's all bundled up and cozy in what I call her "NH blankie" — her grandma's old 400g fill turnout. She's finally changed shape enough that I may need to look into finding a new one.

I'll go ride her fuzzy butt tomorrow morning.

[StraightForward]

Thanks for the Thermal report Exvet, glad it was productive even if you didn't end up showing. Good luck with the saddle search. I'm told my demo will be here this month, after being ordered at the end of August. I'm hoping an actual custom-made saddle won't take even longer! When I ordered my custom BC I had it in less than six weeks, so I was not expecting this.

Tanga, fingers crossed that this is something that can be solved. How very frustrating!

Blob, jingles for MM. I hope you can figure out why she's NQR and get her on a good path.

Moutaineer, T has also been a bit wild with winter. When I hauled out for the group ride last Sunday, she was great when it was just me and one other pair in the ring. When everyone else showed up, she didn't seem particularly concerned with any specific horse, but one corner of the ring became deadly, and she started staring at ghosts. A lady was riding a mule sidesaddle, and that in itself didn't seem to even warrant a glance, but it was weird how she got spookier as more horses arrived, since she's usually very confident in groups.

Yesterday the footing was passable at home, and I had a good ride, with cavaletti set up on the circle of death. We were able to spiral in and out, and select which one to jump, or jump all four and jump out with a lead change on the open end. I think she felt better in her skin after getting some good forward canter. Right now, warmups are quite an ordeal, but she feels good once she's up and working. I'm guessing it's a seasonal thing. I'm hoping to be able to do more of a focused dressage session this afternoon. Main focus is to have a rideable horse at a new arena for our clinic this weekend and not have it be a wasted trip!

[blob]

Well, it's a rare occurrence, but we have snow in GA today! It's supposed to switch to sleet and then rain later this afternoon which also means high chance for frozen power lines (eek), but right now it is beautiful. It does mean no riding because no one here is equipped to drive in the snow. But more than the snow, it's the ice i anticipate later that should keep us all home. I hope things thaw out tomorrow so I can get rides in.

RP had his first ride back post injections yesterday and honestly it was quite a disorganized ride on my part. So, hopefully tomorrow and sunday I can get some saddle time that's more productive.

MM's fecal water situation is really quite bad. In addition to the fecal water she's VERY gassy--like constant farts. The vet has taken blood work, but I am trying to get it under control. She's on a pre/probiotic supplement, which may or may not be doing anything. I tried a round of psyllium, which I think helped some while she was on it, but hasn't made a difference now that she's done with her 7 days. And getting her to eat it was VERY hard. Someone had suggested a hay stretcher pellet, so we are trying that (seems pretty harmless), but so far that doesnt' seem to be helping either. Bio sponge did nothing.

Any advice on what to try?

[Chisamba]

Hello everyone, I came back from Ireland, slammed with Covid, which knocked me for a loop. I am over the virus but with my Reactive Airway condition and the diabetes I'm struggling to breathe.

I have clients calling to resume lessons and training and my horses looking obese, and I'm just lying, breathing.

I'm so excited to read the updates,

Exvet, no running for me. I try to cycle and do weights

Tanga, I how you can overcome your health problems.

Flight, happy to hear Bear is progressing. Really happy to hear Ding is improved.

Blob, I know you said biosponge did not help, but I'd suggest try more. And a really good prebiotic, or a fecal transplant. My friend had some success with a fecal transplant from a healthy horse

Moutaineer, you'll show uo those youngsters!!

[goldhorse]

Blob,
Junior, the original Goldhorse, had a bout of right doral colitis when he was 5 (from bute). Forever more, he suffered with gut issues. I kept him on daily psyllium and a tablespoon of L-glutamine powder. The psyllium is supposed to help the gut cells build the mucus lining of the gut. The glutamine is supposed to help leaky gut syndrome. I found UltraCruz to be the most economical source of psyllium and I bought this glutamine powder from Amazon
https://shorturl.at/ASx9I He did well on that formula for at least 16 years. Another thing he was on during the right dorsal colitis recovery was a cup of corn oil. Had to be corn oil because it had to be a high dose of the "bad" omegas. It was to replenish one of the prostaglandins that help build the gut wall. I can't remember the biology but I do remember it had to be corn oil.
Biosponge would make Junior colic. Toward the end, he had to be on a low dose of prednisilone.

I hope this helps.

[blob]

Thanks, goldhorse, this is helpful!

I've had a hard time getting her to eat the psyllium but I could look at other brands to see if someone makes a more palatable version. I have not tried glutamine, but will look into getting it.

MM has always had a very sturdy gut, so this is a bit unexpected, hopefully we can get it on track. I might consider over-hauling her feed entirely. I might swap her into what RP gets which is no beet pulp + vermont blend instead of her ration balancer. She only gets a 1lb of it, but I'm wondering if she is developing an intolerence to something in her grain that would be less likely to show up in vermont blend powder + beet pulp

[goldhorse]

Blob, PM me your address and I'll send you some of the UltraCruz psyllium to try. I have lots left over from Junior and Piggy only gets it once a month. Did your vet check serum protein and serum albumin in the blood work? If low, that could indicate that her gut is leaky. I think a diet redo may be a good idea. Keep it simple. If things get worse, I would ask about resting her from hay and feeding only a pelleted feed for a few months. I had to do that with Junior when things would get bad.

[Aleuronx]

Had a nice hack in the field while it snowed yesterday to keep the mare mentally happy. It was seasonally pleasant until my feet got cold, 35 minutes is about all I can make it.

Today a bit of big d, dressage. Played with the walk pirouette to canter pirouette and took a tip from you Tanga and used my vocal half halt and canter aid used for lunging to help encourage her to keep the small turning steps and pop into canter. Worked really well for her to get it so thanks for that. Then rode the PSG line with changes from counter canter and just smiling ear to ear.

Speaking of changes, played with some old clips to put together a progression video from the last 2 years putting the flying changes on. Since I don’t plan on selling Kora anytime soon I’ll share it here for some inspiration for those like blob and SF starting the change hell journey and a good laugh or two at some of the drama over the years.
https://youtu.be/npjAJTZ3-00?si=IVWvyHzbaVkL4TyX

[Tanga]

Aleuronx Good video. I love how your girl was so honest and did the changes really stepping under behind. They are nice.

Glad the voice tip worked. I'm relying on it right now a lot because I just don't have the, particularly, arm and hand strength, let alone everywhere else, to push them through it. I'm playing with new ideas to put in Quinn's GP freestyle, so was trying walk to canter pirouette and reverse canter to walk pirouette. Too many cues to just do by leg, so asking for the pirouette and telling her "canter," she was like, OK, cool, got it. What a good girl. Interesting we were both working on the same thing! I'm also playing with trying things I've never seen anyone do, so voice cues help. Piaffe, canter and one tempis, piaffe. If I were just doing those without verbal aides I think she would short circuit.

We went from a really rainy fall, which is wonderful, which soaked the ground and filled up ponds, to high 60's during the day, and winds that dried everything up. All good as long as we get back into wet weather. We've had this before and no more rain and it was bad. LA is terrifying. Just brutal. I had my horse in Oakland during the Oakland hills fire. When I saw the big black cloud, I went up and ended up spending about five hours getting horses on trailers to evacuate. When I came back home, I found my friend and her husband and their animals in my house because they had to be evacuated.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Blob, I hope M.M. gets her digestive issue sorted.
Aleuronex, love the video, you guys are a great pair.
Tanga glad you are still at it and thankful you are okay with the fires. I hope you stay safe. Weather is so unpredictable and scary. Being in Colorado I can empathize a little.

Things have been so quiet here- The holidays were mega busy, Then a nasty virus hit our house and weather is up and down. So lynx honestly has three weeks mostly off.

He did get a massage the other day. And somebody brought in a cattle shoot to the indoor arena, and they've been doing roping practice twice a week the last few weeks. Apparently a lot of the horses have lost their minds over it but Lynx could care less.

I did lunge him today and he looked very sound. He did get spooked (on the very very other side of the arena there's some houses and somebody was on their second story porch walking around. ) but I was able to get him back to me for a relaxed walk and trot with his head screwed back on!

Finally a lesson tomorrow. My trainer was sick too. It's awful, so many viruses around. I hope everybody stays healthy and warm!!

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Chisamba I hope you are feeling better and I hope you can tell us more about your trip to Ireland soon

[mari]

Chisamba I hope you are feeling better and I hope you can tell us more about your trip to Ireland soon

Ditto!

[blob]

thanks for sharing the video, Aleu. It's nice to see the progression of those changes though I have to say your starting place was pretty good!

I have another clinc in March, so my goal is to get something I can demonstrate of a change to the clinician so he can help me fix it/get a better path forward/etc. Meanwhile, I'm also hoping to lesson with the other trainer and continue getting better quality collection.

all of that will have to happen once we dry up from our current mudpit. Our snow turned to ice and then to slush and now with some added rain, into mud pits of despair. So not much riding going on other than walking about the trails.

Meanwhile the hay stretcher pellets + a lower dose of psyllium seems to be helping MM. It's far too early to celebrate, but she's had a couple of reasonably clean butt days, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I might consider removing her ration balancer entirely and just feed her the hay stretcher pellet + a vitamin mineral supplement (RP already gets the vermont blend). I don't think the ration balancer is the culprit, but there are more likely to be allergens or irritants in it. These days her workload is also light, so her caloric needs are lower as well.

ETA: just got MM's bloodwork back. Chem panel is normal (whew). We also did a cushings/IR test, which is also in normal range:
ACTH Baseline Equine 16.8 pg/mL (normal 2 - 30)
Insulin Baseline Equine 26.38 uIU/mL (normal 10 - 40)

I haven't yet had a chance to talk to my vet if the ACTH and insulin numbers are something I should be trying to get closer to low end rather than right in the middle or if no action is needed.

[heddylamar]

Maia is feeling sassy with all this cold weather and snow! Our ride yesterday was a bit exciting! Just above freezing temp-wise (though, that windchill), and snow sliding off the roof of the indoor ... plus people and cats leaping out in front of her

I put a new skillset to work — my trainer introduced trotting triangles with a turn on the forehand at the points during our last lesson, and while she was less crazy yesterday, it worked just as well to calm the reactiveness and get her moving nicely. Then we had some really good canter work.

[StraightForward]

Blob, FWIW I had a mare with fecal water and removing the soy based ration balancer helped resolve it. I did a month of the Equiotic probiotic as well. I think I shifted her to a bit of Renew Gold plus a pelleted vitamin supp and she had no further issues. Of course you know MM so well and it's odd that this has cropped up just recently. I hope you're able to get it sorted.

Clinic got shifted to next weekend as my instructor got COVID but I've been able to ride. T was really sluggish yesterday but we did get through a jump grid. I'm having the bodyworker out tomorrow, and might put her on Previcox for a few days to rule out pain. I think it's just seasonal, as I remember her go through these phases in winter. When she is fired up she works well, so it's hard to say.

[mari]

I see now I haven't written my goals.

Riding: Still on the MORE journey. It has really paid off imo, and the next two months will be very focused on trot lateral work, and a more reliable very collected canter.

Myself: I started the FUEL workout series by Caroline Girvan yesterday. I did her IRON series about 3 times last year. That tiny woman is a monster, and her content is excellent. But she just might kill me.

[exvet]

I currently have two used saddles being sent to try, a Black Country and an Amerigo. Keeping fingers crossed one works out. I still have the saddle fitter coming on February 10th with what she has and if one of these works out to go over it with a fine tooth comb. In the meantime both Junior and Troy have been getting worked in hand. This is certainly giving me an opportunity to see and attempt to fill some holes in Junior's training from the ground.

As for bicycling, too darn cold and not enough time so far; but, I've definitely been getting my work out and dropped a few lbs just with the stress and physical work of moving my mother from independent living to assisted living. I was lucky enough that an assisted living apartment became available on the same floor though opposite end of the facility. I was also blessed with the help of my two children over the course of a week to pack and move everything. It shouldn't have but it did amaze me the amount of crap my mother had in that tiny 800 sq foot apartment after 5 years of living there. Several trips to Goodwill, the dump and my truck (home) allowed us to downsize her into her new 700 sq foot apartment. I did have to euthanize her 21 year old cat, kidney failure. I guess one good thing with my mother's progressing dementia is she hadn't realized the cat is gone.

[khall]

Happy new year!

Been reading the updates on all

Lovely Aleuronx!
Chisamba hope you are feeling better!
Exvet sorry the show was not as planned glad you got to have lessons and cross my fingers on the saddle search. Jingles for you and your mom in dealing with dementia and her decline.
SF hopefully you can continue to get some riding done!
Goldhorse glad you are chiming back in!!
Heddy yay on regular lessons!!
Mari I’m right with you. Asking for more
Blob glad you are keeping RP going forward on his training I’m sorry you are having health issues with MM. jingles you can figure it out.


Here at Bent Tree it’s been a different kind of winter. Early December clinic with Cedar led to short holiday with DH then holidays and icky weather. No snow unlike blob but cold rain and wind. All while trying to get my covered arena up and finished

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12D8sw ... tid=wwXIfr


Working on fence and footing now hopefully will be done this weekend cross my fingers!!


Needless to say with the dump trucks roofing just general stuff getting done by the barn not getting much actual riding done. I am lunging and wih Joplin only 4/5 times a week. Her piaffe is really getting good. Having fun playing with HP zig zag at the trot in hand and watching how the piaffe collecting work is improving her canter. Very nice!

Chex is not getting any work nor is Gaila. Ah well.

Didn’t help Rip had a bought of colitis then mild impaction M-F last week. Poor guy was not feeling well but after some drugs and 2 vet visits he’s back to himself.

Got a lecture this Saturday with my holistic vet who also does rehab work then Cedar in February. Hopefully can get back in the saddle on the 3 I’m riding. And Lani turns 1 in March. Wow time has flown. She’s such a sweet filly though very different than Joplin. Look forward to playing some with her this year too.

Happy riding all and may the weather cooperate for us all!!

[Moutaineer]

Potters was a complete butt last week. This week, he's got his halo back and is just lovely. Let's hope this version lasts!

It is cold here and about to get a whole lot colder. Hibernation sees like a really good idea.

[blob]

I'm definitely feeling the "I'm never riding again" despair. Between work, weather, and limited daylight I've ridden very little in the last couple weeks. But I'm trying to remind myself that I probably feel this way every year around this time and this too shall pass.

Usually where I am January is the most winter weather month and that is proving true again this year. Everything is still very muddy from melting snow, we get a decent amount of rain this friday/saturday and there is a chance for an unexpected second snow chance next week. I think it's unlikely we get real snow, but could be the ever joyful wintery mix. Either way, more wetness to add to the mud swamp.

[Aleuronx]

It was a fun video to put together! I wish I had saved more of the messy ones as it shows the progression and building of strength needed to execute changes well. I know I am incredibly lucky that Kora had a natural talent for them. Mostly because I have no idea what I'm doing with tempi's.

I'm with you all, it's very cold here and high winds has just sapped any motivation. I somehow convinced myself this morning to bundle up and head out to the barn as looking at the long range forecast was even more grim. Tacked up Kora, did 15 minutes of walk and called it. Just trying to keep her from feral in between slight temperature thaws.

Dreaming of spring or a fun snow fall to play in at least...

[StraightForward]

Good luck when the saddle search ExVet! I just got my demo/prototype yesterday and I'm not very hopeful. Need to shim it up more in front today and see if that helps. I'm considering trying either or bothe used Erreplus saddles, or looking into getting another Patrick or Black Country.

T was still sluggish yesterday, but better than Sunday. I had to focus on keeping her poll up and riding with a lot of positive tension in my own body. I'm kind of looking forward to giving her a vacation and hoping she comes back more motivated. We'll do an overall vet checkup soon as well.

[zevida]

I know I’m in California so y’all are going to tell me I can’t complain about the cold….but it’s cold! During the week I ride before work usually at the barn by 7am (or earlier if my lesson is the ungodly 7am). And the 7am hour is the coldest hour of the day. The last two mornings it was in the mid 30s. I’m in fleece breeches, a UA base layer, fleece riding shirt, puffy vest, puffy jacket, fleece gloves, wool beanie and I’m cold. I would have to just give up riding in the winter all together if I lived in some of your climates!

Although our winter started rainy it hasn’t rained this month and rain isn’t in the forecast and that’s not good. I mean it’s great for riding we’ve actually got the court set up in the outdoor and we don’t have to share the covered with the hunter/jumper riders. But it’s not good for the water situation.

[Chisamba]

I'm recovering thank you, although my lung inflammation hasn't completely cleared. I'm using the nebulizer but the cold air really sets off my asthma.

As for the horses, bringing them back into work as the weather and my strength allows.

[Chisamba]

We are currently having a super cold week or two. January is always the most challenging month due to the cold.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Well this week was supposed to be the week of getting back into work. I did manage to ride Lynx once after he barely has worked in a month.

But now my daughter has what we think is probably norovirus and temperatures are going to get below zero the next few days. Ugh. So not much happening here.

I know many of us are just trying to get through this part of winter! It's tough.

[Flight]

It's nice to be riding Ding again. After riding the young one, he's just 'set and forget'. He reminds me of when I rode the Valenca horses, the less you do the better they are. They know what they are doing.
Bear, the young one is still going well. I've started teaching leg yield, we can open/close gates. I had to start riding him in a rounder frame. I know the term 'frame' is a bit taboo nowadays, but he was bracing with his underneck and it felt horrible. So now that the stop/turning aids are set, we are getting a softer outline. I really get those couple of steps where he relaxes and swings along, and then oops.. lost it.
Norsey's only had a ride if I have time. I really wanted to bring Ding back in, to see if he'll stay sound and get Bear going. You need a good chunk of time to ride 3.
It's been really hot here, we're having quite a hot summer, so trying to get up early on days off to get everyone ridden before it gets over 30 degrees.
Bear

Screenshot 2025-01-18 at 8.43.36 am.png (154.27 KiB) Viewed 21670 times

Ding

Screenshot 2025-01-17 at 2.19.53 pm.png (161.81 KiB) Viewed 21670 times

[goldhorse]

Piggy got to do the obligatory pony ride. A family from Los Angeles has decamped to their parents house in NorCal next door to our barn. Trainer was trail riding Piggy through the vineyards and the grandkids saw the horses. Little girl met golden Barbie pony and it was all over. She got to sit on him while wearing her PJs and slippers. Piggy is all about these moments because he becomes the center of attention and doesn't have to work.
In my news, my ability to sit and influence the canter is improving each ride. Mind you, I was terrified to canter 2 years ago. And in today's lesson, I was able to do shoulder in by visualizing it instead of having to think about each of my aids that goes into it. If that makes sense.
And does anyone have a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Pergolide/Prascend? If so, what vet records did USEF ask for?

[texsuze]

GH, I bet the adults were taking plenty of pics of that little girl! Maybe she'll be a dressage queen some day just because she sat on Piggy . Glad you've overcome your canter fears. I had a lunge lesson once on a predictably unpredictable horse I owned (I'd been riding my other horse for several years). Things had not been going well and I was low on reserves anyway. My chest suddenly tightened and trepidation came over me like a blanket. I asked my dressage trainer if I could stop and call it a day. That was a fear I'd never felt before or since.

[exvet]

Well living out in the outer reaches meant that UPS didn't bring the two saddles that were suggested to me (by a fitter) until 5 pm. Not enough daylight to be able to ride in them but just sitting them on Junior's back already negated the Antares which is supposed to be a wide tree. The Black Country however shows some promise. Hoping that today's weather allows a trial ride. Keeping fingers crossed.


Update, while I liked the Black Country, it doesn't seem like Junior is all that enamored with it; so, I tried the Antares since it's here. Of course Junior moved far better in it than the BC. Now to look at the two it would appear that the BC gives Junior more shoulder freedom when I'm not in the saddle however I will admit that panel contact with the Antares seems to fit him like a glove and he was willing to give me mediums. Tomorrow we'll give them each another try. Boy do I hate saddle shopping. Pictured is the Black Country. I had ridden in it for a couple of miles and had ridden in the arena for about 20 minutes. Looks to throw me to the back of the saddle which the Antares did not.

[Chisamba]

Exvet i agree it seems to put you on the cantle. I also hate saddle shopping. It can be so frustrating. Pic of the Antares?

[exvet]

Here are 2 pictures of the Antares but this is before I rode him. He was much more willing to move forward in this one. When I took it off and compared the underside/panel shape of all 3 saddles - Black Country, Prestige that I had semi-custom made for him 3 years ago, and the Antares, I will say that the Antares definitely mirrored the shape of his back the closest.

[Chisamba]

It seems to have you more centered. Is it longer/ on his shoulder more? Ultimately listen to the horse tho

[exvet]

It seems to have you more centered. Is it longer/ on his shoulder more? Ultimately listen to the horse tho

I do feel much more centered and not fighting the saddle to maintain proper alignment. It's actually shorter and though off the horse it looks like it might be on his shoulders more, when I palpate under the saddle it actually feels like it gives him more clearance. Today he moved really well and was much more forward and responsive. I'm leaning towards getting this saddle since my Prestige definitely doesn't work and send back the Black Country. They're willing to take my Prestige as a trade in which considering it was semi-custom probably is my best bet to move it along. I will keep my appointment with our local saddle fitter on Feb 10th and have her check out the Antares and try anything else she might have (doubt she has much if any) and at least get her opinion on what would work best for him.