Starting Over

[Kathy Johnson]

I am truly starting over. Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and a damaged sural nerve causing neuropathy, I put in my months of R and R, did my PT and now I'm back doing the ABCs. The doctor gave me the Ok to ride "lightly" and at a "lower level," whatever that means. When I returned home to Michigan to help take care of my mom (in hospice) and my dad (had a stroke but wants to stay on the farm), I was helping a friend move her horses from summer pasture. I was leading a little gray. We dropped a couple of horses at her house and she said, "Just keep leading that one. Take him to your house. You can have him."

And now I have a new horse, yet another grey. If you recall, my first pony was grey. I vowed never to have another grey because they are so hard to keep clean. But since that first pony, I have always had a grey in my life. A week or so ago, I lost my best horse, Chicho, who was 33. Now, meet Handy. Ok, his owner called him "Earnie" because he lost the tips of his ears to frostbite. I figured he needed a stronger name (and not Frosty!) to help him compensate for his earlessness. So I named him Handsome, Handy for short. He's turning eight and is one of those super green greys. Green as a stick. But very sweet.

Which is fine, because light riding means walking on a green horse. I found a super light synthetic saddle I can lift by myself. He's not ready for an English saddle yet and guess what? The saddle feels good on my back and Handy's. Maybe someday, I'll do "dressage" again, or maybe not. But I'm up and riding, albeit slowly. Light riding means long lining or longeing first. Light riding means not overdoing or pushing either one of us. Light riding means walking in the fields because the arena is under mud and there's no indoor. Plus it's really cold here and spring hasn't sprung, so it means not riding every day.

Handy is one of the family. He loves my Corgi, Josey. He walks with us when we are with Grandpa and the dogs in the field. He is a good horse to have around. I wish he weren't quite so green because every 5 years I swear I'll never train another green horse, but in a way, it slows me down and gives me time to heal and adjust. I don't know what happens next, but I know Handy will be a part of it. One day, one slow step at a time.

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[Moutaineer]

Very pleased to read this!

[Josette]

I was so happy to read your post and see you back in the saddle! Handy looks like a real sweet horse - love the pic following your corgi. I really missed your training posts and look forward to more updates. Enjoy your light riding!

[Gwen]

Welcome back! Handy is so darling! Love the snow picture.

[Flight]

Great to see your posts and beautiful photos again! Sorry to hear about Chicho
Handy is very cute and I love the snow pic too. Look forward to seeing more

[Dresseur]

Lovely to see you back in the saddle, Kathy. I was also sorry to hear about Chico, but I'm looking forward to reading new stories about Handy!

[LeoApp]

Sounds like a perfect match! Take it slow with him and enjoy him. He looks so sweet.

[Ryeissa]

Awwww...so happy for you Kathy! (for the good news!) Sorry for your losses.

[exvet]

He is very handsome and cuuuuute! Congratulations and life is always changing...........very nice to see you back.

[Hayburner]

OMG - You look GREAT on him!! Hoping that your light riding actually helps your back to heal.

[Hayburner]

OMG - You look GREAT on him!! Hoping that your light riding actually helps your back to heal.

[Backyarder3]

He's a cutie, looks sweet.

[piedmontfields]

Very glad to "see" you and I'm happy you have another grey in your life. Don't be a stranger here.

[Abby Kogler]

Great post, so glad to see this Kathy! Best wishes for both of you!

[StraightForward]

OMG - You look GREAT on him!! Hoping that your light riding actually helps your back to heal.

Yes, this. He is adorable, and I'm glad you're back up in the saddle. Thank you for the update!

[calvin]

Fabulous to *hear* your voice again, and to see photos of your lovely new grey! You have been missed. It is always a different journey at different stages in life, but so glad to see that you are again involved with horses. You have given many of us great reads, great laughs, and great photos over so many years, Kathy.

[Kathy Johnson]

There are times in our lives when we don't ride. My doctor (who rides) and I discussed those: pregnancy, injury, school, work, no money, divorce, lots of reasons. And I can usually deal with those. But the fear of not being able to ride is scary.

And yesterday as I was walking, walking, walking on Handy I came to one of those life realizations. I am not training this horse. I am just learning to ride him. And that is true of every horse, I've ever ridden. I've only ever learned to ride them better, even the green ones.

[piedmontfields]

Really beautiful, Kathy. Yes!

[chantal]

So good to "see" you again! Wishing you all the best with Handy and your parents. For some of us, horses just must be in our lives!

[Linden16]

Nice to see you on a horse Kathy! Keep your parents close <3

Take care of that back..we only get one!

[Tuddy]

There are times in our lives when we don't ride. My doctor (who rides) and I discussed those: pregnancy, injury, school, work, no money, divorce, lots of reasons. And I can usually deal with those. But the fear of not being able to ride is scary.

And yesterday as I was walking, walking, walking on Handy I came to one of those life realizations. I am not training this horse. I am just learning to ride him. And that is true of every horse, I've ever ridden. I've only ever learned to ride them better, even the green ones.

This hit me right in the soul.

Hugs and enjoy every moment with Handy!

[Kathy Johnson]

Still walking (and swimming in the mud). It rains a lot here in the springtime. We had a breakthrough on our last ride. From the first time I bridled Handy, he hated the bit. Not your normal resistance. No possibility of work in hand without yanking, pulling and gnashing. I tried every bit in my bit tray. In order of hatred from most hated to least: the French link, a rubber snaffle, a big fat eggbutt snaffle, and his favorite, a very skinny Dee ring.

So I ground drove him a lot, at first allowing him to just carry the bit while I worked off the halter, while I tried to find a horse vet to look at his teeth.

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Of course, his teeth are a genetic mess. Yes, he had bad points, because his upper jaw is larger than his lower jaw, sort of an overbite all the way around. In addition, he has something once called "lampas," a lot of extra flesh over the pallet and around the lips. Most bits pinch. The more movement, the French link, the loose rings, the worse he hated it. He would either pull his head slowly down, twisting his head to one side, mouth wide open, eyes shut, or he would bring his head way into the air like giraffe. Although this was all done in slow motion, I have some worries for my safety when he does this in the mud, when I am mounting, or god forbid if he bolted and I needed to touch the bit to stop him and his eyes were shut and his head on the ground or in the air.

At any rate the vet, Sarah Michelin, who is excellent, said that he will probably like the thinnest bit possible. So we kept going with that. After the floating, things improved. We walked a million "whippy-do's," a turn here or there or circle wherever, whenever to really cement the turning aids from my legs.

It's been hard without an arena, always working in the field, but he is a pretty steady little horse, at least at the walk. He learned to stop from my weight and voice quickly, but would always contort his neck (see blind gaping giraffe above) in the halt if I used any contact at all on the bit. I'm all for lightness, but there are safety ramifications here if the horse won't accept any contact.

I tried longing in sidereins, but ran into the same "neck effect" especially when going into trot, which looked like it wouldn't be much fun under saddle.

I found if I ground drove him for 5 minutes before getting on and focused on turning from the bit, that improved everything. Then on day I decided to ask him to halt 20 times. I'm a counter. The head going down went away, but the giraffe came back. If he put his head in the air, I just raised my hands to follow him up, without releasing light contact. I did that about 10 times. On the 10th time, he began to chew the bit lightly and think.

All of sudden, it was like he was thinking, "Holy shit! You are trying to communicate with this metal thing in my mouth."

He is a different horse. Now that he's going evenly to both reins, we are bending and flexing. I am not over picking if he is behind or above the bit or poll low a little. I felt the bit come alive in my hands and it is such a wonderful feeling. He is listening instead of resisting. Our level of trust changed totally because we've reached a different level of communication.

It's slow. It's walking. But it's wonderful to have the time to enjoy the experience.

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[khall]

KJ he is such a cute horse and fits you very well. Glad you are having fun again and able to ride.

[kande50]

It's slow. It's walking. But it's wonderful to have the time to enjoy the experience.

Yes, isn't it, and the further into retirement I get the more I'm able to relax and really explore every minute detail that interests me (because I certainly have no interest in galloping across the fields, anymore)!

[StraightForward]

Great post, Kathy.

Susan (Kyra's Mom) has posted about her mare (Kyra )'s similar bitting issues before with the fleshy mouth. She landed in a Peewee bit, which is a very skinny mullen mouth. She is still busy with her mouth, but it works for her and she keeps improving with bit acceptance (I'm currently riding this horse).

[Kyra's Mom]

I am right behind you Kathy. Finally after years of searching for a cause of my tailbone pain, it was found then almost a year futzing with various specialists and injections for rule in/out purposes, I finally had my tailbone removed last week due to a nasty spur on the end. It could be 3...or 6...or 12 months until I know if I can ride again. I am optimistic but for now, I wait. At least I can start doing ground work soon so I can at least interact with my beast. For the last year plus, IF I could get on the horse, I have had to be happy with only walking on many days but it is OK. Any time on top is treasured.

What Straightforward said about bits. My mare has the same fleshy inner cheeks and unbeknownst to me, when I started her got pinched horribly which led to a lot of tension, spooking and distraction. I have found Mullen mouth bits to be best and the PeeWee is thin but has a nice curve to it = tongue relief. Of course, not legal but for my horse, she isn't currently showing and we will goes with what she is most comfortable in. Another bit she goes pretty well in is called a Glory mouthpiece. Also a Mullen mouth. Unfortunately it is very hard to find it now outside a driving bit. I have a Baucher MM with the Glory. It is a bit thicker and she definitely prefers thinner. IT should work for shows if we ever get back there.

Susan

[demi]

This is going to be a good thread. And I am especially looking forward to the pics!

[Flight]

Love your threads Kathy and the beautiful pics that go with them