Starting The New Year Off Right

Well it's a new year and I'm going to try to update REGULARLY again! WOO HOO! Jimmy has been an exceptionally good boy recently and I am very happy with how his legs have been looking. No heat, swelling, or sign of discomfort whatsoever….in his legs. We'll get to what IS causing some discomfort later on.

FIRST: Lucy is a cantering MACHINE!!!! She's cantering up a storm in her lessons on the lunge line now and absolutely having a blast. She's learned that outside leg + rein + cluck = CANTER and Jimmy picks it RIGHT up! Every time he does it just like that she giggles and SMIIIILES wide. It's an incredible feeling to watch a horse I brought from nothing teach a rider who also knew nothing when I started with her just over a year ago. I am so grateful for every opportunity to teach!!!!

NOW: Onto Jimmy. He's started bucking. Not viscous or dangerous by ANY means, but certainly a "knock-knock: Mom, I'm hurting" type of buck. It started just before Christmas, I thought it was because he didn't like his gorgeous new quarter sheet from Lucy. So I punished him the first time. The next time, it was the same thing. When he went to do a lead change he'd buck. He has NEVER EVER EVER bucked with me, even in his earliest training days learning what leg pressure was and learning to canter (the typical time a horse WILL buck!) so after two rides with the buck I was concerned.

Saturday morning before Lucy's lesson he had a little too munch skip in his step, so I decided to lunge him first and what do you know? He REALLY bucked. He made a big motion a few times, then just kept kicking out, violently at the canter. Once he seemed to have it "out of his system" he moved gracefully and didn't show another sign of discomfort, so I let Lucy get on and have her lesson, making sure to watch his body language all along.

I was going to see John for more Adequan that afternoon anyway, so I asked if he could stop out and give Jimmy a little chiro adjustment Monday morning.

I jumped Jimmy yesterday and he was flawless. A potential client unexpectedly showed up while I was schooling him and I couldn't help but puff up with pride a little bit as my little wonder-horse jumped the 2'6" course I had set up in perfect rhythm. Cassie had set up a pretty serious looking oxer & I filled in the empty space on it with random pieces of broken boxes to make it look more "impressive" and Jimmy couldn't have cared less. He cantered out of the corner to a perfect spot and rocked it both times I jumped it, landed and did his lead change before I could think to ask. WOO HOO!!!! NOTE: The warm up I used Sunday involved a lot of bending and lateral work/leg yields to get him fluid through his hind end. The lead changes were there and there was no bucking. Do we see a connection?

On my lunch break today I called John, who said Jimmy's back seemed fine, not sore. He had a minor pelvic twist….but (in John's words) "His neck was a mess" WHAT?!? I'm wondering if all of that beautiful frame work that Jimmy does to himself (literally, I just use consistent leg and hand pressure, he puts himself in the right places) has him out of whack? Or possibly if from my playing like a short stirrup kid and laying up the neck while he jumps X's to warm up is knocking him out of whack?! OUCH OUCH OUCH!!! SORRY JIM!!!!!

I asked if carrot stretches are helping or hurting & he said keep doing them regularly as I have been. Who's to say if I didn't do them how much worse his neck would be. So we're gunna watch and make sure little Jim doesn't start bucking again in a few weeks & if he does, he will get another visit from the glorious Dr. J.

Having a vet I feel this comfortable with means more than words can say.

I hope everyone had a great New Year!!!