Every day Jimmy seems to be stronger & stronger, now I fear he's TOO strong. He's got a flicker of an attitude flaring up here and there and I'm not really thrilled with it. I know he's a horse and he's young...and quite honestly he wouldn't be Jimmy if he didn't throw a fit here & there I just am getting rubbed the wrong way by his recent attitude problem.
Today with Lucy he was quicker than normal and it irritated me. If I hadn't been frozen solid I would have thrown a leg over and worked him after her lesson to take his edge off but I couldn't move my fingers, let alone ride. I didn't expect it to be so chilly today!!!
I think his attitude is stemming from my lack of consistency this month. Since I know a random outburst is typical for him I think I just need to take this one in stride and let him be. I'll do what I can to keep things consistent and steady for him, and next week I think I'll put Lucy on one of our other horses.
WHEN WILL SPRING BE HERE?!
Showing posts with label Recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recovery. Show all posts
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Jimmy Choo in SmartPak!
Well everyone knows Jimmy & I are huge fans of SmartPak, so when they ask customers to write reviews I almost always do - and they're always good because I LOVE them!
A few months ago they were asking for customer reviews for an upcoming publication, so I submitted one and a photo of Jimmy & I, hoping to at least get a "We're glad to hear from you!" back. It went much farther than I'd anticipated – this month Jimmy & I are published in the "SmartPak Guide to Horse Care"!!!! SO EXCITING!!!! See the testimonial below. I'm thrilled! Click to zoom <3
A few months ago they were asking for customer reviews for an upcoming publication, so I submitted one and a photo of Jimmy & I, hoping to at least get a "We're glad to hear from you!" back. It went much farther than I'd anticipated – this month Jimmy & I are published in the "SmartPak Guide to Horse Care"!!!! SO EXCITING!!!! See the testimonial below. I'm thrilled! Click to zoom <3
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Jimmy Goes Back Outisde
Today started off on the wrong foot, so I didn't end up being able to ride anyone or tape the greenies to sell. Hopefully we can start taping them tomorrow.
Jimmy's legs looked marvelous today & I even turned him out in the indoor so he could prove he felt better. HE DOES! I bandaged him back up & put him outside to play the rest of the afternoon. I took lots of photos today, so enjoy!
I even took a VIDEO today!!!! So you can all see the rambunctious little man in action. Happy Saturday!!
Jimmy's legs looked marvelous today & I even turned him out in the indoor so he could prove he felt better. HE DOES! I bandaged him back up & put him outside to play the rest of the afternoon. I took lots of photos today, so enjoy!
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| Left hind - Day 3. The water used to clean the wound was clean, but the leg around the wound isn't! Don't mind the yucky drip ;-) |
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| Right Hind – Day 3. Nice & Clean & lookin' good! |
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| Happy to get some exercise, but wants to go out to play with his friends on the other side of the door!! |
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| Mick… JC's Partner in Crime!! |
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| The evidence: note that there ISN'T a top rail to the left. Naughty Jimmy. He split it in half. |
Friday, January 14, 2011
Quick Recovery From Jumping The Fence!!
Recap: Yesterday Jimmy tried to jump into the outdoor arena. In retrospect, I'm pretty impressed. Julie (BO) says Mick (17hh TB) was chasing JC and when JC went to turn & get away, the fence to the arena was there so he just lurched himself with all that he could to try & pull a fast one on Mick. Under the circumstance, it's astounding that he got as far over as he did. Cleared it with his front feet and pulled it down with his hind probably when he'd landed already with his fronts. He hasn't learned "Kick up ass to get out of the way of big jumps" yet. Who knew he had that much scope, anyway? Needless to say we WILL be free jumping him when all of this is behind him, because now I'm curious. Can you really jump that high...and clean, Jim? If you could set yourself up to that 5' fence, would you leave it up? I want to know. Maybe not really 5', but at least 4' just to see. Why not? He'll be healthy again.
Jimmy received SMZ's last night, this morning and this evening along with one gram of bute this evening in case he was still sore. As of this morning (Friday) he was still very sullen and had that look on his face that said "I am really sorry for what I did. I feel stupid."
When I got out there this evening he was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and moved easily in his stall to greet me at the door - a very good sign! I slipped his halter on and he stepped right up out of his stall and out onto the cross ties. He stood well while I took his bandages off. He didn't bleed through the Telfa pads too badly - not enough to mark the vet wrap so I took the vet wrap off VERY carefully so I could reuse it. I buy it by the case, but c'mon...An entire unmarked, perfectly good roll? YES I will save myself the $1.50 and reuse that sucker! I'm a master at the three "R"s.
He stood comfortably while I SCRUBBED the wounds. Some more dirt had surfaced over the 24 hours he was wrapped up, but the actual wounds themselves looked WONDERFUL. Very shallow, nice pink color, and once I scrubbed thoroughly they looked nice and bright & clean - with no new blood! HOORAHH!!! The scrubbing didn't seem to bother him a bit. I put new antibacterial/antibiotic foam on to clean and dress the wounds & covered with Tefla, (recycled!) vet wrap & pillows/standings.
Now, are you curious to hear the BEST news?? NO HEAT. NO SWELLING. NO TENDERNESS ANYWHERE. Not around the wounds, not in the fetlocks behind...and most importantly, not in the FRONT FETLOCKS EITHER!!!! HOORAYYYYY JIMMY CHOO!!!!! The best horse in the world! I left his fronts unwrapped and he is no longer going to be receiving bute.
I took him for a walk around the aisle of the barn for about 15 minutes so he could sniff and stretch a little. We did our carrot stretches too & he didn't have any stiffness at all in stretching, no tenderness in his neck & he didn't have any pops today either, which is comforting to me.
I'm going to keep him in one more day, which I think is his last day on SMZ's. I want to make sure those wounds are nice and clean and on their way to growing hair back before he goes back outside in the snow - and I think I'll have Cass polo wrap his back legs so he has some coverage over those nasty marks on his legs when he goes back out.
Tomorrow Cassie & I will be taping the greenies for sale & I'll be posting everyone available for sale online :-) Stay tuned! It should be a very fun day!
Jimmy received SMZ's last night, this morning and this evening along with one gram of bute this evening in case he was still sore. As of this morning (Friday) he was still very sullen and had that look on his face that said "I am really sorry for what I did. I feel stupid."
When I got out there this evening he was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and moved easily in his stall to greet me at the door - a very good sign! I slipped his halter on and he stepped right up out of his stall and out onto the cross ties. He stood well while I took his bandages off. He didn't bleed through the Telfa pads too badly - not enough to mark the vet wrap so I took the vet wrap off VERY carefully so I could reuse it. I buy it by the case, but c'mon...An entire unmarked, perfectly good roll? YES I will save myself the $1.50 and reuse that sucker! I'm a master at the three "R"s.
He stood comfortably while I SCRUBBED the wounds. Some more dirt had surfaced over the 24 hours he was wrapped up, but the actual wounds themselves looked WONDERFUL. Very shallow, nice pink color, and once I scrubbed thoroughly they looked nice and bright & clean - with no new blood! HOORAHH!!! The scrubbing didn't seem to bother him a bit. I put new antibacterial/antibiotic foam on to clean and dress the wounds & covered with Tefla, (recycled!) vet wrap & pillows/standings.
Now, are you curious to hear the BEST news?? NO HEAT. NO SWELLING. NO TENDERNESS ANYWHERE. Not around the wounds, not in the fetlocks behind...and most importantly, not in the FRONT FETLOCKS EITHER!!!! HOORAYYYYY JIMMY CHOO!!!!! The best horse in the world! I left his fronts unwrapped and he is no longer going to be receiving bute.
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| Jimmy & I hangin' out. |
I'm going to keep him in one more day, which I think is his last day on SMZ's. I want to make sure those wounds are nice and clean and on their way to growing hair back before he goes back outside in the snow - and I think I'll have Cass polo wrap his back legs so he has some coverage over those nasty marks on his legs when he goes back out.
Tomorrow Cassie & I will be taping the greenies for sale & I'll be posting everyone available for sale online :-) Stay tuned! It should be a very fun day!
Friday, December 3, 2010
First One Stride Back
The last few nights Jimmy has been a star. He's getting very athletic again & regaining so much stamina so quickly I'm pretty shocked. We're up to working for a solid 40 minutes with usually only one or two walk breaks & he doesn't break a sweat or breathe hard at all. He needs maybe two laps around the arena walking & he's ready for bed.
I think part of why his stamina has gotten so strong is because I warm up really slowly. I walk 4 or 5 times around the arena (at least 2x per direction) before I do any trotting, and once we're trotting we trot A LOT before we start to canter.
Last night I set up a gymnastic for the first time since he's jumping again. I had a simple ground rail set at 9' before an X, then 24' to another X, making that a true no-stride to one-stride. In HORSE strides. Not Jimmy/cob strides. Before the surgery he was just learning to open his stride and kind of struggling to get through lines in the horse strides. I know he can do it, I just have to work to lengthen his stride & relax him so he goes nice and long.
I warmed up & started trotting the second X only, slicing so there was a clear line & an obvious choice that the second X wasn't part of the equation yet. He kept getting impatient and taking one pathetic canter step before the X. I like to nip these habits in the bud, so when he starts something like this I make a pretty huge deal out of it (safely) so he understands that this behavior is not acceptable.
The second time he thought to take a canter stride I tugged and asked him to come back to me & slowly trot. He walked & jumped the X. The next time he got rushy & took a canter step anyway & left when he wanted to, so I made an immediate straight line halt about 2 strides after the X. The third time he thought to canter I felt it one stride before and pulled up for a halt, yelling "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO NO NO NO!" I then quietly asked him to back clear back to the corner of the arena where we started and nicely trot forward & up/over the X. He did so, and trotted the X like a kitten. Soft, fluffy, happy. Gorgeous. Big pat, lots of praise, mush mush mush, Jimmy you're awesome.
Then we went onto something else completely opposite - I like training horses this way because the "lesson" he just learned about jumping from the base I will apply later, but right now, he has to switch gears and flex something else in his repetiore. I think it makes them more alert, agile, & athletic. The three A's ;-) We went on to canter the gymnastic. He's little & previously in his "prime" (pre-op) he had about a 11' or 10.5' stride. Typical horses have a 12' stride & courses at horse shows are always set to the 12' stride.
We got our rhythm, we cantered in. We did one stride. We jumped out. OH. MY. GOOD. GRACIOUS. I set it true 24' as a horse one-stride and I was so amped that THE FIRST TRY HE DID IT IN ONE!!!!!! And he had gusto doing it!!! He tried SO hard and did it THE FIRST TIME!!!! I cantered around and did it again. One-stride. Too good to be true? Lucky draw? I stopped for a little bit...walked...and cantered it again. One stride. Even when he got in ugly, he lowered, reached, and got one out. ONE!!! I gave him ridiculous amounts of praise and pets & let him walk & hang out while Cass jumped it with her horse.
Then I decided to bring back the lesson we learned earlier - Jump from the base. I trotted in, put my hands up on his neck, and just let him figure it out while I cooed out a little baby "Ho ho" and what do you know? Two perfect pony strides, jump out, land, lead change, canter down the next long side. Holy moly I love this horse. I got a good gallop started mid-long side & continued cantering around to canter the one-stride one last time & see if he really was the champion I thought he was. What do you know? Did it in one again, just like I asked.
Needless to say, I'm on cloud nine still because I worked a lot before the surgery on trying to get him to lower & lengthen & be that elastic with his stride and he just wouldn't figure it out. He'd always bump that one extra stride in there so it was one & a half, we couldn't get the solid one unless we were really hauling @$$ & that's just not comfortable for anyone.
All along, he just plugged away last night. Never got emotional, never got huffed up, just did his job. My mom & I call him a little sewing machine when he's like this because he's just even paced, consistent, and steady as can be. Blessed doesn't even begin to describe how I feel to him. He is truly amazing.
I think part of why his stamina has gotten so strong is because I warm up really slowly. I walk 4 or 5 times around the arena (at least 2x per direction) before I do any trotting, and once we're trotting we trot A LOT before we start to canter.
Last night I set up a gymnastic for the first time since he's jumping again. I had a simple ground rail set at 9' before an X, then 24' to another X, making that a true no-stride to one-stride. In HORSE strides. Not Jimmy/cob strides. Before the surgery he was just learning to open his stride and kind of struggling to get through lines in the horse strides. I know he can do it, I just have to work to lengthen his stride & relax him so he goes nice and long.
I warmed up & started trotting the second X only, slicing so there was a clear line & an obvious choice that the second X wasn't part of the equation yet. He kept getting impatient and taking one pathetic canter step before the X. I like to nip these habits in the bud, so when he starts something like this I make a pretty huge deal out of it (safely) so he understands that this behavior is not acceptable.
The second time he thought to take a canter stride I tugged and asked him to come back to me & slowly trot. He walked & jumped the X. The next time he got rushy & took a canter step anyway & left when he wanted to, so I made an immediate straight line halt about 2 strides after the X. The third time he thought to canter I felt it one stride before and pulled up for a halt, yelling "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO NO NO NO!" I then quietly asked him to back clear back to the corner of the arena where we started and nicely trot forward & up/over the X. He did so, and trotted the X like a kitten. Soft, fluffy, happy. Gorgeous. Big pat, lots of praise, mush mush mush, Jimmy you're awesome.
Then we went onto something else completely opposite - I like training horses this way because the "lesson" he just learned about jumping from the base I will apply later, but right now, he has to switch gears and flex something else in his repetiore. I think it makes them more alert, agile, & athletic. The three A's ;-) We went on to canter the gymnastic. He's little & previously in his "prime" (pre-op) he had about a 11' or 10.5' stride. Typical horses have a 12' stride & courses at horse shows are always set to the 12' stride.
We got our rhythm, we cantered in. We did one stride. We jumped out. OH. MY. GOOD. GRACIOUS. I set it true 24' as a horse one-stride and I was so amped that THE FIRST TRY HE DID IT IN ONE!!!!!! And he had gusto doing it!!! He tried SO hard and did it THE FIRST TIME!!!! I cantered around and did it again. One-stride. Too good to be true? Lucky draw? I stopped for a little bit...walked...and cantered it again. One stride. Even when he got in ugly, he lowered, reached, and got one out. ONE!!! I gave him ridiculous amounts of praise and pets & let him walk & hang out while Cass jumped it with her horse.
Then I decided to bring back the lesson we learned earlier - Jump from the base. I trotted in, put my hands up on his neck, and just let him figure it out while I cooed out a little baby "Ho ho" and what do you know? Two perfect pony strides, jump out, land, lead change, canter down the next long side. Holy moly I love this horse. I got a good gallop started mid-long side & continued cantering around to canter the one-stride one last time & see if he really was the champion I thought he was. What do you know? Did it in one again, just like I asked.
Needless to say, I'm on cloud nine still because I worked a lot before the surgery on trying to get him to lower & lengthen & be that elastic with his stride and he just wouldn't figure it out. He'd always bump that one extra stride in there so it was one & a half, we couldn't get the solid one unless we were really hauling @$$ & that's just not comfortable for anyone.
All along, he just plugged away last night. Never got emotional, never got huffed up, just did his job. My mom & I call him a little sewing machine when he's like this because he's just even paced, consistent, and steady as can be. Blessed doesn't even begin to describe how I feel to him. He is truly amazing.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Looking Forward
I'm looking forward to being like this again:
Someday soon, Jimmy!!! We're on our way!!!!!!
Someday soon, Jimmy!!! We're on our way!!!!!!
E-Mails From Jackie
I have been looking through the blog trying to find if I ever blogged the e-mails I received from Jackie - the woman who originally rescued Jimmy. I'm sorry if this is a recycled topic, but I think it's cool and at least for my own record, I'd like to have them online. Enjoy :-)
January 20, 2009
So glad to hear he is doing good. We did rescue him along with his three 1/2 brother and sisters. We did not get to see his mother and not sure what breed she was, but the mother did not die. His father was a sorrel and white paint. The man we got him from was disabled and could not care for them and his wife had just left him. I am not a rescue but I do love horses. I saw the add in the paper and went to pick out one. When I got there I had to take all four because they looked so bad and starved. They were kept in a stall and there was no food that I could see. We kept a colt, my mom has one of the fillies and we keep in touch with the owners of the other filly. They are all doing good with their training. I do have a picture of him when we got him,he had never been touched. I will find the picture this week and send it to you. It is so neet to see him. Please send more pictures or e-mail them. You can even call me.
September 15, 2009
found a picture of Jimmy Choo! I will have my daughter scan it and send it to you tomorrow. They all looked so bad when we got them! I did not want to take pictures because I hated seeing them like that. My youngest daughter is 9 and loves looking at Jimmy Choo's pictures and reads what you have wrote. I will send you a picture of Rocko and Karli (my 13 year old) He has turned out to be a great trail horse but that is about all he knows. Can't wait to send you the picture.
I asked how old he was when they found him...Jackie replied
September 18, 2009
My guess is between 7-8 months. They were all so little for their age. I was worried when I wormed them that one would die. They just stood around, never playing like most babies. My dad trimmed Jimmy Choo's hooves before he left. We had to tranquilize him. He was so scared! He had never been touched by people. We had to find them homes quick because they were living in our arena. They did not have shelter but they had good food, they did not seem to mind. My whole family hears about Jimmy Choo and what you have done with him. It is so hard to believe what has become of the little unwanted horse! I tried to get my dad to take him so he would stay in the family. After seeing what you have done with him we are sure glad he found you.
Having Jimmy is just about the most amazing journey I've ever been on :-) I'm grateful every day to have him in my life.
January 20, 2009
So glad to hear he is doing good. We did rescue him along with his three 1/2 brother and sisters. We did not get to see his mother and not sure what breed she was, but the mother did not die. His father was a sorrel and white paint. The man we got him from was disabled and could not care for them and his wife had just left him. I am not a rescue but I do love horses. I saw the add in the paper and went to pick out one. When I got there I had to take all four because they looked so bad and starved. They were kept in a stall and there was no food that I could see. We kept a colt, my mom has one of the fillies and we keep in touch with the owners of the other filly. They are all doing good with their training. I do have a picture of him when we got him,he had never been touched. I will find the picture this week and send it to you. It is so neet to see him. Please send more pictures or e-mail them. You can even call me.
September 15, 2009
found a picture of Jimmy Choo! I will have my daughter scan it and send it to you tomorrow. They all looked so bad when we got them! I did not want to take pictures because I hated seeing them like that. My youngest daughter is 9 and loves looking at Jimmy Choo's pictures and reads what you have wrote. I will send you a picture of Rocko and Karli (my 13 year old) He has turned out to be a great trail horse but that is about all he knows. Can't wait to send you the picture.
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| Rocko & Karli – Jimmy's Brother |
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| Jimmy Choo - Day of Rescue (May, 2005) |
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| Jimmy's Sister "Whinny" |
September 18, 2009
My guess is between 7-8 months. They were all so little for their age. I was worried when I wormed them that one would die. They just stood around, never playing like most babies. My dad trimmed Jimmy Choo's hooves before he left. We had to tranquilize him. He was so scared! He had never been touched by people. We had to find them homes quick because they were living in our arena. They did not have shelter but they had good food, they did not seem to mind. My whole family hears about Jimmy Choo and what you have done with him. It is so hard to believe what has become of the little unwanted horse! I tried to get my dad to take him so he would stay in the family. After seeing what you have done with him we are sure glad he found you.
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| Black Filly "Abbie" – Jimmy's Sister |
Having Jimmy is just about the most amazing journey I've ever been on :-) I'm grateful every day to have him in my life.
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Good Weekend for Jimmy Choo
Jimmy had a very nice weekend. Saturday morning he taught Lucy a very very good lesson, in which he was slow enough at the sitting trot a few times that Lucy could actually practice sitting, which was lovely! She brought him a "Thanksgiving Present" of new LikIts & apples & carrots and a new CHRISTMAS HALTER!!!! He looks so handsome in it, and it's cute as can be!!! Check it out:
Sunday afternoon our good friend Carly came out and rode Jimmy. She hasn't ridden him since his baby days, so it was quite a treat for all involved that she got to come and hack JC! I took some videos of it, which I will post below. She just kept saying "Oh my God. He's just so much fun!!! He's so cool! Oh my God he's so fun!!!!!" which made me feel pretty awesome :-) I helped her out here & there, teaching her his "buttons" but mostly just let her hack around and have fun with him. She was very impressed with the fact that he "reminds" you when you aren't riding correctly, because he will pop out of the frame, or pop his shoulder out or change his pace. I hate to take all the credit for it, because I promise he just happened to grow up this way!! He's so wonderful, I just love him to pieces. It was really special to see him work under someone else and watch how he moves....It looks exactly how it feels :-) Fluid and magnificent! Enjoy the vids.
I'm fighting what seems to be the flu....I mostly feel normal but then get waves of hot/cold flashes and headaches so fierce I can barely function...so I've asked Cass to hack Jimmy for me the next few days until I can officially kick whatever bug my body is trying to fight. Until then, happy riding!
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| SNOWMEN!!! AND SANTA!!!!! |
Sunday afternoon our good friend Carly came out and rode Jimmy. She hasn't ridden him since his baby days, so it was quite a treat for all involved that she got to come and hack JC! I took some videos of it, which I will post below. She just kept saying "Oh my God. He's just so much fun!!! He's so cool! Oh my God he's so fun!!!!!" which made me feel pretty awesome :-) I helped her out here & there, teaching her his "buttons" but mostly just let her hack around and have fun with him. She was very impressed with the fact that he "reminds" you when you aren't riding correctly, because he will pop out of the frame, or pop his shoulder out or change his pace. I hate to take all the credit for it, because I promise he just happened to grow up this way!! He's so wonderful, I just love him to pieces. It was really special to see him work under someone else and watch how he moves....It looks exactly how it feels :-) Fluid and magnificent! Enjoy the vids.
I'm fighting what seems to be the flu....I mostly feel normal but then get waves of hot/cold flashes and headaches so fierce I can barely function...so I've asked Cass to hack Jimmy for me the next few days until I can officially kick whatever bug my body is trying to fight. Until then, happy riding!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Excellent First Jump Night
Tonight I jumped Jimmy!!! For the first time IN A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was actually pretty mundane in the scheme of exciting things.
When I got there I set an X up:
I started with my typical warm up, which you all know & understand painstaking well by this point, I'm sure. He felt very uphill today, which consequently he also brought his head up, but I didn't mind a bit. It was just like he remembered warm up for jumping means track uphill :-) I embraced it. When it came time to jump I just trotted the little X 3 or 4 times. He kind of took off at a random point and landed in a heap the first handful of times. Once he remembered "trot to the base/canter FORWARD away" he was beautiful. I ended with trotting the X and cantering (which ended up being a perfect 5 stride) to the no-stride at the end of the arena in the corner.
What a wonderful first time back!!!!!!! I was so thrilled, not only did he handle the jump well, but the way he composed himself through the no-stride tonight was night & day different than last night. Last night it seemed that he was still just "remembering", like his vision was fuzzy in his head & he was pretty sure that's what he was supposed to do, but not 100%. Tonight he cantered up, through, and away. He was just incredible. I couldn't be happier. I am so grateful that he has progressed to this point, and if I were to guess...I see a very bright future of happy jumping days ahead :-D
When I got there I set an X up:
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| The lovely X |
While I was unbelievably excited, Jimmy didn't seem to share my enthusiasm:
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| "You're acting stupid, Mom. Stop it." |
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| X, 5 stride, no-stride (NOTE: He jumped dead center every time! You can see it!! Way to rock, Jim!!) |
What a wonderful first time back!!!!!!! I was so thrilled, not only did he handle the jump well, but the way he composed himself through the no-stride tonight was night & day different than last night. Last night it seemed that he was still just "remembering", like his vision was fuzzy in his head & he was pretty sure that's what he was supposed to do, but not 100%. Tonight he cantered up, through, and away. He was just incredible. I couldn't be happier. I am so grateful that he has progressed to this point, and if I were to guess...I see a very bright future of happy jumping days ahead :-D
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| Jimmy Choo all tucked in for bed |
Very Good News
Yesterday I e-mailed both Dr. John & Dr. Jacob Goodin (Jimmy's surgeon at Morrie Waud) to ask what they thought about getting Jimmy back over fences. GREAT NEWS FROM BOTH! Jacob replied first:
I am thrilled to hear this news. It's what I had suspected all along but couldn't justify without any approval from one of Jimmy's vets. I am very lucky to be blessed with the most kind, considerate and educated staff of vets for my guy. I can't wait to start over X's tonight!!!
Last night I rode before I had read the emails from the vets but I decided some raised cavaletti work wouldn't kill him, so I set up a no-stride. I love setting them up in a corner so he has to keep his pace all the way through the corner and continue on down the long/short side, pending which direction we're tracking. He fumbled through it the first time, as I suspected he would, and was a real champ the rest of the time. He adjusted himself appropriately to make sure he got in and out correctly and never "powered down" after the fact, just kept truckin' along. Very good boy.
His lead changes are iffy again - I think that one day was just luck that he nailed every single one I asked him to do again & again. It's the same thing we were dealing with before the surgery - his left-to-right is flawless, but the right-to-left sticks most of the time. I think it has to do with a weak left hind, which I had Dr. John look at last winter when we were going through the diagnosis process, and he said "there's absolutely nothing wrong with that leg".....so I think he just babies it. According to X-rays, it's clean so I'm just going to keep working him up and doing everything I can to strengthen.
We're still working lots on transitions within each gate - starting with the walk. I don't ever ask him to do something at the trot or canter that I haven't asked at the walk. Something I learned from Diane - if you expect your horse to do something at a higher speed that they've never been asked to do before, you're wrong. So we start the rides with collecting, extending, and regular walking with a shoulder in down two long sides & a haunches in down one long side. This seems to be doing the trick because at a trot and a canter he's very soft and supple - like he used to be. I'm so proud of my big guy!!
Jess,HOORAYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now for John's:
Glad to hear that Jimmy Choo is doing so well! He looks great in the video. As far as jumping goes, if he is sound and fit enough, I see no reason why he can't start. As long as you start slow and work your way up, he should be okay. Let me know how it goes.
Jacob
All you can do is try and see how he does. Time will not help anymore at this point. Congrats.HOORAYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGAIN!!!
I am thrilled to hear this news. It's what I had suspected all along but couldn't justify without any approval from one of Jimmy's vets. I am very lucky to be blessed with the most kind, considerate and educated staff of vets for my guy. I can't wait to start over X's tonight!!!
Last night I rode before I had read the emails from the vets but I decided some raised cavaletti work wouldn't kill him, so I set up a no-stride. I love setting them up in a corner so he has to keep his pace all the way through the corner and continue on down the long/short side, pending which direction we're tracking. He fumbled through it the first time, as I suspected he would, and was a real champ the rest of the time. He adjusted himself appropriately to make sure he got in and out correctly and never "powered down" after the fact, just kept truckin' along. Very good boy.
His lead changes are iffy again - I think that one day was just luck that he nailed every single one I asked him to do again & again. It's the same thing we were dealing with before the surgery - his left-to-right is flawless, but the right-to-left sticks most of the time. I think it has to do with a weak left hind, which I had Dr. John look at last winter when we were going through the diagnosis process, and he said "there's absolutely nothing wrong with that leg".....so I think he just babies it. According to X-rays, it's clean so I'm just going to keep working him up and doing everything I can to strengthen.
We're still working lots on transitions within each gate - starting with the walk. I don't ever ask him to do something at the trot or canter that I haven't asked at the walk. Something I learned from Diane - if you expect your horse to do something at a higher speed that they've never been asked to do before, you're wrong. So we start the rides with collecting, extending, and regular walking with a shoulder in down two long sides & a haunches in down one long side. This seems to be doing the trick because at a trot and a canter he's very soft and supple - like he used to be. I'm so proud of my big guy!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Stubborn Streak
Last night the BO had to show a horse to a trainer, so when I walked into the arena today to get on, I didn't even think that all of the jumps would be out and sprinkled about the arena. I had Jimmy in tow, so I wasn't about to walk around and move all of the jumps off of the rail. I got on and decided to just ride on the inside and those that were far enough off the rail that I could squeak by I would break down to a slow walk, continue through the gap, and transition onward.
The wind today was fierce and it rained all day! The temperature dropped WAY down into the 40's (bone chilling after the nearly 70º temperatures we've had lately!!) and I had to layer up with whatever was in my car just to stay warm enough. Yes, winter will be a harsh reality check. It's coming....unfortunately.
Thankfully I have Jimmy in awesome barn hands so when it down-poured today, they snatched him & brought him into the safety & dryness of his stall. His Baker got drenched and was 50 lbs. at least, but they took it off and left it drying outside his stall. It's such a relief to have him where he's always taken care of and I never have to worry about what "clothes" he should have on each day. I had his Weatherbeeta in my car nice and clean & dry so after our ride he got tucked in with a nice, warm & dry blankey.
He warms up & cools down faster every day. His stubborn streak is starting to come back as well, which is a nod to how good he is feeling. He's only stubborn when he knows he feels well enough to get away with it. The last few days the stubborn streak has been tracking right and moving off my leg. He would rather just ignore my leg & hand than move laterally, as he's being asked. Today we focused on LOTS of work to the right. By the end he was fit to be tied but he was moving great!
I'm looking forward to jumping again and I'm not quite sure when the time is right to do it. I've tried researching on it and I can't find much of anything. I should call John and see what he thinks....Maybe I'll drop him an e-mail tonight. My goal was to have JC jumping by Thanksgiving. We'll see how it goes :-)
Lesson with Lucy tomorrow :-)
The wind today was fierce and it rained all day! The temperature dropped WAY down into the 40's (bone chilling after the nearly 70º temperatures we've had lately!!) and I had to layer up with whatever was in my car just to stay warm enough. Yes, winter will be a harsh reality check. It's coming....unfortunately.
Thankfully I have Jimmy in awesome barn hands so when it down-poured today, they snatched him & brought him into the safety & dryness of his stall. His Baker got drenched and was 50 lbs. at least, but they took it off and left it drying outside his stall. It's such a relief to have him where he's always taken care of and I never have to worry about what "clothes" he should have on each day. I had his Weatherbeeta in my car nice and clean & dry so after our ride he got tucked in with a nice, warm & dry blankey.
He warms up & cools down faster every day. His stubborn streak is starting to come back as well, which is a nod to how good he is feeling. He's only stubborn when he knows he feels well enough to get away with it. The last few days the stubborn streak has been tracking right and moving off my leg. He would rather just ignore my leg & hand than move laterally, as he's being asked. Today we focused on LOTS of work to the right. By the end he was fit to be tied but he was moving great!
I'm looking forward to jumping again and I'm not quite sure when the time is right to do it. I've tried researching on it and I can't find much of anything. I should call John and see what he thinks....Maybe I'll drop him an e-mail tonight. My goal was to have JC jumping by Thanksgiving. We'll see how it goes :-)
Lesson with Lucy tomorrow :-)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Good Boy Jimmy Choo
WARNING: THIS POST IS A LOT OF GUSHING ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL JIMMY IS. NOT LIKE THAT'S A SURPRISE TO ANY OF YOU AT THIS POINT...JUST THOUGHT I'D AT LEAST GIVE A WARNING THIS TIME. LET THE SHAMELESS & UNRESTRAINED BRAGGING COMMENCE.
Tonight my mom came out to the farm and watched me ride. It's fun having her out since she doesn't see Jimmy that much. She's really been there first hand through every step of the my life with Jimmy, and at no point in-between, so she's only seen the high-highs and lowest lows of our relationship. It's a very proud moment when I get to show her Jimmy doing so well. She tried to take some photos but the lighting in the arena just isn't conducive to photography at night so she ended up taking a video instead.
Tonight my mom came out to the farm and watched me ride. It's fun having her out since she doesn't see Jimmy that much. She's really been there first hand through every step of the my life with Jimmy, and at no point in-between, so she's only seen the high-highs and lowest lows of our relationship. It's a very proud moment when I get to show her Jimmy doing so well. She tried to take some photos but the lighting in the arena just isn't conducive to photography at night so she ended up taking a video instead.
We worked on a lot of transitions tonight & Jimmy is so sensitive to weight and sound it's always a lot of fun for me to work on transitions. I step to the outside at the canter and he knows to trot I mutter a "whoa" and he walks. I realized from watching this video how vocal I am when I ride. I am always babbling to him and telling him how good he is & my tone tells him when he's NOT being good. I especially like in this video how he's proving that he DOES in fact carry himself properly. Mom and I talked about it & I drilled and drilled for hours, days, weeks & months before this surgical journey to try & teach Jimmy how to properly carry his head but it just wouldn't "click" when all along I should have practiced what I preach. When I'm helping a new student or a friend with their horse who "can't get them in a frame" I always say, "You HAVE to get their body before you can get their head. Once you control their body and their body works properly, they will give you their head." That is precisely what happened here, my beautiful blogging friends. Jimmy COULDN'T give me his body for all of that time because he wasn't able. Now that he can, his head just fell right into place. I couldn't be more proud.
I'm also happy to say that Jimmy's lead changes have come back 100%. No more wiggling or trotting or skipping, he's back to getting them each direction in one fluid movement. The combination of transitions, lateral work, lots of trotting and lots of bending has really brought this big guy all the way back to 'life'. The best part? Just like when he was a baby: all it takes is a cluck. Go across the diagonal *cluck* WHAM-O. Lead change. He's too smart for his own good too, though so you have to be careful with that "cluck" queue because if you use it in combination of an inside leg bump & an accidental outside rein twitch down the long side....pop-goes-the-lead-change. Yep. He's a little too smart :-P
The BO text me this morning that Jimmy was loaded with hives :-( I realized the last few nights have been the first since he arrived at the new barn that he slept "naked" (aka - without a sheet) in their shavings so I'm attributing that to his breakout. One dose of Dex and he seemed absolutely fine by the time I was out there tonight. The diarrhea has stopped & now hives have started. He used to break out every season change but it hasn't happened for a few years. I've got my eye on him and thankfully, I have an incredibly knowledgeable barn staff that's watching him as well :-)
Can you believe that less than 6 months ago we were all terrified he'd never be the same? If he isn't proof that anything's possible, I don't know what is.
Oh - and today I realized...December 27th is our three year anniversary. Another post on that, but wow what a whirlwind 3 years it has been!!!
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Greatness Continues
This weekend Jimmy continued his happiness and greatness. Saturday I hacked him and he was wonderful as can be. I was alone in the arena and it made all the difference in the world. Having the ring to myself was so relaxing and it made the whole space seem much larger than it really is. I love that arena.
We continued working on lateral aids. Jimmy is becoming much more responsive because now from spending so much time NOT riding him, I understand him even better. I didn't think I could understand him better than I did before the surgery, but time definitely told me differently. It is so much clearer to me now how he learns and interprets things, so I can ask him in just the right way to shift his body weight to the right or left and cross over in a shoulder in or haunches in and I don't get the sassy ears back & tail swish that I used to get. I also have been much more consistent in rewarding the slightest try. If he even takes one good step I will reward him and throughout the ride I will ask more and more out of him. We've graduated from strictly walking lateral work to now the tiniest ounce of trot lateral work. He's not as enthusiastic to move laterally at the trot, but he was exactly this way when I introduced it to him at the walk, so I know it's only a matter of time before he's completing beautiful shoulder-in and haunches-in down the whole long side of the arena. To date, he can go about 3/4 the long side at a walk in a shoulder-in and just 1/4 at the trot. It takes him 3/4 of the way down at the trot to understand and process what I'm asking, then the last 1/4 her "gets" it and clicks into gear, then the short side I let him extend and stretch down before I gather him up again and ask the next time around. He seems to really like this method, so I will continue with baby steps. We've got nothing but time.
Lucy had her lesson on him yesterday. Since he has come so far in the 5 days at the new farm I didn't need to borrow a lesson horse, I just used Jimmy. He was perfect, of course. He takes great care of her while still being enough of a pig that she needs to ride. His latest trick is to "park" with her. She kicks and squeezes and clucks and digs her heels into his sides and he just stands there, annoyed. I like when lesson horses pull tricks on the novice students, I think it helps them learn to keep riding every step...so long as he never considers pulling this stunt with Mama on his back ;-) I truly think he knows better than that anyway!!
Tim should be out tonight to trim JC and put new shoes on so I'll have to run out and drop off a check, and I might just as well ride while I'm there. I've got a healthy horse, so why the heck not ;-)
Tomorrow evening a few of my friends from college will be coming out to ride. They used to come out and play around and ride Jimmy when he was very young (part of me teaching him to be 'kid proof'). None of these friends have ever had riding lessons or know much at all about horses, so it's great for him to be around people who don't know what they're doing. It helps him respect space and be tolerant of nonsense. I've always kind of fussed around with him and stood up on his back, put tarps on the ground for him to walk over, slid off of his butt...but I think having a truly novice adult on and around him really does wonders for him. It's so important to me that he is 100% safe for everyone at all times.
We continued working on lateral aids. Jimmy is becoming much more responsive because now from spending so much time NOT riding him, I understand him even better. I didn't think I could understand him better than I did before the surgery, but time definitely told me differently. It is so much clearer to me now how he learns and interprets things, so I can ask him in just the right way to shift his body weight to the right or left and cross over in a shoulder in or haunches in and I don't get the sassy ears back & tail swish that I used to get. I also have been much more consistent in rewarding the slightest try. If he even takes one good step I will reward him and throughout the ride I will ask more and more out of him. We've graduated from strictly walking lateral work to now the tiniest ounce of trot lateral work. He's not as enthusiastic to move laterally at the trot, but he was exactly this way when I introduced it to him at the walk, so I know it's only a matter of time before he's completing beautiful shoulder-in and haunches-in down the whole long side of the arena. To date, he can go about 3/4 the long side at a walk in a shoulder-in and just 1/4 at the trot. It takes him 3/4 of the way down at the trot to understand and process what I'm asking, then the last 1/4 her "gets" it and clicks into gear, then the short side I let him extend and stretch down before I gather him up again and ask the next time around. He seems to really like this method, so I will continue with baby steps. We've got nothing but time.
Lucy had her lesson on him yesterday. Since he has come so far in the 5 days at the new farm I didn't need to borrow a lesson horse, I just used Jimmy. He was perfect, of course. He takes great care of her while still being enough of a pig that she needs to ride. His latest trick is to "park" with her. She kicks and squeezes and clucks and digs her heels into his sides and he just stands there, annoyed. I like when lesson horses pull tricks on the novice students, I think it helps them learn to keep riding every step...so long as he never considers pulling this stunt with Mama on his back ;-) I truly think he knows better than that anyway!!
Tim should be out tonight to trim JC and put new shoes on so I'll have to run out and drop off a check, and I might just as well ride while I'm there. I've got a healthy horse, so why the heck not ;-)
Tomorrow evening a few of my friends from college will be coming out to ride. They used to come out and play around and ride Jimmy when he was very young (part of me teaching him to be 'kid proof'). None of these friends have ever had riding lessons or know much at all about horses, so it's great for him to be around people who don't know what they're doing. It helps him respect space and be tolerant of nonsense. I've always kind of fussed around with him and stood up on his back, put tarps on the ground for him to walk over, slid off of his butt...but I think having a truly novice adult on and around him really does wonders for him. It's so important to me that he is 100% safe for everyone at all times.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Happy Horse
Jimmy and I had another great hack last night. He trotted very beautifully - minimal "hopping". Since his recovery he really loves to trot with his head in a hunter frame naturally, and if I pick up the slack in my reins he's gone from doing "hoppy" trot to just moving upward into the bridle so he's in more of a "dressage" frame. It's very relaxed and very fluid. He's such a pleasure to ride, I could just trot around on him all day long. I love that now I actually can!
Hopefully soon I can get ACTUAL pictures of us hacking!! He cantered some more last night also, and I decided it's time to build upwards instead of just forward, so I slowly would collect him and sit in the saddle, asking him to come up under me. He really doesn't like this much, but that's just too bad. Being a jumper, he needs to be as elastic as possible. ESPECIALLY with his small stature - he needs to be able to move from a regular stride (for him, about 11' instead of the standard 12') to a LONG stride, to a short stride if need be.
After our ride I felt his fetlocks, and I was concerned to realize that they were warm and puffy. Before the ride I always feel them and they were cold and solid, so I was really concerned. I gave him a gram of bute and called my mom on my way home. STUPID, JESS! I didn't think about WHY he would be swelling, so my mom explained it to me. Giving him a gram was the wrong thing to do and here's why: His cartilage was severely damaged from the bone chips, so it's still healing, even though the flesh and bone around the incision sites are fully healed. Because the body's natural reaction to healing is to promote blood flow to the area - blood filled the cartilage to help it heal and caused the swelling. He showed absolutely no signs of pain or discomfort the entire ride, so based on that alone, I should NOT have given him bute. I know now for the future - LAY OFF THE BUTE!!! It's such a habit that I have to (shamefully) admit I don't even think about it. Swelling? Gram of bute. It's naturally ingrained into my brain and last night I definitely should have stopped to THINK about why in the world that swelling and heat was there. His body is doing what it needs to be doing - HEALING THAT CARTILAGE! (With the help of Flax, Cosequin ASU, and Adequan IM, that is....) Next time I will think twice before dosing him up.
On an emotional note: I am very impressed with how quickly he adjusted to this new barn. He's very calm and relaxed and just seems happy all of the time. He always has his ears up in a comfortable way, not an "I'm new here WHAT'S THAT?!" type of way. I'm astounded with how fluid he's moving after a few days on that indoor arena to hack and every day I get a text update from the owner of the farm letting me know he's doing great. She loves him and says that they're snuggle buddies. Jimmy is reminiscent of a puppy in that regard - if someone is up for a snuggle, he's all in to be your buddy!!
Tomorrow I will be teaching Dori at the old farm and hacking Jimmy at the new farm at some point. I can't express how grateful I am that things are working out so beautifully. I am truly blessed that this transition has moved as gracefully as it has!!
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| How Jimmy is hacking without contact. |
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| How Jimmy is hacking with contact. |
Hopefully soon I can get ACTUAL pictures of us hacking!! He cantered some more last night also, and I decided it's time to build upwards instead of just forward, so I slowly would collect him and sit in the saddle, asking him to come up under me. He really doesn't like this much, but that's just too bad. Being a jumper, he needs to be as elastic as possible. ESPECIALLY with his small stature - he needs to be able to move from a regular stride (for him, about 11' instead of the standard 12') to a LONG stride, to a short stride if need be.
After our ride I felt his fetlocks, and I was concerned to realize that they were warm and puffy. Before the ride I always feel them and they were cold and solid, so I was really concerned. I gave him a gram of bute and called my mom on my way home. STUPID, JESS! I didn't think about WHY he would be swelling, so my mom explained it to me. Giving him a gram was the wrong thing to do and here's why: His cartilage was severely damaged from the bone chips, so it's still healing, even though the flesh and bone around the incision sites are fully healed. Because the body's natural reaction to healing is to promote blood flow to the area - blood filled the cartilage to help it heal and caused the swelling. He showed absolutely no signs of pain or discomfort the entire ride, so based on that alone, I should NOT have given him bute. I know now for the future - LAY OFF THE BUTE!!! It's such a habit that I have to (shamefully) admit I don't even think about it. Swelling? Gram of bute. It's naturally ingrained into my brain and last night I definitely should have stopped to THINK about why in the world that swelling and heat was there. His body is doing what it needs to be doing - HEALING THAT CARTILAGE! (With the help of Flax, Cosequin ASU, and Adequan IM, that is....) Next time I will think twice before dosing him up.
On an emotional note: I am very impressed with how quickly he adjusted to this new barn. He's very calm and relaxed and just seems happy all of the time. He always has his ears up in a comfortable way, not an "I'm new here WHAT'S THAT?!" type of way. I'm astounded with how fluid he's moving after a few days on that indoor arena to hack and every day I get a text update from the owner of the farm letting me know he's doing great. She loves him and says that they're snuggle buddies. Jimmy is reminiscent of a puppy in that regard - if someone is up for a snuggle, he's all in to be your buddy!!
Tomorrow I will be teaching Dori at the old farm and hacking Jimmy at the new farm at some point. I can't express how grateful I am that things are working out so beautifully. I am truly blessed that this transition has moved as gracefully as it has!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Leaps & Bounds
Yesterday I went on a trail ride since the weather was bearable. It was overcast and unseasonably windy (partially miserable in that aspect) but the temperature was pleasant & Jimmy and I went on our way to the field to hack. Once again, the political signs caused a bit of an issue, but he's getting more and more brave about walking calmly by them, just looks with those big, wide eyes.
We hacked for about 15 minutes in the big field up and down the hills at the trot. Every day when I get on I walk him for about 10 minutes to let him loosen up & then ask him to trot. He fights me, every day. He does what a friend and I like to call his "hoppy trot" which apparently is normal for a lazy horse in recovery. It's the same trot he used to do before the surgery, which I would ALWAYS get off when he did it. He trained me pretty good so now he thinks when he does that hoppy trot I will get off and panic. Newsflash, Jim: I wised up. I now push him up and make him continue trotting and when he fights me STILL I take out the big guns....(which I'm not totally proud of, but I believe in certain circumstances it just needs to be done) I growl at him.
Growling is usually something I only do if I am in a jumping situation and the horse I'm on is being a dangerous and "dirty stopper" (aka refusing to move forward and refusing to jump in a violent way) so the fact that I was in the middle of a hay field spurring and growling at Jimmy speaks volumes of how mad I was at him for pulling this "hoppy" shenanigans again. Well what do you know, he magically stopped hopping and started trotting.
I know he only hops when he's bored or lazy, because when he's in hot pursuit to chase after one of the ponies I'm hacking with in the field or hacking in the arena & watching the other herds galloping around us, he's perfectly, beautifully, wonderfully sound. He does it because I let him get away with it, and I have been babying him for almost a full year now. Lazy time is up, James. Time to get tough.
Once the real trot kicked into gear he was gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier. I bumped up the canter time slightly and let him canter two long sides of the hay field, which is about twice the length of our arena long side. He walked back calmly and passed the signs with almost no question.
Today we hacked in the arena, which was sloppy but rideable, and had another beautiful ride together. He was trotting out and forward and felt AMAZING. His fetlocks were slightly warm and inflamed when I pulled him out of his stall, which I was very concerned about being from the extra canter time the previous afternoon. I walked for a solid 10 minutes to let that swelling work it's way out & the second we picked up the trot he was already moving more comfortable and forward than he has since last year, so I knew the heat was due to the extreme weather change. I think it's just something I'll always have to watch with him. Thank goodness I love him and plan on being his Mom forever ;-)
Today was the first day we did what I would consider a full, comfortable hack. He didn't "hop" at all, he was forward and fluid, and he carried himself very impressively every step. At the canter we went one and a half full laps each direction and today was the first day he cantered without wiggling or feeling weak. I feel an unbelievable sense of accomplishment because he has come back almost all the way now. His attitude still needs adjustment from time to time (as we learned Saturday) but physically his weight is going back down, his coat is fluffy, but healthy, his spirits are up, and his legs are holding up. I'm a very, very happy mama.
OH! Friday night Bill & I went out to spoil Jimmy & we tried on his "Halloween costume". He's a jock. I know, very creative AND involved ;-) Enjoy!
We hacked for about 15 minutes in the big field up and down the hills at the trot. Every day when I get on I walk him for about 10 minutes to let him loosen up & then ask him to trot. He fights me, every day. He does what a friend and I like to call his "hoppy trot" which apparently is normal for a lazy horse in recovery. It's the same trot he used to do before the surgery, which I would ALWAYS get off when he did it. He trained me pretty good so now he thinks when he does that hoppy trot I will get off and panic. Newsflash, Jim: I wised up. I now push him up and make him continue trotting and when he fights me STILL I take out the big guns....(which I'm not totally proud of, but I believe in certain circumstances it just needs to be done) I growl at him.
Growling is usually something I only do if I am in a jumping situation and the horse I'm on is being a dangerous and "dirty stopper" (aka refusing to move forward and refusing to jump in a violent way) so the fact that I was in the middle of a hay field spurring and growling at Jimmy speaks volumes of how mad I was at him for pulling this "hoppy" shenanigans again. Well what do you know, he magically stopped hopping and started trotting.
I know he only hops when he's bored or lazy, because when he's in hot pursuit to chase after one of the ponies I'm hacking with in the field or hacking in the arena & watching the other herds galloping around us, he's perfectly, beautifully, wonderfully sound. He does it because I let him get away with it, and I have been babying him for almost a full year now. Lazy time is up, James. Time to get tough.
Once the real trot kicked into gear he was gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier. I bumped up the canter time slightly and let him canter two long sides of the hay field, which is about twice the length of our arena long side. He walked back calmly and passed the signs with almost no question.
Today we hacked in the arena, which was sloppy but rideable, and had another beautiful ride together. He was trotting out and forward and felt AMAZING. His fetlocks were slightly warm and inflamed when I pulled him out of his stall, which I was very concerned about being from the extra canter time the previous afternoon. I walked for a solid 10 minutes to let that swelling work it's way out & the second we picked up the trot he was already moving more comfortable and forward than he has since last year, so I knew the heat was due to the extreme weather change. I think it's just something I'll always have to watch with him. Thank goodness I love him and plan on being his Mom forever ;-)
Today was the first day we did what I would consider a full, comfortable hack. He didn't "hop" at all, he was forward and fluid, and he carried himself very impressively every step. At the canter we went one and a half full laps each direction and today was the first day he cantered without wiggling or feeling weak. I feel an unbelievable sense of accomplishment because he has come back almost all the way now. His attitude still needs adjustment from time to time (as we learned Saturday) but physically his weight is going back down, his coat is fluffy, but healthy, his spirits are up, and his legs are holding up. I'm a very, very happy mama.
OH! Friday night Bill & I went out to spoil Jimmy & we tried on his "Halloween costume". He's a jock. I know, very creative AND involved ;-) Enjoy!
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Clock Is Ticking
Sorry I've been light on posts lately. I've decided it's too hard for me to get out to the barn, tack up, and ride on weeknights. It just gets dark too quickly to make it worth my while. In 9 more days Jimmy gets picked up and moved to the new barn - where we will have an indoor arena and be able to ride after work :-)
Wednesday night Bill came out to the barn with me and we played with Jimmy in the round pen. Jimmy seems to be losing all of his "bed-rest" weight (HOORAY) and the energy level is slowly but surely coming back up. He is working much more willingly and becoming more fluid all the way through his movements. I'm so happy to see him recovering fully! Slow & steady :-)
Since my posts are few & far between...and this one is short & sweet....enjoy this adorable photo of my JRT Lucy (who lives at my parents house) in her Halloween costume. She's ready to trick or treat!! Note: The Beagle (Mason) is dreading Halloween. He isn't keen on costumes.
Wednesday night Bill came out to the barn with me and we played with Jimmy in the round pen. Jimmy seems to be losing all of his "bed-rest" weight (HOORAY) and the energy level is slowly but surely coming back up. He is working much more willingly and becoming more fluid all the way through his movements. I'm so happy to see him recovering fully! Slow & steady :-)
Since my posts are few & far between...and this one is short & sweet....enjoy this adorable photo of my JRT Lucy (who lives at my parents house) in her Halloween costume. She's ready to trick or treat!! Note: The Beagle (Mason) is dreading Halloween. He isn't keen on costumes.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Saddle Update & Jimmy's Still Fat
This week has been utter chaos for me, and it's not over yet! Monday I had a migraine so I couldn't make it out to the farm, and Tuesday I was up in Lake Geneva for a sales meeting for work. This brings us to Wednesday, the first day of the work-week I could make it out to see the Choo & I had Lucy to teach. She's officially off the lunge line 100% (until we canter!) and doing an absolutely phenomenal job. She knows just how to push Smiley's buttons and when he gets quick she knows how to slow her body to "yellow-light" or "baby trot" and she knows to full halt him using her whole seat and body. Last night I taught her that I know he's finished the halt when she puts her bottom in the saddle, because he comes all the way back and tucks his nose into his chest. Every halt after that she plopped her bottom in the saddle and the second he tucked his nose in she smiled and giggled. I love teaching :-)
After Lucy's lesson I grabbed Jim to see how he was feeling on the lunge line. Two things: 1.) He's still fat. 2.) He's really lazy. I was surprised because he hasn't been out yet this week other than in his "back yard" (which Bill graciously cleaned last night! Thanks Babe!!) and typically he's got a little more gas in the tank. I'll chalk it up to "he wanted to go back to his dinner" and leave it at that. I can't wait to start him on the new feed and start get him in a more regular program. Someday maybe my schedule will calm down...then again when I start teaching more at the other barn, it has to so I can be there to TEACH!!! I can't wait - I'm practically counting the days.
Tonight we have a venue visit and if it's still early enough when we're done I will head up to lunge JC in the dark again or turn him loose in the arena to let him stretch his legs one last time before Bill and I leave for Augie this weekend. Bill is an Augustana alumni & this weekend is Homecoming, so we are Quad Cities-bound!!
On another note: yesterday I brought my lovely Nona & Jimmy's tracings over to Saddlers Row on my lunch break and met with Michael, their master saddle fitter/adjuster. He used his own tools first to measure the width of my tracings and compared it to my saddle, then took out the 'official' Prestige tool and bent it into place, compared it to my saddle, went over and took out a ruler, started measuring the centimeters, scribbled a few things....all silently. My heart raced and I was petrified to what he was going to say. He looked up and smiled and said "Yep. We can do it." I was thinking, "That's it?!" because I had been told previously that a formal fitting would need to be scheduled, more tracings needed to be made, etc. Lots of steps in the process = someday I'll have my saddle back...maybe. Instead Michael explained to me exactly what would REALLY happen: First, Jimmy measured slightly over 34cm, which is considered "wide" in Prestige lingo (and everything, from what I've researched) and since my saddle is a 32cm, they can widen it just barely over the 2cm it needs, making the adjustment he needs. I then showed Michael the photos I had and he said that confirmed what he thought was happening. This saddle perches up on top of his shoulder/wither, it doesn't lay the way that it should. However, the back panels lay as they should and he said no adjustment needs to take place in the flocking.
The work was to begin on my saddle immediately and they hope to have it back to me by tomorrow or Monday :-) He explained how the Prestige saddles are made with a polymer tree and they have all the certified, official equipment to be able to work on them properly (he showed me the machinery to prove it). Basically the tree is plastic and they heat it up to the proper temperature and stretch it (in the nifty machine-gadget) up to 2cm (and then a little...for fat Jim). He said no matter what, they will make this saddle fit Jimmy. He said once I pay the initial fee, it's not just a one-time adjustment. He will continue to mold and shape the saddle to make sure it fits Jimmy, no matter what. I had my typical, over-excited and near-tears reaction...and of course wanted to leap over the counter and hug him. He also said that he will be keeping Jimmy's measurements and tracings on file in case future work for him needs to be done.
Oh - and just before I left he said himself that "The Prestige saddles are the best saddles in the world." which confirmed my belief in them and made me feel like a million bucks, because he's not a Prestige dealer, he just loves that they can be molded and shaped to fit anyone and anything. He's got a ton of experience and I feel very comfortable with my saddle in his hands!!!! This adjustment will be totally worth it and I can't wait to have my saddle back so I can RIDE AGAIN! (The Crosby was returned last night to it's rightful - and extremely generous - owner. THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES, "MONIZZLE"!!!!)
After Lucy's lesson I grabbed Jim to see how he was feeling on the lunge line. Two things: 1.) He's still fat. 2.) He's really lazy. I was surprised because he hasn't been out yet this week other than in his "back yard" (which Bill graciously cleaned last night! Thanks Babe!!) and typically he's got a little more gas in the tank. I'll chalk it up to "he wanted to go back to his dinner" and leave it at that. I can't wait to start him on the new feed and start get him in a more regular program. Someday maybe my schedule will calm down...then again when I start teaching more at the other barn, it has to so I can be there to TEACH!!! I can't wait - I'm practically counting the days.
Tonight we have a venue visit and if it's still early enough when we're done I will head up to lunge JC in the dark again or turn him loose in the arena to let him stretch his legs one last time before Bill and I leave for Augie this weekend. Bill is an Augustana alumni & this weekend is Homecoming, so we are Quad Cities-bound!!
On another note: yesterday I brought my lovely Nona & Jimmy's tracings over to Saddlers Row on my lunch break and met with Michael, their master saddle fitter/adjuster. He used his own tools first to measure the width of my tracings and compared it to my saddle, then took out the 'official' Prestige tool and bent it into place, compared it to my saddle, went over and took out a ruler, started measuring the centimeters, scribbled a few things....all silently. My heart raced and I was petrified to what he was going to say. He looked up and smiled and said "Yep. We can do it." I was thinking, "That's it?!" because I had been told previously that a formal fitting would need to be scheduled, more tracings needed to be made, etc. Lots of steps in the process = someday I'll have my saddle back...maybe. Instead Michael explained to me exactly what would REALLY happen: First, Jimmy measured slightly over 34cm, which is considered "wide" in Prestige lingo (and everything, from what I've researched) and since my saddle is a 32cm, they can widen it just barely over the 2cm it needs, making the adjustment he needs. I then showed Michael the photos I had and he said that confirmed what he thought was happening. This saddle perches up on top of his shoulder/wither, it doesn't lay the way that it should. However, the back panels lay as they should and he said no adjustment needs to take place in the flocking.
The work was to begin on my saddle immediately and they hope to have it back to me by tomorrow or Monday :-) He explained how the Prestige saddles are made with a polymer tree and they have all the certified, official equipment to be able to work on them properly (he showed me the machinery to prove it). Basically the tree is plastic and they heat it up to the proper temperature and stretch it (in the nifty machine-gadget) up to 2cm (and then a little...for fat Jim). He said no matter what, they will make this saddle fit Jimmy. He said once I pay the initial fee, it's not just a one-time adjustment. He will continue to mold and shape the saddle to make sure it fits Jimmy, no matter what. I had my typical, over-excited and near-tears reaction...and of course wanted to leap over the counter and hug him. He also said that he will be keeping Jimmy's measurements and tracings on file in case future work for him needs to be done.
Oh - and just before I left he said himself that "The Prestige saddles are the best saddles in the world." which confirmed my belief in them and made me feel like a million bucks, because he's not a Prestige dealer, he just loves that they can be molded and shaped to fit anyone and anything. He's got a ton of experience and I feel very comfortable with my saddle in his hands!!!! This adjustment will be totally worth it and I can't wait to have my saddle back so I can RIDE AGAIN! (The Crosby was returned last night to it's rightful - and extremely generous - owner. THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES, "MONIZZLE"!!!!)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saddle on a Fat Horse
Upon taking these photos I realized how fat Jimmy Choo REALLY is right now...So that issue is next to be worked with. But here are the photos I've been promising of him wearing his saddle.
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| The starting point. Fat. Jimmy. |
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| Prestige Nona Garson – No girth. |
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| Behind – No girth. |
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| Left side – No girth |
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| Top/front – No girth |
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| With girth (NOTICE: Bill cleaning his stall in the background. LOVE him!!) |
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| Behind – Girth |
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| Front – Girth |
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| Right Side – Girth |
After I tacked him up I took him to the arena for some riding time...and he was so fat and wild the saddle bothered him so much all he could to is shake his head in despair - no forward motion, just UPWARD motion hints (never went up, he knows better). So I got off & threw him on a line. It'd been a while since he'd worked anyway (5 days) and he couldn't do anything but rodeo bronc buck in place. He just kept sqeualing and leaping straight up in the air with his butt. At one point he was even kicking out with his left hind - he kicked the fence when he went by (for the first time in his life) and realized why he never kicks the fence. He looked at my like "MOM! WHY DID THAT HURT SO MUCH?!?!?" This is NOT normal "Wild Jimmy" so I calmed him down, grabbed the saddle & put it on the ground. Soon as that saddle was off he lunged BEAUTIFULLY sound and was gorgeous.
Then of course the explosion hit and he was so wild and naughty he slipped his back end out from under him - twice. It was slippery out there from all the rain we got the other night, so I wasn't about to let him off the line to suck his shoes right off his feet.
This brings me to my next point - his feet are rocking. I talked to Tim, my farrier, yesterday & he said he's seen a huge improvement in 5 weeks from the shoes/pads and because I've followed his instruction on sealing JC's feet 2x a week with Venice Turpentine or Hoof Sealer. I will have a bigger announcement on that later today or tomorrow regarding our plans for the future.
Please let me know what you think I should do about the saddle fit situation. He's so uncomfortable wearing the saddle that he can't move, but bareback rides he gets incredibly back sore. I spoke with a good friend of mine who's in feed sales and he recommended a new high-protein "diet" feed for JC. We will be starting that in the next month and until then, his "Complete" grain has been cut from 4#/day to 1#/day. Also: I've told the barn owner he is allowed a maximum of 4 flakes per day. His neck is cresty again like it got last year when he was on stall rest. He's absolutely huge. It's amazing how not seeing him for 5 days can clear my vision so much.
Should I lunge him or turn him out in the arena? No more riding until he's thinner again? Tell me what you would do if he were your horse, I'm definitely looking for suggestions. I hate to put a pad other than a baby pad under there because the tree is just too tight on him - or something is wrong because he has NEVER IN HIS LIFE objected a saddle. Never, not once. And this saddle, specifically, is what I've ridden him in since he was 3.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Question For Saddle & Back Experts
Since Jimmy is coming back into work (slowly but surely) I've noticed he gets back sore when I ride him bareback (this does nothing for my self-esteem...), and is much happier when I use a saddle. I've heard from my vet that saddles are obviously designed to use without any pads at all, but people started to use saddle pads to protect the saddle leather from the sweat/grime of the horse.
I always just use a baby pad with my Prestige Nona Garson. This saddle was made 'custom' for a different horse I used to own, but seems to fit Jimmy fine. I was instructed by the saddle fitter to only use a baby pad with it or thin square pad...
My question is: should I be using some kind of "comfort" pad on Jimmy during this recovery period since he's obviously sensitive to the weight on his back? He's noticeably less back-sore when I use a saddle, and when I don't put any of my weight on his back (no sit trot, etc.) he's even less back sore. Any suggestions? I've heard those ThinLine pads are wonderful, would it apply to this situation?
Thanks in advance :-D
I always just use a baby pad with my Prestige Nona Garson. This saddle was made 'custom' for a different horse I used to own, but seems to fit Jimmy fine. I was instructed by the saddle fitter to only use a baby pad with it or thin square pad...
My question is: should I be using some kind of "comfort" pad on Jimmy during this recovery period since he's obviously sensitive to the weight on his back? He's noticeably less back-sore when I use a saddle, and when I don't put any of my weight on his back (no sit trot, etc.) he's even less back sore. Any suggestions? I've heard those ThinLine pads are wonderful, would it apply to this situation?
Thanks in advance :-D
Monday, September 20, 2010
A New Girth!
Last week I took the plunge and bought a new girth at Saddlers Row. I got the Ovation Comfort Girth which so far, Jimmy and I both love. My Professionals Choice lasted a solid 8 years and just finally kicked it a few weeks ago. Since Jimmy has lost all of his top line, my ancient old leather 48" girth is too stretched out and loose on him, so a new girth was definitely deserved.
I went down to a 46" for him, and it's still astonishingly big on him, being on 3 and 4 on each side. I like to be around 3 & 3, but I know when his top line comes back it will be all good.
I rode him Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday he was wonderful. Saturday I rode bareback and this I've learned he hates. He used to always be game for anything, but the more I ride him bareback, the more miserable he becomes. He pins his ears, throws his head around, goes into that ugly "Tranter" aka lope that I absolutely despise...all things telling me "Mom, I'm miserable." and "Mom, I hurt." So, Sunday I put a saddle back on and he was MUCH happier. He' s crabby to canter by the second and especially third day, so I am going to cut back on the cantering. I thought maybe once around each direction would help him loosen up a bit, but it only makes him miserable. He prefers to canter on the line, without me, on his own terms. Okay Jimmy, have at it.
This week I will be giving him some restful time off, because once again I've got freelance coming out of my ears. You didn't hear it from me, but I might be Creative Director & Graphic Designer for a very big, very exciting event to happen in August of 2011. (Sneak peak here) Keep your eyes and ears peeled, kiddos. Much bigger announcements will be made once the website is finished (...which I haven't started it yet and it's due to be up this week. *GULP* I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)
Also: I have been offered position as head trainer at a barn only 5 miles from Jimmy's. I've got to go over there and check the place out, but the offer is a huge honor and I'm very flattered to have been chosen. We'll see where the future will lead me, but right now I like where it's going!!
Enjoy your week, everyone!
I went down to a 46" for him, and it's still astonishingly big on him, being on 3 and 4 on each side. I like to be around 3 & 3, but I know when his top line comes back it will be all good.
I rode him Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday he was wonderful. Saturday I rode bareback and this I've learned he hates. He used to always be game for anything, but the more I ride him bareback, the more miserable he becomes. He pins his ears, throws his head around, goes into that ugly "Tranter" aka lope that I absolutely despise...all things telling me "Mom, I'm miserable." and "Mom, I hurt." So, Sunday I put a saddle back on and he was MUCH happier. He' s crabby to canter by the second and especially third day, so I am going to cut back on the cantering. I thought maybe once around each direction would help him loosen up a bit, but it only makes him miserable. He prefers to canter on the line, without me, on his own terms. Okay Jimmy, have at it.
This week I will be giving him some restful time off, because once again I've got freelance coming out of my ears. You didn't hear it from me, but I might be Creative Director & Graphic Designer for a very big, very exciting event to happen in August of 2011. (Sneak peak here) Keep your eyes and ears peeled, kiddos. Much bigger announcements will be made once the website is finished (...which I haven't started it yet and it's due to be up this week. *GULP* I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)
Also: I have been offered position as head trainer at a barn only 5 miles from Jimmy's. I've got to go over there and check the place out, but the offer is a huge honor and I'm very flattered to have been chosen. We'll see where the future will lead me, but right now I like where it's going!!
Enjoy your week, everyone!
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