We went out to visit Big Guy together – he got a little bit of rasping (not much) and some good grooming.
Sadly, the melanomas under his tail have doubled in size this last year alone. It’s unknown how long this can continue before they start to impact his ability to pass manure. I’ll have Dr. Cowgirl look at them when she comes out this spring but the reality is that we will just have to let nature take it’s course. Meanwhile, he can enjoy his well deserved retirement hanging with his two guys, eating grass. playing in the pond, and sleeping broad bellied in the sun. It’s not a bad life at all…
Big Guy’s feet:
After our visit far south of town to BG’s place, we swung up north and west to visit Z. Turned out she could use some work too. Of course she wasn’t going to let that prevent her from eating this great green grass!
I really need to get hubby a hoof jack but for now we are using the mounting block.
The weather here today is wonderful! It’s in the 60′s, overcast with a very slight breeze on the cool side. If only we had more days like that here but I imagine by Halloween we will be cold with freezing rain. So I’m taking it and running with it.
Hubby is home so after taking care of home errands and getting daughter by the bookstore, we headed out to Z. Hubby did a little work on her front feet as they were starting to chip and I wanted him to get a nicer roll on the front. For the first time, she looks like she has HORSE feet and not little baby hooves.
Her head also seems to have matured over the last few months and I’ve had to change settings on the sidepull to accomodate a larger throatlatch and longer nose. Her hips have gotten a bit higher then her front, so I think she may even gain some more height (withers will rise up after hips). Fingers crossed on every quarter inch I can get.
I hand grazed her for a bit while we talked. I spent a lot of time with Dear One when it was just us two, but the years of owning multiple horses meant less one on one for each horse. Now I have some time back to spend with Z.
Afterwards, we did some of Peggy Cummings Connected Groundwork exercises. Peggy comes from a background of Centered Riding (Sally Swift) and TTeam (Linda Tellington-Jones) so I’ve been interested in some time in trying out some of her exercises. Her work of relaxing the horse downward and throughout the body is also work that would synch well with the exercises by Mark Russell. If you are familiar with Wendy Murdoch’s riders’ body work, this would also be compatible.
Unfortunately, since she is not scheduled for a clinic anywhere close to me, I have to make due with videos and her book. I did buy her speciality halter as it has different adjustments on the throatlatch, poll and noseband then a regular halter. Since Z’s head was still growing, this was also helpful to have something that could adjust. BTW Z is wearing a medium and she is on the first hole.
Here is a very good video of how to put on the lines in the Connected Groundwork way:
I wanted to do the exercises with hubby giving me direction from the book, and providing any coaching and correction. I have to say that it was far more difficult then I was expecting but that’s okay. What I notice with the above is that because I am used to working with a completely slack line, it’s hard to remember to keep the tension! Okay duh! keep tension! Just a bit more practice and I can tell what my right hand is doing with my left! LOL!
The first 2 exercises are leading exercises done with both hands and using the line over the nose:
Starting on: It’s a step forward, step back with a slide in/out on the inside line before starting;
Slide in and slide out: It’s a one hand slide up to the noseband, pause with a bit of tension (Pulling the Bow) and slide out.
The second part with the bodywork I felt more assured and comfortable with having done much of it with the TTouch (part of TTeam).
Cheek Press: Very hard on Z to do because it requires release in the poll where she holds tension.
Cheek Delineation: Z liked this exercise a lot. We were doing it at standstill but eventually when I get coordinated we will try during the walking work.
Caterpiller: A little more concentration but very similar to a TTouch exercise such as Zig-Zag TTouch.
Chin Rest: letting the horse relax their chin into your supporting hand.
I took her over to the spooky area of the lawn where panthers worked and was able to get her to walk around- not fully connected but that was okay. We are both learning and I deliberately put her in a challenging situation.
These will be some fun things to do with Z when we are off from riding. Also, it should help with her bracing on the right side in her neck and provide some release from her poll.
Saturday I got a call on my cell from Pandora’s barn mommy. She was limping on the left fore. Husband had been out of town from MO for the entire week, working in their Dallas office, so he couldn’t drop over and check.
I wish she had called me a bit earlier when this happened, instead she gave Pandora some antibiotic and went and visited the vet (w/o pony) to discuss. I think this is because one of her mini’s has foundered before and she was worried this might be happening with Pandora.
Naturally, the vet told her to do what I told her to do which was give her Bute and see what 24 hours does. By the next day, the limp had vanished. We’ll all keep an eye on it, but I imagine that the granny pony (Pandora is now in her mid 20′s, best guestimate) playing with the 2 year old mini friends is why she injured herself (there was no physical sign of puffiness, increased pulse, blood or cut/scratch).
I meant to post before that the last time hubby went by, Pandora obviously is doing really well (generally) with her new friends. Pandora came over to check hubby out and the two mini-friends came over and rested their chins on her Pandoras back, staying behind her, until they realized that hubby had some treats and then everyone came over to the fence.
My life is about either days with too much too do and grueling schedules, or complete boredom with nothing to do. This weekend was pretty busy. Husband was home Thursday to celebrate our Friday Wedding Anniversay. We got another small house project done on the road to getting it prepped for sale. Next weekend we’ll start on the kids’ bathroom cabinets.
Both horses got hooves trimmed; Big Guy is having a lot of heel growth, but little toe growth. Z did fantastic for husband and he was amazed at how well behaved she was! Yeah!
Big Guy decided Saturday to have a puffed up eye because he wasn’t getting my attention. I figured it might be allergies as pollen is very high and he’s at a location that is flat, windy and with little tree cover. I took some Farnam Clear Eyes out to irrigate both eyes and put on a fly mask. Within 24 hours it was completely cleared up so that saved a vet call on a Sunday.
Z’s workout was not pretty. She went back to rushing and gazing about at the Spooky Spot, so we ended up doing a lot of canter work on a free lunge in the RP and she cantered a LOT which was surprising. It took a long time to settle and I was disappointed that we didn’t have anything of our good work to show hubby.
OTOH that is the way with horses: be alone and have a fantastic day; have an audience and things suck.
Yesterday we took a long day trip to SGF, MO. to meet up with some folks. One of those was a potential place for Pandora, my mini-pony to board. The situation here is not ideal. The people mean well but they really don’t understand the pony metabolism and I have been living with a low grade, constant worry that Pandora might founder because of it.
We met up with Pam who owns about 10 acres and has two minis, as well as chickens and a pig who is being fattened up. She grew up on a farm, has a mini she drylots now, and I feel confident about her care for Pandora.
The price will be $60, decreasing our current ridiculous ponyboard price of $150. I’m all about reducing bills because we will soon be paying for two households.
Pandora also got her shots today and I’ve started her on a loading dose for glucosomine. The pellets are alfalfa flavor so she gobbled them up with no problem.
Last time we were trimming she was having a hard time lifting up her feet as well as her back leg popped with the effort. Next weekend we will try again and see if she is more comfortable after a week of supplementation.
When we left 3H she had trouble getting into the trailer – it seems to be an issue with her hindlegs and one of those has scarring from an old encounter, most likely with barb wire. Then she had trouble getting up after rolling when she was at FR.
Those problems seem to have increased and I blame it not only on her age but the fact that FR and the current situation has allowed Pandora to get too heavy. This is putting her at risk of foundering and I definitely want her moved before we get the fall rains, and the grass greens up for a short time before winter.
I’m hoping to get her moved Aug 27/28. Husband will already be finishing up his first week of work in SGF for MCK and can keep an eye on her, as well as keep her trimmed.
