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Moutaineer

Most of my goals came to naught in the last 2 months. Oh well we achieved other things and learned a lot.

I'm going to have to wait to see when I can ride again before I set new goals. And the spine clinic have just called and put my appointment off from tomorrow until next Tuesday. Wah.

Moutaineer

Its been a rough week. MRI tomorrow morning, assuming they can straighten me out enough to get me in the tube. Spine and pain doctor on Tuesday. I've seen him before some years ago and had some spine injections from him. He's really good so I have hopes that he will be able to help me.

Moutaineer

Well, I'm down for the count. Don't know what I did but I woke up this morning unable to walk upright and in the worse pain I have ever experienced in my entire life in my SI joint and sciatic nerve. I've just got back from the doctors office. He shot some steroids and lidocaine and benzocaine in th...

Moutaineer

It will theoretically be 35 here at dawn, but will actually probably be a couple of degrees cooler so my veg garden is wearing towels and pillowcases tonight. It's a shock to the system after the 90s of the past week. I had to put a jacket on to go for my walk this afternoon. I have to adult and ear...

Moutaineer

We did it again today. It was good. A serious thought at the start of the ride about a spook at some dude off in the distance, but after a reckoning about that, the rest of the ride went pretty well. We did 25 minutes and called it good as it was another sweltering, blustery day. Fire and colic weat...

Moutaineer

Potters had been off work since the show on Saturday because of life in general, and came out today absolutely loaded for bear. I'm over it. Being nice and understanding and ignoring it isn't working. So, we had something of a "stop being an asshole and get in front of my leg" ride. And he...

Moutaineer

I bailed on wearing a jacket at the noon hour yesterday. I'm glad I did, even though I've got one of those perforated ones

I'll go back and do the 3.3 next month for 2 days, but thats it.

Moutaineer

Exvet, as my friend Alison says, "the runway isn't getting any longer." Once you hit 60 or so, you've got to decide how you want to spend the rest of your riding life, and make it happen one way or another. Striving for perfection is all well and good, but... So today, I rode our collectiv...

Moutaineer

After yesterday's excitement, I decided to dial it way down today. I overdid it and we ended up dragging ourselves around the arena like a sedated snail. And I had an off-course, and we had one pretty legit spook at something that made us both jump. So I ended up with a score that I think is the wor...

Moutaineer

We went over to the facility for a pre-show warm up this morning. Potters was lovely to warm up in the indoor and then just melted down when we went outside. The wind was blowing the trees around and apparently we've never seen that before. And they have flowers on the letter pylons. Oh boy. I sure ...

Moutaineer

Oh, ha ha, Ponichiwa.

Cheese and pickle sandwiches, anyone?

Moutaineer

heddylamar wrote:Hmm. I should take some oil out to try too.

How is Potter's tail?

Potter's tail is... scabby and deeply unattractive. If I do badly at the show this weekend I will blame it.

But it has a fuzz of hair on it. So maybe in a month or so it won't look ao bad.

Moutaineer

Argh, Desitin... I'm trying to get it out of Potter's tail for the show on Friday. I have found that hot soapy water is doing the trick, largely, combined with an application of greasy sunscreeen which seems to dissolve the Desitin.

Moutaineer

Oooh, he looks so good, exvet! What a nice chunky boy! Lovely ride this morning after 3 days off, which we apparently both needed. We walked for about 20 minutes before we picked up the pace, and I was rewarded by a truly soft and happy and cooperative horse. Now to just keep it simmering along like...

Moutaineer

How very distressing, exvet. My dear friend took her perpetually nqr young mare (anothed Danish Warmblood, as it happens) to CSU for a work up last week and came home without her. Spinal compression at C6/C7. Ugh. Been there with the truck, Aleuronx. A friend rescued my away horseshow weekend by loa...

Moutaineer

I had one that was like this after a bath, LSP. If you didn't scrape and towel off his tummy really thoroughly, he was miserable. Just hated the feeling of dripping/trickling water.

Moutaineer

Oh, poor Maia! Both of us were pretty cooked for our lesson this morning, so we kept it short and sweet. But what we did do made me happy. We've switched from our left canter lead being better to the right lead being better. The left lead isn't awful and he's not reluctant to take it, but it's not q...

Moutaineer

Great ride today. I didn't have to insist, he just cooperated happily. What more can a person ask for? It's just as well he did. I was pretty beat after yesterdays shenanigans, and now, after riding this morning, working this afternoon and working out this evening, I'm cooked. And I have a lesson in...

Moutaineer

Sounds really positive, SF. I'm just pooped out this evening. I got pushed hard in my lesson today, and Potters did not start out entirely wanting to step up to the plate and collect and feel the burn. We did actually get there and he was comfortable and happy when we did, but we had some moments of...

Moutaineer

Tail top is a big, flappy, papery scab today. So tempting to rip it off! But I resisted and stuck it all together with a liberal coating of Desitin so it won't sunburn. That's going to be fun times to wash out. Oh, well. It's a long way from his heart and the judge won't see it as we come down cente...

Moutaineer

Well done, SF! You deserve it! Enjoy it!

Heddy, hugs. It's a hard road.

Moutaineer

Good luck, SF!

Moutaineer

20250530_125349.jpg Jeez, horses... this will teach me to brag on how great he's looking. He managed to do this in his solitary turnout sometime between 6.30 and 11am. Not a sign of how or on what (and there's not a lot for him to have done it on. And 4 of us went out separately to look.) I hope it...

Moutaineer

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Moutaineer

Yay, aleuronx! Exciting, if gulp-making!

Potters had a nice handwalk and a graze in the sunshine today. Back to work, mildly, tomorrow.

Moutaineer

The cheekpieces were on the bit ring, the reins on the cheek piece rings, like a curb...

Moutaineer

I remember some years ago a fellow boarder coming into the ring with her horse and pronouncing. "I've found this great bit for my horse, he comes on the bit really easy with it, because it has poll pressure, and it's show legal!!!" It was a baucher. It was upside-down. She was not an easy ...

Moutaineer

We took some hoof x-rays today. They really look pretty good. The Osphos appears to be doing it's job well keeping the holes in the navicular bones under control. There are no ragged edges on the left and the right is quite minimal. Vet was quite happy. I'm really happy! We should be able to keep on...

Moutaineer

You also might want to find out if there is a bit fitting clinic near you at some point. Stephanie Beamer is pretty good and travels extensively. She's mainly Neue Schule i think. She comes to our barn once or twice a year.

Moutaineer

Don't forget the Weymouth needs to be narrower than the Bradoon. (1/4 or 1/2"? Can't remember... someone will jump in...) We have a bradoon with a bean that is the same size and shape as his snaffle, and a very short shanked Weymouth with a low port and a forward tilt. I bought what he was alre...

Moutaineer

Are you going to Les Bois, SF? Two of my barn buddies are going up. Justin is riding his young one in the 5 y.o. test. They are sitting first in the country at the moment, which is kind of exciting for a kid from Utah who bought an unbroken 2 year old sight unseen. They are worth a watch if you get ...

Moutaineer

You've got to wonder who thinks holding a clinic in an arena with llamas next door is a sensible idea!

I mean, not to be a princess or anything, but if I've shelled out financial and emotional capital, and time, I want the clinic to be a productive experience!

Moutaineer

Potters has been starring in his own production of "The Haunted Arena Corner" for the past couple of days. It's been very windy and the barn had the audacity to move the menage two feet to the left. So we've been working in 3/4 of the arena. However, we have had some really nice work. I've...

Moutaineer

He looks a chunk, LSP! Potters is looking amazing at the moment, too. He actually has dapples, which is pretty good going for a chestnut! My friend who has been holding the Mette clinics has decided to put her farm on the market. It's sad but necessary for her, she's just not in physical shape to de...

Moutaineer

Congratulations, Aleuronx! Nicely done.

Moutaineer

Much as envy you your green pastures and space, Khall, I think it must be easier for us in the arid lands out here where we know (and pay for) every mouthful that goes into our horses' systems. Exvet, you are a braver woman than I. I'm afraid I can't imagine riding out on the trails (or indeed anywh...

Moutaineer

Ha, Junior! Busted! Now she knows you can do it! I had such an interesting ride today. In a good way. He tried his little dance number at the start of the canter work just as we got to the point where I was asking and getting him to come really through on the right rein. He's almost scared of giving...

Moutaineer

Yes, mirrors are a blessing (and sometimes a curse... "who is that fat old lady riding my horse?") And we are truly blessed to have a fairy godmother for a barn owner. It is cold and wet here. And likely to be so for the next several days, so my schooling show attendance was a little shaky...

Moutaineer

Sorry about that... I have no idea what I did and the board won't let me delete!

Moutaineer

The newly minted L grads can sometimes behave like they are judging the Olympics. Cold and gloomy and blustery today. I hate this "85 one day, 45 the next" weather. I wasn't feeling at my best, either, but we had a nice, uneventful ride in the indoor. It's always useful to have a ride with...

Moutaineer

Horse Heaven, SF! LSP, Lynx looks relaxed and comfortable and sound, and you look like a happy team! Yes, you need to pull your stirrups up a hole. You look like you are reaching a bit and it's making you arch your back as you post, which makes my SI joint hurt to think about! Do all you can to prot...

Moutaineer

A lot going on for everyone st the moment. Sometimes the horses can be such a stress reliever, but sometimes they can just make it all worse. One of my barn mates bought her husband out to the barn today. Last year, the four of us had opera season tickets and did stuff together. Then he had a fall a...

Moutaineer

Feel better soon!

LSP, which is worse, gravitating towards the gate or using it as an excuse to spook violently? Lol...

But Potters had his brains back today. We had a super ride out in the sunshine and all is right with the world

Moutaineer

Oof, Heddy. A lot to deal with.

Backpacking plus stomach thing makes me wonder if they've tested you for Giardia?

Moutaineer

Thank you!

Moutaineer

Ah, we are back! I was getting worried... In brief, Potters has been an exciting ride for the past few days. I got on him this morning, felt the tension, and got off him and lunged him. He busted out some pretty significant spring fling moves. He was a lot less reactive after getting that out of his...

Moutaineer

I like your title! These are my 2 favorite months of the year. Green and pretty, and not yet jaded by summer and the thought of doing anything productive in that heat. I'm planning to go ride 3.3 at a schooling show just down the road from the barn in a couple of weeks just to get our heads back in ...

Moutaineer

Chisamba, boy, do I get it on the lack of natural padding. Yet another portion of my anatomy that is sore.

Moutaineer

May already! I'm really quite pleased with the progress we've made in this period. We've not been anywhere or done anything special, but it's been a steady chipping away at our issues and some really good team building. Potters seems happy in his work, and I'm still working hard at losing weight and...

Moutaineer

Thanks for that, Chisamba. It makes very good sense and makes me feel a little less incompetent. I get frustrated with myself sometimes that I have been too wooly and imprecise in my aids, which has led to Potters being able to be wooly and imprecise in his responses and basically feeling like he co...

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