September October, we go on and on.

[Quelah]

Congrats on the successes and sorry about the wrist Tanga, ouch, I hope you're keeping ice on it? Does kinda sound like you broke something, which sucks, but might be better than a badly torn tendon or ligament? At least with bones there's a time line for healing. I'll keep hope that it's "just" bad sprain that feels better in a few days.

I haven't been able to get up there, busy and just got the years hay delivered so I'll be getting that in the barn this weekend. My friend is showing up there, I think she was reserve champ 3rd freestyle open (there were more than 2!) and won a third level class. She's had her spectacular mare less than a year so she's delighted.

I hope the show wraps up well for everyone (maybe a little extra wrapping for Tanga) and wish everyone safe travels home. At least the weather hasn't sucked, I think this is the nicest weather for NorCal champs in years!

[Kyras_Mom]

Wow…an active weekend for many. Jingles coming for Tanga and Mountaineer.

Blob…your friend’s horse sounds exactly like Kyra…the bane of my existence. With Kyra, jointed bits are a no-no. Double jointed way worse than single. She hates tongue pressure and she prefers thinner. I have had her in a Myler mullen mouth with a small port lately. I still have to be careful with that. If she gets brace-y and heavy which indicates discomfort and pinching, I put her in my bastard full double which is a Weymouth (short shank angled forward Fager) for longitudinal flexion and my bitless bridle to sub for the ‘snaffle’ for lateral flexion. She got so she was curling in that a bit more than I like so I put her back in the Myler which she has been fine in as long as I am only riding every other day. If I do more, I need to alternate bridles some. It is fun…not. Also, I either use an anatomical bridle or no noseband. Anything regular cavesson that has any tightness to it at all pushes all that fleshy stuff right into her teeth.

I have been happy to be able to ride as much as I have. Only every-other-day but hey, I’ll take it. I try to pick out something to work on then design a few exercises and make sure I do them on both reins. It is getting cooler, she is getting a bit cheekier and more distracted but thus far not too bad. Hopefully she keeps her head together. Today, she felt nicely energetic and for the most part, her canter was nicely uphill…really willing to carry herself. Just in time for winter… with no indoor.

Susan

[Moutaineer]

Sounds like the comments I have got this year Zevida. "Capable pair but needs more impulsion and engagement."

Once I got over being prickly about it (felt better than that to me!) and heard it from more than one judge, I reckoned its good to get an impartial view and know what I need to work on this winter. And we went out and did it, which is an accomplishment in itself these days! And I think that the bar is pretty high at the moment.

Good luck today!

Tanga, Good luck to you too. I hope you have some help getting home.

[zevida]

Me and my horse are both home from the show. We had our best ride today for a 64% and fifth in the class and we ended up 6th overall for the state championships! Which means we got our Top Ten hat I’m also pleased all 6 of our flying changes were clean which did not happen in June. One judge even commented on him being confident in the changes. We also didn’t have any stuck steps in our walk pirouettes but he still gets lateral at the end of them which is puzzling and so hard to fix - he has a perfectly pure walk at all other times.

Here is a link to the videos of our rides if anyone is curious.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/aday7m5j ... he2lg&dl=0

I got to watch Tanga do her GP freestyle last night during the evening celebration program and she did great especially considering the broken wrist!! So fun to see an ammy up there on a horse she bred and trained herself competing at that level. Great job this weekend Tanga, hope you made it home ok too!

[zevida]

Once I got over being prickly about it (felt better than that to me!) and heard it from more than one judge, I reckoned its good to get an impartial view and know what I need to work on this winter. And we went out and did it, which is an accomplishment in itself these days! And I think that the bar is pretty high at the moment.

It’s definitely a fair comment, and I know we need to work on engagement and can do better but there’s also just only so much we will be able to do about it considering his natural gaits and conformation. Also since the class had two judges and one gave a 64 and the other gave a 60 I do think maybe she was being a little stingy - that’s a wide spread. Or maybe the B view emphasized the lack of engagement? Not sure. In any case, I have a willing guy who tries his best and we do the best we can do and we keep trying to do a little better!

[Tanga]

Made it home without any other major stories. Going to crash big time now. Quilla was AMAZING in the GP freestyle and we actually did our ones. SO mellow for me. Basically every ride, no matter how good or bad was 60 or 61% (and I would say the majority of scores I saw 4th and above were between 60 and 63% and plenty below 60.) Finished the show with an I-1 freestyle that wasn't our best, and got one of the highest scores I've ever gotten--68%. Whatever. I'm going to try to find someone who did a video of that GP freestyle. (About 2/3rds through I started to feel really sick and my stomach was cramping and was making faces, but I think it was because I finally ate something during the day and it was McDonald's, which was a BAD idea. My EMT friend was at the end of the arena checking on me because he saw that. I was fine after about 5 minutes. Quilla was SO good.)

Dr. tomorrow. I have a whole pool of people who are betting on which bone broke. I think it's a carpal behind the pointer. My EMT friend thinks it's the metacarpal on the pointer. My bestie with drugs is thinking it might be a tear the connection on the ligament. Keeping the brace on and not lifting anything with that lower half of the arm and it's fine.

Zevida--SO nice to meet you! Thank you for keeping looking for me. I was getting distracted . . .I'm really glad your rides got better! What color hat did you get? I agree with the judge. Implusion/engagement/MORE FORWARD would make all your scores bump a half or full point! (as with about 80% of us!)

[mari]

Well done Zevida and Tanga!

Tanga - I'm with Quelah, hope it's a broken bone and not ligaments/tendons.

[exvet]

Congratulations to you both, zevida and tanga. Sending well wishes tanga for a speedy recovery (and hopefully a simple healing process). Well I may be scratching Brandon from the regionals the coming weekend. I was schooling Sunday morning and my arena sand is rather slick but I usually can avoid any serious mishaps. Unfortunately I didn't realize that a new spot had become somewhat slick and while Brandon and I were cantering, he slipped/over extended his left hind fetlock (or at least that's what I surmise), tried to catch his balance and overcorrected going down hard on both knees. He was a little gimpy on the right fore which is the knee that took most of the fall. I thought we were going to summersault but thankfully Brandon managed to get himself back up on all four with me still on his back. He's in a stall, has had just enough bute to keep him from testing positive and being monitored. I'll check him tonight after work to see how he's progressing. I've been so lucky for so long that I guess we were due for something. This has helped me solidify a decision that I had made late last week. I will be moving the horses and myself back up to our new place in Prescott. The footing is so much better in that arena, the air quality is better (so it's better for Junior) and I was given (and accepted) a job offer up there that has me working full-time (so benefits included) at only 3 days a week AND gives me a $35,000/yr raise. My SO had been insisting that I was getting way underpaid which I suspected was true from what I was hearing from the new grads and knowing my percentage/production for the last 5 years.................grrrr..................but never dreamed that anyone at my old bag age of 60 would pay/could receive that much more. I guess there's some benefits to getting older (and being willing to do surgeries and see clients).............

[StraightForward]

Way to go Tanga and Zevida. Tanga, I hope the wrist heals quickly.

Exvet, I hope Brandon is OK and it is just a small/temporary sprain. Congrats on the new job and huge raise, that is fantastic!

I had good lessons on T this weekend. The new rubber bit is a total game-changer. My instructor could hardly believe it. Not just the contact and fussiness in the mouth, but it goes all through her body - so much less tension, and she is reaching more through her shoulders. I need to share a video clip from Saturday - Sunday was even better, but I forgot my tripod, so no video.

I got to watch part of Annabelle's W/T lesson yesterday, and she was such a good girl. The rider is a good student, but it reminded me of how hard it is to learn to ride. A just bops along in a steady trot, and when the student gets all the right parts in place she rounds up and connects. She was being taught outside rein and LY in the walk, A was giving her some ToH and HP, . She has felt really good lately, and I am thinking I'll just keep her for the winter and see if I can at least get the hunter changes on her, unless the right person comes along word of mouth. No one who was in town this weekend for the HJ show contacted me, boo.

[Chisamba]

Sounds like an excellent weekend in the stiff competition of regional, Zevida and Tanga. So sorry about all your drama Tanga! You sure have the perseverance skill! I hope the wrist heals well.

Exvet congrats on the job and decision. Hope it is everything you could want.

StraightForward I haven't researched your specific bit but I was putting together a bridle yesterday and decoded to try the rubber mullen mouth I have. I have not used it yet but it's attatchef to a bridle should I care to try it.

It's cold and rainy in the northeast the dregs of Ophelia or some tropical storm that is taking a really long time to pass.

I have a clinic with Patricia K in October and I really want to be test to polish PSG.

[Tanga]

Xrays show no break! Unless it's a hairline that shows up later, wrist brace for two weeks, and then should be OK!!! Of course my sinuses started exploding as soon as I drove into the bay area and my nose is running non stop. No Covid on the test and grabbed a flu shot at the hospital. I need to sleep for about three days.

Came back to find the Q's mother even thinner, even though there were three less horses in the pasture. She's REALLY hungry. She just can't get enough to eat. Was able to put her in a private paddock and leave her with troughs of various hay dust, senior/toothless food, and soaked pellets and after about five hours, I think she was full. In the space of the day, I have gone from hopeful it might be OK to resolving that even if I could put her weight on, I have no way of keeping her in this situation. Both leasors are there, too. She will have to go to my friend's and eat soft food all day long with another senior friend and wander her property, and then play piaffe with some small people once she puts the weigh back on. I have tried everything and given it time. There's nothing more I can do, and I can't let her deal with another winter here. It's not fair. Both my leasors are cool with riding Quinn and/or Quilla. (Mostly the both trail a little and sometimes play in the arena--I don't think either are capable of getting a sweat on them.)

Downloading videos. I still need to get that Sat. night CDS GP FS of Quilla from someone that I think was amazing.

Quinn CDS '23 champs USDF PSG AA 60% This was after I got a brace and had some nice drugs for the pain in my left wrist. 59% Stewart, 62% Billington. One of only two rides where they weren't basically the same score. 6th I was sitting up a lot better because if I put my left arm forward it really hurt.
https://youtu.be/-wfykb0MPyc

Quilla CDS '23 Champs I-2 USDF AA 61% (Minor 59%, Osinski 63%) This was before I hurt my wrist. One of the many of my rides where there was a pretty big score difference. (Most of the scores were pretty close between judges.)
https://youtu.be/kr0epDd3qeU

[Tanga]

Quinn CDS '2 Champs USDF Quinn CDS '23 champs USDF I 1 60% 3rd by a hair. Hotz/Pavlic both 60%. If she hadn't gotten all stiff and tripped in ALL THREE med/ext trots, we would have won. At the end someone gave me videos from another angle , which was interesting. She was VERY stiff in this ride.
https://youtu.be/XvWD4Ru0lt0

Quinn CDS '23 champs CDS I 1 FS 68% Osinksi 67%, Stewart 68%, 3rd by a hair. One of the highest freestyle scores I've gotten on her, and I don't think it was even close to the best. https://youtu.be/0QBkurF9nVg

[Tanga]

Quilla CDS '23 champs GPFS 61% (Hotz 63%, Pavlich 58%, lost by a hair to 1st place because of scoring difference.) I fell on my wrist left before this and was in insane pain that got worse through the test and was nauseous by the end, and I rode the last passage one handed with my left hand. THAT was stupid. I am falling forward from pain. https://youtu.be/1qbL7glhj48

I will see if I can get a video of what I thought was her best ever GPFS, which got the same score.

[StraightForward]

Tanga, glad your wrist is not broken, jingles for fast healing!

StraightForward I haven't researched your specific bit but I was putting together a bridle yesterday and decoded to try the rubber mullen mouth I have. I have not used it yet but it's attatchef to a bridle should I care to try it.

I still haven't looked to see if it's legal, but did realize that the more "normal" looking Bomber's rubber bit is also flexible in the middle, so I might order that in an eggbutt if this continues to work well for her (many of the Bombers are made to order, which takes 4 weeks).

Good jumping session last night. I got a book called Stride Control and did a 3-jump line meant to help tighten the stride up. Once I made the end jumps into oxers, it started getting T rocked back and understanding that she can, in fact, adjust her stride length.

[Moutaineer]

Good luck at Regionals, Exvet! Our gang made it down there yesterday in one piece but are stunned by how hot it is. 3 of them straight in the deep end tomorrow morning with Training level Champs, AA and open.

I hope your wrist is improving, Tanga.

Still not feeling too fabulous here. Improved but meh. Bored to tears but exhausted if I try to do anything.

[Tanga]

Good luck, everyone, at regionals. I'm sorry about the heat!

I know you're all bored with my drama, but I'll just copy and paste one last episode.

One more episode of the drama, Everything Really Scary Going on, But it's Turning out OK. Just for fun.

Checked on the horses Monday after getting my wrist xrayed, and the girls' mom, Sora, was even thinner, with three less horses in the pasture. She's been down and up over the past few years, and I have been trying everything in the book and thought I was finally getting somewhere, but in the last month or so more horses came into the pasture, and instead of there always being something to eat, now it's gone in a few hours. (All of the horses are snarfing hay, which is making me think we're in for at least a cold winter. Horses know.) There is no situation here I can afford that can accommodate her. My old friend, Kathy, substitute mom, and her amazing daughter, Kirstin (a vet) already offered to take her for life, let her wander their property and eat all day with another old horse, and put her to work doing what she loves in teaching people how to piaffe and do all of the cool tricks. She is a great school master. I've been thinking on this for a month, and both my leasors, too, and we all decided there is nothing else we can do. She is going to her new forever home this weekend where we can always visit her and she can be a the dressage queen she is, and teach some people cool tricks. It's heartbreaking for all three of us, but it needed to happen, and I am SO thankful it can happen. The stress of worrying about her has taken it toll.

Talking about stress, I've been sleeping about 18 hours a day the last three days, and doing nothing but going and feed Sora otherwise. It's not Covid. Just a cold. I also think is my body saying I went through a lot of stress and exhaustion and kept going, and now we're just going to STOP and recover.

Because of the the whole truck thing and it's a 1 1/2 hour drive to Sora's new home, I took my truck to the mechanic (who I called about ten times to ask for help and ideas when it was not running) JUST to make sure. Lucky I did. The replacements are all good, but I also wanted him to see why I was losing brake fluid and smelling gas. They got the gas leak fixed (so maybe I'll get more than 7 mpg towing) as well as I need a brake cylinder, booster, water pump, and more. Oh yeah, and he casually mentioned it looked like someone had left the carburetor unscrewed and I was lucky it didn't catch fire! I trust him 100% and he always takes care of me and makes sure my vehicles are safe, as well as being very reasonable. It will be fixed tomorrow for a SAFE, UNEVENTFUL drive on Saturday.

I look forward to some time were very little is happening.

[exvet]

Thanks Moutaineer and Tanga. I ended up scratching Brandon. He looks better but I'm going to have xrays and ultrasound done on his fetlocks/suspensories before I put him back into work. I know there is something going on and have to face the music before any permanent damage is done. Took Junior to the showgrounds today. He was so good. Hoping I didn't leave it all in the warm up today. We'll see tomorrow. My ride times kind of suck. I ride at 1:30 ish tomorrow in the full heat outside for 4-1 and while my championship ride is in air conditioning on Saturday I don't ride until 5 pm; but, I can take all of that in stride. While I was unloading, schooling etc I kept getting calls and text messages from work because of a couple of cases going south. One is an individual who I had an abdominal ultrasound done on his dog (Monday) and have been waiting for the internal specialists interpretation. It didn't come until this am which of course I'm supposed to be off of work. He, the owner, understandably was upset, frustrated, hot and demanding to have a vet talk to him about the report and really torqued that I was off; so, I have to go in after I finish my 4-1 ride to call this guy and go over the findings and discuss next steps then head back to the show to take care of my horse. I tell ya, retirement from this profession is looking better and better much of the time.

[Moutaineer]

At least its a client with a legit problem, exvet. Not like the interior designer who even though she's been told I'm sick has called me 3 times this week about her bloody closet rod color.

[Moutaineer]

Negative covid test and feeling much better today!

Well a clean sweep at regionals for our barn in training level--AA Champion and reserve, Open Champion. Very proud of all the riders and baby horses.

[Flight]

I've sprained my ankle pretty badly so thank you Tanga and Zevida for posting your tests, I'll have something to watch while I stay off it for a while! I'm rarely hurt or sick so even though it's only been a day I'm bored already. Tanga, good you got your truck looked at too and that that your mare will have a good place to go to. It's stressful worrying about them.
I'm annoyed about my ankle because I have a comp next weekend where I'm moving up a level for working eq. I've been putting it off (because I have to go to one-handed riding) then finally bit the bullet and entered at that level. But not sure I'll be the one sound enough to make it! Riding might be ok, but it's all the walking around that goes with a 2 day horse comp.

[Chisamba]

Exvet, I sure hope Brandon did not hurt himself severely. It sounds like a very stressed client and sick dog. . I hope Junior and you have a very satisfactory 4.1 .
Flight ouch! And Tanga, hope the wrist and ankle feel better soon. Flight is used to ride through broken bones, swollen joints et al. Now i cannot even imagine why! Rest ice and elevate and good luck.

My old mare who had been losing weight has chronic kidney failure. There is no cure but the time line can be long or short. My vet does a necropsy for Rutgers students each October and gently broached the topic of if I'd choose to to donate her for a necropsy . My vet does the euthanasia and i could be therecwith her. and I have very mixed emotions. One. I know she is dying but I do not know if I am rushing to a decision too early. But I do really see value in her death teaching students and benefitting living horses in their treatment.

Do you remember some one on udbb donated a mare for a necropsy and had felt it was a positive experience. Does anyone remember?

Why is life so hard sometimes.

Wrt riding, as soon as I stopped schooling for the show ring and started riding to analyze and fix problems, Saiph had taken foamy keeps in progress. Clearly I need to school to improve and show to test NOT school to show. As if I didn't already know that, but some how I blurred the edges again.

Kimba is up to 5 minutes of trotting and is so happy that she can go out. I put her in the rubber mullen mouth and am astonished that she seems to really go well in it.

Flei and Honey have been on the back burner this week.

Lsp I hope you are able to use wolf's law and Davis' law to remodel and rehab the kissing spiness into a long and pain free life.

StraightForward, with Kea, my PSG mare I lost, jumping and stride adjustment truly brought her canter into the realm of PSG . I mean once you get to third level all the hard stuff from there on is on canter.

Moutaineer, yay for covid free. I hope you recover quickly and do not have long covid effects.

That's it September is basically over. My horses are all in sheets. Hope did that happen so fast









.

[StraightForward]

Do you remember some one on udbb donated a mare for a necropsy and had felt it was a positive experience. Does anyone remember?

I think that was Silk? It might be on this board.

StraightForward, with Kea, my PSG mare I lost, jumping and stride adjustment truly brought her canter into the realm of PSG . I mean once you get to third level all the hard stuff from there on is on canter.

Yes, I think I will state that as my goal for my jumping lesson tomorrow. It really helps that the dude understands dressage and dressage riders. Annabelle's jump rider is back in town, so she is going to take the ride on A tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to watching what happens there.

It looks like the government will be shutting down tomorrow, so I might suddenly have lots of free time. Well, I had vacation planned anyway, but maybe it will be extended. Work was stressing me out, now the shutdown can stress me out.

Fab rides on both girls tonight. I'm insisting on a little more self carriage from A, just sort of holding in my core and fluffing a bit with my lower calf/ankle to keep her active and she got pretty light and nice in the hand. T just keeps getting better in the rubber bit. Today we were able to do stretchy canter in warmup, and I think most of her canter work was pure tonight. We some pretty lovely-feeling trot HP when I could coordinate my aids. Her back tends to stop swinging a bit when it comes up, but I think we'll meld the two concepts with some more time and strength. She seemed quite proud of herself at the end. Her LY hoof still has a funky form and balance, though it has improved over time. I worked on it a bit tonight before I rode, and she did some interesting things with her mouth when I put the foot down. Since I have to take her in weekly for the sarcoid vaccine shots, I think I'll get it radiographed and see if I can get some insight into how to get it better balanced. The RH looks quite nice, so I'm sure a matched pair would be helpful.

[Tanga]

Chisamba, I am SO sorry about your mare. Life seems to be tricky right now. With all of these decisions, I always err on the side of sooner after too many tragic too late cases. And I think if it can be a learning experience, that's a good thing.

Flight. OMG. This is DO NOT TRIP month. Someone at the barn ready to go on a camping trip basically did the same thing I did stepping out of her trailer to check it, and badly sprained her ankle, too! Of course she iced it and went on crutches. We're horse people.

Oh, I have one more story here. The whole idea of lessons or leasing Quilla to someone I've been feeling out here? Well, I saw an old friend at the champs. that 35 years ago we used compete against each other when I was on my Appy at I-1. We started talking, and out of the blue she said she had been out of riding about 10 years because she had been in an accident, but she was looking for a GP horse to lease to see if she could get her gold, and was thinking of going to Florida to do it. (She lives about 1-2 hours from me in CA.) Well, I told her that was exactly what I was thinking of transitioning to, so we talked a bit, but I had to go and ride. Sheryl Lemke the saddle maker (long story, but she LENT me a saddle I had never ridden in last champs. because my Wintec Pro was making me lean forward, and had fabulous rides and the judges all noted I was sitting better) and also noted she was maybe interested. Old friend helped me for some of my rides, and Sheryl is going to send me that video of the night ride when she can, and she's texted and emailed me, and I put it all out there (and thank you for the advice on how to do this all) and a BIG price, and she's coming out next week, Sheryl should come one day to meet her and fit a saddle, and we'll see if this will work. I'm charging a LOT for the trial, to be applied for the cost of the lease, which is a LOT, and she will come and stay in a hotel three days a week and I will help her, and she can show. (It is a lot, but a LOT less than going to Florida!) So, maybe in two/three months this will pay for all of the horse related costs the last few months.

Life has been very . . . interesting, but it's all OK.

But, everyone watch where you are walking!

[Chisamba]

Tanga my oldest student tripped getting out of the shower and broke her ankle!

[Tanga]

Tanga my oldest student tripped getting out of the shower and broke her ankle!

OMG!!! Be CAREFUL people! It's stupid trips and break this month!

[texsuze]

Wow, so much coming at everyone. That's the way of horses, though! Tomorrow is October so maybe all the mayhem/injuries/illness are done...

Chisamba, I empathize with the scenario you're facing with your elder mare. Had that emotional conversation with myself last year as I said goodbye to my gelding; still working through it a year and a half later. I was fortunate to have a very supportive, professional vet in the picture. Jingles for you and your mare.

And BTW, my brother took a misstep a couple weeks ago at a new facility construction site he's involved with. Ankle swollen like an elephant's leg but no fractures. He didn't report it; didn't want to be THE employee to have the first "workplace injury" at a brand new site

[Quelah]

Chisama when I had Freeway put down it was at UCD. I don't remember if I asked for a necropsy or they offered but they did a full necropsy and it was definitely a good thing, well, other than the horse being dead. But I'm really glad I did it, from a medical informational aspect, and also educational for the vets and students.

[Kyras_Mom]

Woo…everybody so busy either riding or striving to get healthy. It sounds like everyone (human and equine) is progressing in their way to health.

I have been able to work Kyra pretty consistently for my elder care constraints. This last week was kind a a bust with lots of appointments…in the middle of the day which kind of screws up the riding vibes. Then of course, the heavens opened up this weekend and today, I lunged her in the rain and slop but she worked really well. She was just moving at such a nice tempo and it didn’t waver at all. That was kind of cool for the horse that my former instructor always said was doing flamenco dressage (you can get an idea of that tempo).

Friday’s session was a bit contentious as they were resurfacing their run out pens. So, she was moved to a different barn and in comes a pony in the next pen (new boarder). She would rather bite his face off as look at him. Alas, she does not pay well with others…I guess she feels her rank is far above them. Anyway, I brought her back down to saddle and all her other buds were up in the turnouts and she wasn’t happy between that and having to put up with a neighbor of all things. She hollered all the time but really didn’t get that tense…mostly noisy. I did a bunch of lateral work in walk for warm-up the put her in trot with a 4 loop serpentine with a transition to walk across CL then back to trot. I finally tried canter and that was a no…way too tense so went back to some trot work and more SI then asked for canter again with better results. Mind, she was hollering the whole time but again, relatively relaxed.

So far the hoof trimming is going well. She seems comfortable and is moving well. Finally we got some rain and I was able to address her bars. They weren’t ‘soft’ by any stretch of the imagination but I was able to reduce them some. The rain should go away and I hope to get several rides in this week. Next week she goes to the vet to assess the tooth root on the molar that the crown broke off of. Fingers crossed it is a routine float and an unchanged x-ray vs surgery to remove the root.

Susan

[exvet]

Well just a quick report. It wasn't good. On Friday, I rode 4-1 in 100 degree temp. Junior I thought had nice trot work but I will admit that with the first flying change he went into pig mode. I ended up with a second place and a 54. First place was a 55. I got a 5.5 for rider score, the lowest I've ever earned. The comments were dead on though so I guess my aging body is starting to fail me. On Saturday I rode in the championship class for 3-3. Junior was actually in front of my leg and doing reasonably well for a 5 pm ride......yes not the ideal time. He stuck both walk pirouettes and no flying changes despite feeling really good and in front of my leg for the first one. So a 58% from both judges and last place (as the day before). I decided to give the adult dressage seat equitation class a try for Sunday. I again came in last. I was told if I lengthened my leg I would have my horse more engaged and then I would have better connection over the top line. My coach told me not to worry about the cranky pony aspect and simply focus on position....................guess there was some disconnect there. She thought I'd come in third but instead we came in eighth. It was a tough weekend. Weather was hot and the ride times not ideal but my pony was so well behaved for the whole show and I did have forward for a 5 pm ride.

Brandon looks better but I still plan to call someone tomorrow to set up for xrays and ultrasound.

[mari]

Chisamba I'm so sorry you have to face a tough decision with your mare. Sending you lots of good and kind wishes.

[exvet]

Chisamba, I had to wait to respond to your news about your mare. This weekend was tough and reading about your mare brought back some tough memories. I had sold one of my welsh cobs to a girl who wanted to event. I was very thorough and specific about some of his idiosyncrasies. Unfortunately the mother and her best friend who happened to be a veterinarian weren't too up-to-speed on horse husbandry. Long story short I get a call out of the blue accusing me of selling them a pony with renal failure. I was in a position that allowed me to prove quite easily and quickly that was not true. After a brief run down about what the pony had gone through in the preceding 3-4 months I was able to pin point exactly when and where the pony's health was impacted. As it were I had sold a perfectly healthy pony about twelve months earlier who was now in renal failure and heading into winter. The mother of course initially called me to get her money back, then after basically pulling her pants down for her (I then called her 'vet' friend) she realized that the cause of the diagnosis was not mine but a combination of events that she had set into motion. Her angst shifted from I need money to keep my child competing and climbing up the ladder with a bigger 'better' mount to now how to a get the money for another mount and support a pony with a death sentence. She stated she wanted to keep him comfortable but really needed the resources to go towards her daughter's soon-to-be new mount. I had her send me pictures of the pony and give me a run down of their 'support for QOL plan'. My advice to her and it was rather stern by this point was that with winter coming and the issues with appetite and weight loss already evident, she should put him down. You are right in that CRF can often be managed successfully maintaining reasonable quality of life but it's hard to do with additional stressors. I almost offered to pay for the euthanasia and aftercare but didn't trust this woman as far as I could throw her. I did make sure that after my conversation with her best friend 'vet' that my 'colleague' sent me confirmation of his euthanasia once it had been carried out. There was no need for a necropsy. The evidence in hand was explanatory enough but 'that vet' and hopeful 'that mother/horsewoman and thus daughter' did get an education. My guess is at least the vet never, ever has made the same mistake again. I know the daughter is now an adult and a trainer in the Pacific Northwest focusing on eventing. My hope is that she had a decent enough understanding to manage horses in her care better now that she's an adult.

I am very sorry for what you're going through because it's never ever easy to make these decisions. I know with the mare being right in front of you that your decision either way will be the appropriate one.

[Moutaineer]

Well I was happily revved up to go ride this morning, but DH just tested positive.

As I have one barnmate who has just gone through chemo for a brain tumor and my trainer is in line for hip surgery, and we are all stuck inside because it is pouring with rain, I'm exercising an abundance of caution and staying home.

I think the chances of my being in a fit state to ride with Mette in 10 days are dimming rapidly.

[Moutaineer]

Exvet. You went, you did it. You are doing very much better than 90% if not more of the dressage riding world.

This stuff is hard when you get to this level, and I certainly notice the difference in my aging body.

Chisamba, I'm sorry you have to make such a difficult decision. The very worst part of having these wonderful animals in our lives.

[blob]

sorry to hear about your mare, Chisamba.

Exvet, sorry the show wasn't quite what you hoped. The ride times, heat, and having to run back and forth to work certainly made for some challenging conditions. My experience with the dressage seat equitation classes is that while they focus on position, they focus on it in relation to effectiveness. So, your comment aligns with the type of thing I have seen and experienced. So ultimately, comment is longer leg, but then why/how they think that would benefit you to have the longer leg. And although the horse is not supposed to be judged in these classes, my feeling is that they horse is always part of the equation, even if it's not deliberate.

Mountainer, ugh I'm sorry to hear that. Hope DH is feeling ok and that you have a negative household soon!

September has been a real wash for me. I haven't been able to get a lesson the books, work has been absolutely crushing me, and in general there has been very little time to ride. I'm taking 6am meetings in Europe and then 10pm meetings in Asia, and working like crazy in between. So there has been almost no way to balance work. I'm hoping October brings some more normalcy, though there is no real reason to anticipate this being the case. I had planned to take a week off in october, but that may not be possible. In which case, I will push out to December and probably end up taking the whole month off.

I am aiming to take MM to a hunter pace this weekend with a group of friends from the barn. Should be fun.

[Tanga]

exvet, I am sorry about the harsh judging at champs. That's what I saw, too. Hey, sometimes you win by showing up. I know I did.

Ugh. I have to let this out. I took my older mare up to my friend's wonderful farm on Saturday. She travelled well and went into a quarantine stall with mushy food and alfalfa leaves to nibble on, and my friend has carrots there, which pleased her. Her daughter is a vet who also lives there.

My friend messaged me today that she's been choking since yesterday and her daughter had scoped her three times already and it has not resolved. Same as August when it looks like a ball of food right at the entrance to her stomach. I gave her all of the information I could to help. omg. I feel so bad for them having to deal with this right off. Could the trailering have set her off? I know she's far better off being there having it happen then here, where someone is not there all of the time. I feel horrible. I feel horrible for Sora. I feel horrible for my friend's. I know they will make all of the right decisions. I guess it's good she didn't let me know yesterday or i wouldn't have slept, but I feel so bad for not knowing. I am waiting. I know they will do the right thing. . . . . . . . I'm not going to tell her former leasors until I know for sure what resolves.

[zevida]

exver I’m sorry the show didn’t go as you hoped, but give yourself credit for getting out there. On the equitation class it’s really unclear what they want. One of my barnmates rode in a junior equitation class. I thought for sure she’d be top 3 and she was 7 of 8. All 3 ponies placed last. But the one that placed ahead of her wasn’t even on the bit half the time! And she has a great very solid position and her pony is kinda fancy. I really have no idea what they were looking for. They told her that her legs needed to be more parallel. Her equitation seemed more correct and consistent than some who placed above her. So who knows.

Tanga sending jingles for your old mare.

[StraightForward]

Exvet, sounds like a really tough show, but yes, you are out there doing it, and at a level many of us are still only dreaming about.

Tanga, well done toughing it out through the show, and I hope you are getting rested up and the wrist is healing.

Jingles for those of you making choices for your oldsters. I am wondering if I will be in the same boat with Obie before too long. He has tended to stock up a bit on his RH, but when I went out today it was more swollen than usual, and there was this ring of weird growth on that hoof. Almost like a groove in the hoof wall 1/2" down from the hairline, and the hoof wall above was rough and abnormal looking. He was walking on it fine, but definitely not wanting to stand on it very long while I worked on his RH. Tesla will be going to the vet for her third sarcoid vaccine shot tomorrow, so I took some pics and will see what the vet says. The BO looked at it and also didn't have many ideas.

On a happier note, I got changes on Annabelle both ways today! On Saturday we had the new eventing trainer out and he hopped on A and said " if she can do changes, I'll be able to get them, then I can tell you {the jump rider, who was taking the ride] how to get them. Sure enough, he got clean changes both ways, then coached the rider through it. Tonight her canter was lively enough, so I decided what the heck, and used the fence to get a fairly abrupt change of direction, and there were the changes. We did two each way, and I decided to put them away until my instructor comes in two weeks. Tonight I got a text from someone who saw her video and wants to come that weekend to try her and take a lesson, so maybe word of mouth is starting to pan out.

Tesla was on fire tonight since it's been too wet for turnout the past few days. Trying to show her that she can be forward without getting stiff as a board. There are moments of really nice canter, and I leveled up the trot HP asking for more expression. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some video. With her change in the rubber bit, I ordered a Stubben hackamore to see if we can use that for jumping and reserve the bit for the dressage work. I'm planning to take her to a schooling show in three weeks and do first 1 and 2 again. CC still gets her pretty tense, so I don't think the loops in 1-3 will be a good idea just yet.

[exvet]

Thank you for bolstering my spirits. It helps. Actually I watched my video and looked at pictures my daughter took. Unfortunately I have to say that the judges in all the tests/classes were right, not that I am surprised. One error in my plans was asking my daughter which horse I should ride in the equitation class and she suggested Junior because we're better proportioned. The problem which just about everyone including myself ignores is that we may be perfectly proportioned but like with the original stinker pony I find that I curl my leg/pull my heel up to find his barrel. When you factor in that Junior has lost a ton of weight due to being able to ride him more while at our summer place, the problem became magnified. I do not have this issue at all with Brandon. Of course it became a moot point once Brandon was injured because Junior was the only option. So not to make excuses because I figured there is a lesson and point to all of this..............I'm taking lunge lessons on Junior to help me lengthen my leg and loosen my thigh without losing my balance. Maybe by doing this with my seat I'll be more effective in getting and keeping him forward and engaged.......perhaps it will help with the flying changes. We shall see.

I did get an appointment scheduled with a sports medicine vet for Brandon on Thursday. I'm fastening my seatbelt for the expense and what we end up with for diagnosis.

[Moutaineer]

Well, double ugh. I tested positive again this morning. And I feel rotten. Apparently, there is such a thing as Covid rebound. Who knew? I have far too much to do (like earning a living) to be in this state.

Tanga, I hope your old mare is doing better. It's so hard to know what to do with these oldies. Laddie just keeps on trucking, but I worry going into the winter.

Exvet, my winter, if I ever get back in the saddle, is going to be about improving my seat. Tricky as I really don't fancy lunge lessons on Potters...

[Chisamba]

Omgracious what a September!
Moutaineer, I'm so sorry about the health issues. Just take care of yourselves and get better.

Tanga, unresolved choking is what ultimately caused the hardest decision worth My sons aged pony . I would almost rather deal with the renal failure.

Exvet. I feel like we are in such a similar place with our two. I find i can get five lovely obedient changes if I do not insist on throught and uphill. . I get stinker shut down tude which sounds similar to Junior, if I ask her to do everything. Today I added a lot of galloping. If I felt her start to ball up on the diagonal a galloped forward and did basically the extended canter to the single flying change. If she was nicely off the leg I did five changes even if I did the fourth at K and the fifth at A.

I think it's working. But then when I tried to finish with forward trot in half pass she tried to either pull the left rein or tuck behind the vertical. To get her off the leg in trot I did piaffe. The ultimate in impulsion slowly.

Sometimes it was ugly.

Worth kimba it's about not holding her tongue but moving it and swallowing. Hard to explain but she stops swallowing and just lets the drool stream out of her mouth.

Flei got kicked across the right inner medial suspensory. It's too inflamed to ultrasound yet. Honey is going to be a lovely dressage horse if she is able to relax in work.

[Tanga]

My friend and her vet daughter tried for two days. We lost Sora last night, three days after she went there.

My amazing friends. In August the vet had a hard time, but was able to get in with the tube and get everything out with a smaller tube. She tried and only got a little out, but could not get further in with the tube. She thinks it was a tumor or something that had grown even more. It makes sense with everything that has been happening. There was nothing we could have done.

This is all horrible, but it couldn't have gone in a better way for her. She liked it there, had better care than I could have ever give her through this, and my amazing friends took this burden from me in watching this. She will be buried on the farm. I told the leasors who were able to say goodbye last week. We all thought we would see again, though, and a lot of crying.

[exvet]

My sincere condolences Tanga. It's hard. I had one that ended up with too much scar tissue and had to be put down after repeated choking episodes. What made it harder is that the cute old guy belonged to a dear friend who I had known in pony club, college and vet school (I usually don't take on friends as clients) but it was an unusual situation. It sounds like everyone had Sora's best interests at heart. Your heart may be heavy with grief but should not harbor any guilt because of the lengths you went to in order to insure that the appropriate decision would made at the appropriate time.

Chisamba, I do think we are sharing some similar challenges. I'm not about to give up yet; but, do feel like this issue was given as a means to make me really earn my jodhpurs as my old DC would say.

[StraightForward]

Oh no Tanga, I am so sorry

[Chisamba]

So sorry Tanga.

[Srhorselady]

I’m so sorry. It’s so hard to lose them.

[Moutaineer]

I am so sorry Tanga.

[Aleuronx]

I'm so sorry for you and your leasors Tanga. I'm sure none expected that to go that way.

[heddylamar]

I'm so sorry, Tanga.

[texsuze]

Jingles for your healing, Tanga.

[Flight]

So sorry Tanga