"And then, one fairy night, May became June" May/June progress thread

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I didn't see one started yet so figured I would kick it off.

My goals with Lynx: keep working on our canter transitions, work on a bigger and loftier trot and continue working on straightness. We are hopefully going to school off property in a few weeks.

Goals for myself: continue getting stronger and more fit. Might see my doctor to check on the bone bruise on my calf. Just making sure nothing more complicated is brewing. I'm also on a mission to a better riding position!

Today I did two really light and easy RideIQ lessons. Wow. We both were a bit tired afterwards. It's obvious we need to wean ourselves off of so many walk breaks because this pushed me today. Lynx was great and very focused. Vet recheck tomorrow,fingers crossed everything looks good.

[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 the game. I'd better get my act together and get my entries in. Then the same venue has a recognized show (2 shows, 1 weekend) the second weekend in June that trainer does think I should go and ride 3.3 at for championship qualifiers, and I'm riding with Mette the following weekend.

The weekend after that, there's a show about an hour and a half away that I've been telling myself I ought to go to, but I think events 3 weeks in a row is a bit much so I'll probably not do that one. I feel a bit bad not supporting a local effort, but it's actually a bit more than 2 hours from home, and there's nowhere to stay, for humans, within a half hour, so it's just really awkwardly placed.

(If we were young and dedicated we could be doing something every weekend in June as the barn is going on a field trip up to SF's neck of the woods to show the first weekend, but thats 6 or 7 hours each way on a trailer for Potters for no real reason, so, no.)

Other than that, just ride as much as I can and start whittling away further at the 4th level stuff so I can show it in July.

I've got four more pounds to lose, and I'll carry on with the exercise and yoga program, because they are helping so much. (My abs were very unconvinced about this in the middle of last night after a particularly testing session at the gym!)

[exvet]

I'm just going to focus on three things:

Keep chipping away at Junior's and my holes in our connection. Recognized show in June.

Continue to work on Troy's acceptance of the saddle, weight in the saddle and steering/acceptance of the bridle.

Keep Ace as comfortable as possible and simply enjoy is devotion to my SO.

Me? Maybe a fourth goal - Just trying to survive. It was another really tough week. My heart aches for some of my clients and patients. So hard to see them get old and so hard to explain that at times some things just can't be fixed.

[StraightForward]

Thanks for the new thread!

#1 = Get my arse back into the gym!

Demand more of T. I think this looks like slowing and getting the articulation in the hind legs. I watched a bit of video from yesterday, and with her play at half steps, she is not sitting enough, and I need to work on that. I think it is within all of the transitions, as she lowers her croup more moving forward out of the very collected trot (what we got yesterday was not quite half steps). She seems to be putting muscle on front to back, so hopefully this period we can build up that booty.

Towards the end of May, we have the clinic with Rodrigo Matos, and then a weekend show, with the first day schooling, and the second day recognized. Then the next weekend is a two-show weekend. I'm thinking I'll focused on First-2 and 2-1, which are somewhere back in the archives of my brain. After that, we'll be on to 2-3. I think there's another show around June 20th. After that, another clinic with Carrie Harnden, so we'll be striving to be better than when she saw us in April.

Also, jump 1-2 times per week, and keep using the cavaletti on the circle. Not sure what is out there for jumping shows this summer, but it would be nice to get around a 2'6" course with more confidence. Bonus if we can get out on the trail. Last summer the state park near the barn was doing a lot of construction, but hopefully it's calmed down and more amenable to horses now. Need to go check that out.

[mari]

If I can just actually go ride more than once a week, that would be great... Lost my mojo a bit, hoping to get it back. Somehow.

[blob]

goals for this time:

Me:
Find time to ride
Eat healthy

MM:
Keep breathing in a good place as things heat up
Do some real dressage rides among the frolicking
Enjoy her

RP:
Another recognized show at 2-3
Clinic memorial day weekend
Keep chipping away at the lateral work
Get more elasticity in forward and back in trot and canter

[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 system and we had some decent work.

It might be my fault entirely. I switched up his Smartpak last week. I'll be switching it right back to what he was on before... I think there is something in Smartgut that is making him see dead people.

I've signed up for 3.3 at a schooling show in 10 days. It would be less embarrassing if I could get him to actually go around the arena without spooking at every single letter. (and the garden tool left on the stone wall, and the piece of arena fence that was out of place, and the mounting block that we have just stood next to, etc., etc.,)

Horses! You think things are progressing smoothly and they throw a spanner in the works every time.

I don't know how anybody ever gets to Grand Prix before either they or the horse dies of old age.

[StraightForward]

I don't know how anybody ever gets to Grand Prix before either they or the horse dies of old age.

LOL, that is kind of how I feel right now. Like, we've come so far in the last year and yet we have so much more work to do at second level.

[Aleuronx]

Goodness same! How anyone gets to Grand Prix was and is a bit of a mystery to me. After my lesson this past weekend I have a sparkle of a hint of a light in this tunnel to that place, the Grand Prix.

Exercise was deconstructed canter zig zag by riding the left half pass from corner to before x, straightening then flying change to shoulder in right down the centerline then opposite riding the right half pass after a straight centerline to the corner and flying change. Comment was if we can handle all the parts with control then riding the zig zag is easy whether PSG or Grand Prix. Same was brought up when talking about canter pirouettes, less about the turn more about the quality of the collected canter.

Ahem, that’s a first for trainer to be mentioning in discussion. Was I brave enough to ask about it? Hell no! I need to get over that first centerline in the tailcoat before I start freaking out about potentially more. That said we have touched on half steps and having trained with her for a long time it’s how she works, she wouldn’t mention it unless it was mulling about in her head for the future.

Now to knock on wood that the both of us hold up! Tons of rain this week and fingers crossed that schooling show on Sunday lucks out with sun…

[exvet]

Well Aleuronx it sounds like you're making significant progress!

Got my lesson with Molly on Monday and we worked on the FC set up by moving shoulders at walk, trot and then forward into the canter. Molly really tuned into my right arm issue and came up with the right 'work around' so that I can actually move Juniors shoulders to one side or the other. Now I just have to make it very second nature for us both. I also tried another saddle, the envy. I was told it works on most of the short backed Iberians.......well that's not the same as a Welsh Cob. I told the fitter (someone I've not used before) that the saddle did not work. He came to pick it up during my lesson and finally looked at Junior. He scratched his head and said, "you're not kidding. I'll need some time to see if there's a solution." So while we all agree the Albion K2 isn't the final solution, it will have to do for now.

Troy continues to demonstrate his true clown-like nature. Just more baby steps with him but he's definitely showing me glimmers of hope of things to come.

[blob]

continuing to plug along over here.

MM had a diet change--she was getting a bit chunky on her balancer, so we switched her to some hay pellets + vermont blend. I'd rather do that than limit her forage, so she still has free choice hay and whatever her pasture will grow (not a ton). She dropped her extra pudge within 2 weeks of the diet change. Now just need to make sure she doesn't overcorrect and get too lean or lose energy for work. Fingers crossed breathing has been pretty good so far and so getting some nice rides in.

After putting them aside for a bit, I played with the changes a bit today. It was both one of my worst change schools and best change schools. Worst because despite several tries, we only got one kind of correct change but it was croup high and included some weird hind leg kick hopping. Best because this is probably the only time he's figured out what i'm asking for and hasn't gotten hot, overly anticipatory, and tight in the back. Instead, he waited until i asked and went back to counter canter happily and calmly inbetween and the canter quality stayed high because he didn't get tight. Obviously now I need to match up that calm with actually getting clean changes. But I think we can/will get there.

[khall]

Glad the board is back! I was missing reading it daily.

Supposed to have a schooling show showing 3 rd 3 Saturday. We will see. Rain moving in this week and much cooler considering May in Georgia! I’m going to try. Have run through the test a couple of times. It’s feeling much easier except for L to R change. Canter is much better though. Briefly thought about giving 4 th 1 a go but decided the sequence changes might be a bit difficult yet

On the medical front I’m about to pull my hair out with insulin levels on Rip and Joplin. I’ve got to get that dry lot set up asap. Diet wise not much else I can do. I’ve limited them as it is to 5/6 hours tops of turnout. Sigh

Low nsc “food” low nsc hay. My vet says to soak it too so I guess I will soak it. Just at a loss. Joplin’s was over 50 and Rip’s was 76 and that was on part time medication. With Rip not responding well to prascend or drug to lower insulin I may not be able to stop him from foundering.

Other news DS graduated with his masters in engineering!! We got to spend Friday afternoon and all day Saturday with him celebrating his accomplishments. He’s got a job lined up starts in august. Excellent job. DH and I are so proud of him.

Rainy cool May. June clinic with Cedar.

Happy spring all!!

[Srhorselady]

Khalil, have you tried Insulinwise? My previous Vet suggested it for my elderly pony who was mildly (under control) Cushing but high insulin. It wasn’t a fast answer, but over three years her insulin numbers dropped every year.(They never quite made it to normal…but my vets comment was they weren’t bad for a pony). I also maintained her low carb diet. Insulin numbers did go up again when I had to start giving her alfalfa. Her teeth are expiring and she quit eating grass hay. So she’s now on the anything she’ll eat diet and I’ve increased her Thyro L. She’s 27.

[StraightForward]

We had a nice jump session on our own Saturday. Without 100 instructions rattling around in my brain, I rode a little more naturally to the fences and T literally took things in stride. I didn't measure, but I think they were all set around 2'6" and she was pretty much just loping over them quietly. Maybe next weekend we'll get back up to the 2'9"s. I did swing by the schooling H/J show last weekend and it looked like fun, and it was nice to know that no one had braided. Thinking of doing hunter braids including tail was giving me anxiety, lol.

The last two days were really windy, so she had days off. Tonight she started out a little heavy and slow, but eventually got with the program and we got some good work in. Per the expecting more Convo, I pushed the envelope a bit in the canter with some CC asking for medium on the long sides, then going back to true canter and really asking her to keep her poll up and into the connection. She almost started doing that famous Tesla Stomp, I think realizing she could move her shoulders out freely while staying on the bit. After that we had some lively sitting trot practice, and I toyed with some parts of 2-1 that I could remember. At the end of the ride and I let her bomb around in a big stretchy trot, and played with some half steps and something bordering on passage trot. They had the arena re-leveled last week, and got a small groomer to pull with their ATV. The footing was getting a little deep, but now it's firm and shallower, so I think that will be a good thing.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Glad to be back on the site and read what everyone has going on.

The vet came out last Friday and was pretty happy with how Lynx was looking overall so just keep strengthening. I have the saddle fitter out in June. Trying to stay on top of everything.

Monday I had the first ride I have ever had where Lynx actively seemed to notice the gate. He wasn't trying to go out but just wanted to pop his shoulder out whenever we were on that side. I had some really good shoulder in and then I had my worst ever shoulder in because of the gate and it's magnetic appeal to his outside shoulder! Otherwise he was a very good boy. Trying to build more cardio fitness now for both of us. Not exciting work but important.

We've had insane rain the last 2 days. So I will probably just make today a lunge day. I'm farmsitting for my trainer this weekend too, so I'm a bit busy. But glad it looks to be drying up for the weekend.

[heddylamar]

Maia has been having a bit of a break. I went backpacking, came home, and seem to have caught a stomach thing that was just not going away. And then two of our three guinea pigs got sick, one is recovering, the second is being hand fed every few hours, and has a followup with the vet this evening. Poor little old dude.

And my dad spent the last weekend+ back in the hospital with a bladder infection and MRSA bedsores. Again. He's a terror to treat — ripping out IVs and throwing his stoma bag, throwing his food tray, and absolutely refusing to cooperate — so I don't know what else we or the medical staff can do. They really do the best they can with a very uncooperative resident.

In the meantime, Maia's gotten her teeth done. She was completely out of sorts and was a real brat — the dentist did his best. Her experience in Texas was not the greatest, and that clearly carried over

[Moutaineer]

Oof, Heddy. A lot to deal with.

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

[heddylamar]

To be fair, my stomach was wonky before we left. I probably should have gone to the doctor before going backpacking, but I didn't. And then it was hot and dry, as were the water sources, so I definitely got a bit dehydrated on top of everything /sigh

[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

[exvet]

Heddy I feel for you. My father got very belligerent in his latter years dealing with dementia. I'm glad my mother is more complacent. She cooperates but is disinterested in life in general. I'm hoping since this weekend is her birthday and mother's day, a day out to lunch may give her some pleasure.

Well I brought all the 'stuff' I need to knock Junior down, block his eyelids and flush whatever the hell is in his eye out. There is something still stuck inside his eye lid and I've had enough. I'm going to have to do it by myself so I'm hoping 'our bond' helps keep him under wraps when the drugs wear off. We shall see.

[khall]

Srhorselady yes Joplin is on insulin wise. Has been for years. We also tried thyro l and saw no difference she’s now on ertugaflugen (sp??? Pronunciation??) she’s been on it before and it did drop her insulin. Rip was on insulin wise but when I put him on prascend I took him off. Wasn’t helping. I’m not sure we will be able to control his insulin. I do think we can Joplin with the help of the dry lot ( costing over $6,000 to put in sigh) and drugs. She responded to the E drug. Just a major headache all the way around.

Was a sad day here on the farm. My longtime border elected to put her 16 yr old TB/perch Juliet mare down. Much like Exvet’s Ace she’s been colicing regularly. Not horrible but every month since February ( actually Juliet has been an colicer since her owner bought her including 2 trips to UGA, scope nor any other diagnostics had answers) and today was less than 24 hours between colics. The owner was just done. Mentally emotionally and financially done. I can’t blame her. Close to that myself with Rip. So I called the vet out and she was euthanized this morning and buried on our farm. I cared for this mare for over 10 years. Very kind mare just not very suited as a riding horse especially for her tiny owner. She had a laundry list of other issues too.


Doubtful I will make it to the show. The weather just looks miserable. Ah well.

Joplin is still so much fun to play with.

Heddy i know how difficult it is to deal with aging parents with diminished capacity. My dad was the more difficult of my parents as well. He one time threatened to pee on my sister because she had told him not to get out of the bed at the hospital. Granted they were also dosing him with Benadryl that made him nuts. He would also have to be restrained in the bed if no one was with him. Just sucks.


Exvet I missed what’s going on with Junior’s eye. Hope he’s ok

Lsp yay for good vet visit.

SF the jumping does look like fun. What great cross training too.

Al fun your instructor is looking to the future for Kora and speaking of GP!!


Cedar is looking to take the buckskin Lusitano stallion out GP this year. She’s done all the work on him since he was young. Has one of his daughters in to be started too. She’s coming along nicely.

Flight kept meaning to ask was it false dandelion that caused Norsey’s string halt? My vet had that issue here on her farm a couple of years ago. Weird stuff.

Getting hot and muggy here. Hope all are having some nice spring or in some cases fall weather report back so us southerners can live vicariously through you!

Happy riding all