Hakuna Matata

He will only leave the barn if I have a cookie

I haven't written about the old man much lately. He's hanging out in his field, taking his time. He likes his life and trucks around with his buddies. I fuss with his blanket and his feed a little, but mostly I'm just letting him be.

Wednesday, his farrier came out for a trim. I was doing my usual "hold the end of the lead rope so I can watch exactly what he's doing and ask annoying questions". My farrier is used to be my now, so if it bothers him, he doesn't let on too much. As he worked away at Cuna's left front, I pointed to a slightly discolored spot in the sole. "Is that a bad thing?" I asked.

"No," he says. But then he points to the white line. "This is bad, though."

As he trims away the excess toe, he leaves behind a white line like I've never seen it before. It's almost an inch wide with blood in places. "You need to call your vet." As he and later the vet explained, the white line gets wider as the internal structures of the hoof start to pull away from the wall.

No more is it/isn't it flirting with laminitis. We're staring at it.

Cuna's been bilaterally uncomfortable up front. The next evening, I took him out to the arena/drylot area at the barn on the lunge line. His walk hasn't looked great to me, but maybe I'm just imagining things.

Nope. The old man was non-trotting. 

I patted his nose and told him the vet would be out tomorrow.

And then I pretty much fell apart. He's happy where he's at for the first time in ages. He likes his life. That means a lot to me. I've seen horses live in chronic pain and I absolutely refuse to do that to him. I love him too much to hang on to him when every day hurts.

Waiting for the vet

I got to the barn about a half hour before the vet. Cuna was even more uncomfortable than the day before. I curried and brushed him all over and combed through his mane and tail. I fed him cookies every time he looked at me and just appreciated what a giant red gentleman he is.

As much as I hate to be overly dramatic about emotions and life, I felt like everything inside me crunched when the vet's truck came around the corner.

He was as friendly as could be, and I explained the process Cuna and I are working through, from the weird stuff this spring to the horrid stuff in May to our current situation. He listened, watched, and dug around in Cuna's feet. I didn't have to tell him why the farrier said to call as he poked around at the white line in both fronts and dug an old abscess out of his sole.


We talked about our options. His first thought was to put shoes on Cuna, but the red man and shoes don't stay together long enough for that to make a difference. There's a reason he's barefoot now. Fortunately, that didn't phase him. He moved right along and told me to get Cuna some hoof boots, keep them as clean and dry as possible, put him on bute for the next week to get him more comfortable, and wait.

Trying hoof boots on for size

In his opinion, it looks like Cuna is growing out a lot of the crap we went through in May and we're just still dealing with the residual suck. The event line is pretty obvious on his hoof. He wants Cuna's trimming schedule to be a much shorter cycle, but just said that these things take time and we won't even know how far Cuna's going to come back until at minimum another six months.

We're not in the clear yet. I have to order the boots, since apparently no one stocks size 3s. Not even kidding. The old man horse has big feet.

Cuna hasn't given up and until he does, I'm on board. I've never willingly purchased or used hoof boots in my entire life, but I just ordered some with priority shipping and I can't wait for them to get here.

So... hoof boots anyone? Tell me it's unicorns and rainbows from here on out. 

PS I really want to win some cool saddle soap that I can't afford to buy after getting Cuna's hoof boots. Enter Amy's contest for it here!

Finding Relaxation

This face

You know that moment when you're too tired to go on and you've had a long day and there's a massive list of things to do waiting for you at home? You know you should ride, but you're not even wearing breeches and just the walk to the car to get them sounds exhausting.

I can't be the only one. I always wonder about those people with the "my horse is my therapist" stickers. I love my boys, absolutely, but my life would be so much less stressful and complicated without them. I frequently stress about barn time running in to work or home time and I find myself spending rides worrying more about what I need to do at work than what I'm actually working on.

That said, I'm an incredibly fortunate person who somehow ended up with two of the cutest, coolest thoroughbreds that God ever made. This summer, I decided to start making choices that would let horses be fun again instead of just another commitment/addiction. Here's the biggest things that helped me:

1) Getting out of the show environment. I love horse shows, I really do. Cuna and I were at a show barn and it was really fun when we were showing. When that was no longer an option for us, I found it to be so much easier to have him at a low key barn where I didn't feel out of place just because I wasn't going to the next A show.

Takes my breath away

2) Separating work and barn. I suspect that I'm not the only horsey blogger that picks up hours at the barn either to offset costs or as part of a rough board arrangement. This can be a great thing, but it's easy to get caught up in the work/stress part of it and completely miss the fun. My happy place here is cleaning stalls--it's a low stress job that lets me keep an eye on the little guy, but it doesn't follow me home and haunt my subconscious the way being responsible for show horses did.

3) Taking a deep breath. Most of the time, I'm on some sort of crazy rush between work, home, and barn and I don't have time to do everything perfectly. I try to have at least one day a week at a slower pace. Even if it's a short ride and I don't clean my tack, I smile and enjoy the good things about my boys and appreciate the beautiful place I live.


I maintain that horses are way too expensive not to be having the time of your life at least 80% of the time when you're in the saddle. Even with the right horse in a good situation, I find I have to be intentional about enjoying myself or "ride" just becomes another check box in an endless to-do list.

 How does everyone else keep it fun? Any tips for reducing stress for the adult ammies out there?

Feeding the Sporthorse

Probably carrying a little too much weight

When Cuna went horribly lame this year, the vet had me pull him off all his supplements in case there were any additives that might have been aggravating his condition. I've been too paranoid to add anything back in other than an occasional weight builder when the temperature drops.

Once Courage came to join us, I needed to be careful with money. I can afford two, but I spend more time then I used to watching the budget. As such, I decided that Courage would get put on supplements if/when he demonstrated a clear need and not before.

Three months post-track

Cuna lives on grass 24/7 and has free access to clean water, a salt lick, and good quality hay in a slow feeder. Courage is turned out on grass 6-8 hours a day. In his stall, he has essentially free choice hay and salt and he has clean water at all times no matter where he is.

And you know what? I haven't bought a single supplement. Both the boys are healthy and holding weight. Their coats look good, their feet are staying together, and they're as happy as I can expect them to be.



When I ran across this article lately, it all sort of made sense to me, especially when the author says:
"If horses couldn't fill their nutritional needs from good forage, and water, they wouldn't have survived.  There's no way that a biological system thrives since prehistory if it has such a precise requirement for, say, cobalt, that it can’t get it in the stuff it normally eats."

I know that some supplements help some of the time--Cuna can't hold his weight in hard work without a weight builder. That said, I feel even better about my choice to save money for now and let the boys tell me when they need something, instead of buying in to the latest cool advertising.

How does everyone else pick their horse's feed? I know I have readers from all over the spectrum and I'm curious how your horse keeping style changes the way you fuel your sport horse.

Harmony

Air time!

I haven't jumped a horse over a real jump (3' plus) in a year**. Well, probably eleven months. I knew that when Cuna and I had to lay off last fall, that my confidence was going to slip a few notches and that I'd probably lose something in the way of technique. It was even worse when he retired--I hated knowing that I was going to lose all the progress I'd made in my position and with my confidence. Even when I got Courage, I was well aware that green horses are hell on position and then by the time I got him jumping "real" jumps, I'd probably be starting from square one, again.

Here's the funny thing: For the first month or so, yeah, he was just figuring things out and I rode terribly. We got over the fences and that was what mattered. Just in the past couple of weeks, he's really figured out this whole "jumping thing" and you know what?

Maybe 2'3" vertical

I'm working on all the same things I was working on with Cuna. It's kind of hilarious. He's a totally different ride than Cuna, who was long and downhill and heavy in front. Instead of holding him up with my hands, I balance him with my core. He's sensitive like Cuna though, so I have to be still and careful.

I jumped him yesterday. I had to laugh at the whole thing. I started out a little bit nervous. I'll probably always be just a little nervous. He trotted to the first fence, then tried to stop. I said no and he launched. We demolished the whole jump. My lower leg swung back and he started scooting off.

So I jammed my heels down and sent him forward.

Tiny vertical!

He didn't touch a rail after that. I'd set the baby version of the circle of death, and he and I were able to string two jumps together if we cantered and three if we trotted. And yes! That means we cantered our first jumps together! So excited. He hopped over a couple of verticals with no drama whatsoever.

I've been going through the pictures that redheadlins took of us, and they make me smile. I'm working on things like staying forward after the jump to allow him to use his hind end and keeping my seat out of the saddle before the jump so I don't push him forward with my seat. Hold the rhythm. Balance the turn. Keep him steady without picking.

All the same things I used to work on with Cuna. The difference is that I don't need a solid year of dressage just to get a nice quality of canter--he came with that installed.

Scary tube! He's just cantering over it, really.

I'd even set a "scary" jump in the arena--it's this black tube that he absolutely refused to have anything to do with back when he first started jumping. I wasn't sure I wanted to address it, but then Lindsey and Diva jumped it like rock stars. He and I hopped over a couple of jumps and everything felt right, so I pointed him at it. He didn't even peek. I felt him use his body and spring over it and I was so proud of my little man that I almost can't put in into words.

He's got this. I've got this. Somehow, I have this awesome horse who's green, but he builds my confidence and helps my position. I started the ride a little nervous about the jumps, but I finished thinking that the 2'3" vertical seemed a little small.

We're still a long time from the big jumps, but it makes me happy to realize that when we do get there, I won't be completely out of my element. Even now, when I look into Cuna's wise old eyes, I'm so thankful for my time with him. He gave me the courage to try again and he stayed with me until my own Courage decided to come home. Because of all the time I spent on Cuna, I can't wait to see where Courage and I go together.


**Noted: that is a completely subjective definition. We are all in different places in life and riding and what is giant to some is tiny to others. If your "real jump" is defined as an 18" crossrail or a grand prix oxer, I certainly don't look down on you. For me, the line is around 3'. That doesn't mean it's the same for everyone. ;-)

PS Hilary is hosting a sweet giveaway of leather cleaner/conditioner that I want to win. Hope on over to her blog if you think you're luckier than I am.

Learning to Go

Plus I had to wear this cute jacket

After watching the videos and reading the summaries of the William Fox Pitt clinic this week, I decided that the little man and I needed to step things up a notch. My goal is to get him on the lesson calendar and haul him over to the fancy trainer's barn, but before we do that, I thought we needed to address a couple of training holes.

My number one concern has been that I didn't feel like Courage had a solid "go" button. I mean, he's always going somewhere. It's just that I don't feel that I can close my leg and say "now" and have him respond.




So I went the most obvious route and threw redheadlins up on him.

Not only is she braver and a better rider than I am, but she's also spent plenty of time galloping race horses at the track. If anyone can go forward on a Thoroughbred, it's her. They had a lovely warmup and then cantered off.

I did my best to scrape my jaw off the arena sand as she effortlessly opened him up down the long side of the arena and then brought him back to do balanced canter circles in the ends. Hm. Apparently the go button is just fine.

Someday we'll have a tail.

Then it was my turn. I got to learn about galloping position, plus shorten my stirrups. We cantered around while I figured life out.

This is probably the most cantering C-rage has done since he came home with me, but in his normal style, he continued trying 110% to do everything we asked.

He is the best at galloping

Finally, I got myself more or less organized in the saddle. We turned up the long side, I adjusted my position, and his stride completely changed. For a moment, I thought he had spooked and was scooting off. Then I realized that I was riding an uphill gallop. I was nowhere near his top gear, and it felt AMAZING.

Oh yes. He has a go button.

I am excited to continue figuring him out--he definitely told me when I hit galloping position and I didn't even have to touch the reins to bring him back. We definitely aren't ready for WFP and we have more work to do before we go to our lesson. That said, THIS HORSE IS AWESOME.

Seriously. I am so excited for what we're going to do together.

Tricks of the the Trade: Writing a Horse-y Blog

Courage is the best at blog tips

Every once in a while, I get an email from a new blogger, introducing themselves. (I love it. Keep sending them!) Not infrequently, they ask me what it takes to write a horse-y blog. It's an interesting topic that Lauren covered here, and it varies from person to person. Definitely read Lauren's post-she covers a lot of important points. Here's what I'd add to her post, though:

Main ideas:

The story of Courage

When I'm browsing a new blog, the #1 thing I'm looking for is a good story. Everyone has a story and I'd venture to say that most people have good ones. I want to see their story conveyed in their writing though. Where are they from? What are they moving towards? Do the characters catch me? It can be a sad story, a happy story, a fun story, or anything in between.

The blogger can battle the clock, the bank account, or their own limitations (or all of them). The story is the glue that sticks all the posts together and differentiates a blog from a training calendar. It's frequently the relationship between the blogger and their horse, but it can be other things.
Bloggers with great stories: Sweet Horse's Breath, Pony Express

The voice of SprinklerBandits

The biggest thing that makes a blog stand out is the voice it's told by. Writing a blog is about more than just good grammar and coherent (SHORT!!) paragraphs. It's about finding your voice in the horse world and learning to speak. This is something to pay particular attention to when you read back over your own posts (unless I'm the only weirdo who does that?).

Everyone has bad days, but if your tone is consistently whiny or entitled or cynical, I'm unlikely to add you in to my daily feed. A strong voice in a blog shows your personality and gives me a character to engage with.
Bloggers with great voice: Pia's Parade, Chasing the Dream

Focus on halters

In order to make a blog readable, it is important for the author to focus. Again, we all have days where everything is so right (or wrong) that we just do a massive brain dump, but in general, readers can track so much better if the blogger picks a topic and sticks with it for a post. Topics can be anything: that funny thing my horse did, how my show/lesson went, something I love (or hate!) about the horse industry or something else entirely. Focus helps the reader identify with the writer's ideas and respond.

A lack of focus makes it very hard for me as a reader to respond--I'm still thinking about the first thing you said and since then you said four other things.

Bloggers who focus: She Moved to Texas, We Are Flying Solo

Being honest about Cuna

Honesty is one thing a blog can't stand without. Horse bloggers are a unique group of hard working individuals. Sometimes it's awesome. Sometimes it's horrible. Instead of glossing over the ups and downs of life on four legs, embracing the raw honesty available on a blog is another way readers can connect with a blog. If you're knee-deep in road apples, you don't have to play it off as rainbows and unicorns. We're all vulnerable and we appreciate people who can admit it.

Bloggers who are honest: Dandyism, Poor Woman Showing

Those are my big must-haves. I read a lot of blogs, but the ones that consistently demonstrate these qualities are going to get my attention first because I've connected with them. Here are a couple other things that are less of a big deal, but still important to me as a reader:

Extras

Pictures!!! Pictures pictures pictures!!!! I love good original photographs. They don't have to be pro-quality. Heck, most shots on my blog are from my phone. I grew up with my Mom taking pictures roughly every 30 seconds, which I thought was really annoying. Now I probably take a picture every 15 seconds. I try to only share the best or funniest shots, but adding a picture can really make an entry pop. (Noted: I really can't stand pirated pro photos and random stock shots you didn't take. What is the point.) <-Yes, that could have been a question mark, but I'm not leaving room for discussion. Watch A Collection of Madcap Escapes to see someone who takes more pictures than me and uses a real camera and Suzanne for someone who doesn't steal pro photos.

Courage and Diva approve this message

Layout/readability/ease of use: If I go to your blog and your font/background color combo is completely unreadable or I have to click something to see the full post or your organization is super kitsch and doesn't make sense to me, the odds are that I'm not going to stay on your page. If that's your personal style, good for you. I like things simple and accessible.

Pages: If you have multiple horses or make frequent references to characters I can't remember or are drawing on a backstory I don't have any way of knowing, it is really helpful if you have some tabs I can click on to find out that information. Solid writing probably makes this a non-issue, but who doesn't want more places to put up cute horse pictures? I vote yes to tabs.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, we read for ourselves. These are just my standards. The great thing about the blogging platform is that you can make it your own and express yourself any way you want to. I can't be the only one who's thought about this--what did I miss? What one thing keeps you reading?

Dream Horse Studios' WINNER!!!

Drum roll, please!! After an awesome turnout of 126 unique contest entries (compile that!), I am pleased to announce that our winner is:

Wait for it

So cool

CONTESTANT #71, SANDY-RA of ORS DRESSAGE!!! Sandy, please contact me so I can get you hooked up with your prize. :-)

Thank you to all of the participants! I don't even know a bunch of you, so I look forward to exploring new blogs and meeting new faces throughout the next couple of weeks. Feel free to step up and introduce yourself--I always love new faces.

For those of us who didn't win, Dream Horse Studios is running a sweet kickstarter project to try and further expand their product line. The rewards are awesome--You are basically just buying your product, but at the same time helping them get going. My Calypso boots are priced at $145 on the website not including shipping, but for $150 on the kickstarter, I can get them and free shipping. There are support options at all levels and for all budgets, starting at a dollar. I love my dream horse boots and I want to see this super cool company get rolling!

Get Your Entries In!!

You know you want these!

Just a quick reminder that the Dream Horse Studios contest ends at midnight tonight, so get your entries in while you still can!

One entry for a comment on the contest post, a second entry is you show me a link to where you shared it online.

I'll announce the winner on Tuesday! :-D 

Courage loves his boots

Wherein Courage Has a Bad Day

Courage reared and spun as Lindsey tumbled to the ground. I grabbed for his reins, but his brain was already checked out. He leaped away from me, his body taught from his ears to his tail. I swear his feet never touched the ground as he trotted through the parking lot, straight toward the road.

"He'll come back," I said as I speed walked after him.

"I've got to keep Diva moving," said a now-dusted-off Lindsey. "Let's hope she keeps it together."

Then Courage stepped through the reins. His mouth got a violent jerk every time his right front hit the ground. He spun and started running backwards to the road.

I moved as fast as I could, but I didn't want to scare him any more than he already was.

He slammed on the brakes and threw his head straight up in the air.

I stopped, hardly daring to breathe. "Whoa, buddy."

He looked at me expectantly. The reins were caught in his boot, and he needed someone to get that mess sorted out.

Oh Courage.

It was a bit of a procedure to get in the gate. Lindsey had been holding the reins from the ground while I encouraged him to go from behind, so nothing was injured but our pride. Even the reins survived, somehow.

Can't beat a sunset trail ride

A new arrival came to our rescue and gave us the combination to get in the locked gate without having to step over the latest permutation of the great wall of China. Somehow, despite all the commotion, my little man was completely unrattled. He stood quietly while I got on, then he and Diva marched off side by side, down the trail.

Just he and Diva. That's right. Our first ever unassisted trail ride with only OTTBs along. It was the second time for each of them to be out in the hills.

Through the brush

We chose to take them down a new trail. We met other riders, hikers with loose dogs, and saw some deer. Courage was sure to pose dramatically for each and every encounter, but there was nary a spook between them.

As we wound through the sagebrush behind Diva, Courage got a little bit twitchy. The pokey branches were touching his delicate hide. Our only concession to his greeness was to make Diva stop every once in a while so that he could catch up without feeling like he needed to jig.

He finally gets Diva to look at something.

Despite our misadventure at the beginning, Courage (and Diva!) were total rock stars.

I am absolutely dying to do some trot and canter out there and I CANNOT WAIT to gallop the little dude, but we're taking it slow. I want him to learn that it's low key, fun, and easy so I can always ride him on the buckle if I want to. We'll make it more fun once he more thoroughly understands what it is that we're doing.




As we loaded up to head home, I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face.

Again.

This horse is SO MUCH FUN.

Also he needs to learn to walk over things behind me. There is definitely some groundwork in our very near future.

Sunshine in the Fall

Thank you to the bloggers who nominated me for the Sunshine award! I've seen them from Eventing in Color, Polka Dot Periodical, My Mojito, A Collection of Madcap Escapes, Pony Express, and Keeping it Loki. All fun blogs, check them out! I know I'm late to the party, but I thought we'd all rather have a fun contest first and do this later.

The sunshine award is for people who 'positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere'. The nominee of this award must do the following, thank the person who nominated them, nominate 10 bloggers of their own, answer the 10 questions given to you, post them, and add the Sunshine Award Button to the blog.

All that and he can pose

1. Mares or Geldings?
Geldings. Geldings geldings geldings. I had mares. I did that. I am done. I know there are nice mares out there. I know that a mare will give you everything she's got when she's in the mood for it. You know who else will give you everything they've got, no matter what mood they're in? OTTB GELDINGS. Yeah. All about that.

2. English or Western?
Western is super fun to an extent. It lacks the extensive history and body of work that make the english sport horse world so interesting to me. I have no doubt that they'll eventually catch up, but it will take like 500 years minimum. In the mean time, give me my English saddle and my Xenophon.

Diva and Courage

3. Do you prefer younger or older horses?
I don't like four year olds. All other ages are fine. (Ms Diva is doing her best to convince me that 4 year olds can be nice. She's a black mare though, so you know she's tricksy.)

4. Have you trained a horse from ground zero?
Yes. If I did it again, I would start with a gelding.

5. Do you prefer riding or groundwork?
Hahaha! I hate lunging so much. That said, I absolutely can not stand horses that are rude on the ground, so mine do plenty of groundwork. I'm probably more confident on the ground with a horse, but 99% of the time, I'd rather be in the saddle.

I want to see this face every morning.

6. Do you board your horse or keep him at home?
For now, I board. Eventually, I will have my own place.

7. Do you use all natural things or just commercial stuff (the products you use)?
I'm pretty sure "natural" is code for "doesn't work but costs twice as much".

8. All tacked up or bareback?
See question 1. I ride OTTB geldings with their attendant withers. Saddle please!

9. Equestrian role model?
Meg Kep, Sinead Halpin's groom. She's smart, she's funny, she works her butt off. I'd love to meet her, but then I'd do my awkward "famous person" routine and just make an ass of myself, so it's best we live on separate coasts.



10. What's your one main goal while being in the horse world?
I want to be capable of competently jumping around 3'3" to 3'6" course in the arena and able to run training level eventing. I'm not sure I actually want to go training level, but I want to know that I could, if I was so inclined.

My 10 nominees:

Just a Girl and Her Horse Ruffles keeps a rotating cast of horses and does a variety of awesome things in incredibly scenic places. She's currently dominating the pony club games scene and training a super cool jumper in New Zealand.

Wyvern Oaks Jenj has had a year of ups and downs and then more downs, but she's hard working, a great problem solver, and OMG PADDYBEAR!!! Check him out.

Hopeful Jumpers Jessica is a real vet, fresh out of school. Not only does she take gorgeous pictures of Florida where she lives, but she also has an older, retired TB jumper who reminds me way too much of Cuna.

We Are Flying Solo A perennial favorite of mine. The home of the Original Solo (tm) and a fun blog with lots of down to earth ideas and videos.

A Work in Progress Shannon lives on a farm while raising her kids and training her horses, oh, and battling through a crazy injury that would make most people just sit down and cry. She inspires me.

Poor Woman Showing How do you even introduce Carly and Bobby? She's the most classy profane person I know and I genuinely laugh out loud pretty much every time I read her blog. RIP Red.

Braymere Custom Saddlery A little off the beaten track for me, but Braymere makes custom show tack for model horses. I know we all did that as kids, her her stuff is legit. You have to see it to believe it.

Beast Eventer A newer blog that I picked up, but the story of an adult ammy and her draftie cross making it as eventer. Lots of fun, great attitudes.

A Mile High on Horseback Emily has a lot on her plate and she never slows down. Single mom? OTTB? Work? School? She does it all.