Well the vet came out today and didn't need to lance Cheyenne's lump. (thank GOD... I would have passed out.) He said he thinks it's just a lump of scar tissue from the shot & that it should go away on its own. PHEW! He also pulled her coggins and gave her ALL of her vaccines... for under $100... WIN!
She is still being a snot about trotting. I'm thinking about putting her in an english saddle to see if it's possibly a saddle fit issue/pain thing... although I'm fairly certain her saddle fits correctly & she's just being a lazy brat.
I noticed one of the horses out @ the barn was acting pretty colicky... so I'm hoping she's ok! When I went to look at her she was BLACK from rolling so much in the dirt & when I approached she would NOT stand, so I knew something was definitely wrong. Kris called her mom out and she was still out there last I checked, so fingers crossed everything will be a. o.k.!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Torn
I am torn on how to feel right now... absolute JOY over Cheyenne's behavior, or concern over her recent injury. We'll start with the good...
Cheyenne now, finally, after much protest is trotting under saddle. She is an absolute ANGEL in the round pen, trotting with minimal cueing (usually just a cluck & a tap now.) However when I moved her into the arena we had a little bit of a battle of wills. The footing in there is much more difficult though, so I at least understand her protest. This is, undoubtedly, the miracle of all miracles. I have NOT had success in making her trot without a great deal of coaxing until recently. I was convinced this would be my breaking point to getting her professional training... but we did it! She is such a good girl, always trying to please me. She hasn't once given me a fuss in terms of bucking, rearing, etc. SO THRILLED.
In BAD news, Cheyenne has developed an infection at the injection sight from where the bannamine shot was given when she coliced. :( Called the vet tonight & hopefully he will be able to come out soon to lance it (SO gross!) Eeek. :( But you know how it is with horses, if she's not getting her head caught in her gate, or colicing... she's getting infections. *rolls eyes* lol
Cheyenne now, finally, after much protest is trotting under saddle. She is an absolute ANGEL in the round pen, trotting with minimal cueing (usually just a cluck & a tap now.) However when I moved her into the arena we had a little bit of a battle of wills. The footing in there is much more difficult though, so I at least understand her protest. This is, undoubtedly, the miracle of all miracles. I have NOT had success in making her trot without a great deal of coaxing until recently. I was convinced this would be my breaking point to getting her professional training... but we did it! She is such a good girl, always trying to please me. She hasn't once given me a fuss in terms of bucking, rearing, etc. SO THRILLED.
In BAD news, Cheyenne has developed an infection at the injection sight from where the bannamine shot was given when she coliced. :( Called the vet tonight & hopefully he will be able to come out soon to lance it (SO gross!) Eeek. :( But you know how it is with horses, if she's not getting her head caught in her gate, or colicing... she's getting infections. *rolls eyes* lol
Monday, January 18, 2010
Best. Day. Ever.
In unrelated, non-horsey news... I am engaged. :) Graham finally popped the question this past Friday, and I am on cloud nine.
In related, horsey news... I got Cheyenne to trot under saddle today! I've gotten her to trot a couple of times before, but usually only with someone on the ground either lunging her, or chasing after her with the lunge whip. It took a LOT of coaxing (and kicking...) but eventually I got her moving. The times I have trotted her in the past she's had a very rough trot, but once she found her rhythm today I was pleasantly surprised to find she has one of the smoothest trots of any horse I've ever ridden- score! She was very good today, lunged nicely without a lunge line in the round pen... even cantered for a while without stopping!
In bad news... she has a fairly large welt on her neck from the shot of banamine that was given to her from her colic episode. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I hope it doesn't develop into anything more serious I would need to call the vet out for... I do NOT have the $ for that right now.
Tomorrow I start my internship... I'm excited & nervous! I'm going to be in a 4th grade class, I've never worked with kids above 2nd grade so this will be a VERY new experience for me! So here's to a great start, to an exciting week! :)
In related, horsey news... I got Cheyenne to trot under saddle today! I've gotten her to trot a couple of times before, but usually only with someone on the ground either lunging her, or chasing after her with the lunge whip. It took a LOT of coaxing (and kicking...) but eventually I got her moving. The times I have trotted her in the past she's had a very rough trot, but once she found her rhythm today I was pleasantly surprised to find she has one of the smoothest trots of any horse I've ever ridden- score! She was very good today, lunged nicely without a lunge line in the round pen... even cantered for a while without stopping!
In bad news... she has a fairly large welt on her neck from the shot of banamine that was given to her from her colic episode. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I hope it doesn't develop into anything more serious I would need to call the vet out for... I do NOT have the $ for that right now.
Tomorrow I start my internship... I'm excited & nervous! I'm going to be in a 4th grade class, I've never worked with kids above 2nd grade so this will be a VERY new experience for me! So here's to a great start, to an exciting week! :)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Colic.
Well, nothing is sunshine and rainbows forever I guess. I went to Vegas for a friend's wedding Thursday-Sunday and Friday morning Cheyenne coliced... God bless Kris & Jenna for taking care of her and making sure she was okay, and even more-so for knowing me well enough to keep the news from me until AFTER I returned home. I would have been a nervous emotional wreck the whole trip knowing that had happened. I guess Kim came out to feed in the morning & noticed Cheyenne was down, and when she didn't get up to eat (UNHEARD of for this horse!) she knew something was wrong. Kris came out & had to halter her and DRAG her to get her to stand. She gave her a shot of banamine and walked her out for a while, and eventually she came around.
This was the first bout of colic she's ever had... she is in sand but I give her metamucil regularly... so I'm hoping it wasn't from the sand. At any rate she seems to be doing much better. I'm still a little worried since she has not been eating her hay like normal (normal meaning gone in 5 minutes.) I moved her over next to Sienne since she's been a paddock away from the rest of the horses since Ravin was moved, maybe she is just lonely? Who knows.
At any rate I lunged Cheyenne for a bit (which was quite the task with 4 dogs running around us, she held herself together fairly well though) and then rode. She gave me a bit of a run for my money today and left me feeling more frusterated then accomplished. Of course it was my fault for not working her seriously in almost two weeks, but I feel like we're back at day one. She was fussy and would NOT trot... in fact I was half convinced she was going to pull some sort of stunt while I was asking her to, luckily she controlled herself. I rode her down to the other side of the property & she was extra spooky. She REFUSED to go down to the barn where she spooked last time & I fell. She kept trying to turn around... I eventually won that battle but it was nerve wracking with her whipping around over what is essentially a bridge connecting the barn to the rest of the property. (STEEP bridge... over water... fairly dangerous)
Time... time and patience and more time and more patience. We're going to get there. I've got the patience... I just wish I had more time. I'm considering allowing someone to free lease her in order to have her worked more, but she is still somewhat unpredictable... and I have NO idea how she'd react to another rider. I just don't want to deal with an accident, I just wish I could work with her more. I love that little monster pony more then anything... somehow God in his infinite wisdom chose her for me. She's challenging enough to remind me that the good things in life are worth working for... but she's come such a long way I can't help but be so proud of all the work we've done together. Trying to remind myself of the Parelli quote... "If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." I need to figure out how to ask for things in a way she understands, and be more consistent. There we go... add that to my list of belated New Year's resolutions.
This was the first bout of colic she's ever had... she is in sand but I give her metamucil regularly... so I'm hoping it wasn't from the sand. At any rate she seems to be doing much better. I'm still a little worried since she has not been eating her hay like normal (normal meaning gone in 5 minutes.) I moved her over next to Sienne since she's been a paddock away from the rest of the horses since Ravin was moved, maybe she is just lonely? Who knows.
At any rate I lunged Cheyenne for a bit (which was quite the task with 4 dogs running around us, she held herself together fairly well though) and then rode. She gave me a bit of a run for my money today and left me feeling more frusterated then accomplished. Of course it was my fault for not working her seriously in almost two weeks, but I feel like we're back at day one. She was fussy and would NOT trot... in fact I was half convinced she was going to pull some sort of stunt while I was asking her to, luckily she controlled herself. I rode her down to the other side of the property & she was extra spooky. She REFUSED to go down to the barn where she spooked last time & I fell. She kept trying to turn around... I eventually won that battle but it was nerve wracking with her whipping around over what is essentially a bridge connecting the barn to the rest of the property. (STEEP bridge... over water... fairly dangerous)
Time... time and patience and more time and more patience. We're going to get there. I've got the patience... I just wish I had more time. I'm considering allowing someone to free lease her in order to have her worked more, but she is still somewhat unpredictable... and I have NO idea how she'd react to another rider. I just don't want to deal with an accident, I just wish I could work with her more. I love that little monster pony more then anything... somehow God in his infinite wisdom chose her for me. She's challenging enough to remind me that the good things in life are worth working for... but she's come such a long way I can't help but be so proud of all the work we've done together. Trying to remind myself of the Parelli quote... "If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." I need to figure out how to ask for things in a way she understands, and be more consistent. There we go... add that to my list of belated New Year's resolutions.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Today we had picture day out at the barn. I spent a little time lunging Chey today which I haven't done in AGES... she did REALLY well despite our month long lunging sabbatical. We went for a short ride bareback... she is really getting the hang of moving off of leg pressure. I'm so proud of my monster pony. :)
Being a good girl & standing nice for the picture.
Sniffing mommy's feet, her favorite past time.
Jenna, my bestest barn buddy & her absurd looking son with a scarf wrapped around his face. :)
Being a good girl & standing nice for the picture.
Sniffing mommy's feet, her favorite past time.
Jenna, my bestest barn buddy & her absurd looking son with a scarf wrapped around his face. :)
Monday, January 4, 2010
I unknowingly moved to Antarctica.
I've been a neglectful horsey mama this past week. The weather has been SO cold... well... cold is relative (but my blood is thinner than water!) It has been highs in the low 50s (some days 40s!) and lows in the low 30s (some days 20s... yes 20s in FLORIDA. Also has been 0% chance of rain... again, in FLORIDA.) I think hell has frozen over. Point being- I've been cold & lazy. The cold makes me sloooooow... I feel like a 90 year old woman, I get achy & grumpy with this weather. Pfffft, thanks a LOT Florida.(See about ^ Chey in her cute heart sheet... "You has treats for me? Gimme or I'll nibble your fingers to nubs!" ... she'd do it too.)
At any rate I've taken a few unproductive trips out to the barn to check on Chey... clean her paddock... pay homage to a few dead farm animals... (ew. ew. & ew.) I'll never get how death doesn't upset those farm folks- still FREAKS ME OUT. It's been so cold we've had to blanket the horses. And yes, I own a blanket for my WILD mustang from Wyoming here in "sunny" Florida... go ahead, JUDGE ME. Thankfully she has been kind to her horsie snuggie & doesn't give me much fuss to put it on. MUCH is the operative word here... except for tonight.
I own the most IMPATIENT horse on the face of God's green earth. She is EVER SO wiggly and squiggly & fidgety. I was putting her blanket on and I swear to you she managed to wrap her six inch lead all the way around the darn tree. Then in the opposite direction... and again in the opposite direction. STAND STILL DANGIT! How do you explain that to a horse? I think I'm going to start beating her into submission. JOKE... plus it wouldn't work if I tried. I swear you can bruise yourself smacking that horse *... not that I'd know* & she looks at you like "Thanks for swatting that fly! Now I need to get back to whatever inappropriate behavior I was previously engaged in." Oy. Vey.
Ravin kicked through the boards between her & Chey's paddocks so Chey has been neighboorless becaus Ravin has been blacklisted to her own private paddock. Cheyenne & the dogs are bonding now... she doesn't seem to kick at their fence quite as much any more, so that's a positive. At any rate, hopefully I will have some exciting update tomorrow when I go out & ride for the first time in like a week. I'm sure "exciting" will be the best way to describe whatever might happen...
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