Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I guess really I should have emphasized the a there... no one really carries the /h/ sound out when they scream... but I digress.
I. AM. SO. UNHAPPY. WITH. MONSTERPONY.
I took Faith (my 5 year old sister) & my birthmom out to the barn yesterday. I wasn't planning on having Faith ride, but she kept bugging me & since my birthmom is very experienced with horses I figured it would be okay. I saddled her up & just left her in her halter & leadrope to lead her around. She was being a stubborn little booger, but just lazy... not spooky. I was leading her around the arena & my birthmom was walking next to Faith in case she needed to pull her off. Good thing she was because seemingly out of NOWHERE she reared up, my birth mom pulled Faith off (she wasn't hurt, neither of them were thank GOD!) & her hoof came right down onto my shoulder. Awesome. Luckily it really doesn't hurt near as bad as I thought it would, so that's good. I was angry but brushed it off as a one time thing. But even after Faith was off she did it AGAIN as I was leading her back to the barn. So into the round pen she went for a nice long workout. I was horrified by her behavior... I really didn't think it would be an issue. Ugh! I'm half terrified to go out again tomorrow & see what new bug she's got up her butt. I love her, but sometimes I think I got more pony than I bargained for! Eeeek!

Broken Pony

Don't you love those early morning phone calls... "Something's wrong with your horse."? It's only that much more exciting when the man who takes care of the horses speaks no English & tries to relay that information to the barn owner... who in turn tries to relay it to you. It was just a big jumbled mess... I had NO idea what was wrong. When I got out to the barn she was in cross ties & I couldn't see anything wrong with her leg. Quickly enough I realized it was probably the same stifle issue as before. Sure enough when I went to walk her out of the cross ties her back left leg was left dragging behind her. Thank God I had been witness to this before otherwise I would have had the same horrible panic attack I did when it first happened. Poor girls back leg was literally paralyzed she couldn't bear any weight & it dragged behind her & she hopped & hobbled around on 3 legs.

Last time we called the vet out & before she got there it corrected itself. She said it if happened again to back her up and it should unlock. Problem was I COULD NOT get her to back. Three of us tried, including Alamon who literally barrelled into her chest and pushed with all his strength. So after many unsuccessful attempts I called the vet who said he couldn't do anything, the only way to fix it is to back her out of it. He suggested I give her some bute to ease the discomfort & that she might weight bear & back if I did that. A friend of the barn owner suggested massaging the area with vetrolin to help loosen it up. Cheyenne LOVED that... not. It was pretty funny to see her hobble away from me as best she could on three legs... a little sad too. After an hour of massaging I gave up. I picked up some bute & made it back to the barn at 6 pm (mind you this had been going on since early in the morning.) I gave her some bute with dinner & as she was eating decided to try massaging again. I felt around the good and the bad stifle & found a little spot that seemed to pop in & out as I massaged. So I went with my gut & just applied pressure to see if it wouldn't pop whatever was out of place back into place. And wouldn't you know it, it worked!! I was so relieved & she seemed pretty thrilled (though a bit wobbly) to have the use of all 4 legs back.

I wish I had gotten video of how sad she looked on 3 legs. I couldn't find any videos of locked stifles online that even compared to the severity of hers. I hope this isn't a recurring issue. The first time is happened she was in a stall all night... but this time she was turned out so I'm not sure what triggered it. I certainly can't complain since I was able to fix it without having to have the vet out & now I know what to do if it happens again.

I gave her a day off since I'm sure if nothing else she was sore secondarily from accidentally putting weight on her bad leg incorrectly yesterday. She kept inverting her foot & putting weight on it since it was dragging behind. I lunged her lightly today & she did well... she was great one direction, better than she ever has been! She was a bit of a snot the other direction, but eventually complied. I'm going out to ride tomorrow, hope she's feeling up to it!

& If anyone is interested in learning more about locking stifles I found a handy little website here that gives the abbreviated version on the condition. http://www.equi-therapy.net/equi-therapy/horse-veterinary/sticky-stifle.shtml

Funny Story...

Well so far, so good. I was only able to make it out to the barn twice this week because of the thunderstorms, but Cheyenne is coming along nicely. She is still a bit testy in the round pen, but it takes much less time/energy to get her to concede and do what I'm asking. She didn't try to run through or jump the fence like she did the other day, so it's an improvement. She is also showing great progress with her stopping. She's responding well to voice cues so I'm trying to rely heavily on those with minimal cueing from the bit. Just a deep seat, a "whoa", and a teensy tinsy pull then release. She's much quicker to respond but we still have some work to do.

Cheyenne really impressed me with two things this week.

#1 Cheyenne has a new boyfriend, the stud colt. This handsome little gentleman is NOT mom approved, I'm still a bit in denial over the whole thing. She acts rather silly & whorish around him. Obviously they are separated but they do sniff each other through the window in the concrete stall wall dividing them. This week when I walked Cheyenne by his stall she kept right on walking & didn't stop & squirt. She was much more ladylike & made my life a LOT easier by not cementing her hooves to the ground in front of him.

#2 I had the farrier come out for Cheyenne Saturday. First off I was nervous because it has been MONTHS since I've actually held her for the farrier. Someone else had done it for me since the farrier came at the old barn while I was in class. Second this was a new farrier. I decided to use the farrier the rest of the girls at the barn use. Cheyenne did pretty well! She got a little stupid with her front feet, dancing around on her back feet a bit. She also tried to eat the farrier's ponytail, well not EAT... gum... lip at... play with it. She was a perfect angel for her back feet. Everyone was impressed with her behavior... but you know, can't ever please mom. ;) She's still working on it... but I am proud of her!!

So now back to the title of this entry... FUNNY STORY. I decided to ride Cheyenne bareback Saturday since it was 110 degrees outside (didn't want to deal with lugging around tack or making her miserable in the heat), we were only going to work on walk/stop, and I hadn't ridden her bareback at the new barn yet at all. So I was out with Ray's mom & Ray's leaser, and the barn owner was giving us a mini lesson. We were all standing under the tree in the arena when all of a sudden I realize I was quickly become closer to the ground. Cheyenne DROPPED straight to her knees to roll with me on her!!!! I lucked out because she literally dropped straight down & I stayed sitting on top of her, straddling her with two legs on the ground. She let me jump away before she proceeded to try & roll, thankfully! I hollered at her & flailed my arms so much she must've thought she was going to be killed... but I did NOT want her to think that was okay (even though, I admit it... it was REALLY funny!) She's been good about not tossing me, I don't want her to think this is a new way to get out of work. So I brought her right back over to the mounting block & worked her for a while... without resting breaks this time! lol She did do very well, and I didn't fall! Yay! Here's to hoping it was a one time event however.

Outside Perspective

Finally made it out to the barn today. The weather has been awful, hot & rainy... thunderstorms multiple times daily. I knew Cheyenne was going to be a challenge today. When I showed up I couldn't find her out in the pasture. When I walked out I found her flirting with the stud colt through the stall wall (there are indoor & outdoor stalls that share a cement wall between them). I have never seen her in heat or been able to tell when she is... she LITERALLY (no exaggeration, really) must have squirted twenty times today. She was just the biggest hussy I have EVER seen. She wouldn't stand still, and when I walked her by her new boyfriend, she WOULD NOT MOVE. She planted her feet, swung her goods right into his face, and squirted. UGHHHHH! I eventually got her stubborn butt out of the barn & she was giving me a hard time in the arena. She did okay at the walk, but she had much more energy than usual. When we got to the trot everything fell apart. It took about thirty minutes of trotting to collect her & get her responding consistently... but the important thing is that it eventually happened.

The WONDERFUL thing about today was that Nikki (the girl who boards her horse with me) rode Cheyenne today. No one else has ever ridden her, so it was great to have a second opinion. She only rode her at the walk, but she said that she was doing really well so far. She said she had a bit of a hard mouth (which I knew unfortunately) & she suggested we work on stopping with a very light cue. After only 15-20 minutes of Nikki working with her she was stopping on a dime, a very light whoa cue & she would stop. Nikki suggested we work more on trotting lunging in the round pen in addition to under saddle. I HATE lungeing Cheyenne because she is SO bad & today was no exception. Nikki really helped to build my confidence with Cheyenne & helped me to reestablish my dominance over her. We're still in a bit of a power struggle & I need to work hard to make sure she knows I am alpha mare, not her. She likes to cut into the middle of the round pen and push on the gate. Nikki showed me a slightly different way to lunge her and helped to get rid of some of my fears about lungeing. By the end of the session Cheyenne was doing REALLY REALLY well, and for a solid 5 minutes or so didn't try to pull ANY stunts.

I really need to have a firmer hand with her and not show ANY fear. I know that, and have known that... but sometimes it takes someone else showing you the correct way to do things, and how much of a difference it makes in order to make you realize the importance of it. I also need to praise her more. It's funny because when I first started working with her if was ALL praise, all the time. I rarely got frustrated & I always corrected her very gently. Now that she has come as far as she has & knows what is expected... I have been doing less praising and more correction. She is a different horse now. It used to be that she had no idea what I was asking or expecting, she came from a place of fear, and every little step was a HUGE milestone. It was impossible to be frustrated because she was a blank slate... I couldn't expect her to know something she had never been taught. Now she is a sweet, loving, trusting horse... she is extremely smart & a fast learner. I get frustrated because she KNOWS what I am asking now, but she is stubborn & testy. But I do blame myself for much of it... she has been allowed to get away with certain things because of my fear & lack of experience. I think we are going to go very far with help from someone else. I know Nikki is busy but I'm thinking of asking her to work with us maybe once a week & see where that gets us. She told me she would work with her today while I am out of town, so I'm anxious to hear how it goes.

It's always a work in progress... but as frustrated as I sometimes get I really truly wouldn't change it for anything. I love that pony more than anything... & our good days are SO great because of the struggles we have gone through.

Love.

Monster pony was a sweet little angel today. I went out to the barn & rode with Ray's leaser. Of course about five minutes into the ride it started to rain... but we waited it out under the tree (which didn't provide much shelter...) & eventually got a good ride in. Cheyenne did VERY well! She trotted with minimal fuss, the way she had been a few weeks ago... before she decided to start pulling crap. She does do much better with Ray around, which I am grateful for. She doesn't even need to be following, just having him in the arena is enough.

The stud colt was turned out in the turnout area that shares a fence with the arena. He was being a NUT with Cheyenne in the arena. I was VERY concerned he was going to bust through the fence or jump it (He was trying!). Cheyenne was so calm, you'dve thought she was a gelding by the way she ignored him. Oh, I am SO glad she is not one of those hussy mares who squirts at trees. She's so easy going, not mare-ish at all. How did I get so lucky?!

Today after I had untacked Cheyenne & I was waiting to use the wash rack we had a "moment". She just stood there in the aisle way, then pressed her face into my chest. She stood like that for a good 2 minutes. Usually she's pretty antsy (she is still a baby after all) but she was just so sweet today. Calm, quiet, and lovey as can be. Days like this make those painful falls completely worth it. :)

Blast from the past

I went out to the barn Saturday morning to ride with Nikki, the other girl who boards her horse there. For the record I have NEVER run into anyone at the barn other than the owner, the man who takes care of the horses, and Nikki. Little did I know I was going to be greeted by a welcoming committee. One of the owners friends was out at the barn when I arrived, as was Nikki. While I was there another girl came out who is leasing Ray (Nikki's horse) & two of the owner's lesson students also came by. It was like a blast from the past having so many horses riding around in the arena. The last time I rode with a group of people like that was at horse camp, many many moons ago.

I felt a bit like the odd one out with all the other girls in their breeches, english saddles, & on their HUGE fancy WELL BEHAVED horses. Me & my little pony, in our western saddle mosied along behind them. Surprisingly though everyone was SOOO nice. I have to admit, I am sometimes a little bit prejudice against Hunter/jumper people... I feel like I can say that though since I used to be one of them. But these girls weren't snooty at all! :)


Cheyenne did really well. Especially considering we rode for THREE HOURS. Yes, THREE. She seems to behave much better with her boyfriend Ray around. She put up a bit of a fuss about trotting, but not nearly as bad as last time. She followed Ray when he trotted (for the most part) which made it much easier for me. The barn owner even gave us kind of a group lesson & Cheyenne & I went over a few cross rails (small... at a walk... but we did it!)


(Cheyenne & Ray enjoying a well deserved treat after their 3 hour ride!)

It was nice having a group of people to ride with. They're not the same as my old barn buddies... but it's a start! It's nice to have company, that's half the fun of horses in my opinion. Sure I cherish my quiet times with Cheyenne... but it's always twice as fun with a friend. :) So here's to hoping we have many more adventures to come.

NOT a happy camper.

Yup, the title about says it all. Cheyenne was pure idiot today. When I got to the barn Alamon (the man who takes care of the horses) was turning out the boys. Cheyenne got all worked up and acted like a hussy... SO unlike her. I knew we were going to have issues today from the way she acted the whole time I had her cross tied. She was fine walking but when I asked for a trot she spent five minutes just trying to change direction so she didn't have to trot. Eventually she did and she kept trying to change direction, take off, and run me into trees. She took off and turned sharply and the saddle went sliding to the side & off I went.

I was irritated but I got back on. She did OKAY after that and I was about 20 feet from letting her stop and calling it a day. Then all of the sudden she turns and bolts, saddle slides AGAIN (I hate this new girth... it's the fuzzy kind and when she sweats I guess it doesn't stay in place) & off I went... in the other direction. The second time was far worse that the first. I couldn't physically bring myself to get back on, it took all my strength to get her saddle off & not cry.

I did however take her to the round pen & work her butt off so she doesn't think throwing your rider means you get out of work. Again, she was AWFUL! She almost broke the fence a few times, she'd take off and ram into it. She even came close to JUMPING the fence to get into the pasture (which shares a fence with the round pen) with the boys. She was just terrible! :( Ugh. I hope this was a one time deal because I am not equipped to handle her if she keeps this nonsense up. I am in SO MUCH PAIN. My back hurts, my head is pounding, it hurts to breathe, my sides are all bruised. Monster pony really lived up to her name today. UGH.

It will get better though. You have to take the bad days with the good... the good days wouldn't be so good if we didn't go through rough patches every now & again. I just think back on how far she's come & it's hard to stay mad for TOO long. Hope I can walk tomorrow though, Jesus I hurt! I just don't bounce quite the way I did when I was a kid. I remember falling off multiple times per lesson when I was first learning to jump, and thinking nothing of it. Not anymore!