Blocked

I am trying to write up our dressage fail. But have got writer's block and too much other stuff to do.

So, apropos of text:

http://www.horsemanpro.com/articles/gained_gaits.htm

Not that Max will ever look like this in a million kajillion years. But he did do sort of a levade the other day when I was trying to ride him down to the vineyard for a hack. Sigh...

Words of wisdom

Lucinda Green on young/inexperienced horses:

• Think of them as kids learning to read. They need books with only a few words per page, short words and big letters. They will read slowly at first, but given time, they will get it.

• Guide with your hands. But steer with your legs. Imagine an invisible wire connecting your calves to their eyeballs, where you turn your legs, they will look.

• Try not to think. Feel - don't think.

Photo by Owain.davies

 

 

 Lucinda has long been one of my eventing heroes. Now I have found some info on clinics she is teaching and it is all so applicable to the Maxster. If only she would write in down in a book!

Maxie the Spotty Pony

January 2011

I took this the other day just as a conformation shot. Unfortunately he is standing like a complete dork. It makes it look like his saddle is too far forward and his hind legs are too straight. I mean, he doesn't have the World's Best conformation, but this is not a great photo.

And all the junk in the stall behind him isn't helping.

But anyway - look at those dapples! Surely, the picture of health, the well rounded all rounder. He has been in a paddock with another fattypuff and so has slimmed down a kilo or ten. I am hoping to get some good work into him over the next 6 weeks before vintage starts. We are even entered for a baby class at the next ODE - just dressage and show jumping - but still!

I will fill you in on our Dressage Adventures later. Let's just say - Fail...

Tired

Max heeR! My Mum makez me werk too hard! I wuz yawnin' and everyfing and still she don't get it.

So shez tryin to make me a "allrounda". An don't say I iz already round!

Wez bin doing Dress Sarge and Lun Jing for ages an ages but last weekendz we went to do Jumpin too. That wuz cool, an I meetz lots of new frendz. I dunno about getting ova dem poles though, it's a bit hard with 4 legs! She haz No Sympathy for me. An she justabout falled off wif the laughin' at me. Dunno wotz so funny???

I reckonz just as well she brings nice noms, or else I bin trading her in.

Figuring out the feed

I discovered this handy tool late last year.

FeedXL

It's fantastic! I had been wondering how much feed Max needed, considering the small amount of work he does, and the HUGE amount of grass this season. A toxin binder is definitely needed, especially with him coming over all itchy in October. We had an incredibly wet winter and early spring, and so the paddocks were very lush (well, for this part of the world). Horses all over the Bay were displaying all sorts of behaviours that could only be attributed to too much good grass, and endotoxins. My farrier said he'd never seen so many crazy horses.

Max started scratching on anything he could get near, even rubbing his hair off in places. If I had someone to take photos, I could've got some great ones of his goofy/appreciative face as I scrached his neck. Note to self- start taking the camera everywhere.

So anyway, it seems that the little fatty-puff is doing just fine on a handful of chaff, a cup of sugar beet, minerals and toxin binder. He is lacking in selenium and vitamin E, according to the analysis and I know the soils around here are low in selenium. BUT it is a very dangerous thing to overdose a horse with (their hair and hooves can fall off!) so I am thinking of consulting the vet first. I might have to get him in anyway about the itchiness which has returned with a vengence.

Twenty Eleven

Yikes, 2011.

Still, a new year, new opportunities, right? So, here we are back on the blogging again. I will endeavour to post more often as I have found that it is the little things that you forget. And how else to track our progress?

I haven't set any concrete goals for the year, just fuzzy ones about being happy and appreciating the scenery. Hopefully Max will stop being a llama, and we can do more than walk. I'd like to start working him over some poles (once we have trot and canter again) and take him out as many places as possible for the mileage. Maybe we could go to the Riding Club's NI event next January?

I have to think a bit to decide on our progress for 2010. It seemed to be a year of one step back, and two backwards, circles and some arguments.

BUT:

• We did achieve getting him on the float and going a few places. 
• He won his first ribbon for dressage. 
• I have learned an incredible amount about handling and dealing with young horses. 
• I think I have gained a tiny bit of "feel" and developed my eye. 
• I don't tie us up in a huge knot when trying to lunge him. 
• And I didn't break any bones or fall off although there have been a lot of tears.

So, progress, of sorts.

Abscess (part 2)

Despite looking much happier about his hoof, Max still wasn't sound. I had poulticed it as directed (bran + epsom salts) but the little booger had run out of the bottom of his boot on Saturday. His paddock mate went out for a ride, and Max spent the entire time running up and down the fenceline.

I gave the hoof another epsom soak and re-bandaged with just a dry dressing (a.k.a. a disposable nappy, held on with vet wrap). This was enclosed in a new boot made from an old tyre tube, and secured with baling twine and some duct tape. You can't say we horsey girls don't have the Kiwi "number 8 wire" touch!


(Imagine shot here of said brilliant device here, as I forgot to take a photo)


I guess the running about showed he was feeling better, and they say lots of movement is good for sorting out hoof abscesses. And sure enough, he ran right out of his bootie again on Monday. He'd been put in a bigger paddock with two other geldings and they were having great fun!

I brought him in, cut away the remains of the bandage etc, and found that the abscess had made its way out at the heel as well! There were signs of nasty pus on the bandage and a bit of a shallow hole - actually more like the top few layers of skin had been rubbed away. This is now the end of my experience with abscesses, so I figured another soak wouldn't hurt. A quick consultation with knowledgeable friends led me to decide to leave it uncovered from then on. There was a bit of spongy give where the farrier had dug a hole, but after a little exploration with the hoof knife, I decided to leave it alone.

Once I had left and gone to the gym, he and one of the other younger horses started thundering up and down, playing silly buggers. M. got some of it on video on her phone and I think that was one little horse feeling much better!

(Fortunately for me, he doesn't seem able to organise himself into a decent buck even when loose, so not much to be scared of there!)