Lesson Day, this should be short and sweet.
Typical Tuesday, getting Shadow all ready in his stall, Dom and Bonni were standing inside with him and I walked out to put my bit looks and flash band on his bridal, and i hear him fumbling around. As I look over, Shadow is asleep buckling at his knees. REALLY? He was not ready to wake up either. Petting and shaking his head was not working, we were all looking at each other like 'uh oh' I took him out and walked him around and BOOM he's awake and everything is fine. Someone is a little too cozy in his stall.
We put the flash on and he was not happy, flapping his lips and carrying on about it. Dom started with lunging in side reins, he is starting to move out very nicely at the trot, and he no longer bucks and flips out when you ask him to canter. He's making wonderful improvements. He was moving funny in the beginning but it was because he was bracing his neck and he look off, but he was not. Stiff in the beginning but he is a 15 year old ex race horse, so I'll give him that. He finally relaxed and Dom got on. I passed on riding as I had a really bad day and I'm not feeling so well.
They worked for another half hour and he looked great. Dom told me I am really going to like how he feels riding with the flash on because he moves out so much nicer being that he cant brace his mouth against the bit. She told me she would like to start getting him over some cross rails and for me to start cantering him, which I really don't do. She said we will work him over the cross rails and his canter we will build up as we go. His trot is coming along so nicely, hopefully by Saturday I will have enough energy to ride.
Dom stopped to talk to me and Shadow proceeded to shove his face into mine as if he was saying 'Mom get this thing off my mouth please', needless to say, the flash was not tight at all. Once Dom got off he proceeded with the lip flapping and carrying on, so Dom said 'okay, you want it off, we will take it off' and literally slid it off his mouth, that's how 'tight' it was. He stood there with me for a minute covered in sweat and then walked away to shove his entire face in the water trough and clean off the feeling of the flash band. Of course that's the way he made it seem. He always knows how to make me laugh.
I have taught him to give me a kiss before he gets a treat, but he gets so excited so I have to tell him to be nice or he will knock me out. He'll very gently put his nose to my lips, and then he knows he gets treat, but if I take to long, he will start throwing his nose at me and I have to pay attention or he will catch me in the mouth good one of these days. He got me a little yesterday, but I corrected him, he means well. Lol Shadow lives for food and treats which makes me wonder what kind of life he had all over again. If he knows I ave treats he will nudge me ever so lightly until I give them up. Love him <3
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Ground Poles
With the days getting shorter, so are my riding days and the amount of energy I have. I have now gone from riding 4-5 times a week to riding 2-3 if I'm lucky, and one of them being my lesson day.
Saturday was a pretty miserable day after raining all week, it was super windy and drizzling, but I needed to get at least a quick ride in. I was so excited to see Shadow after not seeing him all week. So we tacked up and rode in the open field in front of the farm. He was looky at first, being that there was the woods, a big yellow front loader and all the other horses are on that side of the farm. We did a few warm up circle and a lot of trotting. He was moving out nicely, but I ended it early because it was super windy. Happy he was being so consistent after having 3 days off sitting in his stall because of the rain. Sunday was another lazy day for me, I went to the barn but only to meet Dom and Mike because they were dropping off ground poles for me. Shadow needs to learn how to pick up his feet, and this will also help with his canter.
Monday my boss was away, so I was able to sneak out in the middle of the day to go ride. Dom was there working with Shannon and Nikko (she's always with us, I love it) I went out and moved all the horses around and got Shadow ready. We did about 10 minutes of lunging in side reins and then I got up. His trot was steady and consistent just as it was on Saturday. We worked on a couple canter strides and before I knew it we had been working for an hour and I had to get back to work! He is coming along so nicely, I really couldn't be more excited.
Yesterday was our lesson, Dom lunged him for about 10-15 minutes and we introduced the ground poles. First on the lunge, he was looking at them like they were going to come out and bite him and he was LEAPING over them. I couldn't help but laugh, he is so funny. Dom continued to lunge him over them until he was calm, and then she got on him to take him over them. His first try with her on him was great, he is hitting his feet a little but what can you expect this is the first time he has ever done this. He was going over them at the trot and cantering off of them, just as we had hoped. Dom didn't ride him last week because he was doing so well. She rode him around this week and said after not riding him for a week she feels a great improvement, which means I'm doing my homework. I took a minute to pat myself on the back and continued to watch them work. I finally got up, and he was doing great. We have noticed the more tired he gets, the more he falls apart, but that will come together with the more muscle he builds. His trot is becoming amazing, I think we are just a few lessons away from tackling the lurch completely and never seeing it again. (woohoo!!) We took a few laps over the ground poles and a lot of trotting. He is holding it all the way around the ring, several times. At one point I actually asked him to walk and looked at Dom and said "did I just trot this ring like 6 times" lol, I can't believe he is coming along so quickly.
Next week we are going to continue our trotting and ground poles of course. We are going to raise the middle pole to make him think about it a little more and start some cross rails. YAY!
Yesterday was a great lesson, and I can honestly say I get off of him smiling just about every time now. He gives me his all and I can't thank him enough for having such a big heart. :)
Saturday was a pretty miserable day after raining all week, it was super windy and drizzling, but I needed to get at least a quick ride in. I was so excited to see Shadow after not seeing him all week. So we tacked up and rode in the open field in front of the farm. He was looky at first, being that there was the woods, a big yellow front loader and all the other horses are on that side of the farm. We did a few warm up circle and a lot of trotting. He was moving out nicely, but I ended it early because it was super windy. Happy he was being so consistent after having 3 days off sitting in his stall because of the rain. Sunday was another lazy day for me, I went to the barn but only to meet Dom and Mike because they were dropping off ground poles for me. Shadow needs to learn how to pick up his feet, and this will also help with his canter.
Monday my boss was away, so I was able to sneak out in the middle of the day to go ride. Dom was there working with Shannon and Nikko (she's always with us, I love it) I went out and moved all the horses around and got Shadow ready. We did about 10 minutes of lunging in side reins and then I got up. His trot was steady and consistent just as it was on Saturday. We worked on a couple canter strides and before I knew it we had been working for an hour and I had to get back to work! He is coming along so nicely, I really couldn't be more excited.
Yesterday was our lesson, Dom lunged him for about 10-15 minutes and we introduced the ground poles. First on the lunge, he was looking at them like they were going to come out and bite him and he was LEAPING over them. I couldn't help but laugh, he is so funny. Dom continued to lunge him over them until he was calm, and then she got on him to take him over them. His first try with her on him was great, he is hitting his feet a little but what can you expect this is the first time he has ever done this. He was going over them at the trot and cantering off of them, just as we had hoped. Dom didn't ride him last week because he was doing so well. She rode him around this week and said after not riding him for a week she feels a great improvement, which means I'm doing my homework. I took a minute to pat myself on the back and continued to watch them work. I finally got up, and he was doing great. We have noticed the more tired he gets, the more he falls apart, but that will come together with the more muscle he builds. His trot is becoming amazing, I think we are just a few lessons away from tackling the lurch completely and never seeing it again. (woohoo!!) We took a few laps over the ground poles and a lot of trotting. He is holding it all the way around the ring, several times. At one point I actually asked him to walk and looked at Dom and said "did I just trot this ring like 6 times" lol, I can't believe he is coming along so quickly.
Next week we are going to continue our trotting and ground poles of course. We are going to raise the middle pole to make him think about it a little more and start some cross rails. YAY!
Yesterday was a great lesson, and I can honestly say I get off of him smiling just about every time now. He gives me his all and I can't thank him enough for having such a big heart. :)
Hugs at the end of our lesson. I think he is sleeping. lol
Intro to ground poles. No complaints!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Sassy Shadow
Our lessons have been moved to Tuesday now, which works better for Dom. She's not exhausted by the time she gets to us. She has a crazy day on Wednesdays and then has to come and ride 3 trouble horses. I don't know how she does it!
Yesterday was quite comical, we should have known it would have been an interesting day when Shadow was falling asleep as I was getting him ready. Dom said "Oh Shadow, you are so tired" and I said "yeah, because he has such a rough life" and Shadow proceeded to nod his head yes, as if he really does have such a rough life. Dom and I burst out laughing, What a jerk he is.
Since it gets dark so early and I work so late, I don't get much time, Shadow hasn't been lunged in his side reins for about a week. So we started our lesson there. They lunged for about 20-25 minutes (or at least that's what it felt like to me). Shadow is holding a very nice consistent trot on the lunge line, but whenever he feels any pressure on his face he lays into his bit so Dom had mentioned a flash band. Well, as soon as Shadow heard that, we never saw him open his mouth again.
He is also holding a very consistent canter on the lunge, which means he is starting to build real horse muscles! I have learned, as Dom told me, which now makes a lot of sense, it is much easier to argue on the lunge line then when on his back. On the ground I can insist on TROT or CANTER and remove the pace completely better than I can on his back. We didn't see too much pacing yesterday on the lunge, nor did we see any lurch. Maybe we are getting somewhere?! :) So going to the right Shadow just wanted to canter away, Dom wanted a trot but Shadow disagreed. He was cantering around us pretty nicely and I said to Dom, he looks like he is going to fall (he was leaning in to the center, not looking so balanced at one point). Dom's response? "Eh, horses fall over sometimes, it's okay". That's not something I expected to hear and I just started laughing, as I said, very interesting day at the barn.
Dom also mentioned as she was lunging Shadow around that I need to get some ground poles so he learns to pick his feet up. Well, this is where Shadow put his fancy pants on. He broke into the NICEST trot. I didn't even know he had it in him. He had his tail up, and he stretching so nicely under himself, in a frame. He was literally prancing, as if he was saying "I'll show you, I don't need any ground poles". Needless to say Dom is now convinced our horses speak English. I myself may have to agree!
Since he was doing so nicely on the lunge, Dom didn't want to waste any time and made me get right up. His trot was so nice. We made it around the ring at least twice in each direction, very minimal lurch and no fast/slow nonsense. It's so nice to finally be over or at least be on top of the mountain I've been try to conquer since I got him. I am starting to feel his potential and feel my doubt slowly start to fade away.
I still worry about his hips/hocks/stifles, but it is too early to tell. It could just be weakness and I won't really know until we get further in his training, but he is not lame by any means. I'm hoping with more work, he will get stronger and it will start to go away. He is 15 I don't expect him to be perfect, especially not with being a retired race horse. If it turns out that I have to get his hocks injected or put him on an additional supplement I will, but I don't really think it is anything that is going to affect his abilities. He doesn't show pain anywhere, so I'm being hopeful! I guess we won't really know until he starts jumping, which won't be until probably next spring/summer at this point. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that my big man builds up all the right muscles and he is just fine.
My lesson ended on a good note, and I walked Shadow up to get him untacked. Dom and I were talking about Dancer (she has asked me to come ride him, which I am very excited about) I told her if I had the money for him and Shadow I would take him in a heart beat. Then I jokingly said "We can switch" and Dom said "well, okay" and Shadow then proceeded to walk away from me and put his head behind Dom's and "snotted" all over her. LOL, that's what he thinks about going home with her I guess. He is such a character.
I have a video of him going, I am going to try and post it, I' not too sure how (lol). According to Dom, this was our worst attempt at it, and I feel like I look like a rag doll up there, between riding in brand new boots, and concentrating so much on him I just kind of hang out up there and pretend I know what I'm doing. (not too pretty!!)
Yesterday was quite comical, we should have known it would have been an interesting day when Shadow was falling asleep as I was getting him ready. Dom said "Oh Shadow, you are so tired" and I said "yeah, because he has such a rough life" and Shadow proceeded to nod his head yes, as if he really does have such a rough life. Dom and I burst out laughing, What a jerk he is.
Since it gets dark so early and I work so late, I don't get much time, Shadow hasn't been lunged in his side reins for about a week. So we started our lesson there. They lunged for about 20-25 minutes (or at least that's what it felt like to me). Shadow is holding a very nice consistent trot on the lunge line, but whenever he feels any pressure on his face he lays into his bit so Dom had mentioned a flash band. Well, as soon as Shadow heard that, we never saw him open his mouth again.
He is also holding a very consistent canter on the lunge, which means he is starting to build real horse muscles! I have learned, as Dom told me, which now makes a lot of sense, it is much easier to argue on the lunge line then when on his back. On the ground I can insist on TROT or CANTER and remove the pace completely better than I can on his back. We didn't see too much pacing yesterday on the lunge, nor did we see any lurch. Maybe we are getting somewhere?! :) So going to the right Shadow just wanted to canter away, Dom wanted a trot but Shadow disagreed. He was cantering around us pretty nicely and I said to Dom, he looks like he is going to fall (he was leaning in to the center, not looking so balanced at one point). Dom's response? "Eh, horses fall over sometimes, it's okay". That's not something I expected to hear and I just started laughing, as I said, very interesting day at the barn.
Dom also mentioned as she was lunging Shadow around that I need to get some ground poles so he learns to pick his feet up. Well, this is where Shadow put his fancy pants on. He broke into the NICEST trot. I didn't even know he had it in him. He had his tail up, and he stretching so nicely under himself, in a frame. He was literally prancing, as if he was saying "I'll show you, I don't need any ground poles". Needless to say Dom is now convinced our horses speak English. I myself may have to agree!
Since he was doing so nicely on the lunge, Dom didn't want to waste any time and made me get right up. His trot was so nice. We made it around the ring at least twice in each direction, very minimal lurch and no fast/slow nonsense. It's so nice to finally be over or at least be on top of the mountain I've been try to conquer since I got him. I am starting to feel his potential and feel my doubt slowly start to fade away.
I still worry about his hips/hocks/stifles, but it is too early to tell. It could just be weakness and I won't really know until we get further in his training, but he is not lame by any means. I'm hoping with more work, he will get stronger and it will start to go away. He is 15 I don't expect him to be perfect, especially not with being a retired race horse. If it turns out that I have to get his hocks injected or put him on an additional supplement I will, but I don't really think it is anything that is going to affect his abilities. He doesn't show pain anywhere, so I'm being hopeful! I guess we won't really know until he starts jumping, which won't be until probably next spring/summer at this point. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that my big man builds up all the right muscles and he is just fine.
My lesson ended on a good note, and I walked Shadow up to get him untacked. Dom and I were talking about Dancer (she has asked me to come ride him, which I am very excited about) I told her if I had the money for him and Shadow I would take him in a heart beat. Then I jokingly said "We can switch" and Dom said "well, okay" and Shadow then proceeded to walk away from me and put his head behind Dom's and "snotted" all over her. LOL, that's what he thinks about going home with her I guess. He is such a character.
I have a video of him going, I am going to try and post it, I' not too sure how (lol). According to Dom, this was our worst attempt at it, and I feel like I look like a rag doll up there, between riding in brand new boots, and concentrating so much on him I just kind of hang out up there and pretend I know what I'm doing. (not too pretty!!)
Here's the video, hope it works. 10/8/13
Here is another video from the beginning of September (9/18/13) of him and Dom.
Sorry for my yelling. LOL
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Psychic Saturday
My day Saturday started off kind of slow. I got to the barn early to go to a small local tack sale where I made out quite nicely. A brand new blanket for Shadow, brand new boots and half chaps all for $100.00. I was rather proud of myself. We got back and had lunch and I stood there staring at Shadow debating on wether or not I wanted to ride. Bonni and I then decided to do some more running around and then I would come back to ride.
Around 2:00 I got up on Shadow to practice the "give and take" method, which is working quite nicely. A few big lurches and then he remembered his transitions and we made it all the way around the ring in both directions at least twice. That was good for me and I let him stop as it was almost time for dinner.
Anyway, the real point to this post is kind of freaky. My best friends mom is a pet psychic. I don't know how much some of you really believe in that stuff, as a matter of fact, I don't know how much I believe in it. She does it for a living I guess. She has a YouTube series and does readings at several places around our area, she has quite a following from what I can see. We don't really talk much about it, I had gone and visited her with Gizmo once and she had come to the house to read Gucci, but I've still never been a firm believer. I don't mean that as I doubt her abilities, I mean, I don't know how much I believe in psychics in general.
Anyway, earlier in the week, before seeing Dom on wednesday, (which if you had read my earlier post, you would have heard that Shadow was off in his back left leg) I had texted Tracey and asked her if she could check in on Shadow for me and see how he is liking his new life with me. I know she is very busy so I didn't expect anything right away and told her no rush, well, she got back to me on Saturday. I hadn't mentioned anything to her about him, nor did I know he was off in his back left until Wednesday. I just simply asked her to see how he was feeling about being with me and to ask him if he was happy.
Her Response:
"First of all he says he loves it when your head in his neck and pat his neck or hug him. You call him something very sweet when you do that. Something like "my special boy" or "the best horse in the world" I don't really know the words because he is giving me the feeling not the words. Whatever it is, keep doing it, k? He also says you have given him a reason to be a horse again and opened up his heart again. He loves you dearly and he is so grateful for you. He's also very relieved that you are so light because he had a bone infection in his back leg. It started in his hoof and was left untreated and went to his bone. Back left maybe, thats the limp you catch sometimes. It's sore sometimes."
Okay well, I am ALWAYS hugging him or putting my face in his neck and telling him I love him, and I call him "bub" or "bubba" all the time. So that was the first thing that caught my attention as I was reading along. She knows none of this. She has never even seen us together or met him in person, just pictures. Then there is the leg, HOW WEIRD! This is way after Wednesday when he was off in his back left, which I never told her about, since I reached out to her before that!
Freaky, right? Maybe that changed my thinking on psychics, lol. So now I have that leg on my brain. He was perfect on Saturday no soreness, not off, no hitch, nothing. So maybe it does just bother him sometimes. I massaged him before and after our ride Saturday and didn't get to see him today because I was so lazy, but I guess all I can do is keep an eye on it. After our ride Wednesday I rubbed his whole entire leg from the top of his but all the way down to his foot with Sore No More, I don't think I missed an inch, which seemed to really help.
I don't think it's anything that is going to affect his abilities, at least it hasn't yet, and with the supplement and everyones close eye, I think he will be just fine.
Just a very surreal "reading", I'd say. :)
Around 2:00 I got up on Shadow to practice the "give and take" method, which is working quite nicely. A few big lurches and then he remembered his transitions and we made it all the way around the ring in both directions at least twice. That was good for me and I let him stop as it was almost time for dinner.
Anyway, the real point to this post is kind of freaky. My best friends mom is a pet psychic. I don't know how much some of you really believe in that stuff, as a matter of fact, I don't know how much I believe in it. She does it for a living I guess. She has a YouTube series and does readings at several places around our area, she has quite a following from what I can see. We don't really talk much about it, I had gone and visited her with Gizmo once and she had come to the house to read Gucci, but I've still never been a firm believer. I don't mean that as I doubt her abilities, I mean, I don't know how much I believe in psychics in general.
Anyway, earlier in the week, before seeing Dom on wednesday, (which if you had read my earlier post, you would have heard that Shadow was off in his back left leg) I had texted Tracey and asked her if she could check in on Shadow for me and see how he is liking his new life with me. I know she is very busy so I didn't expect anything right away and told her no rush, well, she got back to me on Saturday. I hadn't mentioned anything to her about him, nor did I know he was off in his back left until Wednesday. I just simply asked her to see how he was feeling about being with me and to ask him if he was happy.
Her Response:
"First of all he says he loves it when your head in his neck and pat his neck or hug him. You call him something very sweet when you do that. Something like "my special boy" or "the best horse in the world" I don't really know the words because he is giving me the feeling not the words. Whatever it is, keep doing it, k? He also says you have given him a reason to be a horse again and opened up his heart again. He loves you dearly and he is so grateful for you. He's also very relieved that you are so light because he had a bone infection in his back leg. It started in his hoof and was left untreated and went to his bone. Back left maybe, thats the limp you catch sometimes. It's sore sometimes."
Okay well, I am ALWAYS hugging him or putting my face in his neck and telling him I love him, and I call him "bub" or "bubba" all the time. So that was the first thing that caught my attention as I was reading along. She knows none of this. She has never even seen us together or met him in person, just pictures. Then there is the leg, HOW WEIRD! This is way after Wednesday when he was off in his back left, which I never told her about, since I reached out to her before that!
Freaky, right? Maybe that changed my thinking on psychics, lol. So now I have that leg on my brain. He was perfect on Saturday no soreness, not off, no hitch, nothing. So maybe it does just bother him sometimes. I massaged him before and after our ride Saturday and didn't get to see him today because I was so lazy, but I guess all I can do is keep an eye on it. After our ride Wednesday I rubbed his whole entire leg from the top of his but all the way down to his foot with Sore No More, I don't think I missed an inch, which seemed to really help.
I don't think it's anything that is going to affect his abilities, at least it hasn't yet, and with the supplement and everyones close eye, I think he will be just fine.
Just a very surreal "reading", I'd say. :)
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday Lesson Day
So, I don't know about anyone else, but it is finally starting to hit me that the days are getting shorter. I work until 7 at night, so I get NO riding time during the week now, except for Wednesday to work with Dom. I'm getting a little nervous now that all the things we worked on are going to be forgotten if I don't get at least two solid days of riding in, and who knows what the winter is going to hold. Last I rode was Saturday, and I didn't get out to the barn Sunday or Monday. Yesterday, I made it out there with just about 20 minutes of light left, which was fine. I took him out and let him graze for a while and just hung out, I like to do that once in a while just to spend time with him. I don't want him to associate me only with "working". I feel like if the only times I go out there is to ride and leave, it's not a very loving relationship, more like a business partner, and that's not what I want it to be like with him at all. I'm a whacko, I know.
Anyway, Wednesday, my favorite day of the week. I look forward to seeing Dom. We work on things, and I get reassured that I know what I am doing and he is progressing more each week. Every now and then I need to be told I'm right so I stop doubting myself. At the end of our ride today Dom said "you are a good rider" and that made me feel so much better. At this point in Shadows career he has the power to make an Olympic rider feel like a slob.
Our ride started off a little funny. Dom got on and I was watching him walk. At the same time Dom said "what are you doing" I said he doesn't look right. He was off, not lame, but off. I couldn't really see it so it was hard to say. Dom asked him to move forward and he still didn't look right so we switched. I got on so she could watch him move along. Once I asked him for the trot I could really feel something wasn't right. It felt like his front right was off, but it could have also been his back left. I asked Dom if we should give him off for the day and not push him, she checked his feet thinking maybe he had an abscess coming, but no signs of that. She decided to get on him and work him for 10 minutes to see if he would work through it and if not we would call it a day.
Bonni came over to talk to me for a while and I asked her how he looked, and she watched him and said he looked off in his back left, and the more I looked the more I saw it, but he was working along fine, he wasn't showing any pain he was just a little stiff I guess. This is kind of aggravating to me because he is on a very good joint supplement AND flax meal, but I guess it happens right? It's not like he was dead lame.
Dom looked pretty busy, she wasn't talking, which I understand. Sometimes I feel like I need to be a rocket scientist to ride him with all the things I need to remember and then to talk at the same time, forget it. lol Finally she came over to me and told me what she was doing. She has started riding him on a loose rein and letting him go. Working on giving slack and taking it away. Letting him trot at his own pace, as long as it is consistent. She switched directions and continued.
The way I have been riding, I have had such a short rain, it is basically like I am holding him up. Finally it was my turn to get on. At first I wasn't understanding this concept, remember this whole thing is new to me! lol Keeping a loose rein and getting him gathered up and forward at the walk, I ask for a trot, and there is that dreadful lurch, which I am now riding through. Picking up the slack when I feel him about to lift his head and giving him the slack when he relaxes himself. After about my second time trying this I got it, and so did he. He did excellent, a nice smooth (for a standardbred) forward trot, continuing to take away his slack when he felt like he was going to fall apart, or needed to know I was up there to hold him together. Once he got it, we stopped and switch directions, so he didn't have a chance to loose it. Starting over in the opposite direction we had a small lurch, but a much better transition into the trot. He was kind of searching for me like, "Mom where are you I need you to hold me up" so I took away the slack on the reins really quick and gave it back when he relaxed. We finally hit "the moment". The moment where he held himself more than half way around the ring in a beautiful forward collected trot. Holy god, my pacer can trot, we're almost there.
We ended our lesson there, Dom and I couln't have asked for a better note to end on. I am so proud of him.
Dom untacked for me while I moved the other horses back to their field and then left to venture home.
I took Shadow out to graze for a while (again because I don't want him to relate our relationship with work, work, work) and I rubbed his left hip down all the way from the top of his butt down to his hoof with sore no more. I feel bad when he is sore, my poor babe, hopefully he will be good as new tomorrow. Hoping he worked it all out while he was moving around tonight.
He is doing great, and I really couldn't ask for a sweeter boy that gives me his all time and time again.
Thanks for reading.
Anyway, Wednesday, my favorite day of the week. I look forward to seeing Dom. We work on things, and I get reassured that I know what I am doing and he is progressing more each week. Every now and then I need to be told I'm right so I stop doubting myself. At the end of our ride today Dom said "you are a good rider" and that made me feel so much better. At this point in Shadows career he has the power to make an Olympic rider feel like a slob.
Our ride started off a little funny. Dom got on and I was watching him walk. At the same time Dom said "what are you doing" I said he doesn't look right. He was off, not lame, but off. I couldn't really see it so it was hard to say. Dom asked him to move forward and he still didn't look right so we switched. I got on so she could watch him move along. Once I asked him for the trot I could really feel something wasn't right. It felt like his front right was off, but it could have also been his back left. I asked Dom if we should give him off for the day and not push him, she checked his feet thinking maybe he had an abscess coming, but no signs of that. She decided to get on him and work him for 10 minutes to see if he would work through it and if not we would call it a day.
Bonni came over to talk to me for a while and I asked her how he looked, and she watched him and said he looked off in his back left, and the more I looked the more I saw it, but he was working along fine, he wasn't showing any pain he was just a little stiff I guess. This is kind of aggravating to me because he is on a very good joint supplement AND flax meal, but I guess it happens right? It's not like he was dead lame.
Dom looked pretty busy, she wasn't talking, which I understand. Sometimes I feel like I need to be a rocket scientist to ride him with all the things I need to remember and then to talk at the same time, forget it. lol Finally she came over to me and told me what she was doing. She has started riding him on a loose rein and letting him go. Working on giving slack and taking it away. Letting him trot at his own pace, as long as it is consistent. She switched directions and continued.
The way I have been riding, I have had such a short rain, it is basically like I am holding him up. Finally it was my turn to get on. At first I wasn't understanding this concept, remember this whole thing is new to me! lol Keeping a loose rein and getting him gathered up and forward at the walk, I ask for a trot, and there is that dreadful lurch, which I am now riding through. Picking up the slack when I feel him about to lift his head and giving him the slack when he relaxes himself. After about my second time trying this I got it, and so did he. He did excellent, a nice smooth (for a standardbred) forward trot, continuing to take away his slack when he felt like he was going to fall apart, or needed to know I was up there to hold him together. Once he got it, we stopped and switch directions, so he didn't have a chance to loose it. Starting over in the opposite direction we had a small lurch, but a much better transition into the trot. He was kind of searching for me like, "Mom where are you I need you to hold me up" so I took away the slack on the reins really quick and gave it back when he relaxed. We finally hit "the moment". The moment where he held himself more than half way around the ring in a beautiful forward collected trot. Holy god, my pacer can trot, we're almost there.
We ended our lesson there, Dom and I couln't have asked for a better note to end on. I am so proud of him.
Dom untacked for me while I moved the other horses back to their field and then left to venture home.
I took Shadow out to graze for a while (again because I don't want him to relate our relationship with work, work, work) and I rubbed his left hip down all the way from the top of his butt down to his hoof with sore no more. I feel bad when he is sore, my poor babe, hopefully he will be good as new tomorrow. Hoping he worked it all out while he was moving around tonight.
He is doing great, and I really couldn't ask for a sweeter boy that gives me his all time and time again.
Thanks for reading.
Just hanging out.
Kisses <3
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