Bubble Boy

Well we have some answers for the question, “What the heck is wrong with Ike?” Now we are working on what the correct solution is to keep us going for another 10+ years.

Right before our scheduled June show, Ike and I had one final tune up lesson with Ms. C. About 20 minutes into our lesson, Ike strangely cocked his leg like a dog at a fire hydrant. WTF?! He felt so unstable that I flung myself off. Ms. C and I performed a crime scene investigation, but found nothing obvious. We let him relax and he seemingly walked out of the problem. I hopped back on, but he was moving a little wonky. A call was placed to the vet. Bute and rest.

Well, given that we were supposed to be headed down centerline in 72 hours, my overprotective mom-mode kicked in and I was able to get a vet appointment for Friday morning…2 hours before the departure for the show…because who doesn’t need a little added stress to the show weekend. Nothing was screaming “ouch,” so we decided to make the short trek to the show grounds.

Ms. C came to school us and watch for problems. Not much escapes her hawk like vision. Well, a half-blind dog could have seen Ike cock his leg. We took him back to his stall, and I made the sad trek to the show office to scratch my classes. A funny aside, the assistant show secretary asked if I had another horse to show. “Yes, I have another horse, but no, he won’t be coming to pinch hit for his brother.”

We ended up taking Ike to Piedmont Equine Practice in Marshall, Virginia for further consultation. Dr. Nolan gave Ike every chance to fail and show pain, but big man gave no obvious sign. Xrays were clear of any lesions or arthritis. Flexions were also good. We believe that Ike’s left hind hits the low pastern of the right hind causing temporary pain thus the odd leg cock. Dr. Nolan’s plan is to pull the hind shoes, do a corrective trim on the left hind, and for Ike’s legs to be as protected as I can make them. Fingers crossed that we can keep Ike shoe-free on the hinds.

I have been using neoprene low pastern wraps sold by Big Dee’s. The are marketed for the harness racers. They have been fine, but we need more. Bringing polo wraps down low was an option, but still not ideal. I toyed around with using bubble wrap, but decided if it popped, I might need additional padding. Whatever we use needs to have some flexibility given the leg and joint movement. Enter the Bed Sore Boots by Professional’s Choice. Fleece-lined neoprene velcroed to the lower hind leg.

One test ride gave me no cause for concern. Ike is not bothered by them. They cover the area where he brushes the low pastern. I put Ike through the paces and I am happy to report that there was not a single mark on either of the boots.

Sure, they will get us some “looks” at shows, but so be it. If it means that we are good to go with chasing our silver medal dream, laugh all you want. I am just glad that my pony is all right.

Alison

#StrongerTogether

I write this with tears in my eyes and my mind going a million miles a minute. Yes, I am worried about Ike as we try to get to the cause of his odd lameness, but when I take a step back from my problems, I realize that while it feels like a big deal, it is nothing compared to the struggles of my friends.

I have friends coping with major health issues, friends whose significant others have health concerns, friends struggling with depression, friends who have lost horses, and friends who have horses that are worse off than Ike. I wish I could blink my eyes or wrinkle my nose and make all the problems disappear.

But what I have found, is that I have an amazing circle of friends. It puts a smile on my face to receive a text or a message from someone checking in on us. What seems like a small gesture can really brighten someone’s day. It can make the unbearable tolerable. It can give you the strength to see past the moment. We are stronger together.

So reach out to that friend who has gone AWOL. Splurge and send someone a card. Offer to help. Be there for each other. And of course hug your horse.

Alison

Keep the Faith

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ” Helen Keller

#silvermedaldreams #dressage

Slow progress forward is still forward. We are tentatively looking forward towards our Fourth Level debut. I almost cried the other day when I realized the dream is closer to being reality. Never give up. Take those steps backwards, cry the tears, scream with frustration, but never give up.

Goals and Happenings in Ike’s World

Alison Ike Datthe M May 2018

As many do, I like to set my personal goals for show season. These goals have nothing to do with ribbons and are independent of what anyone else at any given show is doing.  While I may not meet every one of them, goals help me gage how our training is progressing. Are we moving forward, backwards, or sideways? Are we plateaued due to one particular problem? Have I driven Ms. C off the deep end with my inability to understand proper half pass alignment?!

Of course, I should have shared these before we got two shows under our belt this year, but that just didn’t happen…life just kept getting in the way. So, without further ado, here are our goals (okay, my goals…Ike would say his goal is to be retired like his brother.)

Increase the points earned by 5-6 points per test.

Progress: Steadily ticking upwards with occasional lapses in progress due to unfortunate tension, i.e. spooking and other silliness. Last year we kept regularly falling short of the points needed to keep our median score in the 60th percentile. That evil word “more” kept showing up in the comments: more engagement, more collection, more bend.  Somehow, despite the challenging weather this winter with weeks of little riding, we managed to get stronger and improve our collection and the ability to maintain it for longer periods of time. While we still have a ways to go, we are more often than not seeing our scores in the low 60s this year.

Earn a Third Level Horse Performance Certificate.

Progress: Completed! With our Test 3 score at the May show, we had the final necessary score for Ike to earn his Third Level Horse Performance Certificate. When I shared this great news with him, he didn’t even bother to stop munching on his hay.

Qualify for the USDF Region 1 Third Level Adult Amateur Championship Division.

Progress: Completed! My wallet is quite happy that I managed to get both my qualifying scores already. Sheesh, it is an extra $15 every time you select “qualifying” with the test registration. I also can now stop worrying about it and just focus on the test at hand.

Participate in the USDF All-Breeds Awards Program.

Progress: Enrolled. It was nice to see that Ike’s breed organization is now a participant in the All-Breeds program. The popularity of Dutch Harness Horses in dressage has increased significantly in recent years. I had never even heard of the breed when I met Ike seven years ago, but someone let the secret out and now DHHs are fairly common.

Improve our half pass scores at the trot and canter.

Progress: Well….umm, yeah, there is still work to be done. I think I’m doing it right, but end up still being too straight, or somehow Ike is counter-flexed due to me overthinking the movement, or we end up just falling in the direction we are moving. Luckily we are gaining half points which are boosting our overall scores. Thank you to whomever suggested half points at the judging conference!

Have solid flying changes.

Progress: Depends on the day. In recent weeks, we have had some lovely, drama free changes. I attribute that to the improvement in our collected canter.  Ike is using his hind end better – more thoroughness and jump. His rider is also figuring out how to help him improve his work rather than just flailing around and praying that Ike can interpret the chaotic movements correctly.

Perform a Fourth Level test.

Progress: None yet, but Ms. C pulled out the Fourth Level Test 1 test to see what we need to accomplish is an indication that there is a chance it will happen before the end of the year. I was exhausted after mentally riding the test as she read the movements. Phew, it is no surprise that you typically do only one test per day at a show. There are things to learn like the walk pirouettes and the introduction to tempi changes, but I am confident that we will figure it out together.

I set out some ambitious goals for a team that is usually more tortoise than rabbit, but slow forward progress beats stagnation any day.

Enjoy the weekend!

alison

Happy Birthday Ike!

It is hard to believe, but big man turns 10 today. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this fact. Where did the years go? Gone is the skinny baby with a pencil neck and gangly legs that could not work as a cohesive unit. The green horse is now a bronze medal recipient who quite possibly could make his Fourth Level debut before the end of the year. Crazy stuff, huh?!

So, Happy Birthday Ike, I am looking forward to our next trip around the sun and all the fun and challenges that come along with it.

Thought of the Day

When you start rethinking your decision to give your 10 year old horse a course of Adequan…ever since the second dose, he has had the energy of a 3 year old as well as the matching attention span. Apparently Ike no longer feels he needs to listen to half halts. Just hoping we can come to a mutually acceptable resolution before the next show.

Thought For The Day

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Perhaps selecting my fleece-lined winter riding pants to wear to the barn today when the thermometer hit 74 degrees was not my smartest decision…maybe I should think of it as a new weight loss method?

At least the trailer is finally loaded and ready for this weekend. Will soon share my tale of woe trying to purchase a tack trunk; once I expanded my search beyond tack stores, I found the most amazing substitution. Not 100% sure that Ike or I are ready for our first centerline of the season, but there is only one way to find out. If you do happen to see us competing, don’t look too closely at the stray goat hairs on Ike’s chin. He is going through his Don Johnson phase.

alison

The Struggle Continues

Ike April 2018

There have been a number of posts lately on social media from fellow adult amateurs noting their struggles with their dressage journey. Some are almost at the point of throwing in the towel, while others are just looking for some encouraging words. We have all been there. I wrote about it years ago, early last year, late last year, and last month. The weather halts our progress. Our horse is injured and needs time off to recover. The other parts of our amateur lifestyle demand attention. Then there is the struggle of trying to learn the nuances of this sport at the same time that our horse is learning. It can sometimes all be too much, but that is when it is time to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing – IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN! Yeah, I definitely forget that part sometimes as I struggle to find the appropriate bend in our canter half pass or struggle to slow down the big brown freight train who decides that collected canter is for other horses.

With Mother Nature continuing her bipolar personality, spring training has been more like a game of red light, green light. I get to ride two, maybe three days, and then she decides to throw in three days of rain and some late spring snow just to muck up forward progress. I honestly don’t feel well prepared going into this show season. One would think that since we are staying at Third Level that we should be brimming with confidence. One would be wrong.

Third Level has definitely been the hardest level for me to conquer. Looking back, Ike and I were able to spend a lot of our time on cruise control in the lower levels. Intro? Walk and Trot and stay in the ring. Training Level? Can you now canter a circle on the correct lead and stay in the ring? First Level? Go sideways and canter in smaller circles. Second Level? Has the rider learned to sit the trot, control the horse’s shoulders, and suggest that they have a clue about what collection is? A review of our scores would say that we have a solid grasp of the lower levels…..Then we hit Third Level…in case you aren’t sure, this is where the shit gets real. No more half ass collection allowed. No more tuning out and cruising around. No more lack of throughness. Do you know what proper bend is and can you do it while trotting and cantering? [Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can do it all the time.] Can you control pieces and parts of your horse and yourself? [Sometimes.] Can you show collected gaits, medium gaits, and extended gaits and not look like a freight train or a 3-year old giraffe? [We can usually pretend.]

If I had to do a self-assessment, I would say that we can probably earn an extra 5 to 6 points in any given Third Level test. Our collected trot work is definitely stronger than this point last year. I think I am finally grasping the proper alignment of trot half pass. I am much more proficient with the double bridle which definitely comes in handy when I need to ask Ike to collect after a medium or extended gait. While I would like to think I could do it off my seat alone, alas, I currently cannot. Ike’s collected canter is slowly improving. But the inability to maintain consistent work is hindering that progress. And our canter half pass? Well, that is still a work in progress for both of us. Confession (no judgement allowed): I cannot reliably tell when his haunch is leading.

The interesting thing in our training is our flying changes. When we first introduced the concept, the change from left to right was our strongest. From right to left, we cross-cantered and struggled mightily. At this point, the right to left change is our best with a clean, nice jump. Go figure. When I ask for the change from left to right, Ike has decided that he wants to crow hop half the time. I’ve told him that just because he sees the crows hopping around his paddock does not make him a crow as well. Thus far my argument has fallen on deaf ears.

Sometimes we forget that struggling is part of the learning process. How many times did I fall while learning to walk? Pretty sure my mother lost count, and sadly, I can still fall while I am walking. I just have to hope that no one is around to capture it on YouTube. So, we will head down centerline soon, hope for the best and those extra 5 or 6 points. If we fail, we shall pick up the pieces and try again knowing that the one thing I will never struggle with is loving my big, brown horse.

alison