Tag Archives for barn

Look Out Hilda, Here Comes Ike

"Don't worry Mom, I'm going to be awesome."

“Don’t worry Mom, I’m going to be awesome.”

Well, the time has finally come; we leave tomorrow for our first outing of the year.  And did we pick a schooling show, a local clinic, or just a ride to another farm?  Heck no, we are headed up to Boyds, Maryland to the scenic Wyndham Oaks Farm for the USDF/Nutrena Region 1 Hilda Gurney clinic.  I must have lost my mind when I sent my application.  I’ve seen the list of other riders.  We are the pair that was selected to represent the beginning of the journey up the training scale.  I can only hope that I make Ms. C, my husband, and my parents proud.  I can only hope that Ike is the gentleman we know he can be rather than the spooky goof who runs from birds.

We had one last tune up with Ms. C today.  She put us through our paces.  We are as healthy as we can be and as fit as we can be after the wretched winter we endured.  We focused on the proper bending on circles; I’m still bad at letting Ike’s outside shoulder head in the opposite direction we are traveling.  Unconsciously my outside hand and rein creep over Ike’s topline to try to fix the problem.  Bad rider, Bad Alison.  I have to constantly remind myself not to do that and to use my outside leg.  My inner thighs are still protesting as I write this. [Note to self – remember to pack the Advil.]

Ike still has not finished shedding and the temperatures just aren’t quite warm enough for a full bath.  I’ve done my best to make him look more presentable and less like a wooly mammoth.  The bridle path still needs some final prep, but my arms ached from trying to reach the necessary height to get the job completed.  Could someone please tell Ike to stop growing?

The trailer is packed, the tack is clean, and my new boots are polished.  A few hours of work in the morning and then let the adventure begin!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

"Oh, hello. Were you hoping to ride today?"

“Oh, hello. Were you hoping to ride today?”

It can be said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; however, when your role model isn’t exactly clean-cut and at the top of the honor roll, you worry about his influence on a younger generation…yes, I’m talking about the less than stellar guidance that Cigar is providing to Ike.  I worry that Ike has been led astray by his older brother.

Even Ms. C has commented that perhaps putting Ike in the paddock adjacent to his brother wasn’t our best decision.  Ike used to quietly graze or eat hay in his paddock.  If he was startled, the worst he would do was stand at the gate and stare at the house until someone came to rescue him.  Since moving in next door to his brother, he now takes flight around his paddock, bucking like a banshee and sliding up to the gate like a reining horse.  The boys also think it is fun to casually walk to the far end of their paddocks, turn, and gallop to the other end.  It doesn’t seem to matter who wins as the game is repeated over and over and over until it is time to get funky.

Ike used to be a neat horse.  Rarely did I have to remove much dirt and his coat was always shiny and his mane tidy.  Well, those days are O-V-E-R.  As you can see in today’s photo, he has been taking his brother’s advice and spends his time wallowing in the mud.  Today, it took me more than 30 minutes to remove enough dirt to ride without embarrassment.  Once mounted, I found some funk I missed up behind Ike’s ears.  Thankfully, no one but me would notice it at that height.  Now that the temperatures have risen, wearing a blanket is out, so mud removal is a daily activity.  All this dirt makes me miss my polo wraps with the pig faces on them; they’d be quite appropriate these days.

Luckily for me, Cigar has yet to influence Ike as far as his training.  For that, I am eternally grateful.  It took 7 years for Cigar’s “meteoric” rise to First Level.  Ike’s progression has been just a wee bit faster as he has reached First Level after only 2 years.  His work as of late has been stellar.  Perhaps it is the fact that his rider has finally caught a clue coupled with the fact that Ike has gained muscles in all the right places.  We have been working hard to get ourselves ready for our first outing of the year which is now a little over a week away.  Our lessons with Ms. C are very focused.  “Where is your outside shoulder going?”  “Is it going where your horse is going?”  “Half halt!”  “Again!  He didn’t hear you.”  When I ride on my own, I try to replay the lesson in my head to replicate the correct positioning.  Where is my pocket-sized Ms. C to carry with me?

Our riding isn’t the only thing getting prepped for next weekend.  The trailer was inspected, and the short in the braking system was fixed.  I finally replaced my stirrup leathers; the ones I purchased in 2006 were starting to show their age.  New polo wraps have been purchased.  Ike has his stall reservations made and has his health certificate.    My new DerDau’s made their first appearance at the barn.  I still walk like Frankenstein in them, but they were comfortable to ride in from the very first ride.   They have a spiffy new bag to protect them.  My new Ecogold saddle pad (http://ecogold.ca/) arrived.  It is lovely.  I now want a whole stack of them.

The weekend promises to be a nice one.  We can only hope next weekend is as well.

 

 

Early Morning Calls From the Barn Make For Worrisome Days

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Early morning phone calls are almost never good news.  The only good news I can imagine is that your mare gave birth to the long-awaited foal,  Otherwise, the conversations typically start with, “You might need to call the vet.”  When Ms. C called just after 8 a.m. this past Tuesday, I knew that there would be some bad news headed my way – no possible pregnancies with either of my geldings…  The only question that remained was, “Which horse?”  It turns out that it was Ike’s brother Cigar who was not feeling well.

When it came time to walk to his paddock, poor Cigar was three-legged lame.  He was almost non-weight bearing on his left hind leg.  At that time, there was no heat or swelling anywhere else on the leg.  Ms. C thought that she seen him take a wonky step on Monday, but there was no obvious signs of trauma on the leg.  Ms. C suggested that I call the vet to determine what we should do.  The only other times that Cigar had acted this way were when he had a abscess in his left front hoof and when a hoof treatment on his feet accidentally burned the bulbs of his heels.  So obviously, we suspected an abscess.

I placed a call to the vet and hopped in the car for the 30 minute drive to the barn.  The vet suggested we administer Banamine to help with Cigar’s comfort level, and call her back after an hour to reassess.  The Banamine obviously helped, but Cigar was still not his usual self.  This is the point where knowing your horse’s normal behavior is very helpful.  While the Banamine was helpful, Cigar was still not interested in eating his breakfast.  That is definitely NOT normal for this horse with a voracious appetite.  After conferring with the vet, we decided to give him 24 hours before having the vet come.

Well, you can guess how Wednesday morning started…Ms. C called just after 7 a.m. and said we needed a vet to come that day.  Overnight, the leg had swollen to sausage size from the stifle all the way to the hoof.  Oh.  Guess we aren’t going to get lucky with an abscess.  Cigar was still not showing much interest in food or moving.  Poor buddy.  My day was rearranged to accommodate the vet appointment.  The patient was cooperative with the examination.  The cooperation was only due to his pain level; he is usually an ass for any veterinary procedure.

Diagnosis?  Cellulitis.  Prognosis?  Very good.  Course of Treatment?  Fourteen SMZ pills twice a day for two weeks (392 pills – I did the math.)  He is also getting some Bute for the first three days.  Thank goodness the SMZ pills dissolve into water so they can be administered via syringe straight into his mouth.  Wish us luck once Cigar starts feeling better.  I see white paste in my hair and all over my clothing.  Knowing my luck, it will stain.  I also wouldn’t put it past him to sneak a bite or two on my hand/arm/body part closest to his mouth.

Cigar's natural state of filth.

Cigar’s natural state of filth.

Well good drugs are a good thing.  As of yesterday afternoon, Cigar was showing signs of “normal” behavior, although, some would argue that nothing Cigar does is normal.  He nickered for his meals and ate everything, walked around his paddock, tried picking up the water trough with his mouth (not sure why this is his new favorite pastime), played with Ike over the fence, AND, the biggest sign of all, he rolled in the mud.  Yes, the leg is still huge, but I am so relieved that my old man is on the mend.

Alison

p.s.  Ike is also glad his brother is on the mend.  He is not used to his brother getting the bulk of Mom’s attention.  Can you say jealous?  Silly pony.

 

 

Ride Every Stride

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Ike and I had an incredible lesson with Ms. C yesterday.  The weather cooperated.  Ike cooperated.  The evil vulture flock was nowhere to be seen.  My body cooperated, i.e., the ankle pain was almost nonexistent.  And the new DerDau’s made their first appearance at the barn and made it home with no hoof impressions or other permanent damage.

As Ike and I are getting back into regular work, I’m realizing my biggest problem…not my only problem…..but the one that plagues me and many other average riders.  We do not ride every stride.  People like me ask their horse for a particular gait, and then we become passengers.  Here comes a corner, but at the last minute, we move our hand and hope that our horse is wise enough to know to turn rather than jumping over the dressage arena.  If you ask a professional, they will tell you that they give a small half halt a stride or two before the corner and then again coming out of the corner.  Those pros are always planning ahead and staying 5-6 strides in front of their current position.  I, on the other hand, hit cruise control, get distracted by a butterfly/bird/cat, and then realize Ike has flattened and fallen on the forehand.  If I were a dog, I’d be the one who……………..Squirrel!!!………………..you get the idea.

During my lessons, Ms. C keeps me on task and focused on the exercise.  This spring we are working on transitioning to First Level.  In order to do that, we need to achieve a consistent connection at the walk and trot.  If I can’t keep it in those gaits, the canter will be darn near impossible, but ultimately we need it in the canter as well.  Ms. C has us working on a 15 meter circle with numerous transitions.  No longer will a half-ass transition be accepted.  Do it again until you get it right.  To not repeat it only tells Ike that what he did is acceptable.  But for full disclosure, sometimes the mistakes are on my side of the equation.  My aids were too loud which caused Ike to misinterpret my request.  Do it again Alison.  Be a little more subtle.

Bending is the other important skill that we are trying to improve.  I was thrilled yesterday when Ms. C noted that Ike was bending much more consistently.  Interesting, Ike has been out of work for the better part of two months…how is it that we are better?  Ah, his rider has a purchased a vowel and is now understanding how to properly bend her horse while on a circle.  Yes, I occasionally over bend Ike’s body or let the outside shoulder lead us astray, but I can keep all of Ike’s body parts working as one more often than not.  We were doing so well yesterday that we even attempted the canter.  The best we could do was 5 or 6 strides before Ike said, “too hard to maintain.”  Five or 6 strides is still better than no strides or looking like Scooby Doo.  Even harder to achieve was the canter to trot transition with Ike in the proper bend – someone still allows her reins to get a bit long while cantering so that there is no connection in the down transition.  Add that to the list of problems to fix.

When our lesson was done, I could not have been more pleased with Ike’s work.  Grumpy horse is being pushed out by happy horse; it doesn’t hurt that Ms. C gives Ike a goodie during the breaks in our work.  Still trying to figure out why the rider doesn’t get a goodie as well.  It might help with my focus on the lesson and not on the squirrels. 🙂

More From Ike’s World

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Hello Friends!

I’ve decided to not give up control of Mom’s blog.  Still trying to figure out how to change the password so she can’t use the blog, but I guess that would be easier if I knew what a password was.

Do you know that Mom and Dad left me behind again when they went on vacation?  Can you believe that?!  Mom said that they were visiting islands on a boat and that there was no room for me or my brother.  Must have been a very small boat if we couldn’t fit on it.  If that is the case, I doubt that they had a good time.  I know that things here weren’t all sun and fun while they were gone.

While they were on the boat, we had to endure another snow storm.  I again tried to eat it, but this stuff was as bland as the other stuff.  White grass is worthless.  My brother tells me that he is certain that the green grass will be back soon.  The good side of having white grass is that I didn’t have to do any work while it covered the ground.  Word around the barn is that Mom told Ms. C to ride me two or three times while she was away.  As it was, Ms. C did make me do stuff twice, but I did my best to let her know that I wasn’t thrilled with this plan.

The first time was before the storm.  Ms. C put me on a really long lead rope and made me go in circles around her.  Hmm, just because my legs are longer than hers, why do I have to do all the work?  She also had a really long stick with a rope attached.  I tried to ignore what she was saying and do whatever I wanted, but that made her shake that stick at me.  If I ignored the stick, she would shake the stick so the rope wiggled like a snake.  Meanie.  I showed her by taking off so fast that she dropped the rope.  I ran to the far end of the arena, but thought I saw that scary bird hiding in the bushes, so I ran back to Ms. C.  She was less scary than the prehistoric bird.  Along with learning what a password is, I’m planning to learn how to use that stick thing.

Then right before Mom came home, Ms. C put on my saddle to ride me.  I am usually tacked in my stall, so I cleverly walked too close to the stall door and managed to pull the stirrup away from the saddle.  Ms. C couldn’t get it reattached.  Yea!  Awesome, I thought, no work for me!  But she then put her saddle on my back.  Wait a minute, how uncool is this.  Did she really think that I was going to wear a strange saddle?  No way.  I let her know right away that I thought her saddle was a bad idea.  She mumbled something about a fairy tale called The Princess and the Pea, but I’m still not clear how that relates to me and her saddle.

The highlight of my week was the warm weather on Saturday which meant that my blanket had to come off.  Heehee.  When all the white snow went away, it left behind some gooey mud.  My brother has shared with me his mud application techniques to get full body coverage.  You first need to work the mud with your hooves to make sure that there are no dry spots that would keep parts of your body mud-free.  One also must make sure that your rolling method allows you to get full coverage on your sides as well as where the saddle goes.  Cigar says that the saddle area is the most important, but also make every effort to coat your neck and face as well.

I think I did a good job because I stopped Mom in her tracks when she came to the barn on Sunday.  I’m pretty sure she almost gave up the thought of riding, but then a determined look swept over her face and she pulled out the curry.  I made her chase me around my stall a few times too, but she stuck with it.  She worked hard enough to clean off the saddle, girth and bridle spots, but she did leave a significant amount of mud on my legs, my butt, and in my mane and tail.  She won’t win any grooming contests anytime soon.

Even though I was mad at her for leaving me, I was glad to see her especially since she brought juicy apples from her travels.  At least I’d like to think she brought them home from vacation.  It is the least she could do.  We had a good time on Sunday and a lesson with Ms. C on Monday.  They gave me a lot of praise and Stud Muffins.  Guess I will try to be good under saddle since I like getting treats.  Can’t make any promises about staying clean.

Ike

It Is My Turn Again – Ike Takes Charge of the Blog

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Hello everyone!  I’m hijacking Mom’s blog to again get you up-to-date with the latest from the barn without Mom’s biased opinion obscuring the truth.  You all know that she just doesn’t get things right sometimes.  Poor clueless woman.  I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying that!

Anyhoo, this has been a winter unlike any of the other two winters I have experienced.  There have been numerous days where I don’t get to go out in my paddock at the usual time because of this white stuff that hides the grass.  It is an odd substance that the humans seem to dislike a lot.  The night before it came, they even took the gates off the hinges.  I thought that they’d decided to let us have free roam of the barnyard so that we could eat the tasty grass on the other side of the fence, but no, after the white stuff covered the ground, Mr. D drove the tractor around, and then they put the gates back on.  Shucks!  I thought my brother and I were really going to get to play rather than improvising over the hotwire.

I pushed the white stuff around with my nose.  Ms. C told me I looked like a big anteater.  Not sure what an anteater is or if I want to be compared to one.  What I can tell you is that the white stuff does not taste like grass.  I tried eating it a few times just to make sure I was right.  It is just cold and tasteless.  I also tried rolling in it just like my big brother.  Not impressed.  I think I’m glad I had my blanket on when I rolled.

The best thing about the white stuff is that I don’t have to work when the white stuff is on the ground, so I have had a lot of time to hang out.  Mom says that I’m like a kid who has been home from school for too long;  she says that I’m “stir-crazy” and need to get back to work.  I think she is the one that is crazy.

I did have another new experience this winter.  My best buddy Dooda left the barn one day and didn’t come back.  I knew that he wasn’t feeling well even before everyone else did.  He was very sweaty and rolled in his stall the night before.  I stretched my neck out as far as I could, but I still couldn’t see him when he lay down.  I think he belly hurt and the pain just kept getting worse.  It made me very worried and I spent my day checking on him.  Mom cried when she came to the barn.  She told me that Dooda might be joining Lancaster on the other side of the rainbow bridge.  She told me that Dooda would not be in pain anymore.  I usually don’t say much when horses come and go from the barn, but I did whinny to my buddy as he walked away.  He nickered back.  I’m not going to tell you what he said.  That is between the two of us.

After Dooda left, the whirling dervish Sophie moved into Doo’s stall.  I like her just fine, but she is a girl and doesn’t get me like Dooda did.  At least she doesn’t try to bite me like the other girls at the barn.

And, finally, I know my Mom has told you all about her fall, but you need to know the facts.  She told you that a bird scared me, but she didn’t tell you how creepy the bird was.  He looked like a prehistoric creature with its wings spread.  It just sat on the fence pole motionless even when I stared at it.  It was humongous!  When it starting flapping its wings, I knew I had to get away from it really fast.  I was trying to save myself and my Mom.  Pretty sure that it would have eaten me if I hadn’t run.  In my panic, I bucked.  How was I to know that Mom would fly like she did?  She doesn’t have wings like that bird.  Mom didn’t even come to rescue me when the reins got wrapped around my leg.  She just lay on the ground like a pile of poo.  She left the barn with Ms. C and didn’t even come to say goodbye.  Sheesh!  Good thing that Mr. D was there to take care of me.  My brother Cigar gave me a secret high-five later that day;  he thought my feat was pretty impressive.  Don’t tell Mom though, because she doesn’t like when I take advice from Cigar.

So there you have it – straight from the horse’s mouth.  Feel free to ask me anything.  You can count on me to tell you the whole truth.

Ike

Red Light, Green Light

Where is all the grass?!?

Where is all the grass?!?

So here we are at the end of the last weekend of February, but with the temperatures that we had, it felt more like early April.  Had a to-do list a mile long, but I did manage to get to the barn Saturday morning and Sunday morning.  There was no way my ankle or my list were going to keep me from the saddle.  I also managed to sneak in a lesson with Ms. C for the first time in over a month.

Has it really been that long?  Sadly, yes.  Trying to ride this winter has been like a game of Red Light, Green Light.  Oh, the sun is out and the temperature is above freezing!  Quickly tack up and ride before the rain/sleet/snow/sub-freezing temperatures return.  Bummer – Put on those brakes boys and girls, because it is time to stop and stare wistfully out the window as the snow obliterates any view.  Sigh, just as the snow melts, you get catapulted off your horse…more red light time.  About the time the body heals, Mother Nature dumps another 10 inches of the white stuff.  Ugh!  Then as temperatures warm up, the snow turns the ground into boot-sucking mud and slick riding rings.  Then, a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon and Mother M graces us with two gorgeous 60+ degree days!  Green light!  Burn some rubber and get to the barn as soon as possible.

As excited as I was about getting back in the saddle, I knew better than go with a full head of steam.  Ike has had limited work; I’ve been out of the saddle.  And as much as I’d like to say that I’m better from the fall, I must admit that my ankle is still not 100%.  Still has pain and swelling.  Grrr.  So we tacked up and met Ms. C in the ring.  Since Ike has just been decorating his paddock, we knew that his topline would not be as strong as it needs to be.  What did that mean for our lesson?  A lot of long and low work getting him to stretch over his topline.  Well, that was the game plan once we got through the initial crankiness…I think someone has been enjoying his winter vacation a bit too much.  The boy finally decided to be cooperative and our lesson was very productive.  Could not trot for as long as I would have liked and had to stop and relax the ankle from time to time, but some saddle time was just what I needed.  By the end of the lesson, Ike gave us some excellent stretch down trot, fluid walk/trot and trot/walk transitions, and a pleasant attitude.  Canter work would have to wait for another day.

I’m a bit achy today and walking like a cowboy that just finished a seven day cattle drive.  The hip flexors hate me, but I’m happy as a clam.

Can’t wait to keep building our strength and filling out the entries for our first show of the season.  Barn time is good for the soul.  🙂

One of Those Hard Barn Days

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Today dawned a peaceful Thursday, no snow, no wind, no wretchedly cold temperatures.  The boys were scheduled for their monthly pedicures that had been rescheduled from last week when Mother Nature dumped almost 10 inches of snow on us.  I was in the middle of a typical work day when I received one of those emails that makes you pause, “Dooda is colicking and it doesn’t look good.”  There is that word that strikes fear into every horse owner’s gut – colic.  No, no, no, I thought to myself.  This can’t be happening to Ike’s best buddy, but it was.

Dooda was Ike’s first friend when Ike came to Virginia almost 3 years ago.  Yes, Ike has his brother, but brothers have to like each other.  Doo’s stall is across the aisle in the barn and their paddocks share a fence line.  One can only imagine the conversations they would have at night when we left them alone.  It brought a smile to my face to watch them play over the fence.  Dooda has been the barn’s first alert system to let everyone know when Ike left the farm and then again when we returned.  He never cared what color ribbon his friend had earned; he was just thrilled to have his buddy safe at home.

When I arrived at the farm today, my heart skipped a beat.  I did not see Doo’s grey head staring through his window nor did I see him in his paddock.  I then spied my boys staring towards the paddock at the end of the row.  There I found Ms. C and Mr. D sitting on an overturned water trough while they kept Dooda company.  He was laying down with his legs tucked under him.  The look on Ms. C’s face said so much.  My tears welled up as I approached my buddy.  I called his name and he nickered in response.  I crouched down next to him and whispered encouraging words.  He pressed his head into my chest as I scratched his ears.  It was a beautiful moment that I will not soon forget.

Recent articles online have declared that it is time we accept that animals are sentient.  One noted, “Shouldn’t we stop bickering about whether they are conscious, feel pain and experience emotions?” [http://www.livescience.com/39481-time-to-declare-animal-sentience.html]  I can confirm that they do feel pain and experience the same emotions we do.  End of discussion.  Both my boys today were very quiet for the farrier which is not normally the case.  All the other horses on the farm were also very quiet.  When I stopped to visit with each one, there was a knowing look in their eyes as they stared at me.  I have no doubt that they knew their herd member was suffering.

I helped get all the horses into the barn before I headed home.  My grey buddy immediately lay down with no interest in dinner.  After getting my boys squared away, I went and sat with Doo for one last time.  He sat up when I entered and again pressed his head to my chest as I stroked his neck and cheek.  Was it his way of trying to ease my pain?  I told him to be brave.  I told him how much I would miss him if he was to leave.  I told him to fight, but that I understood if it was his time.  I told him that Ike and I loved him very much.  I hugged Ms. C, kissed my boys, and headed home.

The sad news from Ms. C came late this afternoon.  They had to say goodbye.  Ms. C said that Ike called to Dooda as he walked out the barn doors for the last time and that Dooda nickered back to Ike.  Two dear friends saying their final farewells.  Rest in peace my friend.  We will always remember you.

Things We Equestrians Know for Certain

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Mark Twain is credited with stating that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes.  Well, no disrespect to Mr. Twain, but we equestrians know that when you own and ride horses, that there are other things that we know for certain:

1)      Your horse will lose a shoe right after the farrier leaves or the day before your big show.

2)      The worst injuries and emergencies always occur on holidays, over the weekend, or after 10:00 at night.

3)      The more expensive the medication, the more likely you are to wear it.

4)      You will fall off…so don’t be too proud or arrogant and wear a helmet.  Your head will thank you.

5)      Your foot will eventually meet the underside of your horse’s hoof, so always wear the appropriate footwear at the barn.  Flip flops are never appropriate.

6)      Nothing from your first horse will fit your next horse.  I speak from experience.

7)      Admire your new white pad or breeches at home because as soon as they arrive at the barn, they will never look that clean ever again.

8)      You will not die if you eat your lunch right after mucking stalls even if you do not wash your hands first.  Sorry Mom.

9)      Your horse will always manage to find the one loose nail on the fence in the paddock; you will never find it.

10)   You will be pooped on at some point.

11)   Training horses is two steps forward and three steps back.

12)   Shortcuts in your training will only get you so far.  Take the time to do things correctly.

13)   Horses can count and do fractions.  Ike knows when he only gets half his grain or when I only give him three of the four treats in my pocket.

14)   Your horse will always know when the hot wire is not working.  Cigar is a master hot wire tester.

15)   Most scary things are invisible.

16)   Bailing twine is as handy as duct tape.

17)   Vet bills are never under $100.  If yours are, could you please share your vet’s phone number?

18)   Your horse will mysteriously go lame the day after the show closes and there are no refunds given.

19)   Horses are the best at keeping your secrets – like how much that saddle really cost or where you hid grandma’s silver.

20)   Nothing improves a bad day like the sound of a nicker or the smell of the barn.

Alison

p.s.  I also know for certain that I am so ready for spring.  This latest round of snow needs to melt quickly!

Eighteen Days Later…

Yes, that is a bridle on Ike! You know what that means!!

Yes, that is a bridle on Ike! You know what that means!!

Today was the day I have been waiting for since my acrobatic separation from my horse…today I finally swung my leg up and over and made contact with my saddle again for the first time in 18 days.  It is the longest I’ve been out of the saddle since Ike joined the family.  It felt like an eternity.

It was a very low-key session with both Ms. C and Mr. D on hand to make sure that there weren’t any vultures lurking on the fences, or that I wasn’t going to crumple over in pain and slide off because it was too soon after the thud.  I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive as I stood on the mounting block.  My fall was the worst I’ve ever had and the only one that I was unable to get right back on the horse to finish my ride.  I know that my ankle isn’t 100%, but the physical therapist who I saw today is a rider and said that I would be fine to do some walking (she cautioned against any rising trot for a bit longer).  The spasms in my back and hip are gone, so I saw this as my opportunity to test the waters.

Breathe in, breathe out.  Left foot in the stirrup and there I was, back on my big man.  Breathe again and give Ike his peppermint.  Ms. C had me stay in a third of the arena and just maintain steady contact at the walk.  Just relax and let the back swing.  Let the reins out and let Ike stretch over his back.  Change direction.  Collect the reins and halt.  Flex right…or try to flex right without Ike moving his legs.  Ha – easier said than done.  It took a few tries for him to understand that exercise.  Walk on and halt and flex to the left.  No Ike, do not jut out that jaw and resist.  Resistance is futile.  Good boy.  Now how about a turn on the haunches.  Can you see the smile on my face?  Just because we were only walking doesn’t mean that we couldn’t accomplish something.

And then it happened, Ike offered me a lovely collected trot.  I relaxed and went with it for 20 meters.  No searing pain anywhere; my ankle was aching, but it was like that after my therapy this morning.  Tried two more short trot lines and then called it quits.

Then it was time to come down from the heights.  Luckily Ike is a cooperative fellow and stood quietly at the mounting block so that I could dismount onto the top step rather than having to drop to the ground and risk re-injuring my ankle.  Thank you Ike for being such a good boy.

Day one is behind us, we are back on centerline, and ready to move onwards and upwards.

Life is good.