Trying to soothe our souls...

 Today was lesson day, but I had just enough time to take Dan for a hack. It wasn't ideal as it meant I would be hauling to Ashland three times today... but, I also didn't want to bother riding at home. It was just going to be discouraging. I suppose I could have ridden around the neighborhood, but...he gets weird sometimes. Plus.. no hills. So I said "screw it... let's do it.. it's only time and diesel". So we headed out.

 

When I pulled into Ashland Dan was shaking. I didn't know if he was cold??? I mean.. it's chilly this morning but still 70 something degrees. And he was clammy. Ooooh.... he was freaked out. I don't know why. There were no sprinklers going. They had driven a truck and trailer down and had some water tanks draining from it but that was well after we unloaded, so... it couldn't have been that. I couldn't figure it out. But I brushed off the saddle area, threw the bareback pad on, bridled up and hopped on. I figured he would be better once we got moving. He was POWER WALKING away from the arenas... so we went to ptyerdactyl lake and looped around to the big hill. He was still power walking. Then we headed down by green lake to the magical path. We avoided the school because he was still nutted up. But he was starting to relax. We made it to the hay fields and he was breathing again so we did a little trotting. And then he finally chilled and so we just meandered around. Then Jacel texted that she was having to cancel lessons because one of the kids was sick. So... I just let him pick his path. I am still feeling very hormonal and blue and depressed, so... I asked for a left lead canter for a little bit in the hay field. And he obliged. We had fun. Ahhhh... I needed that. So then we walked some more and then trotted some. Then I asked for a very short right lead canter for a little stint. I don't know... part of me thinks that I should step it way back and build him back up... part of me thinks I need to power through and stretch things out and build him up via the canter. I don't know. But, I opted for a right lead canter. And he obliged. He picked it right up and it didn't feel quite as icky as it has been. Of course he was also on a loose rein and able to stretch out. It was not collected at all!

 

Then we went back to walking and headed around the lake to do those hills. After that right lead canter though, he was struggling on the hills. He did not want to push with his right hind. ugh... I'm sorry buddy. He didn't want to go home either though.. (or maybe he knew I was planning on doing a tiny bit of arena trot work... no lateral work.. just trotting and trotting 10 meter circles). He kept picking the path that led away from home. So I let him have his head for a bit. But then I decided we should head back. I told him I wouldn't do the arena though, because it was obvious that his right hind was struggling up the hills. 

   

We did go to the cross country field and there were a ton of geese! Multiple little herds of geese. I forget what they are called... ganders?? And... without prompting... Dan started towards them... almost herding them. I clucked and he picked up the trot and chased a few off. Unfortunately my camera misbehaved and I didn't record the good part. I felt kind of bad so I pulled him back to a walk but then we chased them a little bit longer (so I could record) and then they went into the water complex. So we had to follow them in there. I did make him trot a few circles each way. Because I'm a mean mom. 

 

Then we headed back home. No arenas! I promised! Unfortunately he was so sweaty from being nervous and then also being ridden. So I did have to give him a rinse. I was hoping he wouldn't get too chilly on the way home but he was fine. Although he's been pawing and anxious as we pull into the neighborhood lately and he did it again today. But then he seemed fine otherwise. 

 

He was extra cuddly tonight at dinner and even snuggled a little. I adjusted him and did some k-taping for his stifle. But he's back to resting that leg all the time again. (not just today.. the past few days). Sigh...  I'm sorry buddy. I'm really sad that Funny nailed you right there... 

    

 

Icky day

I felt icky today.. dan felt icky... (ish). Meh... I was getting a migraine too but... it was a gorgeous day... so....

I got on and we hacked to culdesac and in Art's field very briefly. On our way back (because I forgot I left the water running in the trough) a fedex truck came in. Dan started to freak out and was threatening to spin and bolt, but they kept coming. I finally got them to stop and jumped off. The delivery guys were all apologetic, but dudes... stop driving at the horse that looks like he's about to dump me please! Argh. I turned the water off though and headed to pasture to hack to arena. 

Once we got to the arena I set up single pole... and we did side pass and then straddled the pole. He did it well but not for the video ;) ha ha... of course

 

So then I got back on and we trotted. And he felt lame. Behind maybe?? So... I guess we go back on previcox. I tried to trot a bit longer and we did some small circles. but he just felt earthbound and sluggish. He didn't want to move and definitely didn't want to be short and more collected. I did some leg yields and you could tell that he was trying to be good, but he was definitely still lame. Poo. I was going to quit but he perked up heading towards the trot poles so we trotted those twice and did a few good transitions and then we headed home. Good boy though. Thanks for trying. 

 

 

Hack with Kelli

We met Kelli and Marvin at Ashland today for a hack. We did throw Kelli's baroque saddle on Dan, the one that was supposed to be Marvins but had Lyrics tracings and then was widened... It actually seemed to fit him decently. So I figured I'd give it a try. We went for a long hack and then finished in the arena. He felt okay. I wasn't planning on doing any lateral work because he had been feeling not the best recently, but I did sort of want to see if this saddle made a difference. So we did a little trot work and some lateral work. We started with leg yields, then haunches in, then a half pass each way. By the second half pass, he got chompy and I figured he was about to stick his tongue out, so I quit. We did finish on a nice shallow leg yield each way and he was still anxious, but his tongue stayed in. So... I'm guessing the saddle isn't my big issue here.. 

 

Hormones Suck

Ugh... I am hormonal and tired and blue.... 

 

I took Dan for a hack this morning because it was supposed to rain but looked like we were going to get lucky. I just went bareback and we just enjoyed Ashland! I even trotted a bit in the field but he was either more strung out or I was just feeling weak today because I felt like I was bouncing a lot more than usual. I was trying to get hills too, so we headed to the "Cathedral Lane" and then went up the hookie trail. As we got close to the school we had to stop because they were screaming so loud. And like.. kind of scary screaming. Like do I need to call 911 screaming because it sounded like Hunger Games or something. Turns out they were just having a very competitive game of dodge ball or something. But good gravy! It took Dan a little bit to convince himself that they weren't dying and we were fine to carry on, but he did. 

 

We snacked and hacked our way to the XC field and the water complex. I did a few circles with him and then we headed to the arena to do our Liz homework. Or at least the homework I could remember. ;) We did some shoulder in and leg ields. We had some decent work but when I asked for the half pass, his tongue came out. Ugh... Sorry buddy. So I quit with the lateral work and we just did two more easy leg yields and then a lengthen.

 

Ugh... so now I'm trying not to cry. I know he can feel my disappointment and I know he cn't reason thtat I'm crying from the situation not from him. But I can't help it. It makes me so sad, and I'm already super hormonal. And I saw that Dan's full sister, Alibi, was euthanized today too. She was only 2 years, maybe 3 years older than Dan. 

 

Tonight I did shockwave his hocks and stifles to help him out. We got lost of licking and chewing, especially on the left hock. So I went back to my notes and looked.. it's been while since he's had any real maintenance, and it does seem like his previous "can't canter on one lead" issue was resolved with injecting his Sacroiliac joint. He had his hocks/high suspensory injected with renovo in Decemmer of last year. His neck hasn't been injected since November of 2023 but he also had surgery. So... who knows