Shall we play a game?

Ok, so, Carolyn got a hold of a natural horsemanship trainer who agreed to come and work with her and Survi...and I jumped on the bandwagon as well. Socks had the training early in life and he could use some manners. So, we met with Bryan Martinez to let him meet us and the boys and see what he thought. Long story short, he "read" our horses easily and told us his training approach and even did some small stuff and we agreed this would be helpful to both horses. Bryan does the Parelli training so we had to learn the "7 games": friendly, porcupine, driving, yo- yo, circling, sideways and the squeeze game. Survi, being the sensitive one, was really good at most of the pressure games. Socks, not so much. He liked to try and test how far you really wanted him to go with the game. So frustrating! However, he did really well at the circling game and the sideways game for whatever reason. Maybe he remembered a thing or two. At any rate, we had 7 weeks for the 7 games and our horses actually starting to LEARN! GASP!!!! It was really great to see some things starting to click in their heads. Bryan is an amazing person with such a quiet disposition but when he got our horses, they definitely paid attention and did what he asked of them. Of course, Socks had to push the limit of sanity sometimes.....he would totally work harder than Bryan would ask but.......that's Socks for you. As our training went on, he "lost it" less and less. Survi was such a great little student. He was so sensitive that he picked things up very quickly with barely any aids to "remind" him of what he needed to do. For example, Carolyn really only has to wiggle her finger at him and he will back up...Socks still needs the rope swaying to remind him that he has to back up but he also needs less asking than he originally did. We just had our last lesson on the 10th of December. We figured we could work with the games and regroup early next year to continue and at least we have the basics to work with. It's been fun learning how to "talk" to our horses and watching them continuously do what we're asking of them is also fun and rewarding. I look forward to learning more and getting my horse to behave.......and watching Survi walk right on a trailer without flicking an ear at Carolyn! =)

Whirlwind of change!

Ok, so, really, really going to keep this blog up. I've been really bad at this! So, without further lapses in time, I need to introduce to you all Survivant! Legend decided that endurance wasn't his thing so he found a nice home with someone who wanted a reliable trail horse. Survivant is the horse that Carolyn had been looking at for years and he ended up being for sale again. It was fate that she was to get this guy!!!! Although he's 7, he hasn't been under saddle very long but is a very good boy about most things. Carolyn is pretty thrilled with him.

One little problem is that he's not a fan of the trailer. Carolyn had Bob Burelli come out and he indeed got him on the trailer but not really willingly so, taking a step back, she found another trainer willing to work on the ground with both her and her horse.......and me and Socks as well! =) Bryan (the trainer) has been doing Parelli with his horse for 6 years or so and although he isn't a certified trainer, he's been helping us gain some respect on the ground with our boys. We're learning so much about how we can work with the horses' instincts and it's actually fun to see results! Socks tends to push the the issue of how far he can avoid things a lot and Survi is pretty sensitive so he picks things up quickly. Both horses understand what is asked of them but need different levels to get the results needed. At any rate, we're seeing the horses become "better citizens" and it's fun to get things accomplished. I think it's time for me to learn how to upload some photos so this blog becomes a little more interesting to look at! ;-) Plus, we need an updated photo of the "new guy".

Summer is here?

Well, it's definitely questionable as to whether or not summer is here. There have been many nights at the barn where we're in fleece jackets or sweatshirts to feed! Luckily, I believe we may have finally gotten what we've been asking for....80 degrees and humidity.
Lots of stuff has happened since the last post. CB and Judy have gone to Vermont twice now and have gotten to enjoy the trails up there.....despite the snow in April and the rain in June. CB is on a mission to get Mr. Legend in shape for some rides this year. Speedy is always ready. ;-) With the wedding behind me now and planning not in the way, I can now start focusing on Socks. He really hasn't done anything in about 2 months.....or even almost a year with his silly abscess problem. I did get to jump on his back on Saturday and ride through the trails a bit. They were pretty muddy and slippery but he was relatively good seeing as we haven't done anything and he was by himself. He's a goofy boy but in general, I do have fun with him. Hopefully, there will be more posts of our achievements!

Winds of change again.............

So, here we are in March.....a lot has happened in a short time! Miss Sereele went to her new home with Norman last Saturday and seems to be settling in with her new friends. Carolyn has found a new friend as well. Please welcome WOW The Black Legend....or Legend as he is called. His granddad is Cass Ole who played The Black in the movie The Black Stallion! Very cool! He seems to be a good boy and a very promising mount for CB. Herd dynamics are pretty funny though....Legend is over Socks, who is over Zak, who is over Legend....they go in circles. I've been able to finally get a few rides on Socks too. I got the ok to start under saddle at the walk back in January but Mother Nature had other plans for us. BOOOOO! So, CB and I have been just walking up the street. She needs to learn/bond with Legend and I need to rehab Socks so it works out nicely. We went out yesterday despite it being a bit chilly. Socks was a total poke...I rode on the buckle nearly the entire ride! =) Hopefully, the snow continues to melt and the mud dries up a bit so we can venture into the trails.

summary since fall

Chris has done a great job keeping this blog updated, thank-you! This is more of a history of events than a fun story so I don't forget it all. so my summary is that although Sereele had been doing very well in regard to her tripping and falling, it was still happening sporadically. she fell on her knees while I was leading her down linden street and for some reason went to her knees while eating under the hickory tree. she fell while I led her down the street in chester but hopped right back up. I decided to try different shoes, found a natural balance farrier who did a nice job and she wore these shoes at the CDR and did AWESOME! I was feeling so happy! but after a couple of weeks she fell while riding with lou and rebecca, not a big deal, down to both knees, little scuttle and back up. tried the shoes again and she fell while I was riding with Jen Verelli and really freaked her out. there was just no reason for it, we were walking on flat dirt and she went down fast and ran on her knees for quite a ways before being able to get back up. that made me finally decide to get this figured out before one or both of us got hurt. had Bret Gaby come out for neuro eval and he was excellent. watched her move on longe and ridden, did some tests and said she was weak on RH, possible "searching" with RF with head elevated. had to ACE her to longe at the canter in the ring, but he got to see the bunny hopping. he suggested a myelogram. brought her to tufts who found her to be weak on the tail pull, did x-rays and saw some narrowing and possible instability at C4-5. they felt she was a wobbler and unsafe to ride. heartbreaking yet good to finally have an answer. I felt confident this was the diagnosis and declined the myelogram, didn't want to put her through it. but over the next couple of months she just looked so good, she really isn't neurological, I started to doubt the diagnosis. so I did bring her back, the neuro exam was totally normal and the myelogram was negative. they did a muscle biopsy for EPSM and blood test for vitamin E deficiency and suggested a couple of other motor neuron diseases. during all of this I have been in contact with a guy named Norman who is looking for a nice young mare as a companion for his mare. he came and met her and really likes her (of course) and will take her this spring I think, assuming she doesn't have some horrible degenerative disease. tufts neglected to start her on abx after the biospy and the incision was hot, oozy and a little puffy. emailed Dr Bedenice and Carmel and started her on SMZ's, things look better. will probably take the stitches out tomorrow. she looks great bucking and rearing and prancing around! this is all so frustrating and depressing.

Healing processes......slow but forward...

So, CB and Judy came back from Colorado horseless, but I'll let them tell that story as I wasn't there. =)
Socks went back to Tufts for his 4 week recheck on his collateral ligament to make sure it was healing correctly. He's been in a roundpen since he came home from Tufts. He hasn't been very happy alone all day either. Sereele came with him as she was having a myelogram done. It was a confusing day and the communication was a bit askew leaving me to escort CB and Sereele to her stall. Finally, I got to bring Socks to the ultrasound room to be checked. Well, he was screaming for Sereele who was screaming back so we had a bit of sedation......which he blew through...and then a bit more. Ah.....relaxation. Dr. Chope palpated his elbow first checking on the leftover bump from his abscess. She said it may be just something that stays and will be a cosmetic defect. No big deal to me. She did the ultrasound and was happy to report that the ligament seemed to be doing very well. Guess it was pretty bad right before he left to come home. YIKES! So, he got the ok to go in the "big boy" paddock with his brother and Sereele and let him acclimate himself to that for 2 weeks. If, in two weeks, he seems fine and not bothered, I can then ride at the walk! Looks like a lot of walking and with gradually adding in the trot, he should be all set to really work by late spring. WHEW! It's been such a chore with him being isolated and alone worrying about his leg. Now, if he'll only grow some hair on his leg where it was shaved.....that would be nice.

2011

Welcome to 2011. Not so sure of what's to come. CB and Judy will be leaving for Colorado on the 7th to look at a horse for her. Zakora....bay, fast, sound? and hopefully the one for CB. Socks has his recheck appointment to check on his leg on the 11th. Hopefully it's a good recheck. There are already plans for riding this year as the girls are headed to Cowshed Cabin in June. I'll be holding down the fort as I'll be just getting back from my honeymoon.....and who knows if I'll have a horse to ride myself. =(
Hopefully, there will be some great posts this year!