Who remembers Stroller?

You young'uns may not have been born when this amazing little horse was competing -- I say little horse, because there is nothing pony-like about him. Every photo I ever saw of him over a fence, his whole shoulder was completely rotated back and those knees were just below his throatlatch. I often wonder if a small horse like this has a chance in today's competitions -- guessing not -- but when I was growing up Stroller was one of the horses I loved and marvelled at. What a surprise to find footage on Youtube!

I think of those tiny tendons in the front leg...

Some advice about scratches

I've never had a horse with scratches/mud fever, but then I've never owned a chestnut hothouse flower. Riley has had raw ankles for 2 weeks now -- poor boy, he is a good patient. I've gotten good advice and will pass it along here. It is by no means the "full picture" of treatment, but here it is...

• Forget bathing the area. I tried washing with anti-scratches soap and blowing his feet dry, but every time I did, his legs swelled up. I had better luck brushing dirt off with a rough towel and then medicating.
• SMZs might be indicated, especially for horses with sensitive skin -- my vet said as a chestnut, Ri was at risk for cellulitis. So onto meds he went.
• Nolvasan is very effective, but is hard to find. I got 2% chlorahexadine from California Vet Supply. I put that on in the mornings when he was spending the day in his stall.
• For turnout, I put on a mixture of Neosporin and Desitin (1/1/). While this is overkill, I then covered it with cotton batting and then vetwrap from bulb to fetlock.
• Exposure to air is great, but only in dry conditions. If you're turning out in moist conditions (e.g., morning dew) I would wrap.
• I would not turn out in rain. 
• I did clip his pastern area, but I probably would not do this again. I read later that the nicks that clipping creates can exacerbate the problem.

Deviating from any of these "rules" resulted in swollen hind legs. And again: Don't. Use. Water.

Any experiences you guys care to share?

Fat and sleek this summer

Although Harv had a "fat sheath" this summer (now resolved), on the whole he looks great. Take a look at that tummy! He is fat and sleek and doesn't look 25 years old at ALL. He's moving well too. I worry a little about him when he gets up from rolling. He raises himself up on his front legs first, sits like a dog for a bit, and then hurls himself forward to get up. His hind legs must be too stiff for the old guy to use them to support his weight when rising.

In case you need a visual
Well, summer has treated Harv well, as you can see. He has to weigh 1200 lbs.

Getting up from rolling is the one time it doesn't pay to be a chunkster

 

 

Harv's fan base grows

Recently our barn hired two new workers, and they both started the same Friday, this last Friday. I had not met either of them, but while I was at the barn Monday they ran into one another.  I overheard them talking as I was in the tack room, out of eye and earshot. Most of the talk was typical barn girl banter. K---- and E---- were talking about caring for the horses, the idiosyncracies of each horse, their personalities, and... 

In a spontaneous moment of shared experience, they both said, nearly in unison,  "Harvey is my favorite!" I was dying to jump out of the tack room and say," That's my boy!"  When I did come out,   they had walked over to Harv to fuss over him.  Oh, the happy look on Harv's face!

It's nice to have independent confirmation of the Harvester's universal appeal.

Harv contemplates his popularity --that, and other weighty world matters.

Totilas Foal -- a Nice One at last!

At last, a Totilas foal I REALLY like...

And an AWFULLY nice Totilas yearling!

Screamining Mimi! How would the judge note this?

This is a hoot. What a silly horse, and a thumbs up to the rider...

What makes a good judge?

I've been showing this summer and I have to say, on the whole the judges are a together group.  The L program is fairly rigorous, and there is an admirable consistency in the way that the L judges evaluate and score a ride. Some are more generous than others but the "scale" is there.  I'm cognizant of the balance they have to achieve as schooling show judges -- be encouraging but be true to the goals and purpose of competition.  The tact they must demonstrate as they talk to the riders is -- well,  I'm impressed. What do I most love in a judge?

•  judges that come to a schooling show dressed as if they are at Devon. Linen dresses, big hats, tucked in shirts. Shows respect for the facility, the riders, and the show.
•  judges that have a sense of humor. Comments like "Not Today!" when your horse blows through a movement make me smile.
• judges that aren't afraid to speak the truth. The most recent R judge I showed under made a theatrical sweep of the hand and said: "Stacey, talk about throwing away points!!!" She wore a big smile as she described the lopsided, five-meters-short-on-one-side trot circle that reduced a nice stretchy trot to a "6."
• judges that are kind. I saw one rider, new to showing, go off course three times in one test. The judge chided her just a little, but was very kind and encouraging. I saw that rider later in another show, and she did very well.

So, let's raise a glass to one of the things in the dressage system that work well. Kudos!

All decked out: Revisiting the TuffRider apparel giveaway

Do you all remmeber the TuffRider giveaway we did last March (2011)? The winner of the giveaway, Jennifer, just sent us a competition photo, apparel courtesy of TuffRider. FWIW, there is a trainer that comes to our LVDA shows and she always gets compliments on her breeches, which look smashing. They are TuffRider. No, this isn't an ad! No money is changing hands, I just think they make some nice stuff, and Jennifer looks great.

Thanks TuffRider!

Breyer Sneak Peek: You knew there had to be...

A Totilas Breyer model. December 2012. Christmas idea?

July 15, Training 2

 I think I mentioned our "problems" on this day. Here is training 2 -- think we got a 64% and tied for fourth place.

Smartpak: I like them in spite of...

I like Smartpak despite the fact that after a brief "blog partnership" they kind of dropped me. What did I do? Probably just not hot enough in the social media world. NEVERTHELESS I like their products, and I just bought my Ariat Aptos short-sleeved shirt from them. Bob bought me my Romf shirt back when we were dating, and it is pretty discolored at this point. I thought the Ariat shirt was expensive until I priced all the others. Okay, so Smartpak's marketing is genius. I'd love to know what 20 year-olds are coming up with these videos, and also the "posters" they release every so often.

July 15 Show: Training 3, 67%

Here's the story on this show. It was a big show! It had rained the night before, and Ri had not gone out. He was calm in warmup, and due to the heat I didn't do much. In the ring he felt distracted and a tad "argumentative" -- against my hand in both tests, not sure if you can see the little arguments we were having about roundness. That said, we did well in placings -- we were first place in a field of twelve experienced riders on very nice horses.  Ri got an 8 on his walk, a smattering of 7s,  and an 8 on his gaits. I got a 7 on position, yeaah!  I had schooled walk-canter transitions to get a better quality canter, and you can see he took it to heart in the walk to trot movement at C, for which we got a 5.

See how dark Ri is in this test? He was covered in sweat, in part because of the heat, but also because of a timing miscalculation. After running ahead of time the first part of the day, the management scheduled in a break, and the one hour between rides stretched to even longer. Because I didn't know they'd adjusted the schedule I got on him way too early, and by the time we come into the ring for T3 he was a hot mess.

As I watch this video I'm aware that Ri is unsteady in the bridle, and at times his movement is irregular, as some have pointed out. He is rock solid round and he moves like a metronome when my trainer rides him, so I think the problem is not him -- it's me. With horses you never know, but I have done due diligence, as those of you who have read my blog know. I'm starting to learn how tension in my body, esp. a gripping leg, affects Ri. Locking my knee/hip locks his back, and he can't move forward when I ask him to, resulting in baubles.  I console myself by repeating that things are improving. I never thought he would have improved enuf to show this season...

Crimes against dressage

For all the showing many of us do, it's surprising we don't know the rules better. I recently asked an experienced competitor what the maximum whip length was for competition, and she didn't know. Of course I can hardly criticize, as I didn't know either, but I've been out of the game awhile. Here's a little quiz to help you see where your gaps are..

Test your dressage competition knowledge!

Nice! Etsy again

From cowgirlswithacause on etsy.com

Absorbine ShowSheen giveaway!

Beautiful photo fr. Dorie Dahlberg

To honor and recognize the riders who are out there showing and getting sweaty and getting tired, AND their horses who are doing same, Absorbine® has kindly offered to show support with a ShowSheen Giveaway! I think they have a CASE (one per person) to give away, so your chances are good!

To enter, just share your favorite horse show story. It can be sad, funny, touching, anything -- just make sure to include some info about you so that I can contact you in the event that you win some ShowSheen. I've been using ShowSheen at every show, and it's the only stuff that takes the ropey/twisty tendency out of Ri's tail..

THANKS ABSORBINE!!!

And by way of an update...

• Harv is pretty much back to normal sheath-wise, God bless him.
• Ri's scratches are healing, slowly, but he went out in rain on Sunday, slathered with Desitin, and came back in with a big leg again. He is most of the way done with his SMZs so this is worrisome. Other than that, he is good.
• Bob survived another horse show (7/15), and he did a great job videotaping. He was teased about "not missing this one." I think there was a lot of sympathy in the peanut gallery of regular show folks for my husband. Shows bring out the Diva in me -- like those Snickers commercials.

Ri Training 3: July 8 @ Heart's Journey Stables

I'm so happy with this ride (if you ignore the gad-awful halt)! We got a 69.4% under an R judge. This is training level 3, last week (July 8). He felt really "on," really listening, and I was not even a smidgen nervous going into the ring.

Training 2, July 8: Heart's Journey Stables

This stable is nice place, but footing is deeper than we're used to and a little uneven in spots. A few times, in corners especially, things get sticky in the first test (this one). I am pleased with this ride, despite the areas that need work. We got a 68% on this ride. For the day, we were high point Training Level and got a "best turnout" award. :-).

How I learned to love long-lining

Sure, I've always believed in the theory of long-lining -- its benefits for the horse as a training and conditioning tool, etc. I have the equipment. I've been to the clinics on long lining and nodded in approval as horses schooled shoulder-in and piaffe without a rider.

But Riley? And me? Well, I think I've blogged about our lungeing challenges. Ri, for better or worse, calls the shots. He wants to change directions, he does. He wants to turn and face me rather than move around me, he does. I make an issue of it, he "charges" a bit toward me.

He has my number, and he has my letter, and it's L for Lungeing Loser. One day, I asked my trainer if she would try long-lining Ri.  I watched as she dealt with the same issues, but more effectively than I.  Where I refused to move/position myself around Ri when he turned to face me in "standoff mode"  --he's supposed to position himself around me, right?--my trainer just quietly moved to herself in lungeline position over and over, and she made timely use of the whip to get him forward. He'd go a few strides then turn toward her again, but she was more persistent.  Ri got tired of moving away and facing her. Then they were in business.

And we've never looked back. I can long-line Ri now, and it is an amazing and educational experience for me. What have I learned?

• Ri can do it all without me. Forget my leg, my seat, my upper body, I can flick a whip behind him and suddenly he's moving through his body, into the bridle, and on that outside rein, bending around me.
• My hands are getting an education.  Just a teensy bit more feel on that outside rein, a few sponge-y squeezes on the inside, and he looks amazing.  Long-lining is quite the education in minimal hand interference.
• Ri is a fast learner. First session, with no "training" on my part other than observation, we're doing shoulder-in along the wall. 
• Ri has a balanced canter. If he was gallumphing around on a lunge-line in a halter, on the long line he canters in a teacup and transitions lightly into a trot.

I'm a believer!

Show Day quick pix II

Show day quick pix I...

July is apparently "it's all about me" (and incidentally, Ri) month. Before we left for our show last Sunday I had a friend Debbie snap a couple of pix of Ri and I. Here's one..

Hindsight: Riley has scratches AND something else

Ri has an ailment. Shocker.

I took Ri to a show Sunday, and we competed despite a pesky swelling in his left hind that started about five days earlier on July 5. After a dry spell, we had strong t-storm cells move through  overnight, and Ri came in the next morning with a "big leg." I thought he had been stepped on by Harv in the thunder (which was very, very loud and close). But that was not it. He was not lame, once the swelling subsided (exercise brought the swelling down to near normal). It's not an abscess -- at least it doesn't seem like one at this point.

Guesses? Anyone?

Scratches. We think. There is a pink area behind his pastern, a little scabby, and it's very tender. My best guess is that he had some dry skin behind there, maybe a little cracking with the very dry spell we've had until July 4.  The night of July 4, it rained/thundered, and I think maybe some sort of fungus or bacteria took hold in the compromised skin. Opportunistic infection? Ri's hooves also seemed to go to hell that night, his right front is flaking up again.

My vet has him on SMZs and a mixture of Desitin and Neosporin applied to his dry, clean pastern.  She's concerned about cellulitis.

Update 7/12/12. So, I was out yesterday afternoon to do my three-hour horse nurse stint, Riley and Harv, and noticed something on Ri's RIGHT hind above the fetlock, like a hen's egg. Looks like a wind puff, but with sudden onset, AND it's a bit more "turgid" than a windpuff (not squishy) -- though clearly a moveable fluid --  it may be a bit warm, and Ri is ever-so-slightly reactive when I press it, although it's hard to say since it is exactly where you press to get him to pick up his foot. The footing at the last show was damnably deep....

Poor Harvster: The nether regions

It's been hot. Hot and buggy. Remember last year Harv's underbelly was swollen? This year it is another body part. Late last week, Harv's sheath started to swell.  As a precaution, I called the vet to have him take a look, and he cleaned Harv's sheath. A tube of aloe-based creme was to be applied to the sheath.

 Two days later the swelling had doubled, and Monday he seemed to like to have his member hanging out.  Panicking a little, I...

• called the vet
• started him on SMZs
• bought some utter butter to slather on him.
• Bought a jar a swat just for him.
• lunged him (he seemed to like to move, and he trotted around me happily and moving well)

He's been about the same for three days now. He is not swollen or retaining fluid anywhere else. 

Poor Harv. He is such a good patient, so stoic, it's hard to say how uncomfortable he really is. Being an oldster, I feel like any ailment could potentially be a health risk for him.

Braiding progress: Show Day July 8

Part of the show process is -- for better or worse -- braiding. I've never been good at it, despite the many articles I've read and the considerable practicing I've undertaken. For our show today I braided the night before.

All things considered (uneven length and thickness of mane) I was not horrified by the results of my work, and they did hold up well.  I think these braids look good from a distance. And the judge is a distance away.

I've started to learn now what makes a really good braid job. First and foremost I need to pay more attention to the uniform length and thickness of Ri's mane. That, at the moment, is probably our biggest problem. Braid thickness and quality varies accordingly. Among many judgable characteristics of braiding, you want to see...

• tight braids that hold their shape
• minimal stray hairs (part of mane maintenance)
• uniform size and shape
• uniform placement/orientation on the neck
• barely visible bands/thread

What I learned this time around is to skip the Braid "hair spray" and just saturate the mane with water. It just works better and dries better.

What else?

Recognized show, Training 2 Pix and Video

Naturally I'm showing you our best moments.

So to recap, Bob missed videtaping our first test (no fault of his own), but he was able to record  Test 2.

Ri the worrier
There was a 45-minute break between our tests, and Ri was not faring well in the 93-degree heat and "bugs the size of Buicks." He was a gentleman, but he started grinding his teeth as we waiting ringside. I walked him around the perimeter of the fields to try to get him to relax.  It helped, and I think he had a good frame of mind as we started Test 2.

Pride cometh
Not fifteen minutes prior to my test, Bob asked me why I didn't use a reader.  I declared haughtily that I was not too lazy to memorize a 4-minute test.  Besides, I'd done Training 2 many times in schooling shows. But.. But... I was worried about the canter work, and when I fixate on something, well...

I went off course.

We cantered when we should have trotted the diagonal. Note that I caught the error before the judge! Ri was not as forward, and not as springy as he had been in our first test. I could not quite get him on the outside rein.  We were more "horizontal," but he really was trying. Take it for what it is, a 61.4% test (62.4% if I hadn't made the error)...

My pit crew -- aka the dream team

Bonnie and Heather -- the bodyguards.

So, my last couple of show outings went well, and I owe a lot to my handlers. Er, pit crew. Er, bodyguards. Pictured right are Heather (secret service sunglasses) and Bonnie (cap).  Heather has the wheels to transport Ri.

It's like having two "Jeeves" with me
I lacked for nothing.  I never had to track the whereabouts of a single thing, I had ready access to Gatorade, my boots were polished, Ri was fly-sprayed regularly, my warmup was supervised, helpful observations were made, and sugar cubes were at the ready.

After the show I chatted with folks and awaited my scores while they pampered Ri and readied him for the trip home.

I owe them both a dinner at the Nazareth Diner (when it reopens). I could not show without their help. Thanks guys!

Absorbine Sport: My new favorite fly spray...

Now that Ri and I are seasoned show veterans, experienced in coping with heat and bugs,  I am happy to share with you a product that we've been using -- Ultra Shield Sport -- when we go to shows. In a few days I'll post video of Ri at our first recognized show, and you will notice that he appears to be fly free. I can tell you there were huge greenheads, gnats, and there was no breeze to blow them away.

 I've been so happy with the Absorbine fly spray product line -- the variety, the effectiveness, and frankly because their bottles withstand abuse without crapping out. Absorbine makes good stuff, and they come out with new products and product improvements all the time. I've been using their Show Sheen finishing spray -- not so much because it sprays continuously but because it is hard to over-apply in this form.

My mom says to invest money in the things you use every day -- bras, eyeglasses, underwear was  what she means, but doggone it it holds true for fly spray. Buying something cheap that doesn't work is a false economy, and when you're spending hundreds of dollars to compete, what sense is there in getting the $8 spray that is ineffective? My horse's comfort means a lot, and you want to give them a fair chance to give their best performance. That's my thinking anyway...

Part III: My (theoretical) barn turnout rules

In my fantasy world, the post-lottery winnings world, there will be rules for turnout. These rules shall be...

• Owners will be advised to blanket their horse for the warmest weather anticipated. Workers will adjust accordingly.
• NO HORSES IN CROSS TIES DURING TURNOUT/BRINGING IN.
• Dirty blankets -- esp.  yucky leg straps -- will not be handled. They will be washed at the facility at the owner's expense if too dirty to handle by staff. Fees will be exorbitant :-)
• No turnout in ice or deep mud. Alfalfa meal will be spread  on any ice around the pasture gates. (I hear this improves footing).
• Warm rain, turnout unless pouring.
• Cold rain, or cold/windy rain, turnout depends on total amounts predicted.
• High winds (more than 40MPH), no turnout.
• Lightning, no turnout.
• Handler safety issues of any kind, no turnout.
• No pull-on bell boots!
• No leg wraps on healthy horses.
• No wiping down horses with dryer sheets prior to blanketing (don't ask). 

Boring, but there you are! What am I missing?

First recognized show: "We was robbed!!!"

A rare moment when my position is helping Ri balance

Oh, the title "We was robbed!!!"? Totally kidding :-)

First attempt at Training 3
If I felt we were underrated (with our score of 64.2%), it was because I was so, so proud of Ri. Each of our two rides (Training 3 and 2) was a blast.  He was animated but listening and willing, and he "offered" some of the best trot work we've had to date. I think I was so jazzed at how good he felt that I lost my focus.

I did hear some scuttlebutt that the judge is very conservative with scores and that this judge likes the number 6. :-) The highest score in the training division was a 65%.

 Um, no video of our best effort (again)
Bob (who was on time and on his game) grappled with a camera malfunction ("disk full" message when disk was most certainly not full). He missed our first test, but was able to format the drive, and successfully record  our "lesser" test of the day, Test 2.

A rundown of our first attempt at Test 3:

• 8 on stretchy walk
• 7 on first serpentine (I was very worried about this)
• 6.5 on canter  across the diagonal to trot at X (was afraid we would barrel right through X)
• No 5s
• 7 on gaits
• Comment: Attractive, elegant horse, relaxed and forward ride. Work on suppling over the back. Enjoy this kind of horse."

In both tests, my position came and went. We still did not fix our canter departs. I waaaaay overshot the centerline coming down to our last halt. We broke from canter for a stride during our right lead canter. Our trot to halt was abrupt. If these things sound familiar, it is because they are familiar! I keep making these mistakes and it costs  points.

In my heart I thought we deserved a higher score -- really I did -- just based on how it felt.  But the truth is, you don't make the above mistakes and get a score like that. So I will take my score and read the comments and be grateful for a very good, very fun day.


70%? Maybe next time!
 

Training 1, June 26: Riley

This is training level test 1, and we got a 68% despite some real problems with C-A-N-T-E-R.

Patriotism, US and UK style. Happy Fourth!

 We are all lucky as h*ll to live where we live, and to enjoy the freedom to do as we choose and make all the good and bad choices we elect to make.  Patriotism is about all of the things we love -- the food we eat, the pastimes we enjoy (horses, miniature golf, beading, whatever).

 While this videos shows how the Brits do up their horses in a patriotic way, I know there are many U.S. equivalents. Isn't this fun?

Training 2, Tuesday June 26

The video below is from a Tuesday Evening Dressage show series at the Bucks County Horse Park, under judge Ruth Monroe. It was Ri's first time at an "away" show this year, and my second time riding him at an away show, and I didn't have any helper. I was nervous, and Riley was very distracted in the warmup. It must have been Haflinger night because there were a tone of little adorable Haflingers and their young riders in the ring with us. There is a Haflinger Farm near us. Ri was much more interested in them than me. That said, he was a very good boy in the ring. We got a 70ish percent in this test, which was kind of a gift.

Pix from Riley's June 10 show

Remember our show from June 10 -- I think it was our best day to date and Bob was not there to video :-(. Fortunately one of  our LVDA members' husbands takes photos of all the rides -- what a nice guy!  And he sent me his photos recently...