Sunday 22 November 2009

Cautiously optimistic.......

the panic is over, Im pretty sure its an abscess!
There has been lots of heat in his inside heel bulb and hoof wall over the weekend so he's been in all day with a poultice on. Tonight when I took the poulice off I spotted a small lesion along the coronet back at the heel and it all feels a bit squidgy so will poultice again tomorrow but he is looking much happier to stand with his weight on it.What a wuss though, Polo had two sheered heels when he first went barefoot and other than some slight footiness you wouldnt have know there was anything wrong,although Ali is canny enough to ham it up to get some time off:))
I reckon i'll be riding him in the next couple of days,its quite a relief as I was starting to become concerned there was some underlying issue niggling on.
I rode Polo on Saturday. Im just hacking him whenever ive the time and inclination and when he look comfortable, plus he's been a bit full of himself recently so thought it wouldnt hurt!
He felt pretty good powering along I had my first trot on him for ages. Ive forgot how powerful it is and got ricocheted out of the saddle honestly his power is scary.
Now im so used to Ali's more ridable and comfortable paces I seriously dont know how I used to...well stay on him,although half the time I didnt!:0

Im feeling a bit better as ive had a more relaxing weekend and cleaned my house and go on top of things which always makes me feel happier,I get very stressed when my house is untidy and ive not had time to catch up with it all -sad but true.

Thursday 19 November 2009

Fed up

I'll make it brief cos im at work and really need to go to bed but im a bit cheesed off with this week!
Number one reason is Ali is lame again,this time right hind. Looks totally different from the last time when he was just bit short mainly in canter and *looked* tight in his back.This time he's resting the leg,hard to say where its coming from as I cant feel anything and he keeps picking his leg up where ever I touch so that doesnt help. He was totally fine yesterday as he had a short lunge,infact I thought to myself how well he was moving at the time so im thinking maybe an abscess or he's skidded in the mud which leads to the other reason why im fed up.
The WEATHER..gale force winds heavy rain its horrible. Im so sick of mud already and the winter has just began. I spent most of today putting electric fencing back up as the wind had blown the posts flat,trudging through mud to make attempts at keeping ontop of the poo picking and getting the field shelter roof nailed back on as the winds had lifted the sheet off at the corner and I had visions of the whole sheet coming off and hitting one of the horses...not what I need!
Which leads me onto the other reason im fed up-TIME. I just dont seem to have time to turn around. I sleep in at work Mon to Fri shift starts 7am till 9am then get home pick dogs up get changed so I get to the boys around 10.30/11am I then walk them up to the yard and go back to do the jobs in the field,poo picking,fill water buckets haynets etc. Then on the odd occasion when I have a sound horse I groom tack up and ride,then back to feed walk them back to the field, muck out then walk the dogs as they've been stuck in the car. Im lucky if I get home at 3pm in time to have a shower and fly out the door as I start back at work at 4pm working till 11pm then sleeping in just to do it all again the next day.Ive been late for work every single day this week, im seriously lucky my boss thinks the sun shines out of my butt and we've work together for so many years or i'd get sacked at this rate!
I'll be lucky if ive had a total of 2hours at home this week and for some reason this week in particular its driving me insane?
I do realise most of its my own fault .Its my choice to have 2horses and lots of dogs and if I didnt have them I wouldnt have to work such long hours, most of the time im pretty accepting of feeling tired,sore and the fact im running around like a headless chicken but this week its really got to me...so im having a bit of a pity party:(
Fingers crossed Ali's miraculously sound tomorrow and I win the lottery on Saturday -right!!!!

Friday 6 November 2009

Good news

I guess its good news,it was muscular with Ali possibly the spook or hurtling around hunting who knows but pleased it was relatively straight forward. Physio gave him a good going over last week,not sure thats correct physio terminology:)) said to give him a few days off then start working him.
So I did a few days longreining up the lane and have rode him yesterday and today-he feels MUCH better. Today we went for a hack and his stride in walk was longer and freer so thats good.
Yesterday Vic and I were meant to hack out after we'd clipped Ali and Ted, obviously not my dog Ted but Vic's horse Ted,we also have a cat on the yard called Ted:))) Anyway it took ages to get them done (Ali is now sporting a lightening bolt on his bum) and was dark by the time we'd finish so we had to ride in the school with the lights.
I only did a 20minute spell but guess what?!?!...well the traver seems to be coming along quite nicely in walk so we were going down the length of the school in traver then got several steps in half pass!
Im very chuffed ive never done anything more than the extreme basics, infact spent very little time in a school during my years riding. Im sure half pass is pretty basic to most but to me its a real achievement not just to be riding it but to have taught it too.
I have to say although Ali can be annoyingly lazy at times he is such a straight forward horse to work with its easy to learn things with him and I do feel his attitude has changed it feels like he's trying more and is pleased when he knows he's done something well. It was pretty funny as I was obviously a bit over the top with the praise after the half pass and as I was patting him he reached around for his treat, typically I didnt have any in my pocket so had to steal one from Vic who was in the school also. Ive used treats no more than couple of times when he's done something well but its obviously had a big impact on him and he clearly thought he'd more than earned one so will have to make sure I am always armed with treats in the future.

Dog show last weekend, I wasnt too hopeful with the boys coat situation but Mouse looks well and Vic's pup Lottie was entered so we went regardless.
Ted got nothing and was all over the place on the table when the judge was going over him which I thought was unusual as thats the one place he's usual good plus he'd been standing well before this. Afterwards I notice the table was wobbling quite a bit so think this is what unsettled him.
I nearly pulled Buster as I thought if she didnt like Ted and his hairyness then Buster stood no chance so was really suprised when she gave him 3rd in a decent sized class. I do think she was really focused on movement and Buster powers his way around the ring.
Mouse didnt get anything and actually I thought she deserved a placing in the line up but infairness im still not convinced she's entirely over the back injury and I dont think she's moving 100%.Peter had a good outing all his dogs were placed highly including his new pup and the puppy's sister (who isnt owned by him) got best puppy in show so bodes well for them.
Vic's pup was slighly wild about it all, leaping around and going to jelly whenever the judge so much as glanced at her but was in two classes and definitely settled down by the 2nd class. She didnt get placed but I think gave lots of people a chuckle...exactly how a puppy should be at their first show.