Just a girl and her horse (s)

Fortunately for us the fury of the storm did not hit. We had some snow and wind, but nothing like they have in New England! The girls were in on Friday due to the nasty weather, but by late Saturday morning it was an all clear for turn out. That makes for happy horses.

What I am finding interesting is that when I arrive at the barn while the girls are still out in their pastures, they are both near the fence, only a few feet from one another. When I moved Nikki back to Suki's barn I decided not to disturb Suki's bond with Banker and to have them in separate fields. The last time they were together, Suki was clearly the dominant one in the field and I questioned how well they got along. When Nikki was with Chester all seemed fine, but now that she is with Killian, I do not like what I am seeing. Suki's relationship with Banker also seems to be less than amicable lately. Yet Suki and Nikki talk to each other over the fence without squealing and seem to be forming a bond over the fence. Now I find myself considering putting them back together. It would certainly make it easier for me when I need to work with them, but my convenience is secondary. So I am still chewing on this.....

I think that my horses must be the silliest girls ever! This is what they did to me today....

And their very presence just warms my heart!
I brought each of them in for grooming. Suki kept turning around to look out the back door of the barn because most of the horses were at the gate. Finally I just turned her around on the cross ties. We could hear Nikki talking to us at her gate, so I had to go out from time to time and talk to her. I probably should have put her in her stall while I groomed Suki. Next time. Just before I put Suki back out I decided to try a few things in hand. First I did the carrot between her legs, because yes, I want to do the parlor trick of bowing. If I work with her every day I am confident this will be an easy trick. As I walked her back outside I decided to use my dressage whip to see if I could get a little passage. Suki performed it easily, so after a few strides I patted her, gave her a treat and put her back in her pasture.

When I brought Nikki in, all she wanted to do was snuggle. I actually had a hard time grooming her becaus eshe kept snuffling my head and leaning on me! When we were finished I brought her back outside also. Suki was still at the gate (talking while I was grooming Nikki)so I let them touch noses over the fence. No ear pinning, fussing or squealing. I could see nostrils moving in silent nickers. WHAT ARE THEY SAYING???

Earlier this week I found out that Suki's case is to be included in a veterinary journal article about burned horses. I sent some recent photos to one of her veterinarians from New Bolton to potentially included in the article. One thing that has always meant a lot to me is what the veterinarians learned while treating Suki. When Boyd Martin's horse and others from his barn were admitted to New Bolton after a barn fire at Boyd's I knew that a treatment plan could immediately be implemented. That fire received quite a bit of press because Boyd is a world class eventer. I am just a "girl" with a horse. We received a fair amount of publicity also, but what I hope is that other "regular" people with their one beloved horse have hope. It has not been an easy journey, but the lessons learned and the people we have met along the way demonstrates that even regular people can beat the odds....

Cold day at a dressage clinic

Sunday, February 3, 2013

This morning I woke up early as per my usual routine and fed the dog and cats. My plan was to hit the treadmill to get a few miles in. But when I went outside to put birdseed in the feeders I felt the cold air hit my cheeks and kicked the fluffy snow as I walked. The salt trucks had not yet been through so I decided to take Ripley for a walk in the snow. Forty minutes after Ripley's breakfast, I dressed him in his coat (Ripley is a Weimaraner and it was only 15 degrees). The silence of early morning and fresh snow is at the same time relaxing and invigorating, giving me the opportunity to think about what I had observed in the dressage clinic that I audited on Saturday. Ripley likes to walk at a brisk pace so up and down the hills we trekked, encountering only one other morning walker. Feeling quite refreshed after our walk, Ripley and I plunked down in front of the fire while the rest of the house remained silent (at 7:30 AM, Michael and Isaiah were still sleeping). Not wanting to get up for my laptop or ipad I grabbed a notebook from the cabinet near the fireplace and jotted down some clinic notes the old fashioned way!

But now I am back in front of the window watching the birds feast in the snow. This picture of the squirrel watching me from the gazebo feeder is from last weekend.

So Saturday morning, February 2, I left my house at 8 AM to make the 45 minute drive to audit a dressage clinic. The temperature was 12 degrees with a brisk wind when I arrived. I hoped that there was a heated viewing area with sound to watch the lessons, but was not overly optimistic that I would be so lucky. Wearing flannel lined jeans, thermal socks and winter paddock boots, I packed my car with heavy coat, scarf, hat, mittens and two wool coolers. Okay, that stuff pretty much lives in my car much to my husband's dismay (he refers to it as the black hole). Whenever we can't find something Michael turns to Isaiah and says "Go look in Mommy's car. EVERYTHING is in there!" : ) I had inquired about bringing a chair but was told there was seating, so that would not be necessary.

I am not going to name the clinician (who I am not familiar with) or the farm where the clinic was held. There will be descriptions of the horses and level of training at which they are working. The clinician is a USDF Gold/Silver?bronze medalist and has trained a few horses to Grand Prix. I am not an expert...but I have ridden dressage for a number of years with some excellent trainers. These are my own observations, and I am not trying to be an arm chair quarter back....

I arrived in time for the first lesson of the day. It was brutally cold and no, there was not a heated viewing area. I walked into the indoor with me gear and saw a bench. As in one place to hold 3 people. I will always carry my own chair from now on just in case. The bench was fine. I put down my cooler to keep my butt warm and wrapped the rest around my legs. The bench was situated near the open door, and a harsh breeze blew in on occasion. There was only one other person auditing so the seating was sufficient. Beyond 3 spectators there would not have been enough seats, but it is possible that there were some type of additional chairs around if that had become necessary. We have some really comfy folding chairs that fold compactly which I keep in the dressing room of my horse trailer. You just never know when additional seating would be necessary. I should know better, anyway.

The first combination was the farm owner and her Arab gelding working at Prix St Georges/Intermediare I. Something that I was taught early on in my riding career was presentation of horse and rider for a clinic/lesson. The clinician teaches at this farm once a month, so many of the riders know her fairly well, and perhaps that leads to relaxation of standards. But I was taught that out of respect for the instructor and your horse, a clean, tidy and appropriate presentation is in order. It was super cold, so it is difficult to look really tidy, but clean boots, and proper attire can still be accomplished. This first rider was not wearing a helmet. I know, not everyone does, but this was the farm owner/trainer and I feel like she should be setting a better example. The horse was very fuzzy, and I am a firm believer that if you are going to train seriously and regularly through the winter it is in the horse's best interest to clip them. Not even necessarily a body clip. A blanket clip would have helped this guy. Maybe because there are enough people to take the horses from the rider for cool down it is not deemed as important. But this horse was drenched in sweat 30 minutes into the lesson. His tail was tied in a tail bag, and not neatly. I realize that this is common practice for this breed, but again, for a lesson I feel like the tail should be let down and presented nicely. (I feel like George Morris in Practical Horseman Magazine's jumping clinic, with my presentation criticisms!).

So the plan for this combination was to work on the one and two tempi changes at the canter and half steps to work toward piaffe. My initial reaction was that they did not do enough warm up. It was EXTREMELY cold, and they launched right into collected canter. It is possible that the horse had been lunged before I arrived, since some of the other horses were lunged later. But even so, once the rider is mounted a nice loose warm up to get the horse moving through its back really should be done (in my opinion, as this is how I was taught, but I am not an expert). The horse was quite stiff in the neck during the collected canter, but moved out fairly nicely when she asked him to go forward after a line of changes. The 4's and 3's were more honest and clean, but they have just begun the 2's so that is not surprising. I liked that the clinician had the rider do 2 or 3 one tempis followed by a working canter. The exercise worked well for the horse and he relaxed a bit more when asked again. The work in half steps actually looked pretty good, but I still thought the horse was a bit tight in the neck.

The second combination was a gray Arabian gelding with a rider that had not been workinng with him for very long. Apparently the previous rider kept a tight hold on his face making him somewhat nervous about contact. I was appalled by the dirt on the horse's hocks, and again tail in a bag. I had a gray mare, so I know all too well how difficult it is to keep them clean. But I do think that a clinic warrants the extra effort. He too was very fuzzy. I was glad to see the rider wearing a helmet. They worked primarily on getting the horse to move from seat/leg into a soft contact and it was nice to see the horse visibly relax. The rider was nice and quiet with her hands and they produced some really lovely trot work including the spiraling in/leg yielding out circles. In the canter he became a bit tense again, but with some work on and off the 20 meter circle he softened into his rider's hands and relaxed. Then they worked on a little shortening and lengthening exrcises and he adjusted fairly well once he understood. The most appalling event of this lesson was when someone came into the arena with a horse that was wearing a driving harness. She brought him to the corner and hitched him to a cart. Another person got in and immediately trotted away out the arena door! I think they could have at least walked out? I know that horses need to become accustomed to many things but I felt like it was an inappropriate activity for a clinic. The horse being ridden lives at the farm so maybe he is more used to it. (although he did scoot when the cart came lying out of the corner). I feel like I am beginning to sound like a snob or a DQ, but really, I am not! The rider did a fine job and got the horse working nicely under the clinician's instructions.

The third pair. Hmmmm where to start. The horse was a combination of saddlebred/TB and Arab gelding? Also fuzzy but cleaner than the rest. His rider seemed very nervous. She had brought him in earlier to lunge without tack. She was impatient mounting him because he would move his feet a little, but honestly it took her a REALLY long time to get her foot in the stirrup! The horse had been purchased from the clinician a year or so prior, and this person was now training with the farm owner who also rides the horse for her several days a week. They seemed to start off okay, but then the horse began to completely ignore her within the first 5 minutes, exhibiting some of the same tightness issues of the first two horses. The clinician made them face the wall and told the rider to have the horse move sideways while remaining perpendicular to the wall. The horse basically ignored her, swishing his tail, backing up....pretty much doing anything except what was being asked. Over the next 20 minutes or so the clinician held onto the reins and smacked the horse with the whip to get him to move sideways. He kicked, bucked, etc, but eventually would give in for a few steps at a time. There was some yelling at the horse going on as well, which I don't really think helped. Any way, eventually the rider went back out on her own and made the horse stay on the rail and not fall in. He looked much better and almost softened into the contact. However, every time he tried to drift in the rider screamed no at him. While I don't think this is a great tactic, I understand that she wanted to show that she was in control. So in some ways...kudos. They did finish on a positive note. During this lesson the farm owner/trainer brought in a draft cross in a harsh bit because the day before the mare bolted and would not respond to the snaffle. Trainer's comment: "I really though I was going to fall and get a concussion". So you get on the horse AGAIN without a helmet?? During the lesson she was also yelling at the student because she is her regular instructor. I thought this was inappropriate, since another (more qualified) instructor was teaching....whatever! Ultimately the lesson ended well. Clinician said that she would not have done that if he did not know the horse so well, but she knew how he would react to such work. My impression was that he was not behaving quite this way at the time of purchase. Farm owner/trainer has been doing dressage for 6 years and is basically a jack of all trades. TRying not to be too critical but I think that many people completely misunderstand what dressage really is. This woman seemed to have a good seat but the finer nuances do not appear to bethere which shows as holes in the training.

Fourth pair: farm owner on arabian gelding (did not hear age)doing Prix St Georges. Another rider was going to be riding this horse later in the day I think....so each were going to do 30 minutes on him? Again, no real warm up. Launch into canter work with tight neck and work on pirouettes. I liked the way the clinician explained what the issues were regarding activity of the hind legs. Ultimately he ended up doing some nice pirouettes at the end. The person who was going to ride him later in the day has been doing dressage for 6 months and wants to start showing. She has to show the horse at 3rd level because he cannot be ridden in a snaffle bridle.....ugggh. I kind of find that inexcusible. I remember watching footage of Debbie McDonald demonstrating grand prix movements on Brentina....IN A SNAFFLE! Now I understand that some (many?) horses have difficulty doing the upper level movements in a snaffle, but can be ridden in a snaffle to do much of the lower level work. I cringe at the thought of untrained hands holding a curb rein...my visual is not pretty, as I have witnessed this on many occasions. The change to allow 3rd level tests to be ridden in a full bridle was a bit controversial as many people felt that even MORE inexperienced riders would be skiing around on the curb rein. YIKES!! In all fairness, I did not get to see the second rider because the snow started to come down heavier during the next ride and I had a 45 minute hilly ride home ahead of me.

Fifth pair was a 10 year old paint cross gelding and with a rider who really has not done any dressage. She sat next to me watching the other lessons before her ride and was very interested in learning. Her horse had been started at age 2 and then did not do anything for the next 7 years. She has owned him for about a year. The horse was fuzzy but clean. Rider was wearing jeans but I imagine that is what she ordinarily rides in. This pair impressed me beacuse the rider listened to the instruction and the horse responded beautifully and quickly. So although she lacked dressage experience and needs work on seat and legs, she really looked to me to get the most out of the lesson. The horse was softeneing into her hand nicely and the pair was performing some very correct leg yielding at the walk by the end of her lesson. Her warm up consisted of walk, trot and canter, nice and relaxed. During her lesson Farm owner came in twice with reining horses doing the spinny thing (I apologize reiners, I have no idea what that is called, but is pretty cool!)and making quite a ruckus. The next horse that she got on must have done something that I didnt see because she was slamming him into the corner of the arena screaming at him. I won't comment further. Neither horse had a warm up, although they were lunged for 5 minutes earlier in the day.

During that time another person came in to ride and the horse would not move after she got on. She was kicking him and trying to spin him...nothing. The farm owner was riding another horse and talked her through it. This horse had similar issues to the other farm owned horses.....

So it was an intersting day to say the least, but I enjoyed it. There are always take away lessons even if it is what NOT to do. But I did pick up a few interesting tidbits, and even though my teeth were chattering fiercely when I got in my car I was glad that I had attended.

Driving home I thought about the training scale and how it applied to what I had observed that day. Instead of a pyramid, the majority of the horses looked like they had been trained with the small block on the bottom as the foundation, with toppling inevitable. The cute paint, in spite of his 7 year sabatical, managed to have more of a Lincoln Log foundation......very nice to see, and I commend his rider.

The girls were in by the time I got to their barn so I was happily greeted by their eager nickers when I called out to them as I opened the door. Being smothered in snuffles by each of them I took in their beauty, thankful for their presence in my life. Smiling to me self, I said good night, closed the barn door and stepped out into the swirling snow.

No regrets....I would do it all over again

Last week someone who knows me well asked me about my decision to save Suki. "Knowing that you basically have a 'special needs' horse would you do it again?" Her question was without malice, and I understand where the question came from. Although Suki has fully recovered, she requires maintenance that "regular" horses do not. There is no hair across her back and this requires daily moisturizing. Granted there are days here and there that I skip, but for the most part it is a daily regimine. And the skipping of full treatment days has only begun in the past several months. So yes, there are responsibilities that are time consuming and necessary. I try to spend equal time with both girls, which when I am able to ride is easy, but sometimes I feel like Nikki gets short changed with grooming.

Early on during recovery, twice daily visits were required to make sure that the areas that were still healing did not get infected. Then, of course there was the whole bandage issue to keep the last section from getting raw and infected. Finally some progress after the skin graft, but even that was a struggle until we had a special garment made to keep the aggressively rolling Suki from damaging the amazing work of Dr. Fugaro and Team Suki at Centenary College! Now that everything has completely healed there is just routine grooming plus the moisturizing.

I will admit, all of that care has altered my riding career a bit, with Suki's care being so time consuming plus child, husband and demanding career! As disappointing as that has been,I would do it all over again. Many people thought that I was crazy to take on a young horse with everything required to care for Suki. Mentally, emotionally and physically, Nikki was exactly what I needed to help me get through all of it, and I absolutely love her! From a practical standpoint, I agree that the timing was not optimum, and while Nikki is not as far along as she should be in her training, she is smart and talented and I am confident that 2013 will be a turning point for both of us. So keep your eye out for us in the dressage arena!

In spite of ALL of that, yes, I would still choose to save Suki and allow her to recover. I have learned a lot about myself in the process and have met wonderful people. Most of all, I have my beautiful girl and she is happy and healthy. When I look into Suki's eyes every day I know the decision was the right one for all of us. She inspires people and in some cases just makes them smile. Suki's new career is a noble one, and I hope to increase her exposure in 2013-2014 by having the book published, doing visits and hopefully performing in-hand musical freestyle at a variety of venues. So 2013 brings with it some lofty goals for me and my girls, but we are up for the challenge!

On Wednesday (January 30) I made a quick stop at the barn to drop off something. It was too warm to change the girls into heavier clothing for the night, and Deb and Toby were going to take care of that later in the day in addition to grooming the girls. Because of the mud the horses had been turnd out in shifts in the paddocks just outside the barn. I am sure they weere happy to get out!! Nikki was in her stall when I arrived so I was talking to to her and giving her treats. All of a sudden I heard angry nickering and stomping coming from outside. The back door of the barn was closed because some of the horses (Suki and Banker) were in the paddock just behind it. When I opened the door, a very angry Suki stuck her head right in the door at me. She could hear me talking to Nikki and was not happy about the delay! Once Suki was able to touch me she was fine. When Suki was at Centenary for her skin graft I was only able to visit once a week, since it is almost 2 hours from my house. Not to worry....Suki was seriously spoiled while she was at Centenary! On the occasion that I would encounter someone prior to entering the barn Suki could hear me talking. The girls told me that as soon as she heard my voice she whipped her head up from eating hay and nicker softly. I find that to be the most heartwarming sound. I absolutely love when my girls talk to me!

Writing this in the early morning, the snow is once again falling lightly over the mountains. The gazebo bird feeder is very active with numerous pairs of cardinals and doves plus a variety of other birds. They scatter quickly as a family of deer walk through. Once their meal is finished they continue on their way and the birds come back. It was VERY cold when I filled the bird feeders this morning making me feel good about the decision to add a layer to Suki and Nikki's clothing. The barn owner thinks that I worry about this far to much, but I just laugh. I can't help it! It is better for their health to be appropriately clothed since over blanketing and making them sweat and get colder.

There is one thing that I would not do again. The farm where the fire occured had insurance money available to horses injured in a barn fire. Up to $10,000 per horse or $40,000 total for all horses qualifying. Needless to say the insurance company turned us down without any real reason. I consulted an attorney about contacting the insurance company, because as the policy is written I was entitled to some money. $10,000 would not even begin to cover all of the expenses but it certainly would have helped. Foolishly, although I did not completely agree with how it was going to be handled I thought the end result would get the insurance company to turn over some money. I don't want something that I am not entitled to, but that policy indicated that I was supposed to receive payment. Back and forth they went, with a lot of dollars spent. They refused to settle and wanted to go to court. I have decided not to pursue it further. I still owe attorney fees and do not want to incur more, including paying expert witnesses, court fees, etc. It angers me that they won. So the thing that I would NOT do again would be trying to obtain insurance money through an attorney. Now I have fees from that and the insurance company will not be paying out to me even though the policy states that it should. Lesson learned. I have my beautiful Suki, and that is what matters the most.

Why do I always say how much I love winter??

I really do love winter. The way the cold hits my face when I walk out the door, and the crunching sound the gravel makes as I walk from my car to the barn. I don't, however, love the threat of frozen water buckets and outdoor footing unsuitable for any type of equestrian activity. Well, I suppose Nikki and I could do some walking in hand exercises, but let's face it by 4:30 in the afternoon the temperatures drop quickly and there is only so much of that cold face slapping that I can take!

The water buckets are filled late morning after the stalls are cleaned so by the time the horses come in there is a thin film of ice covering the surface. My concern is that some horses won't push their noses through even the thinnest layers of ice and as the night progresses those buckets surely freeze. So I go in and shake each horse's bucket (in addition to those belonging to my girls) so that everyone has an opportunity to drink. Suki always takes a long drink after I do this like she hasn't had water in years. Personally I believe this is for effect, since it is usually obvious that she has already taken water from the other bucket. Always the drama queen!

I confess, the past few nights I have not even taken Suki and Nikki out of their stalls. I have added layers of blankets, fed treats and moisturized Suki's neck, but those blankets did not come off. Some of this has to do with my continuing recovery from that awful flu that the child brought home to me (and my husband LOVES to point out that he had a flu shot and did not get sick). I am so tired by the end of the day (because of the flu) that a full grooming in the cold barn just doesn't work for me. But I also feel guilty removing the blankets to groom. Yes, I have coolers to keep half the body warm while I groom, but instead I have been just grooming legs, faces and necks, conditioning tails and picking feet. So far the girls seem fine. My love affair with winter, not so much. These are extreme temperatures right now and we are heading for a warm up back into the low thirties for next week which will undoubtedly feel like a heat wave. That's when I will go back to loving winter.

Nikki does not seem all that bothered by my abbreviated groomings in her stall. She smushes her face into me requesting an ear rub and continues to dunk her hay. Suki, on the other hand, appears to be quite annoyed and slighted by the subpar treatment. Every time I open the door to walk out of her stall I feel a big head presssed against my back as she tries to follow me out the door. Because I am not going to notice 1400lbs of chestnut mare attached to me, right? Suki is so funny. She obviously wants to come out on the cross ties and receive a full grooming/spa treatment accompanied by gummy bear bribes and fussing from me. It's not like the horses are not going outside every day and she just wants to be out of her stall. She is going out in the pasture regularly and when I arrive at the barn, has probably only been inside for 30 minutes or so. Maybe it is just that special bond that Suki and I share. Or maybe she is just super demanding! : )

Friday, January 25, 2013
As the cold snap continues (but now warming to 21 degrees!)I keep the girls bundled in layers. Each day I check to make sure that Suki and Nikki are not too warm under their clothing and not chilly. You know, that perfect temperature. I sweep my hand under the blankets to feel their bodies. Sweating underneath can cause a chill, and although I am probably over protective, I do take my job as their "mother" seriously. Today I went to the barn early because of the approaching snow. The winding hilly roads to the barn will be covered with snow quickly so I wanted to get there early before the snow starts.

I am sitting in the room at the front of the house (the library) writing this watching the snow fall silently over the mountains. My visit earlier brought Suki right to the fence, waiting for me to get out of the car. Yes, that is a sheet on top, but underneath is her Rambo heavy, and a blanket liner! What a joyous sight it is to be greeted by this face....it always reminds me how close I came to losing her.

Nikki was eating hay near the gate of her pasture when I arrived, so after greeting her majesty, Suki and offering treats to her and Banker I walked through the barn to see Nikki. I couldn't get a good photo, but I love this one....how did I get so lucky to have such beautiful girls.....

The day I met Nikki, age 2.... I am such a sucker....love at first sight!

I finally found a clinic to audit! Two in fact!! One was supposed to be tomorrow, but was rescheduled to next Saturday. So I will go to that one and another on the 10th of February! Yay! I am also hoping to re-connect with local dressage people in anticipation of my spring competition goals.

My love affair with winter continues......

It's COLD!

Having been felled by the flu for the past week, I am finally beginning to feel human again. I should have realized that I was being cocky when I bragged last Monday that I had not caught the flu from Isaiah, who came home from school Friday January 11 with a fever. For the next couple of days I had a feverish 6 year old glued to me. Typically I would have been sick by Sunday night....that is how the timing usually works for me, so I figured I was safe. Isaiah was off to school on Monday recovered excpet for a lingering cough. I was relieved to have been spared. Tuesday morning I had a scratchy throat, by Tuesday night I had a fever, chills, aches.... uggh! Fortunately Deb and Toby were taking care of the girls Wednesday, but they ended up filling in for me on Thursday and Friday as well. Saturday I made a brief visit, still exhausted from the flu.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Still feeling the after effects (and deep chest cough) from the flu I went out to the girls late in the afternoon. The warmth of the day was turning into an evening chill, and temperatures were expected to continue to plummet. The sun felt warm and I tilted my face to the sky when I got out of my car by the barn savoring what was sure to be the last of the warmth for awhile. As I turned to look for the girls at the top of their pastures I heard Suki nicker as she trotted toward the gate. The trot turned into a gallop and Nikki followed immediately after in her field. If anything was going to make me feel better it is the sight of my beautiful girls so clearly demonstrating their joy in my arrival.

Suki was, of course, muddy from head to toe. Nikki is usually not as ambitious with her rolling so was not quite as bad. It felt good to be with them, even though the grooming process was completely draining! Preparing for the drop in temperatures I bundled them up a little warmer. Suki had dropped a little weight a month or so ago, and although her grain has been increased, and she gets a large quantity of hay, I am not seeing that much of an improvement. The girls are wormed regularly so I don't think that has anything to do with it. I am thinking that maybe the addition of some Equine Senior may help. They both get Fast Track supplement and although I stopped the flax seed supplement I give them flax cookies instead. I am not a fan of beet pulp so I will have to investigate feeds and supplements to determine my next step. One of my concerns is that she is no longer getting the same feed that I had her on when we moved there, although it is the same protein content. Saturday I will talk to the folks at Oley Valley Feed and see what they suggest.

Once again with the extreme cold I am concerned about the tips of Suki's ears and the danger of frost bite. The edges where the original tips came off do not have hair. My veterinarians have assured me that this is not a problem. It never has been, but I just like to worry about it!

Monday, January 21, 2013
As predicted the temperatures have dipped with colder weather and strong winds headed our way tonight and tomorrow. The girls seemed warm in their clothing so I dindn't change anything, but I will re-evaluate Tuesday. The water buckets are not heated so hopefully the buckets will not freeze over night. Suki and Nikki both drain their two buckets daily and it is crucial for horses to remain well hydrated in the winter. I think sometimes that people forget that.

Days like this always make me say "Now I know why people take their horses to Florida in the winter". Maybe some day I will be joining them. I like to think I will be able to do this after my book is published and then Suki and I can do some "meet and greet" and book signings While I have Nikki down there competing. Of course it doesn't help that every day on Dressage Daily are reports about the fabulous show season where the who's who of the equestrian gather to prepare for the regular season and make their mark. Granted, there are primarily "regular" people competing as well. But the winter in Wellington/West Palm really does offer the opportunity to watch riders at the top of the sport.

But I honestly do love winter. It is making me a little blue this year because the lack of indoor will prevent me from riding until spring, and at this rate I may not be able to even lunge the girls for awhile. And my goal of finding dressage clinics to audit has not been very successful either. Maybe in February....Watching others have lessons might not seem like much but it does sharpen the eye and learn what to do and not to do! Something I always find entertaining is when the clinic is with a celebrity rider that often end with a Q & A session. I find that while some have genuine questions based on what they have observed that day others take the opportunity to brag about themslves and their horses. In fact, at the end of their monologue it is often difficult to dissect the question that is allegedley hidden in the carefully planned speech! Such fun! Maybe I should just go spend the day with Heather and watch her teach all day.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Because of the extreme cold and wind I decided to do abbreviated grooming and spa for the girls tonight. I brushed everything not covered by a blanket, picked feet and conditioned tails. The only areas I moisturized on Suki were her face and neck, just what is exposed to the elements. Adding another layer to each of them they were good for the night. My fingers were frozen but the girls are cozy and warm. A thin layer of ice had formed on their water buckets which had been filled in the morning so I swirled the water around to get rid of any chunks. Bundled with a scarf around my head I ran to my car! I have a really great scarf from when I lived in upstate New York that fits over my head, under a riding helmet then ties like a scarf. It's awesome! The cold is here to stay for awhile so I guess we'd better get used to it!

Suki soaking up the sun

Nikki sucking up for a treat

The New Normal

While reading an article about the wounded warrior equestrian program, I suddenly realized how frequently we hearthe phrase "the new normal". Typically this is used in reference to people who have had their lives dramatically altered due to illness or injury, such as becoming a paraplegic. Learning to live daily life requires re-learning of daily activities changing the way they lived before. So I started to dissect this phrase a bit while grooming the girls yesterday....

I started with Jenny. Jenny was purchased as an unstarted 2 year old. Having worked with a few people starting horses under saddle I felt that I was well-prepared to take on the challenge. Still in graduate school with limited funds, buying a young horse was the only way to get a high quality dressage prospect at a low price. I have one thing to say: ignorance is bliss! Armed with the confidence of youth I embarked on my journey with Jenny. Jenny was two when I bought her and really knew nothing. The day I went to see her she was standing in the indoor arena waiting to show me her stuff. As I walked in she turned to look at me, nickered and executed a beautiful floating trot over to me. I was sold! After bringing her home, I started with ground training. The daily normal was grooming followed by leading and brief lunging lessons. Soon we moved onto wearing a bridle and eventually a saddle. The normal day was grooming, putting on saddle and bridle then lunging. Jenny graduated to side reins, then was finally ready for weight. Once Jenny was comfortable with that the daily "normal" was lunging followed by brief periods of riding. The best day was when I realized (while sitting on Jenny's back) that the new normal was RIDING@!!!

Fast forward to Suki. She arrived from Canada with 30 days under saddle, which included 2 weeks of lunging without a rider. So she basically had been ridden for two weeks. The normal day was to work Suki in the round pen, first without tack, then fully tacked up. After I sat on her back the first time we did round pen work followed by riding in the roundpen. After awhile it was lunging prior to riding, then just riding.....The new normal was awesome! Riding my beautiful chestnut mare. Winter normal went back to adding lunging before riding, because 3 year old Suki needed to be reminded to focus before I got on her back! So I think that the new normal is really just changes that have occurred because of progress or....changes in one's life.

Admittedly, the new normal after a life-altering incident requires quite a bit more adjustment. Having to re-learn procedures such as eating, speaking, teeth brushing etc can have a profound effect on a person's brain and their outlook on life. Some approach it with gusto, saying they will conquer again, while others are more timid and have difficulty accepting their new circumstances.

During Suki's seven week stay in ICU everything in my life seemed to be in limbo. Because New Bolton is over an hour away from my home I was only able to visit 5 days a week. It was a difficult new schedule but I felt that Suki needed to see me regularly and I needed to be a part of her recovery. It was wonderful when the "new normal" part of my visit was to groom the new hair and anywhere on her body that I could. Of course I nearly burst into tears buying new grooming tools at Unionville saddlery! Suki's life revolved around treaments during the course of her day and then finally being hand walked through the halls of ICU 4 times a day.

Moving Suki to Kelly's farm in Fleetwood for rehab once again altered my schedule. Only 25 minutes from home and 15 minutes from my office made more frequent visits possible and did not require a 5 hour block of time. That new normal was far less demanding and I enjoyed having a more active role in Suki's care, although Kelly performed the daily medications, etc. The new normal for Suki was that she was able to see other horses and finally able to go outside again! Only able to go out before sunrise and after sunset initially she was able to really stretch her legs once again, showing off her lovely gaits in the paddock just outside her stall. Contractors who were working at the other end of the barn would stop to watch my big chestnut mare piaffe, passage and pirouette as she tossed her head with glee....Suki was clearly enjoying her new normal! But what goes through their mind I wonder? This was a horse, who prior to the fire was used to training 6 days a week, and was now just happy to be able to get outside again. So many adjustments.....

Moving to a regular boarding situation 9 months later finally gave Suki a glimpse at being a regular horse. At Kelly's she was finally able to go out for extended periods since most of the hair on her face had grown back and she was able to wear clothing to cover the rest of her sensitive skin. Moving to a barn less than 10 minutes from my house she would meet her new "baby sister" Nikki and they were to be turned out together. The best new normal for Suki at this point was being weaned onto over night turnout for the summer months.

So many things have changed at this point. There are no more bandages or wounds to deal with just dry skin and muddy coat. Suki is lunged regularly and will increase work again once spring arrives.

Since I started to think about the concept of the new normal while reading about the Wounded Warrior Equestrian Program I realized its importance: Wounded veterans working with horses learn to accept the limitations brought on by their injuries. They realize that their lives DO have value even if they were at the darkest depths of despaur wondering how to continue. Suki has had visits from burn survivors and I would love for her to have visits from men and women in the Wounded Warrior program. We all have so much to learn from one another.
http://www.hoofsandboots.org/

On a lighter note....I have noticed that someone's horse keeps pooping at the gate just inside the riding arena and they never pick it up. Just as it is pounded down another one appears....is this the new normal???

Learning to accept the things I cannot change

Last week I was going through some magazines, sorting them for review, recycle keep. My reading appetite is legendary in my family. Taught to read before age 3 by my mother I have been a voracious reader my entire life. Our home library pays homage to this past time! My tastes and interests are ecclectic, ranging from biographies, to historical novels to chick lit (yes, it's true, but who doesn't love a guilty pleasure from time to time!) and everything in beteween. I also am a very fast reader enabling me to read a 300-400 page book on a 2 1/2 hour flight. The more intense ones take a bit longer, admittedly. With magazines I read every article and those include horse magazines, art, ballet, business, WSJ, Vogue, Elle, Town and Country, Traditional Home, Elle Decor, Food and Wine, Entrepreneur, etc. As the magazines stack up I go back through and pull articles to refer to, clothing I like, recipes, etc. then send the magazines for recycling.

So as I was going through a pile I stumbled upon an extra copy of Equus magazine, August 2010. That issue contained an article about Suki and the fire. As I sat on the floor reading it, every single emotion that I had experienced came flooding back all at once. The graphic photos made me wince, and I could understand why some people would have thought that she was in a lot of pain. I just sat there and cried. Reading again, what veterinarians' impressions were, along with treatment goals and potential complications made me shake my ahead in amazement....how was it even possible for Suki to overcome such odds! The dedication of the doctors and nurses kept Suki comfortable guiding her to recovery. I have always said that Suki's own amazing fortitude also kept her fighting to win the battle to survival. Others have maintained that my love for Suki evidenced by the time I spent with her during her 7 weeks in ICU also showed her the way. A comment made by Dr. Kelly Kalf helped me to understand Suki's determination: "Day 2 Suki lifted her head, and we never looked back". Suki ate, drank and demanded treats and attention the same way she had before the fire. We were always prepared for major setbacks and complications, which thankfully never came. Some of the photos in the article were incredibly difficult to look at and I remember receiving some comments about how selfish and cruel I was for putting my horse through such an ordeal. I had been prepared to make the decision for Suki to be euthanized if at any time she was thought to be in extreme pain or she would live a life that was not full and enjoyable. That was a decision I never had to make.
Here is the article:

I cannot change people's opinions and the vast majority believe that I did the right thing by sparing Suki's life and allowing her to recover. I wish sometimes that I could go back and change the events as they occurred. Acknowledged the warning signs at a boarding barn that seemed destined to fail. Or IF ONLY I had allowed her to be on night turnout....she would never have even been in the barn that night. Those are the biggest things I cannot change no matter how much I wish I was able to. At the time I made the best decisions I could with the available information and for how well I knew my horse.

While it is extremely difficult to look at these photos, and read the article, I do so knowing that I still have my beautiful girl. That she is happy and healthy, and due to the tremendous dedication and help that I received taking care of her I am able to hug her every day and know in my heart that the decision to go forward with treatment was the right one.

Another unchangeable situation: a person's opinion on what is best for all horses without taking personality or equestrian discipline into consideration. Yes, horses do have certain basic needs such as adequate turnout, good hay, shelter and quality grain, etc that must be fulfilled for their health, safety and well-being. But they also need regular grooming and attention. Allowing a horse's legs to remain muddy for weeks at a time can lead to problems. Now, I realize that sometimes there are circumstances where this is unavoidable, but I have a tough time dealing with management that makes comments such as "it's just a horse, a little mud isn't going to kill them". Very true, but when left unattended for extended periods there are health, soundness and well-being issues that can evolve. I also think that the way we turn out horses and bring them in can lead to many bad habits, some of them even dangerous. Allowing horses to run into the barn and into their stalls can lead to injury. I believe each should be led with a halter and lead rope, not just a rope around their neck, unless you are in an emergency situation or the horse is unable to wear a halter for whatever reason. Just saying....

Anyway, the girls are fine although Nikki has apparently been a bit wild when being brought in. No comment. I brought her in yesterday and she was fine. Personally, I don't think she gets along that well with her new pasture mate who was rearing and striking when I went to get Nikki one time. She has now started to spin and kick at him, something she had not ever done before....

Suki had a few scrapes on her left hind sock that while superficial, are fairly large. They seem to be healing well and I have been wrapping her legs at night over antibiotic ointment covered by gauze. For the past few days I have been able to go over in the morning to remove the bandages, but now that I have returned to work that will be more difficult.

Tonight the scrapes were much improved so after I cleaned the area I applied a nice thick ointment that serves as a bandage. Blanket changes with the slightly warmer weather, of course..... Both girls were in a happy mood,erasing any tension that I felt before I walked into the barn. The healing power of horses.....