Andreas Hausberger Clinic (Part 1)

July 20, 2013
First I must say I believe that I have died and gone to heaven.  My day started with a lovely ride on Nikki.  It was already humid at 7 AM but not quite as hot as days past when it was in the mid 90's and humid!  Don't you hate when people say "it's not the heat, it's the humidity"? I lived in Texas for a year where the heat was drier.  It IS TO THE HEAT!  But I will agree the humidity definitely makes it worse.  The bugs were awake early also, judging by the way Suki raced me down the driveway!  It was mostly in extended trot but she did break to canter for a few strides.  Nikki came to the gate a little less ambitiously but was anxious to get in as well.  In spite of her slower journey to the gate Nikki was quite energetic for our morning ride.  The sun was behind the clouds the entire time which certainly helped our effort.  It was a day for some basic exercises including spiraling in at trot and canter followed by leg yielding out to 20 meters. Nikki was light in my hand for the most part but became a bit heavier as fatigue set in.  We pushed beyond that to regain lightness and finished.

The ride was followed by several hours of getting the house (by that I mean laundry and all instructions for Monday and Tuesday) in order then packing and heading out on my five hour drive to New Berlin, NY and Waltzing Horse Farm for the Andreas Hausberger clinic.

I am staying at a small B & B approximately 15 minutes from the farm.  The Shamrock and Thistle.

The road to the B & B

The view from the porch

After suffering through mid to upper 90 degree temperatures and oppressive humidity, the need for a sweatshirt was welcome, indeed!  I felt like I had landed in a little slice of heaven.  All I can hear are the sounds of birds and bull frogs, with the occasional bark from one of the three adorable dogs (a red setter, an irish setter and a collie) when they have found something to chase.  A glass of wine and an evening to myself.  That is such a rare occurrence in my life so I am trying to take advantage of it and not feel too guilty.  I have three days of clinic ahead of me, and my friend Beth is joining me Sunday night.  I think I owe Michael a few days of surf fishing this fall!

July 21, 2013
I am writing this while sitting on the front porch, wearing a sweatshirt inspired by the view, the lessons learned and new friends.
Day one of the clinic
The first ride was at 7 so an early start was in order.  After a good night's sleep and a lovely breakfast I was off to find the farm.  I was given directions as the GPS apparently takes seasonal roads which translates to dirt roads.  Not to worry, I had no difficulty finding Waltzing Horse Farm (turn left after Amish farm) and quickly found a front row seat for observation.
Ride 1 (I missed the intro on this horse but it looked like a Lipizzaner).  The first thing that I noticed is that Andreas is very direct with his teaching.  Additionally, I have observed and ridden with a number of "big name" people and some are very impressed with their own importance.  Sometimes the audience is that way also.  Name dropping, pretending to ask a question but really using it as an opportunity to talk about themselves.  None of that going on!  How refreshing!  So this rider was not sitting quite as deeply as necessary and was standing on her toes in the stirrups.  AH: "You are standing on your toes in the stirrups.  We take them away now."  Of course her seat improved and so did the horse.  They worked a lot on transitions within the gaits, and AH required very definite distinction between collected, working and medium.  Explanations were clear and concise.  Not a large man, Andreas was an imposing figure in the arena, standing quite straight and carrying a long whip to use for encouragement.  For some instructors that comment would be in quotation marks, as I have seen many use the whip too aggressively with the riders and horses.  He emphasized with many of the riders, but starting with the first one about not "chasing" with the seat, or driving too much.  AH followed behind the rider as she walked on the rail and did the "driving" lightly at the hocks with his whip, instructing the rider to only think about position in the saddle and softening with the hands.

Ride 2: danish warmblood 19 years old.  The owner has not had the horse very long and previous owner(s) apparently did him no favors.  Another theme emerged: quickness of response of the rider.  The rider is a professional and clearly had brought him along nicely since his arrival.  They worked a bit on connection and again not over driving.  AH spoke about"playing" with the hands, but in no way does this mean seesawing as we so frequently observe in riders.  He spoke about moving the fingers and the wrists, being sure to give but not throw away the contact.  "Respond quicker and faster" said Andreas.  They did some work on spiraling in at the canter, leading to half pirouettes.  It was a nice segue and worked well for the horse. Andreas lightly tapped the horses hind end in rhythm.  The horse responded by maintaining a nice cadence and engaging his hind end.  Because the touch was soft and light the horse did not seem bothered by it.   Heading to the rail Andreas worked the horse in half steps while lightly tapping the hocks.  Each small response was rewarded with a hearty "Good man" and clap on the neck.  Bigger responses received sugar cubes as well.  The SRS must go through A LOT of dots!

Ride 3: Arabian gelding.  Owner had a bit f a bad experience when he took off with her, so she has a bit of anxiety.  Wearing a safety vest she explained that the year before at the clinic her horse had been stuck which they had tried to address.  Ultimately the horse was diagnosed with gastritis, treated, and improved immensely.  I think sometimes we under estimate the physical issues, thinking instead that certain issues are behavioral.  I experienced this with Suki....but that's another story for another time, explained more fully in my book.  I wondered how Andreas, Chief Rider at the SRS and Director of training would handle a more novice rider with severe anxiety.   I have seen lesser instructors become impatient in similar situations.  AH was very patient with the rider, working her in walk and trot only.  He managed to push her past her comfort zone by having her "play" small with the reins and not constantly squeezing with her legs.
This was another theme that emerged. Legs hanging lightly.  Horse does not respond to light squeeze, give a kick.  That is not new to me as this is always the goal, and I have always been taught this way.  Not that I always do it, per se, but I do try!  Keeping the rider at the walk and doing the driving while she focused on her seat and softening the front end.  There was a definite improvement by the end of the lesson.

Ride 4: 6 year old Andalusian/Hanoverian cross.  AH asked questions about what she had been doing with the horse.  She had been doing some in hand work so AH asked the rider to show him what she has been doing.  She seemed a bit nervous (who wouldn't be!) so he started to help her.  Rider at head, Andreas with whip at hocks.  Her job was to keep the horse on the rail and moving forward while he tried to elevate the horse in his back.  AH is very patient, always realizing that the horse may not understand but quick to react.  He felt that the rider was not responding quickly enough at the front end.  It all improved and the rider mounted.  Rider has a very nice seat, which Andreas complimented her for immediately.  But with that he still felt that she was not responding quickly enough with her aids when necessary.  They worked a bit on movement within the gaits: working, medium, collected.  When he says medium he means medium.  No waffling in between.  This helped sharpening of the aids and there was further discussion about playing with the reins by lifting the ring finger.  No elbow and arm movement.  Once again transformation of horse softly and happily in the contact, up in the back and engaged behind.

Rider 5: Lusitano stallion.  Rider said that he does not like in hand work because very mouthy with erson at head.  Doing piaffe work, so AH asked to see it.  She kept moving quite forward so AH asked if he had misunderstood and she said passage.  Rider said no, just starting piaffe and half steps.  Well, that's different than schooling piaffe, eh? So once they had that all straightened out AH worked with the horse along the rail, asking for half steps.  He seemed a bit tight in the back, but started to relax once he began to understand.  AH's patience and constant reward visibly relaxed the horse and he began to respond.  The rider has a very nice seat and the horse responded well as they did exercises to adjust gaits and ask the horse to soften through playing.  This rider too was over driving and once she stopped, the horse came up in his back under her guidance.

Mid morning we stopped for a break, and Waltzing Horse Farm put out a lovely selection of cheeses for everyone to enjoy.  Finally able to shed my sweatshirt, we all settled in for another 3 hours of education.

Next up: POA mare.  She was very resistant in the beginning, trying to stick her head in the air.  Andreas worked them through numerous transitions to find the connection.  To feel what she was doing as a rider, he clasped her hands and asked her to "play" with the reins.  Once AH showed the rider what she should be feeling, they walked forward again and the mare showed signs of relaxation and submission.

10 year old girl on hunter pony.  Very cute pair.  AH was not easy on her in spite of her age and limited understanding of dressage.  As with the other riders he patiently explained what he was asking for and through transitions, changes within the gaits the pony dropped her head softly.

Connemara Stallion: a bit tight in the back with lateral work.  Long reins tomorrow

Overall I was impressed by the response of horse and rider through careful explanation and useful exercises.  AH emphasized the importance of in hand work as well.  Do not over drive, soft in the hands, reward often. With my head spinning I headed back to the inn.

Showered and dressed in a sweater, I sat with a glass of wine on the porch.  I can't even tell you how long it has been since I have been this relaxed.  I even forgot to text Deb to ask about the girls!  Instead I worked on the Suki book and enjoyed my surroundings, looking forward to day two.

Life and an anniversary

Well, it seems that time has gotten away from me once again!  The aftermath of the two conferences plus additional projects at work have given me few opportunities to write.  Isaiah's summer schedule is not easy as far as camp timing so riding opportunities have been limited.  I do go to the barn each night to groom both girls, but have not had enough time to ride except on the weekends.  Thankfully Louise has been keeping Nikki going for me.

The two day-camps that Isaiah is attending this summer (the Montessori where he attended preschool and kindergarten and the Reading Public Museum Discovery camps) were both closed the week of July 1.  We found this out late, but planned an impromptu vacation to a Hilton resort in Virginia Beach.  Neither Michael nor I had ever been there so we thought we would give it a try.  The plan was to leave early AM July 4 and return Monday July 8.

Wednesday July 3: Ripley at kennel: check; bags packed: check: arrangements for Cecil and Bentley to be fed: check; Suki and Nikki arrangements: check.
Wednesday PM: Bentley vomits in the kitchen.  No big deal, right?  Cats vomit.  This was not a hair ball.  Just undigested food.  For the next couple of hours I noticed that Bentley was posturing strangely.  I tried to palpate his bladder but he wouldn't allow me to pick him up.  During my restless night I checked on him several times and he just did not seem right to me.

Thursday, July 4: 6 AM: Bentley did not come right to breakfast which is unusual for him.  He did eat when offered food but posturing was still unusual.  The litter box had a wet spot in it but we have two cats.  Then I saw Bentley enter the litter box and try to urinate....nothing.  My suspicions were confirmed.  Urinary blockage.  I called the emergency vet and off we went.  Bentley was unblocked successfully but would need to remain in hospital for at least 48 hours.  While we could have had someone pick him up, Bentley will require close observation.  That's a lot of responsibility to place on someone, plus we would worry the entire time.  Hotel cancelled (Thank you HiltonHonors status waiving all fees!)  Isaiah was crushed, of course, and we were all disappointed not to spend some much needed family relaxation time at the beach.  But the health of our four-legged family members is very important, so we will just have to plan something for a later date.

Bentley reblocked immediately upon catheter removal.  He was re-catheterized but I started to think that a perianal urethrostomy might  be in his future.  When the second catheter was removed Bentley blocked again.  It was not due to crystal formation, but perhaps an anatomical issue or spontaneous spasm of the urethra.  Douglassville Animal Hospital was highly recommended as apparently not all veterinary hospitals perform this procedure.  It is critical to select a doctor who has performed the surgery many times, and that was the case with one of the vets at Douglassville.  We transferred Bentley immediately and he had surgery the next day.  He is now resting comfortably at home (July 10) and doing great!  The care and service was awesome and we have our sweet Bentley home.  He gets antibiotics and pain meds twice a day, but is eating well, snuggling with his favorite stuffed dog (he likes to "nurse" on the dog) and purring like a mad man.  So we are all relieved.

Bentley, sequestered in a guest room

July 9, 2013
Has it really been four years?  Sometimes it seems like just yesterday and others, like it was 100 years ago.  I can so vividly remember the first telephone call from Bobbi alerting me to the fire, and the frantic night ahead.  But I don't think about that if I can help it.  Instead I try to focus on Suki's survival and how much hope and inspiration that she has brought to so many people.  The July/August issue of Warmbloods Today magazine contains an article (by me) about Suki.  It was difficult to keep the word count down, so some details have been lost to editing.  My book contains more detail without making it cumbersome.
http://warmbloodstoday.biz/Suki-WBT-JulyAug2013.pdf

Last year we toasted with champagne, but this year I just wanted to honor the day, and Suki, quietly.  She survived and continues to thrive.  That is the most important thing.  I read something today that hit my heart: The phrase "everything will be alright." When someone says this to us I think we perceive it to mean that all will turn out the way we hope it will.  How many times during Suki's recovery did people say that to me?  Well meaning, and a way of consoling, it is a heartfelt sentiment when offered.  But these words struck a chord: " It's not that everything will turn out the way you wish, but if you live your life with grace and dignity you will be able to handle anything that comes your way."  I think that this embodies Suki's courage.  I remember thinking about all that was lost with that fire.  But really, life is full of changes.  Sometimes unwanted changes.  You can ignore it and pretend it is not happening or embrace it and make your life better not only in spite of it but because of it.  Many lessons have come in light of the tragedy.  We continue to forge ahead.

Riding in this heat has been crazy, but early morning rides seem to help.  The down side is that the arena has full sun in the morning.  When I arrive at the barn shortly before 7 AM the girls are ready to come in.  One morning they actually ran to the gate.  I felt like we were racing down the driveway!
I have kept the rides light in the extreme heat, focusing primarily on transitions and lateral work.  On days that were not quite so oppressive I added shortenings and lengthenings within the gaits, and Nikki seems to be offering some real signs of a formidable medium trot.  She gets a little heavy in the hand at the canter when it is hot so I try to do that work earlier in our ride, knowing full well that we need to build stamina.  But my goodness she is fun to ride!

I admit that on the first very hot day I pushed myself more than I should have.  Nikki recovered well, I gave her many breaks.  But during our cool out walk on a long rein I suddenly felt chills and knew that it was time to dismount.  Quickly I got Nikki into the barn and untacked her, noting that her respiration was completely normal.  I threw a wet towel over her back and grabbing a Gatorade I sat on bales of shavings in front of the fan.  Recovery was quick then, but a lesson learned.

I was able to work Suki on the lunge a couple of cool mornings and in hand on those days that were not quite so agreeable.  The greenhead flies were particularly bad on some occasions, but we got through it.  Now in the middle of an even hotter heat wave, Suki will not work and Nikki has short early AM or evening rides.  We are not pushing it.

Suki must wear clothing at all times when outside, but during the heat of the day in her stall in front of a fan she can be naked. This is a huge development from last summer.  Even so, it is still fairly hot when the girls go out for the night so I hate putting on a fly sheet.  But it is a necessity and Suki seems to do fine.  I recently bought a more open mesh fly sheet but because it does not have enough protection across the top of the back where Suki does not have hair.  My awesome blanket person, Donna, is adding a bit of breathable fabric to that section.  I think that it will work.

So as the heat continues we will work carefully and on some days not at all.  I can't wait for the heat to break, but will be cautious about wishing for winter!

There's always something part 2 (and ANOTHER conference)

So I returned from the ASCO conference on June 4 followed by a whirlwind of writing reports and preparing to leave for EHA in Stockholm one week later.  Saturday, June 8 I finally had an opportunity to ride.  The stress of work and preparing my family for my next absence weighed heavily on my mind as I went to the barn.  The girls were happy to see me and willingly came in.  Suki galloped to the gate and to a sliding stop and a few steps of piaffe (how DOES she do that?  Making me completely nervous, of course.  We had had a bit of rain (so the sliding was greatly enhanced sending mud clumps flying into my back.  Nikki followed behind at her own leisurely pace, ears pricked forward.  The walk was lovely.  Long strided and swinging.  I love watching my girls do what they do at liberty, thrilled that they are also willing to do it under saddle.  (except for that sliding stop thing!)

Suki called to Nikki only briefly as we headed out of the barn to the arena.  I placed my foot in the stirrup and as I swung my leg over Nikki's back and settled into the saddle the stress dissipated.  I reached forward, patted Nikki on the neck and smiled up at the sky.  It was hot and sunny but I certainly have ridden in worse conditions and Nikki was forward with nice energy.  Leg yielding to the ride I tried not to try so hard, and to stay relaxed.  Nikki responded nicely and performed an effortless leg yield.  After doing that in both directions a few times I changed the bend for a few steps of half pass.  Not brilliant, but seemingly correct in her bend and effort.

I was limited to only a portion of the arena because I was reprimanded by a kildeer who had laid some eggs in a nest that was constructed in the arena.  She jumped out of the nest and squawked at us the first time I went around so I limited how far I rode.  If I rode within 10 feet mama bird yelled at me but did not leave her nest again since I kept my distance.

After my ride I took my time with both girls enjoying their presence and ability to bring me such peace. Once the second conference is over I will finally have time to do more riding and to get Suki into a lunging surcingle, then lunge lines.  I think I was overly optimistic in my assessment of when this would actually get started.  But there is no hurry.  I will take my time and maybe still get to sit o the big girl come fall.

Sunday I rode again and was saddened to see that the eggs were no longer in the nest.   I rode at 7 AM after Suki and Nikki had been out over night.  They started to walk to the gate as I came down the driveway then started to trot when I got out of the car.  Nikki had good energy again which surprised me a little since she had been out over night without having time to doze for a couple of hours.  This time I worked a lot on serpentines with shortening and lengthening of stride incorporated into it.  Nikki responded nicely and adjusted to the requests willingly.  It was such a lovely morning and riding at the start of the day puts me in the best mood!

I repeated some of the work from the day before then moved on to some spiraling exercises and shortening/lengthening of stride.  I could feel a very nice lengthening at the trot and Nikki was able to adjust quickly when asked.  Finishing up with some serpentines Nikki seemed happy and stretched her neck down at the walk to cool out.

Originally I was going to lunge Suki but decided to do some in hand work instead.  Just some leading exercises to sharpen her response.  She was quite intent on listening to me as I could see the concentration in her face with her ear cocked back listening.  At one point she vocalized a low rumbling nickerwhich coincided with heightened response. She did not seem uncomfortable or nervous, just very responsive. I am curious to see if she does it again.  I ran my hands all over her to see if there was some discomfort but could not find anything.  But it didn't seem like discomfort or distress at the time.  In fact she seemed more focused.....

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Leaving for EHA in Stockholm today.  Monday night I didn't have time to ride so I just groomed both girls and went home to finish trip preparations.  There is always so much to do before I leave especially when there is barely a week between trips.

Shortly before the driver taking me to the airport was to arrive I received a phone call from Christine.  She had gone out in the field to get Nikki and there was a huge cut on her head requiring stitches.  The vet had already called and Christine was going to meet him.  After walking the fence line and finding no evidence of wear the injury may have occurred it was suspected that Suki had kicked her.  The mark up by the forelock looked suspiciously like part of a hoof mark.  I actually find this hard to believe.  Suki makes faces and even lunges, but never makes contact.  And I have never known her to spin and kick.  Nikki respects Suki's alpha mare status and always moves away allowing Suki to com to the gate first, get a treat first, etc.  When Christine went out into the field the two horses were peacefully grazing, so I guess we will never know.

This photo is from the Friday after.  The stitches are up around the forelock and the lower wound is just superficial.

She required 15+ stitches around the forelock area, but the part of the cut further down her nose was just superficial.  So my ride to the airport consisted of texting and phone calls and a lot of worrying.  The procedure went well, but there was quite a bit of swelling which was expected to be gone by the time of my return.

During my absence I kept in close contact with everyone regarding Suki and Nikki.  Nikki's head continued to heal and Louise started riding her again.  Frequent rain kept the girls in more often but overall everything was fine.
Jet lag must have really been affecting me though.  I saw a mounted policeman on a big bay mare in Stockholm and it nearly brought me to tears thinking about Nikki's injury and my inability to be there for her.  Fortunately I have an excellent support system!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Home at last.  I couldn't wait to give my beautiful mares big hugs and special treats.  As usual I could hear them talking to me when I opened the car door.  I just love that they know the souind of my car.  I was relieved to see that Nikki's wound was healing well and both girls were fine.  Suki's head was a little dry but I am pretty much the only one who she allows to regularly moisturize her head.  Deb and Toby do a great job grooming and wound maintenance in my absence.

Nikki too, worked well while I was away with an adapted bridle that would not rub the stitches on her forehead.  I look forward to Saturday when I will finally get to ride and hopefully lunge Suki as well.  It is going to be quite hot so I will be working them early AM both days. 

I am hopeful that I will be able to post on the blog 3 times a week now that things will normalize for awhile!  With Suki starting more serious and consistent in hand work and Nikki's training gaining momentum I should have a lot to talk about!

The other day I heard about a horse who had been burned in the forest fires in Colorado.  Sundance the mustang made it out...burned but alive.  He is currently undergoing treatment.  His friend Monty was not so lucky and did not make it out alive.  Sundance's owner must be beside herself with worry.  As we approach the 4 year mark of the Pink Star fire I wonder if the emotional pain will ever go away.  I don't obsess about it regularly but sometimes as I moisturize Suki's hairless skin I can't help but think of what she must have gone through that night.  But my girl is brave, and from what I have seen Sundance seems to be fighting hard as well.  I want to tell his owner Judy that it gets better, because it truly does.  I feel fortunate to have my horse alive and well nickering to me in greeting along with her baby sister.  Life is good.

There's always something!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The sudden increase in temperature leads to more worries, of course.  The barn has not yet switched to out at night in during the day routine and I usually don't have Suki and Nikki out for 24/7.  There are a few reasons for that.  Although both girls treasure their outside time they also both take a nightly snooze in the comfort of their stalls.  Flat out.  Snoring.  This is evidenced by the amount of shavings in manes and tails by morning!  Because of this I believe they need some stall time.  I am sure that many will disagree with my choice but it feels right for Suki and Nikki.  Although the way Suki tries to follow me out of her stall I am sure she thinks that she is being short changed!  Sometimes I do allow them a day or so here and there to be out consecutive day and night.  Tuesday and Wednesday were up near 90 degrees and both girls were a little sweaty at the end of the day.  Temperatures were expected to return to normal (then colder at night again) after those two days so we did not do the turnout switch.

Because Suki must wear some type of protective clothing during turnout she was quite sweaty underneath.  I pulled off the fly sheet and gave her a quick shower leaving her naked in the stall.  Nikki too was a little sticky but I elected to do a light ride.  There was a slight breeze and half of the arena was shaded during the late afternoon.  Nikki worked very well but I kept the work light.  Throwing in a small amount of lateral work to add variety she responded happily as we took a number of walk breaks.  Both of us were ringing wet by the end.  I started to feel a little wobbly as I walked into the barn and quickly pulled off Nikki's tack, offered her a short drink of water then sat down to rehydrate myself!  The feeling passed quickly and was not unusual for the conditions.  After Nikki had a nice cooldown shower I turned my attention back to Suki who although not in any distress was a little sweaty.  She received another shower.  Both horses were happily nibbling hay when I left.  I would have put them out for the night, but as with Tuesday night it was still pretty hot and sunny outside and I did not want to put Suki in her fly sheet again.  Although this would again require a morning trip to the barn to dress Suki for turnout before heading to the office I felt that it was the best solution.

I have three fly sheets for Suki.  One is a stiff mesh that seems cooler, while the other two are softer but to me do not breathe so well in spite of how the product description reads!!  Weatherbeeta makes a very lightweight mesh fly sheet but I wonder how durable it is......also, is there enough UV protection for Suki's back where there isn't any hair?  I could always sew a soft patch of fabric covering that area, further protecting it from the sun. It's inexpensive so it might be worth a try.  Once the horses are out at night and in during the day it won't be so bad, although on the hottest days Suki will be naked in her stall, standing in  front of a fan.

Saturday, May 25, 2013
Incredible wind!  The girls were not so anxious to come in so I had to round them up!  After galloping in the opposite direction I was able to finally get them to redirect.  I actually brought Nikki in first which is VERY rare!  Temperatures had dipped down to 40 so once again heavy sheets were required. Because Saturday was cloudy, windy and in the fifties I decided to keep their sheets on all day.  With 10-20 mile per hour winds I was debating the riding situation.  Ultimately I sucked it up and rode.  Nikki, of course, was fine.  I finished with a little in hand work to sharpen her a bit.  For Suki I decided not to lunge but to just do some in hand work in the paddock behind the barn.  She called to Nikki several times but I kept changing commands until she settled into her work.  I like how she responds to leg yielding so we tried a little turn on the haunches.  That went okay, but I have to check to be sure I am asking correctly.  After a few steps of piaffe we finished.

Sunday, May 26, 2013
After my morning run I ran over to the barn to pull off Nikki's sheet and change Suki into a fly sheet.  They wanted out!  This was before the horses had been fed so I helped make them content with a flake of hay.
Later that day when I went back to ride they galloped to the gate to greet me.  When I brought Nikki in I noticed that she had a scrape on her butt.  Nothing major.  But upon further inspection I noticed that her right hind fetlock was puffy.  No heat or evidence of a cut or puncture.......She seemed to be walking fine so I decided to lunge her to see if the swelling went down and /or if there was any stiffness or lameness involved.  While all seemed fine as far as movement, the swelling did not reduce much so I decided not to push the issue and just worked lightly followed by some lateral work in hand. (I am practicing for the SRS workshop that I hope to do!).  Actually I find that work in hand is quite useful when done correctly adding to the training exercises.
When I put Nikki back in her stall after cooling down and grooming she did not seem quite right to me. Although interested in treats she did not appear to be interested in the hay in her stall, moving it around to various places.  It is not uncommon for her to move the hay pile away from her feed tub and closer to the water buckets for easier dunking access. But something seemed different.  Then she lifted her upper lip a couple of times which can be a symptom of belly discomfort.  As I groomed Suki I kept going back to Nikki's stall.  She did not seem to be in any distress, just resting in her stall which is something she does after being out.  The lip went up again.  I checked for gut sounds and all seemed                                                                                                                                                                                    normal.  By the time I had finished with Suki Nikki was nibbling at her hay a little, appearing comfortable and relaxed.  As I was preparing to leave C arrived so I asked her opinion as well.  She agreed that Nikki was fine.     Cooking dinner my mind kept wandering back to Nikki's behavior.  So later that evening I made a quick trip to the barn for another check.  She was fine, but I felt better having had a last look for the night.  The big pile of manure in the back of the stall made me feel better as well!

Monday, May 27, 2013
Another quick check on Nikki at 7 AM and all seemed fine except for the RH that had stocked up again.  Both Suki and Nikki had shavings in their manes and tales so I knew that they had a restful night.  There weren't any signs in Nikk's stall that she had been doing anything out of the ordinary.  Nikki came out of her stall fine but instead of riding at that time I thought it best to let the girls go out for a few hours returning to ride later.      
After spending the day outside the girls were happy to come in.  Both were fine and Nikki worked well, but I did a light ride just to be sure.

The heat is expected to return by the end of the week so turnout will be switched to days inside, nights outside.  Every year when we do the switch my initial thought is the irony of Suki going out over night.  If only that had been the case the night of the fire.  I don't dwell on it, but the thought creeps in once or twice during summer turnout.

But we just keep moving forward with new goals and wonderful life experiences, enjoying each day knowing how quickly everything can change.                                    

Lateral work

Sunday, May 19, 2013
Today was one of those gray days consisting of on and off misting.  Not real rain, just enough moisture to be a little annoying.  Suki and Nikki were out and did not seem too bothered by the conditions as evidenced by their reluctance to come to the gate.  It was close to feeding time so naturally all of the other horses had moved to the paddock gate area from their large pastures, prompted by me shaking a bucket of grain. 

My girls, of course lifted their heads from the lush grass and acknowledged my call with a soft whinny in response.  Then, back to grazing.  Suki started to walk toward me then was startled by Buck, the farm owner's little dog jumping through the adjacent pasture.  Since that field is being rested the little guy was having a grand time leaping about.  Once Suki realized that this was not a chestnut-horse-eating monster she continued to casually walk toward me in that lovely, big, swinging walk that makes me smile.  Nikki played her usual game; she likes to pretend that she doesn't notice what is going on then suddenly looks up, calls out and gallops to the gate.  Sometimes she keeps it at a walk if Suki is not too far ahead of her.  Nikki approaches me with a furrowed brow and an ear cocked in Suki's direction in anticipation of being shooed away by her sister.

The relationship between Suki and Nikki is an interesting one.  It seems like Nikki would like to be a little closer but Suki keeps her at arm's length. However, when Nikki is not near, she calls to her, and as Suki is always taken out of the pasture first, she paces and talks during the 30 seconds that it takes to bring in Nikki. 

I had a very nice ride on Nikki on Saturday.  She seems to be still trying to get back in the groove of working, but thankfully Louise has been helping with that.  It takes the pressure off of me and my many obligations.  July will slow down and I will then be able to do the majority of the riding.  We are definately making progress, but I am anxious to ride more!  The whole world goes away as soon as I put my foot in the stirrup!  Right now we are working on a lot of transitions and a bit of forward and back within the gaits.  Last fall, just before we had to stop for the winter Nikki was really sharp off the aids while staying soft in the mouth.  Now we have to make up for lost time.  I am beginning to work on a plan for winter 2013-14 because there is no way I am going to take the winter off. For the most part Nikki is quite willing, so it is really just a matter of consistent work.  I also did a bit of leg yielding which was better off of my left leg than my right, but that is more my issue than hers.  A few rounds of spiraling in and leg yielding out helped both of us.  The bit of on again off again mistiness didn't seem to bother her at all, but she definately flops her ears more in the rain!

Instead of doing a full lunging session with Suki I decided to do just a few minutes then some work in hand.  The work in hand was just some lateral movement but Suki seemed pretty happy about it.  She was less than thrilled about the misty rain .  As I led her out of the barn Suki first stuck her head out into the mist, then turned back to look at me, questioning my judgement.  A quick tap brought her to attention, and she only called to Nikki once!  After a few minutes of walk, trot and canter Suki came to a nice square halt.  From each side I lightly touched her side (where my leg would be) and she willingly moved to the side crossing her legs as we also walked forward.  It is fun to watch her move as though I were on her back.  I think I will do some of that work with Nikki this weekend as well.

Isaiah worked on lunging during his lesson this week.  He watched me lunge Nikki and told me that he really wanted to learn to do that.  Unfortunately my girls are simply too large, so Louise worked with him and Blackie. He was very excited about it!

I think that sometimes people underestimate the value of lateral work in other disciplines.  Even in the hunter divisions where some (not all!) sort of poopoo dressage, lateral work is important.  Doesn't everyone want their horse to move easily off the leg?  What about during a jumping course?  Isn't adjustability important??  I remember he first time M (hunter rider) rode Nikki.  She couldn't believe how easily this 4 year old responded to her seat and leg.  Apparently most of the young horses that people asked her to start over fences were unbalanced, did not bend well or respond to the leg.  Hmmmm. 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
hello summer!  Yuck!  Hot and humid with two very cranky big girls.  Did I mention that Nikki seems a little bit taller this spring when I sat on her?? Fortunately the weather is supposed to cool off again on Thursday, but tomorrow's 90 degree ride is going to be not so much fun.  But who am I to complain?  I have a lovely mare to ride!  Granted, I don't like summer heat, but I am willing to accept it in July and August.  But MAY?  No.  I keep monitoring the weather in Stockholm, which is where I am headed mid June.  Other than the early sunrise and late sunset the weather so far  looks like it might be cool.  Of course, I will be in the conference center a lot, but I LOVE that convention center!  It is so well laid out.  Too bad I will be arriving 4 days after the royal wedding.  But first I have to get through ASCO in Chicago.... Maybe I will be welcoming the heat of July and the slowing down of my work schedule! Of course July also brings that Andreas Hausberger  clinic, which I am beyond excited about!  Bring it on!

Happy Birthday Suki!

May 5, 2013
Suki turned 13 today.  A milestone for any horse but especially for one like Suki, who came so close to death.  She looks me in the eye and I see that fierce determination that she must have used to stare down death and laugh in its face.  Behind that look is a softness.  A cool understanding of just what she has accomplished. 

One of Suki's FB friends sent her a birthday card and money to buy special treats for Suki.  Many thanks Renee....so far I have picked up some gummies and a container of molasses treats.  I am so grateful for such kindness, a nd happy to see that Suki has touched her heart.

Yesterday on Derby Day I thought about what defines greatness.  People talk about the mark of greatness.  What is that exactly?  What is that distinguishing feature, and how do we define greatness?  Awards, achievments? Certainly competitive accomplishments can mark greatness.  As part of Kentucky Derby fever, a special about Secretariat was aired on television.  While not a huge fan of horse racing (although I watch the Triple Crown races for the pomp and circumstance and tradition) one cannot ignore Big Red's accomplishments and personality.  One of the things that caught my attention was how each person who spoke about him had a tone of reverence.  I can't remember which person said this but the comment "it was as though the lord himself had taken hold of the reins" in reference to the famed 31 length Belmont victory seemed to me to symbolize the awe in which Secretariat is held.  Ron Turcotte, Secretariat's jockey said something that I don't agree with, however.  He said that the horse was so great that he thinks anyone could have ridden him to victory.  I don't believe that.  Yes, others probably could have ridden him well, but not necessarily all would have won.  Look at what happened to the great dressage horse Totilas.  Edward Gal was all but unbeatable on him.  Matthias Rath did not share the same success when he took over the ride.  And although there are allegedly many other factors contributing to that lack of success, time will tell as they set about training with Sjef Janssen of the Netherlands (not without its own controversy I might add). There is something to be said about the bond between horse and rider.

And speaking of bond, I watched an episode of Nature on PBS about the Spanish Riding School..... fueling my obsession with the history and tradition of the training and breeding of the Lipizzaner horses.  I love the way the horses are raised in Piber on the farm.  The same place that the performing stallions from Vienna spend their summers.  The horse are handled from birth to encourage and form the bond with humans as a higher member of the herd.  In a large, one room barn there was footage of all the mares and foals coming in together to eat and be groomed.  Moms and babies all seemed to enjoy the attention.  And while I know that some people feel that the training is harsh and the horses not treated well, you cannot fake the way the horses respond to the humans each time they are together.  I also think that centuries of classical training has to have some significance.  I mentioned the SRS shortly after I had an opportunity to visit while attending a conference in Vienna.  Many believe that the horses work too hard during the performances.  But the same horses are not used throughout the entire evening performance.  There are 70 stallions stabled in Vienna...all with specialties of their own....this is what they perform in.  The many years of slow methodical training leads to a happy, healthy and sound riding horse, some of who are trained to the highest levels.  It is evident as one watches them school.  And yes, as far as the television special they show things going smoothly etc.  But patience is key and we see all too often what happens when the process is rushed.  And now I see that Andreas Hausberger, Chief Rider at the SRS and Director of Training at the Heldenberg Training center will be conducting a clinic in New Berlin, NY in July.  A four hour drive from my home you can be sure I will be making the drive to Waltzing Horses Farm to audit for a few days!  So exciting! That will likely increase my desire to participate in the training workshop in Vienna.....


May 8,2013
Very rainy today, so I wasn't sure how much the girls would get out, if at all.  L was planning on riding Nikki but by 9 AM the rain was pretty steady pretty much squashing any riding plans.  Not sure what the turnout status was, I ran over to the barn at lunch time.  If L had ridden I probably would have had just leave the girls in when she was finished.  Anticipating wet girls and soggy fly sheets I opened the barn door that leads to the paddock.  Suki and Nikk sort of looked at me like "What? "You're bringing us in?  It's barely raining!"  I grabbed Suki and immediately noticed that her fly sheet was not very wet and Nikki's back just had spots of rain.  They had not been out very long.  So I let them stay out, and even though the rain became a bit heavier as I headed home (of course) it was warm.  Mkes for happier mares!

May 9, 2013
The beautiful face that greets me!

I had Chinese take out for lunch in my office today.  This was my fortune:

So I am thinking the absurd is trying to get Suki into a saddle again....which leads to the impossible: sitting on her back.  This is my new mantra! 

Back to greatness.....Suki did not have the chance to achieve great competitive success, so who really knows what she could have done.  She and I were finally on the right path together at the time of the fire so we are left with many unknowns.  However, I do believe that she has the mark of greatness in other ways: tremendous courage and the ability to inspire.  And I think that's pretty great!

What lies ahead

Suki will turn 13 on Sunday May 5.  When I think about how close I came to losing her the night of the fire, I realize that her survival is truly miraculous.  Sometimes I take it for granted, probably because she is such a big part of my life.  We go along day after day in our usual routine, or the usual routine since the fire.  That routine has changed over the past several years, as "treatments" are no longer required.  The daily moisturizing is part of her grooming regimen and I don't really consider that a treatment.  Granted it is different from Nikki's grooming routine, but each horse has its own needs and idiosyncrasies, so even that is not all that strange.  I do sometimes worry about how people will react to how Suki looks, but there are also times when I totally forget until someone says "What happened to your horse?"

Because it took so long for Suki's back to heal, eventually requiring a skin graft which also had some setbacks due to rolling, I never considered the possibility of her doing more than lunging.  That has always been fine for me, since I knew from day one there was little chance of me sitting on her again.  My goal was always that she be happy and healthy. I started to lunge Suki to give her something else to do and marveled at how well trained she is to voice commands (I did 90% of that training).  How had I forgotten that?  Once (with Lori's help) we found someone to make a special protective garment and the graft was really able to heal I considered adding a surcingle and side reins for lunging.  Now that Suki is bandage and padding free, the goals seem to have expanded.

A major concern of mine is what would happen to the graft site, and in fact, her entire back where there is no hair?  Would the friction of a regular saddle pad with the weight of a lunging surcingle and side reins be irritating and cause abrasions?  I have had a number of suggestions as to what to use but was intrigued by the claims for Success Equestrian's non-slip saddle pad. 
From Success Equestrian's home page:

      Technical No-Slip Saddle Pads                 Dressage                Hunter/Jumper                 Eventing

Welcome to Success Equestrian. Our mission is to provide an elegant alternative to solving every day saddle pad fitting problems.

Our no-slip saddle pads address a very common problem of saddle slipping and stability while at the same time maintaining a ‘traditional show ring quality’ appearance. The saddle pads keep the tack in place, including the pad itself, without the need for extra pieces of rubber stripping or chamois pieces.

The special open cell foam seat insert adds extra stability and shock absorption. The flexible air flow no-slip grip is strategically built into the pad only where it’s needed eliminating unnecessary sweating on the horse’s sides. Best of all, the whole pad is breathable and washes great.  Take a look and see how our technical saddle pads can help you and your horse.
Dealer inquiries welcome.

Your purchase today will help support the Equestrian Aid Foundation.  Click on "Giving Back" for more information. 

Dressage pad description:

Deluxe Dressage No-Slip Saddle Pad

The Deluxe Dressage No-Slip pad will keep your saddle pad and saddle in place. No more bunching up behind your leg, no more saddle slipping too far back or riding up the neck and no more over tightening of girths. This pad prevents slippage on even the hardest to fit horses. The fully contoured top line ensures comfort for your horse.
With an added 1.5cm open cell breathable foam cushion in the seat, this pad offers extra shock absorption and stability. The air flow grip bottom layer is completely breathable and wicks perspiration due to the quilted cotton blend top layer. The quilted top layer is crisp and white, perfectly suitable for the show ring.
Designed with the air flow grip only where you need it, this new style will help prevent extra sweating under the rear flap of the saddle pad. A soft satin fabric on the wither area is used to ensure comfort. Easy to wash with a non-bleach detergent in warm water. It's even ok to spot treat. Hang dry.

I contacted the company and explained my special needs, wondering if this pad would work for Suki.  They are confident that this will work for Suki and kindly offered to send me a dressage saddle pad to try.


It was so kind of Success Equestrian to send me a saddle pad for me to try on Suki with a surcingle. http://www.successequestrian.com/Home_Page.html

I also love that they donate to the Equestrian Aid Foundation.

So now I keep looking at the saddle pad and wonder if I have any idea of what lies ahead.  Am I crazy for even trying this?  Maybe I should just leave things as they are.  What will happen when I attach side reins?  Will she resist the pressure and go up?  Will I found out that she does have lung damage as the work increases?  So far I have not seen any evidence of damage, so although fairly confident that she is okay, harder work may prove otherwise (that, of course would immediately back off extended work).  I am truly excited to be starting this new chapter with Suki, but also a little anxious.  It will evident pretty quickly if this will work.  If all is successful with the surcingle and saddle pad we will move on to long lining.  Then, who knows....maybe by next year I will sit on Suki again.  There is no pressure to do so, and Suki herself will let me know if this is going to happen.  Long lining will be a blast, and I have discussed in previous posts about working the upper level movements from the ground.  Time will tell and there is no rush.  One step at a time.  gradually increase work and fitness level.  Baby steps.  What fun! Back to basics for Suki and bringing Nikki up through the levels. 

Two years ago I was contacted by an equine rescue who had a horse that had been in a barn fire.  His owner could not afford to treat him so surrendered him to Save a Forgotten Equine (S.A.F.E).  He too, has had a long road to recovery but is doing great now.  Strider also did not grow all of his hair back across his topline, so they are considering driving him if they can find a harness that would fit without irritating the skin.  I suggested either an extended non slip pad, or contacting My Pet's Brace, the company who made Suki's protective garment to see if they can design something. 

Ali is a horse in New York who also survived a barn fire.  I have spoken with his owner as well.  She was burned rescuing Ali and his mother from the barn on her property.  His recovery is also going well, but this type of recovery is slow as too many of us have come to find out.  For all of us the fire became the start of an unknown journey....will our horses recover?  What will be the long term effects?  What lies ahead......?