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......?

The dentist

Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Spring always seems to increase the spring in my step as I am sure it does for many people.  I love winter, and autumn is truly my favorite season, but there is something about a bright spring day that makes me smile.  That also means spending more time at the barn.  Manes shortened, extra grooming cleaning out the tack room (and my garage) and FINALLY packing away the heavy winter blankets.  I sent Suki and Nikki's heaviest blankets out for cleaning and they will be returned to me tied in a neat little package (I don't know how Donna manages that!) to be stacked in the "clean" bin.  Mid weight blankets will go next, but there have been some cold nights necessitating their use, so I must hold off on that for now.

The girls are getting back into shape with some work, and L got on Nikki for me for the first time yesterday.  She will work with her daily for a week or so then I will take over the main part of the riding.  L will still get on her once a week because of my schedule.  I decided to go this route because I know that I cannot guarantee enough days in a row to really get Nikki back under saddle.  Once she is going again it will be fine.  This takes pressure and anxiety off of me for now!

Now that the grass is becoming more lush the girls show increased reluctance to come in from the field.  I usually arrive at the barn about an hour before they would be coming in to eat and they stay in once I am finished with them.  So bribery with a bucket of grain is usually required.  Even then they have no sense of urgency to come to the gate.  Today Nikki was facing away from Suki grazing and apparently did not notice big sis making her way to the gate (at  leisurely pace I might ad!).  When she finally noticed, Suki was almost to the gate and Nikki let out a near hysterical whinny then galloped to the gate!

I am going to be writing an article about Suki for Warmbloods Today magazine.  I'm not sure how I want to balance the piece.  While I will emphasize the extent of Suki's injuries, I also want to show how far she has come and the way in which she inspires so many people.  Hard to do in 2100 words, but easier than the last piece that was under 1400 words!  Obviously the book is a much more in depth view, but I want this to give people a feel for what has transpired and hopefully they will want to read the book!

Thursday, April 25, 2013
L has ridden Nikki four days in a row now, and all appears to be going well.  Nikki was a little rebellious today apparently (tail swishing and head fussiness) like she suddenly realized that this work thing was going to return as a part of her normal activities!  L said that she settled eventually and was fine.  Time to grow up baby Nikki!  We have some goals to accomplish together.  I am so looking forward to riding again.  This cannot happen next winter so I will have to find some kind of solution.  There are several dressage barns 30-40 minutes away, but unfortunately with my schedule that would be impossible.  Over the next few months I will actively search fro something.  Perhaps I will have to move her a little farther away just for 3 months of winter and just have someone ride her when I can't.  Not ideal, but some riding would be better than none, and at least Nikki could continue with her work. 

The dentist is coming this afternoon.  Nikki will be fine, and so will Suki once she realizes that the goal is not to kill her!  Then she usually relaxes and cooperates.  I am hopeful for an uneventful visit. 

So.... This was a new dentist.  I don't like dentists that sedate every horse because it is not always necessary for routine floating.  There is a time and place for it though.  We started with Suki because if she does not go first and observes what is going on she can be impossible to catch in the stall.  I had prepped S for Suki's issues and explained what had transpired.  I already had a lead rope on Suki when he walked in because I knew she would be nervous.  When S walked in Suki lifted her head and would not let him hook his lead to her halter.  He asked many questions about the scarring behind her ears and if it would cause discomfort with the speculum halter.  That impressed me. He said that was fine that she would not allow him to touch her and turned his back to her.  Suki of course, walked toward him and started to nibble on his shirt and rest her chin on his shoulder.  Quietly he turned around and speaking to her softly clipped the lead.  She was a little nervous when he went to put on the halter with the speculum on her because it had to go around her ears.  S wasquiet and deliberate speaking softly the entire time, telling Suki how beautiful she is.  I was grateful for his kindness.  When he finished he kissed her on the nose and told her she was beautiful.  Suki nuzzled against him as he left her stall.




In spite of how nervous Suki and I look it was all fine!



 

Nikki, on the other hand, was very nervous.  She did not really settle and had a furrowed brow the whole time.  S was very patient with her as well, speaking softly and taking frequent breaks to help her relax.  He patted her and told her what a good girl she was. I loved this dentist.  He was kind, patient and thorough, explaining everything and taking his time.    The girls were in good hands. 

Now I am having a glass of wine....

A Hero's Welcome

Thursday, April11, 2013
Being away from home for six days is stressful on many levels.  I always marvel at my husband's ability to travel for business....he packs his suitcase (after I have made sure that all necessary clothing is clean and ready to be packed) and walks out the door.  There are no extra chores for him to perform.  Prior to travel I have to make sure that he and Isaiah have all of the necessary clothing available and instructions on how to wash certain items (like school uniforms, rding clothes,etc) just in case it is.  I do all of the laundry in the house pretty much by choice.  It is because I am truly anal about how it should be done...gentle, low dry, hang in the laundry room.  There are notes about school, activities, etc.  I have to arrange for Suki and Nikki to be groomed/ridden....you get the picture.  Reminders are texted from me when I worry that something will be forgotten, and I am sure that Deb just LOVES getting my blanket texts for the girls!  When I am attending a conference I don't have very much down time so there is not a lot of time for me to worry about things.  I realize that this must sound like I am a total control freak, which I probably am, but just a little!  But I know that things typically run pretty smoothly in my absence, so there is actually very little to worry about!

This time when I left for DC it had been chilly, with winter hanging on for its last hurrah.  While I  was away temperatures soared and the foliage began to show the first signs of life.  The cherry blossoms were at their peak when I was in Washington but there was no time for me to see them in person.  The photos on the news were truly lovely though!  Arriving home I was welcomed by buds on most trees, forsythias in full bloom and rows of daffodils.  The grass also started to change from brownish to spring green.  As I walked in the door Ripley practically turned himself inside out saying hello with welcoming whines and barking (he is a Weimaraner and VERY vocal!).  The cats ran into the kitchen and I felt surrounded by love (and as if I had been gone for years!).  Since I made it home in time to pick up Isaiah from school I decided to go instead of my husband (oh yeah....he was happy that I was home as well).  Clearly Isaiah was not expecting me because as he came through the door his beautiful brown eyes widened with excitement as he ran to me and threw himself into my arms.  A hero's welcome.....there is  nothing better!

Deb and Toby took care of the girls that day but just before dinner I ran over to see them and pick up yet another sheet that needs to be sent out for repairs/cleaning.  As always, I walked into the barn and said "Hi Girls!"  At once both Suki and Nikki nickered loudly, stomping and calling to me.  I stopped at Nikki's stall giving her hugs and treats while Suki vocalized and banged her stall door impatiently.  Nikki snuffled my my hair then proceeded to search for treats.  As typical of Suki, she practically threw herself at me when I opened her door (kind of like Isaiah, but at 1400 lbs!).  She too looked for treats while her nostrils silently nickered.  Another hero's welcome....the best part of coming home.

Another milestone was achieved while I was away.  Last year during the warm weather months Suki needed to wear a padded bandage under her fly sheet or the fly sheet with a foam pad velcroed to it.  The graft area, although healed, was still quite sensitive.  Several attempts had been made to eliminate the extra protection but sections of the graft became irritated from rolling.  Once Suki started to wear heavier sheets then blankets I eliminated the bandage successfuly.  But a fly sheet offers much less protection.  When I left for the conference Suki was still wearing a heavy sheet.  But I knew that while I was away Nikki would be going naked and Suki would wear a fly sheet.  Needless to say I was nervous.  A full supply of bandage material was ready just in case....

All appeared to go well, although I do think there was slight pinkness to the area.  Probably not, though I tend to overanalyze when it comes to Suki's skin!

Wednesday April 17, 2013
My goodness this post is taking me forever to write!  But in addition to the hero's welcome when I return from a trip there are also many responsibilities.
Since my return I have started to lunge the girls regularly.  Because I am preparing Nikki for getting back to work she is being lunged more frequently than Suki.  Both horses are doing well so I am really looking forward to advancing their training. 

Prior to my trip both girls had begun to really shed out, so their coats are looking beautiful again.  I noticed a change in Suki's coat this winter, especially as she began to shed it this spring.  Her coat grew in thicker this year.  The temperatures weren't any colder than normal and she certainly did not get a coat as thick as Nikki's, but she never has.  Suki never had to be body clipped for winter work, because although it grew thicker, the hair was never got to the point requiring clipping.  So now, of course I am left to wonder as to the cause.  Is it because now, nearly 4 years after the fire, she is becoming physiologically more "normal"?  Her reproductive physiology is certainly fine, as she returned to normal heat cycles less than a year after the fire. Or is it due to aging?  Perhaps I will never know, but I think I will speak with some of the burn specialists for their thoughts on the matter.

Friday April 19, 2013
Storms are beginning to roll in.  I had entertained lunging Nikki, but by the time I got to the barn tonight the wind was really beginning to kick up pulling dirt and leaves with it.  Suki and Nikki came right to the gate which is always helpful.  We are going to be doing the blanket dance over the next few days.  80's today, but tomorrow night down to the freezing mark. 
To top off the day Ripley, my Weimaraner rolled in fox poop requiring an immediate bath.....

The weekend is supposed to be pretty nice after this line of wicked storms so I look forward to getting in some training.  I would say relaxation, too, but that is usually not an option!

Do horses have flashbacks??

It has been said that horses remember people who have been kind to them and people who have been unkind....long after they last met.  I certainly believe that.  There was a story recently about a family who had sold a horse and requested first refusal if the new owner decided to sell her.  The original owner had taught the horse tricks, including how to bow.  A few years later the original family was alerted that this pony was in the kill pen at an auction, and the photo that the family saw made them fairly certain that this was their beloved pony.  Attempting to get information from the people they had sold her to proved fruitless.  A rescue took the pony and the original family went to see/retrieve her.  When the pony saw the girl and heard her voice, she bowed.

The other night Deb and Toby took care of the girls as they always do on Wednesdays.  A farrier was working inside the barn, which was filled with smoke.  Suki refused to go in the barn.  So I am left to wonder....was this due to her nervousnous around farriers, or this time did it have to do with her experience in the fire.  As I thought about this (and now as I write about it) I can feel my chest tighten and my eyes fill with tears.  It physically hurts me to imagine what she went through that night.  The amount of fear as smoke filled the barn knowing she was trapped.  The pain of firey debris falling on her as she was rescued from the burning barn.  The fear that sent her and Whisby running from the paddock to get as far away from the chaos as possible!  I know from several accounts that Suki's back was literally on fire, and no amount of time will ever heal the emotional wounds that cut deep into my heart and soul.....so how must Suki feel?

Suki has come along way physically and from everything I can tell as I take care of her daily, she has recovered mentally as well.  At least that is how it appears.  From what I understand military dogs can experience post traumatic stress disorder, and for mny abused animals it takes them a long to time to trust again.  I think that non-animal people don't get that....

So now I am away at a conference.  I left on Friday (5 April)  and will return Wednesday night.  Deb and Toby are taking care of the girls.  The weather is perfect for riding so I am really anxious to get home to get Nikki back to work and start getting Suki fit for our long lining adventures.  My show season will start late, but I intend to get cranking by summer!  I can't wait to get beautiful Nikki out in front of the judges again! 

With Suki I will make sure that she is sound and happy.  As we progress I will decide what the next direction will be and which trainer I will seek assistance from.  One thing that may turn up as I start to increase Suki's work is her respiration.  Although it does not appear that she has lung damage from the smoke inhalation, her veterinarians warned that perhaps if she were to ever go back to work we would discover that there is indeed some damage.  This could surface as an inability to work past a certain point, but it is all a mystery at this point.  I have never pushed her to a true fitness level other than lunging for 15 minutes or so at a time.  She seemed okay with that but time will tell.  So this spring/summer and fall will be one of discovery and milestones. 

Speaking of milestones!!!!  As I said, I am away at a conference.  Of course the temperatures have soared and Nikki is now naked.  I am sure she will have some good back-scratching rolls with all of that shedding!  Suki cannot be naked, so she is wearing a fly sheet for the first time since last September.  At that time she was wearing that stiff fly sheet with the foam padding to protect the graft area on her back.  When she wore a regular fly sheet I used a small padded bandage to protect it from the trauma of rolling.  In her stall she was allowed to be naked or wear a fly sheet without a bandage, but not outside.  Today, for the first time, Suki was out in a regular fly sheet.  No bandage, no padding.  Deb said that after a full day of turnout, all is good!  Fingers crossed that this continues......I was nervous being away and not able to monitor it but I trust Deb, and know that she takes good care of the girls.  I cried when I read the text that said Suki's back looks great!  Yes, I am a sap.  I have become a crier since the fire as well (delightful....so much for that tough exterior that took a lifetime to perfect!).  That's okay.  I am just so thrilled that Suki continues to progress.  Is there a saddle in her future......???

However.....both girls' manes are a mess!  Suki will get hers razored (pulling requires sedation or she body slams me off the stool).  Nikki is perfect about it and even dozes sometimes while I am pulling her mane!  Silly girl.  So this weekend there will be a lot of cleaning and beautifying going on so that the girls can be their stunning selves!

Burn history and progression

When I look at the photos of Suki a week after the fire and compare them to now, I feel like I watched a miracle happen.  The quality of care that she recieved in New Bolton Center's ICU ensured her survival, but there has always been so much more to Suki's recovery than the phenomenal medical care.  With her diva confidence and courage she displayed a will to survive from the start.  For the most part I never doubted that Suki would survive, but I also think that I was in shock for the first several weeks. 

The right side of Suki's body was burned worse than the left, so I will focus on that side in this post.  As of now, the manuscript has more detail, but this gives a bit of perspective regarding the healing process.  I will focus on the graft in a separate post next week.

The burns looked worse before they started to get better, because the charred skin needed to fall off.  Doctors at New Bolton, after much consultation had decided not to aggressively debride the skin so that it would remain protected.  Because there was such a large surface area that was burned, it was important to minimize the risk of infection.  Allowing the skin to fall away with minimal assistance was the best way to go.

Day 6 post-fire.  All of that charred skin would eventually come off.



Two weeks later more of the skin had sloughed away, and the diligent work of doctors, nurses, vet students and residents  was evident.  The "charred areas are still evident, and Suki still smelled like fire at this point.  I think the crinkiling of the skin annoyed her, because Suki has always been very flexible and likes to bend herself in half to scratch.  On several occasions I watched her attempt this and lose her balance.  I would then take over the scratching (gently of course).  She very obviously appreciated the assistance!

One month post fire.

\

 

Healthy, new skin emerges after much care, topical SSD and prophylactic antibiotics.  The skin looks very sensitive, but impeccable pain management kept Suki comfortable.  This area was also slathered with SSD to aid in healing, prevent infection and keep the skin moist.

Near the end of August Suki left New Bolton and the safety net of ICU to go to a rehabilitation farm.  Kelly immersed herself in Suki's care, which initially was rather comprehensive.  In addition to tending to the burns, Suki was still receiving a number of systemic meds which required diligence and a variety of disguises of the meds to get Suki to eat them.  Kelly more than got the job done, and I will be forever grateful! 



Two months post fire



Look at all of that hair growth!  The top of Suki's back still had a stubborn bit of eschar that had not come off, but overall she was looking great.  By this point of recovery Suki was able to turn around and scratch her sides again, a sure sign that the skin was healing well. 



Left side two months post fire



Suki's left side was not burned as badly.  At two months post fire she exhibited good health....and dapples!  The white ointment across her topline is SSD: silver sulfadiazine, also used in people.  It was during this time period that I suddenly realized that Suki no longer smelled like fire.  I hugged her every time I saw her, so it was monumental to no longer smell charred skin!  Even her melted mane had begun to look normal again. 



Three months post fire





Close up, three months post fire



Looking great, but that stubborn spot right where the saddle sits continued to be a problem.  The area was not infected at all, but that dead skin was holding fast!  Kelly gently debrided it daily.  Now that it was October Suki was wearing light clothing again, complicating things.  We did not bandage at this point which probably would have helped.  It is a difficult area to bandage (as I would find out later) and no one advised us to bandage at this point.  I realize I am not giving a lot of detail here, but the book will have much more.  The goal of this post is just to demonstrate the healing process in outline, which is amazing on its own!!

The hair growth continued while Suki's topline continued to struggle with healing.  Rolling complicated matters, even with clothing.  In August 2010 Suki had a big roll that really ripped open that spot on Suki's back.  A visit from the veterinarian led to bandaging, antibiotics and an antihistamine.  Suki is notoriously difficult when it comes to oral meds, with the ability of a cat to eat her food around medication leaving a pile of powder in her feed tub!  By October 2010 we had three steps forward two steps back going on, and Dr. Fugaro began to mention the possibility of a skin graft.  Suki had been in a regular boarding situation for six months at this point and even with the difficulties the progress was astounding!



October 2010

Other than the daily wound maintenance Suki was living a normal life which included weekly lunging.  She was spending a lot of time outside which made her thrive.  Sharing a pasture with her new sister Nikki, I felt like she was finally a "normal" horse.  Suki's personality never faltered and her spirit inspired everyone who met her. 

As we continued through the winter, the battle continued with the bandaging of that stubborn wound.  There was never any infection and I remained confident that it would heal....well, some days I was confident!

Since I will be doing a separate post about the skin graft, these photos will focus on the rest of Suki's body.  The hair growth began to slow a bit and by August 2011 but Suki glowed with good health.  The focus at that point was the graft area.









August 2011

August 2011



December 2011

Other than the graft area Suki experienced hair growth and complete recovery.

In August 2012, a visit from one of Suki's FB fans, Julie, shows her in good weight, good health and a testament to what quality care and love can do....

Now if we can just stop haiving snow and mud! 

The recovery process has been long, but Suki has not had any pain or discomfort.  Every need has been met and precautions taken.  The graft area took a bit longer, but that will be for another post....



Preparing for training and spring!

Saturday, March 23, 2013
I made my bi-weekly trip to Oley Valley Feed today.  They have a great wild bird seed blend which I add to two other specialty mixes.  Our wild birds (and squirrels, chipmunks, groundhog and deer) seem to love it.  In fact, as I am writing this, the yard is filled with birds, squirrels and chipmunks!  The drive over is one of my favorite routes and today I was rewarded with many opportunities to smile.  The first was my drive past the former Pink Star Equestrian, site of the barn fire that injured Suki.  For a very long time it was difficult for me to pass it and I often went out of my way to avoid it.  After the fire it was sold and turned into a standardbred breeding farm.  The barn where Suki once lived had burned to the ground, and the indoor arena was converted into a large barn.  Today, for the first time I was able to see the new babies out with their moms.  So cute!  The yearlings are in their field and so are the two-year-olds.  I marvel at the size of the yearlings....in the picture that I have of Nikki at 12 hours old she appears to be close to the size of these yearlings!  I couldn't help but smile.  Does this mean I have recovered??

Next I passed one of the dairy farms, and the girls were walking in a line from their pasture to the barn for milking.  Calmly, in a line, no pushing or shoving.  There is a place for each of them and I suspect the order in which they make their march has a certain hierarchy to it.

The quilt store parking lot was full, and as usual I imagine a large group chatting happily as they work inside.  A trip through the covered bridge ALWAYS makes me smile!  (I LOVE that I live wher covered bridges are a part of the landscape!) then on to Oley Valley Feed.  As I pass Reppart's chocolate I imagine how busy they will be in the coming days approaching easter.  It is a local, family-owned home made chocolate shop. 

The parking lot at OVF was packed, not unusual for a Saturday afternoon, but a vaccine clinic added to the traffic.  I waved to the guys on the loading dock and went into the store.  A bag of flax seed treats for the girls, bird seed and a homemade peanut butter/chocoalte buckeye later and I am on my way to the girls.  Driving past old stone farmhouses and bank barns more than 200 years old, I look at the fields and mountains that will turn from brown to green in the coming weeks.  Sometimes I think that I am the luckiest person in the world....

Suki and Nikki were in their pasture when I arrived, near the fenceline parallel to the driveway.  I stopped my car when I was about half way down the lane and opened my window.  Nikki came right over ears forward, followed by Suki, who of course made a face at her!  By the time I parked and gathered my supplies the girls had moved further from the gate.  I called to them once again, but of course the rare sunshine made them not want to come in.  It was late afternoon with probably 2 more hours until they would be brought in to eat.  As I walked across the field the girls turned and started to follow me so I turned back toward the gate.  Occasionally I would look over my shoulder and noticed Suki pick up her pace a little.  Then she moved into the trot followed by Nikki.  Nikki kicked up her heels and galloped toward me.  Suki, not to be outdone did the same.  Finally they slowed and circled me, ready to come in at last.

Starting with Nikki, I removed her heavy blanket, two much for a day that suddenly became sunny driving temperatures into the upper 40's.  She wasn't sweaty, but her thick coat was beginning to pick up its shedding pace.  Using the shedding comb I removed thick clumps of hair with each pass resulting in a huge pile on the floor.  A thick rubber mitt helped to remove more and Nikki practically turned herself inside out as I relieved the itchies!  While I was in beautifying mode I decided to pull Nikki's mane.  Digging around in the grooming boxes failed to produce a pulling comb....I have about 10 of them.  Why do they always seem to disappear when I need to use one?  Then when I buy another they reappear as if they had been having a party somewhere out of sight!  I knew that there was one in the junk drawer in my kitchen.  Little good it does there!  There are two hoof picks in that drawer also!  Drives my husband batty!

The beauty treatment took a little longer than anticipated so I lunged Nikki for only 10 minutes.  It was a good session though.  She seems quite ready to go back to work.  She listened well and had nice swing and spring in her stride.  I had emailed that local trainer inquiring about some assistance with getting Nikki started back under saddle.  He did not respond.  I included my phone number in the email.  I can never understand why people include a method of contact that they do not respond to.  If he is not interested then just shoot a short email back.  How do people run businesses this way??

Suki was not as muddy as usual so her grooming and spa treatment was shorter.  She does not grow a thick winter coat like Nikki so the shedding out period isn't nearly as impressive. Suki's work on saturday consisted of some brief in hand exercises to sharpen her responses.  That went well too.  She enjoyed the extra attention and will love having a job again.  I definitely see the spark in her eye! The spring-like temperatures and my beautiful mares kept me smiling!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Isaiah had his riding lesson today.  He then accompanied me to Suki and Nikki's barn to change blankets, etc.  I was surprised to hear Isaiah say that Suki and Nikki make him a little nervous because they are so big.  He used to say that he wanted to ride them!  But now that he is riding regularly, I think that he can really see the difference, and is quite comfortable with the ponies.  I told him that he should not be nervous, but should respect their size and be sure to let them know that he is boss.



Standing nicely.....




Searching for treats

 Notice that the aisle is somewhat clean except for hoof pickings.  Annoying boarder who leaves blanket thrown in aisle and poop by gate, couldn't be bothered to clean up after picking her horse's feet.  My 7 year old, however walked in and said "Who left a mess in the aisle?" He cleaned it up when we were finished with Suki and Nikki.

Monday, March 25, 2013
Snow, again.  The great thing about March snow is that it doesn't stay around for very long.  I worked from home today and watched the wildlife in my yard while sitting at my desk.  They were very busy eating seeds, fruits and nuts!  Suki and Nikki had to stay in, but by the weekend it will be 50 and we will be working again!  Yay!

Creating a horse lover for life (Part 2)

So I ended part 1 of this two-part post outside of the ingate of the Dixon Oval at The Devon Horse Show, waiting with my two year old son, Isaiah, our borrowed pony, Daisy Mae, a friend who came to help and my husband.  Wearing a carefully selected Audrey Hepburnish dress, hat, white gloves and Mary Janes with kitten heels I tried to keep Isaiah entertained.  The wait seemed forever and to this day I would love to know whose brilliant idea it was to have very young children wait outside the arena for 20 minutes before being called in for the class.  I did not have high expectations for this class.  There were more than 40 entries and Isaiah was the only 2 year old.  Combined with the politics associated with this class (often there are children of celebrity riders participating) I thought of it as an extended pony ride, but all dressed up.  Okay, that is not entirely true.  I had visions of walking out with my adorable child on the adorable pony with a blue ribbon in hand.  The same thing happens when I take a young horse to a show for the first time.  Aloud I say: "This is just a learning experience.  I want the horse to have a good experience.  The score does not matter."  Inwardly I am saying: "WIN! WIN! WIN!"  I can't help it.  It's just who I am. 

So child on the pony and in we go!


on the pony!  That's me in the polka dot dress



Off the pony....

The dixon oval seems REALLY BIG when you are carrying a toddler, leading a pony and walking through sand footing while wearing a dress and heels, trying to maintain that Town and Country Magazine look....



Back on the pony....

We continued this pattern for 15 minutes.  Seriously, they kept us in there for that long.  Come on, does it really take that long to judge children at a walk??  But oh yeah, I held out for the entire time.  "Mommy, off pony!"  "Mommy, on pony!" 
I never took into consideration that whenever Isaiah rode there was never a time factor.  Live and learn.  While the experience was not quite what I had anticipated I am glad that we did it.  We have our participation ribbon which came with a horse head lollipop. 



The happy child, back in the truck.  Don't worry, the emergency break was on!

I continued to bring Isaiah to see Jenny (who was QUITE fascinated by him!) and ride Daisy whenever possible.  My goal was to make him comfortable around horses, even if he never became a rider.  With horses and riding such a huge part of my life I felt that he at least needed a certain comfort level and respect while in barns and at shows.  

Shortly before Isaiah's 5th birthday I decided to see if he was ready for riding lessons.  Without a suitable horse of my own (a 17.3h horse recovering from burns and a 16.3h 4 year old) I sought outside expertise.  The first barn that I took him to seemed okay safety wise, but it seemed to be more of a glorified pony ride than enything else.  Isaiah was comfortable with the exercises, but the instructor didn't seem to really know how to teach very young children....

So we stopped for awhile.  When I moved Nikki to a hunter barn I decided to try again, even though I would have preferred basic dressage at first.  The lessons were okay but there did not seem to be a real focus on developing the seat.  When they started doing a group lesson instead of private I decided to stop.  Two children on ponies who have not developed a seat, can only sort of stear at the walk does not work well.  I really did not feel like we were getting anywhere.

I continued to bring Isaiah to the barn where Suki was so that he would still spend time with the horses.  He was really not ready to accompany me to the barn when I would be riding because I don't think that I would have been very focused.  And there are WAY too many things for a 5 year old to get into!  I have seen plenty of people bring very young children with them while they ride, but it always seems unsafe and the kids manage to disrupt everyone else who is trying to ride.

I felt like I hit the jackpot when I found L.  We shared the same teaching and riding principles and she is totally no nonsense.  As a dressage and event rider from the UK she also teaches along the British Horse Society principles.  Isaiah would also be expected to learn how to care for the horses and tack, another important part of the responsibility associated with riding horses. 

Isaiah and Prissy, summer 2013

They do a lot of work on the lunge to develop an independent seat, then work off the lunge to work on stearing and control. 

Isaiah and Blackie January 2013

So I think we are really on the right track.  Isaiah seems to be improving, and can post to the trot fairly proficiently (not consistently, though).  He seems to enjoy it and has learned that a certain amount of work and care is an essential part of being around horses.  From birth, Isaiah has associated me with horses and riding, and I am sure he realizes that there is a huge commitment.  If that hasn't turned him off, nothing will!

Of course, for the past 3 1/2 years he has also been dealing with the aftermath of the fire, and he understands that Suki requires more care than most horses.  But he likes to see the graft and how much better it is.  He also refers to "the bad man who set the barn on fire". 

There are days when I prefer to go to the barn by myself, but when Isaiah asks to accompany me I bring him along unless I will be riding. 



Nikki looking for treats





Isaiah and Suki





So hopefully through all of this I am creating a horse lover for life.  One that respects horses and cares for them, whether he continues to ride or not.