A Subtle Change with Big Results

I was lucky this week, I got my lesson on MJ. Those wonderful weeks of riding three times are long gone, and I just hope I can get back to that soon!

When I got to the stable Mary, the young lady who helps me groom and tack up MJ, brought him in to the wash stall while I got my Haas brushes…

Winter

This year we are getting a REAL winter down here in the mid-southern part of NC.

It snowed last night, over an inch. The lows have been in the lower 20sF to the upper teens, with maybe one night a week approaching the freezing mark. Luckily for me that one night was Tuesday night this week, and that one night will be…

Happy New Year!

May this year be much better than the last two years for all of us.

Sorry for the break the last few weeks, my sons and their families visited for the holidays. I did get to ride, weather permitting, and I got all my riding lessons in.

Not…

Musing About Grooming

Fortunately we had rain this week and today, we have been in drought status so we need every drop of rain that falls. Of course it messes up my riding but we NEED this rain.

Lately I have been exploring the Haas brushes, researching all the descriptive blurbs the saddlers attach to their listings,…

One Day Better, One Day Worse

Last Sunday it started off cold, but then Shannon was late picking me up so it was warmer when I rode Cider.

When we got to Shannon's horses' stable yard Cider was happily standing, untied, with all her Fenwick and BOT neck and rump rugs draped over her. In the confusion of getting everything…

“I Want the YUMMY Hay!”

MJ has a fixation on timothy hay. He is outside in one of the grass paddocks that also has a big hay roll 24/7/365 so he always has something to eat. But to the refined tastes of MJ the hay in the big roll is inferior to the timothy hay from square bales. The stable workers spread flats from the timothy bales every day so the outside horses can get some, but MJ also…

Going Down a Rabbit Hole

Last Sunday it was COLD at Shannon's paddocks, when I stuck my head out I thought I would not need my winter jacket, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

The wind, sometimes gusting, made the shaded “stable yard” cold. Cider did not look very happy to be there and Shannon and Nancy had draped the various…

My Prescription—Ride Horses More!

Over a week ago I got to see my neurologist for our regular appointment. He gave me the usual soundness exam, and when I explained the term he agreed that I was “serviceably sound” for what I do in my life. He agreed that I am serviceably sound, and he actually prescribed more riding!!!! He understands my problems with keeping safe from Covid-19 at my lesson…

What Affects the Legs Can Affect the Back

When we got to Shannon's last Sunday Cider was all groomed, draped with the BOT and Fenwick ¼ sheets over her back, and all four exercise boots were on her legs (plus the Fenwick pastern wraps on her front legs.) Cider did not look completely happy, but hey, it was cooler and nippier, plenty of reason not to be…

Then Life Interferes

I just got to ride twice since my last blog, my grandsons visited, I got a little sick, then Debbie went on a vacation, so I did not get to ride this week at all. Of course my balance is suffering, right now I have a tendency to want to face plant if I don't watch every step, hopefully I'll get to ride Cider tomorrow and start getting my body back. Right now my…

Amazing Progress

I actually have something new to report this week.

In my last post I described how draping the Fenwick quarter sheet of Cider's croup while she was being groomed and saddled positively affected her. After that I went on line to the Fenwick site and bought her a pair of pastern wraps and a pair of leg wraps.…

A Warm Croup

Last Sunday I had a pretty good ride on Cider. Even though it was cooler Cider was not flinching as much.

When we drove up to Shannon's place her mom, Nancy, was getting Cider ready. I noticed that Nancy had put the Fenwick quarter sheet over Cider's croup, she said that she thought Cider might appreciate it…

I Return to What Worked Before

I only got to ride once last week, sniff.

Since Cider was so upset over the last Weymouth I tried with her, I decided it would be best for both of us to go back to what definitely worked before. The time for experimentation is over, Cider did best with the former combination of the 125mm Fager…

Cider did NOT Like the New Curb

When I called Debbie about my lesson this week I got bad news. Debbie was tested and has Covid-19. I am really happy that I did not go to the lesson stable last week, and I will be staying away from it until Debbie gets over her illness. This is an “ideal” time for me not getting my riding lessons, Debbie had a schooling show where she got sick so I don't know if…

Back to Broiling

Earlier in the week I had switched the Weymouth curb on MJ's bridle, from the Fager Elisabeth titanium Weymouth with the little vertical to the lips “port”, to the Fager Felicia titanium Weymouth whose port is angled at a 45° angle, with the top of the port to the rear. I kept the Fager Alice titanium double jointed bradoon with the roller in…

Thank Goodness it was Cooler

Of course this did not do much to improve our humidity.

Debbie was delayed so her daughter, Sam, had gone ahead and caught MJ, fed him his private flake of breakfast hay, cleaned out his hooves and brushed the caked mud off by the time I got there. Since his belly was full/er Sam brought him to…

Full Summer Arrives

Afternoon temperatures in the upper 90s F. High humidity. Merciless sunshine.

Crippling weather for us with MS.

Fortunately I ride as early in the morning as I can arrange with the stables, 8:00 AM or 8:30 AM. I wish I could ride…

Changing Back My Bridle Works

Last Sunday Shannon picked me up. This meant that did not get to ride in the coolest part of the morning but it was not too bad.

I accidentally picked up MJ's bridle when I got my tack together that morning. Neither Shannon or I noticed this until rather late in the ride. After feeling fiery…

Negotiating Doing the Sitting Trot

When I started my lesson on Wednesday I gave Debbie my litany of the physical woes resulting from all the sitting trot I did for my lesson last week. Debbie's response was sensitive, showed that she heard me, and full of concern about my physical well-being “Well, I will stop asking you to do the sitting trot.” That was not my goal, MJ NEEDS some educated work…

Full Seated Sitting Trot

A little bit over a month ago I started off my rides on MJ by getting up into 2-point immediately after mounting and staying up in 2-point for 5 minutes. At least that was my goal. I did succeed in keeping my weight off my seat bones but there were times that my body sank down into a half-seat. This was in addition to all the times I would get up into 2-point because…