Now I'm a Human Barometer
Lately I have not posted much because my body, all of a sudden, has decided to become a weather forecaster for rain. Two days before the rains come many of my joints and muscles start suffering tearing pains and any exercise I do before the rains come ends up causing even more pain extending for days. Just one of the perils of being older I guess.…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on April 29, 2023 at 2:39pm — No Comments
One Reason Why I Use the Double Bridle
The weather down here has been wonderful for riding, the worst I had to deal with was a minute or two of a sort of serious sprinkle but the rest of my rides were rain free.
When I got to the stable Monday morning it was a lot more crowded than usual. They had gone to a show on Sunday…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on November 5, 2022 at 1:16pm — 1 Comment
What I'll Look For
When I got up on MJ for my lesson this week I told Debbie I was NOT going to be doing the sitting trot for a while. Ten days after I tried to sit MJ's trot I still hurt, mainly my upper back between my shoulder blades. It hurts, it creaks, and I have decided that until MJ gives me a really clear signal that his back feels good enough for me to sit his trot, good enough so his…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 8, 2022 at 11:19am — No Comments
Oh My Aching Back
MJ is happier with me. Last week he nuzzled me once when I groomed, this week he nuzzled me at least three times. Two weeks ago he gave a derisive snort when I made a comment about badly behaved dogs in the ring, this week he gave contented little quiet snorts when he obeyed my aids.
It has taken me over…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 1, 2022 at 11:38am — No Comments
A Good Cushion Can Help
I got to try my new ThinLine shock absorbing pad on MJ during my lesson on Wednesday.
Addison helped me groom MJ and tack him up until Debbie drove up. We put MJ's Fenwick Western pad on first with the ThinLine+ Contour pad on top of it, then the saddle. I had brought out a longer girth just in case…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 20, 2022 at 10:56am — No Comments
Time for a Change
Sorry I've been gone for a while. NOTHING much was happening, sometimes the weather did not cooperate with my riding, Shannon had health problems, and sometimes my gut was not happy with the world. MJ has decided that his old method of making his back as hard as concrete is the way to go in the riding ring.…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 13, 2022 at 10:23am — No Comments
Finally Some Progress
The same old, the same old, how many times can I write an interesting blog when nothing changes? That is why I have been absent, nothing much new happened.
MJ got a bad case of thrush under his full pad for his navicular disease, so now he is just in regular shoes still according to the alignment of his…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 16, 2022 at 11:23am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 23, 2021 at 11:12am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 16, 2021 at 10:29am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 14, 2021 at 11:25am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 7, 2021 at 10:51am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 31, 2021 at 11:07am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 24, 2021 at 10:38am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 17, 2021 at 11:10am — No Comments
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…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 10, 2021 at 10:16am — 1 Comment
Too Much 2-Point Gets Me Exhausted
In the two previous weeks I had done 5 minutes of two-point for five minutes (with rests) when I started my rides, on both Cider and MJ. The results were GOOD, but I ended up just too exhausted. That puts me in a quandary, if I want a better ride I have to start off in 2-point from the first step, but after 4 sessions of this in a week and a half I was…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on June 5, 2021 at 11:21am — No Comments
As Summer Nears
It is getting warmer down here. This weekend starts a string of days at 90° F on up. On Wednesday for my lesson I had put on my protective vest, and after grooming and walking to the ring I took it off as I was just getting too warm. I did not even put it on for my ride on Friday. I am hoping to delay…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on May 22, 2021 at 11:50am — No Comments
Standing Still
I just got my lesson on Wednesday this week.
MJ looked all right when Debbie led him up to the wash stall. He was not completely settled down but he did not cause us any problems, even when I groomed his head while Debbie brushed elsewhere. Previously that had not been acceptable since there was just too much…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on April 10, 2021 at 11:34am — No Comments
Making the Sitting Trot Enjoyable
For both the horse and the rider.
I got to ride three times this week! On Wednesday I got my lesson, I was still sort of off from less riding so it was not a “perfect” lesson. MJ is ridden by other people in lessons, and as time goes on Debbie discovers his preferences and how his body ends…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on March 13, 2021 at 11:08am — No Comments
Yet Another Turning Aid
MJ was a little bit less sensitive this week. I had learned my lesson and curried his back with my gentlest curry comb, the Zoom Groom Cat grooming tool, with soft and flexible inch long prongs that feel rubbery, this is the tool that I use on his head. He did not flinch at all when I used it on his back, but when I used my wooden massage roller on his back he flinched…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on March 6, 2021 at 1:56pm — No Comments
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