April 2012 with Cooper

We got to the barn late as the car broke down. We just got my daughters car out of the garage and drove her to work to test it and it conked out on the highway on the way to the barn after dropping her off. It started again in a few minutes so we ended up taking it back to the garage and got my vehicle to go to the barn.

I quickly used the shedder to get any mud off & picked feet. We then went in the indoor arena for about 1/2 hour. We went to the back arena door and he handled it well, a few snorts but quickly relaxed. He went right out the door in the dark, smelling the ground and coming in and out of the door. He still is quite spooky at one door back there, but I did get him to go up to it several times and finally he stopped snorting at it. We did the falling leaf or c-pattern and circling with rope halter and 22' rope. Did some small circle trots and then I let him out farther and did some faster extended trotting. Cantered him a little both ways, he was good. He was a little stiff on his back right leg again. Arena doors were all open as we walked all around the arena.
Gave him an apple, carrots, sunflower seeds and equilizer with some beet pulp after.

I will have to wait until the next time to try the new bit I bought for him, a 5" Sweet Iron Snaffle Mouth with Copper Inlay, 2-3/4" Ring, German Silver Dots. I hope he likes it, I think it's very nice looking LOL

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Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on April 14, 2012 at 12:24am: Friday April 13

I wasn't going to go to the barn tonight but changed my mind. I am so happy I went, Cooper was so good. It was still daylight and it wasn't such a spooky place tonight. I walked him around the arena with with the 12' rope and halter before lunging. We went out the back door and back in a few times. I took him into the scary corners and he handled everything really well.

We then did some lunging and we both did much much better than last night. I know now that I should have taken him around all the scary corners before working him. I had the german martingale on him with a surcingle. It wasn't really doing much as I had it pretty loose.

I hope to get back out to see him on Sunday, if not it will be Monday.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on April 13, 2012 at 2:49pm: Monday, April 9

I took Cooper into the arena to see how he was and he was still lame going to the left. I groomed him and then gave him his usual bucket of goodies.

Tuesday, April 10

When we got to the barn the farrier was there so I asked him to check Coopers feet for any soreness with that pinch thing they use. He didn't flinch at all when he did this. He then felt around his stifle area and he was a little tender on his right stifle. He said that exercise is good, big circles though, not small ones. I took him in the arena and worked him a little in both directions. He was head bobbing a little when going to the left but the more he moved the better he got. Finished up again with his long awaited bucket of goodies.

Thursday April 12

I lunged Cooper in the far end of arena with a lunge line, bridle and surcingle. Someone was having a lesson in front end of arena so we had to go to the spooky side. Cooper would not listen, running around wildly, shouldering in on me when he would go around the outside of arena. He stopped several times and a would back up trying to get away. He was racing around the oval circle at a fast trot and would break into a canter. I was frustrated from not being able to keep him on the circle and not knowing what to do. I found myself pulling a lot on his head, naughty me. He stops when I tell him whoa and then turns to face me, I don't know how to get him to stay out on the circle and stop. That's the natural horsemanship training and he is not being bad, that is what he was taught to do. Maybe I shouldn't worry about that.

I was also worrying about what that experienced instructor and English rider at the other end would think. I shouldn't worry about what others think, or what I think they think, but I do (next time I THINK I should ask for help)

I should have walked Cooper to the scary corners at the beginning and things might not have been so bad. I did do this after about 15 minutes of arguing with him. He finally slowed down a little and started to listen somewhat, so I attached the side reins. He did good with them and I tried to keep him out on a big circle and not moving too fast.
There was no lameness tonight and he looked really powerful.

I was upset too over having no money to get someone to help me with him. I can't get anyone to work with him, even for free, and no one wants to pay to part board a green horse, they want to be paid. So can't win and will just have to go on the way I am for now, things will get better.
Gave him his bucket of treats and he was happy.

I am not going today, Friday, the 13th, not going to chance having something happen on this day (it was a Friday the 13th when I had my first fall from him and a year to the day before that was when he ran me over and that started the fears).

I don't think I will get to see him Saturday as I have other plans. I am sure he won't miss me, he is very happy at this barn (except for the spooky arena).

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on April 9, 2012 at 9:21am: April 5/12 I got off work at 3 and we were to go out to the barn by 4 but never got there until after 7. Traffic was bad so we tried to wait to see if it would get better, but it didn't. Thursday was like a Friday after work.

I tacked Cooper all up and went into the indoor arena. I had the 22' rope on and did some walk, trot to the right then when we went to the left his head was bobbing so much and he was lame. Couldn't feel any heat or see anything. 2 other boarders looked at him, one said perhaps an abscess coming or stone bruise and another said it looked like his left shoulder. I untacked him and took him into the wash stall and cold hosed his shoulder and down his left front leg. After Al dried him and we gave him his treats.

Friday he was still lame so I cold hosed him again and gave him some treats again.

Saturday we got to the barn around 4:30 and watched someone else riding in the outdoor arena while we ate our dinner. I then went to get Cooper, he actually came to the gate so I didn't have to go way out in the field to get him. As he came in he trotted once and I could see he was still lame. While I was grooming another very experienced horse person came in and she watched Cooper trot. She again confirmed that she thinks is could be either a stone bruise or an abscess as one of the other boarders thought. I took him out into the outdoor arena for a walk , nothing strenuous, with the rope halter, carrot stick and 12' rope and walked all around the outside of the arena. He was a little spooky in 2 corners but got over it quickly as I let him eat grass all along the edges. When we got to another side there was a huge tree that looked like a giant octopus that really spooked Cooper. He stood stiff legged, moving back and forth and snorting like crazy. I put my back to the fence and had him go half circles back and forth until he settled down and went to eating the grass again. I took him into the middle of the arena, around some barrels, over some poles, all at a walk. He was a very good boy.

We didn't go up on Easter Sunday, took the day off and rested, getting ready for work again on Monday. No day off for Easter Monday. I hope to go tonight after work and see how he is.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on April 4, 2012 at 8:28am: 84th ride. I tacked him all up and put the new bit on his bridle, he really seemed to really like the bit. We did ground work first with the 12' rope and rope halter for about 10 minutes on each side then we did some giving to the bit on the ground. We went all over the arena and into the back scary corners. He was good on the ground so I decided to get on him. Again, I struggled to get my leg up and over the back cantle. I started to tense up but tried to relax my legs and seat. I tried a German martingale tonight, he did well with side reins so decided to try it. He fusse up with it when it was snugged up to the second ring, tossing his head, backing up and not wanting to give, so I just rode with it on the loosest setting. His whoa got better each try with the martingale even though it was only on the mildest correction.

We walked around arena quite a lot. I tried to go to the back end of the arena while riding and he stopped and tried to turn quickly and would not move back there. His head was high and he was moving all over, I was having a hard time so we just stayed up in the first 2/3 of the arena.

We both started to relax and just as I was going to do some trot one of the horses banged the wall right next to the arena and sent Cooper and another horse off. I managed to stay on but the other girl went for a wild ride, hanging off the side and landing on the ground. All was well although then my heart was racing and I was nervous again. Cooper spooked a second time at the wall where he did before and I did a one rein stop. My heart was racing and I started to get a headache from the tension but I walked around a little more until I felt him relax then got off and did some sending exercise at the spooky spot. The horse kicked the wall again while we were doing the ground work and Cooper didn't even flinch. I jumped and tried not to show him I was nervous.