Bitter Cold and Warmer Rains Interfere With My Riding

Bitter Cold and Warmer Rains Interfere With My Riding

My apologies for missing three weeks of blogging.  What is there to say--lows in the 20’s F, and often rain on the days that were warm enough for my scheduled lessons.  It is hopefully the last gasp of winter.  I do take comfort with the idea that several nights in the low 20’s F after weeks of warm, spring like weather may kill many fly larvae, reducing the plague of flies that come to the Southern states during the spring or summer.  The last few years have followed this course, and I have noticed almost NO buzz-bomber flies during the summer.  Too bad this does not seem to reduce the population of gnats, though.

Ever since I bought my first pair of the HandsOn Grooming Gloves, I have noticed that the horses are much less reluctant about being brought in out of the pasture to be ridden.  They look happier when they come in, with bright relaxed eyes.  When we start grooming with these gloves the horses look like they are experiencing Nirvana, and they cooperate with grooming more.  I get subtle messages that the horses want more, More, MORE grooming instead of the usual “just get it over with,” and when we finish grooming the horses are relaxed and look really pleased with the world.  When I mount, the horses are more relaxed and they listen to me a bit better than usual.  It makes a difference in my ride when the horse feels good right from the start.  If the horse you are riding gives you sour looks and acts less than pleased to see you, get a pair of these gloves because they give the horse something besides treats to look forward to and enjoy when you handle and ride them.  And, of course, after I take the saddle off, all the horses LOVE when I groom their backs with these gloves, in fact the horses really get into it--as in do it THERE, now get this square inch, now get that square inch, now do it all over, oh it feel so good, it is even better than rolling in the sand!

A happy horse is more likely to give you a better ride.  A relaxed horse is more likely to forgive you your faults and mistakes.  These gloves change the human from a well meaning pest to a valued companion who can give them a grooming that no other horse, rolling, scratching against trees, or a grooming with regular curry combs can give them.  Their human becomes a valued companion over and beyond being a mere food provider.

The horses love these gloves so much that I got MYSELF a pair to use on my aches and pains.  I don’t think these gloves make me feel as good as the horses do when I use them on myself, but the do get the blood flowing through spasming muscles, and my pain lessens when I use them on my neck, shoulders and scalp when all these muscles cramp up.  Last night I even used them on the soles of my feet, hoping to lessen the foot cramps I get every night when I lie down to go to sleep, and last night my feet did not cramp at all!

Lately Bingo has felt strong enough for me to ask him for slightly harder thing, especially the three speeds exercise.  I have been regularly asking him for the three speeds at the walk, now I am confident that Bingo can handle the three speeds at the trot.  Since he is a Quarter Horse he is quite able to do a slow trot, and his regular trot has improved, but we had not really worked on extending his trot.  The first time I asked him for an extended trot (using both legs when I sit down and lightly resisting with the reins when I rise), he had been wormed the day before so he was not feeling terribly well.  Even so he did try to extend some, and Debbie told me than, for the first time ever, she saw him track up with his hind legs.  I could not get a true extension but I did get some progress with his trot!

My next lesson on him I worked on the three speeds of the trot again, however I added something new.  Debbie had talked to the veterinarian who knew Bingo at an earlier barn, and she told Debbie that the people there had tried Bingo and roping and barrel racing, but that he had failed and they gave up on him.  This got me thinking, both roping and barrel racing require “explosive” starts at the gallop.  Might Bingo’s hocks be bothering him a little?  He is no showing any lameness on his hind end, but there is a reluctance to move out and there is not much “push” behind the saddle.  Of course if Bingo’s hocks are bothering him some, that cannot help his sore loin muscles from being croup high.  So I asked Debbie to dig out the Back on Track hock boot I had gotten Mia (they did not work on her, all she did was kick constantly.)  Debbie finally found them, and we tried them on Bingo my last lesson.

Bingo did not know what to think about the hock boots.  As Debbie walked him out of the barn he stopped several times, and when he walked he picked his hind feet up higher.  All of his attention was back on his hocks.  Debbie coaxed him down to the ring and I decided to just walk him around a few minutes to start getting him used to wearing the hock boots while being ridden.  Most of Bingo’s attention was riveted on his hocks though he did obey my aids.  After a few minutes I asked Debbie to take the hock boots off, Bingo was doing his best to deal with them and I wanted to reward him for obeying me in the face of such a severe distraction.

Bingo relaxed and settled down immediately.  I started walking him around and I noticed a little more push from his hind end.  Then we trotted, first as slow a trot as I could keep him doing, then his normal trot.  Finally I asked him to extend his trot, and every step had more power behind it.  Debbie told me that he was finally trotting like a “normal” hunt seat horse, in that he actually had a definite suspension when he sprang from one diagonal to the next instead of his normal Quarter Horse shuffle.  So right now Bingo’s extended trot is the same as a normal hunt seat horse’s regular trot.  At least we are making progress!  It will probably take me months of work to get a true extended trot from him.  Having a high croup can make life difficult for a riding horse, the croup high horse has to figure out HOW to give the rider what most horses can give the rider without really trying.  It takes TIME and rational exercise to strengthen the weak loin muscles on a croup high horse, but these loin muscles have to get stronger if the horse is to have any hope of performing at a higher level.

Maybe Spring will finally come and stay around.  All the fruit farmers around here are having difficulties in trying to keep the fruit blossoms from freezing.  I am hearing dire warnings of a coming peach shortage, and the strawberry farmers are putting their plants under a double layer of “blankets” against the cold.  It is hard on plants, animals and humans to have weeks of warm weather followed by the Arctic polar air settling down on the lower latitudes, followed by more weeks of warm weather and then another drastic plunge in temperature.

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran 

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