January 7 2016

I haven't posted much lately, I have another ulcer on my stump again caused by the new prosthetic leg and pressure spots in it, and of course stress and having diabetes does not help with the healing. Home nurse care is coming in again and on oral antibiotics and hope it heals up quickly since we caught it early and it's being treated right away.

Also adding to the stress the owner of the property has put the place up for sale, so just a matter of time before I have to look for a new boarding stable. She said she would give us all 90 days notice when it sells so plenty of time to look for a new place when it happens. Nothing is as close as this place :(  It will be back to over an hour drive and longer in the bad traffic and weather.  

I was walking our new dog a lot and now others will have to do it. I know they are going to spoil the training that I have put into him!! 

I got back on Cooper twice last year, October 24 & 25 2015. I had assistance from other very helpful boarders and only walked around being led both times like a little child. I was scared, my heart was pounding like crazy and the first day emotions got the best of me and I had a little happy cry! I haven't been back in the saddle since.

I was getting back into doing ground work and was looking forward to easing myself back into the saddle come this New Year but that's not going to happen now. We were doing a lot of Straightness Training from the free Marijke DeJong videos and not sure if I was doing everything correct as they never divulge all the trade secrets without you paying for the whole course!

But Cooper was doing some great shoulder in along the rail of the whole arena in both directions, started getting a few haunches in but have to work on that. He remembers the natural horsemanship online training and I was able to walk all over the bumpy arena with this new leg finally. It felt like we were both getting stronger, me mostly I guess LOL

I lunged him a few times on a regular lunge line, starting off at a small circle walk and letting him out trying to keep the bend and have him step under. When out far enough I would ask for a canter and he would do great going to the left but when going to the right, even at a trot he would get snotty and pull out of my hands. I could not hold on, he was pulling me off my feet so I let go and he would take off with the lunge line flying behind him, bugger! When I finally caught him I took the line off and made him move around the arena until he really asked to come in. He's been doing this a lot lately to the right. I am not going to ask for a canter again for awhile until I can get the trot without him acting up.

Now and then we did some John Lyons groundwork, hip, shoulder, shoulder and giving to the bit and he did great with it, being nice and relaxed after a 10 minutes of this work so this might be the route I take when we get back to it.

The young girl riding him says he has been fantastic most times but does occasionally act up when he thinks he's done enough, he's got a mind of his own.

I've been trying to save some money to try and take a course in the spring or summer if any are offered with Anne Gage, Confident Horsemanship. Will need to rent someone to trailer him to any event I want to go to and hope they have restroom facilities as that is a real necessity for me!! 

So now back to sitting on my butt while I heal, oh well I have not been enjoying the cold much lately, even turned the heat on in my apartment and I never do that!!!