The only way is up!

What a great week it's been. A really positive horsey (and life!) week. I'll start at the beginning....

Rose
I had written Rose off as completely unrideable, even perhaps unable to have another foal. I thought her pelvis injury was really problematic - the way she is always resting a leg and looks so stiff and ungainly as she walks around. I also thought the osteoarthritis in her shoulders was enough to put her out for good. Such a big horse and with that constant wear and tear on that joint, I thought she'd be lame every time I rode her.

So, I bit the bullet and booked her in to see Bec Walshe at the Canberra Equine Hospital. I'm not sure if I'd begun my blog by the time I last took a horse to see her - Assegai the eternally grumpy gelding - but I've always found her knowledgeable, pragmatic, confidence-inspiring and very affordable. I'm sure there'll be some surprise out there for the last part but Bec only charges $100 for her time - usually an hour or so. Money well-spent, as it's turned out each time.

I fronted up on a gorgeous autumn day with the wonderful Rose. Unloaded herself, grew to about 18 hands as she looked around the CEH, then quickly settled as I gave her a wither scratch and stood close to her. I think, after having her for most of her life, Rose and I have a good bond. It's nice. :)

Bec gave her a pretty rigorous workout - lots of trotting on the bitumen road, fanging around the round yard and flexion tests. She was in two minds about the elbow action of the osteoarthritis. She described it as being 'loose action of a big young horse with low muscle tone'. I don't agree. I do think it's osteoarthritis as described by Sharon May-Davis. BUT, given the elbow flexion and serious trotting down the sloping bitumen road with no soreness, no unwillingness, no resentment, I am far more confident in Rose's soundness. The condition may degenerate over time (more likely will degenerate) but I wanted to know if I could ethically ride her right now, and that question has been answered.

The pelvis is altogether another thing. It was hard getting Rose to stand up square - she is quite set on resting one hind or the other while standing. But there was never a hint of unevenness or pain during the tests and exercise Bec had her do. Lots of strength work was the prescription. She's uncomfortable, yes, but see what a high-protein diet, riding and hillwork, poles and cavaletti do. Fair enough, said I.

So, poor Rose has been in pretty constant work since that day. I've ridden her three time for about 10-15 mins each time, with no soundness concerns or jacking up. Quite the opposite, actually. She is so trainable and so balanced for a big, unfit, green-broken horse. We only just started our first trotting work this week and she's doing really well.

I've bumped up her diet considerably to try to put more muscle and weight on her. She's now on Hygain Ice, Breeda, Micrbeet (couldn't get Speedibeet and Micrbeet is unmolassed, at least), Easiresult and lucerne chaff, with Equilbrium and MSM. I'll be phasing the Breeda out over the next week. She looks like this at the moment:

Her characteristic hind-leg resting and all bones and sinew. Not the most flattering pic, to be sure, but it's clear how much topline and muscle she needs to build. Lots to work on! And she's exhausted, poor love - look at that yawn!

Jedi
Young Jedi is now clipped and recovered from his mysterious lameness. I do wonder if it was me shaving just a bit too much off his outside bar on his off fore hoof. It looked uneven so I took the rasp to it, not more than a day after Kirsten the Wonder Trimmer had been. Probably shoulda left it alone!

He's really starting to work in a forward, consistent frame, not getting too freaked out most of the time and producing some lovely cadenced trot work. Still being a bit of a tool in canter but that'll come. We had a tops jumping session today and I'm really looking forward to the Sam Lyle clinic next weekend. First Prelim clinic.

I've decided to sell Jedi by the end of the year, if I can. I want to concentrate on Rose and keep doing my judging/competing gigs. It really helps me afford to compete and I love giving back to my sport in this way. Not to mention that Jedi will help pay for my dressage arena!!

He's the gorgeous boy now. He's starting to look and feel like a real performance horse:

You said you had carrots...

Uno
Uno looks like the love child of a mule and a giraffe. He's just awful-looking right now! He's very fluffy, all legs and belly, SO unattractive. Just hoping he turns from ugly duckling into a swan. And he's gone back to being a complete Fantapants.

Luckily, he's got the most gorgeous temperament like his mum!

Here he is just before dinner:

Timmy
Timmy is turning into a bit of a stunner. He's going to be a serious performance horse for a junior with skills or a small adult. Absolutely gorgeous. But so annoying!! He's always getting in your face and your space, pulling rugs off gates (or trying to pull Jedi's off his body!!), chasing dogs and chickens and kids just to play with them, breaking whatever he can. Such a teenager!

He's rising 3 so I'll back him in Spring and see what happens. I'm happy to keep him around. He's a VERY good doer and really very sweet. And Uno loves him. :)

So, next things coming up are the Sam Lyle clinic next weekend, then Berrima is hosting it's XC/SJ weekend and we're just heading up for the day to have a run around the Prelim SJ and XC courses. Manu Mclean is up in a month so I'm stoked I got a lesson each day on each horse. Better start saving!

Julia the WOW saddles lady will be coming back from Badminton where she watched her and her husband, John's, horse Algebra go around. Pity he and Nat Blundell had a stack but so many did. Less than half even completed the XC. Now that's a statistic I haven't seen for a long, long time. Anyway, Julia will be coming out to fit Rose for a dressage saddle (got some money from selling Charles' motorbike until tax time comes around), very exciting.

I've got a saddle fitter coming out in 3 weeks to look at whether the Pessoa jumping saddle might fit either Jedi or Rose. If it does, fantastic, I can get the WOW jump saddle fitted to the other horse. If not, well, Rose might not be doing too much jumping for a while. Then again, the WOWs are so forgiving, I'm using both the WOWs on both the horses with no problems. Just not the perfect fit for both.

And this week coming up is my last week of studying before I get admitted as a lawyer. I'm stoked. And exhausted!

Til next time!