frustrating mare

Oh Shyloh, Shyloh, Shyloh. . .

I asked Beth to watch me lunge Shy in her spirals and give me some advice because Shy was giving me a hard time. When we do small circles, I am able to keep her moving forward, but when I open the circles up, I cannot keep Shy at the trot. Frustrating. 

I had only walked Shy a few circles when Beth came to watch. I was warming her up, so I did not have side reins attached. Beth asked me to trot Shy. . .I did and immediately Beth said "She is still off." Ugh! Frustrating.

But then Beth clarified and said she is tracking up okay, but her movement in her left rear is not fluid, it is jerky. Beth asked to try something with Shy. My answer was of course! Beth attached the side reins and adjusted the lunge line in a different position. Then she had Shy do very small circles and asked her to step her inside leg underneath her at a criss cross almost.  

Kinda like this. . .make sense?

At first Shy would only do a step or two with bringing her leg underneath her. This horse just does not want to use that rear end! All the other exercises I have been doing, Shy figures out ways to get around using that rear end. She ends up compensating in various ways to not drive herself from behind! Frustrating.

Eventually, Shy was able to do more than a few steps in each direction. Each time, I let the lunge line out some to give her release. And she began to keep a forward trot when I let the line out! Beth said she noticed Shy was moving better after using her legs, so maybe she is just stiff at the start of her exercises and loosens up when used. Frustrating.

How long has this been since Shy has been off? Too long! It is frustrating to me that everything I try, Shy figures out how to get around it. But this new exercise seems to really put Shy to work. She was not sweating after our workout, but she was breathing hard. We did not work long, Beth said it was hard work for Shy. So. . .we will add that to our routine. Frustrating.

Question of the day. . .Why does Shy have all these pool noodles on her back? Find out Sunday!

because you can't get enough

. . .of the super exciting round pen videos. Right?

Here is the video from today. We spent a short time in the round pen. Shyloh did not seem up to it today. Definitely not the canter-y and buck-y Shy from last time!

How does she look? I have my suspicions, but I am not sure if I am being extra paranoid or what. . .Chiropractor comes tomorrow. . .it seems like forever away.

Wind in the mane!

Also, I need a clone. It is so difficult to take pictures and video while I am trying to work this horse! I need my own personal recorder. Ha!

I wanna stay here and eat grass! I promise I was not pulling hard at all!

the mat

I am so glad that I read this post from Shannon over at It's Quarters for Me. She uses clicker training for her two horses and I needed something new to do with Shyloh, since she is out of commission for now (more on that later).  Shannon discussed using a mat as a mark for her horse Gwen to stand on. I have also seen this at Equine Affaire, I believe with Double Dan Horsemanship. It was just the thing for me and Shy to work on.

Since I didn't have a mat handy, I dug up a cardboard box and flatten it. Tada! Mat! I put the "mat" on the ground, grabbed some almonds, my clicker, and Shy and got to work. 

Can I eat it?

At first Shy refused to step on it. She stepped around it and over it. Then she tried to eat the cardboard mat! With much prodding and pleading, I finally got her to put a hoof on it! Click and treat. The other hoof was proving much harder for her to put on the mat. So I went and got a dressage whip so I could tap her legs and place them where I want them.

Almost there. . .

Backfire. I had initially used the dressage whip to tap her legs to teach her to wave. So I got a waving, pawing pony and a messed up piece of cardboard. Good thing we have tons of empty SmartPak boxes. Ugh. Because of her hoof antics, the cardboard made it difficult for her to stand on it. . .sometimes she would flip the cardboard up and one hoof would be on it and one hoof under it. 

But eventually Shy got it! Every time she got both hooves on the mat, click and treat! When she finally got both hooves all the way on the mat, click and lots of treats! We have more work to do on this new behavior, but we have a start!

Fuzzy photos. . . 

It is hard to take a photo, hold a dressage whip, and click at the same time. I finally gave up on holding the lead line, she was staying put just fine!

As far as Shy being lame. . .I have no idea. Beth thought maybe it was a stifle issue (she had been reading up on it for one of her horses and thought Shy fit the bill), but she does not have any swelling. None of her legs or hooves have any heat or swelling. She is showing no pain reactions. I think she is faking. . .just kidding. I am still thinking it may be sore muscles from being asked to use her rear end for movement, but Beth thinks that would not cause lameness. She shows no lameness at the walk, so I am reluctant to bute or keep her on stall rest. She does not run in the pasture. She really shows no signs of pain and never fought going into the trot even even she was tracking up short. The chiropractor is coming out Monday, so I will see what he thinks then. Other than that, Shy is off work, once again until I have some answers. 

Smiles! Proud of herself for doing a good job! I promise I was not asking for smiles while we were working on this!

check and check

To recap my check list:

• bathe and clip, whiten that dirty mane and tail (not yet)
• practice the mane roll (nope)
• practice our line driving (eek! harness has not been hooked up in forever) (check!)
• practice our golf club turns for halter and showmanship classes (uh. . .no)
• clean tack (kinda sorta, brushed off dust)
• pack for show (check!)

So, two-three-ish out of six is. . .pretty bad. The good news is that chances are I will be showing in the Pleasure Horse/Pony class instead of the Draft Class because Shy has a light harness. So Shyloh does not need a mane roll. Also, I have no idea what Pleasure class does and what halter class pattern is (there is no showmanship). I hate uncertainty!

That sky is pretty!

Before I put Shy's harness on, I worked with her in the round pen. She had been doing so well lately. Today (of course today was the day I brought my video camera), Shy was decent. And off. Just slightly, but off. Why??

Can you see it?

After a short time in the round pen, I put Shy back in her pasture for a while. When it was time to bring all the horses in (I was feeding and bringing horses in tonight) I got Shy ready in her harness. Poor mare, I think I ruined her!

Does this look like a worried Shy or what?

She had worried eyes and eye wrinkles :(

Shy is still very unsure of herself with the blinders on, but she was decent again. After our initial fighting for her to stop and stand without swinging sideways, Shy was responsive to me, but a little tough on the right rein. I took her outside to practice and we came upon a horse eating moldy bale of straw. Shy was so unsure of it, but eventually we got up to it. Then Shy decided that she could eat it (gross) and was not scared anymore. I had to rip the pieces of nasty moldy straw out of her mouth. I do not need a sick horse!

Yuck!

Tomorrow I will check off bathing and clipping, practicing more line driving, and practice for halter. . .I hope!

monday musings by shyloh #49

Things that I enjoy besides eating: the chiropractor! Once he gets to crack-a-lacking, I am all like mmmmmmmmm. . . .

We are going to say that the whole tire incident got my withers and back all out of whack. I mean, I was running around with that thing attached to one side!

So after Beth noticed I was off at my trot, Allie skipped her swimnastics class one day and had me see both the vet (yuck!) and the chiropractor (yay!).

Dr. Romine took a look at me first. I had no problem trotting away from him, but to trot back. . .no way. I refused. He kept trying to get near me, but I kept moving away. Eventually, I let him touch me, but I was not happy about it. He told Allie that I was sore in three spots: right at the withers (left side), the hips (right side), and some swelling in her left front fetlock. He also said that I had short splint bones, but that it should not affect me in any way, it is just a part of my awesome anatomy. 

Off to see Dr. Dave I went! Which was just across the arena, so it was not too far. He checked me out and said the exact same thing as Dr. Romine, which was cool since neither two legger were near each other when they told Allie. But Dr. Dave said my left front knee was slightly out of place. Then he did some adjusting and I got to trot. At first I was like whoa!, what are you doing. Then I was like whoa. . .yeah, I like you. Then he adjusted me again and talked to Dr. Romine. And I had to trot some more. They said I looked better already!

Dr. Dave is so tall, he make me look so small!

Dr. Dave came out again another day. I had to trot around the arena and he said I was showing significant improvement. Yay! I rule! He did some more adjusting and his wife (also a chiropractor) took photos. They might use me in a promotional poster! Clearly because I am so beautiful and such a well behaved patient. 

Feeling my back

Not sure, but I liked it!

Adjusting my hip

I got the all clear for five to ten minute rides. Boo.

My most recent visit caught me in a bad mood. I didn't want Dr. Dave to touch me and I kept moving away. But he did say I was much better and looking good! Next appointment is three weeks out. I guess I am healing. 

~Shyloh

mane event

The day is drawing closer and closer to Shyloh's big day. What are my plans for the day? Well, a show is scheduled, but I am undecided if we are going to attend. My reasons are that it has been way too hot, we have not really practiced, and this week is funky due to my grandpa's funeral. And she is off on her right rear. I lunged her today for a short bit. She is jumping into the trot and not tracking up at the trot. But to be honest, I think the real reason might be that I do not want to get up at 4am! Even though I have my new show halter and new mane and tail decorations to show off! So, if I do not go to the show, I will be working and spending the day with Shy.

In the almost year that I have had Shy, she has been through many changes, physically, mentally, emotionally.  One of the most noticeable physical changes is her mane. My has it grown!

But her forelock remains the same length. . .guess it will never be a flowing forelock. The rest of her mane has seen many different styles over the year. She has had pink hair, a double mane, mane on the right, mane on the left, braids, braids, and more braids, and a unicorn forelock. . .just to name a few.

Other physical changes are her body. She went from being a little bit pudgy pony before she came home to a really pudgy, shaggy winter pony, and back to a sleek shiny show pony! Keeping and eye on her weight (an going through old photos is a real eye opener on just how chunky she was!) is very important to keep her healthy. I am thinking no grain this winter, I can't believe just how much the handful (literally) affected her. And I know now that her coat grows thick enough to keep her warm.

Next post will cover her mental and emotional growth. I think that is were I have seen the most change and improvement!

And. . .I have 50 followers now! Thank you everyone for following our little adventure! Special thanks to those who comment, I love to read the comments! I have learned much from them and many times I am able to see things in a different light. I really appreciate all who take time to read :)