monday musings by shyloh #78

Ahhhh. . .I am so glad Allie got back to stretching me. I just love it so. . .even if I had to lunge first. Although the last few times I was not so ready to buck and go super fast. 

Back leg stretches. bringing it forward.

Reaching down into the stretch!

My favorite stretch! Tail pull!

Circles with the front legs.

I am such a spoiled pony. I got to spend some time in a heated barn and in a stall. I picked through the straw and ate all of Buddy's hay scraps (it was okay with his mom, she insisted), then Buddy's mom gave me a flake of hay all to myself! After that I got an apple, a hay cube, and I got to dunk my head in a bucket and take as many hay pellets as I could fit in my mouth. . .three times! All this, even after I accidentally knocked over Buddy's mom's hot chocolate. Sorry. . . But even so, Buddy's mom, Belle's mom, and Jose's mom spoiled me silly! Buddy's mom was even impressed that I didn't poop in his stall. Yay, I am good like that.

Is anyone else ready for the ice to melt, the puddles to be gone, and the sun to come out? I sure am! But I hear that more snow is on the way. I knew I was hanging on to my fuzz for a reason!

~Shyloh

piss and vinegar

Shyloh was quite the spunky pony today! But I can't blame her. . .most of her pasture is flooded (at least the part all the horses prefer to hang out on, strange) so I am pretty sure she has been mostly stationary for the past few days.

Minimal mud

Surprisingly, Shy was so clean! The rain/snow mix made her mane so white! Only the very bottom of her legs where a little muddy. Yay! I had decided to lunge Shy since I had not done that in a loooong time and I had not really worked her in a couple weeks. The reason behind that is I think Shy needs her teeth floated. She is dropping food and had been holding her head funny with a bit in. The equine dentist comes next week.

Flaxen mane

Anyway to the arena we went. . .the following is my internal (and possibly external) thoughts:

-Wow, Shy is looking good, she is walking very forward.

-Oh, she wants to trot. Well, I need to ask for it so I will bring to to a walk. . .Walk. . .WALK!

-Now she can trot. I can't believe she wants to trot so bad.

-Shy is tracking up really well. She is holding her head in position for short amounts of time. Pretty good for not working in a while.

- Hmmm. . .keeping up the trot. Going faster. I will try asking for a canter. Shy hates canter.

-What horse is this? A canter that I don't have to keep her in? Correct front and rear leads the first time?

- I think she wants to buck, yeah, she wants to buck. . .but she is keeping herself together, just going faster. 

- Shy is looking good. I think this living outside is really benefiting her.

- Time to stop and switch directions. Whoa. . .whoa. . .whoa. . .Whoa. . Whoa. . .WHOA!!

- Let's try that again. . .and again. . and again. . .no not faster, STOP! Dang this horse is feisty today!

The opposite direction was pretty much the same, but when we switched directions again Shy was listening better. But she was a trotting machine! A fast trotting machine!

After our lunge session, I did some stretches on Shy. What is the best way to tell if your horse likes being stretched? When she is already holding her legs up when you get around to that side! She looves her some stretching!

Then Buddy the Belgian came into the arena for his riding lesson. As big as Buddy is, he can be a scaredy-horse. He was afraid of the back corner of the arena and making the "thinking noise," which can also be referred to as the scared noise. Shy, who never had a problem with the arena, was feeding off of Buddy's vibes and perked her ear and was jumpy. Weirdo. 

Buddy is a giant Shy!

We finished our day with the Tour-de-Hay, which includes the Tunnel of Hay and all the other hay spots around the barn. Shy knows them all and I let her lead the way. 

nom nom

When I put her back in with her herd (minus her buddy, Jesse, he moved, so sad) Shy even gave a little attitude to Lukas! That was a shock! Sassy pony is feeling that tomorrow is March!

how to break a saddle

. . .or how to ensure no one will ride you ever again. . .or at least until another saddle is found and bought. . .

Step 1. Run out of tack stall at full speed.

Step 2. Get saddle horn caught on low overhang.

Step 3. Continue running until front of saddle is ripped back and you are freed from overhang.

Step 4. Stop and eat some grass.

Step 5. Run again as two legger gets near, just for fun and because smoke is coming from her ears. 

Needless to say, I am pretty upset over this. For some reason, Shyloh does not care for the tack stall. It really is just a stall with wood flooring. She goes in every time, but does not like to stay in it. I think it might be that she can't really see out of it, but who knows. Usually, she just calmly tried to walk out, like no big deal. Previously, I could tack her anywhere and she would just stand. Here, she is a little more antsy, even during our stretches. I am sure she is still getting comfortable with the place.

I tacked her up just fine and we had a great lunging/stretching session. I actually got sweat! And there was even foamy butt sweat! There was only one other time Shy had foamy butt sweat and it sure wasn't from me lunging her! I can already tell a difference in Shy from one week of being out all the time. It is nice to see and I was looking forward to riding sooner rather than later. . .

And, I asked the feeding lady to leave Shy's hay out since I was getting ready to work her just as she started feeding and she did. Yay. The only downside to that is I have to feed Shy in a paddock and wait for her to be finished, then put her back with the herd. I do really love that Shy has the whole pasture at her disposal, to walk around and explore as she pleases. 

But at the same time, I don't dislike it, but I wish things could be different. For instance, I wish they had feeding spots where they could each go to feed. And I wish I had a spot where I could take Shy and just hang out, like we used to in her stall. Tomorrow, it is supposed to rain all day. So there is no point in me even heading over to the barn. I will have a wet pony I can't work and no where to just spend time with her. It can be frustrating. But other than that, Shy seems to be adjusting well. No major chunks are removed from her flesh. I am going to reserve some thoughts about this place until I get a little more comfortable. Nothing that has to do with the care or safety of the horses or the people, just some personal thoughts about what I want for me and Shy and our future. 

In the mean time. . .anyone have a saddle for me?

not at the very bottom

I witnessed my first feeding time with Shyloh and the herd. It went much better than I thought it would! The feeding lady put the grain and hay in a bunch of spots around the pasture, opened the gates and the horses each went to a spot. I guess the horses each have kind of a spot. . .

Shy's new home, the gates are red.

Shy and her new buddies, Dancer and Analeesa, go to the far side of the pasture to eat (orange) , the others eat at the near side (yellow). They stay pretty stationary to eat. I thought it was a wild, all horses higher in the herd running off the lower in the herd, squealing, bucking mess. I was wrong. But I did discover Shy is higher than Analeesa in the herd and did walk Analeesa off her hay pile when Dancer walked Shy off of hers. And, for a strange reason, all the horses seemed to eat at a slow pace. . .much slower than when Shy ate by herself in her stall. Only once the horses higher in the herd finished, did some running around start. Shy got bucked once in the belly, but mostly stayed off by herself.

Eating under the shelter

Hay head!

I still have not had to test Shy on being a wild and free pony. I have not had to walk out to the pasture area to get her yet. Today, as I walked through the gate to the pasture, her and Dancer were coming through the woods (blue dashes) and met me at the gate (blue star).

Dancer is not being mean, he is shaking his head

Today was our first day back at normalcy. We lunged. We stretched. I used the outdoor arena to lunge. I felt the footing may have been a bit deep, so I am going to try the indoor next time. Also, it is smack in the middle of the barns and I feel watched. . .

Another thing about this place that is not my favorite. . .they feed on a schedule. Which is fine, except that it does not give me much time to work with Shy by the time I get to the barn from work. Because she is in the pasture, if she is not there for feeding time, she misses out. Unless I bring my own hay to give her. Ugh. Not everything can be perfect, right? I am going to talk to the barn manager and see if I can work something out though,

jolly ball beatdown

What a seriously fabulous day at the barn! Except for maybe the Jolly Ball beatdown. But I can look past that in light of how great today was.

I did my usual spiral lunging with Shyloh. She looked better to me and was really forward. No problems there. But the best part. . .when I ask Shy to stop she normal turns in to me. The other day she took a step forward to me, but stepped on the lunge line and stopped herself. Today, she walked all the way in to me! She has never done that before! And it wasn't a fluke, she did this more than once. 

I think we have reached another new level in our relationship. The last significant level up was in December of last year. . .almost a whole year! Now, Shy is letting me catch her in the pasture without treats (as long as she was not just let out) and it just seems we have morphed into something new and better. 

We lunged, mostly at a trot in both directions. I used the timer feature on my phone to time us, just to make sure I am lunging both sides evenly. Then we went through our stretching routine and I lunged her once more for less time. Great results again!

Shoulder release down and back

Bringing the  hind legs forward

The chiropractor was scheduled to come out today, so I kept Shy busy by working on some clicker training with the mat. I used a new mat and not a piece of wood. Now she does not tap dance on it. 

What a cutie!

Then I tried something new. I moved Shy a few feet from the mat and told her to go to it. She did! I was stunned! We did it a few more times, clicking and treating each time. It was really cool to see her do that!

We were still waiting on Dr. Dave, so I put Shy back in her stall. The Jolly Ball, which I have never seen her interested in, except when I introduced it to her as a click and treat exercise, was not the object of her affection. All on her own, she kept picking the ball up and swinging it around. Then she got me. . .right in the nose on one of those swings! Ouch!! She got me again in the chest. I was stunned! Beat up by my own horse! I was still awestruck by how she was all about the Jolly Ball!

Finally, Dr. Dave got to the barn. Shy was dropping her right shoulder kind of hard, which crosses over to that darn left hip. Shy got her adjustment and was very well behaved for Dr. Dave. He said the lunging, backing, hills, and stretching were the best thing for her. He also said to add stretches where she bends between her front legs (like practicing for bowing), and this will stretch her withers. And then he said to add a saddle to the work. This way, she gets used to the saddle and will have a little extra weight on her. He even said eventually to put sand bags around the horn to add even more weight. The saddle and no rider should also help with her breathing. Shy will learn to breathe, since she trends to hold her breath for a while when we start working. Then she does a series of blows and starts breathing. 

Overall it was a great night! Shy is doing well with her chiro work and her strengthening exercises. And she seems to be connecting with me on a new level. Happy dance!!

Super relaxed pony

. . .and stretch

Shyloh loves her stretches! 

First, we warm up a bit because stretching cold muscles is a no-no. Then, usually in the arena, sometimes in her stall, I start on our stretches. 

Shy doesn't want to leave the comfort of her stall to work!

Shy's absolute favorite stretch is the tail pull. With the tail pull stretch, you stand behind the horse (obviously), grab the tail near the tailbone, hold the tail out, and pull. Then release slowly. Shy puts her head down and rounds her back into the pull. The tail pull stretches the muscles and joints all along the back of the horse. We also do tail rotations, which is just like the pull, but make small circles in each direction with the tail.

Shy also likes her leg stretches. When I get done with one leg, she already has the next leg lifted for me. It's cute. We do shoulder release down and back, shoulder release down and forward, shoulder rotation stretch, shoulder circles, rear leg circles, bringing the  hind legs forward, lifting the hind legs, and hip stretch. If anyone wants any specifics on these leg stretches, ask in the comments and I'll answer. Otherwise, this post would be the length of a novel! 

Shy is not too keen on the lateral cervical flexion.  This stretch is supposed to release tension in the poll and neck, which subsequently relaxes the rest of the body. Basically, stand off to one side, put one hand on the nose and the other a little bit below and behind the ear. Then gently flex the nose toward you. Shy lets me do it, but as soon as she has released the tension (especially to the left), she tenses right back up and wants to straighten her head.We also do a poll stretch, which is similar, but the horses head does not tilt. 

Today, we worked on back up. We backed up and down the arena, working on keeping straight. Then we worked on backing in an arc in each direction. I am really pleased with the improvement in Shy's backing!

Rainy day!

the hills are alive . . .

I spent the weekend on the beautiful west coast of Michigan for my friend's wedding. We stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast, it was so cute. Wrap around porch and balcony, dainty little library under the stairs, gorgeous grounds. . .it was a dream! The reception was also at this B&B and the wedding took place on the beach of Lake Michigan. It was quite the mini-vacation for me and Mike.

On to Shyloh. . .Based on previous experiences of me not seeing Shyloh for a number of days in a row, I was under no impression that I would be warmly greeted with nickers and neighs. Shyloh did not disappoint. As I went to get her in the pasture, this was her response as I called for her. . .

I got a bigger greeting from Robbie :(

I brought Shy in so I could groom her and get to work on that rear end. And of course, Shy had somehow managed to get hurt in my absence. 

Somehow, it is on the inside of her left rear. This is after I cleaned it up.

I warmed Shy up in the round pen, with her new saddle pad. She was not impressed. After a few warm up walks and trots each way, I stretched her legs out.

Now she matches her boots!

Then we moved on to the hills! Hills, hills, and more hills! These hills are not alive with the sound of music, though. Just the sound of mini horses and dirt bikes and cows. But, I got some video. 

Does it look like Shy is using that rear end? After that, I hosed her rear end off and started bringing other horses in and feeding them. It is getting dark noticeably earlier now. Sad face. 

We are sticking to the plan of hills and trot poles until I can see some improvement in her rear end. Then we will take it from there. Does anyone know how long it takes for a horse to build muscle?

Long legs on the shadow photo!

and stretch

I got a few stretches to do with Shyloh to help her relax and looses up her rear end muscles. I want to be extra careful, though and not over stretch her. First, I walked her in the arena each way a few times, just to warm her muscles up. I don't want to stretch cold muscles, it is not good for them. 

Wait. You wanna do WHAT to me?

Then, I took her front legs, picked them up and did three circles with them. With the back legs, I pulled one forward, did three circles, pulled it back and did three more circles. But, I was cautious not to actually pull, I just kind of lifted, just to see where she is at. I think Shy really liked it because by the time I got to her back legs, she had her hoof cocked and waiting for me to lift! 

After the warm up and stretches, I took Shy back into the arena and did some in hand walking over poles. Shy likes to walk over poles, so this was easy for us. I did an in hand trot twice, in both directions. 

Blurry walking!

Then I tried some at liberty walking over the poles. . .

Is Shy gonna do it?

Is she hiding behind the standard or veering off course?

Ah ha! Something much greener caught her attention!

Shy likes grass waaay better than walking over poles!

And that pretty much sums up our day. We will increase our walking and trotting time over the poles and ease back into riding soon. Shy is scheduled for a massage sometime this week. 

Oh, and a nearby city granted our barn permission (pending our signatures on some document so we don't sue if our horses get hurt) to use their hill for some hill work! Exciting!