horsegirlonajourney

It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech ~ Mark Twain

Posted on January 5, 2010 by horsegirlonajourney

And what do I write, when I haven’t done anything, and yet so much has happened? Undemanding time to heal our bond, a vet appointment to map out a pain management strategy, and a handful of family walks. Our first full circle at Liberty with rhythm, relaxation, and contact — in the arena, no less. Giving rides to 10-year-old girls, including hopping up on the pedestal with all four feet and then looking expectantly around for a treat.

The neighborhood walks have been good for us all, although I noticed I spent more time standing while he grazed once we got to the school. That’s not exercise! Some neighborhood kids came running over though to pet the horses and that was good socialization for Salsa.

Rocky will take himself to the pedestal any time he feels confused, resistant, or playfully defiant. I have stalled for so long in our patterns, still just starting level 3 on-line and level 1 liberty, but sporadically and not in the round pen.

I did consult with Dr. White today about whether I can use bute for Rocky on the occasional basis — when I’m going ride, for example, which I barely have been doing even once a week. He said it would take about an hour for the bute to take effect and then it would last for about 12 hours. (I am building a mini-site for Dr. White at BearRiverAnimalDoc.com.)

Seeing as I am Rocky’s perfect match, as we’re going to do trails and gentle arena patterns, with not a lot of speed or sharp turning, this will be a good strategy going forward. I’ll give him food with it and we’ll spend that hour warming up by stretching, moseying, and walking around the neighborhood (and not stopping at the school to graze, but really walking the whole mile, as I am so tired of being unfit and lost). He will be happy to be back into progress and provocativeness.

In the meantime, I am traveling so much in January that I took advantage of Erin’s “winter maintenance special” and have Rocky in development with her. She will play with him twice a week this month so I don’t have to worry about him while I’m bouncing around from client site to client site. (Leslie will be here to take care of the place and the other animals.)

I was able to watch the first session yesterday and it was so cute to watch him concentrating and learning — and then glancing at me with an “is this right?” question on his face. Top it off with Centella mirroring his every move, at Liberty … priceless.

Salsa is being more snotty with me than ever, as I have neglected our relationship since what, Thanksgiving? That’s the ebb and flow of life in a freelancer’s herd, I guess. He has bonded closely with Jan, though, and has made it clear that he is Jan’s Pony. So, okay, I bought the new levels; Jan can start with him on her spring break.

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Gearing up for horsing around in winter

Posted on December 13, 2009 by horsegirlonajourney

It snowed a little while I was out of town, but has rained nonstop since my return on Wednesday — that’s 41 hours of steady rain so far, most of it pouring. Rock and Salsa are in their raincoats 24/7, and they have begun their winter routine of days in the individual feeding pens and nights in the big turnout in the front.

Salsa wasn’t too sure about the whole blanket thing when we tried it on before the rains began.

Our neighbor generously lets us use his land and that’s where Rocky mostly stays, but we learned last winter that the back 40 gets too muddy to be safe during the wet months. Rocky lost nine shoes to the sucking mud and we only found six, and his hooves got overly soft from never having relief from the mud. Erin and her team did a lot of maintenance on the property this fall to improve the drainage and prevent the erosion, so it’s looking a lot better than it did last year, but why take chances?

So now they get to be in individual pens during the day, and the front turnout at night. This is excellent especially for Rocky who could use some exposure. The back 40 is the biggest pen and I love that he gets to live there but at the same time it’s in the back of the ranch and he doesn’t get exposed to the road, the oat pellet delivery truck, the silo, people coming and going, etc. Where he is now, he can watch the comings and goings of the whole ranch.

Tomorrow I’m going to take both horses into the covered arena to spend a few hours naked in the sand, let them roll and roll and roll until the itchy of the blanket is erased. Rocky was making camel faces today when I scratched around all the edges so I know he needs it. Salsa is back to acting aloof and even disdaining me, as I have spent so little time with him in the past few weeks. Work and travel mostly, the weather partly.

However.

Today I bought a warm head thingie for ears and forehead, a fleece-lined knit hat, and the thickest gloves I’ve had since my childhood snow mittens. The gloves have some grippy stuff on the fingers and palms so I can actually hold brushes and hoof pics. They’re all high-tech, so they will be good for the teen- and twenty-something temperatures when the only horsetime I get is evening. I figure with this new gear, my Toasties, and my merino wool base layer, I have no excuse for falling off the program just because it’s cold or wet or dark.

Meanwhile my Patterns maps just sit there on the wall without any new checks, and my horses lose respect the longer I appear planless… although isn’t undemanding time a big part of the plan, too? Recent Parelli article said it’s one of the most important and most underused arrows in our quivers. I believe it still counts if I bring them into the arena for UDT; it doesn’t have to be in the pasture or turnout. It’s just that when I decide to segue into demanding time, I need to get back on the patterns program again.

I should make a blog category called “fell off the patterns again” because I know I do this at least once a month.