Sluggish

I don't know if it was the temp or the small nick on his fetlock or what, but the boy was sluggish today. He walked out without a limp, but just didn't seem to have any energy. Of course, he was sleeping standing up with his eyes open when I first got there. I was leaning on the rails of his stall and he didn't realize I was there. I said his name and his eyes popped open and he kind of startled. Then he nickered and pushed his head into my hands. I spent the first five minutes rubbing his head and cheeks. It was very sweet.

I finally figured out why he was scratching his neck and messing up his mane. He had a bite at the crest of his neck and the scab finally fell off today. I'm sure it was itchy since he turned his head to the side, curled up his upper lip and flopped about with his lower while I was finally getting the scab combed out and the bite scratched. My poor boy was so beat up when I got him that it doesn't surprise me that there are still undisclosed bites showing up on his body. He enjoyed his grooming right up until I put the boots on his back legs.

The left one was fine but when I tightened up the support strap for the fetlock support and he completely freaked. All I can figure is that there is something wrong with the fetlock (a nick or injury) from when I got him and the support strap put pressure on it. Or he just didn't like how it felt. Either way, I suddenly had a horse that was hating the thing that was attached to his hind foot that no amount of freak out was going to get off (It has FOUR velcro straps). He started to panic. Luckily for me, he didn't want to put his foot down or it might have been worse. I grabbed the halter and told him to whoa. I don't know who in his past taught him to stand when asked regardless of how freaked out he might be, but it saved us today. He stood. I calmed him while J very gingerly removed both boots. We won't be trying that again soon.

We worked out in the round pen.

In both directions.

He was sluggish. It's the only word that applies. Although he did move at a slow canter.

Maybe he is getting tired of the round pen. I heard him sigh when we walked in.

I rode him for the first time since I was bucked off.  It's been three weeks exactly. He was rough. And sluggish. 

It took a bit of work, but he did back up. 

And at the end of our work, he did relax into the trot, finally.

He was pretty warm and a tad bit sweaty when we were done. I cooled him down and untacked him, then took him out and washed him off. I checked all four feet for heat, tenderness or swelling. Nothing. Hips. Nothing. I have no idea why he was so sluggish, but I don't think it had a physical reason. We shall see how he goes tomorrow. Fifteen minutes to warm up and fifteen minutes on his back. Going to continue with that program for the week. 

I know he needs his feet done, however, the farrier is not calling me back. We have an appointment on 7/19 and I have tried getting ahold of him to no avail. I may need to rethink who I am using.

Last Night

Last night was perfect . . . it was about 80 degrees when we reached the barn and I was planning on riding. I brushed Ashke a lot - he is still shedding the heavier hair from his barrel, flanks and haunches that has been there since we brought him home. The rest of his body has sleeked out, but this thicker hair acts as a reminder that we've only had him thirteen weeks. We got him saddled and I grabbed the saddle cover (a bright purblue) made out of nylonish material. I was thinking that I needed to start familiarizing him with flapping things around his buttocks and flanks in case I ever needed to put on or take off a jacket while riding (cuz like, you never do that).

We went to the round pen and I proceeded to flap the purblue nylon scary thing on his haunches, flanks, legs and belly. He was a little spooky at first, but became accustomed to the thing pretty quickly. I was fairly impressed. We began our workout by walking around the big arena (which isn't even worthy of a snort now) and then to our walk/trot/canter routine in the round pen. Ashke did great, except he didn't want to maintain the canter going clockwise in the pen. I chased him around the pen until I was out of breath. As soon as I stopped, so did he. Stinker. I finally got him to canter for three rounds but when I asked him to stop he did immediately and then held his left hind foot off the ground. I asked him to walk forward and he did. When he moved I could immediately see where he had nicked the back side of his fetlock on his back left foot. There was blood and the nick is right where the foot flexes so it's going to take a while to heal. Since I didn't know the extent of the injury (blood caked with dirt is difficult to assess) we were done.

I was really bummed. I was looking forward to riding him again last night and working on walking and trotting on command. I also wanted to see if the backing practice we've been working on will pay off. It also felt like every time we reach a point where he is ready to move forward something happens and we take a step back.

I walked him back and unsaddled, then took him to the wash rack. In washing him down I discovered that the cut on his fetlock is really just a nick. It is superficial and really wasn't bad enough to stop our workout. Of course, I didn't know that until I had washed him down, but I am confident it won't hinder our progress. My intention is to ride him today after working him from the ground. Keep your fingers crossed.

As I was taking him to put him away, Ashke requested he visit Folly (Fjord horse he knows at the stable - she was being brushed down after being ridden). I walked him into the main stable grooming area where he sweetly greeted Folly, then turned to stare at the huge construction fan that was being used to cool the area. He snorted, with his ears up and his neck arched (it never fails to bring me a great deal of pleasure to see him arch his neck - which he wasn't able to do 13 weeks ago). We walked closer to the fan. He had his head stretched out, all snorty and stuff, but kept looking until he bumped the fan with his nose. Once he had figured out it was just making noise and blowing air he was fine with it, turned his back and ignored that it was there. He's such a smart horse, I can't believe it sometimes.

After tucking him away, we (J, T and I) went to a nearby walking mall. We bought sizzle balls from Melt (a fine kind of bath salt made with herbs - T loves them when he's sick) and then went to Zumiez to look for shoes. T has fallen in love with the Osiris brand and has been searching for a week to find a pair that fit. He did:

He has migrated from the well-fitting, tightly laced, run-as-fast-as-he-can Nikes to the completely impractical but infinitely more satisfying Osiris shoes (which don't lace up). Our first step into the world of designer fashion.

More Work

Ashke has completely settled into our routine. He whinnies loudly when he hears my voice in the stable. He gives me kisses through the bars and nickers softly when I enter his stall. He sticks his head in the halter and walks easily and comfortably into the grooming stall. He leans into the curry comb and ducks his head to have his forelock brushed. He lifts his feet to have them cleaned. The saddle and pad has fitted itself to his back and tightening it is no longer a fight. He ducks his head and opens his mouth for the bit. He has no problem with his ears or his tail. He stands comfortably for fly spray. Not bad for three months.

Nicole at the barn today said it takes about a year for a horse and new rider to really bond. I feel like Ashke and I already have. J thinks that we were both at a point where the bonding didn't take that long, primarily because we both needed each other so much. I think, and J agrees, that we have applied as much consistency to our relationship with him as was humanly possible. And it has produced the above listed results.

Today, after we progressed through our grooming and tacking up, we went four times around the outdoor arena. It was already incredibly hot. (Today is the 1st of July and we have already had a bunch of days over 90. July is really going to suck.) After we had walked we made our way into the round pen and set up the reins. Ashke is worked with tension on the reins to encourage him to lower his head and engage his back and butt. After doing research on tying up and then discussing everything I found with J, I am going to follow this work out regime until the heat breaks. At that point, I am hoping his back and butt has developed additional strength, making it easier for him to work under saddle.

Ashke can be worked at a trot almost as soon as he is settled into the round pen. We do eight circles in each direction at the trot, with a stop and love in between directions.

The reins aren't incredibly tight, just enough to remind him to lower his nose when he is working. He is no longer afraid of the whip, but he is respectful of my request to move forward.

You can see from how close the front foot is to the hind foot when he is trotting, that he isn't breaking over quick enough. Hopefully, the next trim will shorten the toe enough that he will be able to move his feet out of the way a little bit quicker.

Again, this picture demonstrates how incredibly close they are coming. I can hear them clicking on each other as he moves.

He stops when I ask "Whoa" and is relaxed when I walk up to him. I flip the whip around in my hand so that it is trailing behind me so he understands that I'm not trying to get him to go forward.

I love that he isn't afraid of me and understands that when we are working, I get to decide what we are doing. Sometimes when I ask him for a faster pace he will throw up his head, but for the most part, he is willing to do what I ask. It is a real change from when we first started this lunging process five or six weeks ago. At that time he would flip his tail, buck, kick out and toss his head in protest. All of that has been worked away.

At the canter, carrying his head in a comfortable position, moving easily and at a rocking horse gait.

Mane flying in time with his stride. He moved well in both directions.

Ashke will decide he shouldn't have to continue at a canter and move himself to a trot, which means I have to chase him a little bit to get him to go. Not nearly as much as I used to, however. You can see he is carrying his head down and using his haunches to propel himself forward. 

After our workout, we walked around the outside of the big arena twice, untacked and rinsed off. Then I let him graze a little while before putting him away. I didn't even need to tie him in the wash rack. Slowly, but surely, we are building trust and understanding. Fueled by consistency and apples and carrots.

13 Weeks

It's so hard to tell if he loves me. He was kissing my face with his upper lip. Almost a french kiss. Slobbery. How fun! Ashke is such a sweet horse and does a pretty good job of letting me know.

We were waiting for Nicole and Callie to finish working in the round pen and I was standing in the shade of the grandstand. Ashke was bored. His upper lip is very flexible. Ashke and I walked around the outside of the arena four times as our warm up before working in the round pen.

Ashke kept stretching out his nose and nudging me in the back of my left shoulder. He would jerk back and throw his head up in the air. I didn't react, just kept walking. He would do it again.

He is such a curious soul, always looking around.

We moved into the round pen and went to work.

Seven Things

We are well into our rehab of Ashke's hip. He was worked in the round pen for fifteen minutes or so last night, washed off and let loose in the pasture, then saddled and walked a mile up and down the road. Seven things going on right now:

1. Ashke moves easier and better when he is not under saddle. In the round pen he propels himself with his haunches and moves easily in both directions. Under saddle he is less comfortable in his front feet. I am hoping lunging under saddle will help him find his point of balance and stride more comfortably while carrying weight on his back.

2. He has walked out really well the past two nights. However, he is still having issues with his break-over (where the toe of the front foot strikes the ground instead of the heel of the hoof) and forging (where the hind feet strike the front feet when he moves - also a hoof problem). His feet are slightly flared and still long in the toe, both of which are contributing factors in his breakover issue. The farrier comes out in two and a half weeks and I am hoping we can make some progress on correction. I think once he is breaking over correctly the issue with forging will resolve itself. He tends to stub his toes and stumble more when he is tired.

3. Ashke seems to get the whole backing thing now. We are still working from the ground, but I can stand on either side of him, tighten the reins and ask him to back and he does. Last night, he dropped his head and backed easily for me. This is a great thing and I hope that by the time I am on him again, it will be second nature.

4. Lunging after the tie-up, which after all the reading I have done and discussions with people at the stable, was not severe at all (Abbi tied-up last year and was trembling and twitching for hours afterwards) is going well. I know I am being cautious and hesitant, but I figure that keeps me from wanting to push him. (I start thinking I can ride him again and then I tell myself to slow down). We worked 10 or 15 minutes last night. I am thinking I will try working him for 20 to 30 today.

5. The footing in the round pen is much better, now that they added the sand. However, Ashke really wants to spend his time rolling in it, not trotting over it. Working him yesterday was pretty interesting, since he was untacked and kept trotting with his head down and his nose shoved in the sand.

6. Today marks 13 weeks since I brought my boy home.

7. We changed his feed again, dropping a flake of grass morning and night. Estimated that he is getting 18 to 20 lbs of forage a day, which is plenty for a 900 lb horse. Still supplementing with the Amplify.

Endurance?

I have been struggling with the idea of doing endurance since I first laid eyes on Ashke. He was so emaciated and sick that I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of him getting strong enough to ride for hours at a time. I thought that his demise was imminent if he wasn't given food immediately. It still surprises me that he is as healthy and filled out as he is at this point.

Why do I want to do Endurance? In part, I guess, because I felt like I needed a reason to get a horse. I mean it sounds so selfish to say, "I just want a horse" and put my family through the cost and effort of maintaining an animal that, let's be realistic, is nothing more than another expensive pet. Right? Regardless of the emotional satisfaction to be had in relationship with a horse, I really felt like I needed a job to go with it in order to justify my desire to be owned by a horse again.

That's why I focused on Endurance and this particular race:

I set goals: I'm going to ride the Tevis in 2015.

That statement right there became the reason for having a horse. My original plan was to get a horse in the fall and train it and begin riding distance immediately. HA! So, the horse came several months earlier than expected, and in much worse shape than I had planned on. My mind has been circling the concept that if I don't meet my goal, than how do I justify having a horse. My mind has also been struggling with the idea of not being able to do those kind of rides on a horse that has been almost completely destroyed. How long, in realistic terms, does it take to rehab a horse that was once in the shape Ashke was in? Google isn't really very helpful in answering that question. That question, in turn, led me to questioning why I was keeping a horse that might not be physically able to meet my above stated goal. What to do then? The goal was everything and I was aiming for it like an arrow shot into the sun. I've been driving myself crazy with this issue for three months now. (Short drive, I know.)

Last night, I had an epiphany. I needed to either make having a horse about the race mentioned above, or I needed to make having a horse about having Ashke. J said to me when I was struggling to put into words my messed up, twisted thoughts, that as long as I could ride him, could do something other than feed and pet him, that she was okay with us not doing a "job". She just didn't want him turning into the world's most expensive pet. I get that. Having a horse you don't ride kind of defeats the purpose (although that sentiment doesn't apply to a trusted companion that is no longer able to perform - end of life issue suck for all creatures). If having a horse is about the race, then I really should sell Ashke and start looking for an animal that can do what I want them to be able to do. One without the baggage, both physical and emotional, that this little grey horse brings with him.

The epiphany part of this diatribe came on my drive home, when I realized I don't have to have a goal or job set out for Ashke, other than he be sound and trained. I've been rushing, thinking I wasn't going to meet my goal, that we weren't going to be ready by 2015 to race the Tevis. I realized last night that I have something very special and I would rather keep Ashke, then run the race. It felt like a burden lifted and I was able to breathe deep and relax. I decided it had to be about the horse, not about the race.

That feeling was intensified after talking to J. She doesn't care what we do as long as I can ride him. No expensive pets for us. But also, maybe, no Tevis.

Rehab

Monday night was so hot that we trekked out to see Ashke after T's trombone lesson. I pulled him out of the stall and rinsed him off (it was still in the 90's as the sun went down). We walked around the stable and around the outside of the outdoor arena. Then I took him into the indoor arena, where new sand was laid down. He thought we had brought the sand just for him. Ashke shoved his face into the loose sand, pushing it with his nose and pawing at it. I unhooked the lead rope and allowed him to select the perfect spot to roll. He did one side, then stood up and did the other. Then we went back to the stall. The hard lump in his right haunch was slightly tender and about the size of  my finger.

Tuesday night he was groomed, rinsed with cool water and then led around again. We turned him loose in the indoor arena and T ran up and down the arena for fun. Ashke chased him at a trot. That was great, because it meant Ashke was willing to move without encouragement = no pain. He was showing no tenderness in his haunch when we put him back in his stall.

Last night we finally got a break in the weather and it was in the 70's when we reached the stable. Because of the cooler temps J and I decided to take Ashke for a walk. He was relaxed and there was no sign of a knot in his right haunch. In fact, he was being a bit of a pill. I think he thinks he needs more treats, which we are cutting down on, because he nips when he doesn't get treats. It is a vicious cycle, because I cut down on the treats due to his nipping, the little booger. We saddled him, because I don't want to take steps backwards, and he opened his mouth for the bit. He walked out eagerly, snorting and looking at everything. Our boy is curious, that's for sure. We had to stop in a neighbor's yard so he could sniff the flowers and check out the lawn edging. We walked a mile (we knew how long the walk was, because it is the route T runs sometimes) and he came back loose and warm and sound. (Yeah!!!) We turned him out into the field and let him graze for a while. He didn't go far because there was a small ditch filled with water, which is extremely dangerous, you know. After I caught him to take him in, we went over the ditch twice. He did exactly what I asked without balking and jumped over it in each direction. Then he went back to his stall and his mix of carrots and apples. Hopefully, tonight he will still be sound and ready to walk.