Back To School

As the kids went back to school, appointments were made and horses had grass stains curried out in preparation for their return to regular schoolings too.

Czech needed to most priming. I removed his facial stitches and he had shoes put on all the way around after our summer-long trial bare was clearly not going to work for him. A week later the vet came out to evaluate his movement.

Under saddle he was back to the way he was when I first got him last year, cross cantering and generally off with his hips. The vet determined that Czech had momentary upper fixation of the patella. Basically, his knee caps were not sliding the way they should but instead staying locked similar to what they do to sleep standing.

After he was warmed up and stretched, it was improved though all the sudden snapping when it engaged created inflammation throughout his stifle. Long term prognosis is great, if he's kept in muscle his own structure would support it nicely and he could even jump. Not being worked over a few months coupled with his bare feet limiting his free exercise in the pasture, meant he needed some help coming back.

He received injections to reduce the inflammation to allow healing to take place and is on bute for a week. He'll be brought back very slowly and I think he'll do just fine. The nicest thing about us and Czech is that he never HAS to do anything. He enjoys work, I enjoy working him, but he isn't required to do anything at all if that time comes. Happily, that time isn't now.

Our first ride a few days after the injections, Czech and I rode at walk through the pasture, with my daughter! This is huge to me. My kids have been riding well but I've never felt secure enough to be in a position off the ground where I couldn't help if their pony was naughty or yanked reins out of their hands. I also wasn't sure how their ponies would do riding along with my bigger strided horse. What if Czech started to get excited and jig? Would the pony then freak out? What if the pony ran up on Czech and he wanted to kick?

I decided it was time to try and saddled up Pegasus with a more secure western saddle, and Czech with strict orders to take it easy.

Czech and Pegasus were awesome. My daughter, Sage, was also wonderful, handling Pegasus's minor tantrums when he wanted to return to the barn. I was in heaven riding my horse with my daughter on her's.

Then Czech had another surprise, his breeder Iva came up for a visit and he adores her. Horses have an excellent memory and it was a  very sweet reunion.

Bandon tackled his first few back to school sessions with fierce intensity. A little too much intensity actually. Today we went back to taking one jump then halting after 15 strides just to slow his roll a bit. He's riding with a very forward fire he hasn't shown me often, partly a product of his rides being jumper's courses. Once he's "on", he's getting harder to communicate with, though I wouldn't trade forward for any other problem, I can direct forward! Over the weekend an easy bareback ride through the pasture turned into an adventure on him when he spooked (at a chicken, of course) and took off running, gotta love my baby horse.

Iva left behind some goodies (and scrapbooks that include Czech's baby pictures *sqeal!*) that she doesn't need since she is out of horses, her Stubben saddle was one of them.

Riders, try other saddles. Seriously. Even if you like yours. Just try. WOW. This saddle fits the boys nicely AND rides with a more secure feel for me than my Beval has ever delivered. Full appreciation for those that stress taking the time to find a saddle that fits you both, it certainly matters.

Pegasus and Spotlight have taken to their groundwork sessions without too much pony attitude and both have been ridden already a few times. Unfortunately the western saddle I used on Pegasus for our awesome Mother Daughter ride, rubbed him raw at the girth. I felt terrible about it and may or may not have gone through an extra handful of teddy grahams just for him.

Extra fleece covers have been added to their grazing muzzles. While they do the job to keep the weight nice, those muzzles also rub. Hoping to get all the kinks worked out and everyone comfortable soon.

After vet assessments, farrier fixes, barn water leaking and repairs, training schedules, and tack cleaning, we're ready to see where training takes us this season!

Coyotes, Pony Feet, and a Triple Crown

Fairly routine training stuff going on over at Seven Hearts as the end of spring approaches and summer blazes in.

For Bandon it's been canter work. My long-distance trainer recommended a ground pole at 9' to give us both help with stride and timing. Bandon has been clearing jumps well except for long canter lines approaching, those we are taking down bars 50% of the time as he flattens instead of rounds.

To his credit, I'm not helping this problem much. A long canter approach feels very fluid, even if your timing is lousy. I felt like I was getting where I needed to be until the camera showed me the truth. My release kept my elbows behind my shoulders and I was not as balanced from my heel as I should be.

When we added in the 9' ground pole, Bandon leapt the pole then hurled at the fence. Obviously we needed quite a lot of practice with skills at the canter.

So... without a trainer critiquing from the ground, Bandon and I are starting to solve the problem ourselves the easiest way I know how; bareback. Riding him bareback forces me to think about and use my seat and a long leg. Under saddle I was getting almost to half seat to accommodate my pony who preferred to move with me off his back, without even thinking about it. It takes a little courage riding him bareback at a canter when he's so fresh from him learning to canter without bucking, but we do it and it's improving! In the saddle each time I feel ahead or forward, I think "heels" and we're getting there. He's also riding on a loose noseband and listening.

Czech has not had as much forward gain lately. Transitions are our curse. We walk halt trot halt walk canter trot halt trot walk halt over and over and over. Once he's "on the bit" he's done listening. He leans and goes no matter what cues your aids give. He's no longer taking off with me like he was last fall, he's also not a willing participant in the conversation I'm trying to have with him after we've entered work mode in his brain. I can get a nice slow approach on a low jump, if I ask for anything more than that nice slow approach OR if we are doing a jump after a jump, he goes at a dead run.

I've found some tricks that are helping him hear me better, specifically riding on a totally slack rein (think Western Pleasure) and lots of groundwork yielding space to me. I trust him now not to kill me on the loose rein and with it he has nothing to lean into, helping us the most.

Since it's summer break for the kids, this will be something to pick back up again in August, he's such a talented horse if I can get him to breathe into his new role under saddle and move mentally away from the (possibly strict) dressage training of his past. For now, he'll have his shoes removed in a few weeks and get through the soreness of barefoot transition while I don't have much time to ride anyway. Hopefully he'll be ready in the fall to stay barefoot and begin work again. I'm pretty determined to take him back out for another try at a Hunter Pace in October.

Speaking of feet, little Pegasus is teaching me even more than Whisper did about hoof structure and function. As I mentioned before, he has a previous founder. This means that his front feet (back look great) have a permanent deformity, the toe of his hoof wall separates from the sole of his foot. As my vet noted when he pulled Coggins on him last week he does have an incredibly tough sole so it isn't bothering him. The convex shape of it requires a closer eye to keep mud from balling up inside and the wall is cracking off making it unsightly. For now, we'll continue specialty farrier work trimming it in a way that helps him move the way he needs to since hoof supplements the big boys are on could cause founder again in him.

normal

founder with rotation

Pegasus has tested Sage riding him a bit, overall though we are still feeling completely blessed to have found this pony. Spotlight is enjoying the companionship when the kids are riding and both ponies will make their show ring debut in leadline for two of my little kids this June.

Seven Hearts has welcomed the addition of running water to the barn! Not hauling water up the hill twice a day has been a wonderful change and the boys appreciate hosings after sweaty rides in the Georgia sun. It isn't completely perfect yet, I'm battling keeping the trench line covered with two Thoroughbreds, who shall remain nameless, in my pasture. They like to dig at loose dirt like half-ton dogs and it's getting a bit old between the caked clay on their coats and the worry someone will break the pipe once dug up, or step in an uncovered portion and hurt themselves.

Keeping up a horse pasture is a constant job with mowing and minor repairs. Yesterday morning at sunrise a coyote was in the field heading for Pegasus, Bandon quickly pursued the animal, striking at the 'fox on stilts' as Czech kept Spotlight and Pegasus in tight herd formation. A hole that had appeared under a fence section by the woods has since been patched and I'm glad the boys handled it so well.

In the great big world outside of the farm, we are all waiting to see if California Chrome can pull off the first Triple Crown in 36 years. Chris and I will be in a box at Churchhill Downs in Kentucky to watch the Belmont, in between live racing that day, on their huge screen. I've never been to a track before and a wonderful friend in racing pulled some strings for us to enjoy not only the day's racing from a box, but also backside passes. I can't wait!

At the same time, the thoughts of Whisper begin to pass through my daily routines again as we approach one year since she passed. All of this magic came because of her and my life will never be the same.

After Autumn

In conversation with a great jumper rider I was introduced to the other day, I realized that I had no idea what exactly I wanted Czech to do. As I went into detail on his jumping issues and that we'd backed off to just popping over a fence once a session, twice a week (pasture hacks the other rides), she asked what I'd like him to do long term.

Ummm... no real plan there. I would like to see what makes him happy and pursue that. I think he's going to like Hunter Paces and I'm committed to one already in 2014. Yesterday riding him out on trails I put him over some fallen logs to test the waters. He wasn't sure on the first then took the rest in stride with no issues making Paces seem like a good avenue to pursue with him.

He did jig for long stretches multiple times this ride and my body is still complaining from that today. I couldn't get him to settle in as much as he did the first trail ride 6 weeks ago but he was also more comfortable this ride with shoes on all 4 over the rocky ground. He's fairly brave and pairs well with horses that are a notch less excitable than he is. One of our trail companions was keyed-up and the 2 of them fed off each other enough that we needed to split off.

We led the trail a few times at a walk without much spooking and made it a point to put him in front each time we went faster. I laughed to Ash, my riding companion, that his ears were stuck on factory setting. He was responsive through the woods at a quick canter as long as we were in front and he didn't feel like he was chasing another horse down.

Czech is also an awesome equitation mount, he does get a bit hot and full of himself but he makes you look at him, and I can pull off my part once the eyes are on us. All that being said, I'm still no closer to a hard-fast goal for what I want him to be. We'll just see as we go I suppose.

Sage has been riding a few different ponies at Cindy's barn and already has a favorite lesson pony, Prissy.

Meanwhile I'm going to add some d-rings so I can put daisy reins on and with a new bit (full cheek) in the tackroom so Spotlight will better hear his little riders next weekend.

Bandon continues to stay sound barefoot. Not having to give him time off every few weeks for pulled shoes has been a Godsend. My goals for him are low Jumper classes next year and show exposure a few weeks ago helped move us closer. Next, I started exposing him to novel things around and under my plain bar jumps. At first he cleared flowers on their own, no problem, crossrails over them too, then today he suddenly saw them...

We worked through that and I flew on my horse the rest of the morning, clearing more jumps than Bandon ever has. He feels like he is "getting it" finally as he strides and pulls himself up at the base of the jump. He enjoys it and I'm trying to be careful to bring him along slowly without boring him.

I still have work to do on my jumping EQ, knee pinching and elbows coming out continue to plague me as I find balance. Being kind to myself though, I've stayed on a green horse learning to jump who has thrown me some curve balls including way over-jumping one jump this morning out of the blue after stopping short 5 minutes earlier. He and I grow together. I can't help but start patting him with my outside hand as he finishes a short grid for me, still at the canter.

I'm trying new ways to get him to round and use his rear including longe work and trotting up hills. A few times this morning he planted both hindfeet squarely to jump, a sign we're getting there.

In ten days it will be exactly one year since we lost Lake. Little did I know that his loss was just the start of a black cloud over our farm as old Ben passed in the winter followed by Whisper in the summer. Not a moment goes by in the saddle that I'm not grateful for what has been and where we've come from to now. Bandon and Czech embody that forward hope to me. I see Whisper's still-bare resting place when I hack the boys to the woods and I brush her hairs off Czech when I pull her old blanket off of him on these below freezing fall mornings.

Ride All Four Feet

Show dates are fast approaching for my shiny boys.

Czech is going well in a figure 8, we won't be able to show in it, but I think we've done enough training that I'll be okay on a cavesson for the day of the show. I went back to my roots a bit with him, riding in total silence and focusing only on my other aids. Tom Dorrance has an often used phrase, "ride the horse from straight out of the inside of you, ride all 4 feet".

Lots of halt/walk transition (since any issue you have at other transitions can usually be seen there) and the days we jump, we are walking approaches. Once he took off with me as we landed a small jump and faced trot poles, his anxiety palpable it took awhile to do it with control where he wasn't bothered. The trip over that worked perfectly I had closed my eyes and just felt his footfalls to time cues.

There's a hooking on that's been missing with Czech and I. We've gotten along fine since he came off the trailer, still there's just that "thing" between us that wasn't quite there. It is now. He follows me everywhere loose, stands to be blanketed/booted/tacked loose, and gets grouchy when I don't work with him.

The reason horses are used so much in therapy and retreats for people that are recovering from everything from abuse to tragedy is that you have to be 100% right on the inside to see it come through the horse too or they will be bothered. Trust was already mutual but Czech and I needed to each agree that the other wasn't leaving.

Bandon took a few days off to get used to his barefoot status and came back with a working brain. He is so much fun to ride, tossing his head all crazy when he feels frisky on the 50 degree mornings. He reminds me of a best friend growing up, we're just two friends out looking for an adventure.

In August I had trouble leading Bandon on the ground into my front yard with multiple blow-ups. Today I rode him out there at a trot, down the street, through a neighbor property, and around a pond he's never seen before. Solo. He's going to mature into something special, I just hope his bowed tendons don't hold us back from anything. He's popping over schooling jumps with growing consistency that makes me daydream.

I'm still trying to find a good pony saddle for Spotlight and the kids, meanwhile he's served his small charges for birthday party glittering and pony rides. I hope finding a tree that fits him will let Sage start looking at schooling shows next year.

"Take the time it takes, feel what the horse is feeling and operate from where the horse is. The slower you do it, the quicker you'll find it." T Dorrance

Autumn's Coming

Bandon has been a little shining star a week into having shoes and going slowly back on a riding schedule.

In the last 3 weeks I've worked almost daily to overcome his anxiety about working alone with me on the ground and before his shoes were put on. Then he was showed promise riding across the pasture at a walk bareback away from the barn/horses.

After a few days, we jumped 18" bars. He obviously enjoyed being back to work and I think he missed our partnership, during his hoof growth break, as much as I did. I love that goofy baby horse so much.

Today, after a week of arena work, he took 2 jumps in a line and a bunny ran out in front of us. I clinched to hang on since we were already at a canter, only he didn't spook. Classic Bandon, he jumped then took off chasing it!

Unfortunately today he also threw a shoe. I didn't notice until we were back up to the barn and untacking, going back to look I found it in the ground on a jump line. Assuming my farrier can get the shoe back on him (oh please oh please) we'll keep on going.

Czech and I are learning the little quirks that make each other tick. Heavy in your hands, he gets his head cranked up under himself, behind the bit, froth flying, and just surges forward with so much tension you can probably hear his heavy blowing breath up at the house. He doesn't listen once he's at that point and so far I've been fighting through it to try and get him back to responsive.

I'm working long distance with a trainer and she's put me to work. My jumping position is still a work in progress but my crest release has improved tremendously. I haven't really needed to bring my hands forward because my reins were so loose to begin with, this is changing a lot lately. I'm also doing a much better job between jumps. Today, on the super powerful Czech, I was actually thinking on the 4 strides between jumps and riding him (good thing since he has started dodging out the side of jumps) instead of saying very unladylike things in my head like "oh bleep!" "holy bleep!" "Oh my bleep!". I'm proud of that.

All the horses are starting to get thicker hair, I bet that the fuzzy pre-winter coat is on its way soon.

Bandon's Show Nerves

We found out about a local show right before it was going to be held, considering it was only 11 miles away, I felt like I had to haul Bandon out for much needed exposure. The trailer was going to be hooked up that day anyway for Sage to take Spotlight for a ride in the afternoon so it would be easy to load Bandon early and haul out for an hour then be back in plenty of time to get house chores done before Spotlight's ride.

Up early on my one sleeping-in morning, Bandon loaded perfectly. I was so excited that it was a good sign that our training was making progress from the June show. At the show site, he unloaded a little fresh, within about 10 minutes though he was responsive and breaking his time evenly between interest in his surroundings and grazing.

Dump truck? No problem.

Tractor starting up nearby and then tilling? No problem.

Loud speakers with announcers and music, no problem. A freight train literally passed us full speed on the other side of the street, no problem. Two people who had seen him at Rivermont in June asked what I'd done and if I'd drugged him. He was holding his own.

Then the first rider mounted up as the show began and Bandon broke out into a sweat.

He couldn't keep it together and acted like a horse who was herd bound and being left. He began pawing when I wouldn't let him jig in circles. He drug me once (much to my embarrassment) when a horse came close enough he thought he could get to it for a sniff. He didn't care that I had the dressage whip jammed into his chest asking him to back off.

Overall though I was really proud of how he acted. His track trainer reminds me today of just how far he's come from a horse at the track that was considered vicious and so nasty that no one wanted anything to do with him.

Unloading and reloading horses, we took Spotlight out and he did well for his little rider on her afternoon excursion.

Spot spooked and jumped sideways just a few moments after Sage mounted, she was brave about it and he was back to normal pretty quick. He opposed most of her directional choices, she was more adamant and won more often than he did, that's my girl!

Whisper's Healing And Other Farm News

Whisper has been on pasture rest after being released from her 90 day stint on stall rest for the tendon injury in January. This is how that leg looks today.

We've lowered the shoe for the last time, in 3 weeks she will go flat and be able to put her heel down and fully extend the healed tendon.

She moves okay on it, we've had some setbacks with lameness. The hind leg that was injured a year ago, has grown down, it's holding together well though the deformity from the scarring at the band will always be there. A "normal" hoof can't grow out of that type of scar ever.

She is happy on her pasture rest lifestyle and I hope she just lets things be. From what I understand about this type of injury is that re-injury is highly likely with use and could be crippling.

Spotlight is fat. Really fat. Special ordering a pony-sized grazing muzzle kind of chunky. His job as pony-ride giver isn't giving him enough exercise and to be truthful, I don't enjoy riding him anymore than he enjoys toting my oversized pony-jockey body around. The longe line and he are starting to be friends in an effort to shape up a bit.

He's still better with kids than with any adult, exactly what he's supposed to be, and we love him for it. He is happy to give my one-year-old niece a pony ride then stand dozing while kids tug all over him to brush him.

Toad will be here before we know it. His coggins was pulled Friday and his feet were done the week before, so I've just got to get back out there to get him picked up!

Have Trailer Will Travel

My birthday is around the corner and my husband got me a DREAM gift. My horses and I are mobile! Okay, maybe not Whisper (who is on pasture rest for at least a year), but Bandon and Spotlight are now free to leave the farm.

The first trip was to get me used to hauling and finally let my oldest daughter ride her pony in a show at Rivermont. Her nerves wouldn't let her do anything more than the leadline class this time and we made the most of it.

Spotlight was wonderful for his 6-year-old who beamed all the way through the ring.

Watching my crew of kids finding corners of a horse trailer to sit on so they could eat their horse show vendor hot dogs, made my year. My favorite things were all in one place on a gorgeous Spring day.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to be patient and slow with Bandon's jump training. I really want to put a jump in front of him with some height and see what he'll do under saddle when faced with something that takes more than  a larger stride to clear. For now though I know it'll benefit him long term to make it fun and keep it low pressure and simple, so that's what we're doing.

Trot poles to start.

Then we progressed to trot poles leading to a 12" crossrail.

Then 12" crossrail with one ground pole leading to it.

Bandon had extra peppermints to celebrate his 6th birthday that fell on Kentucky Derby day this year, all racehorses gain a year on New Years though May 4th is his actual foaling date. He also had a mini vacation from training as flood producing rain came to stay over the last 4 days.

Before the rain came in we progressed from trot poles leading to 12" cross rails on to 12" cross rails by themselves and in sequences of 2. He kept up more poles than he knocked down and settled his adrenaline after a few tries on jumping two in a row.

He is thriving on a loose rein and lots of praise, unfortunately he also thrives on routine and rain makes routine out of my control. I've started him on a strong hoof supplement hoping to improve his hoof walls so that losing shoes doesn't continue to also make us lose days.

In this time of low-height work, I'm also hoping to improve on my position. Bandon has the disadvantage of a rider without extensive experience jumping different horses. I've pretty much only jumped Scooter and Dollar (with any kind of consistency) in my adulthood and I know how they felt and how they jumped. Whisper I had just gotten started on before she injured her hoof last year. Bandon is an unknown to me and he's learning so he isn't consistent at all. I haven't learned to relax into him enough to go with his motion instead of guessing and getting ahead. I'll get it, eventually.

54 Days

Here's the new normal.

5:30 am: bring Spotlight in, feed everyone, hay everyone and the pasture if it's really cold, clean Bandon and Whisper stalls, fill stall waters, turn out Bandon

Noon : Pick Spotlight and Whisper's stalls. Love on Spotlight who is always enjoying a stall nap by then.

7:30 pm : Bring Bandon in, Feed, check waters, clean Spot and Whisper stalls, hay, turn out Spot. Groom.

This was working okay, Whisper always had company and we're getting through. The biggest drawback going into month #3 was for the horse on turnout. They were out alone and getting really jumpy. Spotlight spooked almost every morning as I went to bring him in. Bandon was painfully lonely, spending most of his time by the barn gate instead of out grazing. Today at noon I hadn't seen him leave that spot since morning turnout.

I decided to put Spotlight back out. I don't know if it's the right thing to do and I'll keep and eye on Whisper, my concern is that I'm starting to sacrifice the mental welfare of the entire herd to help ease one.

It was a happy reunion.

Tomorrow Whisper's special shoe gets lowered by a little less than half, next week the bandage should come off for good, and in 29 days (barring complication) she'll go to pads on that foot and begin limited turnout. Maybe she'll be good about the boys being out together, they really needed it.

Pony Drama

Spotlight gave me a mild coronary last night as I watched him, moments after bringing in, struggling to swallow. He only gets a handful of grain for coming in at night, still that was enough with his gulping tendencies to block his pony esophagus.

A choking horse isn't in the immediate danger that most other living things are because they can still breathe as food or objects tend to get lodged down in the pipe itself.

Spot hung his neck straight out, slung it violently, had copious amounts of fluid and half-chewed grass pouring out of his nose, and couldn't dislodge it. His frightened eyes locked on me and he rammed his face into my stomach begging for help. He'd crane his head high and back, like a donkey in the mud, and try as best a horse can - to wretch it up. It sounded like a cat failing to produce a hairball...only larger. I didn't honestly know a horse could make that sound since they can't vomit.

I called the on-call vet after Spot's attempts to save himself were failing. The vet gave us a time limit of about 45 minutes to let him continue to fight it out and mentioned that if he throws himself to the ground and thrashes like a colic, let him because he might break it up that way. I asked if I would hurt him if I used my hands to try and break it and he said to do whatever would work.

I called Chris up to the barn next, my hands weren't getting the job done after 15 minutes of trying really hard to help the little guy out. At this point poor Spotlight is soaked in sweat through his winter fuzz and has stopped thrashing constantly. Chris worked his hands all down Spotlight's neck and found a mass. He worked on him a good 10 minutes and broke it up so it could travel down.

Another 20 minutes later, Spot is eating and drinking with nothing coming out of his nose and looks relieved. We checked him again a few hours later and he was back to his normal self.

So... Spot get his handful of feed soaked from now on. I was already soaking the other horses, it was just simpler to toss a handful to him dry. No more little buddy, that was scary. The Thoroughbreds get into enough trouble on their own without pony drama added in please.

I'm thankful for a husband who has no trouble diving in when the horses have a problem, a vet who is open to letting owners try as best they can on their own, a pony who is okay (we really love the little guy), and NO VET BILL. Whew. I'd be really happy to see our vet again only when it's time for Spring Coggins!!

"Behind every successful rancher is a wife who works in town"

A Bit About Spot

Spotlight's arrival was sort of brushed aside in the immediate events that followed with Lake's devastating injury, here's a catch-up on him before Bandon arrives.He's a 10 year-old Pony of the Americas, a neat little breed of sturdy pony who display Appaloosa coloring and larger-than-Shetland size.

Spotlight enjoys FOOD. I mean this is the most food motivated little bugger I've ever known. He's also the combination of every cliche' pony you've ever seen portrayed in a cartoon except he is easy to catch (did I mention he's crazy about food?).

Apparently he feels like it's his personal challenge to figure out new ways to dump my wheelbarrow daily when I'm cleaning his stall. When I convince him not to flip it, he convinces himself he can jump it. He can't. He dumps it that way too. He also dumps and manages to remove his water bucket from the wall every night. Spotlight is typical of kid horses though, super careful and aware of them at all times. He fits right in!

Pony Swap Gone Horribley Wrong

I met a local horse friend through the wonders of social media and I went out to Cindy's barn for the first time last month and just loved it. She's about 5 miles away from me and has the happiest farm full of ponies complete with mobs of kids crawling all over them. Watching her riding arena during lessons reminds me of happy Thelwell sketches with Elementary aged kids putting their ponies through their paces. I talked to her at length about Ben and how we brought him with us as a horse for our kids and as he came into a healthy weight he wasn't working out that way.

Cindy had a student who is a fearless rider looking for something with a little more than her pony was offering. A little more willingness to work, a little more responsive when asked to change the pace up. She had, instead, a pony that is as sweet as can be but isn't in a hurry to get more laps in around the ring.

We worked out a trial period for her pony to come here and Ben to go there. Ben has for weeks now been too much for my kids (and at times myself) to handle or ride. His major vice, being herd bound to Whisper, would immediately be remedied once he was moved. Ben was too much for my baby beginner rider kids, and their pony wasn't enough of a ride for the more experienced students.

Their pony, Spotlight, is a 10 year old POA who is super cute. For the first time in a long time Sage asked for more time to ride instead of getting worried and wanting off as soon as she was in the saddle. Hunter did great on him, trotting around and working nicely.

With Ben's original rescuer's blessing, we tried it out. Unfortunately the morning of the pony swap as I went to catch up the horses, Ben didn't want me to be near him or Whisper. He kept himself between Whisper and I and ran. Lake became swept up in all the running and was kicked. Hard. I could hear a clear cracking sound as contact was made to Lake's shoulder. He immediately went dead lame unable to bear weight on the leg. I thought I was going to vomit.

I finally caught Ben and Whisper to bring up to the barn. Lake hobbled as best he could then broke into a canter since he could hold a 3 beat gait and not use his leg at all.  When he got to the stall I palpated each joint and couldn't find anything specific. He seemed ouchy just under the actual kick location on the outer shoulder but rested bearing weight on it. I called the vet and he was hopeful it was mostly soft tissue given the location and his reaction so we agreed to bute, rest, watch. Lake didn't seem to mind and dove into his hay.

A few hours later, Ben's new little person arrived to begin his trial period.

And we turned out the new pony.

Spotlight went straight to work mowing my pasture and I turned Whisper back out with him. As evening came I went out to the pasture with ropes and Spotlight walked right to me to be brought in, followed by Whisper. It was a nice change from all the daily battles I'd had since Ben bonded so strong to Whisper making everyone hard to catch and handle since we'd moved here with the two. My relief was short lived though as Lake called from the barn and my heart hurt for him that he had been injured today. I hope he is back on turnout again in the next day or two so he can enjoy the new normal too.