The Ramblings of an Artistic Equestrian

I have a client ... I like her as  person and she has been a great, consistent client.  They took off a few months when she had knee surgery, but I got them back a bit over a week ago and put a "welcome back to work" ride on Bud, in which he did fantastic.  We just walked as he has done next to nothing during the break and he was driving fit before they stopped, not necessarily riding fit.

Anyway, when I cleaned out his feet I noticed some thrush and passed the information along.  Their farrier was out the next week and found something suspicious up front, like fluid pockets in his feet, but running clear when compressed.  I wasn't there so don't know for sure what it was, but they canceled Friday and are going to have him x-rayed.  She went on about how he "just seems to have bad feet" and I once again managed to stop myself from stating the obvious, but did manage to sneak in that maybe they need to look at better manure management practices.

Their idea of "mucking" consist of using a hand rake to break up the manure balls.  They did dig out the previous  multi-year pile of organic matter five years age when I suggested it and decided it was a Terrible Idea because their stalls were in the lowest corner of the property to begin with and they flooded.  They also spread the dug out nastiness around the perimeter of the turnout area, making it even more of a bowl instead of having it hauled off.  Needless to say the stalls and turnout area are back to being as bad, and actually, I think worse, than they were when I first started working with their horse(s) six years ago.

She tried to blame her husband who has done the majority of the work the last four months or so when she had her knee surgery, but, really, they were looking pretty horrendous before that and way beyond acceptable before her back surgery.

She was thinking of putting shoes on him and I noted that putting shoes on him would not actually protect his feet from moisture and would trap more crap in his feet than being barefoot (said much nicer).  He is also currently sound.  They are thinking about clearing out the stall area again, but want fill dirt first. I suggested perhaps just scraping it out again and replacing it with 10" of pea gravel, however that would require them to actually remove the manure from the stalls in order to not put the pea gravel to waste.

In short, this is a venting rant.  My stalls and turnouts don't get cleaned out nearly as often as I would like, but they are done twice weekly minimum and the manure is GONE.  If I had more space and a tractor I'd compost it.  Sometimes it looks terrible, like now after the rain, but after seeing their place again having had a few months' break it makes me feel like the best horsekeeper ever.

I will be really happy when we have water across the way and I can turn them out there on occasion to let the homefront rest.  The stalls look pretty good after the horses being out for almost three days straight.  Even Chewy's was almost dry.

Speaking of the little mare she is back to her normal self.  We are joking that Chris tossing Bermuda in her stall (Saturday night the arena was too sloppy to turn them out) was one insult too much and it sent her into a fit of despair.  She is a finicky creature.  Thursday they are getting their teeth checked and I sense that she may have some sharp little nubs of whatever she has left that could be the root of the problem.

Coors arrived today.  I think he whinnied once as he unloaded and stomped around the boarder turnout like he owned the place.  Cindy was worried about him not having a buddy nearby.  There are horses right across the street and he can see some of mine and Marty's depending on where he standing.  I've had several solo horses over there (including Jasper for his first month as a weanling) and they've all been fine.  Kreeli was probably the noisiest one of them all, which is surprising with the death glares she has been giving Maki through the fence.  Anyway, moving a horse in next to him isn't going to be a bit deal, Marty said I could use Kreeli (or Maki if I get her halter broke, ha!).

I did end up putting a first work session on Coors this afternoon.  He was unhappy, but not as electric with the pvc pipe as he has been dragging it around him.  He did really well when I untied him and held the lead rope and brough he pipe over his back and up his side.  A little fidgety at first, but he stood really quickly and did his best yet.  I had him in the roundpen, but tomorrow I'll pull him into the arena for work and maybe I'll do some double-dipping with Tru-D and possibly get some video.  Chris got me some memory cards for the GoPro camera for my birthday and I can put them to good use.

Jasper did hang in the roundpen briefly to provide a photo op to prove Coors wouldn't be completely alone.

Speaking of Tru-D I lead her down to get the mail for the first time in forever Monday.  She did absolutely fantastic.  I could tell she was just barely containing herself, but she didn't do a single jiggy step and only had a brief hesitation at the ditch.  I need to start saddling her up and taking her out and seeing where we end up with that (no helmet to start so I'm not tempted).

I am going to try out a treeless saddle (or two) Friday.  The lady I use for bodywork on the horses (not as often as I'd like, alas) is a Barefoot saddle fitter/dealer and has demo saddles available.  The Western saddle that is "mine" sadly does not fit anyone as well as I had hoped.  Instead of getting my usual Big Horn or Fabtron I tried the High Horse (made by Circle Y) and it has a narrower tree (despite proclaiming "Full Quarter Horse Bars"), the seat runs smaller, and the "leathers" are made of thinner nylon and are already starting to fray at the edges unlike the then-thirteen year-old Big Horn I was replacing (saddle was in great shape, but it was Semi-Quarter Horse Barns and it only fit Kash).  So it really doesn't do the job it is supposed to do and I think Tru-D hates it.  I could sell it and get another Big Horn and go that route, but treeless saddles have made some advances and there's a lot more options than there used to be.  Since I can demo it first I'm willing to give it a shot and see how it goes.

In other horsey news I got to drive a Hackney pony last week.  Cindy had a show at Westworld and called me as I was on the way and asked if we could relocate the "lesson."  She had to get Honey down there for a show the next evening and her Hackney/Saddlebred trainer was already there.  I got paid my usual rate to bum around the barn, groom a bit, help hook up, take some videos of Cindy driving, and got to have a spin myself.

So yes, it was one of those fire-breathing-looking park hackney ponies!

The trainer was in first and was giving Cindy some instructions and demonstrating.  Cindy was looking at me out of the tops of her eyes as he was tapping the reins on the mare's hips to step her up and I nodded knowingly.  They may have a whip in the show ring, but they never use them!  Nevermind they had her with a twisted wire halfcheek, they were still popping the reins *sigh.*

He had Cindy take a couple laps in each direction (technically there were two guys, head and assistant trainers).  They did the "slow" trot, working, and strong.  As Cindy was finished she somewhat sheepishly asked if I could have a go.  They looked at me, taken a little aback and asked if I had any driving experience.  I work with horses, I am familiar with such skepticism!  I'd be hesitant to throw a random person behind one of my horses, especially since it is a one-man cart!

I said I'd trained a few horses to drive, but left my helmet in the car (helmet?!).  I did allow myself to be talked into it (these things ride so low, you're closer to the ground than standing, not a real excuse, but!) and I took up the reins.  As we headed off she thought a patch of dirt was going to eat us and the trainer shouted "forward!" and I clucked her up and away we went.  She cruised nicely around the arena as I softly felt her mouth through the reins and just barely clucked and talked to her to keep her going nice and smooth.  They wanted to save her for the show the next day so I just did one lap, but I came back in to some pretty impressed noises coming from the two men and they encouraged me drive her back to the barn.

I will say she was much better behaved than the saddlebred they got ready while we were waiting.  I know they are a bit single-focus, but holy cow, a little horsemanship would go a long way in making everyone's lives easier.  You shouldn't have to wrestle a bridle on a 16+ hand horse's head ...

Anyway, needless to say the "usual" Saddleseat and driven park horse training isn't my cup of tea.  Do I still one to learn to ride Saddleseat and sit on a nice (humanely) trained one?  Yep, I think it might be fun, just as taking Honey for a spin was fun. A little part of me was a bit smug for being able to take her around and make her look good to the trainers without rein slapping or hauling on her face.  Okay, maybe more than a little smug.