Riding = Healing

You would think that the last thing I would want to do right now is play with the horses, but somehow it is the exact thing I need to do most. I guess it makes sense - it has always brought me peace - why would now be any different? Somehow, being out in the barn, grooming, riding, mucking, all just relaxes me and helps me feel well. I was even able to talk about Sweetie on the phone to Julie who sold her to me without breaking into tears because I was leading Sammie around on a horse. Sometimes you just have to trust that it's okay and do what feels right.

So today I went out to the barn and finished trimming Rocky's feet. I did the front two yesterday and the back two today. I groomed him and noticed how well the hair has started growing back after his bout of pigeon fever (icky stuff - won't describe it here). He had been so lame the past few months before the abscess drained that I wasn't sure how he would be. Okay, I have to talk about it a little - the abscess builds a thick wall of muscle/soft tissue around it, and his body is in the process of breaking down the excess tissue. Unlike most pigeon fever cases where the abscess is at their chest/base of their neck, Rocky's was huge under his R shoulder. It made him very, very lame and stiff. He still has a spot on the front of his R hock that is swollen (we have taken x-rays and found nothing wrong with the bones). We are hoping that the swelling will go down/resorb soon on its own, but it may also decide later to drain - I hope not, tho.

Poor Rocky's mane had been neglected for a while so I trimmed it - nearly a foot of mane fell to the ground. (Reminds me that I wanted to do that with my own hair, but am still procrastinating for some reason). I know that western riders like the long manes, but for me, manes should be neatly kept. :)

So I put the longe line on the halter and took Rocky out to the ring to longe him to see where we were. I somehow had forgotten how much groundwork I have done with him, and love how I just point a direction and he goes out on the circle for me. The first time I asked him to trot, Rocky jumped into a buck and cantered around the circle. Not what I was expecting him to do, but oh so typical for him. It's like not a day has passed since the last time we longed together, but in reality it has probably been nearly a year. So I asked him to walk and trot and he is always so quick to come back down to a halt. So smart, just like his Momma. It crossed my mind that he is 16 this year. GEEZ. And Rocky has been with me from the moment he was born. I'll gladly take another 16 years with him, God willing.

He looked pretty sound - not perfect, but not obviously lame somewhere, and I knew I wanted to ride him - so I did. Normally, at that point I hear little voices about being afraid of "What if I fall" and how I need to be responsible for the kiddos and stay safe since no one else is around. But today, it just wasn't there. I knew what I needed to do, and the fears had melted away. Not sure why, but they were gone. My internal monologue changed to, "Well, maybe I will fall, maybe I won't. But I won't know if I don't get up there and ride" and to "the best way to get back into shape for riding horses is to RIDE, duh!"



We had a wonderful ride at the walk and trot both directions. Rocky still felt a little strange at the walk (from being lame for a few months with pigeon fever) but the trot was actually pretty even. No head bobbing or unevenness that I could feel. Weird that I could feel it at the walk. And then I thought, "Well, the best way for him to build muscle back is for me to ride him!" And thought about how Sweetie and I were so successful showing the year that I rode her several times a week and showed almost every weekend. It was part of our routine, we were both in excellent shape, and if I want to do that again, I need to be riding like that again.

Rocky is very smart just like his Momma, but generally much more laid back. Well, unless he is in new surroundings, then he is mostly sensible but definitely more energetic. It's the warmblood in him, for sure. I am embarrassed how dusty his bridle was, but I won't let that happen again! Riding brings me peace and mental well being. I can't afford not to be riding. :)

Top 10 Falls Off of Sweetie

Thought I would try and lighten it up a bit, but hope I don't leave you cringing too badly. :)

10: At one of our first few shows (it was just me and my Dad) - with me trying to fit into my show team gear that didn't fit so well anymore, she stopped at a fence in the middle of a course, I came off and walked out of the arena to mount back up because I couldn't get on her from the ground...

9: I remember a fall in Culpeper at their winter series 1994-5. It was something very silly and simple - but I can't recall exactly what. It might even have just been warming up, but I remember how silly it was and feeling a little embarrassed... maybe it was a fun class like ride-a-buck where you ride bareback with a dollar bill between your knee and the horse. Good luck after show-sheening your horse! :)

8: I fell at a show in Lexington, VA. 1993? Don't remember much but falling on bluestone and getting back up and riding in the next class with gravel stains on my knee.

7: I think we fell during our warmup in Roanoke, VA in 1994.

6: Just riding around at VA Tech in the ring at the barn, and I think Sweetie stumbled/got a stone bruise. All I remember clearly is more bluestone - ouch!

5: 2008 - Was enjoying a ride at dusk trotting/cantering and Daisy came up and spooked her in the shadows. Sweetie jumped 6' to the left. I only made it about 3' but at least landed in soft sand.

4: 2006/7 - I was out of shape after having the kids and rode Sweetie in the field. The other horses took off trotting and I thought it would be fun to let her run along. She bucked then caught herself and stopped almost immediately as I toppled over her head and landed on my back. I was too top heavy and out of shape with not enough muscle to hold me on there. Very painful, slow fall that got me serious about getting back in shape. :)

3: Early 1991 - the fall at Penn State that tore ligaments in my ankle.

2: While at VA Tech, around 1993-4, I took Sweetie on a trail ride, by myself, and a dog spooked her and I came off over her head, well, maybe onto her head. She stayed with me as I screamed out in a cow field - at least 1/2 mile from the barn - for a few minutes, then up and bolted back to the barn without me. Thankfully for me, her returning without her rider still saddled up instigated a search party that found me within 30 min or so. I spent at least 2 days in the hospital with some internal bleeding.

1: WIHS Local Day at Paper Chase. I had a nearly perfect round and Sweetie stopped at the last fence. I came back in to try my next round and she stopped at the first fence, which I then gracefully fell off right in front of the judges' stand. Nothing like being judged on your unplanned dismounts. :)



So, looking back, I pretty much fell any time it was a big show. :) Which meant that I generally was experiencing some sort of soreness/pain at those shows. I will say that Sweetie just simply knew me too well. If I hesitated, even a bit, she knew it and would stop at a fence. But when I was confident, she never refused. Our connection was so close that she trusted me to guide her, and when I was unsure, she would just stop almost the instant I thought about it. At the bigger shows, I would be nervous and not ride as effectively.

The good news is, I had trouble remembering 10 falls. I'd say 1 fall every other year is plenty, though! :)

Trying out the Ankle...

This morning was beautiful here in Texas, and I have been anxious to ride - it has been well over a month since the last time I rode - before I hurt my ankle. As I said before, Sweetie is always the first horse I get back on after a time off from riding. She loved the grooming, and the apples! I know that my ankle is still sore sometimes, but I just couldn't stay off the horses any longer. So we went out to the ring, and I mounted up - OUCH! It was pretty significantly painful. What did I think would happen? It was my left ankle, the one that you put your foot in the stirrup first, it holds all your weight. I was even using a mounting block (although not a huge one, and I was getting on a 16hh horse). It took several minutes for the pain to subside, and I quickly decided that we were not going to do more than walk this lazy Sunday. So we went out in the field to walk the fence a bit, and check out the pond ("tank"). Sweetie has never been one to really enjoy going away from the barn - even after all of these years. I had to straighten her out to stay the direction I wanted to go several times. But she did not fight it too bad for her. As we approached the pond, I could feel her anxiety building, and the moment I turned (no longer away from the barn, but perpendicular to it), she lifted up her front feet and began to get ready to bolt to the barn. Haha - I was ready for this - I know how she is - and I half-halted with my body to bring her back. As I continued to do the rest of the way back up the hill to the barn. I did not have to use a one-rein stop as she did not make that strong an effort, but it was all I could do to keep her walking the whole way back.

The good news was that the pond was full again after all the rain we have received. :) I liked that. :) And I took Sweetie back into the ring to dismount - for two reasons. 1) to teach her that we don't dismount at the barn and 2) it has much softer footing (sand) for my ankle :). I managed to dismount very slowly and only put weight on my good ankle first, and had no trouble from there.

So, I have come to the conclusion that I need to teach my horses to be mounted from the off side for a month or so while my ankle continues to heal. I suspect that although my horses will be initially surprised, they will take to it easily. It's me I'm worried about. :) I don't know if I'm that coordinated anymore. :) My body is so programmed to mounting from the left, I worry I'll mount up and end up looking backwards. :) (Not really... well, maybe. :) ) So we'll see what happens there.

I also took my foster horse, Arwen, out to the ring for some nice, calm, ground work. She was very relaxed, and always came back to me easily. Although I have not "played" with her as much as I'd like, she's learned that I'm pretty laid back. Every time she would come in to me, I would rub her forehead, and she would close her eyes and chew a little. You could just see how relaxed she was. It feels good to know that she trusts me and that we have built a bond even if it is based just on our daily interactions - grooming, a gentle rub on the forehead every time I pass her stall, etc.

Rocky had been sore in his front feet for a few weeks (not laminitis like) - like the change in weather to all the wetness made his feet hurt as the old sole shed off. It has progressively improved, and I took him out to longe him to see how he was doing. I put him out on a circle and asked him to trot - and he told me what for as he took off bucking/kicking/galloping and then came down to the trot. He did that both directions. I don't know if he was saying, "it's about time, Mom" or "how dare you make me work after all this time off." :) Something tells me it's the latter, as he would buck into the canter as a sign of resistance when we were riding regularly. But it was good to see him feeling better - and although I am anxious to ride him - he is 17hh and I've gotta get this off-side mounting thing down before I try to get on him. :) I don't think my ankle could handle the extra 4 inches right now.

It felt so good to ride again today! Here's looking for more of that!