Spring Cleaning

Friendly Neighbor or, “Ned” as we’re calling him seems to clean up well.  He’s still pretty fuzzy, but I think he’s going to be a nice looking horse once that winter coat drops off.  For all you Simpson’s fans out there…”Hank” and “Flanders” were the other choices for barn names.  He doesn’t really seem like a Flanders, but Ned seems to suit him well enough.

The vet was out yesterday and both Ned and Wilson (Sunny Thoughts) are good to go for work.  Wilson is going to stay with me for a while and we’ll see how things go.  He is a nice mover and seems to be a little nervous, but has a willing attitude.  I think he’s going to be a nice horse.  Ned is going up to another trainer in the Lafayette area to get some trail riding experience.  I think that will be really good for him.  He seems the “heavy hunter” type, so experience crossing water, getting out of the barn, and working hard will translate well to that.

In other FFI horse news, two of my previous foster horse’s Saribel Cruz (aka Flirt) and Soothe the Soul (aka Sully) have beend adopted!  This is wonderful news and we’re all really excited because both homes are fabulous.  Sully went to Pattie D., who has fostered him since August.  She recently realized that she just adored him way too much to ever see him leave her pasture.  Flirt was adopted by Nicole Pearson of Foxton Farm in Romney, IN.  Flirt will be added to Nicole’s line of personal show horses.  We’re very excited to watch Flirt blossom into a really nice show horse!

Jewel and I participated in our first show since her colic surgery nearly 3 years ago.  There have been a couple of other injuries since then that have prohibited her return to the show ring, but we finally did it.  AND, I’m really proud to say that we did pretty darned well!  Despite receiving 6 penalties in our First Level Test 1, we still earned a 64.4%, which was good enough for 2nd place.  We might just have finished in first had we actually ridden a clean test.  Despite my bobbles, I was really pleased and look forward to showing again in the near future.

 

Roxie Has a Pending Adoption

I’m excited to report that Roxie has a pending adoption! Yay! Her would-be adopter visited this past Friday and despite very cold weather (it was only 7 degrees by 9:30AM), was cheerful and excited about meeting Roxie. Roxie was a very good girl about the whole thing. She was a little anxious and fidgety in the cross ties, but this was a little different than her normal routine. Regardless, after some lunging, she settled right in. I rode her, followed by Rachel (the adopter) and her friend/trainer Lori. Roxie did great and Rachel really seemed to click with her. I think it is going to be a good match!

While it isn’t finalized yet, I’m thrilled about it and believe Rachel will provide Roxie with a very good home. Check on the FFI homepage to keep an eye on her status. As of right now, although the board has approved it, the adoption is pending approval of the facility by a local veterinarian. Roxie will be going to an eventing barn SW of Dayton, OH.

 

Thoroughbred racing can learn from greyhound ban

This is an interesting and thought provoking article on the greyhound racing ban and potential implications for horse racing.

Thoroughbred racing can learn from greyhound ban

 

Potential Adopter for Flirt

Well someone is coming to look at Flirt this weekend! It is a lady who, I’m told, is a dressage rider from the Chicago area. She is going to ride Flirt and Nightwing (one of the other FFI horses). Both horses are quite nice so hopefully she picks one of them!

 

Roman’s New Home

I was lucky enough to get to be part of Roman’s delivery to his new home today. I’ll let these photos I shot during the process speak for themselves. I really don’t think he could have gone to a better place or nicer person!

 

A Couple Nice Rides

Well, I had a couple nice rides today. I didn’t expect greatness from my horse since she’s had about a month off and it sometimes takes some convincing that she should actually work again. But, I was pleasantly surprised the good effort she gave. I would have like to have ridden outside, but it was just to wet out there yet. Heck, I nearly lost my muck boots just walking out in the paddock to get her. My muck boots go up to my knees and I had mud within two inches of the top. At one point, I wondered if I should continue further. Thankfully, it got shallower instead of deeper.

Anyhow, after riding Jewel, I rode Flirt. She is doing really well. I’m really pleased. She w/t/c both directions on the lunge with ease. Her lateral work on the ground is really coming along. I do have to remind her (under saddle) to move her shoulders to the outside. She really wants to fall inwards. We’ve been doing some turns on the haunches, which require her to pick up the inside shoulder and shift her weight to the outside in order to do so. They’re a little sloppy yet, but getting better. She is also standing quietly in the cross ties and standing quietly at the mounting block. I’m proud of where she’s at and how far she’s come!

After riding Flirt, I was pretty much wiped out. Linda was giving a lesson to another border and there was quite a lot of dust in the air. I just needed to not be breathing all that in. In other words, Roman got another day off. The good news though is that someone is interested in him and is scheduled for a visit on Wednesday. From what I know of this person (based on her adoption application), she would make a great home for him. Hopefully it all works out!

 

Amy & JC

Isn’t he just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? JC has been adopted! Yippee! Congrats to Pam Groth of Madison, Wisconsin. Pam snapped this picture of JC and I when she was down to visit on Valentine’s weekend.

 

JC’s Visitors

Some old friends of mine from Wisconsin came down to see JC this past weekend. It was a wonderful time for all. JC was his usual, charming self. I think he won their hearts for sure. He had multiple riders, including myself, Nicki Butler (my old riding instructor and the person who will be his trainer), Olivia (the daughter of the woman buying him) and Denise (another friend and experienced horse woman). I really don’t think it could have gone better. In fact, it was nice enough on Monday morning that we were able to lunge him outside and they could see him canter. I also rode him at the canter so that they could see what he was like. He’s such a good boy.

The next step for him is to plan the vet check. After that, its just a matter of finding him a ride to Wisconsin on or around April 1.

 

New Year Equine Inventory

I haven’t posted much over the holidays because I really hadn’t been out to the barn too much. The temperatures dropped considerably the week before Christmas, only to rise into the 50s on Christmas eve, the day I left for WI to be with family.

However, I’m happy to report that I’ve ridden twice this week and the horses, aside from their normal look of “Is she coming to get me?” or “If I don’t make eye contact, maybe she won’t see me standing here” seemed willing enough to get back into a regular schedule of riding and work.

JC continues to do well. He is maintaining his weight well, and doesn’t really seem to have lost a tremendous amount of muscle throughout his let down period. But then, he was just very fit, not necessarily like a body-builder. There have been some inquiries for him, but no adoption applications submitted as of yet. My friend Kim in WI has been helping me spread the news about JC and the rest of my brood. Kim’s trainer apparently has a student that is interested in looking at JC for eventing. That would be great. I would love to send him to a home in WI, where there is a fairly large eventing scene. We’ll see what comes of that. His most recently video is, I think, a great testament to his sane personality. He steps a bit short in it, but he was only 3 weeks off the track when filmed. Plus, he’s still ouchy from having his shoes pulled (along with having no soles and a contracted front RF heel). All of these things will go away with time. We’re really just working at slowing him down under saddle and getting him to take longer strides. No cantering under saddle yet, as the indoor arena is just too small to do it safely on an unbalanced horse. I have to keep telling myself that the last time he was cantered under saddle, he “circle” had a 1/4 mile diameter. That is quite a bit different than a 50′ wide indoor arena.

Stormy is being treated for worms. For the amount of work he had been getting, he just looked very pot-bellied and what topline he did have has gone away. And its not as though he’s not eating. We’re just shoving the feed down into him (2.5 Qts of Ultium, twice a day plus all the grass hay he can eat) and he just isn’t gaining weight. And so, he’ll be getting a Panacure Power Pack starting on Monday or Tuesday and will hopefully start putting on some weight. Even in the pictures of Erin riding (a few posts back), he just looks frumpy. He is definitely does not have the same body mass he did when he arrived in August. However, I believe the power pack will make a difference. In the mean time, we’ll continue to ride.

The good news with Stormy is that he may be getting adopted! Yippee!! There is a woman who has had experience with Thoroughbreds, and actually works at one of the tracks here in Indy, who is interested in getting a horse for trail riding. She has shown an interest in Stormy and is apparently going to submit an adoption application for him. I’m excited about that as it will be a perfect home for him! Hopefully that works out.

Roman is slowly but surely moving better. I haven’t done much with him in the past few weeks (mostly due to the holidays). He seems to have relaxed into his new lifestyle. He walks to and from the pasture at a leisurely pace and doesn’t really bother the horses too much. He is still stiff on his right hind, but I think it will be quite a long while before he really has any pushing strength back in that hind leg. For now, I’m happy to see that he walks pretty evenly. For him, that is a huge step in the healing direction. Maybe he will be ready to get on for short rides in another month? We’ll see. Only time will tell.

My own mare Jewel continues to improve under saddle as well. I’m very pleased with our rides lately and excited to implement the homework that Linda Heiny has given us. I’ve really been focusing on strengthening her hind end and carrying capacity for second level work. In the last year and half, she’s come back from colic surgery and a severe hock injury. While she has fully recovered from both, the time off to heal (nearly 1.5 years) meant that she lost most of her topline and carrying strength. And so we’re back to teaching her, once again, how to sit and push through from behind. She is slowly getting stronger behind and lighter in the bridle. Its a pretty cool feeling. I’m very much enjoying our rides.

And so that is the update for the beginning of 2009. I’m looking forward to the adventures that 2009 has in store for me and the ponies. Happy New Year!

 

Storm Cellar – The Trail Horse