Winter Music

Today we had time for a quick lunge in the roundpen. We did our pillar walking, then the zigzag poles. Then we trotted in hand and did some lunging. She was good but it's harder to get her stretching and soft and reaching tracking left. We did.. it just takes a little longer for her to go there. We did a few transitions to walk and walked the poles, then back up to trot. I did five minutes each direction and then another two laps to the left as she was starting to stretch better. She seemed happy and soft in her neck but tight in her back again. Although it's a bit harder to tell because I had to run with her instead of being able to stand back and lunge. She just... doesn't move out as much when I'm in the middle of the circle vs next to her. We finished with her stretches and she was a bit better in the back but not willing to do her belly lifts. And at the end of the work and during the stretches she got a bit fussy and chewy again. I didn't have any gear on her ...

 photos: 1-26 cold lunge  and 1-26 napping  good girl. pillars, then walked raised poles. singles and groups of alternating. lunged 5 minutes each way at trot. much happier. did figure 8 with polo (took 3 polos!). seems happier. not chompy . didn't canter. did some lateral work. even played with figure 8's at trot in hand to help with her undersaddle transitions. good pony sleeping, so yay. haven't seen her on the water trough but also haven't been outside much cause cold! shockwaved back after. also did sternum. seemed happier with back than previously. 

  Today I almost didn't work Lyric because.. there's a supposed ice storm coming and I expected it to hit earlier. And it was getting cold. And I had stuff to do, but... I managed to get it all done so... Lyric got lunged. :) I set up some of the grid jumps that Jean had set up into cavalettis and we went to the arena. She was a good girl. We started with some pillar walking and it was good. She got nice and stretchy. And we did our side step turns. Then we walked over the cavalettis a few times.    Then I tried to lunge her. But she was not really wanting to go, so I had to jog with her. Fine... fair enough... I don't want to work either. So we'll both lunge... except then I got tired so I had to lunge her instead of jog with her. Plus it was sort of hard to tell how her posture was when I was next to her. But I did manage to get some decent pillar trots. And on the lunge we had moments of tension and bracing but also some good moments of bend and softness. Then I trie...

 Today was supposed to be a day off... I tried to take Thursday and Friday off for my birthday. But.. ended up adding two in the morning today.. and then had to add Kelli. And then had to get feed. And it was raining all day so it was okay. Just... everything took longer than it should have. But I did manage to get home and get the truck hitched back up.  I put Lyric in the washrack to do her osphos in case she tried to bite. She was good! I don't think she liked it but she didn't react much more than with her adequan. So then I decided that since I had time and the rain had stopped I would take her in the roundpen and walk some poles. Especially since the osphos can make them a little fussy for 30 minutes. I went ahead and did her massage gun thing on her back for 10 minutes first. She was sort of enjoying it and sort of unhappy. Which... is probaby mostly from the massage gun... I was hoping she'd like it better today after her shockwave Tuesday.  Then we headed to the ...

 Photos: Vet Day barrow visit... lame left front, right hind. but not bad. super reactive and flinchy and guarded and braced for thoracolumbar palpation. suspects based on my findings/symptoms... kissing spine. recommended osphos, shockwave and rehab for 30 days on lunge and then... reassess.. could try injections then. so.. that's the plan.  good girl. got foot films. patrick is awesome. fronts' probably stay in wedge but switch to 3d wedge and backs are almost neutral if he can trim some more toe. :)  So... turned back out... then used the horse halo massager on her... for 10 minutes. she liked it.. i think. at first for sure. then shockwaved her back. E6, 600 pulses on each side. ordered osphos and will give that as soon as i get it. Will try to start the lunging protocol soon! Ran out of time today and didn't want to start until i had her shockwaved. and may give her a few days after the osphos since it burns and no equiox then. Plus.. apparently an ice storm.

  Both of us! We're both trying!   It was super cold today but I managed to sneak a ride in on Lyric before the sunset. But man was it cold! Like, she didn't even sweat under her saddle and I didn't get too sweaty in my winter outfit - fleecy breeches, winter tall boots, winter gloves, long john shirt, sweatshirt and heat reflective vest. We rode at home because I had hacked Funny at Ashland and we just didn't have time to go anywhere.  I got her tacked up and hopped on and we headed out the driveway. We did a little meander on the grassy open field between Jean and Art's place. And she was a bit jumpy and spooky. Then as we got halfway up Jean's driveway to the arena, I realized I had my headband on, not my helmet! Ooops! I contemplated.. because it was warm. But figured I should be smart. Especially since she's been balky and threatengin to buck and especially because I had my spurs on and especially because it was cold and windy and she was spooky. And be...

  Today was a dreary day. It was cold and rainy this morning so... we ended up going to AT&T and getting me a new phone. :) I switched to an apple! Eeeks. We'll see if I can get the hang of it. But it's got better video, so... I'm gonna try. ;) Anyways, the sun did come out and we had lunch and then headed home. Of course by the time we got home, the sun had crept back behind the clouds and it was a gray day. BUT... the clouds were quite beautiful so I opted to go to Ashland. I figured I'd take Lyric today and take Funny tomorrow because Laura mentioned trail riding tomorrow and Funny can keep up with Smarty better than Lyric. Plus if Laura wanted to jump, Funny can keep up with Smarty better. So... Lyric and I headed out to Ashland.   She was chomping on the chest bar an awful lot today. I'm not sure if it's because she didn't get sucralfate... because she was hot because I left her blanket on and it was a hair warm or if it was just random or coinciden...