Chris Ward's blog

Does it matter if you have a plan then don't necessarily stick to it?  That was the question buzzing around my head after my time with  Bea. Then I considered this, had I lost my way, had Bea's reaction deviated me away from the goal I was/am trying to achieve?  No I was just going a different way about it a different way.

Minus 4 with a sprinkling of snow and one little mare who looked like she was walking on high heels.  Well one anyway the front.right. 

On inspection snow and ice had impacted itself into a mass that was a solid as a rock. Bea has had problems with her front right leg before which ended up in her being lame for months so not wanting a repeat performance I decided that the offending ice had to be removed besides I didn't know what kind of pressure it might be putting on the shoe. 

Today was a day of being particular, being a leader, defending my herd of two and having confirmation that I am on the right road.

We did the trailer first.  Bea was straining at the leash to get onboard.  I insisted she be calm then gave her the cue to load.  It took all her control not to run in, once in she stayed until the meagre supply of HorseHage was depleted.  Time, I think, to put the next stage of my loading plan into action.

Gemma has been a willing participant online and at liberty for quite some time now.  So it came as no surprise when I sensed a change in the game.  To begin with it was just the tiniest of changes at liberty, she'd stay with me for the most part but odd times she would walk with me then stop watching me get further away only when I beckoned to her would she come to me.  I could see by the look on her face that she was contemplating something.

Today confirmed my past thoughts, its only taken three years to prove I was right to listen to my instincts...

Gemma, as I've probably mentioned somewhere before, is implusive.  So I didn't rate my chances of getting stick to me at a canter, not for a while anyway.  Speed tends to make her anxious.  So imagine my surprise when I asked and she cantered without getting all right brained on me.  Yes she got a little ahead of me but she has four legs I only have two and I was a bit slow.  She was calm, she did have her ear on me and her head was level with her withers.

Tenatively I have started to exercise Bea in hand, vets orders.  No tight turns, no turning on the forehand, definitely no jumping, avoid hard ground, a little trotting, say six or so strides, no circles or sideways, also vets orders.  So what do you do with a horse you can do almost nothing with, she stiff on the hind, striding shorter of the right fore sometimes pottery...nightmare.   Then I remembered something I saw at the FOTH something Pat said about having a horse at your shoulder, not behind you and not in front.  You have this then your horse is acting like

After two plus months of watching a lame horse go from bad to worse, then having no definitive diagnosis from the vet. I have been questioning if I want to stay in horses at all. In part I still am asking myself that question as the prospect of searching for yet another partner seems too hard to comtemplate.  I know the fat lady aint singing yet and the lameness issue with Bea is far from over.  When the splint she is now suffering from heals we could still be paying yet another visit to the vet if the lameness remains.

Playing with Gemma has become somewhat of a habit and tends to be a leveller as what is too much for Bea at the moment makes little difference to Gem.

Playing with circles is not Bea's favourite occupation.  She can't see the point in them even with treats.  So I tend to change it up alot to get her focus, if I get the balance right we tend to get any number of laps at trot and canter.

Bea has been lame for a few days due to a sore shoulder.  So ammending the RICE option I've used countless times on athletes and massage, I treated it myself. She's now well on the way to recovery, I can see a slight dip but nothing too major now.

I know you can't shut me up lately but as we have been looking at focus study wise I thought I'd post this.

I had a plan to ask Bea to maintain her responsibilities by asking for canter on a circle for four laps.  I figure four laps is quite long enough for a LBI to begin with.  Anyway this is how it went..

I have come to the conclusion that Bea is one clever little horse.  Everything I show her goes in pretty quickly and most of the time she will add a little something of her own as in I'll ask for movement or activity A and she'll do that then say well how about I do B and C as well.  Then she gives me that, 'don't you think I'm just a little bit clever' and 'how can you insist I do anything else now I've offered that' look.  Crafty or what!  I do believe my LBI is turning in a LBE with attitude.