My Turn!

It’s Monday! Okay so most people aren't that excited when it’s Monday but I am! Why? Well because we have hit the point where I can ride Forrest in his rehab! J So obviously super excited!

I was pretty impatient all day and it felt like work was taking forever to get through, of course. But the time had finally arrived! Forrest leg was a little bigger than the day before but considering it swells with the heat and it was nearly 60 degrees today we weren't concerned, and even swollen it barely looked noticeable! While I fed the horses I let Forrest bake in his stall for a bit to loosen up his hip. His hind end is getting better, but since we know it is an issue I just always warm it up with his Back on Track blanket before we ride. I think Forrest knew it was time; he gave me that look and was a good boy about saddling up!

I only got to ride him for about 5 minutes but was told to get him to push from behind, frame up and to work on some leg yielding, in small amounts, to strengthen both hind end and leg! He was fantastic and it felt so good to be back on him again, very normal and very much home! With the weather tomorrow it will be rainy and cold which will be great for “icing/hosing” his leg for 24 hours. But I plan to be in the tack rain or shine tomorrow for our 6 minutes of work. We plan on adding a minute every day for the first week and go from there. But he is doing exceedingly well and walking with no issues. We are focusing right now more at the walk than other gaits to be sure he is strong. The stronger we can make his tendon at the walk the better we will be through the trotting and cantering phases!

I am just happy to be home back in the saddle on my boy!

Well Forrest leg was still covered in his random scratches, tick bites, and cuts so I took him to the wash rack and scrubbed his leg and cleared it of all the scabs. However, while in the wash rack it gave Forrest ample opportunity to see the “Aliens” as he thought of them. We it definitely helped with picking scabs as he didn't care much and was focused on the ponies, Jewels and Patches. So since Forrest was obviously curious about these little things I took him over to meet them. Jewels and him were fine and he had no problems with her, however he nearly bolted when Patches and him touched noses. To make matters even funnier was that Patches also had his muzzle on him. I imagine he would look slightly not normal! Poor Forrest looked like he was ready to have a heart attack with what he was seeing.

After a quick meet, I walked him back to the barn where he could decompress from his visit and go be a horse again snug in his rug!

A break

Well this past week I had taken a “break” and headed down south for Thanksgiving. Luckily I had my trainer who was still pushing forward with Forrest’s rehab. Forrest was starting his first with weight on his back. Well from many reports Forrest flew through the week with gold stars. The swelling in his leg continued to go down and he was getting stronger and stronger every day.

Today was my first day back after my mini vacation and he still had one more day with a lightweight rider on him. Luckily, my fellow boarder and her daughter came to ride with me and luckily were able to help out.

We first rode the other horses: Miles, Indy and Halo. Indy was a good boy for her daughter and they even practice some jumps. Then we played musical horses and everyone swapped. It was a great time and everyone enjoyed the other rides! On top of working with the horses one of the other barns on the property were expecting their first boarders today.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect as we were finishing up with Miles, Indy and Halo the two little ponies had arrived. Now during this time Forrest was being tacked up and I had originally started to hand walk him, but the commotion of the new horses had ADD boy’s attention elsewhere. As the ponies came off the trailer (one 12 hands and the other just over 13 hands) Forrest puffed himself up and couldn't help but stare at them. He was completely dumbfounded at what they were. Now the larger pony he wasn't as concerned about. He does live with Tazzar; however the little 12 hand pony named Patches that was a whole different ballpark. He full heartedly believed it was an alien! As the ponies were walked around the farm, Forrest HAD to be facing them at all times, you never know when a pony will attack you from behind. He was such a goofball. As the ponies were led to their field he soon settled and we were able to start back to “work.”

The original plan was to actually hand walk for 25 minutes and do a couple stretches of trot to equate to a light rider, but with my friends daughter there I figured what a better idea! So with a lead shank on the bridle, we walked together side by side for 9 minutes around the “rehab ring.” Forrest was very good and he was able to be the first “big horse” she had ever sat on.

I was also happy to see that his leg looked amazing. Unfortunately Forrest had some cuts, scratches and at tick bite all on the same leg so we had to use furicin this past week because DMSO would be too strong. But I was very impressed with how it looked!

                                  

 

Phase 1 complete!

Today is a good day. For the last two weeks, I have been working with Forrest for 2 weeks now hand walking him with his tack on. On day one we noticed that he just wasn't extending as much on the left leg but as with any rehab the purpose is to build the tendons and get them stretched and strong again. By the end of the first week he was walking noticeably better. We had hit the 20 minute point of walking and he was happy as a clam as I breathed heavily just to keep up. Over the weekend, we kept him at the steady 20 minutes to let his body adjust to the time and the new workout schedule and by Monday we were back to adding 2 minutes to everyday.


Forrest's leg is looking better and better the more he uses it and the more we break down the "bump." I'm told that the rest will more than likely disappear when he starts jogging and using himself and the leg more. But the past week, we have been slowly working to the 30 minute mark which we hit TODAY!!! Still out walking me, but at least I can attempt a fighting chance before I start to breath hard. I guess another hidden benefit to this rehab thing is my sad butts getting into some kind of shape as well. Thanks Forrest always looking out for me in the end! Oye.

So today was the big day. My trainer hadn't seen him walk since day one and I was so nervous at what she would say. Would he be ready for the next level? Would I be held back a week or two? Would we reach our goals? I'm sure Forrest knew something was up with my nervous self as he was a bit of himself today, but it couldn't be helped. As I was walking him around, my trainer slowly drove up only to stop half way to the barn to watch. If I ever felt more nervous it couldn't have been any worse than it was then. She just stayed there watching us walk out track. Finally she drove up and parked her car.

She once again silently got out of the car and just stood there to walk. The tension was thick...what was she going to say? Well she finally spoke up and said his walking looked great but she was still concerned that he wasn't stretching as much as he could. that's not a bad thing, but just that she said he would need to stay one more week at 30 minutes with no weights. Of course I was disappointed as we were suppose to start weights next Monday. But even as she spoke the words she just kept watching him and I eventually got the impression he was doing something that wasn't adding up. Nothing bad, but something funny I guess.

You can watch a horse move all day but she wanted to know what he felt like. Now looking back at the history of Forrest his last major rehab involved his SI on his left hip. And sometimes the only way to know if his hip isn't right or weak is by how he feels. So as she walks up she calmly says now don't freak out but I want to get on and walk him. I trust her 110% so I gave her the leg up and she walked him around. Still you could see she was milling something around in her head. So once again I got the, "Now don't freak out" as she asks him to trot a couple steps.

She stops and gets off. It wasn't that he wasn't stretching with his left front it was that his left HIND and SI was weak again and interfering with his walk. YAY! So she changed her plans and now Forrest will start Monday with her riding him for the next week. We will start him at 7 minutes stay there for a couple days and then add a minute everyday to where when I get back from vacation I will be able to get on and walk for 10 minutes!

So not only are we battling rehabbing his left front, but we are back to ground 0 and have to rehab his SI as well. Luckily the SI is easy and I know exactly what and when to do the things to help him through it. Guess its a good thing I've done that part before.


So all good things!!! Tomorrow and Sunday I will continue "our" 30 minute work out and by Monday we will start with a rider in the tack. I am slightly disappointed it isn't me, but I want to do this right and know in the end its only one more week before I get back up there! better to build it right the first time then get half way through only to break down again!

A beautiful weekend

This past weekend was beautiful, who could have asked for a better fall weekend. Luckily with the season over it was an easy weekend. No show to attend or prepare for. So I spent my Saturday with boy my boys. When I got out to the barn it looked like the horses were playing a game of hide and seek.

I brought Forrest in and cleaned him up. It seemed that he was due for some “mud therapy” since they were blanket free. He was caked in the stuff and seemed awfully proud of himself. I can’t wait to be able to clip him, the hair needs to go! But he had high spirits. His leg looked good, it was slightly more inflamed than it usually is, but when it gets to be 70 it’s what happens. I do believe it was the first time in my life cursing warm weather during a fall/winter month. 

                              

But Forrest was going to stick to his 20 minutes of walking through the weekend so we pushed on through. I tacked him up and off we went. One would think that this hand walking stuff is easy, negative. I believe I get more of a work out than Forrest does. I have to keep him walking at a working walk which for me is like a near run. Here I am sweating terrible and trying to “drag” the horse along and he just moseys around his “track.” Go figure. By the end of the 20 minutes working walk, I was beat and Forrest was ready for more.

With the weather so warm, his routine changed up a bit. Instead of his Back on track quick wraps and DMSO we ice and use furicin. So while Forrest was icing for his 30 minutes, I decided to give the old man a ride. I have no idea what was wrong with me, here I am already tired from my “walk,” sad…yes I know, but I decided what would be better than NO STIRRUP WORK. Shoot me now…..

But old man Injun was great. After being retired for two years and only back in work for about a month now, I could finally start feeling him get into shape. His canter isn't 4 beated anymore and he is trying to “buck” me off less and less. Now when I say buck, I mean it feels like a bump in the road. Just a small bounce, but for Indy it’s his mean buck. Really nothing to ever worry about…thank goodness. I also tried to work on framing him up, but the old man was hearing nothing of it and ended up just making him made. Indy also received his new blanket since he wasn't a fan of borrowing his brothers...

Having both boys back together I have definitely noticed my preference in qualities of my horses and apparently the #1 trait is stubbornness. Oh yes, both my boys are terrible stubborn, but like they say dog owners always resemble their dogs…I guess the same is true about horses.

I've got one who is the boss; head of the herd and another one who is the bottom of the herd and last to come in. One that is 17 hands tall to 15 hands tall. Red bay to chestnut. Yep they are as opposite as they come, but personality wise they mimic each other. Just my luck.

Sunday there was not much excitement either. Forrest’s leg looked better than ever! It had gone down WITH the heat which is a really good sign. So I continued our 20 minute routine which ended once again with me breathing heavily and Forrest ready for more… The weekend as good and Forrest is right on track and looking better than the day before. Monday we start adding 2 minutes back onto his time which will cause us to hit the 30 minute mark by Friday. The plan is for him to stay at that mark through the weekend and start adding weight, 80lbs of weights to be exactly, and start back at 5 minutes and work our way up. After thanksgiving, I will be able to get on Forrest and finish his final week of walking before moving and graduating on to trot work! J

Breaking Point

Well today marks 5 days since we started hand walking Forrest under tack. It has been going remarkably well! His leg has looked better each day, but as in all rehab situation and as Forrest and I have learned from the last rehab event there comes a point where you reach the point in which you may push yourself too much and make it worse. Luckily we haven't hit that point but we have hit the point where he has plateaued which is 20 minutes. Have no fear this isn't a bad thing, it just means we need to stick at 20 minutes for a couple days and then continue added our two minutes everyday.

Even with the couple days stuck at 20 minutes Forrest will still hit his 30 minute mark by the end of next week which is the point we switch from hand walking to rider! I am super happy with the results and the Cheshire cat grin my trainer has after every leg check is infectious! At first I was worried when she said he plateaued. I thought that something was wrong and Forrest wasn't able to handle the walking, but my trainer is thrilled with it. She actually said that she expected Forrest to only be at 10 minutes and not 20, so hes essentially doubled the time! This does not mean his rehab is moving faster than expected, in fact we are more determined to stick to our plan but it shows great for future progression and proof his leg is getting better.

So all good news! So tomorrow and Sunday I will stick to our 9 laps each direction, or 20 minutes! So we'll just keep on truckin!

The Time has Come

Well the Thoroughbred show was a great time but now it’s time to get to business in order to have BOTH my boys at the TB show! Today was Forrest’s first day of Rehab!!! Being a Monday it was definitely something to look forward to! My trainer had told me we would drug him as we weren't sure what to expect with him so better to be safe than sorry. I got to the barn early so I hopped on Indy bareback and played around the ring to kill some time. I didn't want to start the rehab myself as I wanted to be sure he leg looked good to start.

Finally, which seemed forever but it wasn't  my trainer arrived! Being the proactive person I was, I had already tacked up Forrest in the stall and we were ready for what came next. She check his leg which looked better than ever and then gave Forrest a stiff drink J Didn't take long for the drugs to work and Forrest was as mellow as they come. We led Forrest out onto his “track” that he would be using and did 5 circles each way. He was great and looked good. His leg was a bit stiff, but considering he hasn't been using it with a saddle on it was expected. The more he moved the better he got.

           First time tacked up in 2 months

With both myself and my trainer pleased with him she gave me the instructions for the next two weeks. I would add 1 extra circle everyday each direction. In two weeks, with each circle added the total time Forrest and I will be spending under saddle will be 30 minutes in which we will switch from hand walking to saddle time! J

                                                                                             I got this Mom..

I am just so happy to be doing something physically with him and I believe so is Forrest. I was told the other day about his antics in the field. While I was away he was trying to play tag with one of my friends as she was getting her horse out of the field. She said he kept nudging her and her daughter to play and then he would gallop off into another field feeling good!

I always said my horse will tell me if something is too much or too little. He has always been good about letting me know. I take this as a wonderful sign that he is feeling better than ever and ready for a job once again! 

Thoroughbred Celebration Time!

Well Thursday was the start of the Thoroughbred Celebration show! 

I had made plans to leave the barn by 12 PM. Considering I still needed to pack; I got to the barn around 11 AM and packed up the trailer. As I went out into the fields to get Halo and Indy, Forrest was the first to meet me. He once again gave me that look which I promptly told him that if he wanted to go he shouldn't have tried to take an extended vacation. He came over to me and started nibbling/eating my jacket and using his nose to push me around. Clearly he wasn't happy with what was going on. He had watched me pack the trailer and such and he knows what that means, but I wasn't there to get him.

I quickly got Halo and Indy while Forrest pouted as I walked away.

                We Arrived!!!

Since I was familiar with how Indy would load I decided to load Halo first.  Well she also decided she wasn't too sure if she wanted to leave either. It had been nearly two years since she traveled  Well after some convincing and yummy mints Halo followed me on the trailer. She happily munched on Hay as I brought Indy in behind her. By 1 PM we were off! Okay so I was definitely an hour off my original leaving time, but hey I was happy I got both horses on and we were on our way!

Settled in their stalls

We got to the Virginia Horse Center and I got everyone settled. Both were quite confused and they must have had a serious bonding conversation on the trailer because one could not leave without the other calling. But my trainer came down and we got them both schooling. Halo had an adventure in the indoor seeing the decorated jumps for the first time, the bleachers, and the covered tables. After taking everything in, she hacked around and jumped like she had been doing it her whole life. Indy, coming out of retirement, had seen these things before. The last time he was in an indoor was in 2005! But he took to it and settled quickly enough.

Indy proudly displaying his OTTB heritage 

                   and his homemade sign

Friday was the first morning of the three day show. I helped some friends get their horses ready and watched some beautiful rounds in the warm-up ring. Finally it was our time. My trainer came down for the day so she rode Halo and I was on Indy. We schooled them about 2 hours prior to the show and both were ready to go. Our first class was the T.I.P Walk/Trot class. Halo was beautiful and hacked around the ring like a seasoned show horse, this being her first time! Indy on the other hand, the one that’s been there done that, decided he wanted to RACE around the ring. He had his head held high and blatantly ignoring my leg and hands. But I have to give it to the old man; he was moving along with the rest of them.

Indy and Halo walking before the class started

Indy did not get a call back, but Halo did! The class had a total of 55 horses in which they had to split the class into two classes! Halo did wonderfully, but by the time the horses had to stand for the judge she was ready to find her friend. We were so pleased with her and it was only her first class! Next was the Blue Ridge Charities Hunter Hack.

      

Halo strutting herself in her first class!

Now this hack class starts out with the horses jumping a 2’ line. This time the fences were decorated with brush and hunter gates. Halo had only been schooling small cross rails and plain white poles! But my trainer went before Indy and I and she trotted in and canter out of the line like a pro! Indy was next. He started off with a wonderful hunter canter, but when we came around the turn and he saw the fences it was over…he was back in the jumper ring 10 years ago forwardly cantering down the line!

  

Overall the horses did wonderful on Friday and we couldn't have been more pleased or impressed with the horses.

 Indy and I patiently waiting in the lineup

Saturday started off early. My trainer had suggested the night before since Indy had so much in him to take him in a 2’3 class. Internally I was panicking before it even happened. It had been 6 years since I had jumped a course that had fences that were decorated with greenery, gates, etc. It had been 6 years since I had jumped him over and oxer none the less….

Hacking in the pleasure class

Luckily I had some great friends there to help me and give me some pointers. Indy schooled over the vertical no problem, when the oxer came up I was really nervous but it was all or nothing. Of course like the good boy he was he went over it no question asked. So off to the in-gate we went. I watched my friend go before me and saw her horse do beautiful lead changes and find her spots. Then it occurred to me…. I haven’t done a lead change, have no idea if he remembers them or can still even DO them. Oh great…if I was ever gonna wing it…this was the moment…

Oh wait is that and oxer...Old man still has moves

Well we went in and Indy couldn't have been more perfect. We didn't have the best rhythm to the first fence so he trotted it but we nailed our distances to all the other fences and it was like he’d never stopped showing. It was also the most fun he and I had together since he returned home with me. Let’s just say I definitely had the biggest grin on my face!

The flat classes went well, no ribbons, but Indy calmed down enough to actually get some long and low moments in there on a loopy rein. Halo had the day off since she was so good the day before we wanted her first experience to be a good one. Sadly I had to leave to go home Saturday night and I missed Sunday. But I had a great time at the show and couldn't have been more proud. The horses were happy to be back at home in their field as well.

Nothing like taking the old man who hadn't been ridden in 2 years and the green bean who had only been schooling for 2 months to their first show!!