As the world waits for Zenyatta’s first foal (due any day now), here are some photos from my visit with the great mare from back in July- click here.
Wizard Ride 339: Grounded
Wednesday, 2/29/12
The photos really say it all. I asked my trusted friend to ride Wizard so I could watch his reactions from the ground. My friend is a tactful and smart rider, so she was a perfect candidate. She also weighs less than I do, and I was curious if rider weight had anything to do with Wizard’s issues. Turns out, weight has nothing to do with it.
She mounted up, and Wizard stood quietly as usual, and then did his stomping and ear pinning routine as soon as they started walking. He then stopped and they did some walking to warm up and began trot work. When she first asked for the trot, he bounced into a canter and then came back to a trot. For almost every upward transition, he returned to the ear pinning and tail swishing. If she kept him at the same speed, he was fine for the most part. She rode him on big circles and did some serpentine work. A few times, she got him nice and relaxed and I saw his stride lengthen and he sought contact with the reins. They make a nice pair.
Once she had a good feel for him, she asked for a canter. She sat up and was very soft on the reins, and I got a good look at his reaction to the canter. To the left, he was swishing and kicking and bouncing, but was additionally hauling on her hands to the right. She had to take him in on a smaller circle to get him to slow down for her, and he was bounding and hopping the whole time. It’s nice to have brave friends like her :^)
The more I saw his reactions, the more I’m thinking he has SI joint issues. This was the first thing I thought he had in the very beginning, but never wanted to do injections. Wizard will be done with his Lyme Disease treatment at the end of March/early April. In the meantime, I’ll keep him fit with longeing and maybe occasional rides. Since he’s comfortable at the same pace, I think we can do some really steady and long and low trot work while we wait. He’s perfectly sound and he’s the picture of health at the moment, so I want to keep him fit and happy. And then it sounds like we’ll be making another call to the vet. $$$$$
Click here for LOTS of photos and my writeup of the finale of the RRTP Trainer’s Challenge… http://thetdnblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/rrtp-trainers-challenge-finale-in.html
Wizard Ride 338: Every Time I Go Around Here
Monday, 2/27/12
More of the same. This morning, I rode Wizard indoors, and he was actually slightly better at the beginning of his ride and did a little less tail swishing than usual. Once we got trotting, he settled onto the bit pretty well and we rode on big circles. I asked a friend to ride him on Wednesday- I’ll be interested to see what he looks like.
Wizard Rides 335, 336, 337: Hope
Tuesday, 2/21/12
My friend Cathy stopped by the barn on Tuesday, and shot a short video clip of me riding Wizard. You can’t really see much of his issue here, but there are a few tail swishes when I ask for a trot from a walk. I did not ride for long, and we just walked and did a bit of trotting.
Wednesday, 2/22/12
My mom was out at the barn with me on Wednesday, and I expected another ride of tail swishing and ear pinning. When we were in the large arena, I was right. The footing is very loose, deep, and sandy at the moment because we have not gotten any rain in a while. As an experiment, I took him out to the dressage court in the back of the farm. The footing is firmer out there. To my delight, Wizard was AMAZING. We had our best ride in months. He was focused, swinging his back, and gently chewing the bit. Photo above is from our ride.
Thursday, 2/23/12
In hopes of getting another stellar ride, I went out to the barn and rode in the same arena. No such luck. About 75% of the time, he was great, but the other 25%, he was tense, or swishing his tail. And just to keep things interesting, at one point, he stumbled on a stone and leapt out of the stumble and reared up just a bit. Good thing I had my heels down. What could possibly make him happy as a clam one day and back to being tense the next? He’s in his 6th week of Lyme Disease treatment. I see no major changes yet. He has put on a little weight and muscle, though, so maybe he is turning a corner. I keep giving him time off from riding, but it does not seem to help.
On Friday, I gave him the day off from riding and let him play in the indoor arena for a little while. On Saturday, I put ground poles in the arena and did some free schooling. The poles were great for his foot placement and body awareness. He actually broke into a little sweat, which was good, too. He usually can play for quite some time without sweating, so the poles were some sort of work for him. He also started to stretch over them, and by the time we were done, he was longeing around me in a perfect circle, with no halter or longe line.
I’ll just keep experimenting. He looks so good- I keep thinking that good news is just around the corner.
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting Middleburg, VA, and seeing the great progress of Tiffany Catledge and her trainees, Solidify and High Level. The PA Horse World Expo is this weekend, and the winning trainer will be announced. Read all about my visit with Tiffany in the TDN Blog: http://thetdnblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/visit-with-tiffany-catledge-solidify.html
Life moves pretty fast. It’s time to sit down with a cup of coffee and catch up with the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s Trainer Challenge. We’re already in the final week. It seems like 5 weeks flew by in the blink of an eye, and I’m sure the horses’ trainers would agree. Please click here for a wrap-up, with lots of wonderful videos.
Wizard Ride 334: All The Same
Saturday, 2/18/12
I longed Wizard before I rode him. The weather was mild, so we worked outdoors. He wore his Back on Track sheet for about 2 hours before our ride. He was fussy about grooming, and was pretty cranked up when he was being longed. Spooking more than usual and leaping around on the longe are not typical Wizard behaviors. I’m guessing it’s a combination of not having much work and (hopefully) feeling better from Lyme treatment.
Once I was in the saddle, he was pretty much the same- tense and full of himself. In the very beginning of the ride, he was really swishy with his tail, plus his ears were pinned and he was kicking at me a little. But as soon as we walked a little bit, I was able to walk him on a loose rein. He got cranked up again at the trot. So we trotted. And trotted. We did big circles. And changed direction. Over. And over. And over. More trotting. And more trotting.
…..
MUCH later in the ride, Wizard actually settled and relaxed onto the bit. Maybe I’m just not riding him enough…? He’s a puzzle. I let him canter a few times, and we trotted a cross rail. He leapt over a trot pole, too. Never a dull moment.
Wizard Ride 332, Session 333: Tin Man
Pictured above, Wizard catches snowflakes on his tongue.
Saturday, 2/4/12
Wizard has been on doxycycline for almost a full month for Lyme Disease. I have not noticed any big changes, but he does seem a little less sensitive to touch and a little more like his friendly self. We’ve had an amazing streak of mild weather, so I longed and rode him outside on Saturday. On the longe, he was pretty normal, but did get carried away to the right, and had a few “wheee!” moments. Under saddle, he was okay. He stood perfectly for me to get in the saddle, but immediately began his ear pinning routine when I was riding. As usual, it simmered down a little with work, but definitely was the same as it was the last time I rode him. Sometimes, he goes a while without doing it, but then it comes back. I can’t figure out a pattern. He felt sound, which is good. I did not notice any soreness. My plan is to ride maybe once or twice a week until I see more improvement.
Monday, 2/6/12
I longed Wizard in the outdoor arena under the lights. He was feeling pretty fresh from having all the time off, and when I placed a trot pole on the ground, he came to a screeching halt, and then eventually LEAPT over it. A pole. A trot pole. Sometimes, I wonder what goes on in his head. He was pretty “up” for the whole session. Not out of control, but very forward and maybe a little nervous at times.
My plan was to get him back into more work, but then I got sick for a week. I’m visiting him every few days to prepare his medicine and let him stretch his legs in the arena. He’s due for shoes on Monday (6 weeks). Hopefully, we’ll be back on track soon and maybe I’ll start seeing positive changes under saddle.
A Visit to Zoar Ridge Stables and Rescue
Who said you can’t have a nice equine photo session in January?
This Saturday, my weekly photo volunteer work took me to Zoar Ridge Stables and Rescue in Newtown, Connecticut. The adoptable horses were from Camelot Auction, New Holland Auction, and from a local neglect case.
Please contact Zoar Ridge directly with any inquiries about these horses- I photographed them, but the farm has all the details about them. The farm has worked with them for many months and knows their history, health records, etc. Phone: 203 470 9939 Email: zoarridge@sbcglobal.net
BELLE
Belle is a registered Quarter Horse mare- she’s 16 years old and 15.1h. Here’s her pedigree (click here). She has no vices, and rides nicely. Zoar Ridge would like to find a home for her where she will get individual attention since she has already paid her dues as a lesson horse for most of her life. Her adoption fee is negotiable.
You can watch a video of Belle under saddle here:
Photos of Belle:
NAOMI and DOBBY
Naomi was purchased at Camelot Auction in Spring 2011. She was pregnant with Dobby. Naomi’s breed is unknown- she’s 9 years old and just under 15 hands. She was said to be an Andalusian/Quarter Horse cross at the sale, but her colt is gaited. Naomi does not gait at liberty, but her colt Dobby shows a variety of very strong gaits. Dobby’s conformation and movement make him look like a Missouri Fox Trotter, so perhaps Naomi is as well.
Naomi is unbroke, and is considered a training project for an experienced trainer. She was pleasant to handle for the photos, and was very willing to pose for us.
Photos of Naomi:
Naomi’s 8-month-old colt, Dobby, was also very pleasant to work with. He has excellent ground manners. The folks at Zoar Ridge did a great job working with him- he leads, stands, picks up his feet, etc. When he plays in his pasture, he shows a variety of gaits. He is playful, and loves people. Here’s a little video of him…
Photos of Dobby:
HONEY
Don’t tell the other horses, but Honey was my favorite of the bunch. Honey’s name is perfect for her sweet disposition, as well as the color of her eyes. She is 12 years old and about 15h. She was a neglect case, and had not been ridden for more than 6 years. Zoar Ridge is working her on the longe, under tack and she’s been backed several times. They believe she was once broke to ride, but needs confidence. She is very easy to handle, ties well, etc.
Although I only spent a little time with her during our photo session, I got the sense that she’s a really special mare. She has a very easy-going attitude, and she seems very trainable. Honey is very focused on people, and despite her past of neglect, she seems to really thrive on attention. I think she’s the kind of mare who will blossom in the right home, and be a devoted equine partner.
She is colored like a palomino, but her mane and tail have streaks of darker hairs. She might be a “dunalino” (palomino with dun factor) or possibly just have really neat countershading. Her eyes are a lovely honey color, and her ears are REALLY, INSANELY cute. They tilt in toward each other at a steep angle, and are tippy at the edges.
Photos of Honey:
CRYSTAL
Last but certainly not least is Crystal. She’s a 12-year-old registered Haflinger mare who is about 14h tall. She was purchased from New Holland Auction. Crystal rides and drives. She has a wonderful temperament and would love to be a family pet. Because she is a Haffie, she can be a little pushy so would be best suited for an advanced beginner. Her dream rider would be a teenager that would like to go trail blazing as she is steady as rock. Her adoption fee $800- neg. to the right home. Contact Nicole Bourne if you are interested in Crystal: 973-222-9401
Photos of Crystal:
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 