I Wanna Be Sedated: Wizard’s Veterinary Appointment
After a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend in Georgia, it was time to get back to business with Wizard. Yesterday, the veterinarian did a lameness exam and floated his teeth.
The exam began by watching Wizard trot on a longe line. I probably should have anticipated that Wizard would be a little fresh since he is fit and has had so much time off, but instead I was surprised when he came close to pulling me off my feet as soon as we began longeing! The halter with the longe line snapped to the chin ring is normally just fine for control but he was feeling his oats yesterday. The vet pronounced him sound in both directions. I asked her about his high action and she said it’s likely a combination of animation and a loose, flexible way of going.
She performed flexion tests on all four legs and the prognosis was good. She heard a little creakiness in the right front knee when she folded it, but it is probably a touch of arthritis and nothing that should keep him from the level of work we’re doing. His left hip is dropped a bit, which is in line with what the chiropractor mentioned about the tight muscle tissue in his hamstring and pelvis. I’ve known horses whose hips are dropped far more than his and they have gone on to perform well with correct strengthening work. The vet recommended more work with ground poles to help Wizard’s topline and hind end strength. His right hind leg also showed a little stiffness with one of the flex tests, but nothing that caused concern for his current workload. Wizard quite enjoyed the jogs on the dirt road and was arching his neck and throwing his head playfully.
The vet examined his back and carefully went over his acupressure points. No back pain and just a little tightness in his pelvis. She evaluated my saddle fit and said it looks good.
The veterinarian’s advice? Get back on Wizard and try riding again. If he still is showing signs of distress under saddle, treat or test for Lyme Disease. She also suggested doing another 4-day bute test (as a diagnostic tool, not as a treatment). If both fail, further evaluations will be needed, like x-rays or blood tests. But so far, everything looks good.
Wizard also had his teeth floated. All of the hooks have been fixed and more corrections were done to his wave mouth. She was pleased with the way his mouth looks and said he can have his teeth floated next in a year- hooray!
While Wizard was under sedation, I cleaned his sheath, clipped his bridle path, and pulled his mane. I LOVE how he looks with the pulled mane- it does my hunter/jumper heart good :^) I did a combination of traditional mane pulling and a little thinning with scissors by teasing the mane up and cutting the excess vertically with scissors. I did not want to subject the poor guy to an entire mane pulling- he had almost a foot of hair and now it’s the length of a pulling comb.
Thursday, Wizard has a farrier appointment. I hope to be back in the saddle very soon.
Underneath a Jersey Sky… Not For Long
The bad news: Rock and Racehorses: The Blog will be taking another hiatus for a few days.
The good news: I’ll be enjoying a long weekend of fresh air, trail riding, and good friends, and conducting a mini photo clinic in the mountains of Georgia.
I’m saying goodbye to….
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And saying hello to…
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When I return, we’ll have a Preakness winner to discuss and maybe I’ll finish wading through my Rolex and Derby photos :^)
Rolex 2009: Cross Country Phase
Fierce and fast! It’s exhilarating to see these horses go from dressage to cross country. The horses look so elegant on the first day, crisply braided and executing perfect transitions, collection, and extension. On Saturday, the clothing and tack changes, but the accuracy needed for that perfect 20 meter circle is used on cross country day for a fast and clean run. The determination on the riders’ faces and the intensity on the faces of their horses is remarkable. The excitement is contagious- the crowd really appreciates the hard work and skill that goes into a good run.
But nobody likes to see a good run ruined by an unleashed dog- check out this frustrating video of Buck Davidson’s unfortunate encounter with an unleashed dog on course.
Wizard Session 78; JR Session 33: Sarah WHO???
Monday, 5/11/09
It was over 2 weeks since I saw the hooligans. The nice thing abour horses is that they live in the present and do just fine with time off, for the most part.
Wizard and JR are FILTHY but perfectly happy. Feet are a tad thrushy but look good, coats have a thick layer of dust but are glossy, and both horses are in good flesh. JR is completely shed out, and his dapples are impressive. I brought Wizard out and let him graze for a while before he worked. Yummmm. Then I turned Wizard out in the big arena and he galloped around like a yearling. There is nothing as delightful as watching a Thoroughbred run for the fun of it.
My friend Kris stopped by the barn and was interested in learning more about longeing since she recently started leasing a lovely Thoroughbred mare. So Kris got a bit of a longeing lesson! I stood her in the center of the longeing circle with me and first, she held the longe line while I held the longe whip. Then she held the longe whip while I held the line. Hopefully it was a fun exercise and will help her get a feel for longeing.
Wizard longed very well. He was a little on the pokey side, but that’s to be expected after a few weeks of no work. When we worked to the right, he got tense and rushed a bit, but not as much as he sometimes does. It did not take too long for him to settle and actually loosen up a little on his “bad” side.
JR also enjoyed his little workout. He did a little bucking and playing on the longe. I probably should have free schooled him first, but since he was listening to me, it was no biggie for him to have a wahoo moment or two on the longe line.
Next week, Wizard is getting his teeth floated and an exam from the vet. Holding pattern almost over!
Kentucky Derby 135: What a Ride!
I’ve been back in New Jersey for a few days now, but my head is still spinning from the amazing experiences I had in Kentucky. Rolex, the Derby, the Oaks, the farms, the Horse Park… it was an unforgettable adventure.
Churchill Downs, © Charles Pravata
When I first arrived at Churchill Downs, I must admit I was underwhelmed. It was raining, I was lugging a lot of equipment, and my amazing experiences at Rolex were fresh in my mind (more on that soon!). I expected to gasp at the sight of the Twin Spires and marvel at the experience, but it was not until Oaks Day when I was shooting the races when it really hit me. The history, the tradition, the horseflesh. Rachel Alexandra in her epic run. Mine That Bird battling the field and winning by 8. And I had the best seat in the house. I’ll break the weeks down into bite-sized pieces and share them with the RNR Blog community.
Cigar: Still the King
I visited Cigar several times during Rolex. The Horse Park was abuzz from dawn to dusk every day with international competitors, and The King watched from his castle atop the hill. He is a benevolent ruler, and most of the time he dines on fine grasses. But if something is out of place or if some horse dares to come too close to his kingdom, he alerts. He marches to the intruder. His mane flutters. His ears fly forward. His chiseled head swivels. And his subjects ooh and ahh. Shutters click. Then The King goes back to his meal.
I left Cigar’s palace today and began my tour of Kentucky farms. Never in my life have I seen such beauty. The rolling hills, the warm breezes, the iron gates, the stately barns. If you see me driving, just pass my car, because I’m a rubbernecking fool when I see these farms.
I watched a mare foal today. She’s a stout filly, well-bred and full of promise. In light of the tragic loss of Kingpin and the reminder of how fragile these creatures are in spite of the best possible care, life springs forth in the Bluegrass.
Greetings from Rolex!
Sarah Andrew reporting in from the Bluegrass for a quick hello :^) Lexington, Kentucky is beautiful! Imagine my delight to finally arrive at Rolex for the first time after so many years of watching and reading about it. I feel like a kid in a candy store at the Kentucky Horse Park. I saw the immortal Cigar (a favorite racehorse from my youth), as well as the great CH Gypsy Supreme, pictured here:
Day 1 of Rolex was fantastic. Check out the Rolex website for updates and standings. The two standout dressage tests for me were Jolie Sexton riding Killian O’Connor and Tim Lips riding Concrex Oncarlos. Both tests were remarkably harmonious and the rides were exemplary.
On to Day Two!
Rolex 101 (Last post from NJ!)
The Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event is the highest level of the sport of three-day eventing. International horses and riders at the Olympic level compete at this four-star event. There are only four events of this caliber in the world.
Phase One of eventing is dressage, a test of strength, balance, and discipline for horses and riders.
Phase Two is cross country, which highlights the heart, speed, and endurance of the teams.
Phase Three is stadium jumping, which requires precision, accuracy, and rateability.
The official Rolex website explains it well:
DRESSAGE on the first day of the competition tests the gaits, suppleness and obedience of the horse through a series of prescribed movements. While judging the Dressage Test on the first day is based on specific criteria understood in detail only by experienced judges and riders, it is basically an evaluation of beauty of movement and obedience. Anyone can judge these characteristics and the spectator’s opinion often agrees with the judges. The number of competitors may require that Dressage be held over two days but it remains the first competition day.
The CROSS-COUNTRY test on the second competition day proves the speed, stamina, courage, boldness and jumping ability of the horse and the rider’s knowledge of pace and use of the horse across country. Horses jumping over obstacles designed and constructed to represent what might be found on uncharted grounds , virtually flying over ditches, leaping up and down banks, dropping into and galloping through water prove examples of athletic prowess, and trust between man and animal, that can be seen in no other sporting event. While the rider walks the course beforehand, the horse doesn’t see any of the course until it leaves the start box.
JUMPING in an arena on the third day of competition provides the final test of the horse’s athletic ability, conditioning and training. The Jumping Test in a stadium arena on the third day is again simply a matter of jumping the obstacles cleanly. Its significance is that it comes the day following the test of cross-country jumping at speed and clearly illustrates the horse’s willingness to listen to its rider. It must now move at a more sedate pace and not touch the obstacles, which are not solid and will fall down. A single rail knocked down can make the difference between winning and finishing far down in the placings.
The best way to learn more about the sport of eventing is to see it for yourself. Check the Chronicle of the Horse‘s Sporting Calendar for local competitions. And subscribe to the Chronicle of the Horse or another eventing publication like Eventing USA for the most current news and commentary.
An added bonus of attending Rolex in person is the famously fabulous shopping :^)
The official Rolex website is an excellent resource for this year’s competition. Click here for the schedule, click here for the entries, and click here for the timetable.
I’m leaving for Kentucky Wednesday morning and I’ll post about Rolex and the Kentucky Derby as time permits. And you can watch live on-demand coverage as it unfolds!
Blogging about Beautiful Big Bertha
I Heart Bertha
Big Bertha is in the house. She’s not mine for keeps, but we’ll be spending a few days together. Wanna meet her? Here she is. I only hit myself in the ear once with Big Bertha so far. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Wizard Session 77; JR Session 32: Holding Pattern
Sunday, 4/19/09
This was my last visit with the boys until I return from Kentucky. Not as much of a training session as it was playtime and an opportunity to make sure they both were ready for some time off. I’ve traveled many times during the years when I owned Alibar and it was a different feeling when I left- not as intense.
I made sure Wizard had plenty of Alfa Supreme and I made sure both horses were exercised, clean, and comfortable. Both horses had free-longeing sessions. JR kicked up his heels, bounced around when he saw deer in the woods, and played for a little bit, and then he was quite responsive. I’ve seen a nice change in his interaction with me- he is more attentive. I was able to get a trot and a canter in both directions in a HUGE arena, with JR stopping and walking toward me on command. When we were done, I cooled him out at a walk on the longe line- he gave me a really nice walk.
Wizard was also happy to get out and stretch his legs, run, and buck a little. He is so much fun to work at liberty. The combination of his desire to move out and his willingness to respond to me makes him a really cool horse. He’s also quite fit! Even after what I thought was a good workout, he had not broken a sweat and was not even breathing hard by the time I cooled him out. When I return from my trip, I will have the vet look at Wizard and hopefully we can move out of this holding pattern. In the meantime, the boys can kick back and relax.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 