Progress report (a catch all post about feet + weather)

Here's the thing... I think no matter what part of the country you live in right now, the weather has been complete and utter bullshit for everyone. Around me (Area II) events have been cancelled left and right due to rain and riders are having to tempt fate by riding in temps in the 100s just to get an event under their belt. We've gotten something like 300% more rain than we should have for this time of year and while it could be worse (rock hard ground), it makes getting any sort of riding momentum near impossible.

Because it's either raining for days or it's like this:

Just, NO.

I've been pushing through and riding him even on the hottest days, but all the rain has messed up his turnout schedule and as a result not only is his skin getting funky, but his legs have all been taking turns blowing up. This doesn't alarm me like it used to and I usually just follow the protocol of working him to reduce the puffiness and then throw standing wraps on if he's going to be in for prolonged periods of time. Scout is typically the kind of dude that no matter how much time he's had off or how little turnout he's been getting he's pretty much the same, chill horse. However, he surprised me a little this week after a few days of little to no turnout by being a bit of a twit on the ground so we had a little refresher session on appropriate behaviors.

I got in trubs.

You see, his legs were fat and I hadn't planned on riding that day so I took him to the indoor to hand walk (because you guessed it, it was pouring, again) -- his next door neighbor was in there too (she's an adorable grey pony who just went to the pony finals!) so we did out best to stay out of their way by walking and trotting over poles together. When she left, Scout lost his ever loving mind and tried to bolt back to the barn after her and I was like HELL NO. So I grabbed a lunge line and the whip -- to which he took GREAT offense, as though he's beaten every day by one. Which led to ground work 101 for Scout. And you better believe he changed his tune (ahem, pic above). In the end, I wound up getting some very nice work out of him, even if I was ill-prepared and honestly, I think he needed to blow off a little energy anyway so we'll call it a win.

Even with big fat legs he can move

I am the wildest stallion:)

Anyway, all of this behavior at least let me see how he was moving and feeling after his first visit with the new farrier. He has been growing hoof at an alarming rate, and I was terrified he was going to lose a shoe before he could get seen and I was absolutely thrilled when the BO told me that the farrier said Scout has beautiful feet. I was like, "oh man, wait til I show you where we started."

I tend not to get on the bandwagon of "all OTTBs have bad feet" because that's simply not true, but what I can say with certainty is that any sort of major lifestyle change in a horse's career/life will impact their hoof quality dramatically. We didn't start with under run heels or excessively long toes, but we did start with scary looking event lines.

You can see that the new growth wants to come in at the proper angle but the rest of the hoof is just doing it's own thing, and looking quite scary. Watching these lines grow out was pretty horrifying, and I knew at some point we'd be nailing right into that crack and I thought for sure the rest of his hoof was just going to break off.

best farrier ever

That's some beautiful farrier work right there people. My previous farrier would painstakingly shape each shoe like this and while it was exhausting to hold horses for him, he knew how to create balance like no other. Also, just looking at the hoof on the left above makes me shudder. Remarkably his feet did not fall off -- because that's not how that works (hahahahaha). You can also appreciate a nice, strong hoof wall making it's way to replace the old, shelly remnants.

In between this farrier and my current situation, we've been at two barns, one with a highly regarded farrier and one with someone who was a bit greener. Sadly, Scout could not keep shoes on with the farrier with the big reputation -- he is a very nice guy, and quick at his work but he refused to hot fit or shape shoes and Scout lost several in the short stint that we were with him. The other farrier LOVED Scout and got his feet back into shape (thank god they grow fast), which leads us to present day.

post trim (and farrier's fix)

Those are some nice looking thoroughbred feet! Nice angles, beautiful walls, good breakover and heel balance! And as a result, I think he's moving the most confidently he has since I bought him. When you are giant and have spider legs having wonky feet makes you very clumsy! I'm also happy to report that he has not needed hinds since last fall either!

A good boy

Now if only I could get him to gain weight at the same rate he grows hoof!!!!

How are you guys handling the weather in your part of the country? Are you struggling with nonstop rain or oppressive heat and humidity? What do you guys do with your horses to stay sane when you can't ride?

Blog friends are the best friends

I've been doing this whole blog thing for a long time now. And meeting my blog friends in real life and forming long lasting relationships is a wonderful side effect of blogging. I've been able to share my highs and lows, laugh and cry and reach out for comfort during the darkest of times with people who I've done the same for. The solidarity is strong.

So before I moved Scout back to PA, I took advantage of Megan K being close by so she could take Scout for a spin! After all, she's read about him plenty, and I knew she was eager to see what he was all about and I LOVE watching other people ride my horse (especially when they are as talented as Megan)!

Plus I really wanted to get an idea of how sound he was following his NYE shenanigans. So win-win for me:)

I think she liked him a little <3

And there's nothing like having a great rider tell you what a nice job you've done with your horse... I think her words were something along the lines of, "you've under sold him." Since he had been out of regular work and was still getting used to the low port Myler, he was a bit fussier in the contact than I would have liked, but she rode him really well and her strong right side helped keep him straight (he likes taking advantage of my weak side).

But damn did he look sound and fancy! My favorite part was the huge ear to ear smile on Megan's face as she circled around me.

He's got his thinking cap on:)

Maybe he wants to be a hunter?

I was concerned he'd give her a little bit of grief cantering as he's been a bit sassy about his canter transitions lately, but I needn't have worried because she spent a great amount of time getting him tuned into her at the trot. She was quick to reward him when he complied but also held him accountable for what she knows he can do. I was quite proud watching him and I could see glimmers of the kind of horse he's going to be.

Even his sticky right lead was no issue

My favorite part was when Megan picked up the canter for the first time and says, "omg, this canter xc!!!!" Talk about giving me all the warm and fuzzies. 

I wish she'd been able to jump him a little but the weather was not our side that day. And even though we moved back to PA, I'm hoping she'll come ride him more regularly in the future. I know it's always a risk when you let someone else pilot your horse... what if they don't get along, or what if they ride your precious horse poorly, and what if they fall off!? 

But I think there's great value in allowing your horse to be ridden by someone else, whether it's a trainer or a trusted friend. I believe that they (the horse) need some variety, and to understand different cues and pressure. And man, the view from the ground watching your lovely horse go around with someone else in the tack is something really special.

These two!!!!

Flying solo

One of the things I was most excited nervous about with moving Scout to a new location, was the idea of being more independent. Sure, I had finally procured my own truck and trailer but was I confident driving it out and about (NO) and furthermore, was I confident taking my baby horse to new places alone (DOUBLE NO)? But in the spirit of a steep learning curve, the time was now or never. Realistically, I couldn't sit around and wait until I was comfortable and if I had allowed my hand to be held in the past (or rather, relied on it) it was time to put my big girl breeches on and do it for myself.

And, you could say that I am very lucky because my horse is quite agreeable to my whims, but I am even more fortunate because I spent the last 16 months honing my skills under the tutelage of a trainer who helped shaped me into the horsewoman that I am today. Meaning, I have the skills and the ability to be independent, it was now time to use them.

So, as you have read previously, I've waited no time in getting out on the road and pushing the edges of my comfort zone, one solo trailer ride at a time.

Last week, I had the opportunity to school at a local barn nearby (where Nolan (now, Tango)) lives and is also home to Megan K's Indy. They are, as the crow flies, an 11 minutes trailer ride from my barn, so it makes sense to go over and school in the indoor and get a feel for the property as it's almost certain that we'll be riding there frequently in some capacity.

Look who's all jazzed up for his field trip?

I chose to ship him saddled because it's a VERY short trip and he's not confirmed standing at the trailer or in the cross ties (we're working on it), so it seems like the easier way to go about our trips. He loaded perfectly, with the help of a barn friend to do up the butt bar and we headed on our way. I was told that Friday mornings were typically quiet and a prefect time to bring a young horse over to check things out.

Once I arrived, I checked in, put the rest on my gear inside the barn and asked someone to help us unload. He walked off the trailer perfectly and we went for a hand walk around the property. Keep in mind, this is his second off property trip.

Taking in the sights

More concerned about the horses in turnout than any of the jumps in the outdoor

Rolltop = Scmolltop

So I headed into the barn with the idea that I would hand walk him around the indoor and get an idea for how he was feeling. If he felt good, I'd throw his bridle on and hop on.

Was not even concerned about the handsome fella in the mirror

One of the instructors was tack walking a horse and we chatted for a bit and then I thought he seemed settled enough to get on. When we came into the ring, she had left, but he stayed super chill and I climbed on. There's plenty to look at in this particular indoor. There are two big doors that open into the barn, a big door at A, a side door that was open about 5 feet and the door at C is open only on top so you can see decapitated humans walking by as you're riding around. The trainer came back in through the side door worried that it would set Scout off, but we wound up just tagging along on their tack walk and Scout settled in brilliantly. Once she was done tack walking, she left the arena and Scout handled that perfectly too. We trotted a few laps around, did a few changes of direction and called it a day.

Walking around on our own

An hour of walking around and this is old hat to him

I gave him lots of pats, told him what a wonderful boy he was and untacked him. I didn't trust him to stand perfectly at a new barn, but that needn't matter as he ground ties pretty darn well.

I guess I live here now?

I had someone help me load him up to leave and we headed back on our short journey home. When I pulled into the barn I was hoping to see someone's car parked so I'd have help unloading him, so I was in a bit of a panic when I realized no one was around.

Well, no time like the present to learn how to unload right? I threw the lead rope over his neck, unclipped him and let the ramp down. I patted him a few times to get him to move forward and just stand and once he did, I undid the butt bar and gave his tail a gentle tug. He loaded off the trailer by himself like he'd been doing it forever. What an incredible horse!?

Continues to meet and/or exceed expectations

As I left the barn that day I was grinning ear to ear. There's something truly special about being able to go out on your own, on your agenda and timeline, the open road ahead of you, just you and your horse building a partnership one trailer adventure at a time. I realize that for some the idea of hitting the road with your pony in tow is old hat, but I'm just arriving at the point in horse ownership. It's thrilling and terrifying and I'm loving every moment of it.