What people think I do. What I really do...

I think this sums it up nicely!

A (bio) hazard to herself and others

I'm a bad blogger.  I have no new pictures or video to share, but I thought it was time for an update anyway.  There was video a couple of weeks ago, but getting the camera out seems to be the kiss of death for Essa's behaviour.  It was her introduction to the surcingle.  She got away from me and went careening around the ring, lunge line streaming behind her.  Really not YouTube material.  It's a miracle she didn't step on it and hurt herself.  All digitally immortalized.  I could have just deleted it but I tell myself I'll treasure these moments in our journey together.  We've been lunging inside since then...

She's doing better with the surcingle, although she gets a bit girthy and fussy about it.  I've also brought side reins to the party.  She goes about the same in either direction, and I'm working on solidly installing walk/trot/whoa commands.   She does pick things up quite quickly.

So about that bio-hazard...I'm being all responsible about worming and sent off samples for the three of them.  My vet makes it easy by picking up the samples when she's in the area, and charging only $15 each (which is what I'd spend on wormer anyway).  Cody and Honey are low - yay!  But Essa is "loaded" with strongyles.

She'd had some treatment back in March, but she was so underweight I was reluctant to risk overdoing it.  She will get the full 5-day Powerpac this time, and hopefully be on track after that.  She's still in her own paddock but Honey REALLY wants to be her friend now and pushed through the gate the other night.  Thankfully injuries were limited to Honey's boo-boo's and the new gate (replacing the one that Honey kicked out when she wanted to kill Essa) is still intact.  But I think we'll try putting all three together when Essa's treatment is done.  That will be another experiment...

Speaking of experiments - the alfalfa!  It's still going for Cody and Essa, although Cody's had to go on full-scale ulcer treatment.  Just a coincidence, I think.

I trimmed her unicorn mane to a more Thoroughbred-like length, but now it reminds me of Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber.

So it's always something.  Despite the lunge-line hilarity I've been really pleased with how Essa is doing.  I'm taking things very slowly and hoping that my patience will be rewarded.

Going Slow is Not for Sissies

My progress is slow to the point of being taken advantage of by the horse, but I really like the spirit of this article.



Going Slow is Not for Sissies | Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary

Just an update

My, it has been a while!  Nothing really new in the routine - it's been too hot and humid for much activity.

The"alfalfa experiment"  has had mixed success.  Essa and Cody are happily eating up 1/2 pound of soaked alfalfa cubes at supper, and Cody is eating more hay.  Unfortunately his cribbing has gotten worse, so I've started a course of ranitidine for ulcers.  I have to dose him two or three times a day, and Essa is most interested in the extra snacks Cody is getting.  I'd like to treat her too eventually but 40 pills a day for 4 weeks adds up, even for the "economical" ranitidine.

I tried a "labyrinth" pole exercise, which Essa handled like a pro.

Essa was treated to her first massage on Sunday.  I wasn't sure how she'd handle it, being so sensitive to grooming, but my friend the massage therapist was quite pleased with her.  She said Essa has a lot of tension all over, just accumulated from racing and stress.  Essa clearly didn't know what was going on, but she had moments of relaxation and will likely "get into it" more readily next time.

We discovered that Essa likes huffing lavender.  Kara rubbed a few drops of lavender oil between her palms and let Essa sniff it to help her relax.  Essa started by trying to eat the bottle - she REALLY likes this stuff!

The alfalfa experiment

Not her most photogenic pose, but I'm lovin' that shine!

I found a great article from New Vocations on "What your newly adopted Thoroughbred wants you to know".  There's a lot of how-to-train-your-ex-racehorse articles out there, but this one is humorous, to-the-point, and has some tips that I haven't seen elsewhere.

Like grooming (#12-"Beauticians Take Note").  When I started grooming Essa she would just about jump out of her skin - hypersensitive, cow-kicking, dancing around in cross-ties.  I don't use hard brushes since Cody is kind of sensitive, but he mostly just gives you the Mr. Crabby-pants look.  Honey, on the other hand, you can have at with just about any implement you want and she's happy for the attention.

Essa's reaction to grooming, especially on her flanks, has made me think of ulcers.  Since Cody is ulcer-prone I think everything is ulcers, but it has been on my to-do list for Essa.  Then I came across some reasonable-looking research on alfalfa improving ulcers.  

Controlling Horse Gastric Ulcers

The scientific version

The suggested pound of alfalfa cubes with their feeds seems do-able.  And CHEAP!  At $13 for a 50-lb bag, that's my kind of ulcer treatment!  I'm perfectly happy to try an alternative to the insanely expensive omeprazole.  Plus, alfalfa was recommended for Essa to gain weight but at the time I just worked with what I had.  So it would be like a two-fer for her.

The cubes have to be soaked, so I do that in the morning to let them break up.  It turns into a big grassy mess that looks even worse when I add the beet pulp etc.  No matter, they are gobbling it up.  I'm hoping that improvement will look like less cribbing from Cody and more weight on Essa.  Results will not be very scientific, and likely qualified by "I could swear..." or "I'm positive/pretty sure..."

The test subjects

And lunging (#14-"Translation required").  I backed WAAAAY off after I did the video, and I'm following this process instead.  It's going great!  We are just doing walk and whoa on a lead line, and really working on installing voice cues.  The other day I tried her to the right, without the nose chain.  No drama at all!  So I will continue that for a while before I reintroduce the actual lunge line.  Forgetting the lunge whip in the barn has also made a BIG difference.  She's much calmer and it's easier for me not juggling the line and the whip in one hand!

First video!

Well, her behaviour is a bit rough and my lunging is a bit klutzy, but I hope we will both improve.  This is her fourth time lunging, and the second time outside.  Every little thing distracts her - like a tree being trimmed.  I really don't think she's had much consistent training off the track.  I'll try to give her a solid base but I'm no trainer so it'll be slow.

I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with her that she got bounced around so much.  There's definitely some assembly required, and she is a hazard to herself and others if she's put in the barn by herself.

Still, I think she looks pretty good!

Can't get used to losing you

It seems we have some separation/herd-bound issues.

While I was out giving Cody a good lunge the other day, Honey was doing her best to break through the fence to her new best friend Essa.  Even though they make nasty faces at each other over the fence all the time.  Fixed those boards, resolved to move Essa to the paddock diagonal to Honey when Cody's not there.  Good plan!

Since Essa had lunged decently in the arena, I thought it was a lovely day to work her outside and enjoy the bigger space.  So I happily led her in, all's well.  Until she got in her stall.  I barely got the door closed when she went tornado, spinning and calling - and she is LOUD.  I managed to get her lead off and get out of the stall, thought I'd wait it out.  She did not stop.

Cody gets a little nutty in his stall when I bring him in alone to work, but he gets the plan once he's being groomed.  Essa doesn't have that plan installed yet, and she doesn't much care for grooming.  So I decided to cut my losses, put her back out, and figure out separation issues.

From what I understand, I have to convince them that I'm just as good a leader as any of their pasture mates.  So I'll keep at the groundwork and giving her a job when I take her away.  The next day I played a little "into the barn, out of the barn" with Essa, which felt silly but, well, might help...We've also been mixing up the order coming in for supper.

So I keep having to downsize my grand plans but I guess that's all part of the process.  Working her after supper when they're all in is fine.  I did get her lunging outside last night, and I hope to have presentable video up very soon!