For those of you that follow the blog - we lost Kris on Monday.
http://familiesfirst.funeraltechweb.com/tribute/details/8614/Kristin__Cada/obituary.html
I'll do my best to keep Essa in good hands
Tim
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Happy Essa-versary! (Yeah, that's dumb)
So it's been 6 months with Essa. I started going back through the blog, and I'm happy to have a record of our progress - some days are awesome, some are terrible, most are just regular days. I've tried to "train" her every day, even if it's just the repetition of grooming, turn-out and turn-in routines. I'm fortunate to have a horse (Cody) with the manners that I aspire to for her. She is much less of a hazard to herself and others!
It's been slow going, mostly because of that pesky day-job that allows me to indulge in all of this. But that's OK. I've found some great resource books that have really helped, along with all the Google searches for this, that and the other thing.
We had a great lunging session last night, even after a few weeks off. More of the same, just walk/trot both directions with side reins - not a bit of drama. (I've gotten better at lunging too!) She's really starting to act like a horse that I'd consider ACTUALLY RIDING.
The flax seems to be working - she was insanely sun-bleached over the summer but her winter coat is coming in dark and shiny!
So here's the before-and-after shots:
Hard to believe, right? She's still pretty nippy and cranky when it comes to tacking up - even trying on blankets. But I think we can work with that. Here's to the next six months!
It's been slow going, mostly because of that pesky day-job that allows me to indulge in all of this. But that's OK. I've found some great resource books that have really helped, along with all the Google searches for this, that and the other thing.
We had a great lunging session last night, even after a few weeks off. More of the same, just walk/trot both directions with side reins - not a bit of drama. (I've gotten better at lunging too!) She's really starting to act like a horse that I'd consider ACTUALLY RIDING.
The flax seems to be working - she was insanely sun-bleached over the summer but her winter coat is coming in dark and shiny!
So here's the before-and-after shots:
 |
| I hope I NEVER see a horse looking like this ever again |
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Back to school
Full disclosure: I drafted this post a couple of weeks ago and forgot to polish it up. So here's a bit of time-travel back to late August. It's been 6 months since Essa moved in, and I promise a real-time update and pictures tomorrow!
I finally decided I'd had it with Essa's issues being in her stall by herself, and with a few end-of-summer days off in a row, it was time to do something about it. Back to "Essa goes in, Essa goes out". The game goes like this: I take her from her paddock, do a little groundwork in another paddock to make sure she's listening to me, then take her to her stall. After a few minutes I put her in cross ties for a teeny bit of grooming, then back out to the paddock for a few more exercises, and finally back to the others. The idea is to teach her that-
1. I'm a perfectly good leader and she doesn't need to panic away from the others. Apparently, asking her to back up/trot/whoa etc demonstrates my leadership skillz,
2. I won't abandon her in her stall, and there's a pattern to coming in for some work, and
3. Hollering away doesn't get her on the express lane back to the herd.
It's not nearly as fun as actual riding, but it's gotta be done. After a few days I can say that she's definitely improved. She no longer leans on her stall guard until it gives way, the hollering is diminished and less deafening, and she doesn't start a tornado in her stall that I can barely escape!
I didn't expect much from the worming - it's just one of those horse maintenance things I take for granted. But I really think it's made a big difference in her progress. She's not nearly as fussy in cross ties for grooming and the cow-kicks have disappeared. And I swear her stall is less destroyed overnight...
I had her out with side reins for the first time in a few weeks and she was a total peach. She responded to walk/trot/whoa and went just fine in both directions. I changed her to Cody's bit and I think that's what I'll keep her in. I don't have a vast bit box (yet) so I started with a loose ring French link (too wibbly wobbly), then a single joint full cheek then this one - just right, I hope!
It's the first time I've seen her in a state that I'd consider getting on her.
Sad to say that "winter is coming" and her summer coat is shedding out. She's now on 1/2 cup of whole flax daily, which I hope will be rewarded with a soft fluffy winter coat.
Farrier is out tomorrow!
I finally decided I'd had it with Essa's issues being in her stall by herself, and with a few end-of-summer days off in a row, it was time to do something about it. Back to "Essa goes in, Essa goes out". The game goes like this: I take her from her paddock, do a little groundwork in another paddock to make sure she's listening to me, then take her to her stall. After a few minutes I put her in cross ties for a teeny bit of grooming, then back out to the paddock for a few more exercises, and finally back to the others. The idea is to teach her that-
1. I'm a perfectly good leader and she doesn't need to panic away from the others. Apparently, asking her to back up/trot/whoa etc demonstrates my leadership skillz,
2. I won't abandon her in her stall, and there's a pattern to coming in for some work, and
3. Hollering away doesn't get her on the express lane back to the herd.
It's not nearly as fun as actual riding, but it's gotta be done. After a few days I can say that she's definitely improved. She no longer leans on her stall guard until it gives way, the hollering is diminished and less deafening, and she doesn't start a tornado in her stall that I can barely escape!
I didn't expect much from the worming - it's just one of those horse maintenance things I take for granted. But I really think it's made a big difference in her progress. She's not nearly as fussy in cross ties for grooming and the cow-kicks have disappeared. And I swear her stall is less destroyed overnight...
I had her out with side reins for the first time in a few weeks and she was a total peach. She responded to walk/trot/whoa and went just fine in both directions. I changed her to Cody's bit and I think that's what I'll keep her in. I don't have a vast bit box (yet) so I started with a loose ring French link (too wibbly wobbly), then a single joint full cheek then this one - just right, I hope!
It's the first time I've seen her in a state that I'd consider getting on her.
Sad to say that "winter is coming" and her summer coat is shedding out. She's now on 1/2 cup of whole flax daily, which I hope will be rewarded with a soft fluffy winter coat.
Farrier is out tomorrow!
Friday, August 8, 2014
All together now!
After yet another incident of Honey pushing through the gate into Essa's paddock, I put them all together on Monday. They went into the lushest paddock we have, with a couple of hay feeders for good measure. Food makes everything better!
They have been fine together since. I caught Honey and Essa squealing and running around a little today, which has probably been going on all week without incident. Cody doesn't seem to have much to do with any hilarity, but I think he likes having his harem together.
They seem very happy together, and make for a lovely view!
Friday, August 1, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
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
Going Slow is Not for Sissies | Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary
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