Heal thyself

I have joint pain and inflammation.  That's the kind of thing I've been managing for ages in my horses and it occurred to me that I should be able to manage that in myself.  Hell, it should be easier since I know exactly where it hurts and what makes it worse.

Wait, give myself a fraction of the care and maintenance my horses get?  That's crazy talk!

I've got myself on a daily supplement routine that echos what I've used with my horses, right down to having little baggies all set up so I don't have to think about it or try to remember things in the morning.

What's in there?

• Glucosamine/Chondrotin/MSM joint supp
• Turmeric
• Devil's Claw
• Probiotic
• Multi vitamin gummy (because I'm an adult) that are hard to see because they're dark

The Devil's Claw stuff works surprisingly well.  Probably shouldn't be a surprise since it's the supp that allowed me to take Allen off of his maintenance dose of bute once he was retired from competition.  I take 960 mg twice a day.  The Devil's Claw doesn't upset my stomach while getting the job done (when paired with a lidocaine patch, it's not a complete answer to my pain management on its own).

The probiotic is something I've been on since I did my run of doxy.  Antibiotics are not picky on what kind of bacteria they kill.

The turmeric is because the hubby swears by it and he's a nutty mountain biker so he does have some experience with jarring joints.  It will reportedly kick in after about two weeks.  It's already in the cabinet so sure, I'll pop it in.  I'll skip the willow bark he uses, though, my stomach is way too sensitive.

'Gravity assisted' mountain biking at the local mountain bike park last weekend

The joint supp is the obvious one.  I know I'll need to keep taking it for it to do me any good, it's not going to make me feel better out the gate.  And it's just helping me not grind my joints down more, not really repairing what I've already done.  But MSM is another anti-inflammatory I swear by for my horse so in the bag it goes.

Maybe I'll learn from this and go see the chiro for myself.  I'm sure Theo would be pleased if I was a more balanced, supple rider.  His chiro noted a locked up spot in his back right under my right seat bone, the side where I'm having SI problems.  Hm, I wonder if that's related . . .

Fragile

You can tell I'm at the end of the show season.  The weather is perfect but I can't go out and play yet.  Not until October 7th can I call my season done and do my usual fall slacker routine.  Until then, nose to the grindstone and all that.  I'm starting to get grumpy about it.

Saturday I busted out the western tack to make sure I actually remember how to ride in it before my show on Sunday.  I've had the WORST luck with western dressage shows this year.  A whack to the head, lyme, it all took me out of my western dressage shows.  I only managed to make it to two of them this year.

At least I'm finally content with my western setup

The ride went well other than Theo being an idjit because I forgot his ear plugs and having no interest in getting off my left leg.  With the new indoor, I can hear things with this metallic echo.  Very minor for me but I'm half deaf anyway, it's apparently a very big deal for Theo.  I pop in some ear plugs and all of a sudden he can focus and we've had some really good rides this week.

Theo's magic pink pills of sanity

I gave him a real bath, held him for his massage (still has tight hammies, poor jumping pony), and headed home to pack and prep my trailer.  It might have been when I swung my 35 pound saddle into the back of my truck.  It might have been when I realized my debit card was missing and ended up dumping out everything in my car, mostly all over the driveway.  I'm not sure exactly what I did but my back was giving me a big FU after packing the trailer.  I went in to sit down with some Advil, no big deal.

I went to get back out of said chair after my break and yes, it was a very big deal.  Remember last year when my SI went out completely?  Yeah, that.  No nerve pain running down my leg this time but it took some careful planning and gritted teeth to get me out of that chair and to the freezer for my ice pack.  Show was suddenly looking unlikely.

Fortunately I knew what it was this time so I didn't treat it like a tweaked muscle.  That seems to have made a big difference.  I hit it with ice, Advil, a lidocaine patch, and scheduled walking every hour.  I've avoided the nerve pain part and have remained mobile the whole time.  I did miss my show, however, since I suspect trying to sit trot through two tests would have taken me out completely and I'd be missing GMHA.  Um, no, not missing that show if I can manage it.  So I, yet again, scratched a western dressage show due to injury.  Mine, not Theo's.

 Chilling in the round pen between his bath and massage, he has a tough life

Today Theo has his chiro appointment which will hopefully straighten out his tendency to look right.  That usually means his poll is out.  We'll see what the chiro wants for a work schedule.  I'm going to pack my lunging equipment because I'm not risking riding just yet.  He'll probably lunge until his trainer ride on Wednesday.  I'll plan to hop on Thursday and see how things are.  With any luck, we ship out Friday.

Not being twenty anymore sucks.

In a program

Theo's a handful.  I love him to death, he's my heart horse, but he is a damn handful.  I have a full time job that has four legs and an amazing tail.

Unfortunately I also have a full time job that pays for Theo.  And a husband.  And two adorable dogs.  And a life outside of the barn, including adulting that I don't like but still need to do. 

Peyton is assisting me with my laundry, or at least that's what she says

Hard to believe but it's true.  Holding down two full time jobs and having a life is freaking impossible.  Theo needs at least six days a week, an hour of work at a shot.  Any less than that and he starts getting ideas.  I'm calling in some help.

Enter Trainer D.  As the resident trainer, she's who I'm turning to for getting Theo more work.  He's not trustworthy right now so he's a pros only ride until he settles in.  I'm signing him up for a weekly training ride as well as my weekly lesson.  He doesn't really need to learn anything, he just needs positive, forward, confident rides from someone that won't react to him deciding to be a bit of a bronc at random.  She's also good at changes so she can play with those.

Two jumping rides a week will probably rock Theo's world.  His massage therapist noted that the change in work is causing changes in his body already.  His chest and shoulders are loosening up but his hammies are very tight right now.  The muscles used to jump are now sore while his front end appears to be getting a break.  So he's got an extra massage coming up and a chiro appointment to make sure he doesn't get anything out of whack while he adjusts to these changes.

I'm genuinely excited to be in a program.  This is what I'm used to, what I grew up with.  I'm used to my trainer managing a lot of the aspects of my training and making sure I don't do the dumb with my horse.  Two jumping rides a week?  Theo's going to be in good shape to do some jumping type shows this spring.  Trainer Z is happy with the improvement in the quality of his canter, Trainer D is happy with Theo's balance when turning or coming to a fence, it's working well for everyone.

Mostly it's working well for Theo.  He does love to jump those jumps.  The hubby is pretty okay with seeing more of me, too.

Out on the town and NOT in barn clothes

Blog Hop: Viva Carlos's 10 Questions

1. Favorite quirk your horse (or a horse you’ve spent time with) has?
Theo's such a quirky dude, it's hard to pick one.  Probably the way he sticks the tip of his tongue out when he's really thinking.  This is also when he seems to be sucking on his bit.  Not chewing, but sucking on it like it's a pacifier.  It's a very light, engaged contact but it sure ain't what they describe in the books.  It's more like the vaquero idea of a horse picking up the bit.  When Theo's on the bit, it's because he's carrying it for himself.

Sticking his tongue out as usual

2. Three adjectives that perfectly describe your horse?
Curious, sensitive, affectionate

 Hungry was a close fourth

3. Plan your next ride. What will you do/work on?
Tomorrow is a dressage school so it will be lots of shoulder in/haunches in/renver as we work on Theo being more comfortable and less resistant.  I need him to be a bit more prompt off of my leg while letting me practice keeping him on the outside rein regardless of how I'm manipulating him.  Will probably do some flying changes to keep on that project.


4. Have you ever trained an OTTB? If yes, what was the biggest challenge?
Nope, my OTTB trained me.  He was already a school master when I got him.  I've worked with a lot of OTTBs but all were after being let down and having at least a few rides with someone else.

  The world's best OTTB

5. Have you ever groomed or worked for a professional rider?
Yes, I was a groom for an h/j barn and man, that's a tough gig.  Out lunging hunters as the sun comes up, slamming in studs because they're jumping in the grass ring, hurrying down to the ring with perfectly turned out horses to meet up with their riders, then take the horses back up and get them put to bed.  Amateur owners are tougher than professional riders because they aren't as organized and there's a lot more nerves involved.  Nervous riders = snapping at the help.

6. Favorite horse and rider combination?
Hm, Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus.  Pretty much any horse Ingrid rides makes me happy, but I particularly like seeing her soft touch in the dressage ring with this stallion.  Isabel Werth and Bella Rose is a close second because you can see how much she loves that mare.


7. Have you ever ridden a horse at the beach?
Yes with both Fiona and Theo.  With Fiona it was amazing.  We galloped, we played in the waves, she had so much fun.  It was one of the very few occasions where I could let her truly stretch her legs and give it all she's got (and blow right past all the other eventers we were racing).

Between gallops, she's probably sizing up the competition

With Theo?  Not nearly as relaxing.  I think if I took him with a single other horse and we had a nice walk/trot, he'd enjoy it.  We did have a nice canter with a friend and he was good for that.  But he also flipped out and started rearing by the end of the outing so not our best ride together.

Please don't buck me off

8. If you could experience the equestrian community (i.e. ride and compete) in another country, what country would you choose and why?
I think I'd like to try riding in Germany just because everyone I know that has gone over there to train talks about how crazy different it is.  Trying different disciplines has taught me a lot, I think I'd learn even more trying another country with a whole other system.

9. In your opinion, what is an item of tack that is given unnecessary hype?
Five point breastplate.  So many people jumping two foot in a monster breastplate for no dang reason.  Also flash nosebands.  How did that become the default?  Why do people still think Theo is somehow only half dressed because he doesn't have one?  He doesn't need one and his bit is plenty stable without it!  *end rant*

10. What was the first horse you rode called? Are they still alive?
 Rusty Nail, Nails for short.  I did a pedigree search and sure enough, there's an OTTB from 1976 called Rusty Nail.  That could easily be him, right age, color, and gender.  He passed away while I was still at that barn, so I know he's not with us anymore.
   

Sitting at the big kids table

I'm very fortunate that the new barn worked out a deal with me that Trainer Z can visit me once a month and teach lessons.  She's also teaching my friend and a few other people have mentioned interest in a dressage tune up once a month.  Today was my monthly dressage butt kicking.

Theo started the day by startling a deer on his way to turn out which resulted in both of them spooking.  Theo, being far less graceful than a deer, flew back fast enough to trip over his own feet and fall down.  A text about that event was what I woke up to.  Seriously, papi?  SERIOUSLY?!  But no worse for wear.  He was stiff on the right hind when he first started out but stretched into it within a couple minutes.  No heat, no swelling, mostly his bruised pride.  And bruised butt from the looks of it.

How dare you discuss my butt on your blog

I did get a bit of a talking to about my very long, no contact warm ups.  He can't warm up his carrying muscles flopping around like that.  If I want to have him carry, he needs to go into a low, training level frame pretty much off the bat.  It did help our warm up go smoothly so I'll have to get better about that.  Some leg yields and transitions within the gait took care of the lingering stiffness from his little tumble and a couple days of shenanigans from being a land porpoise.

Next up was our half pass.  We started in the walk since half pass usually goes by so quickly you can't do much about it once you've started.  Theo is prone to taking over the move and taking me to the wall regardless of my opinion on the matter.  I also wanted to work on my position since I know I'm doing something wrong in my canter half pass.  Rather than go sideways nicely, he gets tense and then tries to change leads.  That's not usually in Theo's list of evades so I knew I was doing something wrong. 

At the walk everything was lovely and correct and nice. We worked on making sure my weight is to the inside and my seat doesn't do anything weird.  We also worked on adjusting my feel so I noticed when the haunches were lagging when I don't have a mirror.  Then I picked up the trot and right off the bat, Trainer Z saw what I was doing wrong.  I was hanging on the inside rein like it was the only thing between me and certain death.  I don't even know why I was doing it!  And my hand wanted to cross over the neck.  She said more outside rein and I couldn't get the feel at all.

I got sent back to the rail to do a shoulder in with a bit too much angle.  Sure, I can do that, and I pick up the outside rein no problem.  Then swap to haunches in.  Oh, sure enough, there's all the weight in my outside rein as I take control of the shoulders and push his haunches in.  Like, you know, a half pass.  We did this a couple times until I had the feel, then down centerline for a half pass to the rail.

Holy crap, that's fun!  I'm pretty sure that's the first time in my life I rode a half pass correctly.  And Theo has a knack for the movement so he was perfectly happy to pick up and start crossing.  Trainer Z started laughing and said I might have gone a bit too much for Third and it was a bit Grand Prix but it was a start.  Just have to be careful since Theo's a bit of an over achiever at this and will try to take over the movement.  Which brings us to the canter.

With the mechanics straightened out, we went to canter and I went rail to just short of centerline to avoid lead changes disrupting the flow.  I have to ride so, so, so carefully.  I set the bend to start the movement but then my inside rein needs to soften so he has somewhere to go.  While showing him the movement, I had to give him the inside rein completely.  My problem was that I was riding it so hard that he couldn't move.  I ride it soft and over he goes.  I need to work on his prompt response to the 'move over' aid.  It takes him a second to respond and at the canter?  I'm a quarter of the way down the rail.  He also is prone to straightening as we go as he takes over.  So it's half pass off the rail but if he tries to take over?  Swap to leg yield and reinforce the bend in the movement.  He can't be allowed to reach the rail in half pass right now because he totally takes over and takes me to the rail with shoulders leading and contact braced.

By this point Theo was a sweat ball but being super chill.  Perfect conditions for flying change!  Off we went in the canter to start actually schooling our changes.  He's done them enough that he's clearly got the idea.  We just need them clean and reliable.  So nothing fancy, just do a 10m circle, develop a good canter, and then ask.

Uh, what?  That's it?  No crazy prep, just ask?  Well, okay then.

He likes to do that fake one still but with a bit of whip tapping to get him really bouncing?  He's got a cute, clean change in him.  He sounds like a dying goose right before he does it, but it's a cute change.  I've never been so proud of a horse making that kind of noise.  I knew it was going to be clean when he did one big, bouncy stride with that grunting honk sound, then changed.  Much petting and cookies and love for that.  He's not the kind of horse to bolt or be dumb afterward, he considers it to be business as usual aside from some bucking due to the whip tapping.  It's in some ways anti-climactic after all of the fussing on the topic.  I asked, he did it (with varying degrees of success), and my homework is to just . . . practice.  Because somehow, someway, he already has a change.  It's just greener than green.

So that's my homework, to improve the quality of my canter half pass, do the shoulder in/haunches in exercise to keep him balanced rather than letting him take over, and practice my changes so they're more reliable.  That . . . sounds suspiciously like schooling Third level.

That's so cool.

Land porpoise season

Forget pumpkin spice lattes, aisles full of Halloween decorations, or the ads for Pick Your Own Pumpkins (that one might be a New England thing).  I know it's fall when two things happen.

First, Theo gets his first body clip of the season.

Second, he decides to dance the dance of his people, usually with some vocal accompaniment that sound suspiciously like dolphin squeals.

I'd planned on riding outside.  I had a friend and her steady horse all lined up.  I thought I would warm up in the indoor, then head outside for a nice hack and maybe a bit of trotting.  NOPE.  I did not calculate for the drop in temps that occurred the night before and Theo getting a night off.  My friend came to the indoor just in time to see Theo go from tight, slightly pissy canter to full on land porpoise bronc.  I stopped him and Trainer D (who was trying to teach, oops) says 'are you okay?'.  My smart ass adrenaline fueled response?  He does that sometimes.

No, Papi.  No.

I worked that damn horse for an hour with very little in the way of breaks to find the bottom of that mess.  He had one more outburst right in front of Trainer D but kept his feet on the floor for most of it.  By the end he was content to stand and watch the other three horses canter together so I took that as a win and got off to cool him off outside.

Does not feel at all bad about his life choices

Hopefully that and some slightly warmer temps will set us up for success in our lesson today.  And this weekend will be in the eighties so he should be a total slug for the Trainer Z lesson on Sunday.  But at least we won't be dealing with those dolphin sounds he makes while bouncing up and down because he just can't deal with himself anymore.

Pic Spam: NHDEA Schooling Show

I love the photographer at this show since it's mostly candids.

Theo got to have a nice snack while I watched Trainer Z do her test.  She was right after me so I walked out of the ring, hopped off, and let him nom while I observed.

Random pic of Trainer Z managing a hot tamale mare through her show debut.  She's a former broodmare and her five year old son was also in attendance.

My ride pictures came out a bit awkward which is too bad, the test was lovely.  But all that stopping and starting makes photos tricky when you don't know the test and there aren't a lot of Second level tests at this show.  This is during the serpentine with simple changes.

But we have fun and that's what matters the most.

I might be a bit smitten with this horse.  Just a bit.