Chiro Report

The chiropractor came today. So exciting. The good news is Prissy is good to go. Wonderful, sound old mare. Worth a million bucks.

Becca has been adjusted. She is stiff to one side in her neck. We have stretching exercises to do. And she has an old tear in her bootie. I am told to massage her gluts to help break that up. Fun times. Bootie rubs. And her back, where it was swollen, is to be massaged. Then I will massage the muscles along her spine on her back and rub her belly and close to her butt to make her stretch. No problemo.

And as for Diesel...we did all kinds of adjusting. And I have homework with him. We are to back around the roundpen each direction once every day. I am to massage his body and back in a triangle shape near the affected area. I am to stretch his neck. I can ride at a walk unlimited. We will trot in very small amounts and build up the muscles. Don't want to overdo it.

The best news....I GET TO RIDE THE BOY!!!!!! And the chiropractor wanted to buy him. Bad. He's the man. Superman. And he is mine, mine, mine. That really is the ultimate compliment. But, I will never sell him. Period.

Diesel will get a follow-up in six weeks. The girls should be fine with just the exercises. I will be busy every day with that.

My question is do you believe in chiropractics? What are your thoughts?

11 Days

It has been 11 days since I have sat upon a horse. And I am leaving town tomorrow for a wedding. Congratulations to Chad and Courtney. They have been a couple for 11 years. 'Bout time. Sunday I sign the contract with the builder for the house. Exciting times. No horsie riding.

Got the results of Becca's biopsy today. Allergic dermatitis. That is a very vague diagnosis. But, it is not a tumor. That's all that is important. Dr. Motl says to leave the stitches in until next Friday. There is still a small gap in the center of the incision where it began to pull apart. It is healing fine, though. Just too much stretch on that skin from the Chunky Monkey Tummy.

Monday the chiropractor is coming. Wednesday the farrier, routine trim. Stay tuned for the outcome. I hope to be riding the giraffe soon. You ought to see him stretch to eat the Hackberry leaves. Too funny.

Trust

Trust is such an important thing to have with your horse. Becca has lost a bit. She keeps giving me the eye and the noodle walk when I get too close. She is afraid I will hurt her. Her incision is healing nicely where it held and is just taking more time where it pulled apart. She just doesn't want to get hurt. Her side hurts. This will pass, no doubt about it. In the meantime, she is working the predator/prey relationship. I just hate being the predator.

The chiropractor is coming on Monday. I've decided to hold off on riding until then. Diesel has a lumpy spine. It scares me. It really is not horrible....just off a bit. We'll see what that means for our riding. I still wonder if riding wouldn't help by making him stronger. I just hope I don't have to pony him to get him exercised. He's not very nice to the girls. I'm afraid he will bite. And Bec WILL NOT tolerate him so close. She does the head bobble and snake walk when he is near. They just don't like each other enough for that. Prissy would do fine but he is such a lazy bum he would not keep up the way Becca does. She is a doll when ponied. She doesn't want to be left behind :)

Bitsy, the older than dirt doggy, is doing much better. She quit her fits when my parents came to visit. She was happy everyone was here. And, I've discovered that if I feed her a big meal before bed she does much better. Go figure.

The property planning is going along nicely. Lots of progress made this week. Designed the barn, planned the layout of everything, got building permits, and I will sign on the house this Sunday. Exciting stuff. Unfortunately, I will not be able to afford to eat for the rest of my life. Good for losing the Chunky, right? I'm just kidding but things will be verrrrry tight. Especially with horsie chiropractors to pay. This is gonna hurt in the pocket. All 3 are getting adjusted.

One last thing....Ana and Jared....aren't you supposed to come visit this summer? You should have seen all the fish we caught a few days ago! You are waiting so you can ride the Big Boy, huh. He is my superstar. My big, red, dopey boy. Or do you want to ride Becca? She really has blossomed into a fine horse. There is not even a hint of that crazy, shaky TB who threw hissy fits. She is the best ride of all 3. Two more weeks until she is healed enough to ride. Hope to hear from you soon.

Progress

Update: Becca's incision is healing quite well. In two more weeks I will try riding her bareback. The chiropractor never got freed up to make an appointment. Big suprise there. And Prissy is just fine out there in the 180 degree heat eating burnt up grass.

I have put a dent in the brush problem on the new property with the help of my family. We've cleared about 20% of the land. The easy 20%, of course. And we've removed young huisatche trees as we've found them. They bite. We bite back with a Remedy/diesel mixture.

The big news is....I've picked out a house. I will never eat a steak again. I will never go out to eat. I will never go on vacation. I will never get those Ariat field boots I've been dreaming of. But, I might be able to make this work. I sure hope so. It is the Jamestown Informal, Exterior B.

http://www.tilsonhome.com/main.cfm?pagename=plandetail&planId=1071

Times are gonna be tight for a looonnnng time. I have calls in to the electric company, the post office, several road builders, and a barn builder. Now I wait. Not something I am good at. This afternoon we have planned a fishing trip. Hope we have the energy.

Time to Go

The greatest hindrance to my riding and life in general these days is my lack of fitful rest. While this is sometimes a problem getting rest when things are going great for me, lately it has been a guaranteed phenomenon.



This brings me to Bitsy. Funny how one little dog can affect my life so much. Bitsy is 17 1/2 years old. I rescued her when I was in Jr. High. I have dirt that is younger than her. She is having psychotic episodes. It may be age, it may be a tumor. At this point, it doesn't matter which. It started as a once a month occurance. Then it was once a week. Now, it is every night.


She used to sleep on the recliner in the living room and only need one potty break around 3 am. Almost never had an accident. I can handle that. The single nightly interuption became routine. But, now she is having major behavioral changes. She paces and pants and digs. Digs under the blanket, digs on the couch, digs behind my pillow. Pacing and panicking. I take her out to potty and she still has accidents. It lasts from about 3 am until morning. And then she crashes. It never occurs during the day. I try to keep her awake during the day so that she can sleep the next night. Today the episode lasted until 8am.


It is getting close to the time for her to go. We may be there already. All I can do is offer comfort to her. This is hard...she doesn't like being held. Last night, she welcomed it. What makes it heart-breaking is that she's a happy dog during the day. She bounces around and does her doggie smile. She can still jump on the bed unaided. She frolicks outside. I feel like we are in the transition. And I hate it. I wish she'd get better or go quietly into the night. Today my thoughts are far from the horses. And the exhaustion is making me emotional. Our loved four-leggers bring such joy to our lives. But, sometimes the sorrow is just as strong.

Home Sweet Home

Home is where the horse is. Very simple. So why isn't designing a home for me and my horses easier. I am cross-eyed from looking at floorplans. I am working on designing a home and barn and pastures and roads and I think I am going crazy. The sooner I make my decisions, the sooner I move into my dream home. So far, I have land. And even the land is not ready. I've sprayed the weeds but with no rain in so long they are not growing...and therefore not dying. And there are way too many thorny trees. More like brush. There is so much to be done. And it is HOT. In the next few days I plan on talking to builders. From there I will know how to design the barn. I will pick a spot on the property and plan a road. And call the electric company and have a water well drilled. My head is spinning. Why can't this go faster. I'm ready to be the boss of my pasture and keep my guys safe. I hope to be in my own place next year. We'll see.

Drama Queen

Becca is acting like she is dying. I KNOW she is in pain. She is not eating (when she thinks I'm looking) and is absolutely pouting. She stood for an hour while I hugged and rubbed her. Even though I know she is going to be fine, the sorrow in her face is getting to me. I want to make it better. NOW. My baby is hurting. It is funny how attached we get to our horses. It breaks my heart that she feels bad. She always was the Drama Queen. Speaking of my baby, this is her 15 years ago. What a doll!

On another note, I ran into a friend of a friend this evening. It was another water moccassin about the same size as the one that was "euthanized" this morning. It has me a bit on edge. It was less than 20 feet from the one earlier. It was hiding in some leftover hay. So glad I found it and not Chunky Monkey.

Momentum Slowed

Today was vet day. And, oh boy, was it exciting. He began by euthanizing my little legless friend. I'm sorry. But if snakes enter my personal space, they must go. Snakes are ok out in the pasture, in the fields, far, far away. This one entered my grooming area. It was a water moccassin. He met Mr. Shovel. I may be a trained wildlife biologist but this is my weakness. Just a few weeks ago, a 4-footer decided to grace my presence in the living room. It met the same fate. Let this be a lesson to all other creepies who dare enter my space.

After this unpleasant encounter the girls got their teeth floated and annual shots. For once, Becca came out pretty good seeing the vet. She got 3 weeks reprieve from workouts. We were doing so well with our exercise. I could almost see some weight coming off. Becca had a cluster of bumps on her side that was being rubbed by the saddle. I thought they were warts. Doc isn't so sure. So, he removed them and sent them for a biopsy. He removed a large chunk of skin and sutured it closed. I am sure that she is going to be pretty darn uncomfortable for a few days. It is oozing a bit of blood still and is starting to swell slightly. We expected this. It should heal beautifully with time. Three weeks off. Dang. I have really loved riding Bec. The summer is quickly ticking by.

Hopefully, after the chiropractor comes later this week I will get the go-ahead to ride Diesel. He is feeling a bit left out. Today he got his sheath cleaned. No sedative. I used Doc as a guinea pig. Diesel was a gentleman. Next time, I will do the cleaning. There is a trick to it. Rub his forehead and he will drop. It works for anyone. Doc's tech is a high school student. He looked a bit uncomfortable when I told him to rub the Big Boy's head. Forehead. Worked like a charm!

So, today I did my part to help Doc pay for his beautiful new home down the road. He also vaccinated my dogs and a cat. Can't wait to see the bill. I'll find out later today. I hope you had a great day with your loved ones. Mine was utilitarian but necessary. Sorry, I didn't think to get any pics of the mini-surgery.

Beat Today's Excuse- Successful Ride

Today I went outside to sweltering heat and humidity with no breeze. Stifling hot. However, I was expected to ride at 8 am with a friend. No excuses. And as always, once I got going everything was great. Mornings are not my friend.



At 11am it is now almost 90 degrees. Not too bad except the humidity level is 60%. Could be worse. The bay is just a few miles away. Lots of moisture. Sometimes the humidity level is 100%....with no rain in sight. I like to think this weather helps burn the chunk off my middle. It is probably just the posting trot I love so much. I really do love it. I have to work up to a 2-point, though. Won't be long at this rate.



So, how did the ride go? Becca did not act up at all, but was not on top of her game. Not acting up is actually normal. It was just the one bad ride two years ago that took 6 months to recover from. My fault. Hindsight, 20/20. Becca's a great but fugly horse. Her ride is nice with a smooth trot and a relatively supple body. Today she was 'off ' to the right at a canter. That is her "bad" direction. Could have been the footing. The chiropracter may be able to tell me for sure later in the week. Last March, Becca tripped at a canter out in the pasture and did a somersault. I put her on pasture rest until a few weeks ago. We worked up to riding with round pen work and then some light bareback rides. She is sound under saddle now. I swear she is glad to get the exercise. I know being that overweight is uncomfortable. I feel her pain :)



This is a big week for my four-leggers. Tomorrow the vet comes out for annuals. The horses are getting vaccinations, teeth floated, and Diesel is getting his ding-o-ling cleaned. I love mares. He is embarrassing. This is my first gelding. I am not disgusted by boys. But, so far he is my drama king. Playful, attention hog, goofy, impatient- and he likes to show off his goods. He never gets stud-ish other than dropping. But, I think he is in love with me. I relate to my mares. Neither is very moody. Both are patient. Becca is very feminine, Miss Priss is butch.



I am excited about the chiropractor coming to work on Diesel. I want confirmation to ride and get him back in condition. I have been reluctant to work him with his hip sore. We'll see. I think he is jealous of the girls getting ridden so much. He hangs out looking hopeful. His turn is coming.



This blog is helping me stay with this. I have no one available to ride with me until next week. But, I am itching to ride again. I will do some lone riding before then- in between vet and chiro appointments. I hope you are taking the time to enjoy your equine friends. I sure am- on and off their backs!



Becca before the extra chunky

The Goals

What is the point of this blog? I need to get me, Prissy, and especially Becca in shape. Round doesn't count. Life has been getting in the way. It is summer and the days are long. I have free time that I don't normally have.

I have begun by inviting a few friends to ride. As long as I have company and they are expecting me out there to ride, I will do it. So far, one friend has come out twice to ride. I had a blast. She had a blast. The horses had a blast.

I have these horses that need exercise- so why not share. The problem is that I was spoiled when I lived in a larger community with boarding facilities. There were always riding buddies and well-manicured arenas with lights. I now live in Podunk, Texas. I don't know any other horse owners, let alone english riders. I lease a pasture behind my rent house. No arena, no lights- plenty of wide open space in the form of turn-rows. Having my guys at home is heavenly. But, I miss the people.

The goal is to ride at least 3 times a week. Throw in a riding partner and even more progress is made. We are going slow. (My muscles disagree.) Our first ride was 25 minutes of very light work. Second ride, 40 minutes of moderatly light work. Next ride- Monday. Stay tuned.

Stop the Chunky

I have made far too many excuses in the last year. I am fully dedicated to my job. I have more important priorities such as finding a home of my own. I need to work on my new, nothing on it but thorny brush, empty, homeless, barnless pasture. And before that it was I need a good, sane, semi-young horse. Well, no more excuses.

Let me introduce you to my 3 lovelies.

Miss Priss- 22 yr/old Appy QH mare. I have had her since she was 9 and I was 16. She is a SAINT...with an attitude. She will always be THE ONE. I am coming to terms with the fact that she is aging. She has gone from a 15 hand hot potato to a 14.3 hand trustee that I can put any rider on. Many years in between, of course. She was abused. But, soon after purchase Prissy discovered that I would not hurt her. Now she trusts anyone who is kind to her first. Priss does everything, but nothing exceptionally well. She was a western trail/pleasure horse when I got her. We competed in a few local hunter shows, rode in a few parades, went to the beach, and had many one-day trail rides. She is the most smooth non-gaited horse I have ever ridden. Priss is a chunky monkey most of the year. Most of the chunk is gas, though.

Becca- 15.1 hand, 15 yr/old bay Appendix QH mare. Thoroughbred brain. Emotional. Herd-bound. Affectionate. Smooth. Responsive. I have owned her for 4 years. In 2006, I made some bad decisions which led to my very crooked arm. At least it is not in 3 pieces anymore. And my hand works...mostly. Regardless, she is my favorite horse to ride. Becca has a beautiful face. Her front end is hideous. She is a horse only I could love. She will NEVER be bred. But...she looks like she is. Becca is the Queen of the Chunky Monkies. I'm sorry that there are no current pics of the chunk. It is mind-boggling that she is as big as she is. I am ashamed. For the record, I feed her almost no grain- about 1.5 cups per day (as in the measuring cup used in the kitchen). My rat terrier eats more. All of my horses are on pasture full-time.

Diesel- 16 hand, 7 yr/old sorrell off-track QH gelding. Why anyone would ever have raced him is a mystery. He is slooooooow. But powerful like a freight train. Or a big diesel truck. He came with the name and it stuck. Diesel is my dream horse. He is a hottie and he knows it. Unfortunately, his face needs a paper bag. He has a big scar across it and is missing a piece of his left nostril. I think it gives him character. It is not obvious at first glance. Diesel has had multiple owners in his life and has limited training. I can confirm race and barrel training. No wins. Or near-wins. He does not neck rein and has a tough mouth. We are starting over with a simple D-ring snaffle. Luckily, he is smart and laid back. Most days he just lumbers along. And naps, see picture. I got Diesel last summer and he proceeded to slip and fall in the muddy pasture. He is currently seeing a chiropractor but is still sore in his hip. I have been on him less than a dozen times since purchase. All rides were successful. Diesel is the only one of us that is NOT a chunky monkey.