The good and the gassy

Oh sweetness 74 degrees in the middle of November!

April 2010

I decided to work Hampton out in the hayfield today. Things started out a little rough - he was distracted and wanted to look around. But he wasn't bad. Once we worked through that, he ended up relaxing and I was able to do leg yields, shoulder-in and a few steps of renvers right out in the middle of the field! This was far more impressive for me, than for the horse. The lack of any wall or fence really made me pay attention to my aids. The fact that Hampton has never done renvers before was also pretty neat that I was able to get a few steps of it. Woot!

Toward the end of our workout, he had already pooed about 3 times. Not totally unusual for him. He pooed two more times on the walk back to the barn. Hmmmm. Then he started showing signs that he was gassy. Ohhhhh k. So I untacked him and cooled him out. Seemed better. I thought maybe working out in the field had perhaps made him nervous - there was a big scary farm machine grooming the field next door. I went ahead and fed him half his grain ration and his hay. Scarfed those up. Ok cool. Went to lead him back out to field and he pooes again - this time it's scours. Ugh. So I put him back in the stall with another flake of hay. Weird. He is otherwise bright, alert, no temp, pink gums, etc. Is it because the pressure is about to plummet? Maybe they got a really rich roundbale outdoors?

I watched him for another 20 minutes and no more "deposits." I put him back out and he got a big drink of water (like he usually does) and begged for a treat. I figured it was best he was outside to walk around if he was having some gas. I hope that's all it is. Poor guy.

Back in business!!

Hampton in July 2009.

I almost wrote something on Tuesday but didn't want to jinx myself.

The chiro came out Tuesday morning and worked on Hampton for almost an hour. She is an excellent vet (a graduate of Purdue), but also certified and experienced in chiro work, holistic medicine and kinsiology (spelling? ... derrr). She started out quietly examining his muscles and energy. It was fascinating to me. She had an assistant who would put one arm out for the vet to touch, and the other arm on the horse - so the horse, vet and assistant formed a circle. She was somehow able to determine sore areas this way. I admit I should have asked more questions but I was really fascinated by just watching and didn't want to interupt her.

Hampton then got accupuncture in his poll. Dr. Cathy (the vet) said that she has found that the pole and the hips are connected (not just in horses) and that if you get a release in one, it affected the other.

Then she got to adjusting his hind end, which was basically as messed up as you could get it. He had a rotated pelvis and his sacrum, left hip and a couple of vertebrae were out of whack. After some work, she said "Go ride him."

So I threw on some tack and hopped aboard (in my jeans and sneakers, classy).

I was hoping he would be a little better, but was not prepared for the shock I was about to get.

His wonky canter was .... gone. 100% gone. In its place was the rhythmic canter with jump. Granted, it's still croup-high and we still don't have the cadence I had over the summer but ... the lateral canter was gone. Both leads.

I rode again today and had a full schooling session. Hampton was ON. He was so there for me. You know when you horse is on the aids, over the back and you can just sit up and glide along? That was us today. I felt like I could have ridden a Grand Prix test (um, if we knew how ... details!). Again, the canter was there. It was jumping and no wonkyness. We just need to get the balance back, which doesn't worry me at all. We schooled shoulder in, circle spirals, trot lengthenings and transitions. It was an excellent ride. We'll start back with lessons next week.

I'm so glad to have my horse back!

A plug for a fellow blogger

If you haven't already, you need to visit and read A Process of Learning.

This is a great blog about a really adorable horse named Ella and her human (I won't post her name in case she doesn't want me to ...). Ella's human acquired Ella under really sad circumstances, but she has taken this gift of a horse and made the best of it. It's a truly inspiring blog, also humorous and a really good read. The reason I am touting her blog today is because she also does really great give-a-ways and I recently won one - a SmartPak giftcard! TOO COOL!

I think I might start an once-in-a-while series of promoting other blogs I read. SO many people out there have extraordinary circumstances, horses with "issues," and just their own unique stories to tell. They are worth a read.

That is why I have a horse.

(From this spring)

Yesterday I took a friend out to the barn to go riding. I hadn't been aboard Hampton in a week and wanted to see how he was doing. I briefly lunged him ... and at first he looked stiff. Like mostly in the right hock. But he worked out of it quite nicely so I decided to go ahead and ride. He felt WAY better than he looked on the lunge. Worked mostly on trot-walk transitions, and back and forth in the trot. Played with some shoulder in as well. It all felt good. I tried a little bit of canter. The right lead felt better than it has - but I did let him go forward in a more bounding canter than usual. Left lead was ... eh. Still wonky. So I ended it on a canter transition - first 3 strides were good - back to trot, stretchy circles to end the session.

Chiro comes out tomorrow so we'll see what she says.

After our ride, we went out for a trail ride around the property. Once we reached the big open hay field I let Hampton go for a little hand gallop. SO FUN! He comes right back to me when I ask and seems to really enjoy himself. That is why i have a horse.

After we put our horses up and I fed Hampton, we hung out with others from the barn for a cookout. Nice and relaxing, good food, friendly horse people. At about 6ish, we all decide we should go on a trail ride. Soooo I tacked Hampton back up. By the time 4 of us hit the trails, it was almost dark. We quickly found ourselves out in a wide open hay field in the pitch dark.

Hampton was an ANGEL.

He found a great rhythm and marched along like an old pro. A twilight trail ride with my 3 year old? That  is why I have a horse. I am so glad I switched barns, it would have been considered reckless to do something like that at the foo-foo dressage barn. It was really special to watch the sun set from the back of my horse. I think in the midst of training and trying to reach our goals, we all need to remember why we have a horse. I felt like a little kid again. I needed that.

The works.

Moving is just about finished. Organizing and putting things away? Ugh. Let's just not talk about that portion.

Hampton ... drunk as a skunk. Drooling.

Hampton had an appointment with the dentist this morning, as well as the vet for his fall shots. The dentist is excellent - the best I've ever seen as far as the quality of work he does. He is excellent with fearful horses, too. And only uses the power tools when teeth require a little extra work.

Hampton had to be sedated of course, and ended up having 3 caps extracted, plus one segment of a baby tooth that was wedged back in his mouth along with some food. I saved all of the teeth ... lol, no I'm not creepy or anything ... and hell I might make a necklace out of one of the larger ones. I know, I know. WEIRD-O!!

Anyway, he has a chiro appointment next week so we'll see if anything is going on there before I go ahead and get his hocks examined. If all checks out, then the canter this is a fitness, training, riding issue and we go from there.

He will get several more days off to recover from today and probably a few light hacks toward the end of the week.

Two molar caps, one incisor cap

Let the moving begin

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Above is my "new" house. Leaving the horse farm and moving back to the Burbs. Good thing I have my horse trailer as moving will be MUCH easier than last time!


Hampton is still the same ... next week he's set for a day of torture. Shots, teeth, chiro in the same day. haha.

What do you see?

Ok. So I went out yesterday and merely free-lunged Hampton in the roundpen. I wanted to see how he was without any tack or rider. He still looks a little sore to me, but the canter isn't nearly as wonky as it was under saddle. Granted, it's not uphill. It's lacking jump, forward, enthusiasm. But to me it is at least 3-beat. Hampton tends to be sort of a sloth unless I'm on his back, so keep that in mind. lol.

I made him a vet appointment for next week to be evaluated and possibly get Xrays of his hocks. Depends what the vet says. Chiro and massage appointments also in the works. He is also due for a trim. Next week he'll also be getting his teeth checked. So I am really trying to get to the root of this. Maybe it's my saddle?

Working to the left:

And to the right:

And for comparison, here we are working under saddle about a month or so ago.

He looks butt-high to me, and tight in the area right behind the saddle in the most recent video. Hmmm. Any comments welcome. I'm giving him some time off and just working him free in the roundpen to keep his mind somewhat together.