Brother from another mother (update)

Hampton has a handful of brothers. And I'm not using "politically correct" horse industry terminology here. By brothers, I mean he really has half brothers by the same sire and out of different dams. Many horse people would not even call them brothers. But I do. So sue me.

Same sire, but different mare.
Although mare was also a OTTB, like Hampton's mum.

Anyhoo, one of his brothers lives just down the road from us. He is a year older than Hamps and I wrote about him briefly HERE.

He is now out and about with his owner (an older gentleman who is incredibly nice). Really neat to see considering 2 years ago this horse was not even started under saddle.

I'm still hoping to go ride him one of these days. Will be neat to compare the two boys.

It's really easy to determine who is the more elegant, sophisticated brother.

And as for the original Porkchop, he is doing really well. We are going to train pretty hard next week and then he will get a super easy week because I am taking a 3 day vacation. Which I need desperately.

Over and out.

Limb by limb

It has been a rough week and a half. Not for me personally, but for several friends.

There are no words for fellow blogger Lauren. 

I thought about her the entire day after I read her blog. 

Another friend lost his wife who had complained she didn't feel well all weekend and when he went to check on her at home, she was gone. She was 42.

We lost a special horse at the barn. A sweet, talented OTTB who was only 8 years old. 

Colic is a bastard.

So it's been sort of down at the barn the past few days. 

Hampton has been working like a superstar though. He is a light in this week of tragic events.

The vet has cleared him to continue work. He could find nothing wrong with him in regards to this rein lameness. He suspects it is muscular (so, nothing in the joints most likely). Hamps had some accupuncture today and I will continue his theraplate treatments and massage to see if that can help him out any. I mean, short of doing a bone scan or MRI - I am somewhat out of ideas on what is wrong with him. I fixed the rein lameness in the right shoulder in, but can't seem to fix it in the left half pass. That's the only time it shows up. This horse is a damn mystery. As much as I adore him he is driving me a bit nuts. haha.

But he is otherwise working really well. Our suppleness is really improving and I am feeling better abut his potential as a competitive prancer.

Birthday boy!

Hampton turns 8 years old today!

Geez, time flies. When he first appeared on this blog he was just 2 years old. :)

That also means I have been blogging a LONG damn time. haha.

Enjoy some photos of the Porkchop through the years.

BABEH. WEANLING. HAMPER.

First time trotting under saddle.

Spring 2010 - 3 years old

One of our first shows (3 years old and very awkward)

... we have also spent a day herding buffalo. Yes you read that correctly.

Many trail rides

We both love to jump, too!

Sometimes we are pretty sharp.

Sometimes we are .... not sharp?

But we always have a good time!

But we can put our ambitious dressage pants on too ...

Focus

Earning plenty of loot ...

And my USDF Bronze medal in 2014.

Plus finally getting those flying changes

Training with the best in the country

Best of all ....

Through the good and the bad

Success and failure ...

He makes me happy.

I hope I always do right by him.

Happy birthday my Hamper doodle McGee!

Porkchop the conundrum

Since our dressage is THE SUCK right now, Hampton and I have been going back to our roots. Before big goals of PSG and Silver medals got in the way. We've spent the entire week enjoying quiet rides together. Out in fields, on the trails. NO arena. 

His attitude has made a complete 180. He has been back to the normal, mellow and curious horse I love and adore. No anxiety. No grinding teeth. No spooking and bolting. 

Someone has put on some junk in the trunk. And it's not me.

The rein lame issue is a mystery. I have had him evaluated by numerous professionals, both trainers and 2 vets. No one can seem to figure it out. I've got a few more ideas but ... if this becomes a permanent problem, there is no reason to keep trying to show Hampton in dressage above First Level. It would be a shame but if he is not capable of the lateral work, then he is perfectly capable of other careers that is for sure! Trail riding being one of them, he is the bomb!

Kentucky is so disgusting. I mean how do I handle this life?!

Ears up the entire time! My happy Hampton is back!

Could be rounder maybe ... but I love that he is going to the bit and uphill!

Is there anything more fun than cantering in a big open field?!

So that is where we are at the moment. I am still aiming for a show in August. Unless our next vet check shows something, I will probably enter him in First level and maybe a Second Level test. It's a waste of money to show Third and keep getting low 50s. Plus we risk getting eliminated for lameness. But I'd still like to show him and work on ridability.

We've got a couple more evals with area professionals this week ... and a vet appointment within the next week or two. We may take X-rays depending on what he finds. Unfortunately, my budget is very limited so something like an MRI or bone scan is totally out of the question. But, I will do what I can.

We can always tap back into the eventing scene, too!

My photographer may have been drinking.

Hampton looks great. Too bad his rider is slumpy Mc Slumperson.

New fence on the left, old fence on the right

The best at creek stomping!

I'd also love to get into some competitive trail ... anyone know anything about that? Sort of like the extreme cowboy challenge stuff?

Lady's Story Part 6: 30 Days

I wish I had better news about Lady, but right now things are not looking good.

Last time I posted, Lady was starting to look better. She seemed to be gaining weight, and was bright and cheery. I thought for sure she would really start to plump up with the lush green grass.

Well, she didn't. In fact, she started to get worse.

Despite the fact that I would brush her almost daily, she still would not totally shed out. She kept getting fungus (worse than the normal little rain rot spots that sometimes happen). She started to have a dull look to her face.

I started giving her even more food. I added alfalfa cubes and oil. I gave her extra hay on top of the grass she was out on 24/7. She ate alone so was not getting chased off her food, and she would eat all of her grain.

... and then the shit hit the fan.

The "rescue organization" that was "handling her case" decided to put her in a long-term foster situation. Which is what I thought we were but ... I digress. She left last week. Then the so-called leaders of this rescue basically insulted my BO and myself claiming we "threw her out in a field" and never cared for her. That what she needed was a clean stall with shavings, THEN she could recover. I was personally insulted that someone would say that about the BO or myself, as I cared for that mare as if she was my own. We felt it was best she live out in a field (once winter left) because of her excessive urination. (it was impossible to keep her stall clean). Plus outside she had a large water tank to drink out of. She drank so much we had to refill 2 buckets in her stall 4-5 times A DAY. And of course we felt as much grass as she wanted was a good thing (after her initial re-feeding period of course). I do not think it was neglect to have her out 24/7. She was eating 3 or 4x as much as any other horse on the property.

Anyway, after this "rescue" evaluated her (oh by the way, they never once came out to check on her for MONTHS while she was at our place) ... it has been determined that she likely has terminal problems that will prevent her from recovering. Likely liver failure, kidney failure or some kind of cancer.

More tests are being run, and she will be on steroids for 30 days. If, after that, she shows no improvement she will be euthanized.

I did email one of the leaders to say that I DID care for that horse, she was not neglected. And she was very nice and said it was no one's fault, she should have "checked on her." ... ok, but you are still implying we are not competent to take care of a malnourished horse. ANYWAY.

I won't name any names, but I wasn't happy with the handling of that situation. And I certainly won't be supported that organization ever again. Christ.

Thank you to those who donated money or items for Lady. It was so appreciated, especially since she was eating so much food! :)

I just wish the best for Lady, whatever that is.

One her Lady's babies!

Skoolin.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and support on the whole rein-lameness deal. I have been bouncing ideas off my friend at the barn, and we seem to be figuring things out. It's so great to have a ground person!

Anyway, I believe the rein lameness originated because Hampton was not totally through in the half halts. It was made worse when I started teaching him passage and would half halt him UP way too much. He started to lift his neck, yes, but would back off the half halts and ping pong off the contact. It's not his fault, he just isn't strong and loses his balance a lot. So because of this, he developed this "hip hop" move when he thinks I want passage (because he isn't strong enough to push evenly off both hinds yet).

In addition, his right hind leg is weaker so when that leg has to take the weight (like in right shoulder-in, and left half pass especially), he evades using this little hip hop move and then I try to half halt, and then it turns into this cycle because he interprets the halt halts as "Oh, you want passage! I hip hop for you!" and then his loses his balance and... and .... rein lame.

But our flying changes are SUPER these days! Jesus I thought I'd never see the day. Check out this one (it's at the very end of this schooling clip):

So basically I have been riding him SUPER even in both reins lately. And keeping him straight, and through. I have to really be sure that the half halt is backed up by lots of LEG. He is not allowed to back off the half halt anymore. Forget about passage. It's in there, he needs some basics reinstalled.

Twinkle toes McGee

Funny thing, is that today I did all the lateral work on a circle and he was 100% even and sound. But the rein lameness came back when I tried to go down the rail.

Gosh he could almost pass for an FEI horse here!

I think this is a developmental phase, and we need to work through it. He has moments where he looks like an FEI horse. But he is still very much a Third Level horse in progress. He needs much more strength, balance and suppleness. The movements are not the problem. He knows everything through 4th level easily!

Hampton can be so tricky because he can range from totally behind your leg, to SO HOT to your leg that you feel he will explode if you put your leg on. He needs to accept the leg always, and then the contact is right there. I also touched him with the whip on his right hind today to ask him to please step under and he bucked and bolted on me. Really not acceptable, and I got on his case about that and then he was fine about it. But it just goes to show he has to accept the aids always. I need to constantly check my aids and make sure he is listening and obedient. He is so smart that he has trained me to avoid things at times. I need to outsmart my horse. It's more difficult than it sounds with Hampton. haha!

People are not kidding when they say dressage is all about the basics. Then the movements come easy!

I'm loving his muscles these days.

Since bloggers love progress shots, here's one of Hampton as a raw young horse. He is proof that dressage can totally change a horse, in my opinion.

And here is a photo from 2013 - our Second Level debut. Gosh we have both changed so much in just 2 years even!

oh lord.

For shits and giggles here is a groovy slo-mo trot video. He has moments where he sometimes will lose his balance in his big trot. Totally ok. It truly takes a lot of strength and balance to maintain this type of trot. He sure does try though!

We still sometimes play with some half steps, too. It's really great for loosening up his back, activating his hind end and encouraging him to lower his croup. Plus he gets quite uphill without me having to do much of anything. We still need to be much more on the spot for it to be piaffe, but it's coming along.

Plans for this month include a small little schooling show and hopefully a long trail ride or two! Other than that we will just keep doing what we do.