Sit in the mud

 It's been a helluva year.

A good friend and barnmate lost her horse in January after a bizarre string of heartbreaking, demoralizing, emotional and unpredictable events. The horse was a frequent adventure buddy and friend of Hampton's.

Hampton and his late friend.

The BFF just lost a horse of a lifetime, a gift of schoolmaster, to an eerily similar sequence of events. This horse went from healthy to dead in less than 24 hours. Small intestine torsions are no joke and if a vet tries to give you good odds for survival, I would seriously question them.

Grief is an interesting thing. It is fascinating to me to observe the ways people process it, and also try to navigate a friend going through grief.

I am not going to spew platitudes like "He is in a better place." "I know how you feel." "Keep fighting." I think people mean well when they say these things, but it just ... isn't helpful. Others send gifts, and others back away - unsure of what to say or how to navigate the situation. There are a handful who start giving unsolicited advice, judgement or one-upping your grief and situation. Even worse, others hit you with the "You should have ... "  or "What didn't you do this ..." crap that is utterly unhelpful.

A pretty photo of Porkchop lol

We all know losing a horse is not just losing a horse. You lose your best friend, you lose the dreams, goals, hard work, and the parts of your identity tied to the horse. Not to mention the money.

Grief - especially the raw days and weeks following such a traumatic event - can get very messy. It becomes ... muddy. Some people's puddles are bigger than others. Sometimes it is very uncomfortable to be around someone who is in the midst of raw grief. But everyone needs someone to sit in the mud with them. You might get dirty as well. It might be uncomfortable. But just sit there. In the mud. No agenda.

Not everyone will do it. Not everyone can handle sitting in the mud. You don't have to understand, you just have to be there. Presence. 

Encourage forward movement, but if the puddle is still too muddy to crawl out of, just sit there.

Final Chapter | 2001-2023

Hoosier Horse Park in 2008 with T-Bone
(spot my dad in the background holding a cooler lol)
and no that is not an approved helmet. :|

I am not sure how many long LONG LONG time followers I still have, but when this blog started (in August 2007 holy smokes), I had a bay Morgan gelding named T-Bone.

 T-Bone (AMHA registered name Final Chapter) was 16 hands and full of piss and vinegar. I acquired him in 2003 when he was 2 years old, and I was a naïve, horse-loving recent college graduate who thought I would enter journalism and thrive in that career. ha. ..... hahahaha. I made $19,000 a year, I had absolutely no business owning a horse.

Some random Hunter show

After getting him started under saddle, I rode him around randomly for a year or two with no real purpose. We did Hunter classes at some Morgan shows, we jumped a bit. We did some mediocre dressage. But then after a series of .. tough .. events, I ended up moving him and myself to a dressage barn in Indiana where I started taking more consistent lessons. I started to fall in love with the sport. That barn and the instructors literally changed the way I thought and rode. 

T-Bone at 2 years old.

I did end up taking T-Bone to a couple of USDF rated show where we weren't particularly successful but got some scores in the 60s at Training level. He was a hot little number and required an exhausting amount of lunging just to be able to trot him less than 100 mph. He was never bad, never offered to buck or rear or deposit you. But he was bred to trot fast and that he did. Of course I knew NOTHING back then on how to finesse such a horse.

My dad cleaning my boots. 2008.

He learned how to do some mediocre second level stuff. Shoulder in, haunches in, leg yield. He could do a little half pass, and a change occasionally. He was smart and nothing ever spooked him. He was as sweet as they come, although he could be a bully in the field to other horses.

The amount of flexion in my ankle is ... unhealthy.

When 2008 rolled around, I was furloughed from work A LOT. I was already financially struggling, and this made it much much worse. I ended up moving T-Bone from the dressage barn to a smaller barn, where I was able to work off some of his board in order to keep him. But after a while, that wasn't even enough. Thanks to T-Bone, I had met a couple of fellow Morgan lovers who let me keep him at their little hobby farm for free. 

I can't believe I am resurrecting this photo but here we are. I didn't even own a dressage saddle or bridle. And apparently no shirts that fit, or a helmet.

Around the time I started to get a little more serious about this whole sport of dressage. You can see a difference in both of us. (The lack of helmet is cringe, I know. So is the skank top and half chaps. My god.)

My financial and mental state in 2009 was dicey at best, so I made the tough decision to sell T-Bone. I ended up selling him to a wonderful lady who ADORED him for the past 14 years. Absolutely loved him, and somehow got him to go slow enough to do Western Dressage. That alone is a miracle. haha. 

He was a lucky horse to have been loved twice by a horse crazy lady, and to have lived his last days so loved and cared for. His owner reported he died during surgery at the end of June. I didn't ask what kind of surgery, but we can always draw the logical conclusions. He was 22.

Loved peppermints from The PepperMint Dispenser. (my father)

After I sold T-Bone in 2009, I took a small amount of that money and made a really stupid financial decision and paid $500 for another unbroke bay 2 year old gelding. From the same breeder, although this one wasn't a Morgan. This one was a TB/Hanovarian/Clydesdale cross. 

And as a nod to his predecessor T-Bone, this gelding was deemed "Porkchop."

A tour of the fly-over states

 It's been a few years since Hamp and I did a double-header. Two shows, two weekends in a row. 

Hoosier Horse Park is our second home haha

My goal was to try and qualify at both I-1 and I-2 and then pick one for Regionals depending on what I was feeling.

INDIANA

First up was Indiana Dressage Society's June show, where I entered I-1. This ended up being the most relaxed show I think I can remember in years (for me, haha). I didn't even show up on the grounds until 7:30 p.m. Friday night. Hampton doesn't need to school there, and I figured the less time he had to stand in a stall the better.

Spot the new hardware

Saturday's test was pretty solid other than I made a little bobble in the twos when Hampton got a little crooked on me and I lost the rhythm. I was able to fix it quickly though. A 64%+ which I was very pleased with. Hampton felt quite fit and fresh that morning and I probably could have warmed up longer.

Sunday's test I went in and tried to add some power. Hampton was super, and we had a organized, clean test. I was absolutely thrilled with a score of 66%! That is a personal best for us at any FEI level test ever. I have always thought maybe a 65% would be at the top of what Hampton might be able to reach at FEI so a 66 was super awesome.

Unfortunately I really failed at getting much media from that weekend. But I really wish every horse show was as relaxed and low stress as that one was. haha.

OHIO

The following weekend we ventured almost 4 hours to Ohio for the Ohio Dressage Society show at Brave Horse Equestrian Center. After hearing nothing but good things about the facility, I was pretty excited to go. It didn't disappoint. Gorgeous stabling, GGT footing, lovely warm up and arenas. Plus the show staff was OUTSTANDING. They gave out super prizes, were friendly, and even drove by offering free popsicles. There was also a night check guy for no extra charge. He walked through the barns every hour or so. Top class.

Some epic photo opportunities too

I ended up sleeping in my hammock in the tack stall because a really nice breeze rolled through the barns and at night it felt really nice. The horses do eventually shut up around midnight and didn't bother me too much haha.

My cozy Hotel Tack Room

I will say that one improvement Brave Horse could make it maybe a small shower facility for those that camp on site? I was a little crusty by Sunday.

Anyway, Hampton was ON FIRE on Friday for schooling. I could barely touch him with my leg he was so hot. Guess all that swimming has made him quite fit. But he was a good boy and we schooled all the things.

Spotted on the drive to Ohio. 

We were the first ride of the day on Saturday and went in and had a decent test at I-2. It's been I think 2 years since I have attempted that test and while "easier" than the GP, it really is no joke. I made a mistake in the one's when I failed to communicate to Hampton that THE ONES ARE COMING. So, due to that mistake we had a 59% and some change. Argh. Still not a bad score at the level though.

Sunday morning I had just a little less gas in the tank, but in true Hamp fashion he tried his heart out. Our only mistake was again in the ones, when he threw in TWO EXTRAS. I can't be mad at him for that. lol. But still, the test was good enough for a 60.7%! I was just super proud of him for trying so hard and he really holds his own at such difficult levels.

Warming up before 8 am.

Turbo

So, didn't get my qualifying scores for I-2. Not a huge deal. If I go to Regionals, I think the I-1 will be the better choice anyway. Or I can try for one last score at another show once my bank account recovers.

Pro photos by Kelly&Kelly

Another really fun weekend with my barn friends who are just the best peoples. All the horses were fantastic and I love seeing everyone reach big goals they work so hard for.

Oh, and in more important news:

To swim or not to swim

 Hampton has been swimming once a week pretty consistently now.

As with anything you do with horses, there are 1,000 opinions.

To be honest, I have been unable to find much legit research or science behind the benefit and risks of swimming your horse. If you find any, do feel free to throw that in the comments.

But, in general here are a few risks:

Drowning. I have not been brave enough to ask the owners of the swim facility if they have ever had a horse drown. It's a real possibility, especially with a horse who might panic. Horses cannot hold their breath like humans do. (Although I sometimes question this when tightening my girth)

Swimming-induced colic. I could not find much information on this, but it does not seem to be common and symptoms would present about 30 minutes after swimming. At Hampton's swim place, they are immediately put on a hot walker for about 30-40 minutes after they swim. 

Skin issues. I don't know if this is a huge risk if you swim just once a week, but of course this could become a problem if the horse swims frequently. I do notice that when I pick out Hampton's feet after a swim, that his feet "smell like the pool." I already treat with thrush treatments anyway, but I can see how skin issues might develop.

Back problems? There is some contradicting opinions on whether or not to swim a horse with back issues, say kissing spine or following kissing spine surgery. Some horses, especially those brand new to swimming, will swim very inverted because they are weak. Hampton, who is becoming quite comfortable with swimming, swims in a neutral position. Keep in mind, one swimming session is around 5-6 minutes for a fit horse like Hampton, less for a horse who is new or weaker.

Overextension. Specifically, overextension of the stifles. Due to the exaggerated motion of the legs, there is risk for overextension.

And of course, the benefits:

• Improved cardiovascular and respiratory fitness 
• Mental stimulation
• Keep joints mobile without the concussion (great for horses, like Hampton, with arthritis)
• Increase range of motion (*cough* like the shoulders)
• Enhanced insulin/glucose metabolism

Here is Hampton's entire swim on May 19. He is becoming very comfortable with the process and has starting to F around by flipping his nose in the water every once in a while, like he does on trail rides. Nice.

Personally, I have noticed great benefits from just once-a-week or even every other week swim classes for Hampton. His fitness and stamina have greatly improved, and I notice he feels particularly loose and swingy the day after he swims. It acts as his cardio day and I don't have to do any additional fitness days with him, with the exception of maybe one additional long-walk day.

My other thought was this would be a great workout for him on those really hot days when he needs exercise, but I don't want to stress out his sweat glands. This way he can get a workout, and I don't have to worry about triggering his anhidrosis. 

Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. Not sure there is a right or wrong here. Thoughts?

Sources:

https://ker.com/equinews/swimming-for-horses-yea-or-whoa/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8553013/

https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/the-horse/veterinary-care/~/media/925bfc2c6c2540aab89afd44c9a69c79.ashx

https://ker.com/equinews/swimming-induced-colic-horses/

... now what?

PC: Lisa Dean
After a clean GP test!

First and foremost, get yourself a group of friends who throw you a Surprise Gold Medal Party, complete with cupcakes, booze and A CROWN OF TEARS.

... and now that I have accomplished literally every dream and additional dreams I never knew I had ...

Now what?

Several peeps have asked, "What's next?" and the answer is I really don't know. Hamp and I have remained busy though. He is staying QUITE fit with swimming, trail rides, and 3-4 days of work in the arena. He has felt energetic, happy and strong.

Did a PR of 19 laps last week. 

I think we did close to 8 miles on the trail this day.

I have many options on where to go next. My brain goes back and forth daily to be honest.

1. Sell Hampton, buy a NICE young horse. Have a savings account. Buy a truck?

2. Keep Hampton, lease him out. Buy an average young horse.

3. Keep Hampton, let him teach lessons. Try and see if I can afford a very cheap second horse.

4. Keep Hampton and Hampton only.

PC: Leah

There are pros and cons to each option. Money is of course a major factor. Having two horses does not double your expenses, it TRIPLES expenses if not more.

 If money wasn't an issue I would of course opt to keep Hamp (He can teach lessons and whatnot), AND buy a decent young horse. (weanling? yearling?). 

Hampton feels great and is not showing any signs he wants to retire. And honestly, the more he works and moves, the better his soundness and body feel. He will be 16 this year and is in probably in the best shape of his life. The other option is to retire him somewhere, but he has so much to teach people and other young horses. 

Leah and me: You are the goodest boi!
Hamp: Where's my cookie.
PC: Renate

My brain and heart fight each other on whether or not to sell him. I have TRIED selling him a couple of times. I didn't try very hard, but I TRIED. 

But, there's no rush into any decision. Meanwhile, we will keep on training and maybe hit a show or two. Maybe eye regionals? 

I still have much to learn, so there is that. 

Land Rover and Icelandics!

 Photos from the weekend of all horse weekends!

Land Rover dressage

Brilliant shirt

RideIQ had this really sweet board you could write on. I loved this idea.

Not my purchase but barn friend H scored a PRETZEL saddle pad.

Blogger gathering on XC day! So cool to see everyone

Crazy ass eventers

Stayed to watch the Grand Prix show jumping invitational as well. Got home around 10 p.m. on Saturday night exhausted. More horse things all day Sunday too!

THEN I went to watch my friend (above) show her Icelandic horse!

Super cool Icelandic stallion

Leah and Renate schooled Hampton for me! 
They both did a great job and I love sharing the porkchop and watching friends smile when he starts doing unauthorized changes haha. Good boy!

And now it's Derby Week!

Ceilings

 

GOLD.

We did it. 62%+. 8:16 a.m.