Jumped two consecutive jumps, and it was fun!

another view

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Originally uploaded by flippybits

Timmy has a hoof abcess, so the farrier fashioned an attractive slipper made of Vetwrap and duct tape. Hopefully, Timmy will be back in action next week after the abcess heals.

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Originally uploaded by flippybits

Finally, an easy way to add pics to the bloggie! Timmy usually looks quite a bit happpier.

But it seems to have screwed up the lovely formatting. Will look into this.

That said, we had a good lesson today, working on cantering a small vertical at a decent pace. Of course, I had to work on both him and me to get anything resembling a pace. Trotting to the jump and then having the horse heave himself over it is not fun. Or pretty.

Timmy is a superstar! He has slowed down a bit and seems calm and happy in his work!

He seemed a little off at the walk, worse at the trot. A little bit of a shuffle step in the corners and a tiny bit of head bob were the main symptoms. The weird part was that it was so intermittent. He’d be all right for 1/3 of the way around the arena and then do a little shuffle and bob. Debbie felt his legs, chest, neck, and shoulders and said that she thought it was probably his shoulders and that I should come back tomorrow (actually today) for some light walking and trotting. And that he was probably going to need some DMSO — ick, that stuff is nasty — to bring blood flow to his injured muscles.

This morning she put the DMSO on after I tacked up. He seemed much better in the arena, though we only walked and trotted for 10 minutes or so. He was a tiny bit fresh and spooked at some pigeon cooing or some normal barn noise, and took off for 1/2 of the arena. He might have done that twice — can’t really remember. But he is obviously feeling much better. More walking and trotting tomorrow, maybe some cantering.

I’m just relieved it isn’t more serious.

And then after that I spent a few days in NYC for work, we had a consultant in for almost an entire week, and then it was super busy at work. So there was a long time between today’s lesson and the last one. It doesn’t look like the weather is going to cooperate next week, either. Debbie, our fearless leader, is going to Las Vegas next week, so I’ll be hacking on my own, weather permitting.

Today, I was a little “loose up top,” so there was no jumping, just flatwork. Sort of disappointing and relieving at the same time. Going to the gym would help that. We’ll see if I can make it.

I guess there’s not much time for the knitting update other than to say I’m almost done with the blown-out elbows on Amy’s sweater.

It’s been raining the past few days, so we rode indoors. We worked on the usual ring work but then also turning on the forehand, and then walking then trotting then cantering from that. Over and over. Then we cantered over a teeny tiny vertical. I enjoy this sort of riding, trying to be precise in how to ask for desired results. It keeps my mind busy, I guess.

Yesterday, I rode Austin. Deanna was up visiting and rode her horse, Hills-B (is that the spelling?). Anyway, she is an advanced jumper rider who has been riding for 32 years, and I am a chicken adult recovering from a recent concussion, so it was helpful to watch someone else ride.

The sequence:

• walking, then trotting in both directions
• two-point at the trot
• sitting trot without stirrups
• cantering both directions
• jumping a little cross rail (trot in and canter out), stopping straight after the jump.

And here is what I need to do to improve: Sit up! Austin hates the body-ride (his previous owner made him lame by body-riding for years). And also, I need to be more serious and focus, and not just try to laze my way through things.

Also edited to say I need to ride with my legs and not my hands. The horses love it when you steer with your legs! Go figure.