First day out of the new year! What a better way than to get hooves trimmed?
Since the farrier was out today, nothing really exciting happened. Nina and Brie got trimmed, Nina while tranquilized and Brie was, in the farrier's words, "awesome" because she picked up all her hooves for him without being asked. Harry, though, apparently had really bad front hooves. I know a couple weeks back he got that big chip on the inside of his front left hoof that Paco cut off because it was just hanging. The farrier pointed out that Harry's been riding on his frogs because his hoof wall is in such poor condition. We made the decision to put shoes back on his front hooves. He had to be tranquilized to do that because he got one shoe on and then started trying to rear. But overall, they're all fixed up pretty now and I can't wait to ride Harry tomorrow to see if this changes anything even a little bit.
What I am mad about, though, is Paco riding Harry without telling me beforehand. Actually, I don't like Paco riding Harry at all. It's a really tricky situation because we're friends, but I just don't want him interfering with what I'm trying to accomplish with Harry -- building up his confidence. I know that Harry is really energetic, hyper, and stubborn, but I don't believe that he's mean or is confident. I believe that horses are the same on the ground as they are in the saddle. What I mean by this is that Harry is a spooky horse on the ground, therefore he's a spooky horse in the saddle. I can prove this with Brie. She's like bomb-proof on the ground and is pretty much bomb-proof outside (whether or not she wants to cooperate is a different story). I believe that Harry's spookiness stems from his lack of confidence and while I don't get to work on that on the ground so often, I'm really trying to build up his confidence in the saddle by the work I've been doing that past couple of weeks by trying to get him to collect his own feet and maintain his own speed without me doing all of the work for him, sometimes the wrong way and making him upset. If Paco is going behind me and doing God knows what while I'm not there (not that I think that he's harming him), then how is what I'm doing supposed to stick? It's bad enough that I get ridiculed about doing Parelli techniques and hounded about wasting time while I'm doing them so I can't improve him on the ground, but I have to be working double on riding too? No, I don't appreciate this. And Paco, being older, of course thinks I'm just being a stubborn kid and not wanting to listen to him and his help, but honestly, Paco contradicts himself all of the time. If he's not someone who's consistent in what he's trying to "teach" me, then how am I even supposed to believe what I'm doing is right if the next day what I'm doing is wrong?
Take for example, yesterday when Paco rode Harry he changed the bit. I have no idea what bit he used and he didn't want to show me, but when WE wanted to change the bit, Paco told us No, No, No. Now suddenly it's okay? He can get into our tack room, why couldn't he just use our bit? I want to tell him and I know it shouldn't affect our friendship, but I know that it will. It just comes down to my own horse's well being and the progress I'm trying to make. I know that I should appreciate him exercising Harry because he doesn't get trained and it's cold out, but honestly, that's another thing. Paco should be putting them outside. So what if it's cold? As long as it's above freezing and there's no ice on the ground, I fully believe that they all should be out in the fresh air. It drives me insane because I know they aren't getting out.
This is why I need to, as much as I want to quit, stay in school and force myself into a good job. That way I can get my own barn and my own land and take care of my horses the way that they're supposed to be taken care of.
Showing posts with label shoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shoes. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Days 153 & 154
Saturday
We finally got a farrier to come out! We have a new one, but he got lost for 3 hours, so by the time he got there it was already 5pm. We don't have to leave early on the weekends any more and that makes me super happy, especially because it's summer!
We rode a little bit before he got there. I rode Harry while my mom rode Brie. Harry was pretty good but did a lot of pacing. I took him in the outdoor arena and he paced some more while I was trying to practice our largo. I went to take him out to walk around the property a little bit and when I wanted to take him over the little hill next to the outdoor arena, he got really freaked out and side stepped his way down the hill and ran back to the arena. I thought that was super odd because I'd taken him out by himself before in the back and over the big hill. Brie and Nina came out with my brother and mom and we all rode around the property and Harry seemed to calm down a little bit while Brie was acting like a giant, just stomping around every where, completely not listening to my mom. I guess she feels better!
After we made it back and waited around a while for the farrier, he got to work. Brie was a perfect angel for the trim and shoeing until he got to her back hooves when she started dancing around a little bit, so we had to twitch her. I felt bad because she was being so good and he even commented on how well-mannered she was, then we ended up jinxing it because she started shuffling and jumping around! Our goal was to put shoes on everyone, but that ended up not being the case.
When he got to Harry, you could tell that Harry was nervous, but he stayed still for the trim. He got front shoes on but when the farrier went in back to fit shoes back there, Harry started shaking like a leaf, so the farrier said he'd just leave him with half a set and finish it this upcoming week.
Nina, as you all know, is HORRIBLE with the farrier because of some bad past experiences, so she was fighting with him the entire time while he trimmed her and didn't get any shoes on. The farrier said that he'd rather just have us get some sedative to relax them than stand there and fight with them, risking them or him getting hurt and he wouldn't be able to do that good of a job. Plus, if he stood there and wrestled with them, it'd only reinforce that every time the farrier come out they'll get pushed around. It makes pretty good sense, although I'm not too keen on the sedative. But if they're calm and they're sedated but still alert and get used to trimming and shoeing and see it's not such a big deal, maybe they won't even need it in the future.
Sunday
Brie was sure feeling good today! I can tell that the shoes make her so much happier. Everyone's been barefoot for the longest and finally the chips got so bad that we decided to put shoes on. I'm happy we did!
With the combo of the steroid injection and her new shoes, Brie was flying at her largo! I figured I would just let her celebrate while still making sure she didn't break into a canter. She seemed super happy to finally be out and moving around again. When she went across the board she sounded like thunder, it was so loud with her shoes on!
My mom rode Harry and you could tell that he was different even though he only had front shoes on. You could see in his eyes that he was thinking about how he needed to pick up his feet a little more now that the shoes were on. I can only imagine how phenomenal he might sound when he has a whole set!
We all walked around outside again and Brie was ready to fly again, but we all walked calmly together because Harry was very nervous. I don't know what the sudden fright is with being outside! Yesterday he spooked at a butterfly landing on the fence! If it weren't for Nationals, I would be only concerned with getting him used to all the different outside demons, such as trees or sunshine, and especially those butterflies!
We're going to call our vet this week and see if they'll sell us the sedative or if they need to come out so we can finish up the shoeing job. Hopefully it'll be all taken care of by Thursday!
We finally got a farrier to come out! We have a new one, but he got lost for 3 hours, so by the time he got there it was already 5pm. We don't have to leave early on the weekends any more and that makes me super happy, especially because it's summer!
We rode a little bit before he got there. I rode Harry while my mom rode Brie. Harry was pretty good but did a lot of pacing. I took him in the outdoor arena and he paced some more while I was trying to practice our largo. I went to take him out to walk around the property a little bit and when I wanted to take him over the little hill next to the outdoor arena, he got really freaked out and side stepped his way down the hill and ran back to the arena. I thought that was super odd because I'd taken him out by himself before in the back and over the big hill. Brie and Nina came out with my brother and mom and we all rode around the property and Harry seemed to calm down a little bit while Brie was acting like a giant, just stomping around every where, completely not listening to my mom. I guess she feels better!
After we made it back and waited around a while for the farrier, he got to work. Brie was a perfect angel for the trim and shoeing until he got to her back hooves when she started dancing around a little bit, so we had to twitch her. I felt bad because she was being so good and he even commented on how well-mannered she was, then we ended up jinxing it because she started shuffling and jumping around! Our goal was to put shoes on everyone, but that ended up not being the case.
When he got to Harry, you could tell that Harry was nervous, but he stayed still for the trim. He got front shoes on but when the farrier went in back to fit shoes back there, Harry started shaking like a leaf, so the farrier said he'd just leave him with half a set and finish it this upcoming week.
Nina, as you all know, is HORRIBLE with the farrier because of some bad past experiences, so she was fighting with him the entire time while he trimmed her and didn't get any shoes on. The farrier said that he'd rather just have us get some sedative to relax them than stand there and fight with them, risking them or him getting hurt and he wouldn't be able to do that good of a job. Plus, if he stood there and wrestled with them, it'd only reinforce that every time the farrier come out they'll get pushed around. It makes pretty good sense, although I'm not too keen on the sedative. But if they're calm and they're sedated but still alert and get used to trimming and shoeing and see it's not such a big deal, maybe they won't even need it in the future.
Sunday
Brie was sure feeling good today! I can tell that the shoes make her so much happier. Everyone's been barefoot for the longest and finally the chips got so bad that we decided to put shoes on. I'm happy we did!
With the combo of the steroid injection and her new shoes, Brie was flying at her largo! I figured I would just let her celebrate while still making sure she didn't break into a canter. She seemed super happy to finally be out and moving around again. When she went across the board she sounded like thunder, it was so loud with her shoes on!
My mom rode Harry and you could tell that he was different even though he only had front shoes on. You could see in his eyes that he was thinking about how he needed to pick up his feet a little more now that the shoes were on. I can only imagine how phenomenal he might sound when he has a whole set!
We all walked around outside again and Brie was ready to fly again, but we all walked calmly together because Harry was very nervous. I don't know what the sudden fright is with being outside! Yesterday he spooked at a butterfly landing on the fence! If it weren't for Nationals, I would be only concerned with getting him used to all the different outside demons, such as trees or sunshine, and especially those butterflies!
We're going to call our vet this week and see if they'll sell us the sedative or if they need to come out so we can finish up the shoeing job. Hopefully it'll be all taken care of by Thursday!
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