Finally - the Ribbon

We had sunshine yesterday :)  Had the husband snap a pic with his Blackberry of Miss Riva and her very first Dressage ribbon.  Not quite the same as in the moment at the show - but it works!

Riva is improving on the right front with the dreaded nasty thrush.  Farrier was out briefly on Thursday night to drop off super concentrated magic farrier cure all powder.  It is this little bottle of yellow powder that he said several times to not get on human skin (a little scary).  The directions call for diluting a portion of the bottle's powder in a gallon of water and soaking the foot for 45 minutes and then covering the hoof in a bag for 45 minutes - that would not go over well with The Diva.  Fortunately - our farrier gave us other directions.  He had us mix some of the powder with a few drops of water - like a thick paste - and shove it in to that crevice in her frog with a cotton ball and a hoof pick.  Supposed to leave it until he can get out to see her the first of next week.

I did not bute her Thursday night after treating.  We went out Friday night to see if she had impoved any.  I put her on the lunge to the right - still bobbing her head, but not as much.  I sent her to the left and she was almost normal at the trot.  I worked her on varying speeds at the trot - lenghening on the long sides and slow trot on the ends.  We did some canter to the left.  She is lowering her head now quite often at the trot and going long and low.  She will keep offering as long as I keep up a constant 'good girl'. 

I sent her again to the right and she was much improved after warming up.  The head bobbing was minimal and she looked much more comfortable on that right front.  We worked on the right the same - lenghening on the long sides and slow trot on the ends.  She was dropping her head and looking like a Western Pleasure horse much of the time :)  Yeah!  We did a bit of canter to the right and she held the correct lead.

Really pleased and relieved to see improvement.  I worry so much when something like this drags on and on.  Riva has lots of energy and I think she benefitted from the longer lounge session last night.  Such a gorgeous evening so we went outside for a walk afterwards.  Ground was still too wet and muddy to walk her around the property so I took her in to the jumping arena and walked her over trot poles.

Riva will have the night off tonight and will go out Sunday night.  We had postponed out lesson, yet again, to Thursday night but Henny lost a shoe Thursday  - so we rescheduled the lessons to this coming Monday.  Not sure when farrier is going to be able to reshoe Henny and check Riva.

Lessons sometime next week, we hope!