Some New Videos

My husband took a few videos of us on Wednesday evening.  Riva was not moving at her best, but I wanted some comparisions to our last videos - I think the last ones were in the winter.

                                                                 Lounging first:

Then riding:

Farrier was out on Thursday evening for our regular 4 week visit.  He put shoes on the back feet, new shoe on the front left, and checked the right front (he had put a new one on the RF the previous Friday at our vet visit).  IT was late by the time he finished, so I just put her up for the night.

On Friday, I went out to see Riva and took her to the outdoor dressage arena to lounge her.  We just spent 10 minutes on each side, with lots of trotting down the long sides - which meant lots of running and sweating for me!  She was moving great - lots of lift and energy.

I won't ride her again until Sunday afternoon / evening.  We are going to a Belgium Warmblood Keuring on Sunday morning / afternoon.  We went last year and really enjoyed it.

On Friday, my daughter who is a working student this summer, got the opportunity to go swimming with her horse.  Check out her blog at http://lexandhennysjourney.blogspot.com/ if you want to read about it!

Riva's Sire

Rainmaker

                                                                              Riva

                                                   Looking more and more like her dad!

'She is looking like a Dressage Horse!'

That was a quote from my awesome vet today - music to my ears!  Today was a lameness re-check for Riva coupled with a farrier visit at the doctor's office.  Riva lost her right front shoe (yes, the expensive custom made one) sometime between Sunday night and Tuesday afternoon.  Our farrier could not get to her till today - but said he could meet us at our vets office, put a new shoe on her, and get to see what our vet determined.

We went out to the barn early afternoon - only high of 97 degrees perdicted for today - and loaded up the Diva.  She went on after a couple of attempts and we were on our way.  Arrived at our vets office, which she takes walk ins on Friday for equines, and it is first come first seen.  Lucky for us, with this heat, very few people were there today.  Our vet looked at her briefly before the farrier got to work. 

Our farrier had already made her custom shoe at home last night and was ready for her.  Riva was a really good girl - she got to stand in the grass munching while our farrier worked his magic.  After the shoe was back on, our vet wanted to see her move in the round pen.  Due to the shoe being off a few days, and our ground being rock hard (record heat and no rain), she had developed a stone bruise and was tender on that right front.  I thought - 'great...she was moving so well the last time I rode her on Sunday' and now this!  But the vet was able to see how well she was extending her left front and moving from the back end.  And surprisingly, she was not too bad on the right front.

Vet had us bring her in the clinic to shoot a few x-rays to check her angles.  She took views of both front feet - lateral views.  She was very pleased with how level her knees and shoulders are.  Vet had us and our farrier come in and go over the x-rays with her.  Vet was thrilled with how good her feet are looking now and how far she was come.  She said she would not have expected this much improvement in two months - she was thinking we would be at this point in about six months!

So new plan is to keep shoeing her the same - except to re-shoe the back feet next week - keep her on a 4 week farrier cycle.  I am to give her 3-5 days off, due to the stone bruise - she got a gel pack in the right front to pull out the bruise and she is on a round of Bute.  Then, I am to go back to straight line trotting, lots of walking and can up the rides from 3 times a week to 5 if I want.  After one week  of this, I can add straight line canter - yeah!  She also said to start adding some shoulder in - just a few steps at a time.  She wants to make sure she is equally performing a shoulder in on both reins.  When she sees her back in 2 months, if all is going well, we can start adding circles.

Great check up!  Our vet was also very impressed with Riva's better attitude and willingness for her and the farrier.  She was pleased to hear how well she is responding under saddle and her more forwardness.  She also gave her a body score of 5 - loves her weight and muscleing at this time.

When the vet and farrier were finished, Riva loaded right up - on the first attempt - and we headed for Serenity.  Of course, she got lots of treats when we got home :)

Pics from CAF Show

Some pictures from Lex's Beginner Novice Show at CAF last Saturday

Warm up on Friday evening

After the Hunter Pace

They tied for 1st in Beginner Novice Derby Division

Getting some well deserved treats at the end of the day

So proud of Lex!  She has come a long way with Henny this summer :)

Riva Update & CAF Show

I have not posted much about Riva lately - we are still re-habbing and working to keep her front shoes on.  For the past two weeks, I have been riding her 3 days a week - for around 45 minutes.  Lots of walking and straight line trotting.

Last week, she was really getting back to her normal self.  The trot finally felt like I remembered and she was forward and happy - ears perked, floaty, moving freely in the shoulders.  In fact, I rode her in the outdoor jump arena on Friday afternoon for the first time in awhile.  It has been sooo hot, so I have been riding her in the indoor with our new arena fans blowing.  Anyway, Friday's ride was the first time I have been able to just squeeze the outside rein and get trot!  I was kinda shocked - we have been working towards this but not quite achieved.  I thought the first time, I must have squeezed my legs or bumped her with my heel - so I tried again...she moved in to trot from just the squeeze in the outside rein :)

I called the vet on Friday with my two week update.  She wants to see her before she oks more under saddle work.  We are shooting for this Friday afternoon to take her for a recheck, which will mean more x-rays this time, and more $$$.  On Friday, she will be a week out from her next farrier visit - so good timing if the vet wants any changes made in her shoes and trimming.

On other horse news, daughter had a show yesterday at Come Again Farms - event derby.  Wow, was it hot!  But her and Hennessy were awesome :) 

Arrived there Friday afternoon, got all our crap stuff moved in to the barn and Henny settled in his stall.  With the weather, we opted to put up a fan and so glad we did.  Henny spent most of his in stall time parked in front of it.  L got Henny tacked up and rode him in the outdoor dressage arena.  She had a good warm up and went thru her test.  She was riding Beginner Novice Test B for the first time - she had me watch and just tell her if she forgot something.  She skipped one move by mistake, corrected it, and finished up.  Got Henny cooled down and settled for the night in his stall.

Saturday arrived and Henny was stall walking when we got there and from the looks of his stall, had been at it for awhile.  After eating his morning feed, he still was not settling, so L took him out and hand grazed him for about 45 minutes.  This helped tremendously - any other time he was in the stall on Sat - he was munching hay or dozing.

L got on about 40 minutes before her Dressage Test time and warmed up.  Henny was a little stiff in the back left - usually is if he has been stall walking.  But he worked out of it and was moving well before her test time.  They did their test - thought it looked good and L remembered the test :)  After Dressage - tack change and jump warm-up time.  At CAF, when they have the event derby, the stadium and cross country are combined.  They start with 2 stadium jumps, then up the bank and in to the cross country field, jump 5 obstacles in the field, then back in to the stadium for 2 more jumps.  Henny looked good in the jump warm up and went clear, no faults, in their division.  Beg Novice at CAF is 2'7".  They have been schooling 3' at home and 3'3" just recently.

L and Henny placed 2nd - they were tied for 1st place - she was thrilled with that! They also tried the Hunter Pace for the first time and placed 5th.  L enjoyed it and Henny loved it - L said she kept having to slow him down - gotta love those OTTB's!

Pics to follow...soon.

Mother Daughter Time

Yesterday morning, I went and spent some time with my daughter, who is a working student this summer for our trainer.  She is having a great time - experiencing many new things, getting to travel to sanctioned shows, trail rides, having lessons with other instructors plus her trainer - but she works hard!  When I arrived about 10:30 am, she had the barn clean, stalls mucked, water and hay refilled, and all the horses turned out. 

We went out and got her horse, Hennessy, and one of her trainer's TB's for me to ride.  His name is Roman and he is an OTTB that our trainer events.  I felt very priviliged to ride him as he just got his Gold Medal in Beginner Novice Eventing!  He will be moving up to Novice level at their next event.

We tacked them up, dosed them down with fly spray, and headed outside.  We rode around the back of the property first, which is a tree orchard.  We finished up by riding down the long drive that leads out to the main road.  There was a tractor in the field by the drive cutting hay - neither horse was concerned out that.  It was great to ride a relaxed horse, that can actually walk next to another horse without laying their ears back or biting at them  (I love you still Riva!).



Here is my girl with Hennessy and Roman - Henny is on her left.

This is Roman - he is very cute :)

The chickens - just because I sooo want some - black and white please!

After our ride, we untacked, fly sprayed again, and turned the boys back out to their pasture.  We cleaned up and went out to lunch.  I had a great time and loved getting to spend some time with my daughter.  I miss riding with her...but know this working student position was a great choice for how to spend her summer.  She has an eventing show this weekend, so we will be hauling for her tomorrow afternoon.

Riva's Home

Thought I would share some pics of where we board our horses.  Since adopting our first OTTB 5 years ago, we have boarded at 3 different places.  Even though Serenity is a half hour drive, one way, from our home, we love having our horses there.

The pond we walk around often.

 

The jumping arena - all the jumps are moved around right now since they were getting ready to drag it.

Outdoor Dressage Arena - we have never rode when it is dark, but there are lights if you do.

A hay pasture we can ride the horse around the perimeter.  There are also trails further back.

The indoor - it has overhead sprinklers and the BO just had 3 large fans installed that are awesome in this heat!

I like that the stalls all have dutch doors.

The gelding pasture

Mare pasture



Most of the horses belong to the BO and her 2 adult daughters.  There are just 6 horses, besides our 3, that are owned by outside boaders.  It is quiet, well taken care of - love it!

I won a blog contest!

Thanks to Stacey at http://www.behindthebitblog.com/!  I was one of the winners in her latest contest.

I kindly gave the shirt to my youngest daughter - it so fits her personality and out look towards horses and people :)  Now the entire world will know...or at least those who read the shirt.

And We Are Trotting!

I made my 2 week update call to our vet last Friday to inform how Riva is progressing.  Vet said I can start trotting her, just on straight lines...no turns.  Still just riding 3 days a week for up to an hour each ride.  Call back in 2 weeks.  Sure beats not riding at all!

Our farrier was able to get out last Thursday, day after Riva threw her special right front shoe, and get it back on.  So happy her foot was not damaged and no hoof wall was lost.  Riva was perfect for the re-shoeing - she is loads better at standing for the farrier now.

I rode her at trot for the first time last Friday evening.  She was kinda hesitant,,,like asking if I was sure I wanted her to trot :)  She seemed stiff in the shoulders, but not off.  The girl got Saturday off and on Sunday we just did ground work and went for a hand walk around the property.  Our barn got 3 awesome arena fans installed and they make working in the indoor much more pleasant in this heat.  I did some ground work with Riva in there first, turning the fans on as I walked her around.  Riva was not phased at all by the noise or wind - good mare :)

I rode again on Monday - Happy 4th of July!  We only heard one gun shot while riding and Riva just raised her head a bit and looked toward the sound.  I rode in the jumping arena since it gives me the most opportunites and room for staight lines.  Riva was pretty pokey and still seems stiff in the shoulders.  Our BO is learning the Masterson technique and said she will do a work up on Riva when she gets back from vacation.  She has done some work on my daughter's TB and it seems to make a difference in how he moves - her dressage scores have improved and she is not getting comments from the judges on him looking tight.

Today I am getting a lesson on my trainers Lusitano at her place.  I have to drive some feed up to her place for my daughter's horse (the one who is a working student this summer for our trainer), so she offered me a free lesson for my time and gas - I'll take a free lesson anytime!