Just when I get it together...

So a few things have happened for Riggs and I since my last post.

Firstly, he became rideable. Well not properly, he was a total arse for my friend and bucked her off twice before he settled down enough to plod around for her. And to even get to that point I had to chase him mercilessly on the lunge to expunge all his energy. I still feel super, super guilty about that because I keep going back to his bow and this niggling thought that all this circle work is so bad for it. But you know, I can't do straight line work if I can't sit on him. He is a really nice ride once he's quiet though, so there's hope if we can end his dangerous streak. And it was good for my nerve to get on him and feel safe too. Not to mention good for his over inflated ego about being the boss.

All saddled up and looking smart

 My friend sorting him out

Me having a ride

On lunging: he's a bit fuzzy on it really. He understands 'trot on' and sometimes agrees to 'walk on', but not often. He seems to be of the opinion that he should just immediately trot (especially when going clockwise) as that is what we'll be doing shortly anyway. And this is truly a fine sentiment, and I'm pleased he gets 'trot on', but other things are important too. Like, he wouldn't even move going clockwise on Sunday, that took some mighty convincing. I'm using commands along with the whip so that eventually my voice will be all he needs, but he's not making it an easy job, and to be honest, the lack of consistency isn't helping the situation. Another thing he's bad at is stopping, we're working on that and cantering!! He canters for a quarter to half a circuit then just stops. Like properly halts and turns to face me. I think this is a matter of unbalance and again, lack of consistency of training and will be improved in time. We had an okay half hour session on the Sunday just gone. His anti-clockwise work is basically very good, clockwise not so much. Practice, practice, practice.

His weight is also really good at the moment, I'm so happy with him! It's gotten to the point where his feed is being cut back so he doesn't get too big. I cannot express how pleased I am about that.

10/2/13

I also had an equine myotherapist come out to look at him on Sunday to see if his rodeo problem was muscular. He crossed off hind leg as he walked a little and carried his tail slightly off side - classic signs of pain so the EMT went over him and found his tender spots and he was a very, very good sport about the whole experience. He was good for nearly an hour before the annoyed tail swishing gave way to annoyed raspberries (he was so, so annoyed, but he was so cute!!! I just laughed at him.). And despite being very macho TB about the whole experience - 'Enjoy this? Never.' - I saw his top lip twitching. He's such a funny man. He moved much more freely after the massage so I know it's done him good, I'm just yet to see if it'll have helped his rodeo performances.

I had planned out this week so that he was exercised Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with a similar schedule next week. And today being Tuesday my friend and I were going to repeat the riding experiment to see if the massage had helped. Everything was coming together! And then, I totalled my car on the way home on Sunday. I have grade one whiplash from the experience and no car. So my training plans are in total disarray. I can't get a job without the car, I can't go work with Riggs without the car and my finances are slowly but surely drying up. So I'm in a bit of a bind for the moment. Eventually my dear Riggs is going to have to go away to school for training as I am just completely unable to give him the necessary consistency at this time; it's so frustrating!! But for that to happen I need money. So Riggs is basically having yet another holiday. It's tough being Riggs.

Sometimes, I just want things in my life to go right.

Video Time!

So, I know photos are great and all, but I thought it might be interesting for those who can't just come and visit him to actually see him in action :)

Boots, Wraps or Nude?

As I'm sure I have mentioned countless times, Riggs has an eight month old bowed tendon. I don't know the specifics of the injury except it happened during his final race, felt like a catastrophic sesamoid snap to his jockey, is a low bow and has healed/is healing really well. I find no heat in the leg after light trotting on the lunge, but then the real test will come when the heavier work begins. I watch my horse's legs like a hawk to detect the slightest amount of troubling heat.

With injury comes the question of prevention and support. As a human with multiple tendon and ligament injuries in all limbs (and now a broken bone) it has always been my strategy to provide strength and support to my given injured joint when under stress. I have heavily utilised strapping tape, tubi grip, straps and braces to strengthen, protect and support susceptible limbs. But is it the same for horses?

So far as I can tell there are two schools. You protect your horse's legs or you leave them bare.

Within the protective group are those who use polo wraps and those who use boots. The pro polos out there spout the support polos give, but given the nature of that wrap, how can that be? Research has suggested that the support offered by polo wraps is about 1% and for me, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Those negatives being the potential for bandage bow and the array of dangerous situations incorrectly wrapped polos can create. Further to that, it is strongly suggested from multiple sources that polos do exactly zero to prevent injury. However, many others (vets included) suggest that used correctly, polos provide a superior support, but not necessarily protection. At the end of the day, I must confess that I am not comfortable wrapping my horse's legs.

Boots are another matter entirely. I think that the primary function of boots is to prevent hard impact, in which case Riggs' legs would be in no way supported. He has a set of tendon boots which, for all intents and purposes, stop him or anything else knocking his tendon. So this is a kind of prevention, but not necessarily the prevention/protection I am after. In the course of my research I have become partial to sports medicine boots (SMBs). However, I am still sceptical about how much support they'd give Riggs. But that doesn't stop me from returning to them. I'm particularly fond of the way they cover the fetlock - something I value for a horse with a low bow. My other great concern with any kind of neoprene type boot is the heat retention - which brings me to my final school of thought.

Bowed tendons need to be brought back slowly so that the tendon fibres can realign in a way that allows as much movement in the leg as possible. The tendon also must be kept cool. So this is where the bare legs come in. Many feel that there is no substitute for pure conditioning to strengthen a horse's legs with the aid of boots or wraps. Some feel that boots, SMBs in particular, weaken the horse's legs as they learn to rely on the support of the boot or wrap. All these boots and wraps also affect the natural heat dissipation of the tendon. As the tendon surpasses its optimum temperature the cells begin to die and the tendon is left in distress - which is why we are told to remove boots after exercise and to hose legs off. And there is another reason to leave his legs bare. In terms of prevention, this is essentially it.

On the whole, this is a subject that continues to trouble me. I want to do the best by my boy; I don't want to protect him so much that I hurt him. But I also don't want to under protect him to the point of injury. And still the question remains... boots, wraps or nude?

On the lunge

It's New Year's Eve in Australia so let me to be the first to say happy new year!

I visited Riggs over the weekend just past and was delighted to see how friendly he was! He left the company of his girlfriend to greet us and later voluntarily followed me up to the barn (no halter or lead!). He's so very sweet now that he's settled in and it's rewarding to see his personality shine through.

He also had his third trot on the lunge and despite some general silliness (though it was nice to see him feeling well all the same) he moved quite freely. And this was a vast improvement on the way he dragged the inner hind and was brushing two weeks ago. He's a total giraffe though, head in the clouds haha. Can't wait to teach him to drop his head.

We also made zero progress on learning 'woah'. However, he is crystal clear on 'stand' and 'stand up', so I may well settle for those. The other thing that was mildly concerning was seeing how ribby he'd become. He looks alright standing but on the move... just wow. We have added pollard to his feed so hopefully we'll see the positive effects of that shortly.

 The girlfriend... how cute are they!

 See, he looks alright here - light on, but alright

 But the ribbiness here actually makes me want to cringe

Giraffe!!!

One month with Riggs

Today marks one month with my wonderful boy - and it's both an exciting an eventful ride.

He arrived on a warm Wednesday morning - November 21st to be exact - and he caught his first glimpse of four lunatic zebra looking things. That first look was enough to send him flying back up the paddock toward the driver who'd dropped him off. However he soon overcame his fear and was chatting with the Fjords over the fence! He soon went out into a more private paddock to settle in.

Meeting Gus

Checking out his new digs

Two weeks later and he had settled in well, chatting with the Fjords over the fence as frequently as possible. He was eating well and even flipping his tyre feeder when he thought he hadn't gotten enough. Riggs also received his first bath and was a very good sport about it (even when he stole the hose while drinking out of it) and he was an even better sport when I removed all the knots from his mane. On December 1st I also *attempted* to ride him for the first time. The ride ended in a very convincing bucking bronc display that included much spinning around, bucking, rearing and pig rooting. Once all four feet started leaving the ground the saddle turned into an ejection seat, a stirrup came clean off and I went past his shoulder hand first fracturing my scaphoid (don't worry, I hadn't heard of it either... apparently it's a carpal bone under your bone). Riggs was then turned out with Gus for the first time and they had a merry time cantering around the paddock together. He also gave a secondary bronc display (someone is super keen for the rodeo!!). His bowed leg pulled up really well from the hi jinks, so he'd be getting lunged after that display from that point on!

Looking smart after his bath 

 Looking smart and sexy all saddled up

 Running with Gus

A taste of the bronc act... This photo taken with my broken hand ;)

Another two weeks passed and he had his first visit from the farrier (Saturday just gone)! She liked him a lot and was happy with the condition of his hooves. She also commented on how he walked, flicking his toes out and putting his heel down first indicating no hoof soreness at all! So very good news indeed. He was also so good about the trim!! He didn't move at all - quiet enough for me to hold with my fractured wrist. He's the most perfect gentleman on the ground. He's also started lunging last weekend and the weekend before and happily remembers exactly how to do so. He thought we were truly awful people putting his bridle on and making him trot in circles... much lip flapping and head tossing was done. 

This week, one month into his new home he met the two retired standardbreds on a neighbouring property and he is absolutely in love with these mares. My aunt tells me he spends his day chatting. Yesterday he refused to come in for dinner (and he loves his food!) and had to be caught as part of being convinced and this morning he rejected breakfast altogether! Unbelievable. It must be comforting though to see horses that look much more like the racehorses he'd been around for around eight years - I can see how the Fjords would be a huge culture shock! Happily though, he didn't need much convincing to come eat his dinner tonight.

Overall, he's settled in really, really well. He prefers being out with the Fjords to being on his own (his head is down grazing far more often) and he's super sociable with people. He comes up to the gate when he sees you, loves his carrots, pulls faces at meal times and even blows the occasional raspberry. He's so gentle and polite that I can't believe he threw me! I can't wait for my wrist to heal so that our next month can be even better!