New Boots and a Suprise

the box with my new paddock boots arrived on Friday
I must say the are awful nice and kind of stiff.

I think they love great. My last pair had the zipper

and the elastic gore on the sides, these feel very different.

I was lucky enough to find them on Ebay at a tack

store that was going out of business and paid very

little. I think the small sizes don't sell very quick.

Rode in them last night, they still need to get

broken in, but they will be just fine.

after my ride I went to get Abu a treat from the

treat bucket, imagine my surprise when instead

of a treat I found this in the bucket. Yes I squealed

like a girl, and Abu did not get a treat. I really hope

this little guy relocates before I get to the barn today!!!

Presto....Change O

WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!! We did changes tonight! The first time I thought it was a "fluke", so I rode on for a bit and thought well lets just try that again...KAAAZAAAMMMM we had another change when I asked, clean both times, very calm!! SO I thought what the heck,lets try this the other way...............KAAAZZZAAMMMM!!! It happened again..twice both when asked, all clean. Right to left really smooth,,left to right he came up in the shoulders, but we did changes!!!!
Of course then I had the OH Crap moment and thought I really should not be doing this, not yet any way, so I went back to Counter Canter and he was fine, so most likely I did not mess him up. I of course called Trainer Tracey and reported in. She assured me that I had done nothing to mess up that wonderful little grey head of his. This is that moment that I have ridden a year for...It is true "There is no instant Dressage, one should count in years, not days" Bert Lingquist

Tagged!

Beth tagged me with some interesting facts about me: So here goes-

Name 4 jobs you have had-
Car Hop (in high school)
Grocery Store Manager
Foodservice Sales
Produce Sales and Marketing

4 ways you know you are living your life with purpose-
I wake to a clean slate everyday
I make at least one person smile each day
I always find the good in any situation
I give

4 things you do to take really good care of yourself-
naps
reading
riding
sitting in the garden

what are the 4 events that have most formed how you live your life today-
My Grandfathers passing
Getting Married
Buying Abu
Completing a Marathon

what are the 4 things you do to keep your motivation up to work out and eat healthy or what are 4 careers you have considered-
Long Haul truck driver ( when I was little)
Lobbyist
Writer
Comedian

Name the 4 people that have been the most influential in your life-
My Grandparents
Trainer Tracey
My husband
Princess Diana

4 reasons for staying away from refined sugar or 4 foods you will not eat-
lamb- bleck stinky gross
Ducky-bleck stinky greasy
Fruit Pie- gag
Strawberries- they have itty bitty hairs on them and I know I could feel them in my throat if I were to eat one

4 reasons you blog-
make friends
collective thinking
outlet
to be cool


so in turn I tag the following people:

Writing and Riding
Pony Girl
Beckz
Flying Lillies

Any Given Sunday and Farwell to a Faithful Companion

Well I can certainly tell that I have missed a few lessons here lately. I got lazy, Abu got lazy and as a pair we were gallumping around. One Tracey lesson and I am back on the straight and narrow. We have not been total slackers but, it was very clear that he had had some down time while I figured out the feets and survived the heat wave. I cant say we went backwards just not any progression.
Today was all about getting back in front of the leg. He is a smart cookie and came around rather quickly to that concept. We did some trot work, in the big trot with me sitting and I am going to have sore Abs in the morning. He had his teeth done Thursday so I think he still may have a tiny bit of muscle soreness in the jaw, so keeping him soft and supple was a task today. He did have a few great moments and the 10 meter canter circles were must likely the best we have ever done. I really felt him "jump" into each stride, not being an "uphill" horse it is very important that we maintain the jump. He is not "downhill" either, rather a level horse. But I am guessing if you don't have an uphill model then a level model is the next best thing.
A major focus of today was the transition from Canter to Trot. He grasped the Canter walk/halt really quickly and was under the impression that all Canter now ended in a walk, sorry my dear Gray Boy thats not how it works.
I am so glad I took a lesson. It keeps me sharp and focused, we don't have mirrors where I ride so sometimes it might "feel" right, but does not look right. I need that feedback from a trainer to keep me on task. All in all it felt great today. I am really proud of myself in I have finally gotten to the point where I can feel that he is going to cheat or do something naughty, and I have the skills to correct it when if not before it happens. I still need to master haunches in, I just feel all out sorts in my body during the movement and my trusty steed takes this to mean " oh she does not have a clue, so I will be as slow and lethargic as possible". He can very well do this movement as I have witnessed it with Trainer Tracey in the Pilots seat. Just more work and focus on my part and it will come as when it should and not one moment sooner.

Today I say good bye to dear barn buddy. My paddock boots have come to the end of their life. I am afraid the years of solid abuse have taken its toll. They are stretched out and the stitching is beginning to come undone. These boots have carried me many a mile at horse shows and around the barn. They were there when Abu coliced and we had to hand walk every hour. They were there when we bought Tonka. They have traveled well and put up with much injustice, seems the tall boots get more love than the paddocks. They were on my feet the day I got bucked off and ended up with broken ribs. They have been witness to most of my triumphs and defeats. They have served me well.The leather has worn well but the time has come. I will miss these boots.....

Head Gear

Here is a pic of the halter/bridle/bosal hackamore thing I have on its way for Tonka.

Look Pony Girl its an Appy doing the modeling!!!!

Who Cheesed Off Mother Nature?????!!!!!????

This time last week it was 100 degrees and we had the AC running. Weather bug is telling me right now it is 53 degrees. What the heck? And yes it is raining, too boot.

I think all of this crazy climate change has prompted the on set of the "Spring Cold". I have that itchy throat, itchy eyes and cough. So I will soon be in my PJ's under a blanket on the couch.

I have ordered Tonka a rope "natural horsemanship" style bridle and should have it by next weekend. The Bridle part is Royal blue with red and white flecks and the mecate is black, should look very nice on the little chestnut knucklehead.

We have no BIG weekend plans so I will be content to be lazy, although I do have a lesson on Sunday, so I will get my work out in. Abu is taking today to recover from his dental, but will be back at it tomorrow.

I am leaving you with a picture of Doxie Deliciousness, who cant smile at 2 baby doxies playing. Charly and Eddy are pretty much full grown I think but they will always be cute little puppies to me. Yes they run the house, yes they are spoiled, yes I love them like crazy!!!

Gold Star For Abu

Abu had his dental appointment today!! The Dr said he was the best patient of the day!!He is also a cheap date!
Very straight forward dental, nothing unusual, I know its crazy but I always worry. He was slowly coming back around when I left the barn. I like that dopey drugged pony look.
While Abu was getting his smile fixed I rode Tonka.
This was the first time I rode him western in about 2 years, in fact the was the first time I have sat in a western saddle in about two year. Wow there is a lot of saddle there. It took forever to get in cinched up and stirrups the correct length for my stubby 29 inch inseam. But Once we were all put together it was a pretty good ride. He WAS able to "lope" in a 20 meter circle in both directions with out his head stuck in the air like a Giraffe. I think I work him pretty hard as he was tired and sweaty when we got done. We also worked on standing still at the mounting block and WHOA!!! The concept of WHOA seems to rattle around in his head like a pea in a box car. We resorted to the old wall trick and he picked it up right away. He is such a tense little horse it takes half the ride just to get him relaxed. He has been this way since we got him. I will always think he had some rough handling before coming to live in Pony Paradise. He is a good boy, he just gets over whelmed and has a huge fear response if he gets stressed. He and I are not always the best match, but today we did OK. He even got both of his leads on the first try! He seems to be better now that we are riding him without asking him to be on the bit. Perhaps a Bosal or Hackamore might be in order. So in the end Abu gets a gold star and Tonka gets a silver star.

You could fry eggs on the sidewalk....

Well not really, but I think it was close!!!! we hovered around the 100 degree mark Friday and Saturday. Much to hot for riding, both horse and human would have suffered. Not worth it. Keep in mind it was 65 degrees on Thursday so it took everyone by surprise and was a shock to the system.

When its to hot to ride, whats a girl to do....SHOP!!! We spent the day looking at saddles for Tonka. Ended up driving just about 5 miles down the road where we found the perfect saddle. Paid what the lady was asking (100.00) and off we went. Turns out after talking to her for awhile that this saddle came of a Ranch in Eastern Oregon where her sister lives and it was just that a Ranch saddle.I grew up in a cow town in Eastern Oregon and this saddle brought back so many memories for me. I am glad we have it. When I look at it, I remember the first great Horseman in my life, my Grandfather. It looks like it has a story to tell, well loved, well ridden! We figured even if it didn't fit it might make a nice decorator piece. Turns out it fits Tonka better than any saddle we have ever tried. Hubby likes being a cowboy again. He spent all Saturday night gently rubbing neets foot oil into the leather till it was honey colored. Tonka looks very Handsome and so does my Cowboy in the Western Look.

On Sunday it was supposed to be only 85 degrees, so we headed for the barn nice and early. We were on the trail by 10:00 and had a great day. The boys were a bit fresh, but such is life. Notice my "cowboy" riding crooked? Cant seem to get that one worked out, he always drops off to the left and collapses right shoulder to right hip. Any gentle suggestions

I did not make it to Salem, the heat was just to much!!!

saddle, the one on the right

A DQ a Farrier and an Arabian Horse walk into a Bar....

So I have been pretty busy the last few days with WORK (4 letter word) and the quest to get better feet for Abu.
I have had some consults and meetings. Some were good while others left a bad taste.
Yesterday I met with my current Farrier. I let him know my concerns and my expectations. He can be a bit "touchy" about such things. I was pleasantly surprised. He was open and listened to what I had to say. At one point he said " I can really see you have been studying and know what your talking about". He did go ahead and reset the shoes and agreed that perhaps things were indeed not right. He took his time and I think the shoes look the best they ever have. We agreed that after Nationals the feet can indeed be rested. He had horse move for him, he just took the time that was needed to get a good end result. So we scheduled the next appointment and I felt good about it.Maybe the key was just to make sure all the communication lines were wide open.

I am trying a new hoof dressing...PINE TAR. Let me tell you this stuff stinks to high heaven. I spoke with Mrs.Mom(sorry not sure how to make a link) about this wonder goo. My local feed store only has it on a small paint can type container, and it turns out I bought the last one as no one ever buys it. I must say I did have an OH Crap moment once I got the can open. Imagine black stinky slimey gelatin at its best. I was not brave enough to just go straight from the can as it had no brush, so I spent 35 minutes carefully scooping the goo from one container to an almost empty hoof dressing bottle. Once that was done I spent another 35 minutes shaking the container to insure proper mixing. Oh yes the tool of choice for transfer, a stick, it was small enough to fit in the dressing bottle. I must say it looks rather impressive once applied to hoof, THANK YOU Mrs.Mom!! While I was making the transfer I realized that I used to always use Friebrings hoof dressing in the past. In the old days it would get very thick if the weather was cold and had a stink as well. This year it never got thick and the smell was almost not there at all. I always had good hooves with the the old stuff, but the new Friebrings did not seem to do much and thats why I switched to Hoof Flex. Now I am wondering if they changed the formulation to have less pine tar. Has anyone else noticed this? Just curious, I know for none human items the mfg does not need to disclose if they make a change in ingredients. This can be from fly spray to dog food and anything in between. So from now on I will be making my own wonder hoof dressing and it will cost me $5.00 instead of $17.89.
All ls well that ends well...I am off to see Mikeal at a Horse Show today and then a trail ride. Does life get any better?
Oh yes the western saddle that we loaned out, that I forgot about, does not fit the Tonka monster ( low withered, mutton shouldered, Bull Dog built QH/Arab cross that he is) however I found a very nice trail saddle on tack trader that is right here in my town and as soon as the seller gets me some measurements we may be off to have a look at it!!!! The one on the right, what do you think for a knock around trail saddle.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With One Small Step

As you all know I have been having some internal battles concerning the hooves. I have spent the last several days talking to you, owners, bare footers, barefoot trimmers, farriers, vets and just about anyone I thought may have some insight. I have reviewed nutrition, read article on top of article, surfed the net, bought books and pretty much saturated my brain. I have called upon just about every resource I have. I have now scheduled a few consults based on all of this information. I have not chosen any particular path at this time. I have some tough questions to ask of these folks as well as my current farrier, but in the end I know that I will know who is the right person to take care of the Booster.

Everyone that reads this blog has been so supportive and helpful over the last few days. You all have talked me off the cliff a few times via comments, in person or email. Thank you and I will let you know how this all turns out. I have a pretty good feeling we are near a conclusion.

The boys got to enjoy a few spring teaser days this weekend and were spoiled accordingly.

As for training, I don't have a show until August so I am taking some time to enjoy more just play time. Last night I rode with the focus of just keeping the connection soft and the aids as small as possible. I told myself this is a no stress ride, we will do just what we are capable of today. Amazingly he stayed soft, connected and was responsive. We actually had an easier time with some of things we struggle with. I did not force any issue and when asked for haunches in he was willing. We did 15 meter canter circles, all kinds of transitions, leg yields...really we just stayed true to what is on the First Level tests and a tiny bit of Second. It was relaxing for me and for him.

Unfortunately the JOB gets in the way sometimes and I arrive at the barn stressed and a ball of nerves. Last night I said NO fruit factory, this is MY time. I need to remind myself to do that nightly, if I am grouchy and tense he will feel it and we will not have a good night. I need to remember that Abu and the Barn are my refuge from the rest of the world.

A Ride to Clear the Mind

I took some time to do a trail ride this weekend. Yes in just a bareback pad, and no I didnt eat any dirt. If you look closely it looks like the Booster Boy is asleep. It was so nice to just hang out with him and not work on anything.

more on the hooves

First let me clear the air and say my farrier has done nothing that I have not asked him to do. He has done the very best that he can.
Second I was going to post pics but I have decided to not do that, in the interest of fairness to all parties concerned. If you would like to see the pictures please email me dq4abu@gmail.com and I will be happy to email them to you.
Here is a run down of feed, turnout, training etc.
He is turned out seven day a week, he does sleep in a stall.
He gets reset every 4-6 weeks depending on growth.
He eat Eastern Oregon Hay 8-12lb per day-weight is excellent body score 5-6
He gets Allegra 2x daily. 1 scoop am/1.5scoop pm with horse gaurd vits, majesty cookie, farriers formula, strongid and 1/4 c wheat germ oil
He works 5x weekly, w/2 full days off. Each work out is approx 1hr and some trail rides
We are showing First Level this year, schooling Second and a bit of Third.
The arena has amazing footing.

Internal Battle Field

I am getting ready to make a choice that will affect me and more importantly Abu. I spoke in my last post that he has not great feet. Let me start with some background on this. When I bought him he wore no shoes and with in a month of buying him I made the choice to have shoes. My farrier has done the best that he can all things considered.
However the feet arenot getting better they are getting worse. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different result. That's where I am at.
I have made an appointment for next Friday at 10:00 to meet a holistic hoof care specialist for a consult. I have spoke to several on the phone and this guy was the only one that did not tell me I was an idiot and already doing everything completely wrong for my horse. One I spoke with pretty much told me I was a horrible horse owner, I did not care for him correctly, did not feed him correctly and have most likely destroyed any chance of him leading a healthy life. I will not meet with this woman.
So here lies my dilemma. If I make the decision to remove the shoes and go natural I don't know if we will be able to go to Sport Horse, my dream. If I leave the shoes on I continue to damage the hoof possibly. I am doing lots of reading and trying to educate myself as much as possible. Tonka wears no shoes and has never had a hoof problem. I cant really make an informed decision till after I meet with the Holistic guy.
Also there is the emotional part of all this. My current farrier has made it very clear that if you choose another path you are not welcome back to his client roster. Almost everyone in my barn uses this farrier. I have spoken with Barn Owner S and she is supportive of any choice I make, but I know in the long run it will put her in an wierd place for a bit. I just don't know what to do. I do know that Abu is my baby and I will go to the ends of the earth to get this right for him. I have spoken about different options including pulling shoes for a bit with current farrier and he is an adamant NO.
Does anyone have any insight, I would love any and all feedback.

Da Feets....

Well Mr Abu is possibly the Arab with the worst feet in all of America. He also delights in removing his shoes. I once found both of his front shoes hanging side by side in a wire fence, and he looked smug. I really don't think he cares if his toes look pretty.
So last Friday the Gray Devil managed once again to remove his right front shoe. I swear any other horse that removed shoes this much would be lame, not the Booster Boy. I think its a game. Have farrier come visit, remove shoes, so he can see farrier again.
Now I am very particular about his feet. He wears bell boots 24/7, good ones that are heavy duty. He gets his Hoof Flex a minimum of 5 times per week. He gets Horse Guard hoof and hair formula. I treat for thrush that is not even there regularly. He gets pedicures regular as clock work. He never sleeps with muddy feet. His feet are taken better care of than mine. I follow the farriers instructions to a T, I never deviate from what he tells me to do. And still we throw shoes.ARRRRRRGGGGGG. Now he does grow odd, he seems to want to grow really fast at the toe and slow at the heel. He is just an odd horse. Tonka wears no shows and is as Happy as a pig in mud. Go figure.
So he has been on light work since Friday just lunging and in hand work. Let me just say that is not nearly enough for an almost 8 year old VERY fit Arab. He has soooo much energy. He must be worked to keep his little mind busy. He was actually a bad boy last night and struck out at me when I was doing in hand. Hoof hit my thigh and I have a nasty bruise. He has never done that before.
So I called farrier on Monday, no return call. Barn Owner S calls farrier Tuesday, finally gets return call but call gets lost. I call farrier again, no return call. Barn Owner S calls me today and says farrier will be to barn sometime after 4pm today. I race to barn after work (in work clothes) and wait for farrier. At 6pm farrier calls Barn Owner S, he wont be out till Thursday morning. ARRRGGGG. I don't think farrier has very good time management skills. Oh well what are you gonna do right...just annoying.

If You cant beat em Join em!!

I rode Tonka yesterday. It was made very clear that even though he could be an amazing Dressage horse, he would much rather remain a cow pony. He is western. So I am on the hunt for a saddle for him. The poor little guy just cant take the pressure of being on the bit, it over whelms him.

I took an in hand lesson today, very interesting. I must say I want to learn more about this.

And for those of you that were curious as to what "buzzing" the arena is hop on over to Beth and Sams place as she uploaded a video of a aged DQ pretending to be a Rodeo Queen, trying to capture a bit of my youth perhaps.http://www.samthehorse.blogspot.com

First Saturday in May

20 three year olds took the to the track today at Churchill Downs....only 19 returned to the paddocks.
Please think of "EIGHT BELLES" and her humans today, a young filly lost much to soon.