We've been going out for our walks inhand (and the dry weather is a god send) and playing a little in the school. Daffy has a girlfriend; she's bigger than him, and she's the boss, but he's a very happy pony, especially now that he constantly has haylage in his stable. Food oriented much?
Right now we're dealing with him being a bit footsore. The yard drive can be a bit stoney, and they've just resurfaced the road at the end which doesn't help. He's wearing boots on all four when we go for our walks and we're giving him AlphaBute to help his comfort levels. Touch wood, this is the worst of his physical problems now, hock aside, and his muscles are rebuilding slowly.
Getting there!
]]>Retirement does not suit him, of that I am certain. It's also rather difficult to entertain a clever pony who is seriously limited in what he can do. Mostly, we've been walking out inhand, all in a headcollar (quite the feat!), but we've also been playing in the school.
I'm actively getting back into CT again in an attempt to find new things to do. Sometimes we're allowed to do lateral work, sometimes we mustn't do any hill work. Whatever I do, I have to make sure I don't teach him anything that might cause YO problems.
We had a blast today. First in his stable, I've hung an old milk bottle up, and we were targeting that. Then a different bottle in the school, attempting to teach him to pick it up. Then we had a shavings bag (Daffy maintains he's scared of them) pinned to the ground. He won't put a hoof on it after scaring himself the other day, but he'll touch it with his nose again, so building that slowly. We also did some "stay" and "come" work, and he had a roll before we went out for a walk.
We are making progress on the physical side, he even felt up to jumping one day last week, and proudly heaved himself over a 1ft tops cross pole a few times. If not for the fact that a) he had his shoes pulled - so far so good - and b) he hurt himself in the field, he would've been under saddle a couple of weeks ago.
I've ordered a trick training book, in the hopes of finding more ideas, and I really want to get him one of those large horse training balls, but perhaps not at £50.
]]>We went through various lameness workups, he improved significantly to about 95% and we were given permission to get a saddle fitted, and told to bring him back into work. Vets seem to have this obsession with working an unsound horse to make them worse - yes it makes any problems more obvious, but I don't like it. Been told back, feet and hocks; different things from different people which never makes life easy.
We got down the lane once, he was nicely forward and a tad sharp but the second day Daffy wouldn't let me mount. Often he would be a bit eager to get going and wouldn't stand, but 20 minutes later I had called it quits after getting a foot in the stirrup with minimum pressure on it. Clearly he wasn't just eager to go - he didn't want me up there. Cue vets again, upshot is nerve blocks and xrays on his right hock, nerve blocks would allow us to look at his right fore, and once the hocks have been addressed, we can look at his back.
The vets that messed up our insurance claims over the last two years want the account balance paying off, despite the fact that they appear to have made no effort to resolve the problem. Ultimately, I cannot afford to pay that and for £1-2k worth of investigation and treatment, nevermind the fact that the outcome of such may not be positive anyway.
Daffy is rather enjoying his retirement for the time being, but woe betide me if I do not take him out onto the bridleway every day to wander and graze!
]]>He was hopping on his right fore, on the right rein, in the school, but fine on the left rein and on harder ground, for about a week. I didn't lunge him for a week then, and he has now levelled out a bit - still not great on his right fore, but better, and not great on his left fore either. Still significantly worse in the school than on the drive, and still happy in himself.
We're not sure what he's done, but what's the betting that it's expensive? X-rays are on the cards, I need to speak to the vet again next week and get her thoughts; she saw him when he was particularly lame and will probably need to see him again now things have changed.
The NFU paid out in full on the tack claim though, so at least something is looking up!
]]>He barged out of his stable last week, and proceeded to bomb out of the yard (I can run faster these days now my shoulder is sorted - hurrah!) and give us the run around on the road for 10 minutes. I know that I would've caught him no problem if I'd just left him grazing on the verges for 15 minutes (as if), and indeed I was able to walk straight up to him and put an arm over his withers before ringing YO to request some sort of catching apparatus, but once the bridle was there, he was off. He keeps life interesting, to say the least.
I'm hopeful that I will get a cheque from the NFU this week and we'll have tack to go to a show on the bank holiday Monday. I would do the veteran inhand and ridden classes, or maybe just the inhand (and perhaps welsh inhand) as I'm not sure I fancy a pulling match around the ring, but equally I don't feel it would be appropriate to put him straight back into a double bridle after so much time off.
We'll see, I'm trying not to plan anything until the last minute in the hope that nothing else will go wrong!
]]>I'm still out of action, and to top it off, our tack was stolen at the start of April. Still in the process of sorting out the claim form.
Daffy is looking very well and enjoying increasing amounts of time in the field (on grass too!) but getting bored. We've been doing a lot of targetting in his stable and the school, which he loves of course, but I can't wait to be back on board.
]]>Following a visit to the chiropractor yesterday, during which I was told I had the worst shoulders he'd seen in a long time and had to have my right shoulder relocated.
I've had to pull out of the competition, and will be doing sod all for at least the next week. I can't afford to be pulled about, and Daffy can do quite a bit of that.
There's always something. 
I've just had the month from hell workwise, and with the school being out out action, poor Daffy has been extremely bored. He had to resort to being a sod for YO to catch to make life interesting, although they did go out for a hack together last week, and both enjoyed it from the sounds of things. On top of that, I can't get on here from home (lord knows why) so I'm being forced to abuse the system at work.
Some good news - work has calmed down a bit (and I have some time to take off in lieu) and the school is now finished. It's two layers of rubber on one layer of sand, so it's pretty deep at the moment, and we need to take it easy.
We've been in, inhand Thurs/Fri/Sat, just lunging in walk and focusing completely on inside flexion, ignoring everything else. Then a bit of follow me, go back etc, and a quick trot in a straight line. Yesterday I jumped on bareback - there was a heck of a lot of movement through his back, and when I asked for a few strides of trot it was seriously springy! I need a neck strap to sit that. He's definitely working better, and provided he doesn't strain himself in the school, I think it'll really help him.
Some bad news - our physio and instructor, Amanda, is laid up in hospital after hitting the deck in style and getting a ride in the air ambulance. We've managed to find another therapist for tomorrow, and Susan is coming out to work through P14 with us on Thursday, but Amanda is under strict instructions to get well soon because we miss her already!
We're doing P14 on Saturday in Team Dressage - watch this space!
]]>Daffy was significantly easier to ride this week, although still needs an awful lot of work to get him up off his forehand and balanced before we can start introducing the level of impulsion that the judges are asking for. I'd managed to get out on the lane weds/thurs and just did lots of transitions, and again in the warmup yesterday to get him more off the leg. I've now ditched the spurs as Daffy seems to be completely over his napping, touch wood.
We did well in the walk and trot, getting 62% and coming third, then we were consistant in the prelims getting 53% in each and "special" rosettes.
The best part - we had some nice canter! In the third warmup (I only did 5 mins between tests to work on our canter on the rubber surface, Daffy spent the rest of the time grazing) he was more forward than the others, and we managed a few reasonably balanced strides on each rein.
I though that the tests got progressively better, although the results don't reflect that so much, but we managed a circle on the right rein in P1 and all the canter (two long sides, two circles and across two diagonals) in P10, if it was a little rushed. We got 5's for our canter in P10 - better than before!
Nothing on now until March when we might get over to Manor Grange and we're on the list for team dressage on the 22nd. Despite the fact that his work has been really limited lately he still seems to be improving (particularly out hacking, he regularly works through his back now of his own accord) so I can't wait to crack on when the school is finished.
Just to add in - we got 52.91% (why can't they just round up?!) in P14 last week - nothing if not consistant! A word of advice too - if you use an A4 envelope but only put a small stamp on, you'll get caught for £1 on top of the 6p short because you didn't use a large stamp.
]]>Things to work on - standing for mounting from the ground and manners in company - he's fine with both on his own, but we have this gymkana coming up.
It made me worry a bit about our dressage yesterday - was it going to be like the show in November where he was completely out of control?
Actually, although he tried to tank off with me a few times, he was pretty much dead to the leg - nothing to worry about there!
I went with 3 aims;
1. Stay inside the arena
2. Complete both tests without a memory failure
3. Get over 50% in both tests
Well we met 1 & 2, and got 55% in P10, don't know on P14 yet.
Comments were generally that he needs to move more off the leg (agreed), we got 4's and a 5 for our canter - we got some (hurrah!) but he couldn't maintain it long, and I didn't push the issue. We had a few bits of nice work too. I came out feeling absolutely knackered - it'll be transitions, transitions, transitions when the school is done.
I felt P14 went better, it certainly rode better. Got a much better trot in parts, same issue with the canter, but he maintained it for slightly longer on the circles. I'm hoping the comments reflect all that!
We're riding P10 again next weekend, at a different venue, but hoping we can go back to Manor Grange at some point, it was lovely and calm, until Daffy didn't want to come home and towed OH across the field!
]]>Ok, Daffy really feels well when it's cold and not so damp, but how are you supposed to do anything with all the snow/ice? We're so lucky to be on a yard where he can go out everyday - at least I know he's getting a leg stretch. I find myself completely dependent on the school now - we spent two years without a school to speak of, just hacking at weekends. I suppose the difference is that the regular little bits of work weren't quite so important then.
I managed to get a couple of photos on Saturday, think he's looking well!
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Spent half of yesterday up at Bishop Burton with the SJ team - the new arena is stunning! I'm 99% decided that we'll be going to camp there in summer (all the usual caveats - money, transport and soundness!), can't wait to ride in it!
In the mean time we've entered P10 and P14 on the 15th - that is going to be interesting! If I can get to the yard tonight I need to try and get his mane sort of clean, it feels really greasy, then plait it onto the right side.
]]>Bit of a bummer when we have a few events lined up;
15th Feb - dressage (P10 and P14 possibly)
22nd Feb - dressage (Intro A, P1 and P10)
21st March - team dressage (P14)
13th April - gymkana wars!
None the less, they were never going to be boring whether I'd schooled him or not! We may not make it, will have to see how it all goes.
I had to buy some new knee boots yesterday (at £70! Ouch!) as his original Jeffries ones are in for repair (took 3 weeks last time) and the cheap spare pair, which were rubbish anyway, broke on Sunday. Every horse owner has a few things they're obsessed with, and knee boots for hacking became one of mine last year. At least this means I can continue doing things with him - work is pretty quiet and therefore flexible at the moment, so no problem starting late or finishing early to get some daylight.
We have physio tonight, obviously had to cancel the lesson, but I could do with a bit of a pep talk, and Amanda is the best person I know for that when it comes to Daffy!
]]>I'm getting some nice trot work, although tonight he was really weighting the inside shoulder. He also started trying to snatch the reins from my hands when being allowed to stretch forward. I don't think he's ready to start working up yet, the lower work isn't consistant by any means, but I need to make sure I'm not working him onto his forehand and stop him from leaning. We're also just starting to think about shoulder in (or out, to make use of his counter flexing evasion) in trot, just a couple of strides at a time. He finds that much easier to bring his shoulders left, because he's not then having to engage his stiffer hind leg, so going to focus on getting the reliabilty on the left rein first.
The main reason for blogging tonight - when doing a search for Daffy's family, which I like to do regularly incase the internet has been updated, I came across some videos I thought I'd lost on an old computer. These are from 2005, just after his tack was stolen, and that was his first time in the double jointed pelham. It was 2006 when he really started evading the pelham, and October 2006 when the physio started to correct his neck/pelvis.
http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=AA0DEBBE27D42409
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http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=542B8AAF41B6E487
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http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=D096873FD4A74F79
Check out the (really bad) lengthened trot! Ok the riding is dreadful and he isn't exactly soft or balanced in his way of going, but I know how easily I could fix it if that was what I had to work with at the moment. As it is, I'm not sure I'll ever see such paces from him again, I live in hope that he could return to that level of soundness!
]]>We went out in the trailer with Sarah and Billy on the 6th, off for a group ride with the Calderdale Saddle Club. Both boys loaded well (Billy is used to travelling alone, and Daffy isn't used to an Ifor W. trailer!) and we all had a fantastic time! Daffy was extremely well behaved, which boosted my confidence with cantering him in company, and now one of my new year resolutions is to go hunting next season. Huge thankyou to Sarah for taking us, hope we get to do more of the same soon!
The bad part of that day, was Daffy's chest flared up, it looked really red and raw. Had the vet out, who said fungal infection, shampoo every 3 days. The lumps went very quickly, but it's still flaky, and there is some hairloss, some has grown back, black of course, so he looks a bit weird. Fingers crossed it's going - I ended up buying a new turnout (so his other rugs can be washed without him freezing), two anti rub bibs and some potions from Eqyss, totalling £120! Horses eh?
In terms of his soundness, we're still having good and bad days. He's now on CortaVet instead of CortaFlex, on the low maintenance dose. I've asked YO to double the dose (to maintenance level) when it's been raining, as I'm beginning to realise that the bad days relate directly to when it's wet.
We've had two lessons recently, the first was videoed, and I posted the videos on a forum for critique. After some useful comments (including up the stirrups a hole, check the position of his saddle, and he needs driving forward more) there were some comments made about Daffy's soundness (it wasn't a particularly good day, in hindsight) and the thread ended up being removed.
The second lesson was on a good day, and we were on our own in the school. Daffy was already much more forward, but we got some absolutely fantastic trot work out of him - next time we can have a lesson in day light, we'll try to catch that sort of work on camera. It was stretchy, babyish, but really what he needs right now. He wasn't particularly stiff that day, and asking him to go from working trot (5 on the scale) to 4.5 and 5.5 really helped to wake him up.
We're aiming for our first competition of the year on the 22nd Feb - Intro A, P1 and P10. We aren't cantering at the moment, and just want to test the water, so I'm not sure how it's going to go, but should be fun none the less. 
I'm posting this simply to put down a few musings so I don't forget them before I ride again.
To soften the jaw; gentle asks with alternate hands in time with the respective foreleg leaving the floor. Timing is important because the "ask" is a request for Daffy to soften his jaw AND lighten in front, and the shoulders cannot be influenced when their feet are on the floor.
Improving the canter - currently Daffy's canter is rushed because he is on his forehand, he is falling in through the inside shoulder, and his hind end is not engaged. I need to slow the canter first and foremost, engage the hind end and then lift the shoulders, all of which should correct the falling in. To slow the canter - use of the core muscles to control my pelvic circles during canter; if I go slow and deliberate Daffy will hopefully pay attention. In conjunction with this, half halts with the outside rein and seat as the outside foreleg leaves the floor, which should also lift his shoulders. Using my inside calf as his inside leg leaves the floor will help to engage his back end. I need to sit tall and straight to stop him falling in.
A lot to remember when I'm up there, but I hope to get a chance to try this on Saturday. He is having tomorrow off as I think he's a bit tired from a lot of work recently.
]]>Things have improved in leaps and bounds since my last post, literally at one point. We managed to get our lesson in with Amanda, and we decided that because he is looking and generally feeling a lot better, we'd see about some real work. Daffy wasn't too impressed at being told to go forward with my spurs and self preservation kicked in with the canter work so we stopped after two circles on each rein, but we got some very nice trot work.
On the whole he's been a lot better to work since that lesson, I've not needed to take such a "move or die" approach since. I'm starting to build together a toolkit of exercises to work on, see http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/boards/index.php/topic,32656.0.html and I have another lesson tomorrow.
We've been on two really long hacks (well, 2-2.5hours), last weekend and today, as well as lots of shorter ones. I've been on the lookout for different places to go, and Daffy has been enjoying himself. I realised that him being out in the field before being worked makes such a difference, so we're doing our best to arrange that now. A friend we rode out with today said how bright and happy he looks - she's known him since January and thinks he's looking the best he has all year.
I agree, but Dad reckons he looks like an RSPCA advert with his ribs showing! The show photos are from November, and the others are from Christmas day when they all came to see him. He's had some protein lumps and an allergic reaction on his chest, but those seem to have pretty much gone now he's on some different haylage.
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Had the saddle fitter out yesterday, and it was a whole size too wide - thank god I bought an adjustable saddle! Some alterations to both the tree and the flocking, and we're good again. Whether or not he'll regain that muscle is debateable, but I have a new drive to work him.
The weekend of the 29th/30th, we went out for a group hack on the Saturday. It was foggy, so we went up the hill, and he was a little slow to begin with, but then got more forward, and we spent a fairly large amount of time jogging up on the track around the playing fields. Due to it being all wet, we didn't risk a canter, or even a trot up there, but had a couple on the roads, so it's good to know I can do a little without him going lame if I ever need to. Trying to keep it to a minimum now though.
Last week I was off work, and the weather was awful! Typical, and to top it off I had a cold. We spent a fair amount of time in the school in the longlines/inhand, but as it was icy (solid and slippy) we couldn't do much.
He got new shoes on, on Thursday. Farrier is happy with his progress, but agrees that he is quite stiff in his left hind when asked to bring it forward. I'm going to have the vet look at him again this month, worth keeping an eye on even if we don't do anything about it.
Amanda couldn't come for our lesson, she was snowed in! We went for another group hack at the weekend, and that was nice. I'm going to try and make it a regular thing, as once he got going he was fab.
I decided yesterday that if it was too hard in the school to push him on, I would use the double bridle and collect him up. Waste of time really - he just resists it completely, so we're sticking with the snaffle. He's drifting, a lot - I'm constantly on the outside rein with him, but he will at least trot (not bad, just heavy on his forehand, but forward enough), and attempt a few strides of canter. Leg yield on the left rein is really getting good, and his shoulder in on that rein isn't bad now either, better if done as counter shoulder in on the right rein.
Going to text Amanda and see about getting that lesson in before Christmas, and maybe one a week for now, if I can afford it, I'm feeling a little bit lost with him at the moment. The show in February is looking less likely - just not sure I can improve him that much in less than two months. Regardless, he's being clipped again on Wednesday, promise I'll get photos!
]]>I rode on Monday, then lunged with two reins on Tuesday and longreined Thursday and Friday. He's actually moving forward now, could really do with some more cones to add a bit of focus though. On Friday he was just starting to work rounder rather than stretching out or down, but I'll keep the lines low for now. Just working in walk, I think I would have my work cut out trotting him.
Yesterday we went out for a bit of a hack - he was tripping over things quite a bit going down the hill, but then when we got back I noticed hollows behind his shoulders again, which filled in after about 5 minutes, so I'm going to get his saddle looked at. Suspect it may want some flocking putting in at the front, I can tip it forward from the ground with a hand on the pommel if it isn't girthed; perhaps it crept forward with the hill being so steep.
Daffy wanted to go into the school today, so we did. It was the longest session we've had in a while, started with lateral flexions, then some circles, a bit of leg yield, then some trot. Tried a little canter but a novice rider was using the other end of the school for the lesson and I didn't want to run him down the outside and interrupt, so we more or less left it. Then we did lots of transitions, he was sharper off the leg afterwards, even though I was then asking for really slow walk and trot. I think I will get the wip wop out for our next schooling session, he responds better to it than a whip.
As is a recurring theme lately, Daffy didn't want to go back into the barn. Eventually he relented, but I refilled my pockets and took him back out in the headcollar/line to have a play. His leg yield on the left rein was better than the right today, as is his opening of the right shoulder. We have a lesson/physio a week on Thursday and he will be checked over, but I suspect he might have shifted his over-compensating again.
Horses!
]]>Decided to go for it on Tuesday, cue fantic buying of new show jodhpurs (must give Dad his belt back, they kept falling down) and lots of "oh god look how muddy he is, fingers crossed he's not this bad on Saturday" etc. Plus lots more on do we or don't we go hors concours? and what class do I put him in?, bearing in mind we were eligible for 3 M&M ridden classes.
After getting slightly lost on the way there, we started with M&M large breeds inhand, because we were early (or rather, they were about two hours behind what I expected) which was quite useful as he's not been in an indoor for years. Came last, judge said before we did our individual that he was more of a ridden pony for him, fair enough. Daffy was a bugger in the line up, kept throwing his head about, but have a couple of half decent pictures.
Then a long long time, plus 30minutes, no plus 20minutes, plus 5, plus 4, plus 5 minutes later, we were in the novice ridden M&M class, chosen so I could use the snaffle, and because it was first of the three. During the warmup he actually cantered, his trot was kind of hoppy, but we got some walk-canter. The canter wasn't pretty to start with however, and it, and everything else, deteriorated even further once we got into the ring. It was like being back in time 4 years when I first started showing him - nose in air, no flexion, motorbiking and generally crap, only this time he was a hell of a lot stronger. We came last, another fair placing, although I had hoped he would pull it together a bit and we'd actually place.
Nevermind - I went to get him going forward and we certainly achieved that. Next time it will be double bridle (with laced top reins, not plain) and grippier gloves. Have everything crossed that in the school tomorrow he will be more forward, think I will lunge with two lines to start working on lifting his forehand.
]]>We had our lesson, the focus was on correct bend, with three exercises in particular.
1 - walking straight, or on a shallow curve, flex left for a couple of strides, then right for a couple of strides, left/right etc. This was just to loosen him up a bit.
2 - start on a 10m circle, with inside flexion, and leg yield out. On the right rein he did well, on the left he struggled and I had to give him his head so he could stretch down in order to leg yield and maintain the flexion.
3 - in trot, rather than trying to trot a 20m circle, trot a diamond, so you have four quick bouts of inside flexion rather than trying to maintain it around a complete circle.
Throughout the lesson Daffy was working through, a very novicey outline, but it shows we haven't gone back as far as I thought we might. We then managed a few strides of canter - I need to just run him into it in order to rebuild his confidence. At the minute he obviously has quite a bit of remembered pain and although he wants to canter, he's not sure about it.
I've had conjunctivitis so not done much since, but on Friday we got a couple of really good leg yield strides on the right rein, I could really feel the cross.
Still not sure about showing next weekend, Amanda says to go for it as it will hopefully get him thinking forward, I'm thinking of all the hassle of getting ready, loading and waiting around once there!
]]>So, Napping. We had a bit of a set back on the 15th, but basically the problem is now solved. I had somebody do a communication with Daffy - as a skeptic, it was a bit of a last resort and I'm keeping reasonably quiet about it. Doubt many people will read this so I'm probably safe. 
I wanted to know why he was napping. I'll put the full report in later, but essentially Daffy was picking up on my stress (worrying about him) and that was making me anxious. He wanted to go back to the way things were.
That started me thinking about what had changed with our hacking. We used to just set off, in one general direction and then we'd see a bridleway and go on it, no idea where we were going other than "that way". Because we were often out for a couple of hours, I'd bring food (usually chocolate) for me, and treats for him. Often we'd stop just to admire the view, then he'd turn to look at me, and be given a treat. This was pre-clicker.
So I know it kinda goes against what you're supposed to do with the clicker, but allowing him to stop when he feels it appropriate to have a treat, with me dictating stops only some of the time, has put the fun back into our hacks. I don't let him totally take the mick, he has to walk a reasonable way first, but it means we aren't napping, and it has changed my outlook on it too.
A vet check helped to put my mind at ease, as the vet was happy with how he was moving. We have a lesson! and physio on Tuesday with Amanda. If the lesson goes well (ie if we can find the canter button again) and he gets the all clear to start proper schooling, we will probably go to a show on the 16th or maybe 30th November, just to get out again.
So the AC was a very worthwhile thing for me to do. It hurt to read it, but now I'm much happier, and Daffy's much happier, and it's all because of the AC. 
]]>Daffy
He came across as an older chap but when I asked him how old he was he gave me the number 8. [He's 17 in March] He seems tired and a bit fed up, down in the dumps. He says wet and rainy again. Does he get affected by the weather. A longing to be tucked up and quickly let winter pass so he can be young and youthful again. He doesn't like the winter and it being darker and colder. He achs more in the winter. I get the sense that he would suffer from SAD if a human, well he does suffer it but it doesn't get diagnosed it in horses. [I feel the same, which not much good for cheering him up. Maybe it is rubbing off on him]
He likes showing off and stunning people with his paces and shiney coat. He's not so keen with the hassle of getting nready but loves it when he's there and people are watching. He says he has the wow factor. [Arrogant little..
No, he is an absolute stunner and always gets complimented when we're out and about. I know he hates the prep work - he gets cold being bathed and doesn't like having his plait put in.]
I fee he likes the showing and dressage but ewhen asked about jumping got a nervous excitment. He feels unpredictable in this area. When he's good he's brill but very much down to how he's feeling on the day. [Jumping, well he was hurting with his joint problems so understandable. But yes, he was amazing, I am an extremely nervous jumper and I would trust him with my life over a course. I'm glad he likes the other competing we do, makes putting him through loading in the trailer worthwhile, although I'd rather we were able to hack to shows like we used to. Explains why he likes ridden better than inhand - more opportunity to show off!]
He's giving me an uncertain feeling. Has something changed around him. There's something unsettling him. Have you changed your routine lately and are you going to see him at different times, not regular times. Routine isn't in place. [We moved yards end of August, he's now on full livery, but I go up every day about 5pm.] He's confused with you. He feels you are taken up with something in your life and so are not being as clear with him. [I am worried about him and his joint problems, why he doesn't want to go forward, does he still hurt? etc] Sometimes more impatient than others and the consistancy of instruction and of you has gone slightly. It's making him feel anxious. He sees his stable as a safety zone where you are still the same but when riding your not quite ewith him all the time and he gets nervous. (is this sometimes your thinking time) He needs your support and guidence. definite aids and consistancy. To be groundedand clear. Not let your mind wonder. Be in tune with him. He feels your mind wonders off him to different scenarious and events and then you loose your intunement with him. [This I feel bad about, guess I've not been enjoying riding him because of all the worry, although I always enjoy his company, and we need to get the fun back.]
He loves you but feels you are being pressured elsewhere which is effecting your life with him. Your anxiety is rubbing off on him and making him anxious.
Where's the laughter gone and excited chit chat. He's your confident but there hasn't been the communication recently. [I've noticed myself being down in the dumps a lot lately. Partly the problems we're facing, but also winter, and the state of my bank balance. I feel tired a lot of the time, my fuse is short and I get overly emotional about things now. Being with Daffy used to be my release, and it still is, but I need to make more of an effort to try and make that easier for him.]
Are you questioning where you want to be and what you want to do with him. He feels he doesn't know what direction you want to progress in. He questions how he can please you when he's not sure what you want from him. [There is some uncertainty over what Daffy wants to, and is capable of doing, and I am wary of pushing him, but also of not giving him a job to do. It sounds like I am safe to make a decision though and he'll go with me on it.]
Needs you to be patient, calm, unflustered, directional and motivated ( not alot then!). He really wants the fun to come back with the laughter and play. He says he wants his funny mummy to return. [This makes me cry every time I read it. Tonight I'm going to turn him loose in the school and we'll just play, not that there's a lot to play with in there, it's all jumps, but will bring the whip in for some target training.]
Kate I hope this helps. He is a lovely man so desparate to please you but he just doesn't feel secure at the moment. Parhaps it may be an idea to step back from the problem and think about how you feels around the time, just before ,during and after and see if this is what he's feeling. Maybe sing to him when riding out and talk to him about what you want, where your going etc. Be reassuring but definite in your aids. I'm probably not saying anything that you have not already tried. Stay with him, he's got so much depth to him and is very sensitive soul.
We're making progress on the napping front. It was pointed out to me that we appeared to be "sulking in harmony" in the photos, and I agree. 
So my mantra has been "think forward, do forward, be one with the forward" (thanks Bejay!) and also Alexandra Kurland's "everybody has to sit down eventually" which basically means if you are patient enough, the horse will shift in weight. In her book she talks about how understanding this is really well, critical, and I see why, it makes perfect sense. 
On Friday we went up the bridleway.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/hack.jpg
Red dot - stable
Yellow line - route, flat except horizontal bit just out of yard, which is steep
Red dot - flappy (scary) haylage bales
Green dot - tractor (scary) with engine going (even scarier)
Blue dot - mounting block
Pink dot - tantrum about not being able to put head down to eat grass from strip in middle of bridleway
Green line - route, very uphill
Blue dot2 - turn back point
White line - for some obscure reason Daffy decided to go past the yard, until we met a car and had to turn back anyway.
Today we went around the block. I am beginning to realise that the problem is just getting him going, once we are on our way (generally off the yard and up the tiny bit of hill) he stops planting. I'm hoping to get some longer hacks in this week now that I'm confident it won't take 1hr to get out and 20mins to get back from somewhere. I hope that once he is fitter, and his muscles have evened up, that there will be no more napping. We will see. 
Some photos from yesterday..
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1619.jpg
Lets just stand here then.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1619.jpg
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http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1625.jpg
He's funny because he flexes round, even so far as to touch my boot, to try and earn a treat, rather than moving forward. These flexes were asked for.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1627.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1628.jpg
A bit of reinback, showing how he hollows to do it, although he does go quite lightly. This isn't the best he's done.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1631.flv
I'm working on a "pose" which hopefully I can then incorporate into his backing up.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1638.jpg
And just because he's gorgeous
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1637.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF1639.jpg
Today we hacked about 250m, and then back. Once I got him off the yard and up the small but steep bit onto the more level ground, he was striding out nicely. I kept up a pretty high rate of reinforcement, but I have a feeling that just initially we're going to have to keep hills to a minimum - impossible where we are! He does line himself up beautifully for the mounting block now though.
]]>So we've been working on Daffy's nappy behaviour. The drive is about 60ft long. It started that I would have to click treat a shift in weight, then a step, then two steps etc, never more than 5, meaning we were stopping about 15-20 times on the way to the end of the yard.
On the second day of nap-busting, got 5 strides straight off, but again not really more than that in one go, and still not striding out.
Yesterday I'd hoped for 3 stops (inc at the end of the drive) but with the weather conditions - windy and wet - it turned out to be 7 - 2 horse and 5 rider, which was fair enough.
Today, 3 rider instigaged stops - woo! - and then back at the yard I dismounted because a tractor was coming and I had no saddle. After all the machinery had done moving (we watched) Daffy set off - a pony on a mission - to the end of the yard. It was like "this is what you want mum, look, I can do it!"
On Wednesday I had my equisimulator lesson. I was epxecting to feel like I was riding something skinny with no front, because it didn't look that wide, and it had no neck, just a little bit above the withers. It was actually rather wide, and I didn't feel like I had nothing in front of me, although if it'd pitched forward I'd probably have been thrown over. As the simulator was on springs rather than motorised, it was moved by me, or rather Damien who was guiding my movement.
Essentially I need to lift my heel slightly, which will bring my lower leg back. I also need to straighten my lower back, which hollows easily enough (and was usually ever so slightly hollow) but I struggle to round it, and sit slightly further forward in the saddle (on that one at least). This made a big difference to my seat - I was now able to sit on my seat bones. I'm finding it easier to work on my back than on my legs. The mirrors certainly helped with my legs, but I can do my back on feel.
We did some walk/trot and canter on the simulator, I found canter the hardest but if I think about really controlling little backwards circles I get into a rythym. In walk and trot the hardest part was there being more up than forwards, but apparently I was absorbing those well, just need a softer lower back.
On a real horse (Chalky, who I rode back in May) I got to put the lower leg into practise. I found I could automatically correct my back (and my collapsing hip, and my inside shoulder on bends..) but the leg was harder as it throws me off balance. I rode on a Fheonix, which I didn't like as much as the Vogue, and we used a pelham. Got some nice work out of Chalky, without being scraped on the fence, particularly reinback.
I then came back to practise on Daffy, mostly in walk although I wanted to see if he'd go into trot, which he would. He's still lacking in some energy, but he's reshod tomorrow so can start hacking out and building fitness, although we had a tiny tiny hack yesterday and he was a nappy git. Inhand I noticed he was stiff through the right, so he's having physio on Thursday - busy start to the month!
Had OH come and take some photos on Tuesday. Not the best work we've produced, but not bad.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF0285.jpg
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF0294.jpg
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF0288.jpg
And a couple of videos
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF0292.flv
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Daffydilly/?action=view¤t=DSCF0283.flv
I went down to the yard Saturday evening all enthusiastic and ready to try. I ended up getting on Daffy (bareback, no hat, and he's not been ridden since early July!) because he wouldn't relax his poll on the ground. It re-affirmed to me that as he is stiff, both in his poll and through his shoulders/ribs, and because he prefers to have his mouth left alone, that I would leave him to soften his own poll later, which I know he does.
Yesterday evening I tried opening his shoulder again from the ground (no playing with his poll this time) and Anchor Spreadable! It was lovely. I wasn't sure until that moment exactly what an open stride was, but I sure know what one feels like now. Not quite as good on the right rein tonight, but it's colder so he's probably stiffer.
He also has his work ethic back - when I walked towards the exit of the school, not holding him, and turned right away from the exit, he would follow me. When I made to go out of the exit, he would come around and block me so I had to turn back into the school. When he couldn't, he would just stop, but not plant, and pull a cute "can't we work some more?" face. How I adore that pony.
His lateral work has improved, I can do it with a line attached to his headcollar and no bit now. If I wanted to do renvers and half pass I think I'd need the bit to start with until he understands. He's not taking the biggest most sweeping strides yet, but I'm confident that we'll improve his flexion and that'll follow.
So sideways is good, reinback is also very good (particularly in the long lines) but forwards in the longlines is an issue. I've decided to just do the work inhand for a few more days, get his motivation right up and then try the longlines again.
I've ordered The Click That Teaches: Riding With The Clicker as I want to know more about shaping him to work correctly. It's coming from the US, so don't know when it'll arrive, but in the mean time I'm reading a book on posture (human) so plenty to be going on with.
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Root cause of Daffy walking on four tracks decided during physio last week - extremely stiff in his left hand and doing his very best to not bend it at all. The fact that he's dragging it behind a bit hopefully will explain why he's not as long as he could be in front.
So 7 injections, some snoring and some very cute sedated poses later, Daffy has had injections to both hocks.
Just incase anybody wonders why it took seven jabs for two hocks - sedation 1, local anasthetic 1, sedation 2, local anasthetic 2, joint stuff 1, joint stuff 2, and last but not least, penecillin. He can go back out on Wednesday, and fingers crossed I'll start bringing him back into work on Thursday.
]]>Daffy was fine after his fall, I can't even tell where that little cut was now. Vet sort of pulled a "that-isn't-good" face and said nothing. He had the injections to his front coffin joints on Tuesday. It clearly hurt, because the second leg had to be needled twice as he jerked it back quickly and the first hole wasn't quite right. They put pink, Pink!, bandages on, which he thankfully was able to have off Wednesday morning, they were just to keep the injection sites clean until they'd healed.
He was as good as gold for his box rest, didn't try to barge out once. He got to go out at 5pm prompt on the Thursday. Had a couple of leg stretching canters, then settled to graze. Later that night the other two were brought up to the same field so I didn't have the dilemma of whether to take him down in the morning.
Today we moved yards, although I still have a lot of stuff at the old yard, most of which needs to come home, some of which needs to follow Daffy. He went down for 2pm, straight into his paddock (he'll be turned out individually, but next to his friends), didn't care about next door, just ate. Left him to it, sorted some more stuff out, and brought it down.
He came in at 4, good as gold, into a very deep fresh shavings bed. I shifted a 3ft wide strip to give him room for his decahedrons, and I think we need to reduce the depth of the bed a bit, it's about 1ft deep! He got some yummy haylage, and although he was scared of the water feeder, a little bit of clicker got him taking a couple of gulps. He'd have done eventually as he was obviously thirsty, but nice to help speed up the "OMG it hisses - oh, it doesn't actually do anything" process.
So all seems well, he's moving better, much more forward, longer strides, but for some reason he is walking on three, well four tracks, with his hind end about an inch to the left of his front. How odd.
]]>Well this time, I made the mistake of riding him, and the mistake of not thoroughly booting up. Daffy lost his front end last month in a lesson with Emma and couldn't recover quickly enough, we almost crashed into the fence. No obvious reason for it, but prompted a call to the vets essentially telling them to finish what they started this time last year, which led to the recent diagnosis.
He's been so bored in the field, I thought we'd do another mini hack. He kept planting, but at spots with sheep, spots with horses, or grass, so I was pushing him on. We got back to the yard, on the drive, and he stopped, but he went down on his knees. He obviously landed on a stone with the front of his fetlock as it's cut, but I can't tell how badly so cold hosed/germigel-ed and will see how he is in the morning. If he'd been wearing boots he might still have gone down, but he wouldn't be cut. If I hadn't brought him out of the field, he might still have gone down, but he would've landed on grass.
I just don't understand it. What joint problem causes a horse to go down infrequently in two totally different situations with no warning? Added to being totally unable to comprehend the problem, I feel guilty and stupid and upset that I managed to put him in a situation where he got hurt again. Vet is coming tuesday to do the injections into his joints, so will be having a good talk to her about it all, and she had better have an answer, or be willing to find it.
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