Sunday, January 31, 2010

I confused myself and my horse.

It's cold here in Maine right now! Like in the negative numbers cold. I haven't ridden or really done much of anything with Gypsy until today because of the cold. Today I thought I could get away with a little ground work before I froze into a Popsicle. I worked with her on flexing her neck or carrot stretches and a little bit of yielding both her front and hind end to me. I know she needs some work on the left side, for some reason she hates when I'm to the left of her but is OK with me being on her right. Now with this being completely wrong and backwards, I am trying to get her more comfortable with me on her left. I'm not sure how to fix this other then keep working with her from the left side, which is really where you should be when leading or tacking up a horse. Oh well, small steps I guess. Today was just some small steps in the climb up the mountain. I stopped working with her when I started getting confused myself on a yielding exercise. I couldn't remember if when she's yielding in the front, if she was really placing her feet where they should be. And since I was confused, I was confusing her, so I called it a day. Plus I was cold. I'm looking forward to spring and warmer weather!

I will get some pics next time since today I needed to charge my battery for my little camera

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lazy me.

i haven't been riding much and today i really have no excuse on why i didn't. It was a beautiful day out weather wise but i just couldn't seem to get myself in the mood to ride. i did clean the barn up a bit and i did spend time with Gypsy, but i just didn't ride her. Looking back at my day now, i'm kinda sorry i didn't ride her.

i do need to start riding her as much as i can since i need to get her in shape and myself too.

The barn is slowing coming along and being fixed but it's a slow process since the guy who is doing it it taking his time. i just want it done already!



Soon i hope to have both the empty stalls fixed, even though i really only want one more stall for one more horse. i plan on useing the center stall for goats.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Ok, this time i swear i will keep updating this more! Really! i will!

Gypsy has been doing really well. Since the first snow her feet have had some time to heal. The white line is healing and it turns out she had an absess in the left hind that was making her very lame. That absess has since blown out and drained and because of that she has been walking soundly since about a week after my last post.

There is a large hole in the bottom of her hoof where the absess drained and that seems to be healing very well.


See that dark spot down by her toe? That's where the absess blew out. It is getting better and she is walking fine now. I'm not sure why we couldn't figure out it was an absess, all the signs were there, but yet, they weren't. There was no heat, so we really had no idea. Her other feet are looking better as well.



See how nice her feet are starting to look! We are getting there! Yay!



Her left front hoof looks kinda starnge, it's flaring out but the farrier says it's looking ok. I love my farriers! Without them Gypsy would still be lame.

Gypsy has been getting some hoof supplements and kelp meal in her half cup of MVP. She loves it all, which is great.the hoof supplements and kelp meal are working wonders as well. I think it's mostly the kelp meal, but i'm sure the hoof sipplement is helping some.

So now that my girl is sound and has been cleared for light riding by the farrier i've been riding her a little around the area. It's been nothing much, just some walks and light jogs around here and there. I've been trying to work on keeping her feet moving, which is a challenge. She just keeps getting stuck and it's so hard to keep her going forward, but i think we are slowly getting there. Slowly.