Scout and Hoss updates

I have been riding/working both Scout and Hoss on a regular basis (each 3 or 4 X per week) since I healed from my surgeries back at the end of November.

It's exciting to say that except for a few set backs such as a minor abscess for Scout, and what appears to be a mild strain due to a tripping for Hoss, both horses are doing great! We are so greatful to have an indoor arena to work in when the footing is lousy (such as today, with a soppy 14" of melting snow on the ground, and chilly temps).

I did turn them out, and Scout decided he had to roll (thankfully in a snowy section) and then self-exercise for a good 10 minutes before we went indoors to pick the ice chunks he'd accumulated out of his front hooves and do some cool down exercising.

Hoss simply meandered when I turned him out. He's still a bit sore on the left front leg, so we just went indoors, picked his hooves and walked about. He's getting some aspirin in his pellets, which he sniffs, then refuses to eat, so I've been adding a top dressing of things. Pretty darn good at picking carrot pieces out, so we mixed in just enough sweet feed...may just need a few more days of this!

A Hoss and Scout day

Mike and Hoss with storm coming

The storms came in early today, but Mike and I had Hoss out in the field before they arrived. We have been trading off riding him, as Scout has been out of commission for quite awhile. I finally have my own set of reins so I don't have to shorten Mike's by tying knots in them!

After riding about the field as a warm up we dodged the storm and headed to the outdoor arena to join in some fun with cones. Hoss seemed to enjoy it as much as we did!

Sheree and Amazonia placing their cone

Megan and Kaya picking up their cone

Lindsay and Bri both riding Smoke

Smoke doing double duty!

Katie and Hoss placing their cone

Hoss appears to be enjoying himself!

Later I took Scout to the barn and tacked him up in a surcingle, blanket and side pull. We did some long lining and ground driving in the outdoor arena. It rained a bit, but not hard enough to make us stop. Once the ground got damp Scout was really bent on getting down to roll, so I had my work cut out for me to keep him going. He did well.

Upon asking for him to back in the lines at the end, he started swishing his tail and stomping his right hind leg. I'm noting this because it may mean the left hock is bothering him again. He definitely liked getting out and getting attention!

Scout in the long lines

Today I spent time with Scout. He got some good grooming in which he enjoyed, and then I tacked him up in the surcingle and side pull and we worked at ground driving, and a little long lining in the indoor arena for about 20 minutes around the arena and over poles.

He saw the chiropractor last week, and had his 7th cervical and his first thoracic vertibrae put back in place. She worked on his LS joint area too. The first two adjustments seem to have held, but the lower back has not. She does not want him ridden or worked in small circles until that one stays in place. He did a great job for me, and was very willing. He really likes the attention. We will have to see what happens with the lower back. I stretched out his hind legs afterwards, and he happily walked back to his pen with me.

About Scout

 Scout
This is my little Mustang that I bought in April, 2005. By 2006 he looked really good, had filled out and was in good shape. I had to put shoes on his fronts, as his hooves didn't grow fast, and his soles were thin. In 2007 he started to go lame on the front after going barefoot in the winter. We shod him again, but he needed pads for awhile. Later, I believe the next year, he developed a "hitch" which I thought was in the rear. That did not get confirmed by x-ray until early 2010, and he was found to have some pretty good arthritis in his left hock.

Scout just after I got him in 2005

Scout, early 2010

Scout, December 2010 before fight

  

Currently, Scout has very little muscle on his left side, and lots on his right (I noticed that he really looked uneven when ground driving him last week, and Jill, a friend who works at a vets commented on it after I asked if she would look at him). She said he's obviously been carrying the weight on his right side for some time. I'm perplexed because since last August we've given him injections in his left hock about every 4 months (August 15, Dec. 16, and April 17). His left rear leg seems better (he will back without swishing his tail), but his lower back continues to get inflamed, and his turning ability with the back legs seems worse. 

This has been a problem ever since his fight with our other horse in January 2011, although the arthritis in his left hock has been an issue since early 2010. (He received one injection for the hock in March 2010 or April 2010, followed by an injection of Legend several months later.) I was told to ride him or work him lightly every other day, and Bute him with 1gram of Bute beforehand. This seemed to be fairly successful before the horses fought. If I had followed up earlier with another injection late that year it might have helped. However, everything went to  H.... in a handbasket after the two horses tangled, and from late Dec. 2010 until summer 2011 Scout had no injections, only chiropractor work, a lot of working from the ground, and little riding as he was quite sore. He was also overweight, and insulin resistant. 

In August the hock was re-evaluated and found to have gotten a lot worse. Scout was in his own run now, not sharing with the other horse, and we could control his feed intake. Treatment began again on the hock. Initially it looked like this was the key! But, his front shoes had been left off for X-rays, and when those weren't put right back on he became sore on his fronts. His soles are thin. So, we put bar shoes and Equipack on his fronts. This helped his fronts, but he continued to be bracy and sore.

Therefore, Scout and I are trying a test of sorts. Every other day I will walk or exercise him straight (from the ground, not ridden) as I've been doing for some time--ground driving, walking up the little hills at the east end, or long lining in really big circles or on the straight at walk and trot. In addition I will add 10 minutes of longeing him in a circle to the left mainly at the trot, and if possible over one or two poles.

The photos I've posted are from two different dates. The first ones show Scout in late summer 2009, before he'd started to put on weight.

The second set shows Scout as of yesterday, May 18, 2012. He's lost a lot of his additional weight, but is quite sore in the back just in front of the LS joint.

I want to see if this will help the left side. I'm hoping it will. Probably I will need to do this about three weeks at least to see a change?  If he gets sore instead I think I'll know sooner than 3 weeks that it's not working, but I don't really know what to expect. Right now any time I ride him I sore his back up, even if all we do is walk with a little trot, which may be because he still won't load the left side and walk evenly, or because it's just so much weaker he can't. We may need to rule out damage in his pelvis if this continues. 

I worked with him on this yesterday (Friday the 18th) and since I'm writing this Saturday, the 19th (behind as usual!)  I checked him today. His entire back, both sides, from the base of the withers to the LS joint is really sore. However, I also gave him a dose of Ivermectin yesterday evening, and the weather changed abruptly as well, and I think that might have had an effect.  So today I put Sore No More all over his back along both sides of the spine and gave him a paste electrolyte. He seems to be eating and drinking well.  I'm not ready to jump to conclusions yet.

If anyone reads this and has any ideas, please let me know. 

Setting goals

I've made several goals for working with horses (and myself) this summer.

Goal 1: Working with Mezza, the 2-year old filly, and getting her showing at halter at local shows
Goal 2: Getting comfortable riding, working with, and trailering my husband's horse, Hoss
Goal 3: Learning how to pony Scout (my Mustang) off Hoss

Goal 1: 
I've begun chronicling my sessions with Mezza, and that is going well. There is still tons to do and learn. Always an adventure. You can check out my notes on progress with her on posts on this blog.

Goal 2: 
Working with Hoss, is under way, thanks to many people!
A little background on Hoss and Scout: Since January 2011, Hoss and Scout have been separated after two intense fights one month apart, in which they stopped fighting only after Scout became so sore he could no longer kick. Scout, who once was the dominant horse, is now the submissive horse, and Hoss, once the underdog, and easy-going guy, has now become much more assertive, sometimes aggressive around other horses.

Therefore my husband and I are now learning how to become better herd leaders. We understand that we need to insist that in our presence, these two horses will not fight, and that each will have good manners with us as individuals as well. For me this has been an ongoing learning experience. Over the past two years I've taken riding and ground lessons with Hoss from Damian Ficca. From last summer on, I continued working with Hoss mainly on my own, with occasional help from two other trainers--Lisa McNamara, who has helped me with lessons on Scout, and Jill Wolf, who has provided assistance with preparation for trailering.

Then in late winter of this year, when Hoss injured his left front foot, I spent quality time in the barn with the horse that hates being indoors--cleaning, changing and wrapping his foot for over a month. I guess this was my preparation for furthering our trailering work. At Horse Expo this past March, I was able to watch Mark Bolander at one of his clinics. He spoke about the horse having to have confidence in us. Later I talked to him about that subject in regards to trailer loading, and realized it was myself who lacked confidence that Hoss would stand quietly once loaded and not back out. I lacked confidence because I didn't have the tools and understanding of how to proceed if he did back out....I'd gotten him in by just asking nicely and he went in. But when he backed out, he'd then decide he didn't want to go in...now what, the pressure and release I was using apparently wasn't enough(?)

Enter Ben...I've been watching Ben work with a young horse named Franky, and seeing how Franky responded to what Ben asked. Ben is patient, consistent and clear. He has commented and helped me on some sticking points I've had with Mezza. So, I asked him to explain to me what he would do on the trailer loading with Hoss. He had seen Hoss step into the trailer and stand quietly with me, and I told him that it was me tying, getting out and closing him in that worked him up and started him backing. Ben offered to help me, and that has given me the tools I needed for this.

What I've put to heart...
Long story (not too short), when the horse becomes confident in us, and when we've done enough ground work, are consistent, clear, and patient then we (or I in this case) can ask him to perform a realistic task. Hoss was no longer afraid of the trailer as much as he lacked confidence in me. And with guidance, I learned to show him what I expected, and how to watch his reaction and adjust mine. I am now able to load him, have him stand while I tie, put in a hay net, get myself out, put up the butt bar and close the door. Best yet, I know that if he has trouble and backs, I can ask again, and he can rest in the trailer if he needs to work outside it a bit. I used to think that working a horse when they weren't paying attention, or responding well meant I'd done something else wrong. I now realize it is all part of the process, whether it's stalking, or having to put on/release pressure in one way or another, this is how they learn--it doesn't mean run them into the ground!  However, a second thing happens when they work, if they are really uptight (and this applies to us too) the physical work takes care of all the adrenaline and chemicals our bodies release into our system--and suddenly when those are worked away, we (and the horse) start to calm down and think! As long as I am confident, Hoss now loads well--just walks right in and waits.

Scout has been sore about every time after I've ridden him since last year. So I keep going back to
groundwork until he seems better, and than I try again. At this point we will stick to ground work
until he can move well for longer periods on a circle and his muscles have come back on his left side.

Goal 3: 

Ponying Scout

My third goal for this summer has been to get comfortable ponying Scout, my little (and sore) Mustang using Hoss, my husband's big Appaloosa.

This past Thursday was the first day I actually practiced this in the outdoor arena with help from Jill Wolf, who is a trainer, and my husband.

In the past we had tried bringing Scout along after Hoss, but Scout would often bulk, and we had no real need for this, so we were not persistent. Now however, Scout has been sore in the back often enough, that there has been a real need to move him in a straight line, either by ground driving, walking him in hand, or, my other option, ponying him. 

In preparation my husband and I have been taking the two horses out together and walking them together for some time. We've learned that we need to call them on any "ears back" or aggressive behavior. They have been well behaved around each other the past few months. So it was time to find out what our next step should be.

Mike and I tacked Hoss up after a little ground work in the arena. Jill Wolf wanted to watch me warm up and then move Hoss. I need to be able to neck rein, and move him around with my legs. After practicing this, I got off and haltered and brought in Scout. We walked him separately by Hoss' side for a few minutes as I rode and watched their reactions. Jill showed me where Scout's head needed to stay, close to my right leg, and that since Scout was slower than Hoss, I'd need to rate Hoss' speed, and keep Scout to the inside of the arena (shorter distance) or do right-hand turns instead of left to make it easier. 

Then Mike climbed on Hoss and took Scout's lead, and I walked along the outside of Scout, and encouraged him along. They did well--we had to call "ears" on Hoss a couple of times, but after that it went well. We will continue to practice for awhile with a second person.

We are on our way...

A 3-equid day

Today was drier than yesterday--so yesterday was cleaning and short turnouts (and mud)!
The weather was sunny today, and things will be drying soon (yeah!!) so I took advantage of it as much as possible and got some nice time in with both Mezza and Hoss.

SCOUT

Scout gets the "picture of the day" along with a short grazing turnout (note the grazing muzzle). He's lost at least 50 lbs. since last summer, although he continues to get inflammation in his back when I ride him. It is nearly gone now (there is a slight bit on his top line in front of his pelvis). I think icing, along with Sore No More, will take the remainder out and then I'll do groundwork with him until he seems comfortable before I try riding again)

MEZZA
Mezza and I found the round pen dry enough to work on several different things:
• Walking and trotting in-hand at side (from both my left and right)
• Backing in-hand at side (from both my left and right)
• Whip-sacking out
• Longeing at walk and trot using sidepull
• Suppling turns using the long line
• Accepting my fingers in her mouth from both sides (of her mouth)
• Ground tying so I could pick her feet

Her trotting at side on my left is improving steadily, but we still need practice. It was interesting to note that during the whip sacking she was more concerned about the whip on her left side--which is not her usual pattern. She never moved away, but was tense on her left at first, and was not tense at all on her right.

She is great with me putting my fingers in her mouth. In case I must be able to open her mouth for a judge during showing at halter I need to keep practicing it. This will come in handy for much more things.

When I finally went to put her back after an hour, we got to practice one more thing: walking through the large puddle at her gate. At first she went right through it, but wanted to run ahead. Upon asking her to do it again at a slower pace, she wanted to come into me. After about 5 times, she was keeping a nice distance, but was still not walking as slow as I'd like. Think we need to revisit that one!

HOSS
Hoss got his turnout in the morning while I cleaned--glad I put the turnout sheet on him as he rolled in a muddy spot out there and it saved time not having to clean most of his body!

We are getting better at the trailer--that is AFTER he decided he didn't want to go stand at the trailer (he balked, I asked, he balked) soooo, I asked him to trot around me a few (too few) times. So he balked again, and then I asked for more.....OK, he was a little cranky at first when he cantered in a few circles, but when I gave him a chance to stop and come to the trailer he didn't miss a step!  And he stood like a rock (OK, he moved once) while I tacked up and picked his feet.

We had a short (25 min. or so) but sweet riding session in the outdoor. We have tons of things to work on, including collection, but it is going well. What I notice most, is now as long as my expectations are clear, and I am firm about them, he will comply with little or no problem. This is building my confidence, and in turn is making our relationship a lot better!

Thank you to all the people who've helped me with both Hoss and Mezza--it is really starting to come together.

Hoss & Scout trailer around the block

I loaded up both Hoss and Scout today, and trailered them around in a big circle (a couple of miles).
My stomach didn't complain as it had been in the past weeks, and both boys loaded smoothly and stood like champs. Hoss waited patiently to be tied while I tied his hay net in first!

Scout of course appreciated the hay net because the holes in Hoss' are bigger, and he can sneak out hay from it where it hangs just below the bottom of the trailer partition.

At the unloading, Hoss couldn't quite wait for me to untie, so he got to load back up!  I think I saw him form the words "Oops" as he realized I wasn't going to leave it at that.  We'll keep going to nearby places and practicing, but this is soooooo much better!

Hoss & Scout Time

Today Hoss got out for a ride, and Scout got a walk and some in-hand work.

HOSS
Hoss and I practiced a few "focus" circles around me in the small field at the walk, along with turns on the fores from the ground, and some in-hand backing to loosen up those hocks. He'd been great at the trailer, not wiggly, and he also stood like a rock while I wrapped his lead rope around the saddle horn.
We practiced going over the ground poles, the fake "bridge" the wagon-wheel "spokes" and then trotting off to the other end of the field before coming back to negotiate obstacles a second time. After getting a decent half pass each way, we headed out of the small field and practiced opening and closing the gate to the big field with a side pass to the right.

In the big field we practiced trotting out, half pass, walk to trot and trot to walk transitions and some backing and some "whoa" followed by standing with loose reins. He did a great job!

I think his legs are a bit stiff, he had trouble getting a really nice extension, even going in what I know was his favorite direction. So I made sure to put some liniment on his hocks when we finished, and bucket washed his sweat off.

He got rewarded later with some time to graze in the field!

SCOUT
For Scout, since his lower back has been sore (I rode him last week on April 28th, in a bareback pad, and only at the walk and trot) and it sored up despite having had both the chiropractor out 10 days earlier, and giving him only in-hand and light groundwork for 11 days after his hock injections.

So today I again took him on a walk in-hand to the little hills at the east end. We practiced going up, down, stopping halfway, did turns on fores and hinds at the top, and I also asked for some circles around me at the walk while I was at the base of one of the slopes. This meant that Scout had half his circle on a slope, and the other half on the  level. I wanted to see how he reacted.

Going left, he was much more comfortable, although turning and coming down the slope seemed more difficult. Going right his body seemed stiffer as he went up, and as he started to descend on the curve (this was not super steep)  he was very uncomfortable in his rear end/legs. So I only asked for two circles to the right, the second one I did not ask him to come down, I went up to him. I believe he is quite uncomfortable, and I need to get the pain and inflammation out of the lower back! We ended by watering down his lower back with cold water and putting on liniment and Sore No More.

At this point I wish we could figure out what is really going on in that back/pelvis of his! This problem has been continuing for a year now, and I believe that he needs to be evaluated above the stifle. A friend has suggested acupuncture, which I think could help. I also want to know what is at the root of the continuing pain!

Hoss & Scout: Trailering

Today signals another step forward for me and Hoss, my husband's horse!  He loaded and traveled beautifully with Scout, my little Mustang. For me this was a great repeat of several weeks back, when Ben loaded Franky, and I loaded Hoss and took the two of them to the Indiana Equestrian Center.

Here's the video from that earlier ride:
Hoss at the Indiana Equestrian Center, April 2012

This time, however, I was on my own loading both horses and trailering over. I called my husband after Hoss loaded, delighted to tell him I was on my way with both horses, who had each loaded without hesitation!  This was terrific, as a week ago I'd easily loaded Hoss to take him to Roxboro Park, but I was so nervous about taking him alone, and driving to somewhere I was not familiar, that when I unloaded him to ride on the group ride, he was in a full sweat, very anxious, and quite a pill to tack up!  The ride went well, but I ended up with a stomach ache, and it took a good 30-45min to load him for the drive home! I learned that he will load and travel well if he can have confidence in me.

So, we've been working on the loading and standing in the trailer in the meantime, so that he will stand quietly while I tie, hook the butt rope, and close the trailer door. I got some good help from Ben once last week on communicating to him that I expect him to load, or he won't be standing outside the trailer getting rubbed--he will be working!  He isn't afraid of the trailer now, although he will feed off of my lack of confidence if I have any. Therefore I will work on trailering within my comfort range for awhile, and build up more confidence so I'm ready for the longer trips!

Enough said. We had a wonderful time and so did the horses!

OOps!!