After a tense, confusing and upsetting few weeks (with the sorrow of my grandmother passing away and career uncertainty added to the mix), I'm happy to have my lovable but still a bit hardass/manly Kadey back.
I added Konkhe's Mag-E (Vit E, Vit B12, Magnesium, 1tbsp in night feed) and Slippery Elm Bark (1tbsp morning and night) to his feed. There was a major issue 3 days in (another post) but after a week I have w whole new horse.
His windsucking and mareish, grumpy behaviour had gotten worse and worse and it really felt like he hated me.
I added Slippery Elm Bark to treat a potential ulcer, based on his windsucking and grumpiness about having his side or belly touched at all. He's now 98% fine to be touched, I think he's windsucking less and he's so much more cheerful.
I added the Mag-E as he's not getting enough in his diet and was getting a bit crazy, flighty and a tad unpredictable (quiet, quiet, BANANAS CRAZY).
With the two supps he's quieter, calmer and definitely so much happier. He's back to being affectionate self, in his own 'I'm manly, I don't do your girly cuddles woman' way. I'm happy that he's more comfortable and happy that he likes me again!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Perhaps I should keep my day job...
Second go at trimming Kadey's mane. From this it's clear I don't have a future in equine hairdressing.
To be fair the main reason it looks so bad is because it needs to be thinned, but I hate pulling (so mean!) and don't see value in going through the drama (or the patchy regrowth of thinning shears) when we're not competing ATM.
Poor Kadey, as if my giving him cuddles in front of the other geldings isn't embarrassing enough... Now this!
In other exciting news, when the saddle fitter came back out and measured his back it showed muscle growth. Yay! We're building a topline, one workout at a time :)
Does my butt look big in my sprung coat?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
To be fair the main reason it looks so bad is because it needs to be thinned, but I hate pulling (so mean!) and don't see value in going through the drama (or the patchy regrowth of thinning shears) when we're not competing ATM.
Poor Kadey, as if my giving him cuddles in front of the other geldings isn't embarrassing enough... Now this!
In other exciting news, when the saddle fitter came back out and measured his back it showed muscle growth. Yay! We're building a topline, one workout at a time :)
Does my butt look big in my sprung coat?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, September 12, 2011
Chillin' like a villain
Unlike pretty much every other horse I've ever met or worked with, Kadey enjoys chilling in his stable.
When I came home in the middle of the day I couldn't see him. I parked and looked in the rearview to see him next to the stable. By the time I walked down, he'd gone back in and was chilling out.
He walked out as soon as I got there - I think he feels a bit cornered with the narrow door. The stable is two smaller stalls so I'll take the divider down to give him a jumbo stall and two doors.
Still... He's odd!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
When I came home in the middle of the day I couldn't see him. I parked and looked in the rearview to see him next to the stable. By the time I walked down, he'd gone back in and was chilling out.
He walked out as soon as I got there - I think he feels a bit cornered with the narrow door. The stable is two smaller stalls so I'll take the divider down to give him a jumbo stall and two doors.
Still... He's odd!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, August 22, 2011
Hungry pony is hungry...
I had to walk Kadey to his old agistment place this morning as the neighbours are bringing a crane into his paddock to access their yard (super). Must have been a funny sight - pouring rain, girl carrying 2 massive and heavy buckets of horse feed and an umbrella in one hand and a hungry thoroughbred in the other....
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
.......
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
Kadey: Can I have some now?
Me: No.
.......
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Organising the tackroom + lesson progress :D
Yesterday I put some time into reorganising and tidying up the tackroom, which felt great. While I still need to put up my saddle rack and purchase and place bridle racks, I have things tidily in place for the moment.
The feed store will be delivering 2 drums for the lucerne and oaten chaff tomorrow - the pelleted mix is already in a clean steel trash can. I'm excited as it's one step closer to being finished :)
I've had a few lessons now - each is better and better.
In the first we worked on my leg position which fortunately has mostly stayed where it should since then. She also gave me some stretches to do to relax my wonky hip.
After that we worked on bend and getting him to stop leaning on the bit and dropping into the circle. It's been great, I feel much more confident with him and we're able to work through things that would have sent either of us off in the past (birds whooping past, a car zooming down the gravely driveway past the arena etc) and have given me a better understanding os his acting out (he does a weird 'lollopy' jump/pigroot/buck movement when he's had enough in the arena. I don't feel overhorsed! I do need to work on our bravery outside the arena but given our progress in it I feel we're in a better position to move forward :D
The feed store will be delivering 2 drums for the lucerne and oaten chaff tomorrow - the pelleted mix is already in a clean steel trash can. I'm excited as it's one step closer to being finished :)
I've had a few lessons now - each is better and better.
In the first we worked on my leg position which fortunately has mostly stayed where it should since then. She also gave me some stretches to do to relax my wonky hip.
After that we worked on bend and getting him to stop leaning on the bit and dropping into the circle. It's been great, I feel much more confident with him and we're able to work through things that would have sent either of us off in the past (birds whooping past, a car zooming down the gravely driveway past the arena etc) and have given me a better understanding os his acting out (he does a weird 'lollopy' jump/pigroot/buck movement when he's had enough in the arena. I don't feel overhorsed! I do need to work on our bravery outside the arena but given our progress in it I feel we're in a better position to move forward :D
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Kadey moves to our new home :)
Tonight is Kadey's second night in the new property - we moved in on Saturday and thanks to a Herculean effort from my Dad, we had the fences up by Tuesday afternoon.
As I walked him up the drive way for the first time he was a bit nervous and his ongoing weirdness around other horses kicked in when he saw the two neighbouring horses. However after a few sniffs he bored of them (no squeals, thank goodness). In the paddock he was super excited about the thick lush grass, which made me worry about colic. We created a large yard around the stables and I locked him in there for the night - partly to restrict his access to the greenery, partly for security. The yard is lit by the driveway lights, which we left on until he understood where the fence was.
He was reasonably calm until half way through dinner kept walking towards the fence and staring into the darkness. I eventually worked out that he could hear Dad tightening the wire fence. Tonight he was fine until the neighbouring horses disappeared from the fenceline - I think they are kept on the other side of the property at night. Cue panic, as Kadey spent the next while cantering about his yard panicking about being alone. Keeping him alone isn't optimal, but I'm hoping once he settle in he'll be happy to have the horses next door and those across the road and be happy to be on his own at night. If we move later on I'll get a second horse to keep him company.
But for now he's in his yard, not thrilled and a little upset but he was at least dry and standing still when I checked on him an hour ago. Looking forward to when he settles in :)
As I walked him up the drive way for the first time he was a bit nervous and his ongoing weirdness around other horses kicked in when he saw the two neighbouring horses. However after a few sniffs he bored of them (no squeals, thank goodness). In the paddock he was super excited about the thick lush grass, which made me worry about colic. We created a large yard around the stables and I locked him in there for the night - partly to restrict his access to the greenery, partly for security. The yard is lit by the driveway lights, which we left on until he understood where the fence was.
He was reasonably calm until half way through dinner kept walking towards the fence and staring into the darkness. I eventually worked out that he could hear Dad tightening the wire fence. Tonight he was fine until the neighbouring horses disappeared from the fenceline - I think they are kept on the other side of the property at night. Cue panic, as Kadey spent the next while cantering about his yard panicking about being alone. Keeping him alone isn't optimal, but I'm hoping once he settle in he'll be happy to have the horses next door and those across the road and be happy to be on his own at night. If we move later on I'll get a second horse to keep him company.
But for now he's in his yard, not thrilled and a little upset but he was at least dry and standing still when I checked on him an hour ago. Looking forward to when he settles in :)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
First lesson on Kadey!
Today was my first lesson with K, a girl who also agists at the property Kadey is currently agisted on.
It was - great. Mixed.
Kadey leaned like a train and ran - but it was good to have a second pair of eyes to say 'sit here, do that' as he responded well and really my pushing him to work correct was the reason for his poor behaviour as he tried to evade contact and actually having to use his muscles.
At one point he ran into canter - while it wasn't what I was asking, it was beautiful to sit his flowing, rocking horse canter which I haven't ridden since I trialled him in April.
He opened his mouth to evade the bit and ran, so after the lesson we fitted his new bridle with a crank/hanovarian/flash noseband. Hopefully that will help next time I'm on him.
It was great to feel a bit of direction, rather than feeling a bit lost and alone and unsure what to do or how to resolve certain things. K and another agistee also offered to take me out on a trailride so hopefully I can get Kadey accustomed to being outside and not freaking out :)
I finished the day with a full bath, including his grotty, greasy mane and tail. Kadey was quickly bored and started playing with his leadrope and pawing at the concrete/water. He also let me know in no uncertain terms that bafftime is not his favourite thing in the world, particularly if I want to wash his face!
Lesson points to remember
1. Three hip stretches
a/ point toes in towards each other
b/ flex foot and put leg out sideways with knee locked straight. Rest on highest point i can manage and push to go higher over time.
c/ bend knee and pull ankle high over thigh of other leg.
2. Tilt pelvis forward and don't hollow back
3. Keep shoulders down and relaxed
It was - great. Mixed.
Kadey leaned like a train and ran - but it was good to have a second pair of eyes to say 'sit here, do that' as he responded well and really my pushing him to work correct was the reason for his poor behaviour as he tried to evade contact and actually having to use his muscles.
At one point he ran into canter - while it wasn't what I was asking, it was beautiful to sit his flowing, rocking horse canter which I haven't ridden since I trialled him in April.
He opened his mouth to evade the bit and ran, so after the lesson we fitted his new bridle with a crank/hanovarian/flash noseband. Hopefully that will help next time I'm on him.
It was great to feel a bit of direction, rather than feeling a bit lost and alone and unsure what to do or how to resolve certain things. K and another agistee also offered to take me out on a trailride so hopefully I can get Kadey accustomed to being outside and not freaking out :)
I finished the day with a full bath, including his grotty, greasy mane and tail. Kadey was quickly bored and started playing with his leadrope and pawing at the concrete/water. He also let me know in no uncertain terms that bafftime is not his favourite thing in the world, particularly if I want to wash his face!
Lesson points to remember
1. Three hip stretches
a/ point toes in towards each other
b/ flex foot and put leg out sideways with knee locked straight. Rest on highest point i can manage and push to go higher over time.
c/ bend knee and pull ankle high over thigh of other leg.
2. Tilt pelvis forward and don't hollow back
3. Keep shoulders down and relaxed
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