Finally a ride!

I finally got to ride today. The ground is still very boggey and slippery so I took Sam across the road to the reserve for a walk around. He was very well behaved. I made sure I had breaks using my seat and checked that I was able to move him side to side using my legs - all systems go! We had a lovely explore for about 40min. I am so lucky I have a horse who enjoys exploring new areas. He ears were pricked and he had reasonably low head carriage and a lovely active swinging walk. I asked for a trot up a hill and that was a little too much effort but he did give it too me. I didn't want to do too much due to the ground but it was lovely finally being back on and enjoying it!!!

I think Sam enjoyed it too getting out and seeing new things.

Gus did finally get settle down when we left so hopefully he will get used to Sam going and not carry on each time.

Photos soon I promise!!!!!

NO TIME

Unfortunately with work and rain and setting up out new home I just haven't had time to work Sam. Last Sunday I did get a chance to lunge him and he went very well. I was really hoping to ride this weekend but it looks like rain so that will count us out. I think we are mostly clay based so the place is very slippery. Sam seems fat and happy and loves being able to graze all day everyday. My feed bill has decreased dramatically which is awesome.

The rain will allow me to spray the weeds out the front and then I will be able to get the ground ripped and sown with something for spring and summer. I am still chatting with the gentleman who will be doing the shelter with exactly what I want and can afford but I am still hoping it will be up by the end of June. We have changed where the tack up/wash bay area is going to be and that will need a roof over it as well so I think the arena will have to wait until next year - that ok I am very content with what I have.

We were given a lovely house warming present last Sunday. His name is Wilbur. He is 3 months old has a black glossy coat and is already running riot in our household.

I haven't got any really good photos yet so this will have to do for now. He is certainly making himself at home and Jack is learning to deal with having a little black creature having the run of the house. At first he was petrified of Wilbur but is now standing up to him a little more.

Time for bed for me and hoping I will get to spend some form of time with Super Sam.

Some more pictures!!!!!

This is Scott and Jack sitting on the back steps of our new home enjoying the morning sun!

Sam having a munch back at the agistment place

I am no good at pulling manes and this is the awful job I did to Sam's mane!!!!! Lucky I have a lovely friend - Jodi who will try and fix it!!!!!!!

Some Pictures

Sam checking out his new digs

Gull - New kid on the block

Gull polishing off his dinner

We're In!!!!

WE'RE IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday morning after the removalists had finished packing up our house I headed out to get Sam. I let him out for a pick while I finished packing the car, hooking the float up and cleaned his paddock. Jodi was going to come and help me load but I thought I would give it a go myself. I got everything ready caught Sam and headed over to the float. He walked straight in, stood a moment and then backed out. I asked him walk up again and up he went he stood still while I fumbled around with the rump bar. Once I got that done up Sam was still standing quietly so I put the ramp up, tied him up in the front and hit the road!

The trip was uneventful - which is a good thing. I was even relaxed enough to stop and pick up a loaf of bread on the way! When we arrived Sam unloaded splendidly. He stood still until I asked him to back out and he backed out slowly. I was so proud of him! He calmly took in his new surrounds and I took him around to the back paddock. It is about 2.5 acres where I let him go to explore and munch. He wandered around at a walk for a bit before he started to call out and trot and canter. Not much I could do but let him settled down himself. He soon semi settled but wouldn't stop walking around the paddock. Dinner time he did eat all his dinner and I locked him up in a smaller yard for the night. In the morning I let him back out and he started the walking around again.

A friend from work bought over one of her horses to keep Sam company so we now have Gull or also known as Mr Stumpy. He is a 15.3hh, 16yo Thoroughbred gelding. He seems like a friendly fellow and the meeting of Gull and Sam was also uneventful. Gull has settled in well and Sam follows him around like a bad smell. Gull is the boss, already pushing Sam away from his feed. We will just have to feel them separately but that's ok.

I am having trouble posting pictures so as soon as I can I will post pictures of Gull, Sam checking out his new digs and the cottage!

A sound pony and the big move!!!!!!

Sam has had a week off with turn out time being slowly increased. All looks good! I rode on Sunday afternoon and he was sound during the ride and yesterday so I believe all is healed. When I rode on Sunday I did some work in the round yard first and then we headed out to the large riding area. This time I rode in a halter only out in the large riding area. This is something I have wanted to achieve since having Sam at this agistment place. Now that he is so responsive to moving off your leg I feel I have more control about where we are going. We walk, trot and canted around all smooth, rhythmical, controlled, just lovely. I was also able to ask for him to come back to a halt from the canter using only my seat!!!!! How awesome is that! OK it wasn't in like 3 strides more like 10 but it is a start! It was a lovely last ride to have. I think Sam enjoyed it as well. Ears forward and I didn't notice any teeth grinding at all!

The big move happens today. We set up Sam's yard at the our new place on the weekend with electric tape and today the removalists take all our furniture out there and unpack for us. When they finish packing up I will go and load up Sam with Jodi's help and then head out. Scott is already out there today as he is helping to concrete my tack/feed shed!!!!!!! It should be ready to use on Friday/Saturday. I am planning on having the house unpacked by tomorrow sometime as I have to go back to work on Thursday.

Annette who I work with on the odd Saturday has offered me a horse to help keep Sam company until we find Scott a horse of his own.

All very exciting!!!!!!!!!!! When we are set up I will take photos to show you all our new home and Sam's new home!

http://www.farpoint.com.au/ This is who I am thinking to get to build my stables. I would be looking at the double shelter, I don't need to 'stable' them, that part is only really if I have an injury but I would like somewhere for them to get out of the weather. I think it should be big enough for two horses to fit in comfortably with room to move. I am going to get a quote for a 8m x 4m one as well. I was thinking 10m x 5m which would give me 5m x 5m stable but I think it may be a little too large. Too many choices!!!!!!! I would like to have them up by the end of June if possible!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another week off I think

I am going to give Sam the week off I think. This morning the fetlock was up ever so slightly. I think maybe if I give him just that little bit more time off it should be all good to go by the weekend. I am going to give him a few hours of turnout time in the morning. My OH can bring him in around midday for me, just enough time to fill his belly before play drive kicks in! Other than that he is still in very good spirits just getting a little bored I think.

I think we are ok

I think we are ok but tomorrow morning will really tell. The fetlock was still down this morning so I popped him on the lunge and he was sound. I can type that now but this morning I was looking at his fetlock and I just wasn't sure if it was slightly swollen or if I was seeing things! You know when you have looked at something that much you just aren't sure anymore! On the lunge at first I was sure he was fine and then I started to second guess myself. I figured he was probably fine and I was just over reacting.

This afternoon I decided to take Sam out for a quiet hack around the riding paddock. My plan was to just walk but Sam had other ideas. Poor bugger was a little hypo after having over a week off with no turn out time. Once again I could feel him holding himself back. I let him have a bit of a trot and canter. He was rushing and a little spooky but still easy to control and bring back to walk when I wanted. We will see what the fetlock looks like in the morning!

Did I over treat?

The good news is that I think Sam is really on the mend. Last night I didn't poultice his leg. I have him booked in with the vet so I figured it couldn't do much harm missing a night. Well this morning a lot of the swelling was gone! There was still a little heat but it was just really good to see a lot of the swelling gone. I decided to leave it for the morning and headed out again around 1pm to pick up my float and check him again.

I practiced hooking the float up and checked Sam. The leg was looking good so decided to do some float loading practice for tomorrow. He loaded straight away. Backed out very slowly. I put the centre divided across to the middle and loaded him up again. This time he was happy to stand while I put the bum bar across and closed up the ramp. I then went around the front, tied him up and we headed out for the road. We just went around the block but he travelled well and I did well driving.

I get myself so worked up when I have to float Sam. I am getting worse with my worring so the more I do not under any pressure the better I will get - well that is the plan anyway. When we got back I untied him and put the ramp down. He wanted to back out straight away but he kept hitting the bum bar. I had to ask him to move forward so I could undo this. He was happy to move forward and stand there. When I undid the bum bar he did back out and wouldn't stop so I asked him to walk straight back up and in again. He did a little rear and then gave to the pressure and walked straight back on. He was happy to walk out one step at a time then.

I was very pleased with the whole floating experience.

I popped him on the lunge to check his soundness and he seemed sound. I still gave him the day off and I will check him on the lunge again in the morning to see if he needs the vet or not. I have washed him, trimmed his mane, tail and rugged him up so he will stay clean in case we need to see the vet. I know it is silly but I would like him looking his best if he needs to go out in public.

Update

I think it is looking a little better. This morning when I went to hose off the poultice I couldn't find any heat. After I hose the poultice off I ice bandage it for 20min. When I take the bandage off that is when I can feel the heat. It seems to be on the outside of the joint and a little on the inside. It was the same tonight.

I have made a booking with the vet for Monday. I will float him into the UNI so we can have x-rays and see what they think. By that stage if it still isn't better that has been 6 days so I think it would have been long enough.

Front View

Back ViewWith the poultice on



Just a content little face eating breakfast. I think he was telling me to leave him alone and to let him eat in peace!!!!!!

Getting better?

Thanks Kate for your reply. I strapped him up over night and this morning the swelling was down, there was still some swelling but minimal. I put him on the lunge to see how he was doing. Slightly lame at the trot both directions. Slight - I mean sometimes you could see something and sometimes I was questioning myself. I only let him trot two circles on either rein - didn't want to push it.

I ice bandaged again for 30min and then put a natural type poultice in it for the day. When I was rubbing the poultice on I found the heat had localised to right around the fetlock joint. I think I felt a small lump on the outside and inside of the fetlock?

This evening I hosed off the poultice and I could only ice it for 12min and put the poultice back on. The swelling has stayed down but there was still heat in the joint.

Do I call the vet? Do I take him in for x-rays? Do I keep doing what I am doing until Monday and reassess again. Sam is very bright and happy within himself. I can still poke and prod and squeeze with no reaction.

Am I over reacting? Probably but I worry.

Poor Sam

Poor Sam. He had a lovely time being turned out during the day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I ended up being called into work on Monday so my OH had to bring Sam in and feed him for me Monday night. Tuesday morning I get to the paddock and Sam's offside hind fetlock is huge! Some heat but not sore to touch, poke and prod. I ice bandaged it and went back out at lunch time to do it again. When I went back out in the afternoon to feed up and it was nearly down. I had run out of coolant for my ice bandages so I just rubbed some rapigel into it thinking that it would probably be down by the next morning. I trotted him out and he trotted out sound.

This morning it was huge again. I rubbed more rapigel into it. Tonight I iced bandaged and then wrapped it up for the night. Hopefully it will be a little smaller in the morning.

He is such a silly billy!!!!! At least it really doesn't seem sore.

My little Pony, I love my little Pony!

So much has been happening! Last week I was away all week for work so I decided to take the opportunity of getting my instructor to ride Sam while I was away. Jane only rode him three times but oh boy the difference is amazing!!!! He is now so rhythmical, even, light, forward, AWESOME! I had a lesson last Monday and we even did walk canter transitions!!!!! We asked him for this but tightening my outside butt cheek then pressure with the outside thigh and then a bump with the outside leg. We weren't too concerned about where his head was we just worked on him going forward off the aids. It was amazing!

I wasn't able to ride during the week because I went to ride on Wednesday afternoon and he was slightly uneven. Low amount of heat on the nearside fore so I ice bandaged and did it again Thursday morning and night. He seemed fine so on Friday I let him out into the large turnout paddock for a few hours. Saturday I turned him out again and when I went to catch him he decided that they all needed some exercise so took everyone for a gallop around the perimeter of the paddock twice. Keep in mind this paddock is about 30acres!!!!! I didn't think he was fit but I found out just how UNFIT he really is. He was breathing heavy for a good twenty minutes after that!

I saddled him up and headed out onto the road to meet Jane, my instructor for a road ride. The track we took is about an hours ride of a mixture of walking, trotting and a little canter. Sam was extremely well behaved. Jane's horse was being a little naughty so Sam would stop and wait and not batter an eyelid until we were ready to go again. Even when she trotted and cantered off in front of us he stayed at a walk unless he was asked to catch up. I was really impressed with that.

The property we were looking at is all going ahead. We settle in about a week and a half and move in, in two weeks!!!!!!! We are so excited! I have a few decisions to make. I have a dressage comp that I would like to do the Sunday after we move in. At the moment I do not have a companion for Sam. Options -
1) Do I move Sam when we move so he is at the new place by himself and then we do our first ever competition together on the Sunday. (I thinking of the stress levels of both of us)
2) Do I leave Sam where he is do the competition and then bring him home to the new place?
3) Not do the competition at all because I will find the week mentally very challenging - I have to work as well full time.

Please cancel all of the above - I have just looked at the entry form online and I have missed the closing date!!!! Wow you really have to enter early down here. Well that certainly makes my life easier - Sam will move with us!

OK next decision that needs to be made. There is a family where I keep Sam now who are having some financial problems. They would love it if their pony could come and live with us. I wouldn't charge agistment and they have offered to help around the place in lou of paying agistment but they would supply all his feed, rugs, farrier care, vet care etc. They are very good owners and love their pony very much. They get the farrier out every 5 weeks, worming is done on time and the pony wants for nothing. He is an easy going pony who seems to get along well with others - if anything I think he would be at the bottom of the pecking order.

Pros - Sam would have company
He wouldn't cost me any money
Cons - Another horse eating my pasture
His owners would come out every weekend

We do get along with his owners but we were hoping to have our new place all to ourselves for the first few months - does that make sense? I also don't know how long he could stay with us - I would like to get another horse for me but one that other people could ride as well. So many choices to make!!!!! I will have to have a think.