The Rubes

Known also as Ruby, Psycho, Crazy Horse, Redhead, Freckles, Wonderful - there are others.  The swelling has gone down a bit and she was cleared to ride yesterday, so we went on another trail ride today.

It was just me and Heather today and the plan was to go to Lower Green Swamp.  On my way to the barn, Heather told me that she'd haul since Lee wasn't going to make it.  At the time I thought I should offer to hook my truck up anyways, but it turned out to be a blessing that I didn't...

It was a great morning to go riding - mostly overcast, a nice breeze, and definitely cooler than earlier in the week.  The first mile or so though, Ruby was being seriously bothered by large biting flies. I sprayed her heavily with fly spray before leaving the trailer, and put Swat under her eyes, on the bridge of her nose, on her ears and even her udder.  I have got to find a horse-hair swatter and some tassels already!  At one point I had to get off due to a particularly tenacious fly - when I found him, he was biting her belly but a well-placed flick sent him on his way.

The biting flies pretty much stopped when we got the area where cows are allowed to graze, perhaps because they had something else to snack on.  Anyway, we ended up having a good ride with some trotting thrown in: 5.7 miles, moving time 1:37, average speed 3.5 mph, fastest speed 11 mph.  https://www.strava.com/activities/147297035

According to Strava, I have trail ridden Ruby a total of 45.4 miles - crazy that she's come so far already.  I wonder if I should throw a party when we hit 100? Hmmm.

So, we got the ponies packed up and back home without incident.  Then I had to give Ruby her banamine - she was so unbelievably pissed at me, she even pinned her ears and ignored me when I left.  It probably didn't help that I laughed at her expression though :)  Anyway, I got to my truck and started to leave when I realized that something was very wrong...Yep, I have a flat.  I'm so grateful that it didn't happen when pulling the trailer.  So, after the vet bill yesterday and a new truck tire today, I'm pretty well broke *sigh* 

OMG - what is that on your face?!?!

When I got to the barn this morning, I had all sorts of little things planned.  I was going to put the bridle on Ruby, then groom her and re-braid her mane, take squared-up conformation pics, take my time doing my chores.  Things started off well...then I noticed this.

This is the picture I sent to her vet - if you look, you can make out a swollen lump on the left side of her face (her left ya'll) near her eye.  It was hard to the touch, though there was a smaller, softer spot further towards her nose.  No nasal discharge, acting perky and eating fine.  It wasn't sensitive to touch.  The vet came out a couple hours later to check it out and gave her something for swelling.  It MAY be an abscessed tooth but judging from her lack of other symptoms (no fever, no odd smell, eating fine, lymph nodes good), it's probably just an allergic reaction to a sting from a bug.   Crossing fingers. 

I feel like a broken record

Because we had another great ride - Ruby's turning into quite the little trail horse!  Super-short at 4.5 miles, happy pony the entire time with no major spooks, just some skitters.  I am going to have to figure out some kind of biting fly protection for her though - fly spray only works so long and Swat just melts away.  I'm thinking of getting some horse hair tassels to attach to her bridle.  We did have one short trotting session from one group of trees to another and she slowed when asked to let Copa (Lee's gelding) pass us.  Oh, and I attached some bells to her girth and saddle but I'm going to have to go back and get some bigger  (louder) ones.  Anyways, we all had a blast! https://www.strava.com/activities/146542333

I take it back

Tenoroc is not boring after all.  The trails on the map are...but yesterday we went off-roading.

Originally we (Heather and Lee) planned to ride with a large group, but we were running late.  The older gentleman that we met last week and a friend of his waited for us to arrive, then he led the way.  We had a fantastic ride.  Ruby was fine riding in the front or the back.  She does need to learn to watch her feet better - she would stumble when stepping on a rock wrong (think of stepping on a lego barefoot), which was often.  She got the chance to evil-eye  a soft-shelled turtle on the trail and the opportunity to skitter when some wild pigs ran out of some brush (far) behind us.  I think with more miles and exposure she'll settle in and start to understand that most other animals don't care for horse meat.  I made sure to tell the rest of the group that Ruby was green and was told at the end that she doesn't act like it - I'm proud of my girl :D  Towards the end of the ride, Ruby and Candy kept falling behind the group so we decided to trot to catch up...Ruby is hilarious. She was determined that Candy was NOT going to pass her so she extended her trot - and we were really moving out.  I couldn't help but laugh at her, she's such a fun dork sometimes.  I didn't know until today that when Ruby was really going, Candy was cantering just to keep up.  We fell far behind a couple of times, and trotting to catch up was a blast.  Anyways, the rest of the group may think I'm a little nuts after all of the loud laughing but her attitude about it was killing me.  I did let Candy pass once so Ruby could see that she doesn't necessarily get to set the pace.  Should be fun at the beginning of an endurance ride! We rode a little over 8.5 miles.  At the end, she didn't seem tired but she did seem like she was done with the heat already! https://www.strava.com/activities/145827614

One sweat-soaked pony

Today was a rest day for Ruby, so I popped a bit in her mouth and groomed her, then braided her mane.  It took her a minute to take the bit but there was no fighting this time.  When I removed it, there was no snatching her head away.  She's come a long way already :)

Head-gear and Goals

I put in an order to Moss Rock Endurance for one of her Evolution bridles.  Ruby does not like my S-hack, but goes very well in Heather's side pull so I've been looking for one of my own.  Doing a search for biothane side pulls, I came across MRE's Evolution bridle.  Basically it's a bitless halter-bridle that can also be rigged with a bit or as a side pull.  Unfortunately MRE's owner/founder is currently laid up for a while following a fall so it's going to be a while before I get it.  Here's to patience.

Moving on to the subject of goals.  I think it's reasonable to expect a sustained trot (at a steady pace!) with steering by the end of next month so that's what we'll be working on.  And I'm tentatively planning to enter an intro ride in September, followed by our first LD in December/January.

Same old, same old

I want banana!

Nothing exciting to report, though I have been wondering how the heck a trainer can get a horse going solidly in only 30 days - I'm not sure I could ever do it. EDIT: I shouldn't have said solidly, but NO ONE would pay me to train their horse for only 30 days...Ruby and I are not even trotting consistently with steering yet and I'm sure that's mostly due to my lack of training skills.  Whatever, I'm having fun doing it and building a relationship with a very special horse. 

War paint and braids

She's a terrible beastie!

Heather surprised me this morning with a 'Wanna go ride at the Hamptons this morning?'  How could I refuse?

The weather was beautiful and nothing seemed amiss, at first...

Yes, she does have pink Swat-ified ears...no, she was NOT amused :)

Things started getting crazy when we got to the trailhead.  I circled and circled and circled...and Ruby's brain would not turn on.  It was so bad that Heather and I got off and walked the first little bit of trail - due to the fact that the last time Ruby acted like this, there actually was something in the bushes waiting to eat us all (a completely deaf deer).  Anyway, she never really did settle down  and was constantly expecting something, anything to jump out and get us...it was not a relaxing ride at all.  That being said, there were tiny moments when we were really 'together' - she was listening and we were actually in harmony.  Yep, it sounds completely corny but most other horse people know what I'm talking about.  Heather and I decided to call it a day after finishing the short trail around the lake - neither of us wanted to push my luck any further.  Ruby did start to get (more!) nervous again as we approached the trail head, but then relaxed. Hmm. 

When we first arrived, there were three horse trailers in the parking area.  We passed the other riders at one point, and said hello.  When we got back to the parking lot, an older gentleman approached us.  Apparently they belong to some kind of local trail riding club (yay!!) and ride all over this area a few times a week.  I'm looking forward to taking Ruby on the trails with some more experienced horses.

We rode 2.8 miles in just under an hour. Maybe we'll be ready for an LD by the time Ruby's 25... https://www.strava.com/activities/143064144

Just a picture

Love my Ruby Bloom!

Circles are my friends

Today dawned cold and windy ('cold' being mid-60's), making it a perfect day for Ruby torture.

Torture Device #1

I haven't done any real desensitizing with Ruby so I brought out the, well, fabric strips I guess you'd call them and a tarp.  On my way to the barn I even considered stopping for some foil balloons but then decided I was too lazy - soon, my pretty.  Instead, I decided to live on the edge by weighting down only half of the tarp. 

Various implements of Ruby torture

We did our usual 'turn your brain on' routine, which includes long-lining for 5-10 minutes. Then we walked through/over the obstacles a few times with me leading.  Then I mounted up.  No matter how long we've been working in the morning, she is always nervous for those first few minutes after mounting.  This is why circles are good friends of mine.  Doing enough small circles seems to get her refocused and thinking, whereas otherwise she's blowing and constantly trying to move up into a trot/canter.  Karma was another beast altogether.  She saw no reason to do circle after circle and would get pissed if I asked for too many.

When Ruby was ready, we rode over the tarp and through the fabric strips. Then the real test....the arena gate was open so I asked her to walk into the arena.  She asked to turn around a few times but then went in.  We turned in a circle and headed back to the open gate.  She had a bit more pep in her step heading back out - then I turned her back around and asked her to enter the arena again.  We did this over and over until there was no more excitement leaving the arena.  This is something I've been meaning to do for a while now because she's gotten to the point when we are riding that she's constantly trying to get back to the gate. 

This is one of those balancing acts that I'm never sure I'm doing right.  On the one hand, you should set your horse up for success.  On the other hand, sometimes you have to just see how your horse is going to react to a new or irritating or exciting or training situation.  I'm lucky that while Ruby voices her opinion, she doesn't argue.  What I mean is, when I ask her to trot she might pin her ears but when I insist, she trots instead of getting mean about it.  So lucky :)

I can haz cookie?

New Place to Ride

Ready to go!  Don't mind the rust :)

Heather and I rode at a new (to us) little place about 15 minutes from the barn.  The weather forecast was not good, but we decided to chance it and had a great time!  There are shaded trails through the woods, a path around a lake, open fields.  The main horse trail is a short loop, but there are a lot of little side trails to explore. It's also semi-exclusive in that you have to have a gate code to get in.

The ride itself was more exciting than it really should have been.  Ruby always stands stock-still for me to mount up, because if she does she gets a cookie.  Except today.  I took the time to correct the issue, instead of swinging up anyways.  Hopefully, it won't become a problem.  A little ways up the trail, she got boogery so Candy passed us.  Then Candy remembered that she doesn't actually like to be in the lead and did a mini-spook.  Ruby almost left me in the dirt - one second she was facing straight down the trail, the next she was facing 90 degrees to the left.  If she'd kept going, I'd still be picking sticks out of my backside.  Later on we saw a very fat black racer and a raccoon that apparently didn't get the memo that he's supposed to be nocturnal.  After the raccoon, it was obvious that Ruby felt completely justified in giving the stink eye to every bush we passed *sigh*.  She is figuring out the 'Want a bite?' cue for grazing (that I totally copied from Haiku Farm) - what's great is that she'll grab a bite or two, then she wants to start moving again.  She's also coming to the realization that I can be quite the horse-fly-swatter.  She was starting to relax a bit as the ride was coming to an end...and honestly, she is doing great and we had a very enjoyable ride.  As she gets used to the sights and sounds of the trail, we should have less boogery moments.

Don't feel too bad for her - we rode for an hour at a walk in 75 degree temps...she's just a bit of a drama queen is all.

We rode 3.4 miles with one hour of riding time.  We got home just as the thunder started, so the timing was great.  Good times!  https://www.strava.com/activities/141506059

I checked the spot again today and it looks fine (no rubs, no dry spot, no heat or swelling, etc.). I might get some shims anyways to fill in the shoulder dips.  We'll see.

Foiled

I went to the barn this morning thinking that Ruby and I would work on increasing/decreasing circles at the walk...That's when I noticed this.

Ruby has three parallel scratches right behind her withers on the right side.  It's a possibility that one of the barn kitties fell from the rafters and scratched her as they fell (it has happened to another horse, with Heather as a witness), so that's our best guess as to what happened.  The scratches are ever so slightly swollen, so I decided to pass on riding today in hopes that we will be able to go for a trail ride tomorrow.  This picture also happens to show the dip behind her shoulder that I was referring to yesterday.  I'm not real sure what, if anything, to do about it in regards to riding (shims maybe?), but I should have a better idea after our ride tomorrow. 

Continuing Education

Ruby's resigned face

Today, my whole goal was to continue to build on Ruby's foundation.  We rode in the larger arena with Heather and Candy. We did a ton of walking circles and figure-8s of different sizes, as well as walking over poles and trotting.  I will be ecstatic when I finally have steering and trotting at the same time!  We had a moment when Ruby thought about fighting with me, but I made my point and we continued the ride.   I rode until I felt I was getting decent circles as well as a good attitude, then called it a day.  I almost felt bad for her later on - when she yawned a few times while I was chatting with Heather.  But then she got really perky when I came around the barn with her hay, so I got over it pretty fast.  All in all, it was a good day and I think we made some headway.

I took pictures of her back after the ride - the sweat marks looked nice and even, with a dry channel down the spine.  However, when I went to look at the pics later, I noticed that there's a lighter mark high up on her withers only on the right side.  I did not notice this mark when checking her back after the ride and it was not there when I looked at her in the stall.  I checked the saddle and pad (Sensation Hybrid + Equipedic) and there's nothing hard that could make a mark like it.  She has a dip there (lack of muscle), so it may be that the saddle pad isn't touching the skin in that spot; she goes easier to the left and her left side is more muscled up.  I'll check the saddle while it's on her tomorrow and see if I can figure it out.

The offending mark is right below the chestnut spot on her withers. 

Today's ride

Today's arena ride went okay. I don't know why I never noticed before but Ruby's pissy-mare-face only appears when she's asked to trot, and not when she asks to trot (duh!).  Trotting was better for her today because I was two-pointing instead of trying to post her all-over-the-place trot.  We did a lot of circles and giving to leg pressure at the walk, and when I finally got a nice, around the arena trot without pissy-face and tail-swishing, we called it a day.   She's usually a good sport about things, so I think her angst about trotting will go away as she gets more comfortable, but only time will tell.  At least there is no crow-hopping or other tom-foolery going on. 

The last few days

Wednesday, our first day back at it, Ruby and I rode with Heather and Candy through the pastures.  She was very anxious for the first 20 minutes or so, actually calling to the horses at the barn (NOT like her), but considering she was in heat and is jade green, she was great.  She even stuck her face into the bridle as soon as I held it out.  However, I can say that she was very happy to get back to the barn - she's been out at night so daytime is rest-time lately. 

Yesterday, we practiced trotting around the arena.  Ruby gets pissy-mare-face when asked to trot.  It is probably due to the fact that she won't trot in a straight line or at a consistent speed, so I am unbalanced when she's trotting.  Until we get steering and speed control at the trot, I think I'll just two-point it from now on (I'm one of those weird people that has an easier time balancing while standing up; the size of my derriere makes this even less believable, but no less true).  Once she's comfortable toting me around at the trot, I'll bring in the posting and eventually, the sitting trot.

Today Ruby had a scabby, bug-bite-looking mark too close to her girth groove so we went for a walk around the neighborhood.  She was nice and calm, even when we were being approached by a truck doing 30-35 mph on our tiny road.  She spooked a little as the jackass flew by, but was otherwise fine.  She has a power-walk that puts most horses to shame but she slowed down for me when my feet started hurting, without me asking.  We didn't have any drama until we turned back onto the barn road.  At that point, another jackass (this time in a jacked-up diesel truck) decided to tear down the main (25 mph) road.  He had to be doing 40 or so by the time he passed our street (less than a quarter mile from where he started).  He spooked some calves in the pasture next to us, and the horses in the pasture on the other side of us.  That was exciting for fifteen seconds or so while Ruby tried to sort out whether we should also be running for our lives.  I don't understand the people that do things like that.  Would they drive by a dog like that, or someone walking by themselves or a lady pushing a stroller?  Doubtful.  So, what is it about horses that causes some drivers to turn into assholes?  I almost wonder if they want to cause a wreck.  I can only hope that one day, these same jerks have a daughter or granddaughter that sometimes rides her horse along the road - then maybe (I know, it's a stretch!) they'll get it. 

Nope, it's not a great picture but I love her 'my human is crazy' face!

Getting back into the groove

Ruby was on-again, off-again lame for a few weeks, but we finally started back into her training as of Wednesday. I may have figured out what caused the lameness.  On our way to Lower Green Swamp before our last trail ride, she slipped in the trailer.  I didn't post anything about it because she was sound before, during, and after our ride - but I believe now that she may have pulled or tweaked something.  She's been sound now for a few weeks - I gave her the extra time to be sure that the injury wasn't aggravated during the healing process.  We're starting back slowly and her soundness is constantly being re-evaluated.  Crossing fingers that the worst part is over and she's truly back to 100%.

In the meantime, I changed her feed again.  She's now getting rice bran, beet pulp, and O&A along with a vitamin and MSM.  Finally she has put on some weight and muscle.  Forgive the fact that her head is in shadow - this picture shows her condition so well.  Her feet are also looking fantastic - she's starting to get some nice concavity and the wall cracks are growing out.  I'll take pics after her next trim.