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.