Vetrinary Affirmation May 6, 2008
Posted by kimayars Ramblings
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I love the vet. What better way to build your ego than to have the vet tell you that your horse is beautiful, a great color, the perfect weight, and a good boy. We always love to impress the vet.
Tigger got his vaccinations today: Tetanus, West Nile Virus, and Intra-Nasal Flu. He was perfect for all of it. I have to hand it to my vet, she is FAST on that Intra-Nasal Flu thing. In case you’ve never heard of such a thing, it’s a 6-inch tube with a small syringe at the end of it. You stick the tube up the horses nose and spray it up inside. (Eww.) It was over before we even knew it started, so Tigger just had this confused, “What just happned?” look on his face. Too cute.
EZ8’s Workout May 6, 2008
Posted by kimayars General Cardio, Run
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A nice EZ8 workout tonight:
- 2x 100m sprints (still love that!)
- Lots of lunges
- Lots of high-knees (also known as “hot coals”)
- Jumping rope
2 miles total around the track. I should be sore tomorrow!
Logbook Activity
- Type: General Cardio
- Date: 05/06/2008
- Time: 18:30:00
- Total Time: 1:05:00.00
This is becoming a nice habit… May 6, 2008
Posted by kimayars Walk
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Walked with Kristi this morning:
- 15 minutes on the eliptical (reverse x-train)
- 30 minutes on the treadmill, Level 8 hill workout at 3.0 mph
This time I used a machine without moving arm thingies. MUCH safer!
Logbook Activity
- Type: Walk
- Date: 05/06/2008
- Time: 06:00:00
- Total Time: 00:30:00.00
- Distance: 1.5 miles
- Average Pace: 20:00/mile
ARGH! It was supposed to get BETTER. May 6, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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I had my lesson on Tigger today. The lesson went GREAT, but the beginning wasn’t what I hoped for.
I took my time grooming him, checked his back for spasms, and led him calmly and cooly around the arena. He was relaxed, easy-going, and basically a cow. I took him over to the mounting block and we did our little routine (I lead him up, then I walk around him asking him to stand still, then I get up on the block and lean into him a bit, then I get on). It’s time consuming, but good for both him and I. It’s a well-established process that also gives me insight if there’s anything wrong.
At the point where I step onto the block, he moved away anxiously. This is his way of saying he’s not ready. I got off the block, backed him up a few steps, praised him, and we walked around and lined up with the block again. This time, he refused to stand at the block. So, we back up again, praise, and line up with the block again. After about three rounds of this, he stands at the block. I walk around him, he stays put, and all seems good. (Forget the fact that by now I have established an adreneline surge that is pretty much killing me.) I stand next to him, put a foot in the stirrup, and hoist myself up.
He stays. (*whew!*)
My trainer holds him so I can get my right stirrup, and then lets us go. At this point I don’t really care what he does. All my uneasiness revolves around getting settled in the saddle. My fear is that he will take off before I can get my ducks in a row and I’ll come off because I’m unbalanced. For a few seconds, I’m vulnerable.
Anywho, my trainer lets go and he rushes off. This time instead of using walls to block him I decided to fall back on what I saw his previous owner do with him when she got on: one rein stops.
It was pretty effective. In 30 seconds and a few tight circles in both directions, it was over.
Blah.
Anyway, the lesson that followed was supurb. He was extremely good, especially since we introduced some serious lateral work and he didn’t get all freaked out about it. I learned more about using my outside seatbone during leg yields and we revisted (again) the principle that “less is more”. My best leg yield came from a touch with the inside leg and a tiny half-halt on the outside. The other attempts had been seriously overridden.
After the lesson I checked the sweat marks on the saddle pad. There is a void just behind the withers, but there is constant pressure along the entire length of his back. So far the new saddle is working out well.
So my next dilemma is how to minimize my “window of vulnerability” as I get on. I can’t always have someone around to hold him, and putting a hitching post in the middle of the arena is a bit ludicrous (and I doubt Sherene would really go for that). I’ve got a few days to think about that.
Tomorrow is a routine vet appointment for all the horses. I’ll check his back again to verify that we’re doing okay in the department and maybe throw in some in-hand work.
I got sunburned today too. Summer is coming!! 
