We had a great jump lesson today, the first in 2 1/2 weeks.
First, Duke's feet. John says he kept pads on all his prelim horses, just because it wasn't worth risking a rock or even a little stone. He said to ask the size of nail, and that the farrier should be using "specials". He also suggested measuring from Duke's coronet to toe, and making sure that we don't trim shorter than that. He thinks that when it is warm and Duke's foot expands (vs. cold when it contracts) and when it grows just a bit after the shoeing, that the nail might be touching the white line. His fourth suggestion was that although his pre-purchase X-rays were good, Duke might have a coffin bone that is pointed a bit down and towards the sole of his hoof, so if his foot is a little flat and then he puts pressure on the thin sole, it can press into the coffin, which presses into the digital flexor tendon, which presses into a bursa, and can hurt. So this suggestion was, if he goes lame again, try a bar shoe. If it is his thin sole, the bar shoe should prevent the coffin bone pressure. He said we'll need to figure it out, but it's Duke's only weakness so far (he doesn't mind a scrape on his leg, he doesn't mind being skinny, etc.), and that he's had horses vary a bit (doesn't know anything is off and a huge abscess blows; steps on a pebble and goes lame).
Next, me. Pull my shoulder blades together to make my back flat. Wrap my legs down and around him and keep my heels down.
Third, Duke. Man, he was a good boy. He was just a tiny bit hot (he wouldn't stand still for me to tighten the girth the final hole and I had to get off), and he was annoyed with the music (so I'm glad it was there, since Aspen plays music at show jumping), but he was a rock star over the fences. We started with a tiny cross rail, which he seemed very surprised by and made Brooke and John laugh. John slowly raised it, and he just got better and better. We worked on making the turn off of my right leg (turning left), and once he came in at the wrong distance and I didn't support him, but other than that, it went pretty well.
Then John had us ride a four stride line (both directions) and worked on trying not to let him drift left.
From there, he had us go down the center over a skinny that was on top of two barrels, and then we just kept going and jumped a bar that was between the barrel and a standard. Then he had us angle the vertical and ride a three stride line OVER the barrel (left lead to right lead) and then angle an oxer, three strides, over the other barrel (right lead to left lead). Making the oxer to barrel turn was much harder, and he said that's Duke's weak spot, and what we'll do this season if there is a right lead bend to a left lead is bulge the line a little (so ride it in six strides instead of the walked distance of five) and then over the summer, tighten the line up). He said especially if we're coming into water on the right lead and have to get out, that might be what catches us a little. I can also imagine a hard right hand "roll back" in show jumping where we could scramble a bit. But Duke did it eagerly and with some panache. He hit the barrel the very last jump, and John said he was tired. He got pretty sweaty, and although we cantered non stop once we got going, it wasn't that many fences, so I need to get him back in shape.
John said one thing he wanted to see today was how he handled the fences being a little hot and with a couple weeks off, and he was pleased with Duke's attitude. Me too. Big reminder though is I can't just count on him to do each fence, but need to guide him and tell him. If he's drifting left, I need to put the outside aids on and straighten him out, and if we're coming into a funny spot, I need to give him the support to let him know it's what I want and it's ok.
I don't feel as hesitant about riding training at Spokane for our last show now.
Then I cooled him off by walking him down the road, and he was good. He didn't recognize Ashley running towards us, but he just stood still and looked.
After we got home, I tried to use the whirlpool boots, which made him nervous and were ridiculous, so I'm going to see how much they'll cost to return and just use two black feed bins with water and ice for his feet.
Great lesson, great weather, great day. It made my whole March.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Dressage - 10 meter circles and some sitting trot
Today was our first lesson in a few weeks, but it felt like it has been much longer than that. I was starting to get serious lesson deprivation.
John said it is ok to sign up for Spokane, and ok to sign up Training, but that about 10 days ahead if I'm not feeling totally ready, we'll back down to Novice.
Today he explained going forward ever so slightly differently, and I think it made a big difference. We were working on 10 meter circles, and Duke would start to lose power, so he had me do on-off-on-off-on-off with my legs and kind of rev Duke up, and then go back to working on the bend or the half halt or whatever. Duke was quite responsive to the on-off-on-off and he'd push forward and it was easy to feel the difference. Then I'd quit nagging with my legs.
He also had me do one part of a circle with my left leg as tight as I could push it against him (it was the inside leg at the time) - not an on-off-on-off aid, but a squeeze. I think that's the first time he's told me to give that aid.
Duke had his head pretty high at the canter, and was stiff in the jaw at the trot, but other than that, he actually felt really good. As anxious as I have been feeling, I couldn't feel anything off. John said to measure his foot from the coronet band to his toe and tell the farrier not to cut his foot any shorter than that - he thinks it is a too short trim where the nail moves just a bit as Duke's foot grows out after a few days and makes a sore spot - not a hot nail, but sore.
We did some bending to the outside, bending to the inside, 10 meter circles changing direction in the middle, a few laps of sitting trot, and work on the half halt. Half halt aid is the outside rein but squeeze with both legs while asking. Then John made it even harder and had me use the inside rein while I was half halting, which meant I was giving three aids at once (inside rein, outside rein, both legs same). It taxed my concentration levels. So I can do three novel things at once, but just barely ...
He also had me sit up (like usual), and when Duke got stiff or started to get ready to give, he'd have me give (slightly) with the inside or outside hand. He can see this - I can't feel that it's almost time - and he times it so that when I give a little, Duke stretches forward and into the hand and it always feels really nice, like a release. In contrast with when I'm trying to walk on a loose rein and the rein just flops around instead of staying connecting but Duke going forward into it.
Duke got sweaty under his saddle, but he stayed quiet and obedient, and I think I am doing much better than six months ago at making the circles round with my legs instead of cranking him around the circle with my hands.
John also had me move my legs to different places to keep Duke's shoulders in or push his haunches in. So, for example, I'd be riding with my inside (right) leg up next to the girth but the outside (left) leg two inches back. I am not very good at knowing when I should move my leg forward or back, or feeling that it is in the wrong place and correcting it.
Before John got there, we walked around to the road, then down the road with R. Duke got a little nervous (I could feel his little heart thumping under my leg) but stayed good.
John said it is ok to sign up for Spokane, and ok to sign up Training, but that about 10 days ahead if I'm not feeling totally ready, we'll back down to Novice.
Today he explained going forward ever so slightly differently, and I think it made a big difference. We were working on 10 meter circles, and Duke would start to lose power, so he had me do on-off-on-off-on-off with my legs and kind of rev Duke up, and then go back to working on the bend or the half halt or whatever. Duke was quite responsive to the on-off-on-off and he'd push forward and it was easy to feel the difference. Then I'd quit nagging with my legs.
He also had me do one part of a circle with my left leg as tight as I could push it against him (it was the inside leg at the time) - not an on-off-on-off aid, but a squeeze. I think that's the first time he's told me to give that aid.
Duke had his head pretty high at the canter, and was stiff in the jaw at the trot, but other than that, he actually felt really good. As anxious as I have been feeling, I couldn't feel anything off. John said to measure his foot from the coronet band to his toe and tell the farrier not to cut his foot any shorter than that - he thinks it is a too short trim where the nail moves just a bit as Duke's foot grows out after a few days and makes a sore spot - not a hot nail, but sore.
We did some bending to the outside, bending to the inside, 10 meter circles changing direction in the middle, a few laps of sitting trot, and work on the half halt. Half halt aid is the outside rein but squeeze with both legs while asking. Then John made it even harder and had me use the inside rein while I was half halting, which meant I was giving three aids at once (inside rein, outside rein, both legs same). It taxed my concentration levels. So I can do three novel things at once, but just barely ...
He also had me sit up (like usual), and when Duke got stiff or started to get ready to give, he'd have me give (slightly) with the inside or outside hand. He can see this - I can't feel that it's almost time - and he times it so that when I give a little, Duke stretches forward and into the hand and it always feels really nice, like a release. In contrast with when I'm trying to walk on a loose rein and the rein just flops around instead of staying connecting but Duke going forward into it.
Duke got sweaty under his saddle, but he stayed quiet and obedient, and I think I am doing much better than six months ago at making the circles round with my legs instead of cranking him around the circle with my hands.
John also had me move my legs to different places to keep Duke's shoulders in or push his haunches in. So, for example, I'd be riding with my inside (right) leg up next to the girth but the outside (left) leg two inches back. I am not very good at knowing when I should move my leg forward or back, or feeling that it is in the wrong place and correcting it.
Before John got there, we walked around to the road, then down the road with R. Duke got a little nervous (I could feel his little heart thumping under my leg) but stayed good.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Duke's visit with Dr. Gottlieb; Babying his foot
Although Duke appeared to be miraculously cured after I called and made his appointment, I decided to bring him down anyway, reasoning that a) they might be able to see something I can't (especially after a flex test), b) I would be neurotic about every misstep if I didn't, and c) at the least, I could get his hock injections early.
Duke had a little reaction to the hoof testers, a little more for the left front than the right front, but a little reaction in both.
Duke started on the straight trots on the pavement just as sound as could be.
But when we put him on the lunge line, holy cow. Very lame. And what Dr. G could see that I couldn't (but which explained why I had such a hard time saying right or left) was that it was switching, from right to left and back again, although it was worse today going right.
They lunged him again on the harder ground, and then we nerve blocked his right front.
In between, flex test. Nothing.
That reduced the lameness, but didn't eliminate it, so then we x-rayed his right front.
Nothing. A beautiful foot. Except that the x-rays show he has a very thin sole.
So Dr. G recommended that we use pads in his shoes now that the ground is hard: she recommended leather or plastic, and said we could use a full pad with pour in, but that can sometimes make things worse because it puts pressure on the thin sole.
If he goes lame again, then he will come back down and MRI both front legs, because last time it was left (with the injection) and this time it was both, but mostly right.
She said avoid turnout until his shoes are on, then put him in the rehab pen for a week. This week he's on stall rest (while we wait for Brent) and then next week is walk only. No bute unless he's miserable.
I will also do magic cushion at night and keratex or durasole during the day.
She said his angles and the shape are good, he doesn't need wedges.
So for going forward:
Day of farrier: a gram of bute, stall rest, no riding
Day after farrier: light work
Whenever one foot is hot: pack it with poultice (like magic cushion)
Ok to use keratex or durasole in the day
After xc or a hard workout, OR when he has heat, let him stand in a feed tub with ice (in addition to icing his legs) or use whirlpool ice boots instead of just regular ice boots. BUT - be careful not to do too often because if his foot gets too wet, it will start to fall apart
And, she didn't say this, but I think he wears pads March - November, and then can have just shoes December - February (I'm not sure how magic cushion and keratex/durasole work if pads are on)
Duke had a little reaction to the hoof testers, a little more for the left front than the right front, but a little reaction in both.
Duke started on the straight trots on the pavement just as sound as could be.
But when we put him on the lunge line, holy cow. Very lame. And what Dr. G could see that I couldn't (but which explained why I had such a hard time saying right or left) was that it was switching, from right to left and back again, although it was worse today going right.
They lunged him again on the harder ground, and then we nerve blocked his right front.
In between, flex test. Nothing.
That reduced the lameness, but didn't eliminate it, so then we x-rayed his right front.
Nothing. A beautiful foot. Except that the x-rays show he has a very thin sole.
So Dr. G recommended that we use pads in his shoes now that the ground is hard: she recommended leather or plastic, and said we could use a full pad with pour in, but that can sometimes make things worse because it puts pressure on the thin sole.
If he goes lame again, then he will come back down and MRI both front legs, because last time it was left (with the injection) and this time it was both, but mostly right.
She said avoid turnout until his shoes are on, then put him in the rehab pen for a week. This week he's on stall rest (while we wait for Brent) and then next week is walk only. No bute unless he's miserable.
I will also do magic cushion at night and keratex or durasole during the day.
She said his angles and the shape are good, he doesn't need wedges.
So for going forward:
Day of farrier: a gram of bute, stall rest, no riding
Day after farrier: light work
Whenever one foot is hot: pack it with poultice (like magic cushion)
Ok to use keratex or durasole in the day
After xc or a hard workout, OR when he has heat, let him stand in a feed tub with ice (in addition to icing his legs) or use whirlpool ice boots instead of just regular ice boots. BUT - be careful not to do too often because if his foot gets too wet, it will start to fall apart
And, she didn't say this, but I think he wears pads March - November, and then can have just shoes December - February (I'm not sure how magic cushion and keratex/durasole work if pads are on)
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Very lame Duke
Poor Duke was very, very lame tonight. He had a head bob at the trot going to the right (easy to see), but then when he went left, he was like whole body heaving lame - impossible not to see. His whole head and neck were going up and down.
I could not find any swelling, any heat, or any pressure points. I pressed with the curry for a sore muscle in his back, and found nothing. Both hind ankles felt a little thick but normal thick and cool.
So I gave him a gram of bute and sore-no-more on all four legs, hocks, and stifles.
He hasn't felt lame, but he hasn't felt himself for at least a week (I need to check calendar) but certainly at the derby he didn't feel like he was pushing through from behind.
So I guess the good news is if I think he feels a little off, he and I are communicating well.
The bad news is I don't know what we could have done - he wasn't off. I guess give him a few days of stall rest and bute as soon as he feels a little off? This will make me neurotic.
John saw him Wed and he wasn't visibly off (and didn't feel off). Although I'd say the few rides before John, he felt a little, I don't know sluggish - and then worked out of it.
Unfortunately, he had Thursday and Friday off because I was working insane hours, so I don't know if he got worse after the jump lesson, or if it was the days off, or totally unrelated.
It is also 3 1/2 months since his steroid injection, so I guess it could have worn off (too quickly) and if he isn't better in a couple days, he'll go down to Dr. R the next week.
I could not find any swelling, any heat, or any pressure points. I pressed with the curry for a sore muscle in his back, and found nothing. Both hind ankles felt a little thick but normal thick and cool.
So I gave him a gram of bute and sore-no-more on all four legs, hocks, and stifles.
He hasn't felt lame, but he hasn't felt himself for at least a week (I need to check calendar) but certainly at the derby he didn't feel like he was pushing through from behind.
So I guess the good news is if I think he feels a little off, he and I are communicating well.
The bad news is I don't know what we could have done - he wasn't off. I guess give him a few days of stall rest and bute as soon as he feels a little off? This will make me neurotic.
John saw him Wed and he wasn't visibly off (and didn't feel off). Although I'd say the few rides before John, he felt a little, I don't know sluggish - and then worked out of it.
Unfortunately, he had Thursday and Friday off because I was working insane hours, so I don't know if he got worse after the jump lesson, or if it was the days off, or totally unrelated.
It is also 3 1/2 months since his steroid injection, so I guess it could have worn off (too quickly) and if he isn't better in a couple days, he'll go down to Dr. R the next week.
Wednesday, March 07, 2018
John is a genius
Not only was John able to figure out our fence issues at the Aspen derby, the rest of the lesson was so amazing that it turned the whole week into a win.
I wanted to talk-talk-talk it through to start and he said no, go jump this vertical, and jump it from this tight turn, like you would do in a warm up where you're kind of surprised because someone is cutting you off. So Duke jumped the teeny vertical, then John made it bigger and he jumped the bigger vertical. (and cross fired a bit on the far side - we were going right)
I think by then John knew what was what, but he said, ok, now jump this oxer, going left. And so we headed left and then did EXACTLY what we had done at the show. So gold star for John and gold star for Duke for doing exactly the same fuck up, and black minus for me for being the only one in the dark.
(This was the only downside to the lesson. As much as I adore my lessons, I want to be able to ride without John as my Dumbo feather, but I am totally. not. there. yet.)
So what he deduced was that: a) when stressed we revert to our weakness, which for Duke is drifting left. And I wanted to slap my forehead - yes - we spent like the first four months working on correcting the drift. And even though John wasn't there to see it, I suddenly had a very vivid recollection of jumping each of the warm up fences way over on the left hand side. And trying really, really hard to make sure I got Duke right on the corner fence. And warm up stresses me out. b) I sat there and passively waited for Duke to jump the fence for me. Yup. Just like I did the last couple lessons. Like a bump on a log, that's me. c) Duke didn't have enough forward power and then at the last minute I'd put my leg on, and that was too late, he didn't have enough power to take a long push over a training oxer. He tried, but couldn't. d) Duke also doesn't like to fail - he gets mad, and so when we smashed it in the lesson, John had me halt, and kick him hard four times, and then once more for good measure. This pissed Duke off (although I think he was already mad) but got him revved up in case I went all limp and passive again. e) John said he also could have been surprised by the width of the oxer, especially if it was built square instead of the back rail a little taller.
So how to fix it?
Well, first is try to ride him without the drift, which is easy to say and hard to do.
Second is that we didn't have many lessons because of California - weather - California, so this is super insightful - I don't jump as often - and clearly not as well - without my regular lessons. Regular lessons are very very very very important.
Third, ride outside bend, then inside bend, then use my left leg (going right) to push him over to the right. LOOK RIGHT. Look up and over the fence - look at the right standard on the next fence or the letter on the center of the arena. If I need to, push him forward on the long side before we start the turn to the right.
Fourth, when I feel him fade several strides out, PUT MY LEGS ON. The very last fence this worked like a charm.
John said that this showed why riding him novice last year, as much as I wanted to keep going training, was for the best. Thanks to that, I know Duke, and I trust him, and this would have been (my words) a disaster if it had happened right after I got him. We both would have lost confidence in each other.
John also said the drift is a little easier to see on the ground, and showed me the strides to the oxer, where two strides out and one stride out we were ok, but then we jigged to the left for take off.
So the exercises we did, after the crash?
First we did a vertical-vertical line in six strides. Then again. Then in five strides. Then back to six strides.
Then we got back on the rail and then angled the second vertical only (from left to right - so left shoulder on rail, jumping towards the center of the arena; i.e. butt at 7 pm, head facing 2 pm). Then rode it straight down the center again.
Then we changed directions. It was MUCH easier to do on the left lead - making the left turn in.
Then we rode the oxer. Then we rode the oxer on an angled line (from the center to the wall, so jumping it from 7 pm to 2 pm). Then we rode the oxer the angled line again, then straight.
John says do this in the warm up (fifth), because then Duke isn't sure whether I'm going to angle the fence until we're right up on it, and this helps keep him from drifting left.
It was pretty cool we could do the six strides, five strides exercise, and really interesting the difference between making the right hand turn and the left hand turn. I think what is missing on the right hand turn is left leg. That is my weaker leg, and I think it isn't holding the outside of the turn as well as it should.
John is in Montana this weekend, so no dressage lesson, and at Tulip Springs next Saturday, and he said don't start riding in the draw reins again without him. He said the next California is Twin Rivers, so that's when I'll get truck and trailer maintenance (and tires and washing) done for the spring. He said to check the rules, but we can maybe try to do the Training 3 day at Rebecca (in which case, do hock injections about 6 weeks before, not now). (!!!!!)
I wanted to talk-talk-talk it through to start and he said no, go jump this vertical, and jump it from this tight turn, like you would do in a warm up where you're kind of surprised because someone is cutting you off. So Duke jumped the teeny vertical, then John made it bigger and he jumped the bigger vertical. (and cross fired a bit on the far side - we were going right)
I think by then John knew what was what, but he said, ok, now jump this oxer, going left. And so we headed left and then did EXACTLY what we had done at the show. So gold star for John and gold star for Duke for doing exactly the same fuck up, and black minus for me for being the only one in the dark.
(This was the only downside to the lesson. As much as I adore my lessons, I want to be able to ride without John as my Dumbo feather, but I am totally. not. there. yet.)
So what he deduced was that: a) when stressed we revert to our weakness, which for Duke is drifting left. And I wanted to slap my forehead - yes - we spent like the first four months working on correcting the drift. And even though John wasn't there to see it, I suddenly had a very vivid recollection of jumping each of the warm up fences way over on the left hand side. And trying really, really hard to make sure I got Duke right on the corner fence. And warm up stresses me out. b) I sat there and passively waited for Duke to jump the fence for me. Yup. Just like I did the last couple lessons. Like a bump on a log, that's me. c) Duke didn't have enough forward power and then at the last minute I'd put my leg on, and that was too late, he didn't have enough power to take a long push over a training oxer. He tried, but couldn't. d) Duke also doesn't like to fail - he gets mad, and so when we smashed it in the lesson, John had me halt, and kick him hard four times, and then once more for good measure. This pissed Duke off (although I think he was already mad) but got him revved up in case I went all limp and passive again. e) John said he also could have been surprised by the width of the oxer, especially if it was built square instead of the back rail a little taller.
So how to fix it?
Well, first is try to ride him without the drift, which is easy to say and hard to do.
Second is that we didn't have many lessons because of California - weather - California, so this is super insightful - I don't jump as often - and clearly not as well - without my regular lessons. Regular lessons are very very very very important.
Third, ride outside bend, then inside bend, then use my left leg (going right) to push him over to the right. LOOK RIGHT. Look up and over the fence - look at the right standard on the next fence or the letter on the center of the arena. If I need to, push him forward on the long side before we start the turn to the right.
Fourth, when I feel him fade several strides out, PUT MY LEGS ON. The very last fence this worked like a charm.
John said that this showed why riding him novice last year, as much as I wanted to keep going training, was for the best. Thanks to that, I know Duke, and I trust him, and this would have been (my words) a disaster if it had happened right after I got him. We both would have lost confidence in each other.
John also said the drift is a little easier to see on the ground, and showed me the strides to the oxer, where two strides out and one stride out we were ok, but then we jigged to the left for take off.
So the exercises we did, after the crash?
First we did a vertical-vertical line in six strides. Then again. Then in five strides. Then back to six strides.
Then we got back on the rail and then angled the second vertical only (from left to right - so left shoulder on rail, jumping towards the center of the arena; i.e. butt at 7 pm, head facing 2 pm). Then rode it straight down the center again.
Then we changed directions. It was MUCH easier to do on the left lead - making the left turn in.
Then we rode the oxer. Then we rode the oxer on an angled line (from the center to the wall, so jumping it from 7 pm to 2 pm). Then we rode the oxer the angled line again, then straight.
John says do this in the warm up (fifth), because then Duke isn't sure whether I'm going to angle the fence until we're right up on it, and this helps keep him from drifting left.
It was pretty cool we could do the six strides, five strides exercise, and really interesting the difference between making the right hand turn and the left hand turn. I think what is missing on the right hand turn is left leg. That is my weaker leg, and I think it isn't holding the outside of the turn as well as it should.
John is in Montana this weekend, so no dressage lesson, and at Tulip Springs next Saturday, and he said don't start riding in the draw reins again without him. He said the next California is Twin Rivers, so that's when I'll get truck and trailer maintenance (and tires and washing) done for the spring. He said to check the rules, but we can maybe try to do the Training 3 day at Rebecca (in which case, do hock injections about 6 weeks before, not now). (!!!!!)
Sunday, March 04, 2018
Duke's first Aspen Derby - Novice & Training
I was very happy with Duke's first derby, although I maybe shouldn't be. We went novice and then training level. His novice round was textbook - nothing at all to complain about.
I had to spend about 20 minutes studying the two courses to learn them on paper, and then during the course walk, I walked both of them. They lines were clean and simple and direct, so that made it easier to remember both of them. They had almost nothing, well, one line, in common (irony foreshadowing).
It took much longer to walk both than I thought, so I had to scramble to get on him and get down to warm up. He was a little tense on the way down, and snorted his way around the indoor arena the first time. He was shying at anything big and lumpy (a propane tank, a water tank), but not in an unbearable way.
I put him to work and he felt fine, but a little short. He was fine yesterday, but accidentally had Friday off because of work. We jumped each jump once, the cross rail, the vertical, and the oxer in warm up, and each was spot on, so I let him walk a few minutes and then we went and rode the course without even watching another rider.
Absolutely nothing to report - he jumped each fence like it was easy peasy. It was a big log, left turn to another log, left turn around the outside of a line to a vertical, left turn to a roll top, right turn to a 2 stride combination with an oxer as the first fence, right turn to an oxer, left turn to a vertical, bending left (long) line to a roll top, and then left turn to a slightly skinny vertical butterfly. Duke didn't bat an eye at any of it, and switched his own leads.
We had an hour to kill in between, so I walked him back to the trailer, then walked him around the property on the road. I noticed on the very slight downhill on the trail that he kind of sat back and minced down, which seemed odd. Then we walked around inside for a while, and he chewed and was relaxed. Then we started to warm up. He felt tight in the trot, and I tried smaller circles a couple of directions, and he might have seemed a little off to the right, but not enough that I could tell and I thought I was just making myself crazy.
So we cantered, and it was a pretty lethargic canter for him, and I again thought I could maybe feel something in the back, but wasn't sure.
So we started jumping, and he knocked the rail down on the vertical four times in a row. I walked him, but couldn't feel anything, so we jumped the oxer and clobbered it, knocking the whole thing down. Back to the vertical, and he showed it some respect, and then back to the oxer, and it was kind of puke jump, but he cleared it. By that point, I couldn't decide if I should pull him out or just ride the course, since this is pretty unusual for him. I decided not to do any more warm up fences, but to ride the course, thinking that we could have a show where he has worked hard in cross country and feels stiff and tired, and I wanted to know how he would ride stiff and tired.
The answer is, fine, except for the one line that he had already jumped. That two stride combination with the oxer to start? He half jumped it and then half just landed on it. So we knocked the entire thing down, every single pole, every single standard. He didn't seem off, so when we rode it again, he gave it some respect (which made the two stride tight), and then had a bit of steam for each fence, but didn't run off or get too strong after landing. But he did, as soon as we jumped the last fence (which was a big table shared with prelim), walk immediately.
This course was a long combination to start, vertical to oxer, then a right turn and long canter over to a vertical, then a hard right to a slat table, hard left through two fences to the butterfly, left turn to a semi-roll back turn to a big round top, right turn to the oxer/vertical combination, right sweeping turn to a roll top, bending right line to a corner, long right turn but through a bunch of fences to a big wide table.
He did not spook as much at the big fences as I thought he might from last year, although he did look at them as we started both times, until I put him cantering and he realized he was showing.
He was good at the trailer, and good on his walk other than a few looks.
But the crapping out in between ... if we had been at home and he felt like that, I would have gotten off and given him the rest of the day off. I gave him a gram of bute, his frozen boots on all four legs, his cooling gel, and he's in his back-on-track boots for the night, but I will be very curious what John says. It felt like he just ran out of spring in his back legs and just couldn't push himself up and over the fences, not like he was being bad or lazy. I hope his feet/legs aren't bothering him again. We're at 3 months from the joint injection.
The good news is the fences did NOT look too hard. The final table was a little big, but jumped fine.
I had to spend about 20 minutes studying the two courses to learn them on paper, and then during the course walk, I walked both of them. They lines were clean and simple and direct, so that made it easier to remember both of them. They had almost nothing, well, one line, in common (irony foreshadowing).
It took much longer to walk both than I thought, so I had to scramble to get on him and get down to warm up. He was a little tense on the way down, and snorted his way around the indoor arena the first time. He was shying at anything big and lumpy (a propane tank, a water tank), but not in an unbearable way.
I put him to work and he felt fine, but a little short. He was fine yesterday, but accidentally had Friday off because of work. We jumped each jump once, the cross rail, the vertical, and the oxer in warm up, and each was spot on, so I let him walk a few minutes and then we went and rode the course without even watching another rider.
Absolutely nothing to report - he jumped each fence like it was easy peasy. It was a big log, left turn to another log, left turn around the outside of a line to a vertical, left turn to a roll top, right turn to a 2 stride combination with an oxer as the first fence, right turn to an oxer, left turn to a vertical, bending left (long) line to a roll top, and then left turn to a slightly skinny vertical butterfly. Duke didn't bat an eye at any of it, and switched his own leads.
We had an hour to kill in between, so I walked him back to the trailer, then walked him around the property on the road. I noticed on the very slight downhill on the trail that he kind of sat back and minced down, which seemed odd. Then we walked around inside for a while, and he chewed and was relaxed. Then we started to warm up. He felt tight in the trot, and I tried smaller circles a couple of directions, and he might have seemed a little off to the right, but not enough that I could tell and I thought I was just making myself crazy.
So we cantered, and it was a pretty lethargic canter for him, and I again thought I could maybe feel something in the back, but wasn't sure.
So we started jumping, and he knocked the rail down on the vertical four times in a row. I walked him, but couldn't feel anything, so we jumped the oxer and clobbered it, knocking the whole thing down. Back to the vertical, and he showed it some respect, and then back to the oxer, and it was kind of puke jump, but he cleared it. By that point, I couldn't decide if I should pull him out or just ride the course, since this is pretty unusual for him. I decided not to do any more warm up fences, but to ride the course, thinking that we could have a show where he has worked hard in cross country and feels stiff and tired, and I wanted to know how he would ride stiff and tired.
The answer is, fine, except for the one line that he had already jumped. That two stride combination with the oxer to start? He half jumped it and then half just landed on it. So we knocked the entire thing down, every single pole, every single standard. He didn't seem off, so when we rode it again, he gave it some respect (which made the two stride tight), and then had a bit of steam for each fence, but didn't run off or get too strong after landing. But he did, as soon as we jumped the last fence (which was a big table shared with prelim), walk immediately.
This course was a long combination to start, vertical to oxer, then a right turn and long canter over to a vertical, then a hard right to a slat table, hard left through two fences to the butterfly, left turn to a semi-roll back turn to a big round top, right turn to the oxer/vertical combination, right sweeping turn to a roll top, bending right line to a corner, long right turn but through a bunch of fences to a big wide table.
He did not spook as much at the big fences as I thought he might from last year, although he did look at them as we started both times, until I put him cantering and he realized he was showing.
He was good at the trailer, and good on his walk other than a few looks.
But the crapping out in between ... if we had been at home and he felt like that, I would have gotten off and given him the rest of the day off. I gave him a gram of bute, his frozen boots on all four legs, his cooling gel, and he's in his back-on-track boots for the night, but I will be very curious what John says. It felt like he just ran out of spring in his back legs and just couldn't push himself up and over the fences, not like he was being bad or lazy. I hope his feet/legs aren't bothering him again. We're at 3 months from the joint injection.
The good news is the fences did NOT look too hard. The final table was a little big, but jumped fine.
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