Sorry no pictures. It was threatening to rain, so I left the camera inside. It was actually kind of nice though because it was cloudy and breezy for my ride... now it's 800 degrees again. Good timing!! I rode bareback for about twenty five minutes. This was our first ride with the bit.
I just rode around the yard and a little bit on the road out front because he's due for a trim and the asphalt helps with break over if nothing else. I need to call my trimmer. I wish I could do it myself, but my back won't hold up to it.
Speaking of my back. I woke up with it feeling tight this morning, so I took some more ibuprofen and I was totally fine for the ride. Mounting (swinging on bareback from the bumper of my car) was a little uncomfortable, but once mounted I was fine. We only walked with two short trots.
I haven't ridden bareback in so long it felt weird lol. I thought he was off on his right front at first... I'm still not totally sure. By the end of the ride he was walking out evenly on both sides. I think the short stepping (not limping) was either from being due for a trim, soft soles from over a week of rain or maybe his sweet itch. It is BAD this year. He is covered in raw sores. :( It makes me want to cry. I've noticed when he's itchy he gets a lot more balky and walks funny because he wants to reach down and chew. This exact thing happened last year. I'm going to try the claritin. If anyone has any other home remedies for stopping itchiness I would really appreciate hearing them. I'm willing to try anything at this point. The neem oil helped a lot, but didn't prevent it completely and my bottle has gone bad so I'm waiting on more to get here. I really need suggestions for treating the sores and relieving the itching he already has. I used desitin one year, but it doesn't stop the itch so he just rubs it off.
Anyway back to the ride. I had his noseband really loose, but he didn't chew very much at all. I think it's much more comfortable for him now that his teeth have been floated. He doesn't bite on the metal anymore and just moves it around with his tongue a little. He picked up the steering really quick! He was still heavy at times, but I think he's figuring out that pulling and bracing are no fun with a bit in his mouth. He can't just bully his way through it like he did with the sidepull.
Out on the road we practiced walking back and forth in front of the house. He wanted to go back home to graze and scratch and hide from the flies so he was weaving back and forth, but it was so much easier to keep him straight with the bit. After a few corrections he gave up and walked straight. In the sidepull he wouldn't give up. He just kept weaving back and forth until we turned around.
We also worked on whoa and I trotted once (to see if he was limping and he wasn't). I worked on small circles the width of the road and it was great! He had his head down and was giving in his jaw which he's never done! He always braced through his jaw (usually counter bent) without a bit. So I'm pretty excited to start working on all of this stuff now!! I hope to be able to go back to the sidepull someday when he's softer and more supple, but for now the bit is fine.
Everyone keep your fingers crossed I get this job I'm applying for so I can have extra spending money for lessons! I'm dying to start taking lessons again. :)
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed that you get the job! :-D
ReplyDeleteride 54 huh? i was just telling my husband how you track your rides in your blog, even counting them. he asked me how long you've had him to only have 54 rides, and i explained about chrome, that you got him as a baby and you've just started. my husband asked me how many times i've ridden my horse. i said, "i dunno, 3 times a week for a year." that means 150? excluding vacations and times she was ill.....oh geez i have no idea.
ReplyDeleteMy Quarter has sweet itch - definitely NOT a fun thing. I've had quite a lot of experience with it and we seem to be getting it mostly under control. Using the listerine mix is the BEST thing I ever did for him, it stops the itches more than anything I've ever used (And I've paid over $400 in one summer just on different medications.) and it's cheap. I also use an ointment after the listerine is on his itchy spots to keep it comfortable. Feel free to email me anytime if you want any more ideas on it! My quarter went from bald one year to the horse with the healthiest coat at the barn other than a couple little spots, plus he has a long mane now!
ReplyDeleteEmail is modestyismypolicy@gmail.com!
Lytha, yeah I don't ride a lot in the winter and with building the house last year I was too busy so he hasn't gotten as much riding as he probably should have. That's one reason I like to keep track of them because when I start feeling like he should be further along I can remind myself that he's only had 54 rides in his entire life and it brings it all back into perspective for me. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer!!
Kalin I will definitely email you!! I've heard of using listerine, but I haven't tried it. Thank you!
I have had good luck with witch hazel for itchiness and sores from bugs. it seems to give instant relief
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot about witch hazel!!! I use that on my mosquito bites. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the job.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any experience with sweet itch, but I think I suggested Calamine Lotion in the past. It turns them pink, but it is soothing.
Was I surprised today to wake up and find a gazillion comments from you. I love it when you get caught up in chronological order, because it makes me go back and look at my posts and realize all the problems I once had that got resolved, and how far the horses and dogs have come on their journeys.
Hehe I was trying not to comment on every single post because I figured I must be flooding your email, but it's hard not to lol!!
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the calamine!! I'll write it on the list with the claritin. I need to start writing things down because trusting my memory isn't working lol. I need some calamine for my mosquito bites anyway. Thank you!!