tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post7785065692870712940..comments2024-03-14T08:07:15.045-05:00Comments on Equestrian Journey: Update + Dissecting the fall...Achieve1dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-11841927476147009792015-01-09T20:17:50.184-06:002015-01-09T20:17:50.184-06:00Thanks girl! I feel better, but the weather is ba...Thanks girl! I feel better, but the weather is bad, so I haven't gotten back on. I was going to ride tomorrow, but now I have to work.... :( Then the rain starts again. Can't win!! This is why I normally stop riding in the winter hehe.Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-54570878417623273832015-01-09T20:16:58.338-06:002015-01-09T20:16:58.338-06:00Or better yet I hope you land on your feet!! Thos...Or better yet I hope you land on your feet!! Those are the least painful falls. :D I've only managed it once or twice though because I have bad balance hehe. Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-32772306876735988472015-01-09T20:16:22.041-06:002015-01-09T20:16:22.041-06:00Ugh yes it does!!!! Everyone has always told me t...Ugh yes it does!!!! Everyone has always told me the ground gets harder and I believed them because I get wimpier the older I am, but sheesh I never expected it to feel that hard!!!! It was worse than I was expecting, but not as bad as it could have been so I got lucky. I knew I had to fall off someday, but I was really hoping I wouldn't hehe. "When" (since we can't say if) you fall off Skeeter I hope it is slow and on really soft ground and that neither of you gets hurt LOL!! Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-66666518165636594972015-01-09T20:14:02.569-06:002015-01-09T20:14:02.569-06:00Thank you for this sweet comment. This makes me f...Thank you for this sweet comment. This makes me feel very fortunate that he is sane 99% of the time hehe. It is definitely an eye opener and a reminder for me to not get too complacent though. I hope your mare settles soon! Hot horses can definitely be a challenge!!Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-39321369460610167602015-01-09T14:43:44.649-06:002015-01-09T14:43:44.649-06:00Glad you are OK. This is the sucky part with youn...Glad you are OK. This is the sucky part with young, green horses, they can be unpredictably calm, for looong periods of time, only to react WAY to big to something, anything, perhaps even a little jolt in their own head... Then we're stuck there, hurt, and confused. Left to analyze the situation. In some cases, it's just something that happened, and perhaps just an "eye opener" that will only help to keep the two of you safer...<br />He's young. At least another two full years for him to be out of the "young" stage, no?<br />So, be proud of yourself and just continue on.<br />I'm in the same boat - but with an even hotter, wacky crazy mare that keeps "twigging out" as soon as she feels under too much pressure. (A trigger can be just me moving slightly jerky, or just two steps too close on the lunge line...) She'll make me look like an idiot over the next several years :)<br />Hopefully in the end - we'll both have two lovely horses!<br />You're way ahead of me - so keep going :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-82040663830052635052015-01-01T20:22:51.093-06:002015-01-01T20:22:51.093-06:00I hate falls. Hate them. And I know I've got...I hate falls. Hate them. And I know I've got some coming with Skeeter :( It's just the nature of the beast, I think. If you ride enough, you're going to hit the ground, and the older I get, the harder the ground gets. I think you're handling it fine and have a good plan in place.GunDivahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-28002791562348117722015-01-01T18:41:45.329-06:002015-01-01T18:41:45.329-06:00so glad to hear that you are okay! i hope the achi...so glad to hear that you are okay! i hope the aching gets better soon! i look forward to hearing what the future brings it looks like you've got lots of plans in place! AmberRose- Girl With a Dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01985661554315096806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-57055893034378056212015-01-01T07:13:25.063-06:002015-01-01T07:13:25.063-06:00I've been using the Cool Calories on one of my...I've been using the Cool Calories on one of my Friesian mares - we had a bad experience with a product that had sugar in it. She's a hard keeper but this product really seems to be working. Like NuzMu, I was highly skeptical at first because you feed just a scoop, it smells like lemon drink mix, and just does not seem like anything that would work. But, after being on it for a couple of months, she is finally loosing that bony look and hasn't gone insane. Good luck!How Sam Sees Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08305827999885588071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-18255517409677302332014-12-31T18:25:48.420-06:002014-12-31T18:25:48.420-06:00I always appreciate your comments and you're r...I always appreciate your comments and you're right about everything. You've mentioned it on your blog and I'm pretty sure you've even mentioned it in comments on my blog. I read it, understood it and agreed with it, but I was still lax about it because for the last five years Chrome and I have always been in agreement. Now that we're not, it's different. I guess I'm just hardheaded and have to learn these things the painful way lol. I will definitely do the things you mentioned both in the comment and on your blog (I remember those posts). I don't want to longe him much because of his stifles, but I'll be doing some because he's not getting away with not exercising after all the effort I've put into trying to strengthen his stifles. I'm also thinking about taking up the long reining again. That way he can learn to listen to me when I'm not standing right in front of him, but without me having to be on his back. I need to find an old saddle to do the thing Stacey does... or I my have to make something... a bag of sand or something? I'm not giving up on him, but I'll be more cautious about climbing aboard that's for sure. For now while I wait for the fat supplement to leave his system it's back to ground work! Thank you for commenting!Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-2468190147672579832014-12-31T10:42:51.239-06:002014-12-31T10:42:51.239-06:00Good dissection. I tend to vote that Chrome was no...Good dissection. I tend to vote that Chrome was not being a 'jerk' but rather making decisions that were not his to make. I wonder if a rabbit rustling in the brush was the initial cause of all the havoc. I have a few thoughts (but feel free to ignore, I am not a trainer nor do I play one on TV):<br />1. young horses all need to learn that when there's a rider on the their back they cannot make decisions. But this is (understandably) not that easy a lesson because for much of their life they do decide where to go, how fast etc. <br />2. many horses freak out at something falling off their back. It's instinct. Stacey Westphall does this thing where she lunges a horse in an old saddle and pulls it off their back with a rope. she does it over and over until they figure out that the fall is no big deal. <br />3. I have many posts where I rode Steele through spooky things some of my ideas may be helpful. Also Royce did stuff with him too to help. <br />4. you could try when lunging or round penning to make sudden jerky movements and/or scream so he gets used to it. <br /><br />just a few rambling thoughts. TeresaAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05311118900077951863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-38047081049408345642014-12-31T09:52:11.184-06:002014-12-31T09:52:11.184-06:00I think he was definitely confused and frightened ...I think he was definitely confused and frightened by me falling off. I need a vaulting rider or acrobat to ride him and bounce on and off to desensitize him to it LOL!! I'll just have to see how he acts when I get back on. It's hard to tell what is going on in his head because he's right back to acting normal. He doesn't dwell on things like I do. Thanks for the comment!!Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-35519414220514979582014-12-31T09:49:51.407-06:002014-12-31T09:49:51.407-06:00I know. It's just in my nature to obsess. I...I know. It's just in my nature to obsess. I'm trying really hard to let it go though. Thank you!!Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-69629742530386250972014-12-31T09:49:01.924-06:002014-12-31T09:49:01.924-06:00No you aren't making it worse because that'...No you aren't making it worse because that's exactly how I feel! I'm glad you understand. I hope we both can move past this and that it doesn't happen again to either of us. :-) I'm really wishing I had an arena to ride in because it would hurt a lot less to fall on sand than it did on our like concrete dirt lol.Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-8800891507442246282014-12-31T04:55:13.552-06:002014-12-31T04:55:13.552-06:00I'm glad you felt well enough to go to work. I...I'm glad you felt well enough to go to work. I totally understand trying to piece together the accident---it's how we attempt to not let that happen again, we look for clues that might save us next time. My fall in August was so fast - I hit the ground and was lying there before I even knew what happened. I never even saw my horse look at something. It's such an odd thing to have no idea why it happened and so disconcerting to know there's no way to avoid it in the future if there was no forewarning. Skilled, cautious riders notice things in their horses and prevent falls, right? Mine wasn't nearly as bad as yours physically but I'm still dealing with the repercussions. Every time I ride my brain says, "When will that happen again? This ride or next?" Riding a spooky horse is like a horse who is clumsy and falls with its rider - you never know when it will happen, just that it will, and it's hard for me to enjoy a gallop or canter, ever, on a horse who trips. I'm making it worse for you, aren't I? Sorry. I just wanted to say I understand your need to ponder it.lythahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01719586193059362084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-50821434968003273982014-12-30T22:43:38.127-06:002014-12-30T22:43:38.127-06:00I would try not to obsess over the hows and whys. ...I would try not to obsess over the hows and whys. Falls happen...they are part of the sport. Try not to dwell..horses are just unpredictable by nature. Sometimes they just do things like spook and feel good. Sometimes we fall. It's part of the deal when riding. Glad you are feeling better!Boss Mare Eventinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08039910692009593158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-33596797493277395002014-12-30T22:30:26.246-06:002014-12-30T22:30:26.246-06:00glad you're feeling better and good luck figur...glad you're feeling better and good luck figuring it all out :( i know a lot of horses will get upset when they feel their rider losing balance - and Chrome really doesn't have a lot of experience with that sensation. hopefully the dietary changes and your training/boot camp ideas will avoid this kind of thing in the future. <br /><br />not sure if this will make you feel any better, but a horse in my lesson last week was feeling feisty and let out a BIG buck that tossed her rider... she immediately looked SOOO contrite and guilty, and trotted around like her normal lazy lesson horse self after that. so maybe Chrome will have a similar understanding of what happened? good luck!!emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-59908299517403382352014-12-30T21:07:45.310-06:002014-12-30T21:07:45.310-06:00Thank you Renee. You are so right... about everyt...Thank you Renee. You are so right... about everything... thank you!Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-71499178962314229752014-12-30T20:40:07.118-06:002014-12-30T20:40:07.118-06:00Regardless of the how or why, it sounds like you a...Regardless of the how or why, it sounds like you are in a great place mentally right now. It is so easy to get lax around young green horses when they have a generally calm personality. But they are young and green, and for everyone's safety it is important to never fully trust them and to be prepared for the "what if" senario until they are much older and have earned it.<br /><br />To me it sounds like he spooked and was then scared by you falling. That is why he stood there in shock after you fell. It is rare I think for a horse to actually be mean. A mean spirited horse would have additionally trompled you and or just galloped off wothout a concern in the world. It is alway important to keep your cool and not let your emotions come into play. I know that is harder said then done, but it is really important. From his perspective, it wasn't emotional. He was put in a new situation and something freaky and unexpected happened to him. As he saw it, you unexpectedly got off balance and hit the ground. You, who normally stays up on his back. He stood under that tree thinking WTF just happened to me? I wouldn't put anymore weight to it than that. He is a good horse, with a lovely demeanor, whom you love. Take him off the high calorie supplement, put on your tack, take a deep breath and get back on him soon. You will feel so glad you did. Hugs...DockStarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17166194299966339760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-6175600893946318392014-12-30T20:26:04.895-06:002014-12-30T20:26:04.895-06:00Oh wow I knew it was high fat, but I didn't kn...Oh wow I knew it was high fat, but I didn't know about the starch and sugar. I'll definitely keep you updated on how taking him off of it affects his hyper spookiness. It definitely put weight on him. He has several fat pads (which I just noticed today otherwise I would have taken him off of it before now). Let me know how the cool calories work. If he does start to lose weight I might switch to that instead. He has never been this hyper and energetic in all the time I've known him. At first it was really nice having the extra energy because I was getting prompt transitions and he was holding his canter for more than a few strides, but with the bolting and bigger and bigger spooks it's just not worth it. :\Achieve1dreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401246064499148344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044831604914286008.post-39463301405913434772014-12-30T20:12:51.609-06:002014-12-30T20:12:51.609-06:00So, I got some of that Empower Boost and was amaze...So, I got some of that Empower Boost and was amazed by the fat content. It was about 22%, more than I've seen in any other weight supplement. But it was also 22% starch and 4% sugar. So, I'm only giving it to the horses when I know I won't be riding them for a while. It definitely gets them hyper, but it seems to be the quickest way to put on weight -- more so than straight beet pulp or straight rice bran. I picked up some Cool Calories this weekend. I don't like powders because I can't fathom how one little tiny scoop of powder that smells like Metamucil can help a horse gain weight, but Christine uses it and said it took a while, but her horse did eventually gain weight. Anyway, I'll be interested in hearing if Chrome settles down when you take him off the Boost, because experimenting with weight gain supplements has been very much on my mind lately.Nuzzling Muzzleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com