Guest Blog Post: Granite at Camp : Entry One

Guest Blog Post from Jen

Granite at Camp…Entry One May13, 2012

Hello to all of Rachel and Granite’s blogger friends!  Granite successfully arrived at summer camp yesterday.  I want to share with you my experience with him…and that is selfish because this experience is about him!  But considering the situation, I am finding that this is an amazing gift to me. Thank you Rachel!

Rachel shared in her last blog that my sweet old man Maverick was sick…well after 6 days of major sickness he was finished with the fight, we euthanized him on Friday morning.  Absolutely devastating to me, amazing the way the 4 legged critters get under our skin!  I still hurt, still feel a tremendous emptiness and will for a long time but let me tell you how much I love Granite and how he can fill a void!

I also owe Rachel and tremendous amount of gratitude for sharing her amazing guy.  The plan was in the works before Maverick got sick but as it all unraveled the timing and the plan worked out perfect…Granite and Rachel are saving my life right now…I LOVE both of them (no Rachel, I’m not drunk, I love you when I’m sober! LOL)

So my new friends…here is the update!

Friday night I hooked up the trailer and pulled it into the driveway to find a shredded trailer tire…OH CRAP are you kidding me?  My amazing husband Scott can fix anything and put the spare on in less than 30 seconds…then got up early and went tire hunting for another spare for our trip to Granite’s home…a local look didn’t give him the tire he wanted for the right money so he said…I’m going to take you over there…since I had no spare that was a really good thing.  He also felt sorry for me cuz I had a major sobbing melt down over Maverick the night before.  Great Man!

So off to get Granite…had a great visit with Yvonne, Rachel’s barn owner, she is AMAZING and the critters at this farm are equally amazing!  They are so well cared for and loved.  What a great place!...Maybe to great…Granite was reluctant to get on the trailer, but he doesn’t have much experience.  (I have a trailer…it will be parked in Granite’s turn out area and he will eat in it!  We will get him past that!)

Granite is a wise man…he was thinking why do I want to leave here when I have it so good…brilliant boy!  Nothing was crazy, just required a lot of coaxing, babying and patience and he got on…of course, good boy!!  The funny part of this and I hope you all can envision this…Yvonne had the leadrope and was in the trailer working the front, I was gentle support behind…there were a lot of sugar cubes, carrots, grain (Total bribery to the horse that will eat himself sick….) At one point I looked at Scott and said Yvonne needs another carrot so being the amazing patient hubs that he is (that is so NOT in to horses) he brought another carrot…held it outside the escape door, because Granite was half way on and made G come to the carrot.  At one point…Granite’s head was out the escape door looking for the carrot and his to hind feet were at the middle of the ramp.  That boy stretched himself like a slinky…I was howling!  I hope you all can picture that!

OK…boy on, had a great trip to High Point and my barn.  He got off a lot faster than he got on, translation…to fast…we will work on that.

Turned him out and he was the chill monster.  He was fine.  The three horses at my barn were the peanut gallery staring at him and wondering where the heck he came from.  Since Pickle tore up her stifle a year ago there has not been much coming and going, they are easily entertained.

After about an hour he started running which stressed me out.  Is he lonely? Is he stressed?  He could see the other horses but was turned out alone so I lured the goat out to be with him.  Thought he needed company.  Well G was happy for the company and chased the goat who is 3 times wide as she is tall, he was playing, she…not so much. She is still limping from the run!

Time to bring G in…saved the goat and brought Granite in…let him chill in the stall for about and hour with hay and fans.  Called Yvonne…and just asked about the daytime thing and she confirmed he was a weenie ( sorry Rachel) about the bugs…I have a Cadillac version of a fly sheet…it fit great so he went back out with the fly sheet and did great with the relief!

We left him in a stall last night decided better to be safe than sorry and he did fine!  He is actually in Pickle’s stall (my horse with the stifle injury)…all the stalls are connected to turn out, so she was out and he was in her space. OMG friends…I don’t know if this blog is G rated or not but they were disgusting…she immediately acted like she was in heat (winking/squirting) and Granite….well I will just say he is well endowed!

Nuff said! J  Night went fine…turned Granite out this morning to stretch his legs after being in the stall all night and got on him about 11 for his first ride at camp.  He wasn’t perfect and I didn’t expect him to be but he was perfect for a 5 year old that was at a new place and had only been there for 24 hours. 

He was very forward…did I mention my ring is just a field, no fence?  So we just hacked…didn’t ask for much we just worked, zigged, zagged, serpentines and circles… I cantered one time around in each direction but everything else was trot work.  After about 45 mins he finally chilled, got soft and bent to the right.  We quit at that very moment!

Cooled him down, turned him out and not long after I turned him out he laid down, flat on his side for a 10 minute power nap.  This kid kills me…he is hilarious!

Love him, love his mother, love his mothers boyfriend and dog too…Just an amazing crowd of perfectness….Rachel is really hard on herself but the rest of us realize she is brilliant, beautiful, sweet, compassionate and totally amazing!  

Slight Change of Plans

Jen's pupper is still really sick, so we are postponing Granite's trip to camp. I'll be out of town with family this weekend, but she may come by and whisk Grnaite away while I am gone if it works out for her, or we may just wait until one evening next week to load him up. Either way, priority one is the health of her dog and I know my mind would be NO WHERE else if Daphne were as sick as Maverick is. Life deals some pretty unfair cards at times. Jen is the last person who should have to go through his. Thus is life with animals I guess.

I did get to ride again yesterday. Granite was awesome! Our canter transitions are really improving. He seems to be really enjoying the jumping. We schooled over our little fences, maybe jumping 5-8 times in all. He was so pumped about it. He was energetic and I had to do a lot of half-haulting to get him to mind me for the remainder of our flat work. I love to see that he seems to be enjoying it. I'm still amazed at how a simple change in perspective (and bit) can completely alter my riding experience and outlook on my animal.

Also, yesterday we had a new visitor at the barn. A college student who works for me happens to be a horseless rider. She, very much like I did about 5 years ago, went off to college and had to forfeit her horse. She used to show jumpers in the northeast, apparently. We happen to have quite a few under-utilized equines at my little farm (Granite usually being one of them, but since he is going to camp, I wanted to wait to offer her some rides on him). We have one obese little pony in particular who REALLY needs the exercise, so I got her in contact with my (amazing) barn owner. I know it could be dicey with her being my employee and all, so I tried to set her up with an opportunity and then let it go. It worked! She called the barn owner and they scheduled for her to come out last night and ride the obese pony (we are talking very large pony... 14.1... and SOLID). I don't know how it went. I was there, but was packing for Granite's trip to camp and trying to give her her space with my barn owner. But I'm really excited to be able to facilitate a horseless college student's ability to get back in a saddle. I had a benevolent fairy horse mother come "save" when I was the exact same age as her, and it changed my life for the better. I would love to help that happen for this very sweet, very smart young lady!

Sleep-Away Camp!

I left you with a bit of a cliff hanger in my last post. Are you ready for some fun news?

Granite is going to sleep-away camp... for a whole month! He is going to stay with our dear friend/ horse mentor/ accomplished equestrian/ fox hunter extraordinaire, Jen. As I may have mentioned some time in the past, Jen's sweet red quarter horse mare, Pickle (yes, and there is also a horse at her barn named Onion), has been laid up for nearly a year with a stifle injury. So alllll of that horse training talent has been used to care for her sweet mare and not much of it has been used to ride horses.

Fortunately, I knew a big grey dude that could really benefit from some time under a much more talented equestrian's behind. I'm going to be out of town this weekend, memorial day weekend, and potentially the weekend after that. Add a few evening meetings for work in each week, and mid May to mid June were looking pretty sparse as far as Granite rides go. The timing was perfect and amazingly, Jen was really pumped about the proposition of taking my grey horse for a month!

Jen talked to her barn owner and got a (begrudging) agreement to take in a 16.3 overgrown kid for a month. I think she knew how much fun Jen could have with Granite and she loves Jen and wants her to be happy (who wouldn't). Heather (our trainer) and our barn owner (and farrier too) all agreed that this was a great opportunity, so we started making our tactical plans.

Granite leaves for camp on Friday. I'm taking a vacation day off of work so that I can get the boy ready and Jen can come get him and bring him the 45ish minutes west to her place. He will be there for about a month, assuming there are no unforeseen circumstances. She plans to do some trail riding and lots of working. I hope he is ready to get his pony-boy butt kicked. I'm going to miss his sweet face!

We are also eye-balling some local schooling shows! Ever since Jen came out to my barn the weekend before last and helped me start riding Granite like the hunter that he is and not the dressage horse I was trying to ask him to be (weird...), he has been such a champ. We think he may be ready to go to a show and see how he takes it all in. If he's good, we'll hack him out in some classes. We are eyeing THIS little schooling show series. I'm hoping I can go watch the one next weekend and then maybe we can coordinate to take the big man to the one in June (coordinating is ALWAYS fun since I don't have a truck or trailer, Granite doesn't fit in our barn owners', my trainer doesn't haul, and my two friends with rigs live 40min west of us). I don't want to get my hopes up... but they kind of are.

I rode yesterday and my boy was SO SO good (he's trying to make me really miss him while he is gone). I set up a "course" of three jumps (because Jen seems to think that if we take him to the show, he will be participating in the small over fences classes). The highest was a 2'3 oxer then there was a 2' vertical and a small cross rail. We cantered the whole thing with no rails down and 1 simple change. I was SO pumped. As we hopped around the jumps and I got a few take-offs wrong, Granite compensated for me! He was fantastic and may just end up being a jumping horse one day!!!

Our little course: (X rail to Oxer then back over the Vertical)

I highly doubt that Jen will have any desire to guest blog about Granite's experience at "camp" for us, but I'll ask her! Either way, I will make sure to share her updates with you. This is going to be really exciting for him and me (and hopefully her).

On a sad note, Jen's 12 year dog (her heart in a dog suit) is undergoing some pretty critical surgery today. Please keep Jen, her husband, their son and most importantly, Maverick, in your thoughts and prayers!

Making Strides

Positive (and large, daisy cutting) Ones!

I haven't enjoyed my horse in about two months. He has been a real turd. He is fighting me and will not get on the bit. He has been injured. He has been just annoying. I've really not been looking forward to riding. And, as everyone knows, when you are a self-supporting, full-time-working, adult-am, you need to enjoy the thing you are spending all of your extra time and money to sustain. So... I called in the big guns.

Our new trainer Heather got on last weekend while I was out of town (at my parents' celebrating my... (gulp) 26th Birthday). She reported that my horse was being a bit of a jerk and he hated his bit, but she got some good work out of him after about 15 minutes.

So... I ordered a bit (or two). Enter the happy mouth eggbutt with a mullen mouth. And, Granite is much more relaxed. Not perfect, mind you, but relaxing his jaw and actually being more supple for me! Don't you love progress? I do!

And to put the nail in the coffin of getting back to good with Granite, I called our trusty horse mentor and equestrian therapist (that's how it feels, she can literally talk me through anything-- mainly helping me get out of my own way and that of my horse's). You may know by now that I'm talking about Ms. Jenn. She came to visit us on Sunday to ride. Now, she's coached me a dozen times but she has never gotten up on the big giant herself. This time she came decked out and ready to ride. Bless her heart, her mare has been out for almost a year with a stifle injury and she hasn't ridden anything in two months. She was brave to hop on the 16.3 hand solid beast of a horse after two months off, and did I mention that she is petite?

Anyway. She got on and warmed G up on a completely lose rein. Then she slowly took come contact and asked him to carry himself. By golly, she got it. The horse looked fantastic! I was so proud. I LOVE watching people who ride better than I do make my horse look phenomenal.  I don't give that animal credit, if I would get out of his way, he could let out his inner rock star/ show stopper more often!

So then she had me get up there so she could see exactly how I was getting in his way. She was a huge cheerleader and basically helped me to discover that I'm asking my horse to be a dressage horse. I'm asking the big baby to collect and get really round and I'm puuuushing him from behind for everything. What I'm not letting him do is be that hunter that I keep saying I want him to be. I don't let him be long and low and floaty. So, without further pause, I show you what Granite can do while being coached by Ms. Jenn and ridden by yours truly:

Here is to continued success and BiG Strides :)

PS: I may have some additional exciting news.... suspense! 

Happy 1/2 Decade Big Guy... and bullet turns boomerang

Please join me in wishing my sweet, goofy, grey man a Happy 5th Birthday on April 13, 2012~

He's a bit parked out and his front end is on an incline, but his stance proved advantageous for some (almost) 5th Birthday Conformation Shots.

Closer...

Compared to April 13, 2009 at age two, his first birthday celebrated with me. WOW, has anyone else noticed how quickly he got so light. It just kind of magically happened in front of my eyes every day.

Same sweet baby eye. At least they haven't changed.

And now, on to the "fun part" in which we don't so much dodge the bullet from last week. As of Sunday, Granite got turned out again. He is was sound and his leg doing well. Happy Rachel! Then on Monday, I got the phone call that my 12 year old (beloved) car that was in the shop for some funky smells/sounds pretty much got a death sentence. $2,000 in repair work, too bad the car is only worth that much. I was a bit devastated as I drove my nearly dead car back from the shop (felt like going home to hospice care). 

Tuesday, I rode the pony for the first time in over a week. He was a butt head. So I lined up his trainer to ride him on Wednesday and get the boy back in shape. Thanks to a series of events, his trainer canceled at the 11th hour and it was too late for me to go ride. So, G got Wednesday off. 

But, then  I got good news. TK's father had managed to negotiate with a local shop to have the work done on my car for 1/2 the price. Cue, I get to keep my red car and can avoid a car payment for yet a little bit longer!

"Red Car" when I got her in 2005. Love little old red 

(and my since deceased beloved 1992 4-Runner. I form relationships with my toyotas I think)

So I headed back out to the barn today with full intentions of riding my pony before Grey's & wine night. And do you know what I found? The OTHER hind leg swollen! He isn't lame, but god it is a hot, swollen balloon. The horse has got to be shitting me!

Exhibit A^

Another view....

Enter: previcox, cold hosing, wrapping, nights in the stall, days in the small paddock..... 

Goofy "baby" (who is now FIVE) did it to himself. 

So tomorrow, he will be having a "sick in the stall birthday." I did buy him a apple lick-it and a bag of treats to make the medicine (and boredom) go down a bit easier. I love you no matter what big guy!

In Which We Dodge A Bullet

Granite spent Wednesday night in the stall due to a very swollen left hind fetlock/area. The stall survived... so did Granite. This is good.

I visited before work on Thursday, rubbed on some surpass, and let him out in a small paddock attached to his open stall. Around lunchtime my barn owner texted me that Granite has taken to galloping and pirouetting around the pasture so she stalled him. Thank you barn owner!

Thursday after work I hosed his leg and took him for a nice hand walk. He got a dose of previcox, standing wrapped, and tucked into his stall for the evening.

Friday morning. Holiday from work YAY. Was at the barn by 7:30 to unwrap the pony, rub on some surpass, clean his stall, and put him back in the little paddock. Apparently he was well behaved because he was still in the paddock when I returned around 4:30 to hose/walk/wrap/dose with meds for the evening. His leg is tight and there's very little heat remaining.

Friday evening involved a lovely dinner with my boyfriend's whole family and then The Hunger Games. It was a nice night. We stayed up until 2:30am... something I stopped doing regularly about 3 years ago (getting old is depressing).

Saturday morning, 6:30am... alarm tells me it is time to go to the barn. I'm meeting Eva (High Tech Horse) at 8:30am to go check out some barns since she has to move for work next month. I unwrapped the pony and cleaned his stall then turned him out. His leg is cool and tight!!! SCORE. No meds today to make sure the swelling and heat are really gone on their own. I left a note for the BO telling her that I thought he would be good with limited turnout in the paddock for the whole day and evening and I would re-evaluate Sunday morning.

Sunday morning 7:30am: BO had put the pony in the stall (I imagine she didn't see my note). But, his leg is still cool and tight with no meds, hosing, or wrapping for two days. I make the executive decision that he can go back to full turn out after he trotted out completely sound. He appreciated that. And I sighed with relief after having dodged a bullet. Daphne dog recently had to have minor surgery after 2 vet visits to properly diagnose the issue. She is doing wonderfully, but my credit card is still reeling after spring shots/float + 3 doggie vet visits + doggie surgery. I was really grateful that A) my horse was feeling better and B) I didn't have to find more money for the vet.

My car is in the shop today (joy), so I may not get to go to the barn at all today :( I was getting used to my double-doses of the pony every day despite not being able to get any saddle time in for an entire week now. Hopefully, I will get my car back tomorrow and if the weather cooperates, I should be able to ride/lounge/something every day this week and MAYBE even have a lesson on Saturday (and possibly a trainer ride on Wednesday).

I have a 5K on Saturday morning I am running with some ladies for work in support of my coworker's mother who is fighting breast cancer. It should be a lot of fun, we are running in sparkly tutus and zebra striped shirts :) I've been on a diet/exercise routine for about 1.5 months now and have lost a bit over 10lb. I have about 18lb to go until I reach my goal weight. It is sort of shooting for the moon, but I have TK on the same plan and he needs it as badly as I do, so we are supporting each other and enjoying the results we have seen. I feel much stronger thanks to spending 6-7 days a week doing some variety of exercise. It has been nice. Maybe I will actually not dreading buying a new bathing suit this summer....just maybe.

What happens on Holiday/Lesson weekends?

Just take a wild guess...

Your horse (if he is a goofy, young, grey gelding named Granite) will injure himself. It is inevitable.

Yep, it's "Friday" here at the office and we are gearing up for a three-day holiday weekend. I even (re)scheduled  a much needed lesson for Saturday. And.... last night when I went to (for the first time this week) tack up and ride, I noticed that Granite's back right hind fetlock (outer right side actually) is swollen. No obvious injury, so he must have tweaked/twisted/torn something. I trotted him out and he is just slightly off. Thankfully, not hobbling lame, but he rarely gets noticeably lame when he has swelling or even an obvious injury: martyr. But there is definitely heat and swelling.

I cold hosed and buted and standing wrapped the boy before banishing him to his stall for the evening (he is typically turned out 24/7), then I hauled myself out of bed at 5 something this morning to go unwrap him and check him out. Still swollen, still hot. Fortunately, not worse. But, no better. So I put some Surpass on the injury and turned him out in the small paddock, leaving his stall door open in case he felt like hanging out inside today (which he won't). I'll go back after work and cold hose him again, and if there is no significant improvement I will be buting and standing wrapping and, yet again, banishing him to his stall for the evening.

So.... let's hope it gets better and not worse so I don't have to deal with vets on a holiday weekend. I'm hoping for quick recovery so I can still have my lesson on Saturday, but I have a funny feeling that it may not be in the cards for me. I may be borrowing the other boarder's little horse to hop on at some point this weekend. I'm not wasting my extra day off!

Cross your fingers for us.

I will say, being at the barn at 6 in the morning is so lovely. I wish I had the capacity to make it a regular occurrence (but, I'd have to get up in the hour of 4 to have time to ride before work). Nothing better than the smell of my sweet pony boy first thing in the morning. LOVE!