March 18-rides 91-99 New Saddles!

Wow! So busy it's been hard to keep up.

2/17 Ride 91- 15 minutes indoors bareback/sidepull. BIG trot, jeez he has a huge trot bareback. I'm used to sitting any trot bareback, he is more athletic than I am right now, though! practiced emergency dismount.

Windy days, longing and free-longing, watching leg cuts heal up.

2/24 Ride 92- 30 Minutes indoors. walk, trot, over poles. Trot really excellent, self-carriage really feeling it!

Sherlock keeps a weather eye on the Canadian geese

2/25 Ride 93- New Western saddle. Walk, trot 5 minutes.Nice long strides, but poppy into trot. Saddle rings rattle and need silencing (fleece strips tied on or something). Feels like twist is a bit wide, stirrups still need adjusting.

2/27 Ride 94-indoors in new Western saddle one hour. Shortened stirrups massively. Tashi and his people riding, Sherlock was a bit anxious. Worked on Stand for 1 minute straight. 10-steps walk/trot transitions. Trot transitions poppy but my balance was really quite bad today. Sherlock a bit mouthy today- enjoyed playing with hula hoops and cones.

2/28 Ride 95- 15 minutes indoors new Western saddle, stirrups better today but my ankles are sore.Walk excellent, one trot transition super nice! Cinchy, didn't push today. Remounted after picking up tarp he wanted to play with, dismounted from right side.


Windy and rainy. light free longing, teaching "touch" command . Mostly with ball.

3/5 Barn meeting with Animal Control about Evacuation plans, IDs etc. Nice ladies.
Ride 96- 1 hour indoors with lots of horses. Playing with tarp so I put it between 2 poles and walked over it a lot. Figure-8s around cones with pushing hindquarters out on turns. Backup through cones. Good day, horses in pasture again now that mud has dried a bit.



3/6 Ride 97- English saddle FITS! Light ride walk only, over poles, around cones. Flinchy when steered left, even striking out a bit under saddle, really needs teeth done. Practiced loading in trailer since T left it for us to practice. Slow going but loaded twice and even backed out once.

3/7 Sharon rode! Amy's student got a beginner lesson on Sherlock and he was amazing. Walk, whoa, steering. Very patient and kind. Very proud of my boy!

3/11 Ride 98- 30 min indoor. English/sidepull. Walk, nice trot but new stirrup leathers are squeaky so I did 2-point position at trot all the time. Good leg and balance workout. Trot poles, backup 10 steps nice and light. Played with ball.

3/12 Vet, teeth and sheath. Significant hooks, esp. caudal (back teeth).Yes, very sharp on right side. Floated all, blunted L bottom canine (R bottom one never came in). Slightly parrot-mouthed so she evened out incisors as well. Again took a little extra tranq to finish. Sheath not bad but 3-4 small beans. Recommended both every year.

3/14 weather changing. Played with ball, "touch" command, stretches. Let barn worker's kids help groom- he was fussy at first and stomped around but soon settled into the attention. Grain.

3/15 Ride 99- 30 min indoor. Nice walk/trot. I need to work on maintaining contact when downward transitioning, both times to the R I just dropped him and felt his hind feet stumble. Still doing 2-point all the trot. Break times playing with ball while I catch my breath. Too close to gate turning L and broke peacock stirrup rubber band. Grain with banamine, blanketed.

Came by in the evening and ended up helping Sarah move house.



3/16 Again helped Sarah pack. Said hi to Sherlock and gave him some treats. If he hears me, he comes to the gate and whinnies for me. So sweet.

3/17, 3/18 Snowstorm ! and my R ankle  locked up very badly so stuck in the house. Watching Seane Corn do lots of yoga for conty $ . I do really like her but 32 hours of yoga is beyond the beyond.

February 14- Snow, ride 90

Happy Valentine's Day!

So we sended January with some quiet days, and then the snow began. Three days of snow. We did grain and free-longing walk/trot/canter in the indoor.

2/6 Ride #90. Indoors, bareback pad and sidepull bridle. 45 minutes indoors with 4 other horses! Sherlock was anxious about the other horses but again no battles broke out and it was a good experience. Practiced gate-opening types of skills, narrow spaces, shallow bends, standing next to other horses in a lineup. Stable meeting afterwards.

2/9 Farrier came. Sherlock was very good, a bit stiff RH both moving forward and stretching back. Hind hooves are really taking shape nicely. Fronts still a bit contracted, could use to grow out a bit.

One of the ladies at the stable just tried the Wintec AP I bought but it's not the right fit for her and her horse. Darn. I have put the flyer up at the barn with the 3 saddles for sale. I guess it's eBay time. CTRC's tack sale is in March -I could donate all 3 saddles and take it off next year's taxes if all else fails.

Peaceful days- Specs watching over napping Sherlock

Jan 29- rides #84-89, loss and gain

Pink for the new year!

When I came home from Christmas travels, Sherlock was wearing an unfamiliar blanket. His old blanket was not in the laundry. So I went to Murdoch's (just take my paycheck already) and bought a new blanket, and attired him properly (in pink).

We had our first all-stable meeting at a local pizza place on January 2nd. Yes, my blanket was in the shop after being shredded. Fun meeting, I was only reprimanded for not having leg straps on my blanket, but now Sherlock has a new one so already all fixed!

1/3 ride 84- Belly tight with some edema. Brief walk only with bareback pad indoors. He was scared of the light coming through the partly-open doors. Walked sound, well-behaved. Had a good scratch and roll afterwards.  Grain w/Banamine.


1/4 ride 85- Rode outside 30 minutes. Walk/trot. Footing passable on rail with some decent passages across arena. English with halter. New pad makes mounting such a trial! Saddle tries to slip and girth is always super-loose once I get into the saddle. Sherlock was good for mounting after some initial begging for treats. Luna was with us and followed everywhere. Good transitions, practiced backing up around cone. L bad, R improved lightness.

1/5 ride 86- Rode indoor 10 minutes. Grain with banamine. Wasn't planning to ride but Amy lent me her riser pad so I got on for a few minutes. Not as slippery but seriously cantle-high- I kept sliding forward.  Not the solution. Lesson scheduled.

1/6 Blankets off, Groomed, grain. Sherlock didn't want to go back in the paddock. "Aren't you going to ride?"

Lots of heavy work, came every day for grain and blanket checks. I don't have many notes.
Strange time, one of the barn workers passed away of a heart attack this week. Nice guy, younger than me I think. A bit of a curmudgeon, perhaps, but witty and I will miss his greeting, "Well good morning, sunshine!"
Got a FB message from Alissa that she needed more barn work so called her in to help. She and Clover are at Green Tree, very close by. She will be helping out in the mornings at least for a while.

1/16 ride 87- Rode 1 hour indoor bareback. Walk/trot. Other horses in arena, good for him to follow Jinny. Trotted 4 poles very tough, 2 trot poles more his level right now. A bit fussy physically, but really on mentally. Loved weaving the poles, stopping at barrel for me to touch it, pulled down the hula hoops to play with.

Nice ride in sidepull

1/17 ride 88- Lesson with Amy 1 hour English. Trotting 2 poles, transitions every 7 steps, trot all the way around arena. Anxious with other horses around but handled it. Sidepull halter is starting to wear out. Homework: bring leather/rope sidepull, trotting 5 times around, at least 2 rounds in 2-point position. Amy was surprised he was so sound, had looked sore in paddock earlier in the week. Cuts on legs all almost healed up, just small white scabby spots.

1/19 ride 89- Outdoors 1 hour English with Lissa's old sidepull. Fits him pretty well. Nice trot esp. with me in 2-point (getting in shape), and he walks when I put my hands down to balance. Racehorse training, I think. Trotted all the way around once, walked diagonal, all the way around again. Nice strong free trot with Amy's saddle on. Sidepass-circles both ways around cones, with breaks to chew on and fling the cones.



Worked on lunging this week as well, he prefers to be right next to the gate so we worked on staying in the far corners instead.Was able to turn him out after for some canter work free lunging. Tired pretty quick.

1/24 Missed the memorial service as had previous plans for Broncos game. All horses got green ribbons in their manes. Sounds like it was very sweet.
Wormed 1/26. Green ribbon still there. Last to hang on.
Turnout 1/28- at last back in the Meadow Pasture! Re-introducing the two groups of geldings exciting screeches and stomps. Sherlock came when called, setting off a cavalry charge as everyone followed. Cookies and a quick check of his eyes (poked him with my thumb trying to take halter off the day before!) which look fine. Still has green ribbon.
1/29 Groomed, got all the mud off again. Ribbon finally lost. Grain with Banamine as snow is expected soon!

I put 3 of my 5 saddles up for sale and am searching for one to fit Sherlock. In the meantime I have Amy's Wintec to borrow, thank goodness.

Dec 19- recovery time, ride #83

Sherlock has been improving steadily with his cut legs, and has been sound for light lunging and extreme rampaging about at dinnertime. We don't remember very well how to lunge with the rope on, must practice.

I find myself saying he doesn't remember how to do things, but then I realize I am not holding up my part of the bargain- by not giving him the cues he understands. Lunging is tough for him, and if I don't move my feet to make some noise he has to keep looking for me when I am on his blind side. So it's both of us who need to practice.

12/11 Massage/chiropractor came and worked on a bunch of horses. She used a massager-machine that is put on like a saddle. Sherlock was a bit twitchy but settled into it. His back was sore and some ribs out on the right side.
After massage I let Sherlock eat a little bit and grabbed out both my new saddle and Amy's. I have purchased the wrong saddle model. Mine has the deeper seat, with a stronger cantle angle. Which makes the cantle higher. Still it seems to fit the same- if I can just balance it.

Busy week with a big blizzard. Not much turnout. Backing off meds to 1g Bute every other day. I can give more grain on days with no Bute. If he has a whole scoop of grain with Bute in it, he skips the bad-tasting part. If he has a half-scoop he eats it all no matter what's in it.

12/19 ride #83 Rode 30 minutes mostly walking. New saddle and reverse-wedge pad, rope halter. Mounting tough with saddle slipping around- pad compresses once weight hits it, and that makes the girth very loose when I try to get on. Might cut it back off the withers. Sherlock did stop to have the pad adjusted once- will need more duct tape to secure pad. Better with pad adjusted, trotted well. A bit stiff for sure. Neck stretches, turns on forehand, shallow serpentines.
Good ride, willing if a bit creaky. Nice ride to end the year on!

Dec 10- saddle woes, ride #82

OK!  November checkin!

After the lovely Halloween party, the weather changed and Sherlock was keen never to have his belly touched again.  Ride #79 November 6th I rode and practiced doing the usual walk/trot workout with voice and weight cues ONLY, almost no leg. Nice to build those skills for the days when he has bad-weather-belly.

Snowed- blanket bingo.

November 14th Ride #80. walk/trot, stretches, lots of transitions, shallow serpentines NO LEG. Sherlock is looking for a cookie whenever we go to the mounting block. Offering to bow instead of stand for mounting. No cookies in pocket during rides. He knows how to stand well now, he can take it.



November 22 Ride #81. Got new Wintec saddle just like Amy's, changed black Medium gullet to red Wide gullet with an hour of cursing and whining. Yes, it's easier than having the whole saddle re-flocked or buying yet another saddle. (I have 5 saddles now. Where is my brain?) BUT the screws were rusted in and stripped, got all 4 screws out and went to Ace Hardware. At some point in the endless parade of screws I mentioned these saddles are made in Australia and we finally found the METRIC screws for the outer slots. The inner ones are by inches. The outer ones are metric. WHAT!?
Anyway, I put my new pride and joy up on my horse and it's very cantle-high. Severely downhill. Just walked Sherlock a  little to stretch out my back, but couldn't really work with the saddle fitting so poorly. Ordered a reverse-wedge pad to lift the front of the saddle.

November 28th I opened up Amy's saddle a bit and her gullet is white- Extra Wide. Ordered white gullet. Maybe I will send the pad back. Accidentlly walked Sherlock into the barn door instead of the doorway. I think in the snowbright, he couldn't see which dark shape was the doorway.  Pay attention, Cooper.

December 2nd I got a call at 4:00- Sherlock cut his leg. Went straight out, RF knee very swollen, 2 cuts. One deep, one long across the inside of the knee. No sign of joint fluid. Knee very stiff. Mud all down R side. Gave small amount of PM grain with Banamine. Barn management walked the entire fenceline and made minor repairs.

Ouchie.

December 3rd Cleaned and rewrapped, Banamine in grain. R hock also swollen today, 1 cut and some surface scrapes. Did he fall off the little bridge in the pasture?  Hock was too sore and swollen to wrap. Turnout in small Doves paddock with Prince and Dusty and Vern.

December 4 Cleaned and rewrapped, Sherlock is walking well. Swelling much reduced, Grain with Buteless. Turnout in Doves.

December 5 Whole leg swollen again and knee stiffened up. Should have stuck with meds. Bute in grain, rewrapped knee, hand-grazed. Turnout in Doves.

December 6 Walking well- AM rewrapped, Bute. Walking very well. Trotted after haycart for dinner! Got wrap off, rewrapped for the night.Turnout in Doves.

December 7 AM grain with Bute. Turnout in Doves. Galloping and playing in turnout. Removed wrap PM.

December 8 AM grain with Bute. Turnout in Doves. Walking great, swelling nearly gone- only localized to front of knee. Deep knee cut closing, long one making some efforts, hock cut weepy. Reportedly showing off some flying changes in the paddock!

December 9 AM grain with Bute. Walking well, all cuts closing up, long knee cut making a scab at last. Turnout into pasture.

December 10 Ride #82. So I got both the reverse-wedge pad and the gullet. Haven't unpacked the pad since I think I won't need it once I have the right gullet plate in. I changed the gullet with less cursing this time but the gullet set came with only 3 screws. So I still have one of my Ace Hardware best-matches in. Very happy, all set. Sherlock walking great, all cuts scabbing up. AM grain with a bit less Bute today. Saddled up and it looked downhill. Got on and it felt downhill. Should have brought the pad. Mounted fine with minimal cookie-begging, walked a just a few minutes since the saddle was not right.
Now Amy's saddle fits perfect with no extra pads. Maybe I need to change the flocking- this is an air-flocked saddle. Instead of wool between the tree and the horse, it's basically a balloon, or 4. More research needed. Will ask Amy to help me out. There must be a solution.

Getting ready for the holidays- tons of chores, shopping, and work to be done before I can leave!

Enjoying the sunny day

Nov 2- Halloween party, ride 78

SO Busy! Working really hard on new Sounds True project and doing a huge warehouse re-arrange at Serenity Tibet with new helper Eric.

Have had a couple excellent riding lessons with A! Working on transitions and lateral movement, and keeping my hands in the middle instead of crossing over the horse's neck. Rode Sirah mostly Western so getting back to English Equitation is a challenge...

Sherlock in his hat

Sherlock has been very game in the lessons, he does get tired and has to be convinced to try once more, but he tries hard. I've been riding in A's Wintec saddle that fits Sherlock well, and finally have a winning bid on one just the same off eBay! Saddle that fits. Finally. It's a WIDE gullet, I really didn't think he was that wide but A has a Wintec gullet-measure-er like I have been trying to find ALL summer. And Sherlock should be wearing a Wide.

Rode bareback outdoor one day and Sherlock was happy and eager to go forward, with no pinching saddle- very sore the next day but it was fun.

One day of cold rain the 22nd, had to use Sirah's wool-lined blanket that is a little small but warm.

Halloween Party was great! Had a lesson beforehand so got Sherlock and me all dressed up at about 11:30, rode over poles and moving away from leg, soft serpentines on weight, rode her horse Hope a little bit as well when Sherlock got tired. Then the party! I gave Sherlock a break in between since everyone but me was running late (What? Again? Always!). Drink of water and some hay. Then back to a very busy arena full of little kids on hippety-hops!

Sherlock and Watson!

Sherlock drank from the bobbing for apples bucket but didn't try for an apple. We won the egg-and-spoon race on a good length of trot- even with a jerky transition, he maintained it well. He was a bit treat-happy but overall really excellent. We were supposed to play horse soccer with the big ball, but some horses were scared of it- esp. Hope! Sherlock was casual about the ball rolling at him and bouncing off, and even pushed it and played a bit.

SUPER proud of my easygoing and brave boy!

Yesterday I rode outside- having trouble reconciling aids that Sherlock thinks are working against each other. Back, then stop- is very difficult but we broke through some of that and backed out of an L! Introduced the vacuum, good on R but more anxious on L side- looking at cord. Needed it again today, but I just turned him out to get dusty again. Turnout in Meadow pasture again, he is very comfortable there and is making friends with a new horse Scout.

OH- and I heard the Cs lost their lease. About time. I hope someone cool will buy the place and board horses there again.

Oct 3- Busy-ness and rides 70,71,72

Wow- I have been working a lot! Another trade show and desperately working on finishing one Sounds True project so I can get going on the next one! Still, I've been at the stable almost every morning to give Sherlock his grain and turn him out. The geldings have been out in the Meadow pasture for several weeks, which has been great for Sherlock. Meadow is closer to the barn and very comfortable for him.

Anyway, I've been riding Sherlock just a little bit, getting him used to the indoor arena, building fitness for both of us. I started longing him lightly every morning last week to get some muscle building. He's gaining weight and remembering some things about being a riding horse.


This week Sherlock had dewormer, vaccinations and started going to the West Pasture. First day I walked him out to the waterer and when I let him go he galloped off with the other horse, and raced them around. So glad to see him happy and having some fun. Later in the day he came up the breezeway for water and had trouble figuring out how to get back- they thought he was going to bust the gate to Meadow- but he settled once his name was called and they took him back down.

Yesterday no drama going down to West pasture, I hope he is settling there.

New trainer A has arrived and I'm going to take a lesson tomorrow, wish us luck!

Looks like most of my pics from last week are of our super-adorable new kitten, Kaylee!
Here she is for your viewing pleasure. It's tiring but super-amusing to have a kitten around again...