I'd been given a new challenge. Riding without stirrups. The first few times my trainer, Rachel, suggested it she got a firm "No!" from me. But this week as I got more adjusted to riding Poco in Champ's saddle, got those muscles in my seat back, got my "groove" going, she suggested it again and I decided to give it a try.
I started with taking my feet out of the stirrups at a walk. My legs went behind me and I tilted forward. It wasn't pretty.
Then I recalled all those years as a kid when we never had time to saddle our horses. We were always in a hurry to ride and rode bareback. In the summer we'd take our horses swimming.
As a child and teenager I had the most wonderful exposure to water and horses. During warm weather my friend and I would take the horses down onto the Browns Point beach in Northeast Tacoma, WA. We'd usually ride the beach for miles, strolling along talking about whatever entered our minds.
On our return we'd take a dip in Puget Sound. The salt water always smelled so good. From the initial shock of getting my legs wet and then up to my waist (and above), the water initially shocked me but felt so refreshing.
My horse and I would go out deep. We'd be floating, his nose and upper neck the only things visible besides the upper part of me, reminding me of a little tug boat. It was true teamwork as I gave him his head, put a hand on his mane, floated over his back and let him swim unhampered from my guidance. I always felt that when I was out in the deep water swimming on horseback it was as close as one could come to flying with their horse.
We'd come back up onto the beach, both of us refreshed. I'd laugh while he shook. At this point there would usually be some coltish antics he'd put on, a sure sign that he was feeling good at the ripe age of 20+. I'd be wet, glued onto this back and never have an issue staying on while he went thru his 6 second routine. I always laughed at his little bucks, bareback in cutoffs and a halter top, no helmet, no fear, no worries. Falling was the furthest thing from my mind. I was young and free.
So when I pulled my feet out of those stirrups this week the above memories came back to me. Yes, I stumbled at first, but then my legs went forward and my heels naturally went down. For a brief moment I was again fifteen, back on that beach. I was riding my good old friend, Rusty, next to my best friend, Jayne, on her horse Northern Fly.
Rachel's amazed look and exclamation of "Wow! Good Job!", brought me back to the reality of being 50+, on my horse Poco, helmet intact, riding in an indoor arena in safe surroundings, no water in sight.
As I trotted around without stirrups I looked down at Rachel and grinned. I knew then that I'd never forgotten. I still remembered how to ride free.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Summer's End
From May to the end of August, our house buzzes with activity when our daughter is home from college for summer break.
It's an adjustment for my husband and I to have our only child back home as much as I'm sure it's an adjustment for her to be home. Music, laughter and activity fill our home. The door swings with friends coming and going and I never know how many mouths I'll be feeding for dinner.
My husband and I've been used to the silence and serenity of our home and we've all become used to coming and going as we please. The initial days of summer break can be a bit trying for all of us.
This year my husband and I have seen our daughter grow into an adult. We like what we see. She has spent hours this summer talking with us about anything and everything. She seems to have realized that Mom and Dad are actually interesting to spend time with. My husband refers to it as breaking thru to the other side. It's a very cool thing and a true sign that she is growing up.
Three years ago an unsure Freshman burst into tears as she said goodbye to her home, horse and dog. This year an assured Junior had already networked with her college bound pals weeks before she left. Her enthusiasm about returning to school and living in her first apartment with a roommate were catching as I scoured my home for items to send along with her.
Five days before her departure she was 90% packed. For the first time in what seems forever, she kept her room tidy this summer yet this week it has been in shambles as she prepared to leave.
Our dog and kitten were perplexed about the changes in the past week. They seemed to know that she was leaving. And indeed this morning she left us for another year of school and the discoveries it brings.
Initially my husband and I will find the silence deafening. The pets will be out of sorts and we will all be very kind and gentle to each other as we adapt to the change in rhythm.
But in a few days we will all rediscover the liberation of going where we please, when we please. Soon it will be our norm, only to change for all of us when she returns from school for the holiday break.
But between now and those next few days, there's a feeling of loss and sadness in both my husband and I as we miss the daughter who brought warmth, smiles, engaging conversation and laughter to us this past summer. Her leaving is a sure sign of summer's end.
It's an adjustment for my husband and I to have our only child back home as much as I'm sure it's an adjustment for her to be home. Music, laughter and activity fill our home. The door swings with friends coming and going and I never know how many mouths I'll be feeding for dinner.
My husband and I've been used to the silence and serenity of our home and we've all become used to coming and going as we please. The initial days of summer break can be a bit trying for all of us.
This year my husband and I have seen our daughter grow into an adult. We like what we see. She has spent hours this summer talking with us about anything and everything. She seems to have realized that Mom and Dad are actually interesting to spend time with. My husband refers to it as breaking thru to the other side. It's a very cool thing and a true sign that she is growing up.
Three years ago an unsure Freshman burst into tears as she said goodbye to her home, horse and dog. This year an assured Junior had already networked with her college bound pals weeks before she left. Her enthusiasm about returning to school and living in her first apartment with a roommate were catching as I scoured my home for items to send along with her.
Our dog and kitten were perplexed about the changes in the past week. They seemed to know that she was leaving. And indeed this morning she left us for another year of school and the discoveries it brings.
Initially my husband and I will find the silence deafening. The pets will be out of sorts and we will all be very kind and gentle to each other as we adapt to the change in rhythm.
But in a few days we will all rediscover the liberation of going where we please, when we please. Soon it will be our norm, only to change for all of us when she returns from school for the holiday break.
But between now and those next few days, there's a feeling of loss and sadness in both my husband and I as we miss the daughter who brought warmth, smiles, engaging conversation and laughter to us this past summer. Her leaving is a sure sign of summer's end.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Difference in a Saddle
At first I didn't have any issues but as I progressed in my lessons, using my legs more and more, I found the saddle I was using wasn't fitting either of us.
The saddle pitched me forward leaving me feeling I was going to end up on Champ's neck. My "50+ rear end spread" was a bit too generous for the seat. :0 When I started learning to use my legs, I found my range of motion constrained. I was uncomfortable and that led me to being unsure of my abilities.
Champ didn't seem to care for the saddle either. He'd pin his ears back and sometimes even try to strike me with his left front leg when I went to put it on him. But then, Champ was always a bit opinionated!
We are fortunate to have a western tack shop near our place. Mike knows saddles. He repairs tack and builds saddles. His side of the store is a dream come true for a rider, his workshop like that of a scientist. And if you haul your horse in, he'll take the time to fit the right saddle to your horse. Mike knows his stuff.
Cindy, his wife, on the other side of the store, knows apparel. The right jeans, hats and boots are waiting for the rider along with cool purses, belts, etc. Cindy knows what fits and makes you look your best. Such an eye! When you buy from Cindy, you know you're going to come out of that shop looking incredible!
With my saddle becoming an issue, we hauled Champ into Mike's one summer evening, about this time last year for a saddle fitting. I brought along all of the saddles we had at home, all sitting in the tack room because they didn't seem to fit any horse we owned. Nice saddles ordered via the internet or picked up here and there. Some hardly ridden in.
Mike first tried out our saddles. He then hauled out saddles from his shop and eventually he hauled out saddle trees. Champ was a hard fit, looking like he had narrow withers when in fact he had wide ones. But Mike found the perfect fit for him.
I was able to trade in some of our unused saddles for a brand new one. Having short legs, I'd had issues getting the stirrups short enough to fit correctly. Mike had helped me in the past add additional notches on the fenders so the stirrups would fit me. With this new saddle he recommended "youth" fenders so I'd get the range of motion I needed.
Champ also seemed to like this saddle. After a couple of rides, the pinned ears and flying front left leg stopped when he realized it wasn't going to hurt him.
The more I used it the better it got. Suddenly I was doing rollbacks and loping off, etc. I discovered a new found confidence that accompanied the ground work I'd been doing with Champ. I found my balance and seat. I felt secure.
Champ's sudden loss in June shook me and my family to our core. I recall the day I brought all of Champ's tack home. I balled my head off as I retired his bridle and my new saddle, knowing they were part of him and would never be used on him again.
I'd had Poco for two weeks when I lost Champ. I'd been using that old saddle of Champ's on Poco. Seemed to fit him ok and I thought it would work fine for the horse that was supposed to be my "live at home trail horse/safe for friends to ride" mount.
With Poco now as my only saddle horse, his destination and use changed. Instead of going home, he remained at the barn to become my main riding horse. I continued with my lessons. For the first four weeks I think I was numb. I didn't feel, I wasn't able to communicate with Poco and bless him, he tried so hard.
My inability made me frustrated. I missed the team that my former horse and I had become. My new horse and I weren't in synch. I blamed it on my loss of Champ and that made me upset to think I wasn't Cowgirling up and dealing with it.
But, there was something familiar about my discomfort, something I'd felt before. It took me almost five weeks of beating myself up to realize I'd pitched forward in this saddle before, felt that old burn in my knee as well as that feeling of being squeezed into the saddle. I'd been here before but I couldn't place where.
The more I rode in that saddle the more uncomfortable I got until a few weeks ago I found myself frustrated at trying to sit back and being pushed forward to the point that I stopped riding and got off. I hated myself when I told my pals at Ladies Night, "Ugh, this saddle just isn't working!" I felt accountable for my actions and ashamed that I was blaming my lack of abilities on a stupid saddle.
It hit me then that the symptoms I was encountering were the same I'd had when I first started riding Champ. The issue - the saddle.
Yet, there was a saddle that fit me well and I missed it as much as that big red paint horse. At home I pulled that saddle out of our tack room, becoming misty eyed at the smell of Champ on it and the memories that came back as I hefted it up into my car. Up at the barn I asked my trainer to spot me while I put it up on Poco. We found it sat him well. So up I went to take a spin.
To be sure the saddle fits Poco correctly, I'll be hauling him down to visit Mike in the near future to have Mike put his two cents in on ensuring this is a good fit for Poco.
...plus there's this really bling headstall and reins that match my saddle on Mike's side of the store and an awesome pair of boots I've been keeping an eye on forever on Cindy's side...oh...and then there's this really cool buffalo hair purse I've wanted forever, just too cool, hope it's still there...and I could really use a new pair of jeans... :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Riding Goals for the Remainder of 2010
1. Sorting. One goal I had for 2010 was sorting. There's a facility down the road from us that hosts sorting events every other Thursday. I had gone once with Champ but after his loss I haven't been back.
This week I discovered that Poco does roll-backs and haunch turns, and he does them well! A definite plus for sorting. So one of my goals will be to join my pals at the barn and "go sorting". The facility is also hosting clinics this winter so I plan on joining my pals in attending some of them.
2. Horse Show. Another goal I have is to take Poco to a Schooling Show. I attended my first show last October (see post October 2009, First Horse Show) and had a blast. It was fun to see old friends and be out in the arena with my horse. I came home with a higher level of confidence, a better bond with my horse and a big grin on my face. And isn't that what riding is all about? Yes, I also came home with assorted colored ribbons and that was very nice. However, they took a back seat to everything else.
My goal will be to return to the Schooling Show in October and ride in the western classes, walk/jog for sure but also with a goal to ride in some of the Novice walk/jog/lope classes.
3. The Lope. When I talk to fellow riders facing confidence challenges, this is the gait that saps their confidence. And I'm no different.
I initially loped Poco before I bought him but when I suddenly lost Champ I also lost the wind in my sails. Took awhile to get it back (true that time does help you heal). Poco has a nice lope but I've had a hard time getting us to move into it.
He must sense some of my issues. I've come to find the saddle I'm using doesn't fit me correctly. It pushes me way forward and for the life of me I can't sit back, which is where I depend on my seat to help me with my balance.
Right now I'm very uncomfortable at the lope, feeling like I'm going to spill over Poco's neck. I'll be replacing my current saddle for one that fits me correctly and that should resolve my sitting issue and get me back on track. I guess the best way to describe my feelings about the lope is that I'm not really afraid, I'm uncomfortable.
4. Transitions. There is also a challenge of getting Poco to transition from a SLOW jog to the lope. We really need to work on transitions, walk to jog, jog to lope and back down the other way. I need to put many miles in on slowing him down at the jog. Which is what I'm currently doing as I struggle with my saddle issue.
5. Dressage. And lastly, much of my training to ride this last year centered around Dressage. I find Dressage one of the most beautiful disciplines of riding. As the cold weather comes in, I'll trade in my Wranglers and boots for English apparel and fleece and with a good, used Dressage saddle, I'll give this a try as the rain pounds against the walls of the barn and the wind blows.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
A Day With Poco
Today I rode Poco and our daughter, Colleen came with me and took pictures.
I bought Poco about six weeks ago. He was supposed to be my "at home horse" to replace Cisco, who I lost to Colic in January. I had plans for Poco. My family/friends would ride him while I rode Champ. I could see us riding out under the sunset.
But four weeks ago we suddenly lost Champ. Poco is now my main guy. I call him my "Glass Horse" because he is the only horse I now have to ride.
Poco has yet to surprise me. He's well behaved, yet I can still see small positive changes in his behavior each time I go through my ground work exercises with him and establish myself as the leader.
Finishing up ground work:
We move to the indoor arena where my friend Haley is riding. It's also cooler in here:
Hailey and I (Western and Dressage)!
Good Friends.
I tell Poco (Poke) that there's a secret waiting for him in his stall.
And give him a big hug for such a great ride!
I bought Poco about six weeks ago. He was supposed to be my "at home horse" to replace Cisco, who I lost to Colic in January. I had plans for Poco. My family/friends would ride him while I rode Champ. I could see us riding out under the sunset.
But four weeks ago we suddenly lost Champ. Poco is now my main guy. I call him my "Glass Horse" because he is the only horse I now have to ride.
Poco has yet to surprise me. He's well behaved, yet I can still see small positive changes in his behavior each time I go through my ground work exercises with him and establish myself as the leader.
Finishing up ground work:
We move to the indoor arena where my friend Haley is riding. It's also cooler in here:
Hailey and I (Western and Dressage)!
Good Friends.
I tell Poco (Poke) that there's a secret waiting for him in his stall.
And give him a big hug for such a great ride!
Good Boy, Poco! Ok, let's go get those carrots!!!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Trucks and Trailers and How They Evolve
My husband and I were proud owners of a new F-150 4-speed pickup when I bought my first horse.
I remember taking our truck into the shop to be wired for a brake controller, etc.
Our good friends had an old Miley straight load two-horse trailer and were generous about letting us borrow it. We eventually purchased it from them.
With our truck set up and the two horse straight load Miley trailer, we soon acquired another horse. Summer came and it was time to hit the road. What better place to go with our horses then to Cabin Creek on the east side of Snoqualmie Pass.
The plan was for me to take Friday off and our daughter and I would haul the horses up to the cabin. My husband would join us when he got off work.
I recall my husband taking me for a driving lesson the night before our trip. I drove all over the place pulling the little red trailer. He had me park, back, and unhitch/re-hitch the trailer.
The next day our daughter and I were out on the road early, horses loaded in the trailer. With the dog and cat in the cab of the truck, along with all the things one "thinks" they need to take when they go on vacation, we were really loaded down. I recall my husband telling me to be careful, that everything he loved was in my hands.
Things went pretty good until we started to climb up Snoqualmie Pass. I found our truck having trouble keeping up with traffic. I shifted down to third gear, but eventually I had to put it into second. I stayed in the right lane, not pushing the truck but waving and smiling to those who passed us. So very slowly, we reached the Summit and headed down the other side.
But going down the other side had its own challenges. Although I had my new trailer brakes, as I found my speed picking up and I could feel the trailer start to sway, even though my husband had put on the sway bars.
I recalled my horseshoer's advice to look way ahead of where I was going. And I did just that, breaking ahead of corners, etc. I kept remembering my husband's comment that everything he loved was in my hands. My palms were sweaty and my mouth was dry.
We eventually arrived at Cabin Creek, almost an hour later than usual. When my husband arrived that night driving my car I was happy to swap keys with him and let him drive the truck and little trailer back home.
We shortly purchased another horse when our daughter wanted to participate in 4H. We now had three horses. Our daughter and I set out to find a local barn and trainer that would allow us to haul in so she could take lessons.
This started a routine of our daughter and I hauling her horse to weekly lessons. But our little F-150 was having a tough time keeping up so we sold it and purchased a used F-250. I loved that truck. I spent a lot of time driving it and pulling the little red trailer...but fuel consumption....ugh, it was bad, real bad.
We now had a good sized truck, three horses and a two horse trailer. We wanted to take all the horses with us to our cabin on vacation. Plus our daughter was doing a lot of horse shows.
We felt the need not only for a larger trailer, but one with a good sized tack room so she could change, etc. So off we went to (sadly because we loved it) trade in our little red trailer for a brand new three-horse slant with a good sized tack room.
We did a lot of hauling to lessons with the F-250 and the three-horse slant. Our daughter and I had the process down. We could hook up the trailer and load her horse in record time, reload him and haul him home, put the trailer away and be in the house in time for dinner and homework. Here are the two of us right before hooking up the truck for a lesson.
But something was missing and when my husband's sister and brother-in-law moved to California, we inherited....A Camper. With it riding on our F-250, my husband and daughter were able to go to weekend shows the night before. The camper reduced the stress of getting up early and having to haul to a show in the wee hours. We could haul in the night before; have a relaxing evening and day at the show. Many were the times we ate our lunch in the camper and my husband watched football games! It was really relaxing.
It was an older camper and needed a lot of work. So we sold it and upgraded to a newer camper with air conditioning, etc. Now we ate in the coolness of the summer heat. The new camper had a shower, etc. Life was good, except (be forewarned) it's not a slide out and the bathroom is very small.
With the camper on the truck, pulling a fully loaded 3-horse slant (to help out kids who needed a ride to a show), we were tapping out the maximum weight we could pull. Even with sway bars on the trailer, the swaying I encountered when going down a hill on a highway when I was hauling 3 large horses and 5 excited kids terrified me.
So.....we sold the F-250 and bought a new, one-ton, fully decked out, dually Dodge Laramie that ran on diesel instead of gas. We now had the truck and trailer for any event with the mileage to cover it.
OH MY GOODNESS! How did we get here!!!!!
Is this like boats? Does one start with a small boat and then upgrade to a bigger one?
Today we have a new dilemma. With two (huge) Belgian Draft horses and one saddle horse (with a plan to add another saddle horse down the road), our three-horse trailer is too small to haul everybody to the cabin. So we are talking about a larger horse trailer...
Hmmm. I'm thinking we might need to take a look at a larger, gooseneck trailer.
....Living quarters would be nice.
....Maybe a fireplace?
Our good friends had an old Miley straight load two-horse trailer and were generous about letting us borrow it. We eventually purchased it from them.
With our truck set up and the two horse straight load Miley trailer, we soon acquired another horse. Summer came and it was time to hit the road. What better place to go with our horses then to Cabin Creek on the east side of Snoqualmie Pass.
The plan was for me to take Friday off and our daughter and I would haul the horses up to the cabin. My husband would join us when he got off work.
I recall my husband taking me for a driving lesson the night before our trip. I drove all over the place pulling the little red trailer. He had me park, back, and unhitch/re-hitch the trailer.
The next day our daughter and I were out on the road early, horses loaded in the trailer. With the dog and cat in the cab of the truck, along with all the things one "thinks" they need to take when they go on vacation, we were really loaded down. I recall my husband telling me to be careful, that everything he loved was in my hands.
Things went pretty good until we started to climb up Snoqualmie Pass. I found our truck having trouble keeping up with traffic. I shifted down to third gear, but eventually I had to put it into second. I stayed in the right lane, not pushing the truck but waving and smiling to those who passed us. So very slowly, we reached the Summit and headed down the other side.
But going down the other side had its own challenges. Although I had my new trailer brakes, as I found my speed picking up and I could feel the trailer start to sway, even though my husband had put on the sway bars.
I recalled my horseshoer's advice to look way ahead of where I was going. And I did just that, breaking ahead of corners, etc. I kept remembering my husband's comment that everything he loved was in my hands. My palms were sweaty and my mouth was dry.
We eventually arrived at Cabin Creek, almost an hour later than usual. When my husband arrived that night driving my car I was happy to swap keys with him and let him drive the truck and little trailer back home.
We shortly purchased another horse when our daughter wanted to participate in 4H. We now had three horses. Our daughter and I set out to find a local barn and trainer that would allow us to haul in so she could take lessons.
This started a routine of our daughter and I hauling her horse to weekly lessons. But our little F-150 was having a tough time keeping up so we sold it and purchased a used F-250. I loved that truck. I spent a lot of time driving it and pulling the little red trailer...but fuel consumption....ugh, it was bad, real bad.
We now had a good sized truck, three horses and a two horse trailer. We wanted to take all the horses with us to our cabin on vacation. Plus our daughter was doing a lot of horse shows.
We did a lot of hauling to lessons with the F-250 and the three-horse slant. Our daughter and I had the process down. We could hook up the trailer and load her horse in record time, reload him and haul him home, put the trailer away and be in the house in time for dinner and homework. Here are the two of us right before hooking up the truck for a lesson.
But something was missing and when my husband's sister and brother-in-law moved to California, we inherited....A Camper. With it riding on our F-250, my husband and daughter were able to go to weekend shows the night before. The camper reduced the stress of getting up early and having to haul to a show in the wee hours. We could haul in the night before; have a relaxing evening and day at the show. Many were the times we ate our lunch in the camper and my husband watched football games! It was really relaxing.
It was an older camper and needed a lot of work. So we sold it and upgraded to a newer camper with air conditioning, etc. Now we ate in the coolness of the summer heat. The new camper had a shower, etc. Life was good, except (be forewarned) it's not a slide out and the bathroom is very small.
With the camper on the truck, pulling a fully loaded 3-horse slant (to help out kids who needed a ride to a show), we were tapping out the maximum weight we could pull. Even with sway bars on the trailer, the swaying I encountered when going down a hill on a highway when I was hauling 3 large horses and 5 excited kids terrified me.
So.....we sold the F-250 and bought a new, one-ton, fully decked out, dually Dodge Laramie that ran on diesel instead of gas. We now had the truck and trailer for any event with the mileage to cover it.
OH MY GOODNESS! How did we get here!!!!!
Is this like boats? Does one start with a small boat and then upgrade to a bigger one?
Today we have a new dilemma. With two (huge) Belgian Draft horses and one saddle horse (with a plan to add another saddle horse down the road), our three-horse trailer is too small to haul everybody to the cabin. So we are talking about a larger horse trailer...
Hmmm. I'm thinking we might need to take a look at a larger, gooseneck trailer.
....Living quarters would be nice.
....Maybe a fireplace?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Road I've Traveled
Since I left 50+Horses in April, I've traveled many roads.
I moved my blog to http://www.lifeplushorses.blogspot.com/ because I wanted to open it up to more then 50+ people. In that blog you will read about Champ and my experiences at ground work and how I earned his respect.
But I feel I missed the mark on my decision to move my blog and surely have missed my 50+ readers. So I've returned and will not stray again.
Things between Champ and I had been rocky since winter. I found ground work was the key to earning his respect and earn it I did. As a result things were going well for us. We had bonded to the point that he tried whenever I asked, even if I asked wrong. He also started to anticipate what I asked, to the degree that I only had to think and he knew what I wanted. After a year of ups and downs, we were on our way to being a team.
I'd replaced Cisco, the horse I lost in January to Colic with an older, sweet and mild Appaloosa named Poco, whom I purchased last month. My intentions were to keep him here at home so I could ride when I wanted and have a horse for my friends to join me when I rode Champ.
So it was heartbreaking when two weeks after my purchase of Poco that Champ got sick with an impaction and bladder infection. Which came first? They both seemed to appear at the same time.
Thanks to barn pals and my family, we walked Champ for almost two days straight as well as pumping IV's into him numerous times. The impaction started to move but the bladder infection didn't respond to any medications, and we tried many.
No matter what we did, things didn't get better. Seven days later, with Champ in misery and the Vet's prognosis of a tumor in the bladder, we made the heart wrenching decision on June 29th to put Champ down. I still can see them leading him from his stall and hear myself sobbing so hard I thought I'd throw up.
As grateful as we are for Poco, today my family is still in mourning. Champ was a huge part of our lives. He is missed.
Poco now resides in Champ's stall. An older, mellow horse, I will learn what I can from him and down the road I hope to find another horse, perhaps one of Champ's siblings. That would be a horse with bling, younger, that's versitile enough so that I can try different disciplines with him. And crazy as it sounds, maybe a horse that challenges me a little bit.
As my husband said, "You've become the rider you've always wanted to be." I owe that to Champ but know that to remain that rider I will need to push my envelope to retain the ability.
I moved my blog to http://www.lifeplushorses.blogspot.com/ because I wanted to open it up to more then 50+ people. In that blog you will read about Champ and my experiences at ground work and how I earned his respect.
But I feel I missed the mark on my decision to move my blog and surely have missed my 50+ readers. So I've returned and will not stray again.
Things between Champ and I had been rocky since winter. I found ground work was the key to earning his respect and earn it I did. As a result things were going well for us. We had bonded to the point that he tried whenever I asked, even if I asked wrong. He also started to anticipate what I asked, to the degree that I only had to think and he knew what I wanted. After a year of ups and downs, we were on our way to being a team.
I'd replaced Cisco, the horse I lost in January to Colic with an older, sweet and mild Appaloosa named Poco, whom I purchased last month. My intentions were to keep him here at home so I could ride when I wanted and have a horse for my friends to join me when I rode Champ.
So it was heartbreaking when two weeks after my purchase of Poco that Champ got sick with an impaction and bladder infection. Which came first? They both seemed to appear at the same time.
Thanks to barn pals and my family, we walked Champ for almost two days straight as well as pumping IV's into him numerous times. The impaction started to move but the bladder infection didn't respond to any medications, and we tried many.
No matter what we did, things didn't get better. Seven days later, with Champ in misery and the Vet's prognosis of a tumor in the bladder, we made the heart wrenching decision on June 29th to put Champ down. I still can see them leading him from his stall and hear myself sobbing so hard I thought I'd throw up.
As grateful as we are for Poco, today my family is still in mourning. Champ was a huge part of our lives. He is missed.
Poco now resides in Champ's stall. An older, mellow horse, I will learn what I can from him and down the road I hope to find another horse, perhaps one of Champ's siblings. That would be a horse with bling, younger, that's versitile enough so that I can try different disciplines with him. And crazy as it sounds, maybe a horse that challenges me a little bit.
As my husband said, "You've become the rider you've always wanted to be." I owe that to Champ but know that to remain that rider I will need to push my envelope to retain the ability.
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