How do you know its fall? It is a definite sign when you realize your horse's coat is getting thicker. The temperatures haven't dropped drastically, but it looks like Little Love is preparing for the future. Which is a good thing, since last I heard they are predicting a really cold winter for us. I am looking forward to that with mixed feelings. It would be nice to have some snow (emphasis on the word some, not the same as tons), but when temperatures linger below -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) for weeks on end... it gets a bit old. I'm starting to think ahead and have looked into getting metal "spikes" (well, they are really like these raised screws) for Little Love's boots, so we can get up and down those hills also when it gets slippery. From what I remember, the first times the temperature starts going into the freezing digits is at the end of October (next month! Yikes).
Thinking about the future has also brought me back to the question about the saddle. I know I was sort of on the fence about purchasing one, but have finally decided to go for it. I don't plan to start riding Little Love a lot, in fact, quite the contrary. I'm hoping to use the saddle for short trots and canters while we are on the trails and perhaps when the snow is too deep for me to tread. Although, if it is too deep for me, it may also be too deep for my horse! LOL. I definitely need to build up the muscles on her top line before I even consider sitting on her back. And ask her for permission. I have contacted a saddle fitter and am now hoping to hear back from her, so we can get the process moving forward.
In the meanwhile Melissa and I have been taking walks with Little Love to build up her stamina (and help burn some of that sugar :-). Yesterday I ventured quite far on my own. Little Love seems quite comfortable on our walks, she takes new thing in stride and looks for me when something is not quite right. I, too, have learned to stay in my body and be with her, even if I'm not actively seeking contact at all times. Yesterday when my husband called during our walk, I immediately noticed a change in Little Love's focus. She started scanning the surroundings with heightened interest. Someone has to keep an eye on the environment, after all, and if I'm on the phone, I'm obviously not doing it. When I heard it was not an emergency, I told my husband that I would call him back later. I have learned my lesson about cell phones and horses!
Tomorrow it is time for the trimmer to come again. It is about time. I trimmed Little Love myself about two and a half weeks ago, but her hooves seem to have kicked into a whole new pace when it comes to growing. Which is great, of course, but means she needs to be trimmed more often. Especially her bars are quite high at the moment and I can see it affecting her. I would have trimmed her myself, but the trimmer wanted to see for herself how and where the hooves had started to grow after her last trim (I only take the bars and heels down when I trim). Especially the right front is a bit tricky.
Then, on Saturday my friend Selma, the osteopath, is coming to work on Lilo, Kira and Metku. Hopefully she will be happy to see the progress we have made with undoing the tensions in Lilo's ribcage. I certainly have made my best attempt in completing all the stretches, but we'll hear the verdict tomorrow!
Showing posts with label equine osteopathy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equine osteopathy. Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Day 109
Today the osteopath came to take another look at Little Love. If you have visited my other blog, you will know why http://www.equineinsanity.blogspot.com/. Two weeks ago - exactly - she had a bad fall on the asphalt. Her open wounds have healed but judging by the way she moved, I suspected something was a bit "off" in her hindquarters. She wasn't lame perse, but just not moving in her usual elastic way.
I was right. She was stuck in the right side of her pelvis, which was then diagonally reflecting onto the left shoulder. Among some other minor things... but all that was no surprise. The way she went down on that asphalt had hip fracture written all over it. There was a lot of luck involved that day...
The osteo worked on her for an hour. Little Love was not exactly cooperative, she didn't want the osteo touching her right shoulder where the biggest cut was and was obviously a bit tender in the back end. She did not want anyone messing with her body. However, this osteopath is by far one of the most patient people I have ever met. When Little Love did her "look how high sideways I can lift my hind leg and threaten to kick" routine, the osteo just said:
"Wow, she is expressive. Look how flexible she is, that is amazing!" Great attitude. A lot of other people would have been freaked out.
In the end, after some negotiation, Little Love finally let the woman work on her shoulder, pelvis and spine. The lady was gentle and soon Little Love realized she would actually feel better afterwards, instead of worse. She did give Col the evil eye the whole time though. Poor Col was hanging out in his stall next door for moral support, but all he got from her were mean looks. Half way through the treatment I suddenly realized Col's head was no longer behind the wall and when I went into the aisle to look, he was crawling under the chain in front of his stall door. No way! For being such a massive horse, he is quite agile. When he saw me see him, she slowly crawled back with a sheepish look on his face. Sometimes I wonder if he really is a horse at all... (Houdini reincarnated?)
The osteo said that despite the fall, Little Love's muscles and body were in better shape overall than when she saw her the first time a few weeks ago. She also noticed that she was more balanced on her feet. She actually asked me who had trimmed her in such a way! I guess I'm doing something right :-) She said that out of all the horses she sees on a daily basis, Little Love is really quite supple and healthy, which is great news. I think in her case not riding her for months has made a difference. She had such a bad saddle before, not to mention lots of tension in the riding situation. Anyways, we are on the right track.
Afterwards Becky decided that Col needed a check up as well, so the osteo worked with him, too. He loved it! He is a polar opposite of Little Love when it comes to being manipulated; I thought he was going to fall asleep at one point. The whole time the osteo worked on him Little Love hung her head over the stall wall and watched. I told her to pay close attention to how he was behaving. I swear she was rolling her eyes at me. My expressive horse. It is never unclear how she is feeling; she lets everyone know loud and clear.
I was right. She was stuck in the right side of her pelvis, which was then diagonally reflecting onto the left shoulder. Among some other minor things... but all that was no surprise. The way she went down on that asphalt had hip fracture written all over it. There was a lot of luck involved that day...
The osteo worked on her for an hour. Little Love was not exactly cooperative, she didn't want the osteo touching her right shoulder where the biggest cut was and was obviously a bit tender in the back end. She did not want anyone messing with her body. However, this osteopath is by far one of the most patient people I have ever met. When Little Love did her "look how high sideways I can lift my hind leg and threaten to kick" routine, the osteo just said:
"Wow, she is expressive. Look how flexible she is, that is amazing!" Great attitude. A lot of other people would have been freaked out.
In the end, after some negotiation, Little Love finally let the woman work on her shoulder, pelvis and spine. The lady was gentle and soon Little Love realized she would actually feel better afterwards, instead of worse. She did give Col the evil eye the whole time though. Poor Col was hanging out in his stall next door for moral support, but all he got from her were mean looks. Half way through the treatment I suddenly realized Col's head was no longer behind the wall and when I went into the aisle to look, he was crawling under the chain in front of his stall door. No way! For being such a massive horse, he is quite agile. When he saw me see him, she slowly crawled back with a sheepish look on his face. Sometimes I wonder if he really is a horse at all... (Houdini reincarnated?)
The osteo said that despite the fall, Little Love's muscles and body were in better shape overall than when she saw her the first time a few weeks ago. She also noticed that she was more balanced on her feet. She actually asked me who had trimmed her in such a way! I guess I'm doing something right :-) She said that out of all the horses she sees on a daily basis, Little Love is really quite supple and healthy, which is great news. I think in her case not riding her for months has made a difference. She had such a bad saddle before, not to mention lots of tension in the riding situation. Anyways, we are on the right track.
Afterwards Becky decided that Col needed a check up as well, so the osteo worked with him, too. He loved it! He is a polar opposite of Little Love when it comes to being manipulated; I thought he was going to fall asleep at one point. The whole time the osteo worked on him Little Love hung her head over the stall wall and watched. I told her to pay close attention to how he was behaving. I swear she was rolling her eyes at me. My expressive horse. It is never unclear how she is feeling; she lets everyone know loud and clear.
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