Show Woes

I know this is a little delayed - it was a busy week AND Mike's camera has performed a disappearing act so this is a picture-less post. Sorry - I'll update with pictures as soon as the camera resurfaces.

Anyway, the show. Got to the barn nice and early to clean up JJ. Tacked him up and rode him over to the show grounds. He was fine all the way there - I hopped off halfway up the field as he began to notice the commotion ahead of us, and walked him the rest of the way. He was fine. When we got on to the grounds he danced around for about 10 minutes before settling in nicely. Because we were a good 2 hours early, I untacked and let him graze for about an hour. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Then I brought the saddle back out... And JJ freaked. Ugh. He wouldn't let me get close to him with the tack (why had I even untacked him in the first place?). He danced around for a while as I tried to get the saddle pad on, and finally I gave up and decided to lunge him a bit. Twenty minutes later I tried again and got similar results, except maybe worse. The only time I've ever witnessed this type of behavior from JJ was the first couple of times I tried to get him on the trailer.  He became extremely defensive and you could watch the transition as he lost all brain function and went into auto-don't-hurt-me-pilot (why did I untack him?!). It was about this time that the show secretary was calling my number into the dressage ring. Sweet.

I let JJ graze again, tried one more time with the saddle only to have it tossed in the dirt, then headed home - JJ on lead. So anyway, I know what I need to work on, and I keep telling myself (and everyone else) that at least I didn't get eliminated (kind of)! There's always next year.

Wednesday I went for a trail ride with a couple other riders and we decided to try out JJ's affinity for water. There's a nice little beach at a pond nearby. The two other horses walked in a stood while I brought JJ closer. He put his nose in the water curiously, then (and I kid you not) leaped in. LEAPED. As soon as he had all four feet in, though, I forced him out. Believe me when I say that horse was ready for a nice bath, and seeing as my saddle had just been thrown in the dirt I figure that last thing it needed was a soaking in nasty pond water. Oh well, at least JJ isn't scared of water. He's also getting better at picking his feet up over roots and rocks on the trails, which is good.

We've got a lot of work to do.

After Long Hiatus!

I know it's been quite a while since my last post and while I've meant to update several times since... What was it... August 11th... Eesh... Anyway I've got lots of news since then but I've also moved, started a new job, and moved JJ twice in the meantime so I have been a little busy!

But the main updates are as follows:

He likes mud...

When we moved from Harvard it took a good 4-5 hours to get JJ on the trailer. It was an awful and exhausting experience. He settled in quickly to his new home and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work on the whole trailering ordeal with him there. So, I did. Right around dinner time I filled JJ's bucket with his grain and put it on the ramp of trailer, thinking I would be so lucky as to get him even that far. Then I brought JJ out and faced him at the wide open trailer. He marched at it so boldly that I grabbed the bucket off the ramp and as I walked into the trailer with the bucket, JJ didn't even hesitate behind me. Yep. First time he marched all the way on without so much as blinking an eye. Suffice to say I was pretty dumbfounded, but happy all the same. For a week or so I walked JJ on and off the trailer, sometimes with grain, sometimes without. Didn't bother him at all.

A couple weeks later the farrier was out to the barn. I wasn't able to be there when the farrier was so the following story is all I have to go on (and remember, I've had JJ since February and had never had an issue with him and the farrier): The farrier fought through shoeing JJ's front feet while JJ reared incessantly, hitting his head over and over on the ceiling of the barn. He was acting "dangerous" and "without concern for his own safety, let alone anyone else's". And at one point he almost flipped over a small door behind him. Again, I wasn't there and to hear this report was more than a little upsetting. I don't know what happened and I don't know why, but the farrier only managed to do his front shoes before declaring he wouldn't shoe JJ unless he was tranqued by the vet.

Riding shot

I considered this for the next week or two until JJ threw not one but both of his back shoes, and was so sore he refused to even move. I had no choice but to find a farrier willing to shoe him. I called a few and was very straightforward about what had happened. One farrier agreed to come out and try and I made sure to be there to hold JJ the whole time. Surprise surprise, JJ was fine.

It was about this point that I decided JJ and I probably needed to find a new place for various reasons. Shortly thereafter I found a nice farm in West Newbury for both of us. The owner drove down to pick him up, and he marched right on the trailer. Success!

JJ in his new home - nice in/out for the night
and separate large turnout during the day.

We've now been at the new barn for a little over two weeks. A couple days after JJ arrived he threw a front shoe and tore up his hoof a little in the procces. Four days later the farrier was out to replace the front shoe, but the foot has been bothering JJ since then (i.e. almost two weeks of a lame horse). The farrier was back again with hoof testers but couldn't seem to find anything specifically bothering him. He also did JJ's right front to even him out a little (he had been walking around with one long toe and one short toe - kind of like trying to walk wearing a sneaker on one foot and a high heel on the other). Anyway, JJ continued to be sore for a few more days, but I daresay he has felt a little better the past couple of days.

Anyway, while JJ was sore we took to a lot of walking and, better yet, walking on the trails! Miles and miles of trails surround the new farm. JJ has been a trooper on the trails. Walking down the roads he's not at all bothered by cars and only mildly amused by cyclists. A car pulling an empty boat trailer rumbled by, which JJ also found pretty interesting. A man was roofing his house and blasted his nail gun as we rode by. This involved a little more excitement but nothing too traumatic. We rode past soccer games, through giant hay fields, corn fields, woods, past a pond, got attacked by ankle-biting yappy dogs, etc. etc. etc. And the one thing that bothered JJ? Having to walk between two large rocks. Such a strange animal... All well I'm still proud of him!

JJ in his new home - all
the hay he can eat!

AND THE MOST EXCITING NEWS OF ALL!!!

I am fully planning on entering JJ in a local schooling show for next weekend (note: assuming he is sound and has shoes on all four feet by then)! WAHOO! We'll be entering a "combined test" as opposed to "horse trials", which means just dressage and stadium - we're not quite ready for cross-country yet. We'll be doing a walk-trot dressage test and 18'' stadium course (read: tiny crossrails). I'm psyched. My goal for the day: stay in the dressage ring ;)

WISH US LUCK! I promise to post photos/videos afterwards (that is assuming we don't get eliminated before I can get any photos or videos!).