Wednesday, April 7, 2021

He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of pride.- The Old Man and the Sea-Hemingway

I haven't blogged in over a decade.  I felt like I outgrew it.  Felt like that part of my life was fleeting, just filling time, an outlet for pent up creativity.  What I'm stubbornly learning is that writing is a part of my soul.  And the friends I made blogging....lifelong good people.  

To catch up on my life, I think it will have to come in bits and pieces honestly.  Depending on how much I end up sharing of myself, that will come.

When I wrote previously, it was lighthearted and fun loving, mostly centered on my cats and taking photos of them.  Well, since then I've lost 2 of the 4 cats.  Lost a horse.  Stopped taking pictures on a DSLR (hello iPhone). Lost a husband.  Gained a husband. Gained a daughter.  Gained a dog.  Gained a horse.  Lost and gained friends.  Gained a career.

Since no one will read this....I'll just dive into what I need to focus on right now.  My horse, Nino. 


Nino is a 10 year old OTTB who I've had since June 2019.  He is 15h1, easy going, sweet, and handsome.  For a year and a half we've had our trials, our tribulations, our missteps, our triumphs (small- like jumping 2').  He's a perfect match for me.  I bought him after the horse I was leasing sporadically for a few years died.  It was time for me to find my new partner.  The horse market is tough, things move fast, you don't have much margin for error.  I found him, HATED how he jumped, and said thanks I'll think about it.  Tried a total NUT JOB the next day, then reconsidered Nino.  Could it be that he's rusty, that I just need to learn how to work with the jump?  Or did I really need to go solely to flat work/dressage like I had convinced myself was the way to go.  I tried him again, he was much less impressed with my sized jumps and......without further adieu, plunked down a big ole pile o' cash.

The first thing I learned was that Nino love to pull off front shoes.  It is an artform to him.  A true talent.  No matter what you did with bell boots, he found a way to yank those front shoes off.  After hiring an excellent farrier, we decided to try him barefoot.  His feed were pretty solid as far as TB feet go, and why not?  I endured 8-10 long weeks of torture with a VERY sore horse.  But, at the end, he came around and was OK.  

We were just working on fitness for a while, no lessons, nothing other than flat work. We started some small jumping and he was doing well for quite a few months.  Then he got sore.  Very sore.  Put those front shoes back on, padded for 2 cycles, and he was fine.  

Nino's second best talent is getting fat.  Yes, basically by eating grass and nothing else.  He also thought it was fun to colic twice last year. Grazing muzzles he scoffs at, he eats a ration balancer and eats grass and hay.  At least he's an easy keeper.  

Our first year was rocky, especially through the spring.  He got sore/mad, I got scared and defensive and we ended up having trouble with the canter.  Yes, it was remedial.  

What do you do?  You buy THINGS!!!  Saddles!!!!  Trailer!!!!  All the things.  After a saddle fiasco, we had just ended up with the stars aligning and things like this happening.
 

Yeah us!  Woohoo!!  Wait for it.....LAME.  He got a nasty cut on his shoulder but seemed fine even fine in a lesson.  Gave him a couple of days off, a MASSAGE, and then LAME.  Off one day, on the next, off one day, on the next.  Insert frantic vet emails here.  

She came out, nerve blocked him - grade 3 in the feet, 1 in the fetlock on the right front.  I've always suspected something off in the right front.  He is stiff to the left and trips on that right front.  Xrays and ultrasound later- old suspensory injury.  That affected the sesamoid (not broken though).  This ends up being "good news" because it is "just" a strain to an old injury.  The kind of old injury you should never buy a horse that has.....but whatever right?

So that brings you up to date.  Finally diagnosed on Monday, and I've walked 10 minutes under saddle the last 2 days.  He is turned out with the old horses that need to not be stupid, and in at night with heat wraps.  Today he gave me rope burn as he tore off cantering.  Then trotted grade 3-4 lame before giving up and just eating grass.

Thing is, I don't do much with horses.  I don't show.  I don't care!  If he is hacking and trail sound then that is what we will do.  If he can't jump, we can do poles here and there.  I love this horse, and know you will too.  Welcome to our journey back.  

He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of pride.- The Old Man and the Sea-Hemingway

I haven't blogged in over a decade.  I felt like I outgrew it.  Felt like that part of my life was fleeting, just filling time, an outle...