Infection

An infection has set in Lilly's wound. I called the vet's office and told them. I picked up SMZs this morning and I bought a pill crusher.

A few years ago when I had Platinum, I had to put him on SMZs. These SMZs are a lot smaller. Thank god, crushing those suckers up was ridiclous. Plus Platinum didn't want to touch his grain. For the first few days I tricked him, by adding apple sauce. But he was a smart one. He refused apple sauce for the rest of the time I had him. I had to mix it up and shoot it up like a wormer.

Lilly has no qualms about eating the meds. I did add water to it. But other than that I came back to an empty feed bowl.

I turned her out. She's in a separated paddock right now. So hopefully swelling will go down again. Her hock has gotten big again since the infection started and I had been keeping her in until I got the meds and as well as the iso paddock was clear.

My First Love

On May 26th a grey colt was born in Virginia. His sire was Imcaro a son of the Irish bred French champion Caro. His mother was Fancy Century by Accordingly. His breeder named him Caro's Cents. I think they called him "Centy". I hated this nickname so I called him Platinum. My friend Greg showed him as Platinum N Records. I liked Platinum, but I showed him as "Going Platinum."
One famous relative of note was Giant's Causeway. His sire's dam is Giant's Causeway's 3rd dam. So very distant relative.

He would go on to race for his breeder and owner 55 times in 5 years. He would win 2 races (4 shows and 4 places as well) and earn $10k on the track. Horse of the Year title was out of his grasps.

When I first laid my eyes on Platinum I hated him. This young event trainer who would become my friend didn't want him turned out and risk injury. So what I saw was an ugly Roman nosed crazy thing.

A year later when my mother said I could get a horse, Carla mentioned he was for sale. Greg's wife at the time hated horses and wanted him to get out of the business. With a new infant he relented. I didn't really want to see him at first, cause I had the memory in my head, but I went anyways.

It's amazing what turnout can do to a horse. He was laid back and relaxed and such a good boy. I took a few lessons on him and a short lease and vet check later he was mine.

He was the perfect first horse for me. He challenged me help take me from being a passenger to being a rider. Platinum was a good horse to learn how to jump on. He never refused a fence ever. Rush them, yes, but refuse them never. The rushing was a short period and we got over that.

We did hunter/jumper, pleasure, equitation, dressage, and even some western speed stuff. He was good with me, and kids. Screaming kids everywhere in our barn and he'd just chill in his stall.

The barn owner was a very anti-TB type of person. But she said he's okay by her. He was fleebitten so he's close to be an Appaloosa.

His favorite treats were gingersnaps and McDonald's apple pies. He'd get angry if I didn't get the apple pies out quick enough.

I could go on with stories upon stories. I think I'll share a few here and there. But I loved this horse. He was my boy. When I would get frustrated and mad at him, I'd drop my reins and walk back to the barn. He'd always give me these looks like "are you still mad?" Me: "don't give me those eyes." He'd look away sad. Then he'd look at me again. Finally I give him a kiss and he would be so happy again.

I sold him to a young girl. It was a tough decision, but she emailed me a few years ago to tell me he died. She seem to have similiar stories.
He ended up dying of a diaphragmatic hernia. What bothers me is that for months before he died I had a nagging feeling. A little voice in my head kept on telling me I should go visit Platinum. I needed to go. But I never did. :(

Happy Birthday baby.

Trip to the Vet

So yesterday I journeyed to Piedmont Vet Clinic in Marshall, Va. I recommend them highly. My trainer told me about them, and even tho I'm out of their travel range, I don't mind the trip. Dr. Davis is awesome and their facility is impecceble.

They are next to a livestock auction facility and Lilly wasn't digging the sound of cattle. Plus when the vet came to see her, she was like now it's time to go. He checked her over and he told me that it's just swelling and it looks fine. I just have her on meds and I need to sweat her leg.

So I had to remember where I put my pillow wraps. I knew where my standing bandages where, but I found them. Then we were ready to rock.

Lilly is being a champ. She's not very pleased with all this extra attention, but she lets me cold hose her and do what I need to do. I've been sitting in the chair trying to tan my legs and cold hose her at the same time. No tan yet. :(

He told me she needs to be out for half the day and of course in when I sweat her legs. So we'll see how she is in three days. If the swelling isn't gone, then vet check #3 is in order.

Injury

So the vet checked over Lilly on Friday. I'm in between vets. I don't like the two vets that are normally at my barn.
I'd prefer to use Piedmont Equine Vet, but since I was out of town, I used my friend's vet so my other friend didn't have to hook up her trailer and take her to mine.

(I'm like 5 miles out of my preferred vet's traveling range. drat.)

Well the vet checked her, didn't feel anything's broken, but to keep her on bute and let her out, so she can move around to keep the swelling down.

I come back into town last night. I went out to the barn and her hock has totally swollen up.

Then I look again, and her leg has started to swell too. Mid-way down her leg. *x*

So tomorrow I'm taking her to Piedmont Equine Vet. I figured they can x-ray her at their facility and determine what's wrong.

My friend who owns the mare is stressed out, because she feels guilty. I don't blame her, horses can be horses.
I just want my girl to be healthy again.

Kicked!

So yesterday at Safety Day(which I'll blog about later) Lilly got kicked my the other mare. It seemed fine but when I went by later it had swollen up.
The two little girls that ride on Thursday were bummed, but they were super helpers. I let one soap her side down, while the other cold hosed. They switched jobs and got her other side.

The vet comes out today. Of course I have to leave town. So my friend is going to hold her for the vet. :( Hopefully nothing serious is wrong.

Next Purchase on Horizon

I have to go shopping for a new show jacket. I was just reading about all the exciting new rule changes, but I think I'm going to stick with the basic black jacket. Maybe black and white pinstripes, because I've always been fond of pinstripes. But we'll see. :)

Any suggestions?

Better Shape

I've been taking lessons with Kelly Weatherhead and Nadege this lady at the barn. It's been great to go back and forth between the two. It's good having two different styles, that have one goal: creating a rounder horse.

Lilly is very hard mouthed and I think all the years of hunt seat and ApHC-styled training has created a horse that doesn't like contact.

She's been popping up a lot. Both Kelly and Nadege have said it's because we're asking her to use herself more and she's protesting.

Nadege really worked with me at the canter, because I have a habit of giving up my reins to her and losing the roundness.

My friend Candice and her daughter watched our lesson half-way into it. We were talking about getting them rounder can be a lot of hard work. I told them I think my working out out has improved my riding in the aspect that since she's so strong and hard on the bit, my strength and endurance has helped me.

Another good thing about this ride is that my shoulder was awesome. I wasn't in any pain and I felt great. Nadege really yelled at me to post like a dressage rider not like a hunter with my hips leading not my shoulders. Really felt my abs working when I did that. woohoo!

Acupuncture

So my mother has been going to the acupuncturist for many years now. She always seems to get pain relief and so she took me to her doctor yesterday. I figured for $40, why not. Getting stabbed with needles is always fun (I'm being sarcastic).

So we go and I have no idea what to expect. The doctor is Korean so he had her in the office and they were talking. He knows english, but I guess it was easier for him to have my mother translate. So we talked about my pain in my shoulder. I pretty much got a massage and he found where I was hurting, if he couldn't guess by me visibily flinching when he pressed down on my shoulder point.

In my mind I thought he was already putting needles in me, because I'd feel him put something wet and it sort of smelled like alcohol. But my mom said no. He hadn't. He left and my mother and I chatted for a bit and he came back.

I have no idea how acupuncture works, but I honestly can say I feel 85% better. I'll see how I feel in the saddle, but going to bed last night I wasn't in any pain.

Forgot to mention I felt nothing when eh stuck the needles in my back. The only time I felt something is when I accidentally bumped into one of the needles. But putting them in and taking them out didn't hurt. I was shocked.

So tonight I may have a lesson with Nadege.

My mother just informed me of two things that I have to do this year, so my show schedule is changing again. *x* Oh well.

Updated Show Schedule

So here's my new show schedule. I'm trying to get on the list for USDF All Breed Awards for ApSHA. So we'll see:

7/10/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/15/10-SVDA Williamsburg show
(Mini-vacation too. Going to check out the city Saturday and show on Sunday)
8/21/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/22/10-Dressage at Foxcroft
9/4/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin I
9/5/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin II
9/11+12/2010-VADA/NOVA Autumn I Show
9/30/2010-ApSHA IBC at Dressage at Devon

I've cut out a lot of the smaller Vada/Nova shows, because even if I qualify to the championship show I can't attend. We're planning on going to the Breeders' Cup that weekend.

pain in the

shoulder. I've had issues with my right shoulder for a long time. Lilly dumped me twice when she was 4 or 5 and I landed on my right shoulder both times.
So being an invincibile lady in her early 20s I didn't really think much of it. Just got up got back on and keep trucking.
Well the thing about getting older is that things start to creek, and getting out of whack. I'm on a monthly plan with a local massage place Massage Envy. So I go in and Tracey makes everything feel better until my next ride.

Lilly's worse side is her right. So when I ask her to bend to the right, she resists and having a ton of animal yank at your bad shoulder can be really painful. Last night I really had to just grit and bear the pain, because we were reaching the moment where she was going to give in and bend. So finally when she bended correctly I praised her and almost cried. It hurt so much.

My new friend at the barn is a massage therapist and lives near me as well, she said when she gets her table that I can come over. She said by just looking at how I was standing is that I'm compsenating for the pain by hunching my shoulder and sticking out my jaw.

More issues. great.

Goals

So I'm a super planner. But I haven't really set goals this year. So I'm going to set a few new ones and real examine some of my old ones.

1. Lose Weight
When I went to the doctors 8 weeks ago I was 189. Last week I weighed in at 182.
Goal-170 (or size 8, whichever comes first)
Prize to myself: FITS Breeches, I'm super motivated, I <3 these breeches.

2. Show in a Licensed Show
I was shooting for the June 6th show at Morven Park. But financially I'm not ready. I have way too many bills right now. And I still have to get a lot of stuff.

3. Get Lilly in Bronze Studbook with ApSHA.
I need to compete in 2 recognized classes under different judges at Training Level or higher with a score of at least 60%.

4. Get a new job
I'm on usajobs like every other week. Need to hop back on there.

5. Start schooling in First Level by end of the year.

back to normal

So I rode last night. Just a light hack. Lilly was back to her normal self.

So I'm going to just put Saturday's behavior in the unusual behavior box. I think I may have been super frazzled and she sensed it. So we'll see.

that's not right

So yesterday we had our schooling show at our barn. I pretty much run things, but since I have a great group of volunteers, I get to ride. So I left the show running in capable hands while getting my mare ready. I hopped on, and Lilly felt like a coil. Super super tense. I just trotted her and she seem to settle down, I asked for a canter, she picked up her lead but was really tight and felt odd.

So my ride time came up and I went in. We start the test. Then our first 20 meter circle came up, and explosion! She exploded into the canter and I yelled at her. Then we stopped. I took a couple of deep breaths and then I proceeded back to the trot. I was a little confused at where I was in the test, and the judge ringed the bell. Aviva Nebesky was the judge so she told me where I was suppose to be and I started over.
The rest of the test was not as crazy, but my mare wasn't being herself.
She wasn't nervous, because I know how she gets when she's nervous.
I finally finish my test and Aviva was like this is not the horse I remember seeing.
I told her this isn't my normal horse. I don't know what's going on with her today.
We talked for like 5 minutes. About saddling issues, maybe she's in heat, etc etc. She told me she doesn't look off, but she's just very tense. I told her she's been working hard lately.

Aviva recommended me to give her about 3 days off and then have my equine massage come out and work with her. Then to have someone who normally works with me to watch us ride again and see if she's still ouchy. She could just be sore from the increase amount of work lately.

I'm like augh. If she's not happy I'm not happy. I don't want to have my mare hurting. I never understood those folks who would show their horses knowing that they're lame. I told her I'm scratching from training 2. I rode her at the trot a little more in the warm up arena. So I don't know if the saddle maybe shifting wierd during the canter, or if maybe since I'm sitting more deeper in the saddle, her back hasn't strengthen enough to handle it yet.

...so we'll see.