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April to June Update

The past few months I have been trying to continue with ‘normal life’, although things are completely different now. All three of my boys have been through injury or illness during April may and June, and just to add injury to injury, so have I!

On the 9th of June, whilst working another horse, it chose to rear and flip on me. Completely unprovoked and unpredictable. I had ridden the horse three times the week prior, but that day it decided no. I have genuinely never experienced a fall like it, I’ve ridden ‘rearers’ before (Lordie occasionally has a moment too), but nothing like this. It went from standing, to being on me within seconds. I was in so much pain, and genuinely thought I had smashed my pelvis into tiny pieces!

A huge thank you to the ambulance crew, doctors and all the professionals involved in helping me as well as to my ‘horsey neighbours’, friends and family, for being there faster than the speed of light to help! I’m still a little sore but im back on board, and moving forwards!

Now for the horses…

Kingsclough Masquerade

The past three months have been a very mixed bag for Marcus and our side saddle outings. We thought we’d cracked it with a ‘new’ saddle, but at the spring show on the 4th May, we had an issue with the saddle tipping back and to the right, making it very difficult to sit straight on, and causing a compete lack of circulation to my right bum cheek and thigh. We were placed 4th in the intermediate and 4th in the Open equitation, and overall I was very pleased with Marcus himself, he is always a lovely ride.

On the 11th of May we went to a side saddle fitting session at the lovely Emma ‘Queenie’ Browns. She is renowned for her side saddle riding, and had saddle fitter Roger Whitehead out. He talked to us about why our saddle was tipping, and made some fit suggestions, including a new point strap on the right shoulder.

The 14th of May was Newark and Nottinghamshire County show, and unfortunately we hadn’t had back the ‘new’ saddle from Roger (as he was working on it), so we used the old saddle. It was a lovely day, which was a change for Newark weather, and we managed a respectable 4th in a big and strong open class.

The 30th of May was the Area 12 summer show, traditionally hosted by Donita Welch, held at Pleasley Vale. Amanda rode first in the open style and appearance class (which can be ridden astride or aside), and won!

We had the ‘new saddle’ back now, and it was lovely to ride on, level and comfortable and for the first time in long time I felt I was straight, not riding uphill, and had a queen big enough to keep me from twisting! We then entered the Intermediate, and took 3rd, and the Open and took 4th place. We then decided to try the classical ladies class, and came 3rd and gained a qualification for the Classical ladies championship held at the Nationals 2016. I was happy with the placings, as there were some expert riders in my classes, but most of all I was happy with Marcus and how we went together; having a saddle that’s right makes such a difference.

The Derbyshire festival was on the 12th of June, we had an extremely early start to get there for 9am, and the weather was torrential! It was literally raining that hard you couldn’t see the other side of the arena! Luckily it had slowed to a ‘down pour’ by the time I had to be on board. In the warm up, Marcus wasn’t 100% happy, and although I had my suspicions it was because of a new saddle pad, the warm up was in the cross country field at Somerford Park, and the tanoys and umbrellas were unnerving him as well. We went into the HOYS qualifying class, and it was ‘interesting’ to say the least. Marcus was very unhappy, and I struggled to hold him and use my seat following my fall. We were down the line in the placings on the first pull. As the judge began to ride various people began to leave, which was strange. After a quick discussion with Amanda we decided to excuse ourselves and leave. Marcus wasn’t happy with something, and to allow a ride judge to take him on like that would have been irresponsible, and bad for his reputation.

Our second class was the Classical ladies, and we were 4th. Following the HOYS, we changed his pad back to the one we had previously used, and he seemed so much happier, back to the usual well mannered Marcus.

Sleet

After everything we’ve been through with Sleet’s rehabilitation from kissing spine, and him having that strange issue on the 24/03/16, I didn’t think it could get any worse for him. I was wrong.

After the all clear form his bloods that following Friday (25/03/16), Sleet had some down time, just chilling in the field and being a horse.

On the 8th of April I was travelling back by train from a few days away in London when I had a phone call. It was my dad and Charlie, who were looking after the boys while I was gone. They explained Sleet was very quiet, wasn’t eating his feed and was showing some strange behaviour. They had called the vet. At this point I was still two hours away from home, so was understandably stressed at not being there. The vet came out and diagnosed mild colic, and treated accordingly. I had another call saying he was much better and not to worry.

As soon as the train got in I rushed straight to the yard. Dad and Charlie had stayed until I arrived. Sleet was still quiet, but was happily lying down, resting, just quiet. I decided to stay the night and went home to get some bits, including a big coat!

When I got back I sat with Sleet for a while in his box, as I was there he seemed to become more and more unsettled, up down rolling and starting to become uncomfortable. I called the vet back and told her everything and she came back out. By this time he was extremely uncomfortable and rolling. In the end the vet had to sedate him slightly to assess him properly. Things weren’t improving, and his colic was getting more sever, so the call was made to ship him to Liverpool.

We left the yard at 12.30am and arrived at Liverpool at just before 3am. The staff were immediately on hand to take control and Sleet was whisked into a set of stocks and seen to immediately!

The morning after (as I wasn’t allowed to stay), I received a call from Liverpool. Sleet was stable, and a thickening of the gut lining, that had developed an abscess, which was leaking out into the abdominal cavity and caused peritonitis. He was at Liverpool a just over a week, and I went to see him every other day.

Once he was back at home, the vets here took over, and he had further abdominal scans to check the abscess was gone and all was settled. Sleet was given the all clear on the 28th April! Since then I have returned him to work slowly, working on long lines and lunge work and ridden once or twice a week. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to ‘start again’ with him!

On the 7th of May it was his 16th birthday, and I hope we have many more years to come!

Lordie

Due to me not riding much during March, Lordie hasn’t done much with me until recently. Although I was working him at home, I didn’t feel up to going out and competing him. Then one day, I got myself together and thought its now or never, and decided to enter him into his first one day event!

It was time to get training! On the 15th May we went to the local show to practice our ‘stressage’. Prelim 4, with a score of 60.45% we actually won!

The ODE came round very quickly on the 22nd May. The venue was Eland Lodge, an amazing friendly and well run event. I’ve been competing there for just over 10 years now with Sleet, and it continues to always be a good day out!

On arrival I went and declared, and then prepped for the dressage, We had a quick warm up, as I knew we had the whole day ahead and he would tire quickly with it being his first one.

We managed to score a 33 in the dressage! Which considering our right canter was brief and actually was left canter, I was impressed! The walk and trot work was lovely and sweet though, and we had no dramatics. So far so good…

Show jumping was a trot round. Although he is perfectly capable of bombing round over huge fences on a pointing track, I need him to learn to ‘show jump’. With a decision already made to trot it meant he could make a better shape over the fence, actually bascule, and lift his feet rather then throw them forwards (we’d been working on this at home too). Unfortunately, although I was really happy with his behaviour and effort, he had two poles down.

After a quick change we headed for the cross country. He had never schooled round this track, so he was going blind. Lordie was hesitant at first and very unsettled around the start box, which wasn’t helped by two stops on the course just as we were about to set off, but when the count down came he went. About three strides out from fence one he started to wobble, I had to really kick on to get him to go, but he stopped. At the second attempt we jumped. Heading up the second he started to wobble again, but this time much further out. We had a second stop and then jumped it, and continued on to fence three, which he cleared no issues. Following that he sailed round the cross country, didn’t fault at a thing.

In hindsight, I came to conclusion that the fences may not have even been a problem, but the fact the first two fences were running down towards all the marquees, people, whistles and noise. Fence three was right next to them so he could see them clearly at this point, and then the rest was just cruising. It seems quite logical I suppose, but you never know. He certainly was stopping and backing off way before the actual fences, and completely changed straight after we had gone past! Over all it was an experience for him, and we finished about 8th in our section.

As we walked back across the lorry park, post cross country, Lordie somehow managed to pick up a plaiting needle in his foot! I couldn’t believe it! Straight in at a 90% angle to the floor, narrowly missing any major structures. After pulling it out with, we pulled the shoe off at home and poulticed it religiously for three days, fortunately nothing too nasty occurred, and he came sound reasonably quickly.

On the 26th June, we ventured back out to Eland Lodge, for the Elympics dressage.

(Eland first ran there Elympics 4 years ago, and Sleet and I won the show jumping 75s!)

The test was Intro B. He was being silly from the off, with a napping incident leaving the lorry park, and then a spin and bronch at a pony in the warm up and at a child running up and down in the gallery. His test was average in my opinion, inconsistent and very unbalanced. He just wasn’t settled. Surprisingly we managed 63%, and 3rd place!

Tristan

‘My Little Wing Man’ has been through a lot lately. Tristan has suffered with Uveitis for some time now, and you may have seen in previous posts it is very hard to manage. In the week commencing 24th May, his left eye became very affected, white and began to show a strange protrusion from the bottom of the eye itself. I called the vets and sent them a picture, and the vet who has been dealing with him long term called for me to take him straight in.

After several tests and an ultrasound on the eye it was determined the uveitis had developed into glaucoma. The eye had no sight as the retina had completely detached now (in previous scans it was partially detached), and was starting to shrink in size. It was concluded that, although he suffers from uveitis in the right eye too, the best plan would be to remove the eye completely. On the 27th May he went in for removal. A lovely surgeon performed the operation, and my vet kept me informed of everything going on! He came home the following day with some bright blue stitches.

After ten days box rest and pain killers, Tristan went back for his stitches taking out. The eye had healed well, and everything was as it should be. Tristan is now back out, playing and causing trouble like normal. He doesn’t actually appear to be any different; as he had no vision in the eye anyway it appears he doesn’t even miss it!

A team day out!

On the 2nd May, I (for some reason) thought it would be a good idea to take the whole yard to ‘The Ikeston and district riding club’.

After lots of bathing, plaiting and trying to keep Tristan clean we set up camp, gazebo and all! The weather was miserable, wet and windy but we had a hilarious day!

Tristan was in the blues all day, with second in Youngstock, coloured and cob. Lordie was 4th in the open ridden and ridden Thoroughbred, and 2nd in in-hand thoroughbred. The biggest surprise was Sleet! He wasn’t ridden due to him being poorly earlier in the month, but I wanted to take him to try and cheer him up, and let him have some fun, and well… he was certainly did! He was so bouncy verging on plain naughty! He really did enjoy his little outing, with 2nd in the veteran but unfortunately only 5th in the thoroughbred class.