Not much has been happening, mostly because of the weather and the holidays. Haven't ridden, but have taken Possum out for some hand walks now and then when possible. The roads are icy, but there have been a few opportunities. Today is Sunday, Feb. 15, and we are at the ends of a big blizzard (that sort of fizzled out up here for us in snow totals.. but it's plenty cold and very windy right now!) I locked Possum in the stall around 7:30 p.m. last night, and he stayed nice and calm overnight until I opened the doors back up around 9 a.m. this morning. Because of the wind, he's hanging out in his usual position.. facing out, munching on the hay that's getting blown around by the fierce wind.
Over the last month and a half, Possum has had his hooves trimmed by Butch, and we also had a visit with Dr. Judd a couple of weeks ago. I had noticed that he wasn't able to chew his hay properly.. he would take a bite, then spit out a cud.. he was cranky and whiny.. I knew something was up with his teeth, but I wasn't totally sure. I gave Ryan a call and she agreed to let me call the vet. When I described what was happening to Dr. Judd over the phone, he told me that what Possum was doing was something called quidding, and that it was teeth related. He scheduled us in for the very next morning, and I was told to give him some bute in a hot mash, and to not bother giving him anymore hay, as it was only irritating him.
The next morning, at 9 a.m. sharp, Dr. Judd rolled in the driveway in his giant truck, braving the windy, snowy conditions that morning. I had already locked Possum up in the stall, and Dr. Judd brought all of his tools into the barn. As he was doing that, he explained what he would be doing. First, in order to look inside Possum's mouth, he would have to sedate him. He gave him the drug in I.V., and it took effect very quickly. Once Possum's head lowered, I took off his halter, and we strapped on the specula.. which is just a gadget that forces his mouth to stay open. Then, we propped Possum's head up on top of the special stand, Dr. Judd and I put on our head lanterns, and peered into Possum's mouth.
Dr. Judd stuck his hands up into Possum's giant, gaping mouth, and felt all along each side, inside and out. He concluded that there was no abscess or broken teeth, and his gums felt fine. What he did find was lots of sharp edges that were most likely the cause of his quidding.. the sharpness on the edges of his teeth were bothering his cheeks and / or tongue, which made chewing hay very uncomfortable and painful for Possum. So, we were in luck. All Possum needed was to have his teeth floated!
I had told Ryan last spring that I thought they needed doing, but apparently they did not take care of that at camp last summer.. And when Dr. Judd was here back in November to treat Possum for his Lyme Disease, he suggested that they would probably need to be done in a few months anyway.
Dr. Judd spent at least a good half hour filing away.. he is a highly specialist equine dentist along with being a D.V.M., so I felt really good about giving Possum the best possible treatment.When Dr. Judd was confident that he had filed all of the sharp edges down, he checked one more time with his hands, and then we lifted Possum's head off of the stand and pulled off the specula and put his halter back on. While Dr. Judd cleaned his tools and packed them back up and brought them back to his truck, we kept an eye on Possum as he came out of his sedation. I had to take the scraps of hay out of the stall, as eating in that condition is unsafe for a horse. I finally ended up just tying him for a while in the stall, so he wouldn't be tempted to nibble. I invited Dr. Judd into the house to warm up his hands and write out the report and the bill, and he gave me instructions on what to watch for in the next 24 hours.
As predicted.. Possum came to just fine, and now he is a happy camper again!
Monday, "day 92," it rained all day, so no riding. Late in the afternoon, though, the rains slowed enough for me to take him out of the paddock and around into the back yard for some hand grazing on the long line. He was a bit spooky, but we stayed out until nearly dark, then I took him back in and groomed him. He got his supper, and was content again.
Tuesday, "day 93," the rain had cleared, and it was much warmer. I knew that this could be one of the last good days to ride, so I was looking forward to getting him out for a good long hack. The rains had melted the last traces of snow, too. After barn chores, I went out around 10 to catch him.. but he was taking his morning nap, and gave me the "back off, woman!" look. So, I respected that and changed my plans. Instead, I made my Thanksgiving shopping list and went downtown to load up on the goods.
After getting back, putting away the groceries, and a quick lunch, I went back out to try again. The winds had picked up a little, and I could feel the temperatures dropping, but nothing was going to stop me for this last good day to ride! He agreed to let me halter him and into the stall we went for grooming. He was a bit testy.. but I kept on him, and, all tacked up, we walked out to the paddock to mount up. He was acting "looky " again.. but he stayed fairly still as I climbed on his back. We walked out of the paddock and onto the driveway, took a left onto the road, and started walking down the hill.
I spotted Dad first. He was clearing trees and brush on the stone wall that runs between the road and Mom's "memorial garden" area. Dad had neglected to wear his hunters orange, but instead, was wearing a big black jacket. From our view point, he could have been a bear. And when Possum caught sight of this, the fear of God went soaring all through his body. His head went up high, his eyes popped out of his head, his ears tipped as far forward as they could possibly go, and he stopped dead.
Uh oh, I thought. I kicked him forward, he walked one step, then stopped again. He tried to spin, I shortened the reins and turned him back. He snorted his dragon snort.. it reverberated loudly. He spun again, he stopped again, he snorted again. I tried one more time to get him to move forward towards the "bear," but he was not going to have any of that! So, I decided to not be a hero, and we turned away to head towards the Dodge home. He pranced sideways, threatening to bolt, but I kept his head turned tightly and talked to him. It wasn't doing much good, though.
We made it to the dog pen, and all three of our neighbor's dogs were out (two giant Newfoundlands and an aged Golden Retriever.) Of course, they started their barking. Possum has been desensitized to them, but the barking really wasn't helping matters at this point! I kept talking to him, I kept his head in my hands with the reins, and I kept circling him.. It was doing me no good. Possum was lost in his wild horse head, and I began to get concerned for my safety. So, I hopped off.
Sometimes, it's easier to handle him from his back, though. I had just as tough as a time leading him with the bridle on. We made it, sideways and hopping, to the Dodge's driveway.. I was beginning to think I might just try to get him back to his paddock, maybe take off his tack again and run him around in the paddock for a while.. But, I couldn't even get him to walk towards home. I began to get really frustrated with him. I hit him on the bum with my bat a couple of times, to get him to move forward. Wasn't working. His head was craned high, he continued to blow loud dragon snorts. Grrrr! I was getting pissed!
All of the horse psychology theories were bouncing around in my head. Be kind, be patient. Be firm, insist. Be calm, be secure. Don't lose your cool. I changed tactics again and decided to lead him down to Big Mack's paddock, thinking, maybe just being around another horse would calm him down again. I led him around to the back of the field and we walked right up to the fence line. Big Mack came over to say hi, and was wondering why Possum was so distressed. I just let him stand there for a while. He kept peering into the forest, convinced there was a horse eating monster laying in wait.
Finally, he relaxed, and I pulled the stirrups back down and mounted him from the fence. I asked him to walk, and we stayed near Mack's paddock. Once we got going, he actually was quite good. For 15 minutes or so, we walked and trotted in circles and figure eights, halting and trotting and walking again. He began to blow the good snorts, the ones that tell you he is beginning to relax. Finally, I gave him his head to stretch, and I was pretty sure we were in the clear.
Leaving the field and heading back to the road, he began to tense up again. But, I was able to get him back towards my house, though he carried his head high. In our driveway, I saw Don, getting more firewood, and I called out to him and asked him to say hello so Possum would know that it was Don and not a horse-eating bear. Don walked up to us, and I told him about our adventure. Though my mood was kind of soured by Possum's behavior and I kind of just wanted to call it quits for the day, I decided the best thing to do was to keep going.
So, off we went, towards the scene of the crime, and Dad was gone by now, and we carefully marched past were he had been working. As we continued down the hill, I could tell Possum was finally back to normal. We walked all the way down to Dr. Doyle's old place and stopped to inspect, then we turned back and picked up a little trot to the corner. We walked a little ways down New Road, then turned back and trotted part way up the hill. Back at the top, I walked him down our secondary driveway and had him walk over the little birch jump. Then we turned, picked up a trot, and we trotted back over the little jump. Back on the road, we turned for home. Good enough! Out for nearly an hour, and finally, back to normal!
Stopping at Dr. Doyle's old place Tuesday afternoon.
Walking back up the hill Tuesday afternoon.
After an hour or so, I went out to the paddock again with the halter and lead line, put it on him, and groomed the dried sweat off of his back, girth and behind his ears. He was good as gold for this - not even one threat of a kick or nip! Such a funny, funny pony.
The Eastern sky from the manure pile, the night before the snow storm.
Wednesday morning, "day 94," Donna and I had our walk scheduled, as Thanksgiving was the next day. Snow was predicted to begin falling by noon, so I decided to bring Possum along, as it would be the last day we would see the ground for many months, I'm sure. I caught him in the paddock around 10 of 10, led him into the stall, and gave him a quick grooming. He was pretty relaxed. I led him out to the road and we walked up to the Dodge home. Donna was running a bit behind, and when she saw I had Possum, she decided to go grab Mack, too. She told me that Mack had been very pushy and bad on her walk with him the day before..
The boys were very good on our walk. Possum hardly gave me any grief at all.. just a couple of nips now and then (like when one horse nips another in the herd - it's not a malicious nip. I let him know I do not appreciate that, though, anyway.) After Donna and Big Mack left for home at our driveway when we got back, I led Possum out to our back yard and let him graze for about half an hour. That's it, buddy, I told him!
After our walk and before the snow began on Wednesday morning.
Back to the paddock, fresh hay and water, and he was good. And within an hour, the flakes began to fall from the sky. And they fell all day, into the night. After I fed him, I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to bring him in, but after watching the 5:30 weather report, I decided to bring him in. The winds and snowfall were to pick up after 6 p.m. and go strong until after midnight. I marched out into the dark and snowy paddock, haltered him, put the chain over his nose (because I knew he was going to fight me on this one - he was pretty spooky at this point - it's just what stormy weather does to him) and dragged him into the stall. I clipped him to the tie, went back outside, pushed the snow away from the door frame with my shoe, and closed both of the doors on him.
He was covered in snow and his hooves were jammed with icy snowballs. After a few minutes, I went into his stall and brushed off the snow. Then I picked his hooves (so NOT fun getting those ice balls out!), and fluffed up his tail. His halter came off, and a giant pile of hay was placed at his feet. He began to relax. The wind was whipping outside, and he'd stop and raise his head to listen, but eventually, the hay and the shelter from the storm won him over, and he appeared happy. Phew!
I checked in on him several times through out the night, then retired by midnight. By the next morning, Thanksgiving day ("day 95"), the snow had stopped, and we had a lot of work to do before our guests arrived later in the day! I fed Possum his pellets in the stall first, then I went outside with the shovel and pushed away the snow blocking the doorway. Then, I opened the stall doors. Here's a little video of his first few moments in the fresh foot of snow:
I cleaned his messy stall, refreshed his heated water bucket, and dropped many flakes of hay all around the paddock. The sun was out and there was no wind, so that was nice. Then, Don and I got to work clearing snow. Don did most of it, of course. I began to prep for the many dishes for the meal. Our guests arrived a little after 3 in the afternoon, and we had a fabulous time. Possum got his dinner around 5:15, though he was a little annoyed with all of the noisy company in the barn with us, observing the ritual! Then I left him with more hay and topped off his water, and he was good.
Friday, "day 96," it was very cold. Half of our guests had stayed overnight, and we were busy entertaining them until they got on the road a little after 10. Then, it was time for me to get to work! I had a plan formulated to empty the wheelbarrow that was filled to the brim from the day before. I got the big giant snow scoop, and dumped the manure and shavings in that, then dragged that through the paddock to the manure pile. It took me three trips, but it got a decent path going. Then, I picked up as many poop piles as I could in the paddock and dumped that, too.
Butch the farrier was scheduled to come that afternoon, but I had a gut feeling that he wouldn't make it. I was right, of course. Luanne sent me a text around 3 saying he hadn't arrived at her place yet.. By 4:30, the winter darkness set in, and it was clear Butch wasn't going to come. Donna was out of town for Thanksgiving, and I had promised to blanket Big Mack if it got below 20 degrees, so I drove up to her barn around 5 p.m. and brought Mack into her barn and gave him a quick grooming and picked the iceballs out of his hooves. I put on his rug then let him back out in the paddock. Donna happened to send me a text in the middle of all this, asking how it went with Butch.. I told her what happened, and an hour or so later, we got the word that Butch had been sick in bed all day and would call to reschedule when he is well again.
So, Possum still has his front shoes on, but I really can't ride anyway. If I was "rich" enough, I would pay to have pads and "cleated shoes" put on, but that luxury is out of my price range! So, here it is, Saturday morning, and he will have another day of "neigh-cation." It is the holiday season, after all. I am going up to Donna's shortly to take Big Mack's rug off, and later, I hope to take Possum out for a hand walk. We will see what state of mind our little Dragon Pony is in today!
Thursday, "day 81," I already don't remember the details, but I did take Possum out on the "rounds," up and around the hill. I knew I'd kick myself for not writing everything down as soon as it happens.. but - anyway, Possum has been excellent! Feeling better and getting back to normal.. I did take the time to hot pack his tick bites later that day.
On Wednesday night, I think it was, I had given him his pellets laced with his medications, and he tipped the whole bucket over! He managed to nibble most of it back up, but I learned my lesson.. So, from then on, I have been standing there, holding the bucket while he eats his medicated pellets. This is working.
The medication collection and assorted sweeteners!
Friday, "day 82," we woke to the season's first snowfall - about 3 inches. Donna and I had re-scheduled our weekly walk for this day, and at the last minute, she sent me a text to say that she was going to bring Big Mack along, as her husband was home to stay with the toddler. So, about 10 minutes to 10, I went out to the paddock and put on Possum's halter.. he was all like - "hey - I'm still eating my morning hay" - I brushed off his coat and picked his hooves, which had already developed the hated "ice balls." I tried spraying some cooking spray on the bottoms of his hooves - but I remembered from last year that not really working very well.
I led Possum out of the barn and into the driveway, and Donna and Big Mack were walking towards us.. this is when it was clear that both horses were feeling very fresh this morning! Between the colder air, the fresh snow, and just getting out with the other horse, we had a little spinning on Possum's part and some charging ahead at the walk on Mack's part. Donna had put on her nylon "natural horsemanship" halter, with the 10 foot lead attached, and I just had Possum's old loose purple camp halter on him, with my black lead with a chain. Halfway down the hill, I decided to put the chain over his nose for awhile. I didn't have to "use" it, but it helped to keep his manners in check. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the hill, and around the corner at the base of one of the driveways, Donna decided to just lunge Big Mack right there for a few minutes, because he was just so fresh! Possum and I watched as Mack went round and round, trotting, cantering and blowing snorts - finally, he settled down and we went back to our walk.
After turning around and getting back to the corner at the bottom, Possum was finally relaxed enough for me to take the chain off his nose. Then, Donna's toddler and husband came walking along- creating a new stir for Possum! The baby had a hunter's orange cap on his head, and Possum was pretty freaked out about that! So, more spinning around and head craning and eye bulging.. I thought it was kind of funny, actually. It really just all stemmed from the cold and snow and excitement. Nothing to take personally. I remember Mr. Dodge said to me, "He's not usually like that, is he?" And I just replied, "Well, no, but he can be!" (Because he's a HORSE!)
We walked up to the Dodge home, and I let Possum graze for a few minutes on their lawn (thankfully, the snow was already beginning to melt away.) Then, we went home. Much later in the afternoon, I went out to pick his paddock and stall, and the wind had picked up, and Possum was being silly, so I thought to myself.. hmmm, maybe I'll just blow off riding him.. it's getting late...
But, when I finished with the chores, the wind had died down again, and even though it was getting later in the afternoon, I said - forget that, we are going for a little spin! And, I'm so glad we did, because once again, Possum was very good. I decided to just keep him on the road, as the snow had melted there. We went all the way down to Dr. Doyle's old place and back, then back up the hill and down to Lenny's and back. We did a bunch of little trotting sets and even a canter or two. Felt great to get out for 50 minutes. It's so cool to have this trusting relationship with him now!
After I pulled off his tacked, I threw the little blue cooler over his back, and got the tub of hot water mixed with betadyne and hot packed his tick bites for a little while. He was very good for that.
Saturday, "day 83," I wanted to be sure to get him out one more time before his Sunday day off, plus we had the band coming over at 12:30 for an afternoon rehearsal. I got the barn chores done, which now includes a bit of extra work now that the temps are hitting freezing.. Ice in the metal paddock water tub, and another thin coat of ice in the bucket I leave in the stall. Luckily, I have already had the 5 gallon electric bucket plugged in just outside of his stall. By 10:30, with the air cold but the sun shining, I hopped on just outside of the barn door (trying to avoid the little spots of snow and snow packs in his hooves,) and off we marched, left out of the driveway and down the hill. Once again, Possum was happy to get out and about.
We skipped going straight down to Dr. Doyle's, and instead went left at the bottom of the hill and walked all the way to the end of New Road (with a few sets of trotting on the good parts of the dirt road.) On the way back, we cantered once, then down to a trot and a halt. From the halt, we trotted, then another halt. That's fun to work on.
Stopping at Dad's to check out the view Saturday morning.
By the time we got all the way back to the top of the hill, he was nice and loose, and we did one more working trot up to the Rhoad's driveway, marching right past the barking Newfoundlands. So good! Then, we turned around and headed back to the barn, having been out for just about an hour. I tossed the cooler over him again for a few minutes, he sipped on some water, and I brushed him off and checked his hooves one more time, before letting him loose in the paddock with fresh piles of hay. The band arrived, and we were occupied all afternoon with that. I fed him his pellets with his Doxy and one last dose of Bute. He should be all set with that now.
Sunday morning, once again I had to deal with ice in the water buckets, and frozen poops. But at least the sun was shining. By 11 or so, I tied him to the one tie outside in the paddock, and gave him a full grooming. Naturally, one of the first things he did was reach down and pick up the basket I keep the brushes in, dumping all of them out onto the ground! Funny pony. He finally settled down, and when I was done with grooming, I led him out of the paddock and up towards the Dodge farm. He walked at a very nice and respectful pace with me. We walked past Big Mack without visiting nose to nose, but they saw each other. Then we walked into the big field across from Lenny's old place, and I let him graze there for about 10 minutes in the sunshine. Most of the snow was melted in that field. We waved to Donna and her kids driving home from church, then I pulled his head up from the grazing, and he didn't fight me too hard on the walk back home. We took our time and stopped one or two more times for nibbles on the side of the road, his strong lips whisking back the snow like a broom to get to the good stuff.
Grazing in the sunny field Sunday morning.
Back in the paddock, he seemed content, and I finished up the barn chores and went back to the house to get ready for work. When I got back at 9:30, the house was cold, so we spent an hour or two getting the wood stove cranked back up again and having a snack, then I went out to visit him around 10:30. He had been mostly hanging out in his stall anyway, looking out into the darkness. I caved and gave him a "cookie." He always loves that. One more big flake of hay or two at the stall door, and I said goodnight.
Today is Monday, November 17, and it is snowing. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get out to ride today. Good day to clean his bridle and breastplate!
Wednesday, "day 73," we got going in the early afternoon, after I got in my little yoga routine and a run downtown to market and bank. Possum was happy to get going, and we took a left out of the driveway and ambled down the road towards the ongoing noises and commotion of the foresting going on at Micheal's property. Though Possum was high-headed and curious at it all, he was willing to march along anyway.
We went left and walked all the way down the road, trotting once or twice on the good parts of the road. He was happy. We took a right onto the path on the Downing's land and meandered around the loop. I considered cutting back to the road on the edge of the field behind their house, but then I spied Mr. D out back working with his tractor, so we quickly turned and walked back, hopefully before he spotted us! I'm not sure if he would care or not that we were walking around on this back property, but I wasn't in the mood to have a conversation anyway. I'm sure he must have noticed the Possum poops on his paths by now!
So, out the way we came, and we turned right and kept going, and stopped at another little path across the road that I've always noticed but never ventured onto yet. Possum said, hey, let's check it out! So, I said, Okay, I'm game, and off we went. Another little logging path, circling around and a bit mucky at points.. but, after circling about for a while, we ended up coming out into the field at the very end of New Road, which we've explored a few times before. Possum really seemed to enjoy exploring the new paths, though, and remained very calm and interested the whole time. Coming down off the bank of the big field, he jumped into a nice trot, and I let him continue trotting for another stretch. Then we slowed to a walk and ambled past Laughing Tree Farm and all the way back to the corner.
Back up the steep hill we went, then up through Dad's backyard, over the stone wall to our backyard, and back at the corner, we picked up a little canter and cantered up over the little jump (which I have altered to a straight rail from the cross rail - it's still only about 6-8 inches high!) He did great!
Back at the barn, he went right for the water bucket again... I popped the blue cooler on him for a few minutes, brushed him down, and let him go. He was content, and so was I.
Thursday morning was lesson day! I got him fed by 7:15, and around 8:30, wearing my old polyester breeches over long johns, my old, worn brown paddock boots, the new black half chaps, and of course the hunter's orange sweat shirt over a few other layers, we got ready to head over to the Dodge farm. Possum was very agreeable, despite the nip in the air.
We calmly walked over to catch Ryan lunging Big Mack while Donna closely observed and listened. Mack looked very good. Then, Donna got on and rode around the paddock for a while. Meanwhile, Possum and I walked all around the big field, and picked up a few short trots to warm up.
After Donna put Big Mack away, she dragged over three left over wooden fence posts and laid them out with plenty of distance between them, in a line (something we've talked about doing for a while!) Telling Ryan about how sluggish and sucked back Possum felt on my Tuesday ride, she offered to hop on him for a bit, and I was more than willing to have her do that! Always great to watch a good rider ride, especially the horse you ride!
She "woke him up," with clucking, kicking and with the bat, and explained more to me about just giving him that wake up call to let him know we were ready to "work." If I just let him act like a slug, then that's what he will be - however, if I am clear and direct and ask for more Possum with a kick, a cluck and/or the bat or crop, then I have let him know that it's time to move. She reminded me that the horse should be carrying me, not the other way around!
So, I hopped back on, and we trotted around for a bit more, and he was much better. Then, we went over to the fence posts laying on the ground, and trotted over those a few times, the last time with me riding in "half-seat," or "jumping position." He was excellent, and I could not stop smiling. So much fun to have a better riding relationship with Possum!
After the lesson, we ambled back home, and he was content again.
Friday, "day 75," was even cooler, plus, the WIND! Well, it wasn't that strong, but still, it was there, and it was effecting his mood, for sure. After Donna and I took our weekly walk, we made plans to meet up later with the horses. I rode Possum up to her barn around 1 in the afternoon, and Donna caught Big Mack and tacked him up. She stayed in her fenced in areas and mostly walked around, and she felt good about that - he was very good. Possum and I trotted around the field, and also trotted over the rail lines a few times. We also cantered once. Then, she and I just let the boys stand in the sun, as we chatted. They really liked that! Just hanging!
Though the sun was out, it was feeling chilly just standing around, so we said goodbye and headed out of the barn's driveway. Suddenly, Possum went lame! I hopped off right away, and sure enough, their was an angled rock, about the size of a golf ball, lodged into his off side front hoof just between the frog and the shoe! It took me a second or two, but I managed to unwedge it. I got back on, using the granite bench as a mounting block, and was relieved to feel that he was not sore.
We walked back to our driveway, and I let him decide if he wanted to head back to the barn or not, and was surprised to see that he wanted to keep going! So, we rode down to Dad's and behind the house, then back to down the path just behind his house and wandered deeper into the woods. He really enjoyed that! Then we marched back up the hill and over to our backyard. We picked up a sweet little canter and slowed to a walk just by our bulkhead to the basement, then walked into the barn. Once again, he went right for the water bucket!
I let him drink a little, then made him stop for a bit, then let him drink some more. He wasn't sweaty at all, and I brushed him down and rubbed his face, then let go in the paddock - a much more relaxed pony then when we started the ride (wind wind go away!)
He got his pellets and another big round of hay flakes at 5, then we left for our gig at 6. When we got back at 12:30 in the morning, the wind had died down, and he was hanging out around the stall, munching away on hay.
Sunday morning, I was planning on taking Possum out for another short spin around the neighborhood before I had to take off for the afternoon, but was alarmed to discover another tick bite, this time on his neck, and the swelling accompanying the bite was about the size of a smushed golf ball. This was distressing to me, so I sent Ryan a text about it. She called me back, and mentioned that Possum had tested positive for Lymes 2 years ago, and so she was putting in a call to her vet to get some advise. I managed to get the tiny tick out of his neck, and pressed a hot wash cloth against the bite and swelling for awhile. Before I went off for the day, I filled up his paddock with hay, and tried not to worry too much about it. When I got back at night, I couldn't see very well in the dark barn, but I thought the swelling had gone down a bit.
Tick bite and swelling on Sunday morning.
The next morning (Monday), however, I saw in the day light that the swelling had in fact increased and spread, so I let Ryan know. We discussed the possibility of antibiotics, but later that day, when I ran into Donna as we met while I was hand walking Possum, she had learned from her vet that a round of antibiotics for horses can run into the hundreds of dollars, maybe even up to $500! Gulp! She and I grazed the horses in her back yard for awhile together, and Luanne came up to drop off the boys, and we hung around and chatted for awhile. Donna found another tick on Big Mack's neck, and it was comforting to have Luanne there to see Possum's tick bites and assure me that he would most likely heal himself. So, I took that to heart, and led Possum back home and let him work it out. After his evening meal, I took a few more photos of the tick bite and swelling on his neck and sent them to Ryan. She observed that he looked "dull" in his eyes and was not too happy. Meanwhile, we were waiting to hear from the vet and hoping that his body would heal itself.
Sad pony on Monday evening.
And the next morning, Tuesday, it had gone down, and he seemed a bit happier. The rains picked up and as of now (Thursday morning), we have been in the midst of a nasty Nor'Easter, with strong gusting winds and lots and lots of rain. So, no riding on Tuesday, no riding yesterday, no riding today, maybe not even tomorrow!
Yesterday, Wednesday (day 59), I found a lull from the rains in the early afternoon, and without even grooming the mud off of him, I put on his halter and took him out for a long walk. He was bit bratty at first, nippy and stalling a lot, but once we got down to the bottom of the hill, he began to enjoy himself. We walked almost all the way to the end of New Road, then turned and walked all the way back and down to Dr. Doyle's, then back up the hill. Once in a while, I let him stop and have a few bites of grass. Back at our place, we went out to our back yard and grazed for another 20 minutes or so, before the rain started coming down harder and I brought him back to his paddock.
He stayed outside most of the day, but towards dusk and feeding time, he came back to the stall to get out of the wind. I decided to give him his first bran mash since he's been here, so that was fun and certainly enjoyed that!
Cooled down & mixed with pellets, ready to devour!
Around midnight, I closed him into the stall for the night. He did not protest! While he was in the stall, I cleaned up a few more poops, fluffed up his bedding and added a little more fresh bedding. I topped off the water bucket and left him with many flakes of hay. I even brushed some of the dried up mud from his face and body, and he seemed to appreciate that, as well. I left the little blue strand of Christmas lights on for a dim light, and wished him well for the night. He seemed content, but I could not help but still worry. Somehow, I slept, and this morning, when I went out to feed him, he was totally relaxed! The wind is still gusting like mad, and the rain is coming down. It is 8:30 and I still haven't opened his stall doors yet, but I will soon. I checked the fence line and paddock, and they are in good shape. Just a few branches down in the paddock, but not on the fence! Anyway, at least the swelling from the tick bite on his neck almost completely gone.
So, another long day of stormy weather. Lessons have been cancelled and I think even my weekly walk with Donna, too! Icky icky day.
Wednesday, October 15 was "day 52" - I do not remember all of the details, but I took Possum out for a nice little ride and he was wonderful. I took one photo and a couple of short videos, posted here:
Thursday, it rained. I had stuff to do, and by the time I could have gotten going with Possum, the rain was falling hard, so I gave him the day off. He was cranky about that - he likes to have a job to do - but he survived! We spent a lot of time with him in the barn at night, while the rain was coming down and he was hanging out in his stall, munching hay. He was a bit ornery, but not nearly as tough as he was last year. There is so much more trust and friendship this year.
Friday, I took him into the stall to give him a good grooming before tacking up to ride. He had gotten pretty muddy and roughed up from the long night of rain. That is when I discovered a tick bump on the inside of his near upper stifle area. The bump was about the size of a pea, and I was able to extract the tiny (deer, I think) tick with a pair of tweezers. Then, I discovered another bump, but this one was much more swollen, about the size of my fist, way up inside his off side stifle.. just behind the shaft. This was a bit more alarming, and I was able to feel what I thought was the tick, but I was not able to extract that one. I wiped both spots down with Beneydrine Lotion, and decided I would still tack up anyway but just keep it chill with him.
We walked up to the Dodge barn, and caught up with Donna leading Big Mack down the road to meet up with her daughter getting off at the school bus. Her older boy and Luanne's boy were walking down, too, and her youngest boy was riding down in a toy electric Jeep.. so there was a lot of commotion, plus it was windy! Possum got pretty worked up seeing all of that, and became especially anxious when I asked him to walk away from the gang after Donna and I talked for a few minutes (talked about the ticks! She had found one on Mack the day before, too, and his was oozing and really bothering him.) With a little bit of encouragement, we moved away from the commotion, and I was amazed at how well he took it.
Then we continued all the way down the hill to Dr. Doyle's old place, and picked up a nice easy trot back to the pipe, and walked up the hill again to home. I kept it short, only a half hour. I found a third tick and bump after the ride, in the same location on the other side! I got that tick out, and later sent Ryan a text asking about suggestions on how to treat the ticks and swelling. Meanwhile, it didn't seem to be bothering him.
Saturday morning started out bright and mild, but by mid-day, the clouds came and it looked like it could rain. I had spoken with Ryan on the phone and she suggested placing a hot compress on the areas. Her main concern was the bites developing into cellulitis, which he has had once before. I looked that up on the web, and it can get very nasty! Possum stood very still while I reached up under there and soaked the tick bites with wash cloth dunked in hot water. So good!! Then, after a little break, I tacked him up and took him out for a 50 minute walk, including up and down the hill, a stroll through the field across the street from Lenny's house, and a visit with Big Mack. We also trotted a little bit in the Dodge field, and Possum was very good. It's like he's a little ranch pony!
Swelling from a tick bite.
From today's walk
Later in the afternoon, I tied him up in the stall and applied the hot water wash cloth to the tick bumps again, and I think the swelling has gone down. Keeping an eye on it. He's seems to be a very happy pony.
Sunday morning, after Possum was fed and ate hay for awhile, I put on his halter and led him out of the paddock and down to Dad's back yard. He was feeling a little rebellious for some reason, fighting me a bit here and there, but I just kept making him stop and listen to me. Then I let him graze for a good solid hour behind Dad's house, and he was happy again. When we left for work at 2:30, he was content with his many piles of hay and his early Sunday "suppah."
Monday, the air was warming up, low 60's, and we had plans for the afternoon to meet up with the girls again for another trail ride on "the Narrow Gauge." I got rolling early, unloading the gear from the car, showering and doing bills, cleaned the bridle, bit and saddle and brushed off the saddle pad, then a quick ride down town to the bank and the market. After a small lunch, I began to get ready around 2. I put on my paddock boots and caught Possum out in the paddock, and he seemed ready to go out and play. I brushed him well and tacked up, and attached the green lead line to the back of my saddle and put his purple camp halter on his head over the bridle. We got down to Donna's around 2:35, and she and Big Mack were ready. She had to get her kids gathered as we were all walking down to Luanne's together. I stayed on Possum for the walk down, and Donna led Big Mack, while her two older kids pushed the youngest in the stroller. On the way down, we ran into Sonya and her three kiddo's, leaving her parents house (who live next door,) and then we also stopped and chatted for a minute with the people who live further down and own the 2 barking German Shepards (plus 2 or 3 little ones.) When we got to Luanne's, all the horses were hollering and running around in the excitement, and while Luanne and Donna got on their horses, I rode Possum into Luanne's little paddock / riding area, and chatted a bit with her neighbor who was out grilling in his front yard. He thought Possum was very pretty (of course!), and asked if he could take a photo. Sure, why not?
After Possum's photo shoot, the other two came into the ring, as well, and we rode around in there for a few minutes, then we got out onto the road and headed for the trail. Everybody was much calmer this time, having only done it a few days earlier, however, Big Mack was still acting a little anxious, and Donna was having a hard time keeping him sane. Luanne was great, though, giving Donna lot's of good advise along the way.
Out on the trail on Monday.
We rode all the way out to the same point we went before, then I suggested we turn and head back, as it took us about a half an hour to get back, and we had been out a half an hour. Donna and Big Mack went ahead, and all three boys began to get a little "jiggy" knowing we were turning for home. Luanne and I rode side by side for a long time, way behind Donna and Big Mack, and that was really cool. Possum was SO good!!
Back on the road, heading back to Luanne's
When we got back to Luanne's, we all jumped off and rolled up the stirrups and loosened up the girths, and I put the reins through the purple halter and clipped the lead line on the bottom ring for the long walk home. Once again, Big Mack was really sad to leave his buddy Cooper, whinnying several times on the walk back, but Possum was all like - "what evs!" We took several breaks on the long walk up the steep hill, and while Mack was sweating all over his neck and back when we got back to the Dodge barn, Possum was all cooled down with just a trace of a sweat on his back and girth when we got back home. I rubbed him down well and let him go in the paddock with a bunch of hay, then fed him half an hour later. He was so happy and proud of himself, I could tell! He was just acting really cool.
Walking back up the steep hill!
Yesterday, Tuesday, the air was even warmer, in fact it reached 70 degrees by the afternoon! I spent the morning doing bills, yoga, going to the dump, and did some work over at Dad's, then got riding Possum around 2:30. I took him left out of the driveway, after we looped behind the house and hopped over the jump, and we walked down to Dr. Doyle's and then all the way down New Road. We took the little logging trail loop on the Downing's land, exploring the little trails back there. Then we walked home. Though he was a bit sluggish on the way out, and I had to keep correcting him to stay straight and forward, on the way back, I let him pick his own pace. Because of the warm temps and his winter coat coming in, he got pretty warm and damp, so when we got back, I did get a bucket of water and sponged off his neck, girth, back and face. Then we went out to our back yard and I let him graze for half an hour. We had been out riding for 65 minutes!
Yesterday was Monday, always my "tired" day, but I got up and got my chores and errands done and picked up a bowl of fish chowder from the health food store to snarf down before I got down to business with Possum. I picked his paddock and filled his water buckets first, then I hitched him up to the outside cross ties to groom him. He was pretty good for that. Then, I led him into the stall to tack up.
I mounted from the paddock stump, and he stood rock still. We took a short walk around the paddock, and then headed out the gate and took a left down the road. We walked all the way down to the bottom of the hill and took a short trot on the good stretch towards Dr. Doyles old place. We stood and looked at the house, which has a big chain across the driveway with a "private" sign on it, and wished we could walk around back and head out into the fields behind the house, like we did last year while it was still on the market.
Then we took a trot back towards the scary pipe, and he did not bat an eye at it. We cantered a short bit up the hill, then slowed to a trot and then a walk, and took a right onto Dad's land and through the path behind his house. At the bottom of the dip, we transitioned into a canter and rode all the way up to his field, then walked the rest of the way up to the path at the back of our land. We walked a bit to catch our breath, then rode up to the little cross rail jump and hopped over that. We took a right back onto the road and walked up to the Dodge barn. We said hello to Big Mack, and then walked over to Donna, who was refilling her big water tub, and we chatted for a bit.
Then I walked him out to the part where we've had our lessons, and I cantered him in each direction for half a circle. Then I directed him up to the flat part right behind their house and trotted around in each direction a few times, concentrating on my form and keeping him straight and up. Harder then it sounds!
We said goodbye to Donna and then took a short walk down to Lenny's old place, and then up to the field across the street from his house. We stopped at the top and took in the view, then walked around and back down to the road. Another short trot up to the Dodge barn, and then walked home. He was very good, and we were out for an hour.
(Taking in the view and listening to the crows at the top of the field across from Lenny's old place.)
Playing around with Possum in his paddock on Monday night. :)
Today there was light rain all morning, and I was expecting the chimney sweep guys sometimes between 12 and 2, so I used the morning to pick his paddock, fill his water, prepare the trash to go to the dump later in the day, and go through my yoga routine. As it got closer to 1:30 in the afternoon and the guys still had arrived, I put Possum's halter on and clipped him up to the outdoor cross ties to give him a good grooming. By this time, the rain had stop and the sun was beginning to come back out, and Possum was very tolerant of my grooming, only threatening to kick once. He stopped after I corrected him. It's mostly a ticklish thing, not a nasty, mean thing.
Then the guys showed up, so I spent the next hour dealing with them, as they cleaned our chimney and then I let them into Dad's to clean his. Dad is down in Cambridge today checking out a senior living apartment (though he sent me a text to say he probably wasn't going to move there..)
After the guys left, I changed into my boots and led Possum into the stall to tack him up. We went out to the paddock to mount up, and walked around the paddock a little bit, then back out the gate and left down the road again. I could tell he was happy to be out and about, making the rounds.
We went into Dad's driveway and took the path to the side of the house towards the big path in the woods. At the bottom of the dip, we trotted back up and then took a left down the road. Instead of going straight to Dr. Doyle's today, we decided to walk all the way down New Road, trotting a couple of times where the footing was good. He was being so good!
When we got to the end of the road, I turned him right onto the back property of the Downing's place, and walked him along the tree line and onto the path behind their house. Hopefully, we won't get in trouble if they ever see us on their property.. I don't think they'd be too upset, though.
We walked along the path, with all of it's twists and turns, and eventually trotted back up to the road and headed back. At one of the good parts of the road, I kicked him into a canter. We trotted a bit halfway back up the hill, then continued straight up to our house. I was going to go up to the Dodge barn to visit Big Mack, but I saw Don out in the driveway, and so instead, I asked him if he would video me jumping Possum over the little cross rail jump. We didn't really end up jumping, it was more of a trotting over the jump, but it was fun anyway. I'd like to try that again sometime..
Walking back to the bottom of the hill.
(Trotting up the hill towards home today.)
Trotting over the jump (excuse the swearing at the end.)
Trotting over the jump (third time.)
Then it was time to finish, and Possum was happy to get his bridle and saddle off and go out to the backyard for some grazing. We had been out just a little under an hour, and I'd say he was excellent today!
I can't remember the exact order of riding events for Tuesday, but I'm pretty sure we made the usual rounds, and I think we also did a lot more trotting and cantering than usual. I remember cantering up through the woods on the path behind Dad's, and also cantering up the path across the street. I even had to use the bat on him a few times to keep him moving! We were out for a solid hour, and he was very good.
Tuesday afternoon, behind Lenny's house
Yesterday, I got up extra early, in order to prepare us for our 9 a.m. lesson time today (Thursday.) I fed him by 7:30, and took care of his paddock by 9 or so.. I think it was around 10:30 that we were all tacked up and ready to go. He was a bit cranky during the grooming process.. ticklish around his belly and loin areas, and swishing his tail and threatening to kick.. he also tried nipping a few times as I walked beneath the tie. I corrected him with my voice and a smack or two, and he behaved after that. I am never surprised when he is grumpy during the grooming and tacking up phase.. it's just how he rolls. He is always good by the time we finish with the day.
I could also tell that Possum was in the mood to be spooky. He was all looky looking at things.. but we marched on down the hill towards Dr. Doyle's old place. The town road crews had been working on clearing space for water run off down there, and their was giant, rusty old pipe laying on the side of the road. We walked by that with no problem, but by the time we had turned around at the end of the road and were heading towards it again, it had turned into a big, scary monster that was going to kill him. So, he snorted, he raised his head and perked his ears, and threatened to unseat me with some fancy side-stepping action.
So, I immediately went to work. Remembering what Clinton Anderson wrote about how to deal with a horse that spooks on the trail, I kicked Possum into a trot. We trotted away from the pipe, then stopped. Then we turned and trotted towards it. Again, he acted like it was going to kill him, so I kicked him into a circle, and we trotted away from it again. I repeated this for about 6 or 8 minutes, all the while getting a bit closer to the pipe. Soon enough, Possum began to tire of this, and realized that it would be a lot easier for him to not be spooked by the pipe and walk by it. Pretty cool how well that trick works.
So, we walked on, and back up the hill. We took the trail behind Dad's house, and cantered up to the back of the house. Then we walked up to the road from the secondary driveway opening. He was looking for more things to spook at, but I kept him marching. Then, we turned right onto our secondary driveway, and we walked over the little cross rail jump I had set up on the path the night before. Then, we turned around and trotted over it this time. I surprised at how much jump the little guy gave! That was fun.
I didn't want to push my jumping luck, though, so we continued on up the road to the Dodge field. I let him say hello to Big Mack, then we worked in the field a bit. I feel much stronger in my seat and core, so that's good. We did a few trots and a couple of short canters, I believe, then we walked down to Lenny's and behind his house a bit.. (I think, getting hard to remember!) Here's a video of us trotting back from Lenny's:
We had been out for a good hour, and once we got back to the stall to take off tack, he was much more relaxed and happy. I put off hand grazing him until later that night, after his supper and before ours. He got a good half hour, and was very respectful of me.
This morning was my second riding lesson with Ryan, so I got up early and had Possum grained by 7 a.m. I wanted to give him plenty of time to digest and eat hay before we got ready. I quickly cleaned his bridle, bit and breastplate, not wanting to show up a total mess, then quickly pulled my messy bed head into a clip and washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then, it was out to the barn to groom and tack up. Rain was threatening to come, but we managed to get the whole lesson in before it came.
I mounted him from the paddock and we ambled down to the Dodge field. Ryan and Donna were lunging Big Mack out in his paddock, and he was looking really good. Possum and I said hello and then we walked all around the big field for awhile. We trotted a few times in circles, too.
At the end of Big Mack's lunging session, Ryan went over the time and had Donna grab her helmet so that she could work with Donna on mounting Big Mack. It was good to see Donna on Mack again! Ryan led her around a few times, then she had her dismount and mount again.
Then, it was time for Possum and me to get some work. Today, we talked again about keeping him forward and straight, and also that I am not doing Possum any favors by letting him lower his head below his croup. So, that was a new insight for me. She reiterated that Possum moves best when we keep him moving forward, not sucking in. So, click and kick first, then use the bat. If one swat doesn't do it, then swat him until he does move forward. So, at the trot and then at the canter, we tried that, and it really does make a difference!
Ryan said I looked stronger and that I am riding him a lot better than this time last year! We talked a lot about Possum, his future, and keeping him a happy, fit horse. So totally worth getting up so early for! She knows Possum the best, and it is fascinating to me to get her perspective on him and the process of riding him well.
We were back to the barn by 10 a.m., and Possum got a well deserved pile of hay. I cleaned his paddock and cleaned and refilled his paddock water tub before the rains came, and he has the rest of the day off. Can't wait to ride tomorrow and work on riding him straight and forward!
