About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Crazy winds!

Wow, Thursday, Friday and Saturday here, were WIIIIINDY!
It proved for a few mishaps in the wonderpony calm behavior but Laz proved to calm down after a bit.
Thursday, he did great. 
It was windy, cool and slightly raining but I wanted to work him, so I did.
I don't want him to think just because when we are working and it starts to rain, that we quite.  Also, it was light rain...if it was heavy, I would have stopped for my sake too, lol.
He did quite a lot of bucking, half rearing into bucking, farting and spooking partly because of the winds and I think when he's frisky, he just doesn't think as clearly...so he spooks more.  I was hand walking him, so at those goofy moments, I just lunged him and allowed him to get it out, which he did.
We walked for about an hour all around the arena and the front lawn and side lawn and he did GREAT and ended calmly. I massaged him which he 'groomed' me with his lip (aw!) and he was great.

Saturday, it was crazy crazy windy and COLD! I wore a hat and hoodie!!! ugh. 
In fact, Friday night the winds began and I noticed when I walked out on Saturday to get Laz, that his right rear was stocked up by his ankle.
See...?
I'm sure due to him choosing to stand inside his stall because of the winds and so he didn't move much hence the stocking up.
After lunging him (no riding him for me when he's a bucking bronco and spooking like it's talent) for a long time..we did walking, reversing, ho and go, trot work, etc, for 1-1/2 hr, his ankle looked back to normal.
See...after below.
Whew.


I'm glad I chose to lunge him because my goal (as always) is to get him quiet, where he's licking/thinking and calm.  He got there, it took a long, long while but due to the extreme weather change, I wasn't shocked.
I also was able to look at him and watch him.  When I hand walk him, I can't really see his body being he's behind me..and riding, similar.  
Yesterday, I notice the HUGE difference between his leg/stifle muscle area.
Look at the difference between the two pictures...
See below, the HUGE muscle! It's so much more pronounced than on his right side.
Could be from years of racing of course, but I think it's more likely that his left side has been compensating for his pain on his right so it's hold more of his weight.
Eeek...I'm not happy about that, and I hope he will balance out soon.  I chose to circle him more towards clockwise than counter, yesterday, trying to build it up.  I also noticed in his trot work (sorry, too windy for video yesterday with wild pony) he's better moving counter clock wise vs clockwise.
Interesting finds yesterday...

4 comments:

  1. I expect you're right about both the stocking up and the uneven hindquarter muscling. Good noticing!

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  2. Oh my gosh, weren't those winds crazy?!?! I know it affects most horses, but I think our sensitive OTTBs have the biggest personality changes:) Oh well, today is beautiful! Good job working him through the crazies.

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  3. We had the crazy wind too here in Pennsylvania. I rode Sovey through it, but Pie was a handful today. I rode him outside the pastures (he was acting poorly at first) and then I rode him at the walk in the pastures until the friskies were all gone - then we went back out. Laz sounds like he worked out his stuff too, Good Boy! He is so sweet to groom you too. Slow walking helps balance out the muscles. I know this from running - muscle asymmetry balances out with slow, consistent walking.

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  4. I'm glad to see that his stocking-up resolved itself so quickly. I know a few horses who are like that -- if they stand in a stall for too long, their legs get filled, but movement takes 'em right back down.
    And, yes, lots of walking walking walking and body work will help Laz get his muscles back. I'm sure the chiropractic is already helping him loads, and I know you do some massage and bodywork on him yourself. It will be a long road, but you'll get him there!

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