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...

Monday, July 30, 2012

In which I actually get to RIDE my horse

It's amazing, in a rehab that is FOREVER long, that the poor Pony I rescued to train to ride, is really like my big sweet puppy that I walk.
Well, with my trimmer's blessing, I get to start working with him again
YAY!
Just walking, unless Laz 'wants' to trot but I won't really push for that yet. I'd like to see it via ground work for a while first.
So, just in time for the Olympic fever, I'd like to introduce my Ian Miller Crosby!
He's been sitting patiently and waiting since we last really rode, back in 2009.
I wasn't even sure if it would still fit!!!
I'm happy to say, it seems like it does. 
The girth?! 
Oooof
It barely made it!

So out we went to ride on soft terrain (for now until soles hopefully improve)
Low head, loose happy ears
Whew, he didn't seem to show ANY discomfort (at least at our walking pace) to his old AP saddle
HOOOORAH!
Discomfort was for me, the idiot who rode with yoga capris and now has two pinching bruises on both my calves. DUH and ouch
Here I am literally holding my leg off him.  Nice. 
 My Husband joined us and went for a run while we hacked for 40 minutes.
You can make sure when he returned I threw him my phone and was all "TAKE PICTURES!!!!!"
LOOK AT THIS SEXXXY NECK!
 Despite his big ol' fiber belly, I think Laz looks damn good for a rehab pony who burns 9 calories a day
 Happy calm babeee

Sweet Mas just watched us ride while chilling in the shade
He doesn't even know but he brings a lot of comfort to Laz
 Bare hoovies!
 Back to the horses
I think someone was quite pleased with himself, he did manage to work up a bit of a sweat (teeny) 
 He is so handsome all dressed up!
All done, groomed and some liniment gel on his legs (ps did I mention he had no tears but some old scarring that showed up on Ultrasound, probably from racing years, so this is to maintain comfort after rides)
"CooOKiez?!"
Felt super great to be back on him after a month off
I had just precautionary waited until I had my new trimmer's approval

Anyone have good ideas to make walking a little more interesting???
Ground poles will be coming into play...
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26 comments:

  1. K.K.July 30, 2012 at 2:23 PM

    HOORAY! That is exciting!

    As for making walking more interesting, I would set up cones weave through them, or I would set up ground poles in different shapes like you would see at a trail class at a horse show. Zig zags, squares, windows etc. Just gave us both something to work on and think about and not just be walking in a circle. My husband even thought it was "kind of fun!" when he went through my course on his horse. When we met he would have scoffed at my course but now he's starting to realize that it's kind of fun to do arena work sometimes.

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:49 AM

      These are perfect ideas! I need to get cheap/light poles now at Home Depot :)

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  2. JanineJuly 30, 2012 at 2:26 PM

    Super pictures as always and all smiles!! Love it!!

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  3. DomJuly 30, 2012 at 2:29 PM

    So good to see you back on board!!! Hooray!

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  4. CarlyJuly 30, 2012 at 4:20 PM

    I love it!!! What a handsome boy he is!

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  5. UnknownJuly 30, 2012 at 4:22 PM

    Yay!!! Laz looks wonderful! So happy for both of you.

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:50 AM

      Thank you :) I'm sure he and Shy would totally pal around

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  6. SprinklerBanditJuly 30, 2012 at 4:44 PM

    Hooray! Fun times.

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  7. ValJuly 30, 2012 at 4:50 PM

    Laz really does look gorgeous! I am so glad that you were able to ride him again. I hope there will be more riding for you two in the near future.

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:51 AM

      I do as well, as much as he can handle which he seemed totally 100% into it and game on!

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  8. Natalia July 30, 2012 at 6:30 PM

    My instructor would put model horses around the indoor for a scavenger hunt. Maybe you could do something like that outside? It is a little silly, but it could be something fun to do.

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:52 AM

      That is creative! They graze on that pasture in the evening that I ride on so I'd be nervous to leave one behind and have a horse come up with a toy jammed into their nostrils, lol! But I'm sure I can come up with 'something'

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  9. LisaJuly 30, 2012 at 11:15 PM

    Yay!! :)

    Any reasoning why you aren't using boots and pads for riding? Pads are great for building sole.

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:57 AM

      Hey, yay a few reasons. One being, his hoof is currently cast and I wouldn't want to boot it. Prior to that, it's shape is so funny that the boots (I have two sizes) don't fit that well-then heel bulb issues arise, etc.
      I don't know if pads really help build sole. I think it's the 'correcting' the movement so they move the proper way (heel landing first vs toe) to build up hoof strength and internal structures, etc.
      Boots are the bain of my existence because I find them incredibly hard to put on.
      Ideally, a horse should be kept on the grounds that you ride on. Being I board, I can't really haul in the pea gravel that I want to give him stimulation, etc but I wish!! The whole 'wish' is to get him sound moving totally barefoot and gain that through movement/proper trimming/diet, etc. It's coming along slowly. There are days, if the ground where frozen and he was 'ouchy' I would definitely opt to boot. On our soft grass/sand, he's happy and moving nicely.

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  10. lmelJuly 31, 2012 at 6:16 AM

    Back in the saddle again--yipee! And a good 'ole Crosby at that! Love my old Mark IV, bought for the high price of $350 back in 1980!

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:59 AM

      That's a steal! I bought mine in 2009 summer for $250-300ish I think?? cash! I squealed in my car the whole way to the barn! It was/is in mint condition. I don't think the girl who owned it, rode in it more than 50 times.

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  11. Calm, Forward, StraightJuly 31, 2012 at 9:34 AM

    Woohoo!! So happy for you and his handsomeness. ;)

    I agree about cones courses to make walking more interesting. Helps with focus and you can fine tune steering. Gurrl's suggestion about a scavenger hunt sounds like fun!

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    1. Kristen Eleni ShellenbargerJuly 31, 2012 at 9:59 AM

      Cones I have! :) So smart-now I need a stable boy to set up courses for us

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  12. KateJuly 31, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Aww you guys look great!!! Cairo brings a lot of comfort to Lucy, too. Lu is much more relaxed on trail rides when I bring the dog.

    Some great suggestions already. I love the poles idea, also teaching him to walk through a kiddie pool first empty, then filled with water.

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  13. baystatebrumbyAugust 1, 2012 at 1:25 PM

    OOOOOOOOH, this is so WOOOONDERRRRFUL! I love that view of Laz's neck! Bird's eye view of a horse's neck is the BEST SEAT IN TOWN! You are such a good Laz momma. But I think he knows it. YEEEAY you!

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  14. jenjAugust 1, 2012 at 1:31 PM

    Laz looks so fantastic! LOVE that you finally got to ride again, I bet it felt awesome!

    I totally feel your pain with the thin soles. I will likely never solve that problem with my boy, so we've resorted to shoes. I don't love it, but he's comfortable and happy, and that's what matters. Hopefully you'll figure out the magic bullet with Laz and he'll be happy/comfy barefoot.

    RE doing stuff to make walk work more fun - all of the dressage movements (leg yield, shoulder in, turn on the haunches/forehand) can be done at a walk. You can sidepass over poles, and back through Ls. You can open gates, walk over bridges, try horse soccer... go crazy with your imagination! Laz will probably have fun too!

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  15. julietteAugust 4, 2012 at 8:11 AM

    Great photos of the sweet adorable boy and you riding! Hooray! Sorry I am late to this. I think you said that you are not allowed to ride on the roads, but can you ride outside of the ring on soft ground? If so, I would ride on soft grass in the fields and woods to make it more fun and interesting for both of you.

    Kristen, since I got my boys in 2009, I have had most rides only at the walk! And, I am not a brain dead person who doesn't need challenges. But, because I have more than one horse, I can't embark on a consistent training program. I usually only walk because, although I ride everyday, I can't ride each horse everyday. It would be unfair for me to push them and be sporadic with my training. So each horse carts me around for 30 minutes to 1 hour primarily at the walk. We keep it exciting by varying the scenery - out of the ring. I do practice circles and leg yields and serpentines, but I use trees rather than cones. And, we have trees in the woods as "ground poles". I honestly can't say I have been bored once. I believe that outside of the ring there are so many scary and interesting sights that it keeps us engaged and is always different. Of course I add in trotting and hope to add a little cantering, but I can't guarantee that I can work consistently so to do much more would be unfair to them.

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