I bought Talana a present. It's a new sidepull and matching reins. They are dark green, and they look really good on her. I thought that purchasing one that was made by somebody who makes a lot of them would result in a better-made piece of tack than the experimental one that I made. I was right! It was a good choice. It looks lovely on her, and fits well. She also responds nicely to it, just like the one I made.
My hoof trimming adventures have been going so well lately. Talana seems more comfortable than I've ever seen her. I will have a post about that more in depth at some point. The other day, just before this awful first snowstorm that came through, we went down in the meadow right near the river and rode around. It was Talana's first time being ridden right next to the Big Scary Water, and I was also riding bareback. She did very well. She kept wanting to turn and canter for the house, but when I reminded her that we weren't going to do that, she did a good job listening and trotting in the direction I was actually steering her.
I must be less stressed lately, because my muscles were loose enough to be comfortable trotting around a lot. I seem to be able to do a sitting trot very well bareback when my body cooperates. Talana was happy and forward, and I was happy and looking to the horizon. We went up the hill and down, and I was able to use my hands and seat for steering as well as staying attached. We even had an exciting moment when both of us realized at the same time that there was a big rock hiding in the grass right in front of us. I settled myself and prepared for Talana to dodge to one side or the other, but instead I found that we were flying through the air! It wasn't a huge rock (compared to some others out there), but it was my first jump bareback, and my first jump on Talana. She did a great job taking care not to hit the rock, and I guess my seat must be ok, because the landing didn't bother me at all, and nor did the three little bucks she threw after the jump! These were also my first bareback bucks. I'm pretty sure Talana was just surprised about the rock, and expressing her displeasure at its sudden appearance. She straightened right up and kept trotting onward as though nothing happened after showing that mean old rock her heels.
I wish my friend who was watching could have gotten it on video so that I could see what we looked like jumping over the rock. Talana isn't "supposed" to jump. She's "supposed" to have arthritis in her back legs, and at the very least in the past she has seemed stiff back there. But I've been noticing after the last couple of hoof trims she's been a lot less sore. The fact that she offered to jump with me on her back (which I'd never have asked her to do on purpose) seems to indicate that she's feeling very well indeed!
I must also admit that I'm very curious what I looked like going over a jump and some bucking bareback. I want to know what I did right, and what I can improve. Because, yeah, I hung on and felt mostly balanced. But all I have to go on is my memory of how I felt at the time. I am pretty sure that when Talana was bucking I started looking down at her neck instead of up at the horizon. What I'm not sure about is how much I did that. I felt that it unbalanced me a little bit. I will keep working on getting my head up. My shoulders have a habit of curling in when I'm tense, so I often have to remind myself to bring my head up and my shoulders back. Talana always tells me when it's happening by switching from her typical comfortable trot/jog to a choppy, short-strided trot that is very bouncy and uncomfortable to sit. I am not sure whether her nice trot is actually her using a different gait, or simply the result of an extended, more comfortable stride. I am hoping to get someone to video us so that I can have a look at the difference. I have been reading that some Arabians have a sort of "jogging" gait that they use in place of trotting, and I'm wondering if that's what she's been doing. She definitely trots when I watch her on the ground, though, so maybe not.
Her stall in the barn is partially constructed now. She has a floor, but no walls. So when the big blizzard came this past weekend, I stacked up her hay into stall walls and let her in. I figured she wouldn't be too interested in the rest of the barn while surrounded by hay, and I was right. She pulled down a bale or two, but I was able to put them back up. What a good girl! She ended up using more hay than usual, since she had access to more and made a nest out of it to sleep in during the night. But she needed to be inside for that terrible weather, so it was worth it. The walls will be up very soon, and then we'll have a proper stall for her to use. I'm planning to let her go in and out at will.
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Friday, November 7, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Arthritis, musings about supplements
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here before, but Talana has some arthritis in her rear joints. It's been there for years; as long as I've known her, in fact. Talana is a sturdy girl, but there are some things I won't ask her to do. We won't be jumping, or racing around barrels, or doing the levade. Which is all fine and dandy with me; I'm actually not too interested in doing any of that right now! But what I am interested in is Talana's comfort. So although she's been hanging out in the pasture with her arthritis for years and moving well enough to canter about when the other horses chased her (and to occasionally jump over things of her own choice), I thought I'd look into ways to help her out.
The first things I think of when I know an animal is having joint problems are glucosamine and chondroitin. This is what helped Dandy, my elderly dog, for the last year and a half of her life. They are also helping Alice, my current elderly dog.
Dandy:
Alice:
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One of the problems with glucosamine is that it's pretty expensive. And, if you think it's expensive for the amount you need to feed a dog, think about how much you need to give an 800 pound horse! So I started searching around to see if I could get it for less than an arm and a leg, or if there is something else that helps horses.
From what I've been able to gather, glucosamine and chondroitin are basically the building blocks of cartilage and connective tissues. Part of the reason you need to feed so much of it to have an effect is that these are huge molecules that are difficult for the horse's gut to absorb and use, so a lot of what you feed just passes right through. There is another component to joint health, which is MSM (methylsulfonylmethane - don't ask me how to pronounce it). This stuff is supposed to help the body put the building blocks together. Some horses seem to respond just as well to supplementation with MSM as to glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM together. Particularly those who already have issues, like Talana. Another key benefit is that it's less expensive.
Now, I'm not knocking glucosamine and chondroitin. But if I can help Talana feel her best with less cost, you betcha I will. So we are trying MSM for her, and if we aren't seeing convincing improvements after a couple months, I'll look into glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, too.
The good news is that it's been three days with this supplement, and Talana seems to be moving more smoothly in the mornings. She usually seems a tad slow to get started at the beginning of the day, but this morning she seemed to be moving more like she does later in the day, like she's already had her morning stretches or something. Of course, it's been a grand total of three days. I may just be imagining things. But I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll continue to see improvement.
Supplements aren't the only options for a horse with arthritis. It also helps to get them moving around - not too much, like I said, no jumping - but walking and trotting for a bit every day is supposed to help get things loosened up and moving more comfortably. And I would say that this is true for Talana. She moves better on the days I ride than the days I'm at work until dinner. I can tell because when she is sore, she won't do a proper turn on the forehand. She'll yield, yes, but she won't cross her legs. Instead she does an odd hop-step, moving one first and then the other without crossing them. But after we've walked around for a bit, if I ask for that movement she does it correctly. She can also sidepass better after exercise, like when she doesn't want the dog to get any closer to her and steps sideways.
Generally, Talana seems to be doing well. She's growing in her winter coat already, in response to the chillier weather. She looks good, and her mane and tail seem to be continuing the trend of growing in shiny. She's feeling pretty spunky lately; when I had her grazing on a lead line she decided that Alice was sitting on a tasty patch of grass and chomped her on the ear. Boy did Alice get a surprise! No harm done, Alice's ear was just a tad slobbery. It must have been a very soft nip. But Alice barked and Talana jumped back, too. Now they keep a skeptical eye on each other. Also, I'm policing them a bit more carefully, because that's pretty rude and I won't let Talana go around grabbing dogs. I am a little glad that she feels good enough to stake out a claim to her grass, though.
And I'll leave you with a picture of her, even though it's not the most recent. Here she is from late August, finally giving in and trying the mint in the backyard.
.JPG)
The first things I think of when I know an animal is having joint problems are glucosamine and chondroitin. This is what helped Dandy, my elderly dog, for the last year and a half of her life. They are also helping Alice, my current elderly dog.
Dandy:
Alice:
One of the problems with glucosamine is that it's pretty expensive. And, if you think it's expensive for the amount you need to feed a dog, think about how much you need to give an 800 pound horse! So I started searching around to see if I could get it for less than an arm and a leg, or if there is something else that helps horses.
From what I've been able to gather, glucosamine and chondroitin are basically the building blocks of cartilage and connective tissues. Part of the reason you need to feed so much of it to have an effect is that these are huge molecules that are difficult for the horse's gut to absorb and use, so a lot of what you feed just passes right through. There is another component to joint health, which is MSM (methylsulfonylmethane - don't ask me how to pronounce it). This stuff is supposed to help the body put the building blocks together. Some horses seem to respond just as well to supplementation with MSM as to glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM together. Particularly those who already have issues, like Talana. Another key benefit is that it's less expensive.
Now, I'm not knocking glucosamine and chondroitin. But if I can help Talana feel her best with less cost, you betcha I will. So we are trying MSM for her, and if we aren't seeing convincing improvements after a couple months, I'll look into glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, too.
The good news is that it's been three days with this supplement, and Talana seems to be moving more smoothly in the mornings. She usually seems a tad slow to get started at the beginning of the day, but this morning she seemed to be moving more like she does later in the day, like she's already had her morning stretches or something. Of course, it's been a grand total of three days. I may just be imagining things. But I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll continue to see improvement.
Supplements aren't the only options for a horse with arthritis. It also helps to get them moving around - not too much, like I said, no jumping - but walking and trotting for a bit every day is supposed to help get things loosened up and moving more comfortably. And I would say that this is true for Talana. She moves better on the days I ride than the days I'm at work until dinner. I can tell because when she is sore, she won't do a proper turn on the forehand. She'll yield, yes, but she won't cross her legs. Instead she does an odd hop-step, moving one first and then the other without crossing them. But after we've walked around for a bit, if I ask for that movement she does it correctly. She can also sidepass better after exercise, like when she doesn't want the dog to get any closer to her and steps sideways.
Generally, Talana seems to be doing well. She's growing in her winter coat already, in response to the chillier weather. She looks good, and her mane and tail seem to be continuing the trend of growing in shiny. She's feeling pretty spunky lately; when I had her grazing on a lead line she decided that Alice was sitting on a tasty patch of grass and chomped her on the ear. Boy did Alice get a surprise! No harm done, Alice's ear was just a tad slobbery. It must have been a very soft nip. But Alice barked and Talana jumped back, too. Now they keep a skeptical eye on each other. Also, I'm policing them a bit more carefully, because that's pretty rude and I won't let Talana go around grabbing dogs. I am a little glad that she feels good enough to stake out a claim to her grass, though.
And I'll leave you with a picture of her, even though it's not the most recent. Here she is from late August, finally giving in and trying the mint in the backyard.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Spring is coming
I have always been a seeker of beautiful things. As a child, I changed my mind again and again about what kind of career I would have as a grown-up: artist, scientist, musician, gardener, writer. But for each possible path, I was drawn by the same thing. I wanted to spend my time examining the wonder and beauty of the world, and there are many ways to do that.
It is more difficult than I had hoped to keep that wonder in front of me. I have depression and anxiety that appeared when I was in high school. These things are not just words to me. They are more soul-crushing than any outside obstacle I will ever encounter in my search for wonder and joy. I turn inward, and can no longer see what is outside myself. I continue seeking, but I can not find what I am looking for until I am able to turn away from the broken-ness in my brain and body.
Perhaps those broken parts will never be completely fixed. I cultivate within myself the strength to reach out again and again because I know that even if I can't be mended, the world is out there and that is where I want to be. A broken person may still appreciate the sheer awesome power of the universe.
I came to Maine in part to seek out seasons. Glittering snow and ice in the winter, muddy earth in the spring, berries and wild greenery in the summer, and the winding down of the colorful and quiet autumn as the earth falls asleep. This natural clock stirs something in my heart. Somehow with all of the days of the year accounted for as the wheel turns either away from the previous season or toward the next, I find peace in the change. I am not stuck where I am now, because something else is coming. It is easier thus for me to turn my inner eye away from my hurts and toward the physical world in front of me.
I gave up mild winters in favor of shorter days and deeper cold, months in which the beauty lies in the contrast between brittle, unforgiving ice and the warmth of an orange fire. To me, the cold light of winter only makes the first heat of spring more meaningful. Winter is a passing season. Perhaps my hurts will also pass on to something more comfortable.
I set little store in the official first day of spring. It is not spring if the bulbs are not starting to sprout and the ground is still frozen. But I can tell spring is coming. I see the tawny leftovers of last year's grass through the snow. My hair is beginning to absorb the returning humidity and revert to its typical texture. Ice that has been seemingly permanently attached to the floor around the animals' water buckets suddenly allows itself to be pried loose.
The mud is coming. The little green points are coming. The wind is bringing liquid water, banishing the sharp crystalline shards that have scoured my face all winter. Shedding animals coat my gloves with fur. It may be cold now, but spring is coming. Spring is coming. Spring is coming.
It is more difficult than I had hoped to keep that wonder in front of me. I have depression and anxiety that appeared when I was in high school. These things are not just words to me. They are more soul-crushing than any outside obstacle I will ever encounter in my search for wonder and joy. I turn inward, and can no longer see what is outside myself. I continue seeking, but I can not find what I am looking for until I am able to turn away from the broken-ness in my brain and body.
Perhaps those broken parts will never be completely fixed. I cultivate within myself the strength to reach out again and again because I know that even if I can't be mended, the world is out there and that is where I want to be. A broken person may still appreciate the sheer awesome power of the universe.
I came to Maine in part to seek out seasons. Glittering snow and ice in the winter, muddy earth in the spring, berries and wild greenery in the summer, and the winding down of the colorful and quiet autumn as the earth falls asleep. This natural clock stirs something in my heart. Somehow with all of the days of the year accounted for as the wheel turns either away from the previous season or toward the next, I find peace in the change. I am not stuck where I am now, because something else is coming. It is easier thus for me to turn my inner eye away from my hurts and toward the physical world in front of me.
I gave up mild winters in favor of shorter days and deeper cold, months in which the beauty lies in the contrast between brittle, unforgiving ice and the warmth of an orange fire. To me, the cold light of winter only makes the first heat of spring more meaningful. Winter is a passing season. Perhaps my hurts will also pass on to something more comfortable.
I set little store in the official first day of spring. It is not spring if the bulbs are not starting to sprout and the ground is still frozen. But I can tell spring is coming. I see the tawny leftovers of last year's grass through the snow. My hair is beginning to absorb the returning humidity and revert to its typical texture. Ice that has been seemingly permanently attached to the floor around the animals' water buckets suddenly allows itself to be pried loose.
The mud is coming. The little green points are coming. The wind is bringing liquid water, banishing the sharp crystalline shards that have scoured my face all winter. Shedding animals coat my gloves with fur. It may be cold now, but spring is coming. Spring is coming. Spring is coming.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Napoleon the turkey, snowy feathers on snowy ground
This is Napoleon the turkey. Isn't he a lovely fellow?
.JPG)
Napoleon is not fond of humans, unfortunately. He has no wish to be petted, nor does he want to sit next to you in the sunshine and enjoy the day. But that's all right. Not everybody has to be cuddly.
In the morning when I open up his barn, I call out, "Napoleon! Pretty turkey, come out so I can give you breakfast!" He always answers with a bright and cheery turkey chuckle, then hops out of his little turkey-sized door and does his morning breakfast dance. He always sings to me, trilling and chuckling. I try not to get too close, because he likes to snick his head through the fence and steal my hat. Then he parades around with it like a dog, shaking it until he realizes it's no good to eat and drops it in the snow.
As I'm scooping up his meal and breaking the ice out of his bucket, I talk to him in a high sing-song voice so that he knows I'm working on it. It's hard for him to stand and wait for his food, so he keeps dancing and talking to me until it's ready. It only takes a minute, but to Napoleon it's ages and ages!
Most of us get a little raggedy this time of year. Fur is ready to shed out, feathers are getting worn and dirty. But somehow, Napoleon has kept himself clean and neat all winter. His bright feathers are as white as the snow. I wonder how long that will last once the snow has melted and the mud comes to replace it? For now, here are a couple more pictures of him, fluffed out like a giant snowflake.
In the morning when I open up his barn, I call out, "Napoleon! Pretty turkey, come out so I can give you breakfast!" He always answers with a bright and cheery turkey chuckle, then hops out of his little turkey-sized door and does his morning breakfast dance. He always sings to me, trilling and chuckling. I try not to get too close, because he likes to snick his head through the fence and steal my hat. Then he parades around with it like a dog, shaking it until he realizes it's no good to eat and drops it in the snow.
As I'm scooping up his meal and breaking the ice out of his bucket, I talk to him in a high sing-song voice so that he knows I'm working on it. It's hard for him to stand and wait for his food, so he keeps dancing and talking to me until it's ready. It only takes a minute, but to Napoleon it's ages and ages!
Most of us get a little raggedy this time of year. Fur is ready to shed out, feathers are getting worn and dirty. But somehow, Napoleon has kept himself clean and neat all winter. His bright feathers are as white as the snow. I wonder how long that will last once the snow has melted and the mud comes to replace it? For now, here are a couple more pictures of him, fluffed out like a giant snowflake.
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