Challenge Finished.

Challenge Finished. 

 On top of the hill for our 30th challenge ride.

Day 90/91/92/93/94/95:

Phew!  Its been a busy week and a half, time kept getting away from me and my postings.  However, I should be back on track this week.  Most of my last few rides and sessions have been with both mares.  Working on them walking together, gearing them up to have Opal pony Ehawee.  Most rides were shorter as to keep them happy with each other in close quarters.  They seem to be catching on quickly.  The results was a nice little ride around the arena.

 Ponying in the arena.

 

Opal and I also finished our 12 week riding challenge this week with 30 rides and 55 horsemanship hours!  This has really taught me something about her.  She's not an arena horse.  in fact, she really doesn't like it all that much.  She listens, but given the chance she will walk right into the center of the ring and stop.  No glitzy western pleasure classes for us.  She's also not the fastest mover, while I can get her to move out, it takes a lot of work, so I guess no serious gymkhana for us either.  

I am fine with not doing either of those.  I think she's going to be a great trail and trail trial horse.  I can't wait to discover exactly what lights her up. 

The mares both had their feet done this week as well.  Opal only had an attitude on her last leg, which is a good improvement.  Ehawee's hoof is all better and there's only the slightest bit of the cut on her hoof from her injury January 2013.  I'm so glad she pulled through that.

With the weather being warmer, and Opal just now starting to shed, I braided her mane today and hosed off her legs to help keep her cool.  It was VERY sunny and 75 out today (YAY!  No more winter!)

 First time with a braid and lots of fluff coming off.

Opal also gave one of my students Sarah a ride today.  The two of them had a nice ride.  Even if Opal didn't want to ride the rail and would have preferred socializing with her friend Mustang Sancho, owned by Mairalaina Batoog.

 Sarah riding Opal.

Ehawee is still working with Linda on ground work, and the two of them have started to work on lounging!  Ehawee goes through the motions, but Linda is thrilled with the slightest improvement in her personal performance and is a wonderful student.  Ehawee also gives rides a few days a week to her loving kid, my Daughter.  She loves her pony.  We're practicing our riding skills for a lead line class in a few weekends.  

 Riding Ehawee.

12 week challenge 

DONE!

Total hours: 55

Rides: 30

10 rides to go!

10 rides to go!

Giving loves from the fence.

Day 87/88/89:

Well, we got hit with a lot of rain over several days.  Don't get me wrong, we need it, it just kills my riding time and resurrects stall mucking time.  I love the rain, just not the mess it makes.  However, when life gives you lemons, throw one back and say 'Fine!  I'll do my OWN thing!'

 Much needed rain brings not so much needed mud.

 

Big puddles in the arena, avoid riding or training tool?  As long as the footing is ok (I always walk the arena after a rain) I say use it to your advantage.  The other option is to run a hose for hours during the summer, and that's wasteful, and we're in a drought.  Opal and I have had a few rides over the week and a half, but I managed to shoot a video of her ride today.  We hit ride #20 for our challenge, only 10 more to go!  Most of our rides are spent working to keep her on the rail in the direction I'm wanting her to go and not the way she want to go.  She also listens well to my Daughter when she rides.  

12 week challenge 

Total hours: 45

Rides: 20

Ehawee is coming around nicely and is due to have her feet trimmed this month, which will remove the last little chip from her injury last January.  My Daughter loves her pony.

 

40 hour goal reached!

40 hour goal reached!

Opal likes to visit with my Daughter.

Day 82/83/84/85/86:

Wow, did this week go by fast!  The week was filled with lots of sun shine and riding.  In fact as of today Opal and I have hit our 40 hour mark for our 12 week riding challenge!   We now only need 15 more rides to complete it.

Given the chance, Opal will walk right off the rail and walk over to my daughter in her wagon or stroller and stop to visit with her.  I love that she loves my kid so much, but it creates a challenge sometimes when we're on the rail at a walk or trot and she tries to walk into the middle of the arena.  She's doing a little better with me on that issue because I put my leg on and open my outside rein.  Sometimes we trot the whole length of the arena at a near side pass.  One thing at a time.

Hey kid.

Opal worked in the arena with Greg and his Mustang Amigo this week as well.   Opal got to follow my at liberty while I set up a pole exercise to work the horses over.  My daughter really wanted to ride again, so I put her up on Opal once I was done working with her.  Opal walks so nicely with my Daughter on her back.  I love that they both love each other.

 In the arena.

Giving kids rides makes Opal sleepy.

Today a couple of my good friends came out to visit and play with the mares.  After a quick hack, I let them walk around the arena on them and when Ehawee was almost done, my daughter got to ride her.  Ehawee listened like a pro, walking and halting each time my daughter asked.  I love these mares.  

 Beautiful day for a ride.

Opal will now roll right next to me and allow me to pet her belly while she is on the ground.  It takes a lot of trust form both parties to do this and safety is key.  I love seeing her have a good roll, even if I cant give her a bath for a bit longer.  Is it summer yet??

 My Daughter riding her horse Ehawee.

12 week challenge 

Total hours: 40

Rides: 15

Recovery

Recovering from Colic

 I got goodies in the mail this week!  

The Necklace (left) is Opal's brand number on the front and name on the back from Get Nailed Horse Jewlery.  

Check their site out.  www.getnailedjewelry.com

The painting (right) was part of a challenge for a fellow blogger who paints a watercolor of a mustang each day.  

Linda L. Martin asked for new images a few weeks back and she painted Opal for me. 

Check her site out at www.mustangadaychallenge.blogspot.com 

Day 80/81:

It's been several years since I've had one of my horses colic....guess I was due...I still don't care for it.  I hate seeing my animals not feeling well.  On the bright side, Opal is feeling much better.   She's had an easy week of walks, light grazing on the new green grass, and psyllium with her mash.  She was feeling more like herself each day.  

She gave me a startle Thursday when I put her back in her pasture.  She decided to lay down.  I walked out to her and she stayed down, something she had not EVER done until her colic.  She sat up so she was on her belly, let me love all over her while she was laying down, and eventually got up and went looking for her bucket of goodies she gets at the end of the day.  I think someone was just sun bathing.  However, she did stay down with me over her back rubbing her belly and loving on her.  Colic isn't the way I had hoped this would have happened, but at least she will stay down for me now.  

 Happy mustangs.

Friday Greg brought his new horse trailer to the ranch.  We spend the afternoon loading Opal and Amigo (Gerg's mustang) in and out of the trailer until they were comfortable being in both spots in the rig.

Patrice loading and unloading your horse often at home so they are ready when you're ready to hit the road.

By Saturday I could tell Opal was 100% back to normal and was feeling herself once again.  I decided I'd ride her Sunday morning.  I didn't want to over due Opal's first ride back, so I borrowed a bareback pad to ride her.  We've never done bareback prior to today.  She did wonderfully.  While I rode Opal, Sarah Takahashi rode Ehawee and we both managed to sneak in a few pictures of the other riding.  It was a perfect day for it!  

 What's this thing Mom?

 Photos by Sarah Takahashi

Sarah riding Ehawee.

I fell behind recording a few of my hours and ride this week and last.  20 more rides to go and 6 more hours.  Going to have to start doubling up on rides.

 

12 week challenge 

Hours logged this week: 7

Total hours: 34

Rides: 10

 

That dreaded "C" word....colic!

That dreaded "C" word....colic!

Testing manure for sand to check for sand colic.

Day 78/79:

First real nice day since it rained, and boy, were all the horses happy to get out.  After some time to stretch and graze, I worked with Opal on being around clippers.  She tolerated it alright, letting me trim a few of her whiskers, but not totally thrilled with the buzzing sound still.  

Opal started laying down in her pasture, what I thought was sun bathing.  She would get up when  I came into her pasture, eat her carrots, greet anyone who came by to say hi to her.  After getting home a few hours later, I received a call that Opal was laying down again and not acting like herself.  Sleeping bag, blankets, and jackets packed I headed out to the barn to take care of my sick pony.

After giving Opal some medicine to start helping her feel better, she laid down again.  I sat with her, right next to her head and massaged her ears.  This was the first time she let me sit right next to her while she was laying down, I'm glad she felt comfortable enough with me to let me be that close to her even while she wasn't feeling good.  A hour after giving her meds, she got right up and started moving around, then started wanting food.  After talking with my vet, I started with a bran  mash, and eventually gave her some of her hay.  She ended up with one pile of poop before I went home, which I put in a ziplock bag with water to see if there was any sand in it.  Happily, there was very little.

When I left at 1am she had been spending time sleeping and acting normal.  At 6 a.m. she was given her breakfast and was hungry.  

Opal last night (top) and this morning (bottom).

When I arrived at 10 a.m. she had 3 piles of poop, YAY!  This morning she was moving around, searching for more food.  I fed her the remaining of her breakfast and more mash between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Her mash was mixed with nearly a gallon of water and her hay was sprinkled into water, I wanted to make sure she had a good amount of water before I went home for the day.  Opal was definitely feeling like herself, looking all over for more food and treats.  I'm keeping her in the green pen one more day to monitor her intake and output so I can make sure things are moving along still.

Mom, I'm still hungry...MOM!  MORE FOOD PLEASE!  I'll eat the cookie in your hand.

I hate colic, but at least it wasn't raining last night and Opal is on the mend.