Sweet 13!

Not me! Greta! (This blog is about her, after all. Who cares about the horse's human slave?)

Sadly, I was not able to get any pictures. I was a total fail as far as going through with the little party I had planned. No "My Little Pony" hats, no carrot cake, no people and horsey friends getting together. Oops. It was Saturday, I had a portfolio review, yadda-yadda-yadda, excuses, excuses.

But because she had been inside for a few days during her birthday due to the MORE rain we've been getting (I really don't mind it at all, it means hay prices will go down next year which will mean a lot of horse-related prices might go down too!) so she enjoyed getting out and about. The ground was almost dry, so we did do some schooling outside the covered arena, which she always likes! My new riding crusade is to NOT ride so much from my hands. I read, and it has worked, to keep your seat centered, your leg contact consistent, outside rein steady and following, and give and take with the inside rein. Don't force the horse onto the bit, let them figure it out. Greta's been figuring it out, although because she's used to being ridden more from the hands tries to take this to her advantage by not going the extra mile and just bringing her head up and counterflexed with the outside rein pressure. Yeah, nice try, honey :) But it's just trial and error, it won't happen overnight. But nonetheless, we are still making progress!

Also, Saturday: when I brought her out, she was walking fine, chipper as usual. I go to clean out her back feet and I notice that her legs had filled up just above the fetlock to around mid-cannon. My heart began to race, I feel the mild swelling. No heat, no pain, nothing. I put some liniment gel on it, I thought "I'll see how she is after a extra long walk warm-up." And her legs went down to cool and tight. Still uneasy, I asked the BM and she said "She was probably tying up from being in for a few days." Wow, I'm smart.

I keep checking in on them everyday and they have not seemed to be causing her any problems, nor have they swelled up again. So that was weird. And then I brushed her teeth today (yes, I do that twice a month because it'll keep her chompers around for a longer time) and there was something like a raw spot above one of her inscisors. I pressed on it, no pain, no pus nothing. She's been eating fine, taking the bit fine. But I'm still keeping an eye on it, making sure it doesn't swell or become infected or anything. Perhaps I am just a worrywart?

AND Greta and I have moved to the team tack room. Getting my stuff in and out is so much more easier and it gives me an excuse to make her a tack trunk to put in front of her stall. I feel so fancy :)

I would like to think Greta feels the same, but she could probably care less. I do love how she'll stick her head into the tack room (it's like a walk-in closet) to just watch me. Today she let me ride her in from the other side of the pasture to the gate with just a halter and seat aids. And then she let me groom her and tack her up while not being tied to anything. Yes, I break the rules here and there, but the point is that the trust between the two of us is flattering!

Here is the tack trunk so far, all it needs now is the protective coats sprayed on all over the outside and insid. It's actually a 50-year-old army footlocker. If you look closely on the bottom of the lid, it reads the locker's serial number and "US ARMY". Stamped on the top was "U.S." but... we painted over that. Greta wouldn't last a DAY in the army :)