getting braver?

Friday before I left for puhinui, I had a short ride on Sampson....just got on, walked, trotted and cantered, both reins, then some more trots and a halt. All good!

Today (sunday) had another short ride when I got back from Puhinui....again, walk trot canter both reins....then got off before he even so much as thought about mischief.

If I can stay brave and simply 'ride' him, and trust that I can deal with whatever he does, I think we will progress. Still frustrating though, given how he had been going....oh well; that's horses I guess.

Frustration!

Had a few skedaddles at trot today, and then a frustration buck as I basically had him so it was difficult to skedaddle!

Getting really frustrated, as it seems I will never be back to where I was with him, and able to just trot (or canter) normally. It is like I have to have him in a head lock, mincing along to be in a position to prevent him 'doing' anything. He is just so strong (and very quick for a big horse), that as soon as I give him an inch, he is gone, and we are skedaddling and leaping.

I seem to recall a time when we could trot normally with no drama (and the biggest problem was keeping him going forward!)... right now, I think I would be thankful if our only problem was that he was hard work!

Oh well, we will keep plugging away at it.

The injury must be pretty itchy now, as he has wrecked the gamgee most days now, and has made the wound bleed despite which it still shows improvement every day. He also tries to bite at it sometimes while riding. However, very pleased with the healing.

Disengaging

Today we learned how to disengage.
We also worked on simply standing.
And moving our shoulders over when asked.
All at the walk, and even so, every now and then he packed a wee sad....into disengagement stance, standing still, relax, and then we behave ourselves.

I will be working on that for the next week, so that he becomes weaker in his resistance, and I become stronger. The disengagement also gives me a tool for when I get into that 'what if' mode, rather than clutching at the reins, leaning forward and tensing.

There will be moments where I have to simply be brave, and we will get through this current phase. As I have said before, he is too nice a horse not to learn how to ride him.

I am now feeling a lot more positive that the current phase can indeed be overcome.
Perhaps we can even think about aiming at Kaurilands again?

The injury continues to heal nicely, however I wonder if it is becoming very itchy, as his dressing although still attached, was munted, and he has also made the injury bleed each day lately...so some energetic rolling and itching going on I think.

I hate being a Nanna!

Sampson seems to have come back into work really feeling his oats. He is a lot more forward - before his injury he could be hard work, and now a little squeeze and he goes up into trot...good really I guess....if I werent so worried about being carted off into the distance.

However, he has also become quite herd bound, and spends most of his time thinking about getting back to his friends (he was kept with Kit prior to his accident, who was bottom of the pecking order, but now he is in with the herd leader).

There have been several leapy boundy moments, and he is also very spooky (although I am picking that that is simply an excuse to get the better of me).

The problem with being an old nanna, in addition to being a 'what if' person, is that, quite frankly, I am becoming quite scared to ride him. Of course, he is revelling in my timidity!

Very frustrating, as just before his injury, I was on top of his little nappy moments, and happy to ride him in whatever paddock, including cantering etc.

Yesterday there was just one nappy moment which I dealt with. I didnt much like the trotting ... one fart, two farts, tense up, and woohoooo....I think I did just about manage a semi normal trot at one stage.

Today, we had a spin round take off in leapy boundy 'things' (twice). Although I did get past whatever monster he was imagining. However, my attempt at trotting was aborted several times....he would grunt, tense up, go sideways, and eeeeek - poor nanna was terrified. I finished the ride having managed to get two circles of trot.

Common sense tells me that I am not going to fall off, I can actually deal with whatever he does (I just need to be brave), and that he is simply trying me out - rather than him being a psycho pony. ... but.... its an awfully long way up!

SJ look-see

Took the pony to the local mini circuit with Willie, just to have a look around (hadn't planned on riding him).

He would alternate between being pretty relaxed while wandering around, to being a real handfull - leaping about, and I think he reared at one stage also. Basically he is a bit full of himself, and was also, I think, being nappy....just wanted to go back to his friend and tried to use his size to argy bargy me. Funny how when he was walking in one direction, poles falling and jumps crashing had no effect, yet in the other direction it was cause for leaping about, and at one stage passaging!

However, I guess at least I took him out.

Took his vest and everything off and let him run naked (wound and all) this afternoon. When I rode this afternoon I remembered why I prefer to have him covered....with a cover the bite marks show. Without a cover, there is blood drawn!

Had my first (tentative) trot since his injury today. I was very nervous, and he felt like he could do a bit of anything. He was definitely thinking about getting back to his mates, and it didnt help that Willie was trotting round like a demented flea while a bot fly chased him.

However, no disasters and we both survived.

One month on...

.....
And I am back on him again.
Chickened out yesterday as it was very windy and he was extremely unsettled. However, I did put all his gear on him and do some work from the ground....yes, we DO leave your friends, and yes, we do STOP when asked...etc....a few moments of leaping about, but I guess he has been through a lot recently.

Got on him today and he was absolutely fine: just did some work at the walk - halting, standing and moving off when asked.

And here is the difference in his wound from 11.02.09 to today 10.03.09 (basically one month)

04.03.09

Well he didnt bleed to death, thank goodness, although there had obviously been a lot of bleeding during the night judging by the sodden packing and dried blood everywhere. It was not however still bleeding this morning. I simply changed his covers and left it for inspection later this evening at which time I gave it a saline syringe, squirted more honey into it and changed the dressing.

Photos show the wound tonight, and you can see the thickness of the flap. He will obviously be left with a big lumpy step on his shoulder once fully healed.

I am pleased with the look of it in general though, and can see still further healing.

03.03.09 - blood fest again

The vet came back this afternoon to cut off the flaps.
(I won't say what happened to the flaps - which were the size and thickness of a good steak and a smaller scotch fillet- and blood)

They were a good inch thick, which has now left a 'door step' down to the wound area. It is hard to envisage it ever getting flatter. I think it eventually will even up a little, but he will definitely be left with an area with a bit of a step down.

I didnt take photos as we were more concerned with trying to stem the flow of blood: LOTS of little bleeders, all spurting!

Unfortunately at 6.30 pm (over four hours later) it was still bleeding, and so there were lovely big chunks of red jelly hanging from his leg as the blood congealed....NICE!

Not sure if I should be worried or not, but I guess he shouldnt bleed to death overnight??

If it is not still spurting in the morning, I will leave the dressings as they are until evening, at which stage I will then change them and take photos.

I did ask the vet if it would be ok to ride him (obviously only at walk to start), and she thought it would be a good idea, and to also leave it open while I ride to allow the air to get at it. Not sure how I feel about riding him with a large wound in sight, although I may not be able to see it clearly from on top anyway - although I am sure I will see the door step!