Routine

Thanks to the world of smart phone technology - Ben has been on a regimen. I downloaded an interval timer app that allows me to build workouts and play them - so it takes the guess work out of timing each workout. 

It has been amazing for Ben - his trot has gotten much more rhythmic and balanced, and his muscling and shine is astounding.

The other day I worked a wee bit on having him walk over poles, so he'd have to bend his knees a few times. 

All in all, he's been doing very well. Work is light, but regular, which seems to be really benefiting him.

Updates

Ben - "Always use protekshun"

Lack of updates, I know! Ben has been off of work- the week after his first lesson, he came up quite lame and blew a fairly large abscess, which needed time to heal. Closely following that episode, he then came down with some viral/cold that swept through the barn and got every horse under 5 sick.

He's doing much better now, and this weekend we'll have another lesson *knock on wood*

I do have a bit of a fun post that has been delayed for some time now...hopefully within the week I can post it and ya'll can have a great laugh!

That Makes Two

Well, Ben has been off for almost a week due to a huge abscess that took hold of his left front hoof. On Saturday he came in from turnout practically 3 legged lame, and his pastern, fetlock and bottom half of cannon was completely swollen. The next day it blew out his heel.

He is pretty much back to normal, just keeping the exit wound clean and letting him move around naturally. Friday I will work with him and see if he might be ready for a lesson on Sunday.

Videos- Don't Laugh!

Ben and I had a dressage lesson yesterday. It was very good- we basically worked on some very basic concepts at both the walk, and then some trot. We were both quite tired at the end of it. Right now it is a lot of work to keep Mr. Ben going!

As I said in one of the videos below- I hope that one day I can look back at these and laugh. This is one horse that makes me feel like I Cannot. Ride.At.All. He's a really big mover, and is behind the leg and has very little stability - which makes me feel like I am thrown all over the place even though I am supposed to be the centered one for us both right now. I will say, watching these videos, it feels much worse than it looks, which gives me hope!

Isn't he the cutest lil Standardbred ever??

Guest Blogger

Hi Folks. Ben here. Mom said she didn't have time to write updates on me. I told her I'd take care uf it being as I'm not doing much this week. See, the humans here think we horses don't like mud, so they are keeping us inside while they hide it under bunch of roks. I tries to tell them that mud is the very best thing ah-round, but no one listens to a 3 year old. I already has plans to dig it back up when I can get outs there.

Mom said to be sure to tell you alls that she's start giving me stuff to help with my colicks. I dont really know what that is. She says she gots it for a good price, which is important because I am always hungry so I eats a lot of monies.

But back to the more important things. I's doing okay. We have lots of treats and foods stocked up. Last weekend Mom rubbed my butt with this thing she said cost 4 dollars, which at first I thought hey - lets buy more important things like foods...but then she used it on my butt and I said to her - hey go buy 2 more. Best scratches ever, you should buys them for your horses too.

All is Well Update

Ben seems to have recovered from his recent colic episode. Last night I got talking to a new boarder who offered to try some cranial-sacral work on Ben, to see if it will help him NOT have future colic episodes.  She mentioned that at the very least, it could benefit him given the recent growth spurt he's had over the last 8 months. I am so grateful for the offer, and I think it will do him a world of good.



ETA: The Ouchie Leg ended up being an abscess. Go figure.

Mild Colic

On Friday morning, Ben colicked. It was mild, and luckily (if there is such a thing) the onset happened while the vet was already en route to our barn for our annual fall visit. So within 30 minutes of detection, Ben was palp'd, sedated, and tubed. He seemed to come out of it fine, and within an hour or so he was his spunky self.

I did mention to the vet that he colicked earlier in the year just before he came stateside- and he said that was was a little concerning- 2 colics in one year is not good, and to definitely keep an eye on him.