ANNIVERSARY (of sorts) & Body Work #2

One year ago, was my first ride on Miss Pia. After a long weekend of touring branches and doing some smiling, waving and employee training, The Boy and I pulled into a farm about an hour south of home and checked P out for the first time.  I'd love to say that we've made huge leaps and bounds, but realistically, we're sort of clawing our way back to where she was this time last year.

We have managed to build a bit of a bond and we have overcome some HUGE obstacles, so those definitely go firmly in the "success" column.

Did I think we'd be schooling more movements? sure, did I think we'd be jumping? yeah... but I also didn't count on a neurological disorder, 3 months off, and a serious attitude adjustment.

All in all, P is healthy.  She's stronger, moving bigger and (most importantly) sound.  I'm learning more about myself and my own expectations/boundaries and both of us are supremely happy at a barn where good care is never in question and we have a strong support group.  We're getting there.  I looked at the calendar recently and realized that had we gone through with our scheduled spinal surgery, P would JUST not be getting ready to come off of stall rest.

Can you imagine!??

She'd be getting ready to finish 6 months of stall rest and I would be getting ready to die.  I mean really.  We all saw what happened with 2 weeks off in September with her little tendon scare.  SIX MONTHS.  She would absolutely annihilate me trying to get back to work.

So yes.  I'm thankful I don't have a cooped up marewolf/dragon thing on my hands, and I'm thankful that we still have Supermom to keep us on track.  Things are pretty good.

Aside from a few more treats, P couldn't ask for much more... and aside from a few less bruises, neither could I.

Happy (sorta) Anniversary Mareface.  I still like having you around :)

Pretty Mare...

On the actual training/riding side of things, the mare's unplanned vacation continues.  Partially from my work load and partially from her own spa days.

Friday was our follow-up Rolf session to readdress her right hind and see what progress we made.  Body Work Lady (BWL), said that P was a lot looser than she was two weeks ago, which is a great sign.  At least her leg isn't so screwed up that it's immediately snapping back to its stuck/tight/tense position.  BWL worked the right hind again then also made some progress up along P's spine which in theory will assist with unlocking that right hind and help make it easier to engage and eventually muscle up that leg.

P was very friendly the entire time.  She got a bit bored, and tried to chew her way threw the cross ties, but when she wasn't fussing with that, she was calm, dopey and yawning like a... baby?

BWL said that P was much less reactive at her pressure points and way less cranky about being worked on.  So that was a glimmer of progress being made.

On the other end of the leg, P's feet get trimmed today.  So hopefully we can start to undo more of the "uneven" right hind, which should help reinforce the changes that BWl is making from her end..

Work continues to explode in my face with all sorts of terminations, sales disasters, cranky customers and new lines to take on.  SO, off I go this week, over the mountains, up to Canada and perhaps EVEN a quick trip to California (though sadly, not for shopping...).

I'm hoping to be able to play with the mare on Wednesday and Thursday, but that all depends on the gods of the airline industry and them smiling down on me.

The barn has been gorgeous this past week.  The dusting of snow has been just enough to make everything sparkle, without freezing the ring or causing too many difficulties (aside from a high level of finger dexterity in the cold...).

I'll be thinking fondly of it for the next couple of days and can't wait to get back on track later this week and weekend.