Back In The Saddle & Separation

I am happy to report, that I am finally back in the saddle!!! HIP HIP HORRAY!!!!!! Saturday was the first time I actually rode since November, and man did it feel oh so good! It feels amazing to finally have the motivation to work my horses again, I feel like myself again!

Though I just got back in the saddle earlier this month, I have been working the horses consistently since the ground finally thawed out. As much as I wanted to get back in the saddle, I decided to wait. Since Nosey had been out of work for so long, he really had no muscle, so to speak, so due to his lack of muscle, I decided that it wouldn't be fair to him, to make him carry my weight. So, instead I have been lounging the Noseman to build his muscle back up. I've been lounging him 5-6 times a week, in just his halter, doing lots of transitions, change of direction, and backing up.....well as best as he can, he knows what I'm asking of him, but he is very reluctant to do it, I attribute this to his lack of muscles.

With the lounging 5-6 times a week, I am definitely starting to see a difference in him, both in how he looks and in his attitude. He seems like he is much happier, more youthful, like he's feeling good. I think he is enjoying to be back to work, happy to have a job to do again, and I'm happy as well, I'm happy to have my boy back (though he never went anywhere), he is the reason for my love and passion of horses. Having him back in work, I am really enjoying riding again and I'm actually looking forward to it everyday!

I Love my Noseman <3

As for Miss Wind..... Ahhhh Miss Wind, I don't know what I'm gonna do with that girl. So, as you all know I have been having issues with Wind and her attitude changes, with her being aggressive and all since last November and how we thought it was Lyme Disease, but that came back as negative. So we really don't know what is causing her issues, all I can say is that she has gotten 10x's worse, especially since she went into heat three weeks ago and the bad thing is, is that she has yet to come out of heat......I finally made a call to Tufts Ambulatory Services and they are coming out on Wednesday the 30th to check her out....I know, I know took me long enough. I think that the reason that it took me so long to make the call, is that I was a little afraid that something major is going to be wrong with her, and that the only solution is going to be something that I can't afford and I'm going to wind up loosing my girly. I know I'm being crazy and over thinking things like usual, but I just can't help it. So we shall see what the 30th brings, and hopefully it will be good news! *fingers crossed*

So, about three weeks ago, I had to separate Nosey and Wind into their own paddocks. They had been turned out together for about a year now, and last summer they seemed like they were starting to really get along. Now Nosey and Wind have always had a strong love/hate relationship, but since Wind starting to have these problems she had become mean towards Nosey and I, but this last month she has become down right aggressive towards us, like she's out for blood, and when her and Nosey got into really bad fight, that was the last straw, and I separated them.

**I am behind on my posts, hopefully I will be able to catch up this coming week and tell you all about our awesome Easter ride, and what else we've been up to!**

It Never Ends...

It's been awhile. For some reason I am just not good at keeping up with this thing lol, but I swear I am going to really try to make regular posts.

So, just like everyone else living in this Wintery hell, I'm sick of it, it just seems like it's never going to end. Everything around here is either a sheet of ice or a foot of hard crunchy snow, and it's making everything miserable. I mean you know that Winter has overstayed it's welcome when the animals don't want to play in it. My poor dogs (Zoey and Mini) are having such a hard time finding a place to go to the bathroom, because they are having trouble walking on the hard snow. The horses who LOVE the snow, are sick of it as well. When I let them out of the barn in the morning, they stop look at the snow/ice and sigh before walking the rest of the way into the paddock. Me, I've always hated the Winter, I don't find anything fun about freezing temperatures, hard ground, snow, ice, and whatever else comes with Winter. The worst part about the Winter, I can't ride, not cool, I haven't ridden since November.

Of course even if the weather and ground wasn't the way it is, I still wouldn't be able to ride both of the horses. I'd be able to get Nosey going and start getting him back in shape, but not the princess. So, Miss Wind is having issues once again! It seems like it never ends when it comes to this mare and health issues, if it's not one thing it's another. I just want to enjoy my horse and not have to worry about whats wrong with her this time, and the cost that comes with figuring it out. Its all so frustrating, I haven't had a good year without an issue, with this horse since 2010.

The problem this time, started about in November, when Wind began having intermittent, shifting lameness. At first I chalked it up to her just having an episode of tying up, but after giving her time and following the protocol I have for when she does have an episode, there was no improvement. Over time other symptoms started showing up. She became sensitive to touch all over, but she was especially sore in back/loin area, and would drop to the floor at the slightest touch. The other symptom that showed up, which is the biggest one, is that Wind has become VERY moody, and not just mare moody, she has become aggressive, aggressive towards both people and Nosey. She's constantly pinning her ears flat back, baring her teeth, trying to bite and kick. The biggest thing about her aggression is that she is viciously going after Nosey, especially when he is down trying to roll, it's very scary, she's come close to seriously hurting him a few times. Now this behavior is very much out of the norm for Wind, we have always joked and said that Wind is a Gelding stuck in a Mares body.

 All of her symptoms, were those of a horse with Lyme Disease, so I decided to have the vet out and pull a Lyme titer. The vet agreed that it could be Lyme, and that the test was a good start. He also said that if is not Lyme Disease there is a possibility that it could be Ovarian Tumors, which commonly causes the horse to act like an aggressive Stallion.

Today I received the results of Miss Wind's Lyme titer, it came back negative. It's horrible to say, but I really wish that it came back positive, cause if it did I would at least  know what is wrong with her and we could begin treatment and be on our merry way to getting back to work. So, now we are back at square one, and have to do more diagnostics to try and figure out what the issue is. The next step is to test for the Ovarian Tumors, and if it's not that then I don't know what would be next, but hopefully we will be able to get some answers soon, since I am going to use Tufts for the rest of the diagnostic testing. So, keep your fingers crossed and I shall keep you all updated.

Born To Run!

I had it in my plans to ride Miss Wind today, but as it always seems to do my plans didn't go exactly as planed. Technically riding Wind was the only thing that I didn't get to do today, hehehe. 

First thing I had to do today was go to campus(URI), on my day off, to help proctor an exam at 11am. So, I drive 45 minutes one way to school, hop on one of the shuttle buses and get to the lecture hall only to find out that the exam had been rescheduled to next week. Ugh, I drove all that way and wasted a 1/4 of a tank of gas for nothing. Oh well, back home I go. 

My Noseman, first time under saddle in quite a long time

I didn't get to ride Miss Wind today because I promised Nosey (my Quarter Horse Gelding, my first horse) that I would take him for a ride today. So, by the time I got all my barn chores done and rode Nosey, I was rapidly losing daylight. Though she didn't get to work under saddle, she did get to blow off some steam in the ring.

Yippie Mom opened the gate!!

Right after I got home from URI, I went and pulled off their blankets, since it was going up into the 50's today, and I let the two of them out into the ring to play! Their favorite thing to do!!!

They say you can take the girl out of the honky-tonk, but you can't take the honky-tonk out of the girl. Well, you can take the Thoroughbred off the race track, but you can't take the race track out of the Thoroughbred. Though Wind's been off the track since December 1, 2008, there are times that you would never know it. She was definitely Born To Run!

She LOVES it!! When she gets running, you best make sure you stay out of her way (I learned that the hard way last year, when she slammed into me going at least 35 mph and sent me flying. Not Fun!) The moment I opened the gate between the paddock and the ring, the two of them went flying down the hill and into the ring. Nosey chased her once around the ring before stoping to roll about 5 or 6 times in the snow, but did Miss Wind stop or even slow down?!?! NOPE. She just kept running and running, and bucking and rearing. She kept going for about a good 5 minutes before stopping for a minute to roll in the cold snow.

So, though I didn't get to ride her today, she did get to blow off some steam, and she got a nice grooming!  

Monkey see, Monkey do!

Synchronized rolling, and 1, 2, 3...up 

My Handsome Nosey Boy

My pretty Girl!!!!

        

First Time Blogger

My first post on my first blog, this must be the hardest post to write, where to begin, where to begin?!?!?! Well I suppose a good place to start is with an introduction. 

My name is Cassie, and this blog is about the adventures and happenings in the life of my mare Wind and I. Sharing out ups and our down, our progress in training, both forward and backwards, our adventures at competitions, whether  we are victorious or not, and anything else that will come along, like they always do when you live in a life with horses. 

So, a little about Miss Wind! Wind In The Forest, or Wind for short is a 2003 Off The Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) Mare. Wind was born on May 19, 2003 at Rojan Farms in New York. Wind is by Forest Camp, out of Even The Wind by Irish Tower. Her whole pedigree can be found here: http://www.pedigreequery.com/wind+in+the+forest2

Baby Wind (1.5-2 years old)

Forest Camp (Wind's Sire)

Forest Camp (Wind is a spitting image of her papa)

Wind started a total of 27 times, earning a total of $97,434, she raced at every track in New York, but mostly she raced at Finger Lakes Racing Course. Wind's racing career ended on December 1, 2008 where she won by great lengths. Wind and I came together on February 1, 2008 where I payed a whopping $1.00 for her, and she was mine all mine!! 

It was Love at first sight <3

Wind and I have been through a lot the past 5 years, but our battles with training problems, injuries and lameness issues, have made us stronger as individuals and has made our bond stronger than ever.

Together Wind and I primarily train and compete in Eventing, but we are always game to try our "hoof" in any discipline that we come across. This year, we are really hoping to get back into the show ring, finances and training/health provided. So, I hope y'all will join Wind and I on our journey together, as we bond, grow, train and show.