Everyone needs a pat on the back - horses included

It's amazing how happy a 'pat on the back' can make me. I am usually pretty sure of myself (JP begs to differ) but without the 'big wins' from my former corporate life I admit I sometimes crave some validation, or at least positive feedback. No, Remy, your feedback of giving me the hoof doesn't count!

Today I received a super nice email from a participant of the workshop I gave, telling me how much she and the other participants enjoyed it.  In addition, Sarah also rides Major, the therapy horse I have been working on. Major went from tense, tight and sometimes crabby to relaxed and happy. That just made my day! I am celebrating with a glass of champagne as I am writing this :-)

Yes, I should know that I am doing a good job, but still - it's important to get that positive feedback.

How often do we see horses that try their heart out and it's never good enough? One more time, one more time... until frustration sets it. I read the analogy of the rider asking "What day is it?", the horse answers "Tuesday". Rider asks again "What day is it?", horse says "August 13th". Rider asks "What day is it?", Horse says "August 13, 2019".... all correct answers, and still the rider asks. And one wonders why the horse gets frustrated! A pat on the back for the first answer "Tuesday" would have gone a long way.

Remy and Chambord got more than pats on the backs today. They each had a full bodywork session. Now my champagne clouded mind asks... what about me?? I knew it's Sunday :-)

Is the onion finally peeled? - and a fun evening

Well, Roz and I have been carefully peeling the onion (Remy), and it seems we finally have a nice, clean result - without even shedding tears!

Chiropractic: Check
Bodywork: Check
Adjusted training: Check
New Bit: Check

The last layer was addressed yesterday: Saddle fit. I had the inkling that it was too tight in his shoulders again, as Remy was a bit reluctant to reach out. It also put me in a position I didn't quite like. Nothing dramatic, mind you, but Remy and I are just such "Princess and Princess on the Pea". So Luanne to the rescue! And sure enough, she confirmed that Remy had gained another centimeter over the withers which skewed the saddle fit. The difference the adjustment made was astonishing.
Yay, we might just be in full business again!

Last night I gave an "Intro to Equine Bodywork and Bladder Meridian Workshop" at Therapeutic Riding Inc. in Ann Arbor. What a great group of staff and volunteers: Interested, engaged, friendly, fun. And my demo horse, Major, was just a ham. He clearly enjoyed the audience of about 30+ people. I had worked on Major before, so I was familiar with him. Nevertheless, working with a horse in front of an audience is never a guarantee that things go according to plan. But Major was game (actually he seemed disappointed when it ended) and I left tired but very happy.

Check out www.therapeuticridinginc.org to learn more about this wonderful organization.

Barn improvements before home improvements - and practising LSD on the trails (no, it's not what you think!)

JP LOVES barn improvements. While the inside of our house is patiently (way more so than I) waiting for paint improvements, the barn not only received a completely new color scheme (from 'Michigan Barn Red' to grey with black accents), the boys also got large windows. Well, what can I say... if the two and four-legged boys are happy life is good!

Barn door with the new color scheme 

Horse portraits carved in wood - just one of JPs many talents

"What's JP up to now??"

"Hey, what's going on out there??"

So, what's up with "LSD"? you might wonder. It's what we did today and we had a great time :-). It stands for Long Slow Distance, and it's part of our riding/conditioning program. Growing up in Germany it was standard for everyone at the barn to go  "ausreiten" (hacking), in addition to the dressage and jumping lessons. The Sunday group outing "Sonntagsausritt" was always a lot of fun (we added SF to it: short, fast work) and the ride concluded invariably in the "Reiterstuebchen" (riders' bar).

So when I read about the importance of LSD (in preparation for SFD) in Denny Emerson's new book "Know Better to Do Better",  I thought about how I wished that some of my clients would add that to their horse's program also. Lots of horses hardly ever get walked into fitness, and IMO a lot of injuries could be prevented with the right conditioning. As Denny states "It's hard to injure a horse at the walk".

The key idea is that the longer slower miles build the base so that by the time the horse is asked to do shorter, faster work, he is fit and strong and able to do so without getting hurt. Of importance is that the horse still marches forward and doesn't amble around on the forehand.

Note to Remy and Chambord: Treating the trails like the buffet line on a cruise ship is not the idea either!

This is an excellent read

When you know it's the right decision - and it still breaks your heart

I haven't felt like writing much as we have had to cope with the loss of Jaas, our Viszla girl. We adopted Jaas 14 years ago from the Viszla rescue, as companion to our shy boy, Max. She was feisty and independent, fun and loving. Lately, though, we had watched and worried about her declining health (no surprise at her ancient age of 15 - in human years it would be about 105).

Jaas' had good moments and not so good ones, especially getting up was harder and painful for her. We were just so scared that the time would come where she couldn't get up any more and we would have to put her through a lot of pain and stress until we found an emergency vet.

So - I made the appointment for Dr. Molle (our regular vet who does house calls) to come last week. The animals know and like him, so there was no stress involved. He gently gave her the first sedative, then a stronger one, and then the final. Jaas passed away gently, and I hope she felt our love until the end.

It was the right decision, but still, it broke our hearts. Yes, our animals shouldn't outlive us, but that is just a small consolation. The bigger one is that we took her out of a kennel and into our home, and she had a happy life. Godspeed, Jaas. We miss you.

Jaas adored JP, and was nice to Julius (the cat), even if he sometimes annoyed her.

Peeling back the onion - and we concentrate on our jobs

Often it takes several different approaches to find the cause of an issue, it's like peeling back the onion one layer at a time. In addition to bodywork I had both Remy and Chambord checked out by an equine veterinarian that specializes in Chiropractic work. Dr. Miller was recommended to me by Roz as well as a client, and I was very happy with the referral. She took her time, first watching the boys on the longe line before proceeding to examining them in the barn. Dr. Miller pointed out right away that Remy's hip was out of whack, the right side much higher than the left. This would explain his issues with the changes.

After Remy's first adjustment Dr. Miller was happy with the result, but that he was there about 80%. We had a good training week, but skipped the changes.

Last Friday they each had their second adjustment session, and Dr. Miller pronounced both of them "100%". Saturday was their day off, and today we went on a lovely trailride - early enough so none of us 'gave' too much blood to all the mosquitoes lurking in the woods. The boys felt awesome, there was a noticeable bounce in both of their steps.

That was the first layer of the onion. The others were: (1) New bit (on trial) for Remy. I had read a lot of good things about the Neue Schule Turtle Tactio bit and thought I'd give it a try, as it puts less pressure on the bars and sits higher in the mouth. After a week I can say he feels better than in his double broken KK snaffle, less argumentative, with an even and steady contact.

(2) Chambord's program includes addressing his arthritis with special shoes, Adequan, and meds.

So with the boys well taken care of, JP and I concentrate on our jobs: JP is giving the barn a new coat of paint (from 'barn red' to a lovely light grey), and I give my full attention to my equine clients:

No detail escapes JP's paint brush!

A long way from my corporate career and corner office...

... and I love it!

1:0 for Remy - and we have some detective work to do

Well, Remy got what he wanted the last three days: Plenty of trail rides. He was a model citizen and didn't even flinch when we crossed over a noisy bridge or when we splashed in the Huron River while a guy was paddling up in a canoe and got out right next to us.

At home he and Chambord gave each other bodywork sessions - who needs me??

So, I'd say this time it's 1:0 Remy to Birgit. But what can I say: When the horse is happy I'm happy :-) (I hear JP grumbling: What about if the husband is happy???)

After the relaxing break it's back on the school bus tomorrow morning. I am still giving Remy the benefit of the doubt, especially because his "drop and spin" happens mostly after a flying change to the left. So I put a call in to an equine veterinarian/chiropractor to schedule a chiropractic exam/adjustment. Remy's bit (a lose ring KK snaffle) is an unlikely culprit, but Roz might be on to something (she usually is) as she suggested Remy might get his tongue over the bit for a short instance, or perhaps he feels a pinch? Leaving no stone unturned I ordered two Neue Schule test bits to try. I could just ask Remy's BFF though...

... as obviously, Chambord knows what Remy wants! 

Trash day - and "not everyone is cut out for a PhD"

On our way to the trails Remy made a beeline to our neighbor's curb: He had spotted two blue pool floats and was trying to pick one up. I convinced him to leave it (using my stern "Leave It" command usually reserved for Ziggy, our dog) and we continued on. Nevertheless, I thought if the trash hadn't been picked up by the time we came by on our way home I'd take them. Sure enough, the floats were still there, and it turned out - quite heavy.

One person's trash is another person's (horse's!) treasure

While the trail-riding went well, our last lesson before we were supposed to go to the Brave Horse Show was a bit of a disaster. All was well, until Remy decided that flying changes are really not that cool. On the change to the left he did his infamous "drop shoulder and spin" act and I got quite rattled. Nevertheless, he had to continue to work and JP commented that I always ride better when I am pissed. Still, when I got off I pretty much was a mess. I am more an more questioning if Remy has hit his ceiling, and upper level dressage (with the increased collection) is just not his thing?

My super practical friend Stephanie had a great analogy: "Perhaps Remy is happy in Skilled Trades, not everyone is cut out to be an academic". Hmm, definitely food for thought.

But if that's the case I will have to adjust my own ambitions and say good-bye to dressage shows. Another horse is not in the cards - after all, we have already four equine mouths to feed. It's not the end of the world, even though it seemed a bit like it yesterday. The end of the world feeling probably comes through a bit of depression I am going through, the delayed reaction to my dad's passing, and the aftermath. I did not allow myself to grief much and now it seems its catching up with me.

I'll have some thinking and re-assessing to do. Come to think of, I don't have a PhD either, but that didn't prevent me from being successful. But then, I chose my path, whereas Remy is pretty much stuck with my decisions.

So, if Remy wants to be a trail horse - what will I do with all that extra money and free time???