Wizard Rides 400, 401, 402, 403, & 404 (and Chiropractic Report): Perfect From Now On

Tuesday, 8/28/12

I asked the barn owner to feed Wizard senior feed only for two weeks. I want to experiment with his carb levels. The Triple Crown Senior has 11.7% NSC, which is very low. Since the nights are cooler and the sugars in the grass are higher than they were in the summer, I’m wondering if the sugars are making him wacky. In good news, his weight is finally starting to get good. Finally!

After work, Kris and I took a ride in the Assunpink. We kept it short since it was getting dark, and rode up the hill and down the road down the hill. Before we got to the corner, I dismounted and hand walked Wizard. I wanted to see if he would settle at all. He was a little quieter than Saturday, but still not himself. Usually, he motors along at a big, swingy walk, but this week, it’s a creep with great trepidation. Hopefully, the feed change will yield good results.

Monday, 8/27/12

CHIROPRACTIC REPORT: Despite Wizard’s odd behavior under saddle for the last week, he was mellow and compliant for the chiropractor. She said his atlas was out, and he was much tighter on the right than he was on the left. On the right, his back was tight, his shoulder was stiff, as well as his sacrum. She checked his saddle fit, and was very pleased with how it sat on him. She also really liked the balance of his feet. I put him in the indoor arena and gaited him for her. She saw the inconsistency in his right front when he traveled left, and said it was SO subtle that she would not worry about it. She said it could simply be mechanical, rather than any sort of soreness. It was great to hear a vet say it. She suspected his knee, since it creaks when I pick his feet and it carries slightly more fluid than the left knee. Her advice was to bump up his workload. She also mentioned looking into colonic ulcers if he continues to be difficult to put weight on.

Saturday, 8/25/12

Before I got Wizard tacked up, I turned him out in one of the lush side pastures next to his pasture. He happily grazed until he saw his “herd” was on the move in the neighboring field. One horse was brought out for a ride and another had a farrier appointment. Without hesitation, Wizard JUMPED the temporary gate, which was about 3 feet in height. He cleared it by a good foot, and thundered across the pasture to watch his buddies. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I got him ready for our ride.

He was looky and spooky again. This marks a full week of odd behavior. He’s sometimes a hot horse to ride, but he’s not usually spooky. Something is not right.

We met up with Rachel and rode through the trails for about an hour. Wizard never settled into his swinging, ground-covering walk. He felt tight and ready to pounce at any moment.

When we reached a clearing before the road, Wizard did a very uncharacteristic spook, flying backward. He almost unseated me. I clung to his neck and got back into the saddle. Rachel walked us back to the road to the barn. What has gotten into this horse?

Friday, 8/24/12

Before I even got a saddle on him, Wizard spooked at my tack box and tack in the grooming area. He was snorty and looky from the very beginning. I gave him a pass, since the farm across the street was hosting a team penning event. Once in the saddle, I headed out on the trails to meet Rachel and Lily. Wizard was very spooky for the entire ride. We were not out very long, since the sun was setting.

Wednesday, 8/22/12

Before work, I rode Wizard in the outdoor arena. It was pretty warm out, and he was rather “fizzy”. His trot work was tight and short-strided, and he was cantering sideways and hauling on my hands. I ended the ride on a decently good note, asking for a stretchy trot. He gave me one, reluctantly.

Tuesday, 8/21/12

Our 400th ride, and it was a beautiful night. Cathy and I rode out in the Assunpink. We rode through the big field, trotted a little on the dirt road, and went down to the lake. Wizard and Tuesday played in the water for a little while before we headed back. On the trail leaving the lake, there was a blue and yellow jacket, or maybe a blanket. Whatever it was, Wizard was HORRIFIED by it. It was not supposed to be there. He snorted, pranced, and danced past it. I asked for a shoulder-in past it, facing him away from the blanket. It worked. Whew.

I’m gonna be perfect from now on
I’m gonna be perfect starting now

Wizard Ride 320: Almost Good

Monday, 12/5/11

Wizard wore his Back on Track mesh sheet for about an hour and a half before our ride tonight. I turned him loose in the indoor arena to let him loosen up, and he free-longed like a pro, changing gaits on command and using almost the entire arena while never getting “stuck” in any corners.

During our grooming session, he was almost good. He snapped once, and I had a hold of the lead rope so I could correct him. After that, he was an angel. He was really good for saddling, too. Hopefully my quick thinking kept this from becoming a habit.

Under saddle, Wizard was almost good. He was traveling like a sewing machine, with a lot of knee action and not a lot of engagement through his back and hind end. But there was less kicking and ear pinning. We rode in the indoor arena, and I had a bunch of trot poles set up for a change of scenery. I rode very complicated patterns, using shoulder in, leg yield, trotting over poles and around other poles, and doing some transitions. We did just a little canter work as part of our patterns, and his left lead was actually decent. He kicked out at the canter to the right once, but was perfect the second time. My plan is to have the chiropractor look at him 30 days after his last adjustment, and see if she finds any new changes since he has been lightly ridden since her last visit. Also, the farrier is due on the 16th, and I’m hoping the continued changes help him.

Wizard Sessions 311, 312, Ride 313, and Chiropractic Report: Through the Dirt and the Gravel

Wednesday, 11/16/11 and Thursday, 11/17/11

I’m lumping these two days together as one since I basically just turned Wizard loose in the indoor arena and let him go bananas on Thursday. On Wednesday, we had a little more of a planned routine, with some clicker work and free longeing. It rained for two days, so the horses were pretty stir-crazy in their stalls. Wizard was so cute when he was turned out in the arena- the footing was perfectly groomed, and by the time he was done, it looked like I had ridden him for an hour with all the hoofprints in all directions.

Friday, 11/18/11

Wizard had a VERY busy day on Friday. One of his paddock buddies was swapped out for Gatsby, a handsome Camelot Auction graduate. Wizard and Gatsby have very similar personalities, and got along like peas and carrots. They played all afternoon with no excessive biting or rowdiness. With JR, they played hide and seek, tag, and “who can rear up the highest”. After romping all afternoon, Wizard was pleasantly tired for the chiropractor- she was not my regular chiropractor, but she did a nice job and Wizard loved her. He really enjoyed the body work, and was quite receptive to her. She said his atlas was the worst area on him- worse than his back, pelvis, neck, etc. All the crookedness she felt in his pelvis felt old and fused, so she was actually not too worried about it. She said he had a decent amount of flexibility in his pelvis, spine, etc. She was amazed at his Gumby-like ability to stretch his legs, and asked if he had any ligament issues (knock on wood). She also asked if he was definitely 15 and definitely a Thoroughbred. I think she was wondering if he was older due to his teeth and maybe gaited due to his limber movement :^P She looked at the saddle fit and thought it was reasonable fit. She did not think it was too wide or narrow, but recommended shims for his wither pockets. After his adjustment, I lightly longed him to help him hold his adjustment. I put his sheet on him, since it was COLD out, and put him to bed.

Saturday, 11/19/11

The weather was milder on Saturday. I longed Wizard for just a few minutes to loosen him up. Then, I saddled him up… AND RODE! Hooray! Wizard went out with Zeke and Lily on the trails. For the first half of the ride, he was doing his same ear pinning, belly kicking, tail swishing routine. But about halfway through the ride, shuffling through the dirt and leaves, it subsided. We even rode to the hot dog truck, and he was very good. The only thing that caused concern is that he’s still tripping/stumbling on occasion- he did it maybe 4 times during the trail ride. When we got back to the barn, I brought him into the indoor arena for a little ride. There were trailers and people bustling around the arena, preparing for barrel racing. All the activity was PERFECT- it distracted Wizard enough to forget about his ear pinning and fussing :^) We rode for about 15 minutes at a nice, swingy trot, across the diagonals. He was perfect, he stretched into the bit, and I tested him with a good amount of leg. He was responsive and happy.

So was it the three weeks off from riding? The new saddle? The longeing? The new shoes? The chiropractor?

And, more importantly, will it be the same tomorrow?

Wizard’s Equine Chiropractic Report

Wednesday, 7/15/09

A lot of barn time, not a lot of riding. Wizard got a nice chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture treatment. He was out in a few places, probably from whatever is making his right hind leg hitch. The chiropractor said that it looks like a stifle issue. It looks like he will be on vacation for a while. I’ll keep hand walking and massaging him and I’ll make sure he’s turned out as much as possible. Once he is back to 100%, maybe we can start over with some short trail riding at the walk. Hills are excellent for strengthening stifles.

I used an electric massager (for people) for both horses on Wednesday night. JR was ambivalent, ears held in a neutral position, lips tight. I think he’ll come around to the spa treatment pretty soon. Wizard enjoyed it right away, after the initial concern about it being a set of clippers :^) My plan is to do as much therapeutic work as I can with both horses: stretching, massage, and strengthening.

JR Ride 15; Wizard Ride 58: Peel Me a Grape

Monday, 3/16/09

Peel me a grape, crush me some ice
Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow
Talk to me nice, talk to me nice
You’ve got to wine and dine me

Don’t try to fool me bejewel me
Either amuse me or lose me
I’m getting hungry, peel me a grape

When I was at the market before I went to the barn, I picked up a jar of molasses. Alibar was on my mind and I decided to spoil Wizard in his honor. When I arrived at the barn, Wizard was lying down in his stall like a little lamb, head to toe covered in bedding. I walked into the stall and he stayed lying down and nickered expectantly. I dutifully dipped a carrot in the jar of molasses and fed it to him.

When Alibar took his naps, he used to do the same thing- he’d stay lying down and wait for me to walk to him and feed him carrots. His funny little mouth would open like a hippo, waiting for treats. My mom always joked that he was saying, “Peel me a grape.”

I gave HRH Wizard some Hi-Fi and some UlcerGard and let him dine while I rode JR.

JR has an appointment with the chiropractor on Wednesday morning. He feels backsore and my friend noticed that he carried his tail to the side. A crooked tail can sometimes be a sign of a horse who is out of alignment. I also noticed that JR was resistant to leg aids today. I started out the session by longeing him for about 15 minutes as a gentle warmup. For variety, I longed him over two trot poles. He took them pretty well the first 2 or 3 times but knocked them a few times after that. I changed it back to one trot pole.

Under saddle, JR was forward but he felt tight and not comfortable. I’m really glad that I called the chiro when I did since he feels tighter now than he did during our last ride. I REALLY hope it’s not a saddle fitting issue. Since JR is not my horse, it seems a little crazy to get my saddle reflocked to fit his back, but I’ll see what the chiropractor has to say. We did light work, mostly walking and trotting with just a little canter. I worked on walk-trot transitions and I worked on my own position by riding with a loop in the reins and doing my best to sit back and correctly align my arms. When I felt JR relaxing his topline, I called it a day for him.

I longed Wizard for about 15 minutes. I’ve increased his canter time on the longe to about 4-6 rotations in each direction- it is working well because he can now balance himself nicely without rushing. I hopped on and rode for about 20 minutes. It was a wonderfully pleasant ride! Wizard is a classic Thoroughbred in many ways; he is very responsive to me when I talk to him and he’s very willing. We worked on our trot and he understood exactly what to do and performed his task beautifully. To the left, I was able to keep the reins slack and work on my seat while encouraging him to stretch into the bit. To keep my hips aligned, I actually post with my inside hip pointed to his outside ear. While this sounds counterintuitive, it actually straightens me to the correct alignment so I’m not overbent. To the right, Wizard was a little more unsteady, but still remarkably relaxed. It put a big smile on my face to think of how far he has come. I’m really proud of him. I even trotted him over a ground pole at the end of the ride :^)

After Wizard was cooled out, I walked him back to the barn, untacked, groomed, and put him to bed. His honey-colored eyes watched me through the slats of his stall wall as I prepared him another tub of Dengie. He stood politely but expectantly as I drizzled just a taste of molasses on his bedtime snack.

Pop me a cork, french me a fry
Crack me a nut, bring a bowl full of bon-bons
Chill me some wine, keep standing by
Just entertain me, champagne me
Show me you love me, kid glove me
Best way to cheer me, cashmere me
I’m getting hungry, peel me grape

Here’s how to be an agreeable chap
Love me and leave me in luxury’s lap
Hop when I holler, skip when I snap
When I say, “do it,” jump to it

Send out for scotch, call me a cab
Cut me a rose, make my tea with the petals
Just hang around, pick up the tab
Never out think me, just mink me
Polar bear rug me, don’t bug me
New Thunderbird me, you heard me
I’m getting hungry, peel me a grape

Sarah K. Andrew: 2008- A Year in Photos

Happy New Year to all of my friends. Thank you so much for all of your comments and ideas and for making 2008 such a huge success for me.

I’ll always remember 2008 as the year I lost my beloved first horse and best friend Alibar. My heart is broken and I’m still deep into the mourning process, but I have a lifetime of wonderful memories. He lived such a happy and full life that I cannot be too selfish about losing him. I was always prepared for the terrible day, but it did not make things any easier when it came.

2008 was also a HUGE year for me as a photographer. This was the year that I:

– won Best in Show for the Equine Ideal Photo Contest
– got a photo on a wine bottle label
– was published in The Ultimate Horse Lover and The Ultimate Cat Lover as a photographer and a writer
– had a photo on the cover of the Monmouth Park 2008 racing program
– had a photo on the cover of American Quarter Horse Journal
– had a photo in the 2008 Belmont Stakes racing program

… just to mention a few!

I also met some wonderful new photo clients and travelled to some amazing events, including the Breeders’ Cup in California.

Click on any photo for more info…

Alibar and me on New Year’s Day 2008

Riding Alibar at the new barn in Feb before he hurt his leg at the end of the month

Wizard in January

Bailey in Feb

Bryan the sink cat

JR plays in the mud

Alibar on Groundhog Day 2008

Alibar after the hock injury

Alibar on St Patrick’s Day

Visionaire heads into the fog on his way to winning the Gotham in March 2008

JR being gorgeous again

Jonathan Andrew performing in Hoboken NJ

Rocket- Wheee!

Alibar’s 29th birthday in March 2008

The famous fluffy barn cat

Moose, aka Celtic Charisma

Tale of Ekati wins the Wood Memorial in April 2008

My favorite remote shot of the year

Perusal the Horse and Evil the Cat. Belmont Park

OH Justin Time, a silver grullo overo Paint stallion

Alibar gets a spa treatment

Garden State Barrel Racing

My friend Jenn and her horse Argo canter at sunset

Tiffany Foster and Robin Hood at Jersey Fresh in May 2008

Dressage at Jersey Fresh

Magik at Valley View Ranch in Georgia

Saint

John the Mule

Jake, Chip, Kat

Kel and friends

Cher and Tuxedo

Big Brown’s feet in June 2008

Casino Drive and the Anna House kids

I love a spoiler!

Third Barrel

Atlas, a playful Percheron

Kim Deal, the Queen of Cool

Rainy Saratoga morning in July 2008

Sarah and Patrick

The Runaway

You’ll get ’em next time, filly

Ginger Punch and Rafael Bejarano win the Go For Wand Stakes 2 years in a row

Half a Furlong Away

Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale in August 2008

Dancing Forever

Big Brown chases his shadow

Royal, a 31 year old Thoroughbred

Horse and Rider at Dawn

King of the Wind

Alibar in August 2008

September Spa Treatment

Horse Haven

Alibhai’s Alibar 3/28/1979 – 9/10/2008

Alone at the Wire

Charging into Battle

Wizard, my equine therapist

Gettysburg, PA in October 2008

Jonathan Andrew at Gettysburg

Gracie

Mallie

Flying Mane

Cutsie

Steeplechasing in Far Hills NJ in October 2008

Breeders’ Cup 2008

Curlin in sunny CA

I love CA

Zenyatta

Sunrise at Santa Anita

Jonathan Andrew rocking with Joshua Van Ness and friends

Hickory Ridge Farm, NJ

Homeward Maryland in November 2008

Larry Jones and Old Fashioned

Horse eyeball: a deconstructive study

Rusty the Spaniel

Santa Baby

Christmas with Slade

In memory of Wanderin Boy

In memory of Shakis

In memory of Rebel

In memory of Frodo Baggins

In memory of The Quiet Man

In memory of Tigger Too

In memory of beautiful little Gisele

In memory of Theodore O’Connor, the mightiest pony of them all

In memory of Herschel the Wonder Cat

And in memory of my first horse, the gamest and most generous horse of all, Alibhai’s Alibar

Wizard’s Equine Chiropractic Report #2: All Systems Go!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Wizard had his first chiropractic adjustment on Oct 29. His second adjustment was on Dec 20. I asked the chiropractor to watch his movement before she adjusted him. She said that he looks perfectly 100% sound in the front end (and he’s barefoot- yay!). The hind end is not uneven, but she saw weakness in the back and legs. Wizard stands cow-hocked and he’s a bit sickle-hocked . The chiropractor also noticed what looks like an old hamstring injury on his left side- he sort of lifts and slaps down his hind foot on firm footing after work. I was concerned about the looseness of his joints and the weakness in the hind end, but she said that he should be just fine for low level work, including jumping. She said that Wizard’s hind end will benefit from the work that I’m doing since his balance and strength will improve. I told her what kind of work we’re doing (very light!) and she said it’s time to step it up a bit- yay!

The adjustment went really well. The biggest adjustments that she needed to do were in Wizard’s withers and his neck. The neck alignment is possibly from needing more work done to his teeth. I had them floated but they still need more work. Wizard was a little concerned about the acupuncture needles but he responded to the entire exam and chiropractic workover really well. He was really willing to work with her, especially when she was working on his neck and hind end. I saw him relax and chew several times, as well as several huge YAWNS at the very end. I’ve read that yawning can indicate a release of toxins in horses.

The chiropractor also examined my saddles and how they sat on Wizard’s back- she agreed with my assessment that my jumping saddle fits better than my dressage saddle. This suits me fine since I prefer to ride in the jumping saddle anyway! She suggested a pommel pad to help with the fit of the saddle. The saddle fits well enough for regular work, and since he’s not my horse, I’m not exactly ready to go custom yet ;^) The saddle is the correct width but the pommel sits a tad low on him.

It was a relief to hear a respected veterinarian give me the go-ahead to do more work with Wizard. She also complimented the work I’ve done with him- he felt far more relaxed and willing than he was in his first adjustment. The first time, while he behaved himself fine, he was a little more reluctant and resistant to the adjustments- this time, he was like a puppy dog. I’m really proud of all of our progress.

Wizard: Show Me Those Pearly Whites!

Wizard had his first chiropractic treatment on Oct 29. It was bittersweet to have the equine chiropractor out to the barn since I associate her with all of the great work she did for Alibar. But I was happy to have her treat Wizard.

The good news: she felt no new soreness or stiffness, which made me feel way better about his recent girthiness. She said that he adjusted remarkably well and has a lovely limber neck. I told her that he does yoga in his paddock- I’ve seen him do a perfect circus pony bow to grab a blade of grass under the fence.

The bad news: she feels that his teeth most likely need a lot of work. Then get his feet trimmed. Then get back to riding him ;^)

So Wizard will be getting his teeth floated this week. Will report back with the results!

Wizard Needs his Back Cracked

I noticed that Wizard has begun to pin his ears when I put a saddle on him. In the past few days, he has become more sensitive to me brushing his back- especially this past Friday. I’m going to schedule an appointment for the equine chiropractor so she can determine if he’s sore from getting back into work, the saddle, or an old issue. In the meantime, Wizard is getting spoiled with grazing, grooming, and going for walks.