the everything pony
who would really much rather eat all day
A new season is coming
You guys. I did a thing.
A non-horsey thing.
And not just any thing.
2019 is the year that I am going back to school. I am equal parts petrified and excited haha.
After doing some researching and asking around early 2017, I decided to postpone schooling for the time being. Amber and I were showing; I wanted to get into eventing with her, so there was no time for school. Of course, all of the things that happened at the end of 2017 and all through this year had all of that screeching to a halt.
I’ve thought long and hard about all of it for months. And I realized I didn’t want to lease a horse, much less buy one yet. I also realized that I’ve been skating by a bit with work, and just kind of life in general. So much of my focus has always been tunneled on my horse life and aspirations that I’ve really had to reassess where all the non-horsey aspects of my life are going. Since it is a waiting game with Amber healing, why not now? I procrastinated and pushed it aside before since I wanted to do the eventing thing with Amber, but that’s not in the cards anymore, and this feels like a really good time to start it, to push forward.
I’m not posting often now, and that will probably dwindle down even further once I start school. I’m absolutely going to try to keep up lessons since I can’t even ride Whisper, either (she’s having some winter woes again). I’ll certainly still get my horsey time hanging out with Amber, and if I’m in dire need I’ll hop on her as I’ve been doing recently – just a few steps around the stall and then lots and lots of scratches in the places that are hard to reach from the ground.
It’ll certainly be different. I’m used to my world centering around my horse, but all things in life require balance, and I think it’s time I balance my work and my horses. Of course, it’s a little bit tipping the scales the other way, with my life centering more around work and how school will help me with work and horses taking a back seat. But I’m hopeful that once school is over, the balance will even itself out.
So that’s what’s coming up for me!
As for Amber, we’re continuing the long waiting game. She’s doing as well as she can – based on what the farrier could feel of her LH hoof, she’s growing a really good amount of sole which is great to hear. She gets her Equioxx every day and I think it’s helping. Short of more “meds” I’m trying to get her as comfortable as she possibly can be, so with her pill she now gets MSM, Glucosamine and HA. I mean, this horse really does get better care than me. I’m living on Airborne and Aleve and frozen foods at the moment haha! But I do think the supplements help her feel better. She’s still very short on that RH – I think it’s still a little painful, but I also think that because she’s moving very little it’s stiff and there’s no doubt some scar tissue built up.
She’s handling her confinement remarkably well – she’s now at 142 days of being on strict stall rest – not even hand walking. I’m not overly surprised that she’s doing well; she was relatively confined to her stall for nearly a year after her first knee injury. But she’d been allowed small bits of turnout and exercise at least 1x a week so she at least had that.
I’ve also created a bit of a monster LOL. On Thanksgiving I decided to screw it and hop on her. I missed my horse like crazy, and nothing ever feels so much like home than when I swing a leg over her broad back. She was very confused at first, but lots of scratches and just a turn or two around her stall run was all either of us needed. I’ve done that a few times since, and for days afterward she is pushing at her gate, looking at me like “hey, so, we rode, so that means that we’re going out now, right? Right?? I mean, let’s go!” I don’t latch her or Whisper’s gates usually as I’m doing night chores – both girls are always preoccupied with hay and I go in and out of them a lot. Well, Amber has discovered how to push her gate open without making any noise. Because if I hear it I laugh or scold her and latch the gate.
And she’s also learned that if she gets it open without me noticing to hurry the F out so I can’t catch her LOL. It’s great she’s so easily persuaded with treats because I just grab a few and she follows me back. No need for me to grab a halter or anything. I am probably not a great horse mom because I will let her do it haha. Partly because it’s funny and I like her shenanigans (thankfully they’re TAME shenanigans or it wouldn’t be funny lol) and partly because who knows, maybe she feels happy or challenged trying to get out of her stall, and if I let her have small victories then maybe it’ll make her stall rest more bearable lol.
What can I say? She gets away with things I would never allow another horse to get away with haha.
A few weeks ago Whisper was running around and got really excited, which made Amber excited and go cavorting and bucking in her run. She smacked her left hind really good – a giant bump on the front of her LH and a swollen tendon on the back of that LH. I iced it, the heat went down and it was okay, and then her skin started flaking off. I thought maybe it was fungus, but wasn’t sure if I should put any antifungal things on it – they looked more like she’d scratched herself up. Now the scab is peeling, but I don’t know it just looks really weird. It also looks like some of her hair is growing in white, which I’ve never seen before so I have no clue what’s going on. Any of you guys have any thoughts?
Amber has a vet appointment before her next shoeing to see how her feet are progressing, but that’s in another 6 or so weeks. I hate picking scabs, but I’ve worked on the two of them trying to see what’s underneath. The good thing is that they both look like the exact same thing – the bad thing is that I have no clue what the thing even is. I’ve thought maybe the front is a splint but then what does that make the back cut/pit of mush? I’ve kept it wrapped with a Neosporin-like salve on it, but it’s just….weird lol.
So any thoughts would be appreciated.
I’m hopeful that her LH will grow out and at least be more functional/comfortable than it is now. I monitor her RH a lot, but I don’t think she’s in danger of laminitis developing in that foot. She still puts an insane amount of weight on that LH, so we’ll see how it goes. But, I’m hoping that if her foot can recover relatively well, that the new hoof will grow parallel with the coffin bone, that maybe sometime in the future she and I can go on short walks again together, maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I know she misses that, and I miss that, too. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that hopefully our prognosis will be positive!
17 Comments on “A new season is coming”
Leave a Reply
Places I Shop
Fav Photos
Fav Photos
the everything pony 
Blah I have no advice for the leg. That is really odd. Glad to hear you are taking the time to go back to school. It’s something that’s been on my mind a bit lately (either for my MBA or a certificate), so I am sure I will get there eventually… even if it means fully leasing May when it happens. Can I ask what you are going back to school for?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well glad I’m not the only one that finds the leg odd lol and yeah not at all! I’m going to do Information Technology Management. There’s a need at work for another person with IT skills, and I’ve always been good with computers (I would’ve done that if not equine sciences) so I figured why not? Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds great! There is ALWAYS a need for IT people EVERYWHERE I have ever worked. Good for you!
I hope you will still blog a bit every now and then tho. 🙂
LikeLike
Pretty much why I chose IT lol I’m pretty good at it, and it’s needed, so there we go lol I’ll certainly still try to blog – for sure for lessons, and of course with updates on Amber 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree what you going back to school for? I doubt I can (old dog can’t learn new tricks) but I am always fascinated by you kids that do go back to school. 🙂
PS Emily May can come live with me 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well, my Equine Science degree doesn’t really do anything unless I’m…well….working with horses haha! Especially since my work offers tuition assistance, I mean, why not? lol
And no no May can come live with me LOL I have no horse to ride momentarily 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
didnt think of that LOLLOL Yes you get May first; )
LikeLike
How exciting about the return to school! I wish you all of the best with the new endeavor. =)
re: leg – I’ve seen a lot of horses regrow hair white where the skin was damaged before. Both of my dark horses have spots of white hairs where they were rubbed wrong from something at some point and/or injured themselves. Stan’s got some from ill-fitting saddles from his younger days and Q has some on her chest from what I can only assume was a fence or something? She used to have some on her back from some friction-heat issues with a saddle pad, but they were only present for a couple years and only during the autumn when her coat was between summer/winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
Ah, okay! I wondered about that since she has seemed to knock herself pretty consistently with those cloud boots and for her to get swelling she had to have knocked herself HARD. So that makes a lot of sense. Thanks Liz!
LikeLike
Congrats about the choice to go back to school! That’s a big deal and definitely worthy – and the horses will always be there when it finishes up! Good luck with Ambers vet appt too, I’m glad she continues to handle her rest well enough and am hopeful for good news!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is very true – the horses will always be there! And thanks!
LikeLike
Mad props for going back to school!
LikeLike
Thanks! I’m super nervous but I think it’ll be good in the long run!
LikeLike
Congrats on the return to school! Very exciting. I agree with what Liz said- a lot of time hair will grow back white from an injury or sore. You can see improper saddle fit on horses with white on their withers (not always but I’ve seen it when I was working a string of horses at a dude ranch), so I wouldn’t worry too much about the white hair!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not a school person but I think it’ll be good, and I’m excited to learn new skills 🙂
Okay thank you! I have seen the white hair on the withers so that makes sense with the hair growing back white on her legs too. I feel bad about it but it wasn’t anything I could help soooo…. Horses lolol
LikeLike
Going back to school is hard but super rewarding! Congrats on taking the plunge!
LikeLike
Thank you! ❤
LikeLike