Walking on not-sunshine

Since all Amber and I can do right now is walk, like many many many many many many other posts I’ve had in the past…ahh….year lol, I’m trying to come up with fun and NEW blog post titles. I may or may not have succeeded here haha.

Amber is very excited to be out walking again. The weather hasn’t been too cold at all, but it’s been alternately cloudy, rainy and windy or all 3 combined. Amber does not approve. It was a light drizzle Saturday with a bit of wind and I wanted to get her out and walk but she protested. There was much head-shaking. Wrinkled nostrils. Hopping and grunting. So we went back inside after maybe 2 or 3 minutes. I forgot my phone to time it, but we weren’t out there long. After growing up in a pasture in Colorado, she doesn’t like being outside in crappy weather which I find highly amusing lol.

Because of this I didn’t get her out Monday or Tuesday because of mixed wind and rain, so when I got her out Wednesday she was a kite. After so many times of me reprimanding her for bucking in her stall, she looks like she’s angry when she bucks lol. But she’s getting used to me just being at the end of the lead rope and laughing as she expresses herself. The colder weather (we’re 30 degrees now at night; I know it’s SO COLD lol) has come around, so she stands all day and I think her stifle bothers her so she’s in a bit of pain when she goes walking. I’ve no doubt there’s scar tissue, and I’m sure it’s stiff and achy, but the walking will only help. She’s been happier in her stall since she goes out and walks now, and she’s starting to look for my truck to pull up again because she gets to go out instead of just expecting me to be her food dispenser LOL.

I ended up going with the Cloud boots instead of another pair of soft rides, and I’m really glad I did. They’re so much lighter and not as bulky, and Amber likes them so much better as well. She walks well in them, and they seem to be padded enough for her. They’re also miles easier for both my mom and I to get on and off Amber’s feet, so they’ve been a hit so far since we’re taking them off at night and putting them on in the mornings.

So far I’m able to get Amber out 5 days a week, with my long days acting as a break for her since I don’t get off of work until 5 and it’s still just a touch too dark. Plus, while it’s been extremely difficult to be patient, I’ve taken her rehab slowly, and that’s been paying off. So walking only a few days before taking a break may be a wee bit overkill since we’re only walking 5 extra minutes but after 6 months of strict stall rest I don’t want to overdo it. Slow but steady. Mostly, I let her walk as fast as she wants, sniff all the poop, roll and general head shaking and hopping and bucking that ensues. Not too many bucks mind you, but even when she does she knows to stay well away from me and not run me over lol. But for the most part she walks with purpose, wanting to just go somewhere.

Occasionally, I’ll remind her of her ground manners. Which I had to do the second day because when I tapped her shoulder as in “hon, I’m right here and you know better than to push on me” she immediately leapt in the air and bucked, and THAT was not acceptable. Buck for fun yes, but when mother asks the shoulders to move, they move. We do not throw a tantrum lol. So I practice her showmanship turn, her slowing down for me, backing and other small things without me needing to use my lead rope, and while I know she wants just wants to absorb it all in again and I want to let her play, I think she likes something to focus on. Her eyes are always softer, and her body is a bit more relaxed after.

She was just looking for an excuse to explode lol. I don’t blame her, but manners are manners lol

She was definitely more relaxed when I took her out last night; her eye was soft and there were no bucks. She was happy to be walking and looking out around her. Just at the end of the 5 minutes, I decided to just hop on. I’ve sat on her in her stall a few times, and it’s done us both good every time. We both really miss it. She’s not gotten all of her playfulness out yet, but she just looked very happy when she walked, and I know her so well that I knew she’d be fine. So we walked one 20 meter circle. And then I hopped off haha. I could tell she liked even just the small circle, because she put her nose in my stomach when I pet her. And then she proceeded to give Whisper nasty faces and try to keep me away from her LOL. But just as I was about to lead her into her stall, she startled something fierce. I was at a loss at what could have possibly scared her that badly. Until I saw it. What was it do you ask? (Sound on lol)

Our cute little barn owl. Oh, horses.

So that’s what’s been happening with us. We’ve gotten about 3 weeks of walking now, so we’re just going to keep plugging away. I’m not sure how long we’ll be at 5 minutes, or how long we’ll be weaning her off of the boots, but I’m not sweating it. My guess is 2 or 3 months of gradually less time in the boots, and walking increasing a bit. She short steps with that right hind still, but I think a little more walking and time will be the ticket to breaking up that scar tissue. Maybe then I can throw a saddle on, and we’ll do our walking under saddle once more. But I’m in no rush. At this point, having an inch of sole growth in 6 months and finally getting to walk out of her stall again are gifts I’m so happy to have right now. I know she’s happy too!