Crazy summer times!

It has been quite awhile since my last post and a lot has happened. As someone who likes to read and write it's rather funny to me that blogging isn't something I stick with a bit better. Anyways, it has been a rather weird summer for D and I. He started off June 2015 with a bang (and of course I was still in school) teaching me that horses can, in fact, get bladder infections- I did not know that!! We went the "cheaper" route which was not cheap, by the way, but long story short- his pee cleared and he did start urinating which was the goal.

In May D and Juli participated in a show at the stables and he was a trooper. He handled the day completely opposite of how I expected (typical) and his two classes like a pro. Juli stuck with walk/ trot just because we weren't certain what he would do and he probably would've been fine with canter. 

A few weeks after dealing with the bladder infection D had another abscess flare up. In January he had a really bad abscess in his back left foot (first picture below). Ever since then he can't seem to completely heal/dry up his frogs. I try to make sure his feet are picked out at least every other day and it seems he flares after I've been out of town. I put koppertox on his feet a minimum of once a week to attempt to dry them up. Not really sure why his feet are struggling since it hasn't been that much wetter than normal. The guess is that since he is blind he isn't kicking debris out of his feet as a "normal" horse would. It's anybody's guess at this point. The abscess this time was back right foot and since he's been touchy with his right front he felt extremely off quite quickly. I have learned a lot about poultice and ichthamol and have gotten pretty good with vet wrap and making a wrap with gorilla tape so he was taped up pretty quickly and it came out in about 3 days. Our farrier (Shearer) is fantastic as well coming out to check on him and answers all of my crazy questions. 

This is when most of the abscess was out (left foot)

He is so patient!! :)

It has been a VERY HOT summer so not being able to ride has been frustrating but not as big of a deal as it could be. Riding D continues to be a challenge since his balance is terrible but his confidence is high. It feels like I am sitting on explosives most of the time I attempt to ride and just like explosives his listening isn't always so great. 

As always ,I continue to monitor and adjust and do my best to care for D. The amount of issues of late are a concern and so we shall see how he does as fall comes. (Thank goodness!)

D and his best buddy 

This photo was taken last fall by Ellen- we have found a beautiful place for D!! 

Time

D and I are one week short of a year at Scott Hills. What a quick year it has been. D has filled out nicely and loves his home. He acts like a moron from time to time but has never seemed nervous about our change in location which has helped me tremendously. His eyes continue to change in ways I don't understand at all but he is a pain to ride so I am under the impression he feels great still...
Currently he has super sore heels due to the weather/ humidity or whatever so today we walked for 20 minutes. A lot of this walking brings me back to nearly 4 years ago when we spent an entire year just walking.
When D stays at the walk I can feel exactly if he is shuffling or short stepping and I feel the minute his hips loosen which lately happens a bit faster. Due to the heat a shorter walk is what we did today and I avoided the trails trying to give preference to his sore feet.
I am looking forward to cooler days and less bugs and hopefully rides that include a few different gaits.

D loves his window

I love the sentiment behind this!

D's right eye has started to get strange... this is the one with  that had the medicine implant above it. 

Right eye again... didn't get a good shot of the left

What "eye" see

It is amazing how quickly time passes by. It has been a hot summer full of riding. I returned from traveling (D enjoyed attention from Liz) and jumped into riding him 5-6 days a week. We are only handling the heat for 30 minutes tops (or maybe thats just me) but it has been consistent and sometimes, even decent. :)
Wednesday we rode into the field and I was able to stay on him for 3/4 of the way before his confidence kicked in and made me hop off. I have become very attentive to the cues my horse gives me. I think the fact that he is so confident is a good thing, I do, but it would be nice to just wander on a trail without having to completely direct him AND keep him off the forehand. It would be worse if he never wanted to move forward but still, balance in this would be a bit easier.
D's eyes have been changing a lot lately... his right eye had the medicine implant over it and now since the meds have worn off his eye is progressing. One of the girls at the barn noted how pretty it was despite the cloudiness and cataracts. Currently he seems to be pain free, which is a blessing.

This post in a bunch of wandering thoughts, I know... but it has been a busy summer with a horse who is full of himself no matter the heat or the color of his eyes.

Left eye

Left again 

Right eye

Better pictures coming soon- quite hard to get, actually 

Can you hear me now?

My horse whinnies all the time now. I really wish I knew why. I mean I get that he is completely lost in space but where did this vocal horse come from? He NEVER did this before he lost his sight.

I used to think he was complaining since it happened a lot when we were working and he wasn't being the most compliant... but he does it at a loose walk, when he seems to be happy with work, even when I'm on the ground beside him.

This week he started doing this like "hrmphing" type sound and blowing out all big and bad while whinnying but his pace never changed... he continued to trot the circle with even a bit of a correct bend to the inside. It absolutely boggles my brain.

It bugs me because it is loud, his whole body shakes and it means he isn't listening to me... I am an attention hog when I am on his back, I want all of his.

I have been working hard to manage D's energy. With the return of his weight, his energy has also escalated. I keep thinking the super muggy weather will help me but no such luck as of yet. I am still hopeful that someone will appear wanting to half lease which would be a 2 -part blessing. He will get attention from our buddy Liz this summer which will help with energy but she has her own horse. I love the reminder of watching someone else get on him and see that he is quite rideable.

We have been working to extend where D can go without getting too excited. He is pretty good about walking around the property and I haven't had to cue him nearly as much. Last week we rode while several machines were moving dirt around and he was relatively focused although still very chatty. He has a buddy in the field and in general is adapting just like any other horse...

He is a happy, chatty camper making sure he can be heard and for that I am grateful.

Photo Op

Yesterday a few of the girls were taking pictures and I was the only one foolish enough to be riding in the 30 degree weather. However, its always fun to get pictures of you and your horse :) So here are a few for perusing. He is, slowly, gaining weight. :)

Happy New Year everyone!!

Settling in

D has been at our new home SHEC (Scott Hills Equestrian Center) for 3 months now. D is happy and putting on weight. He is now in a stall and despite the field being easier on my pocketbook its been good for him to have a place to chill out and lay down.
I have been adjusting to the cold weather energy that D always gets. He has been polite in telling me when he has too much for me to work through. He constantly reminds me that there can be no ego in riding- ever. Often times D and I just walk for 30 minutes because that is all he can concentrate on.
Dark nights are not an issue for us but blustery wind still is :)
I have been thinking a lot of how Demetrias and I became a team. Being at a new barn I have shared our tale a lot lately. Sometimes being his person is hard. He gives me a lot of things to process through and decisions to make. If he had been my first horse I never would've gotten a second one, seriously. But here are the things I have learned as we approach our fifth year together:
1. Your eyes are not what you see with but your heart
2. Bravery happens in baby steps
3. The desire to succeed and live over comes everything.
4. Listening to your horse's body language is vital
5. Sometimes you just need to hang out and graze
6. TLC is the best medicine
7. Vets and blood work are not the final answer
8. Fly masks and spray save lives :)
9. There isn't much that can't be accomplished when a treat is involved.
10. D is not the horse I signed up for but he is exactly the one I was meant to have.

            Merry Christmas everyone!! May we all be grateful for the blessings we have. 

Change of Address

This post finds D and I residents (well D is) of Scott Hills Equestrian Center in Pendleton. The beginning of August D had a bout with sand colic and the major recommendation was to get him on grass. After some researching and reaching out to a friend with a blind horse we found Scott Hills- 61 acres of grass owned and run by Chrissy.
I stopped out after school one day to see if the distance was do-able and how the place would work for D and I.
In a word it was perfect. Rolling hills, pasture and people already aware of the needs of a blind horse.

On September 15 D loaded without a hitch and within the next few hours was out with new friends incredibly alert but relaxed and munching on grass and hay as he chose.
I have been incredibly impressed with how D has transitioned. He has taken the noises and new spaces in stride and while he may have days of crazy whinnying he has settled into nearly everything I have asked. I have been super impressed.

By Tuesday of our first week I was riding and we have settled into our new place. I am able to stop there on my way home from school and am slowly learning the names and faces of both the people and horses. D and I work about 3 times a week and he is out 24/7.  I am incredibly grateful for this place-D needed to be out on grass and now he is able. He has 2 other horses with him in his pasture. Sampson, who is blind and Sampson's buddy, Rooster who is mostly retired. They are quiet and D seems happy.

D is recovering from a few "war" wounds and a leg that most likely got kicked. So we have spent some time walking and stretching him out. Saturday we were able to trot as normal and canter a bit. We were a bit unbalanced due to stiffness but not bad otherwise. Our new adventure is starting to walk around all the property. I am looking forward to being able to ride in the fields a bit and out of the ring.
So that's it- our October update, we just keep enjoying each other's company and moving forward the best we can.