My trainer: Kristin Corcoran (part 1)

I'm in a lesson with Riley, and we're struggling with one of the "big issues" for both riders & horses. Crookedness.

Ri needs to be  straight and balanced before he will really go forward. He'll lumber around on his shoulder all day, hind legs trailing, if he's crooked.

In fact, that is what he's doing now, in this lesson. My trainer Kristin  Corcoran of Graystone Equestrian Center is coaching me as we turn on the short side of the ring, energy evaporating. She is telling me to shift my weight to the outside, to release the inside rein, to use more inside leg and stabilize my outside rein. I'm not feeling it today. Tired and frustrated, and I'm tensing up and feel Riley (who had started out willing enough) starting to shut down.

Calling time
Kristin "calls time" and walks toward us. Not a good sign. This usually means we'll have a "back to basics" moment. While I know I need it, and Kristin is the soul of tact, my ego takes one on the chin. Oh well. At least there is no one else in the ring to witness my remedial work.

We're at the halfway point in the lesson, and Kristin has already outlined the path to improving our trotwork.

1. Put weight into my outside stirrup (I'm leaning with my upper body to the inside).
2. Center my hips over the saddle (my hips are uneven and not centered over the saddle).
3. Turn my upper body more to the ouside (my upper body is turned too far to the inside). 
4. Widen my outside rein (don't cross it over his neck). This is a bad habit when Riley is poking his outside shoulder and falling to the outside. 
5. Relax my hip joints and "get closer to the saddle." I'm struggling to get him more forward, tensing my hips in the process. 
6. Most importantly, give with my hands. As Riley gets slower and loads his shoulder more, I try to fix it all with my hands.

I'm not sure why things aren't "clicking" today -- usually Ri would be motoring by now, and we'd be starting our canter work. Maybe it's just not our day. I have to wonder, what could Kristin possibly do to salvage this ride?

Stay tuned for part II

Why I love where I work

Working at a university is intellectually humbling! So many smart people, a lot of them half my age. I did not do create this sign, so I could laugh at the correction...

Delicious new drink -- Blood Orange Cranberry goodness

It's on the spendy side, but OMG it is delicious. At our loca

Goofy Rosacea: Keep on Smiling?

I've always been prone to blushing and redness (when I exercise my skin is red-like-a-lobster). Later in life I started to notice tiny blood vessels around my cheeks, but didn't lose sleep over it. I knew of rosacea at the time, suspected I had it, but wondered what the big deal was -- it's just coloring, right?

What's the big deal, indeed!
Well, over Labor Day weekend I went on a long bike ride -- about twice as long as my normal rides, 55 miles. I was riding with a super-fit group of people that kicked my butt. I kept up with them, and felt pretty good -- but then they opted to go off-trail in a hilly area, and the inclines did me in. When we got back I was beyond exhausted -- felt slightly sick for several hours.

Over the course of the next few days, my skin went to h*ll. I attributed it to too much sun, at first. But it didn't get better -- it got worse. My cheeks were red, but also bumpy with in a way that was not-quite-acne, not quite inflammation. When I googled rosacea, I learned that there is a form of rosacea that is sort of like acne. Pretty sure, at this point, this is what I suddenly have -- in spades.

Oh -- so THAT'S the big deal.

Exercise, and excessive heat, and excessive cold, apparently make it worse, along with alcohol and spicy foods. Pretty much the hit list of things associated with what I love. 

What is to be done?
Dermatologists in the area are scheduling about six months out. I took the bull by the horns and did some research on treatments. Shhhh! I self-medicated with antibiotics left over from some illness. Dramatic improvement, but there is a good chance it will worsen again when I stop (I'm on day 5). Trying not to get my hopes up. I'm trying some home remedies, like turmeric and honey.

2015 has been a loser year
It's been quite a year -- the loss of my dad, Bob not working, big pet vet bills, and now, the Harvster is not well. Stress may have played a role here too. 

At my age, maybe it shouldn't matter. And I was never Carmen Diaz to begin with. But it just feels like one more thing. I would have liked to have been spared this facial ickiness, there is a remedy of sorts. You see, it is much less noticeable when I smile. Keep on smilin!

Lehigh University: A horse-loving university

I'm so proud of my workplace, Lehigh University, for sponsoring a police horse for the Bethlehem Mounted Police. The new horse, a four-year-old Thoroughbred/Percheron cross, is named Asa after the university's founder. This is an auspicious and inspiring beginning to the work of our new President John Simon.  I think that mounted police bring a new dimension to law enforcement and a much-needed public relations boost.

Officer Holschwander and Asa

Posted by Bethlehem Mounted Police on Thursday, September 24, 2015

Papal Ponies! Bethlehem Mounted Police go to Philly

Our local paper is super-annoying in its intrusive ad placement, but have to give a shoutout to our local mounted police -- they get to see the Pope [see Morning Call article]! Over 2 million expected to flood the city. That's a lot of port-o-lets...

Feeding Harv

So presently Harv is on these feeds, in amounts that are much smaller than he would like...

• One or two flakes of hay (and much of it is left over, as he cannot chew)
• Releve original formula from Kentucky Equine Research. 30 lb bag is $25. Low carb, high fat.  Amusingly, the feeding directions say to feed "6-20lbs a day" depending on workload.  NSC 10%
• Poulin Forage Extender, $15/bag and 6% NSC.
• Proforce Senior, small amount. 20%NSC -- it's what our barn feeds. After we go through this feed I'm hoping to switch to Triple Crown
• Timothy cubes. Harv is not that keen on the soaked cubes.
• Beet pulp. Harv is not that keen on unsweetened beet pulp. 
• Timothy pellets -- a bust.
• Denghie hay -- a none-starter

Poulin feeds are known for their low carb feeds, and they are not expensive -- the forage extender is about $14.  I like the Releve for its high fat content, but can't afford it long term. Triple Crown Senior is also very low carb and it's more affordable.

I'm scrambling a little here, trying a lot of different things.

Harvey update: Recovery

Over Labor Day weekend, Harv had a laminitic episode. I was shocked, but I suppose I should not have been. Because he couldn't eat hay he got a large amount of senior feed, and I brought him sweet treats every day. Every day.  And while he didn't look like a Cushings horse, he tested positive for Cushings AND had high insulin levels.

How is he now?
Well, he's okay -- walking and turning well, no signs of pain, started on Pergolide. He has a "new diet" of low carb food.

Harv is hungry, though, and he has lost weight. This is tough on me and his caretakers --- he gets a paltry amount of food compared to what he used to get -- he always looks for more. And, he really can't eat hay with his worn-down teeth. We're gradually going to bump his feed back up, at least a little going into winter.

Grass
I was told to keep him off grass -- but I can't do it. He's 28, and this fall could be the last grass he ever eats. The pasture is hardly lush, and so far he's done okay.

While I'm glad Harv is doing better, I'm starting to count the cards stacked against him -- his age (28), his neurological issue, his teeth, and now Cushings and IR. If he can't keep up his weight, and his strength, I'm afraid he'll roll, or fall, and be unable to get up. The barn is not staffed, no telling when he'd be found.

The plan is to find a feeding program that will work for him, and retest for Cushings and IR in a few weeks. I'll be monitoring his recovery and hope that he'll be able to maintain his weight. Winter is coming.

Riley in his new browband!

Riley's and my matchy-matchy

Harvey sees a balloon!

Abdullah son (clone!) now in sport horse auction

See the auction listing -- shows you how much show jumpers have changed.

Car fall cleaning: A summer's worth of detritus

One day I'm going to figure out how to keep my car clean, and then write about it. But here is a moment of my fall cleaning efforts on film...

Artistic: My 150K dream

Make it look easy, don't they? For sale at $150K...

Dressage training with Laura Graves -- How to get a real connection over t...

Bob, if you are reading this, notice how MANY dressagetrainingonline.com video excerpts I'm posting -- this means I would really like to have an annual subscription.

Impressed with Laura Graves here -- what a good session she offers this ammy rider, honest, specific, positive.

Irideon Zanzibar breeches: Love! Part II

What I like about these breeches, which come in both fullseat and kneepatch:

• The color, basically several options of gray/pink, grey/tealish, and black/cobalt blue.
• Piping! Love piping.
• Neither low-rise or high-waisted, hitting that sweet spot.
• Flattering fit, perhaps cut for the short-waisted, buttless wonders such as myself!
• Balance of "give" in the fabric while offering some structure (not a leotard/yogapant). They also don't stretch into bagginess after a ride.
• Mesh fabric from the knee down for comfort and boot fit.
•  True-to-size, not too tight or loose.
• Double snap/hook closure at the waist, for a flat, wide waistband.

What I don't like:

• Too short for my 36" inseam -- wish they made them in longs!
•  Pockets are shallow, not a big drawback but for not really deep enough for say, a standard cellphone.

 Note that there appear to be two kinds of Zanzibar breeches -- one has piping on the perimeter of the full seat patch... See the two types on Toklat's web site...

 See the gallery of photos, before and after my ride, at https://goo.gl/photos/wdwkGQUPfA9WfgGS8

Irideon Zanzibar Breeches: Love! Part I

In a recent Dressage Today ad, I saw a pair of breeches to die for -- steel gray with pink piping, enough to indulge my penchant for pink without looking like Barbie or Baby Hughie. They're from Irideon and they breech style is called Zanzibar (see VTO Saddlery's listing, I recommend VTO!).  Like so many impluses, it passed and I forgot about them until...

The Horseman's Outlet Sale
In Clinton, NJ, there is a huge store called Horseman's Outlet (HO) and they have a big sale every year in August. I went on the opening night and it was literally too crowded to shop, bought some horse treats (the only item excluded from their 20% off sale) and chatted with a friend for over an hour.

On the last day of the sale, I met a friend to go running in NJ. She kicked my butt and I ran further and faster than ever -- six miles, 10:45min/mile average. To celebrate, we stopped by HO again, thinking it would not be as crowded on a Sunday at 11am.

It was crowded, but I could shop -- and I found the Zanzibar breeches! At 20% off, I had to try them on. They fit, they're comfortable, and I love the look. I want to share this wonderful find -- not a sponsored review! I took tons of photos in part because mid-day lighting makes it hard to get shadow-less shots. Here is the photo gallery of me in the Zanzibar breeches, some taken before I rode in 90 degree weather, some taken after.

More details of my experience with these breeches in Part II.

Equestrian Problems: This is adorable

I sometimes wonder if I ever really left adolescent thinking behind -- this video makes me sure that I haven't.

"Miss, this isn't what I ordered." Harv's new menu

Are Harv's grass-eating days over?

 Recall my story of Harv's Friday night with the emergency vet. I thought Harv had taken a turn for the worse neurologically ("ataxic"), but the vet diagnosed laminitis.

Saturday am, Harv was dramatically improved -- on 1/3 tube of banamine every 12 hours he appeared to be mostly back to normal. For the next few days he held onto his improvement, and I wondered if laminitis is typically so short-lived.

Thursday pm, the farrier came out and did an evaluation -- important, because unlike the vet, he knows Harv well. Harv tested somewhat reactive to hoof testers right where the coffin bone is, but not too bad. Some signs of toe bruising. He moved well, though, doing tight turns in his stall. The farrier trimmed his feet.

Friday, I got the results of the Cushings test -- he is positive for Cushings, positive for insulin resistance.

No more molasses treats. No more grass. No more senior feed and its molasses deliciousness.         No more grass. The first day we fed him his unsweetened beet pulp and -- well, nothing else, his look was somewhere between "there's been some mistake" and "this isn't what I ordered." This is going to be hard for me, and hard for the folks at Harv's barn, as we're very treat oriented.

He started Pergolide Friday, a week after his episode.

I'm reading up on his condition, and hoping I can strike a balance -- let him be a horse, let him eat some things he likes, and keep him in good weight.  For a 28 year old horse with neurological issues, there is no concept of  "long term."

Non-trad dressage prospect!

By a well-known AQHA hunter type stallion, this lovely boy may have too much knee action for the AQHA show ring? He's huge and lovely. Anyone looking for an AQHA dressage prospect?

Adrienne Lyle on How To Fix Busy Hands

While this rider is light years ahead of me I can see similarities in her riding to mine, and Adrienne Lyle's advice is a lot like what I'm hearing from my trainer -- in fact it's almost EXACTLY what I hear from my trainer!

Dhetroit- 2015 PREMIUM and STALLION PROSPECT German Oldenburg (GOV) colt...

Very impressive young stallion  prospect -- hoping he exceeds expectations! If you don't know RollingStoneFarm.com , its a local Lehigh Valley warmblood breeding farm that has a long history in warmblood breeding and demonstrated track record for producing Hanoverian and Oldenburg horses. I love it's web site for its annual foal list -- complete with videos and descriptions. The sales videos give you an idea of the quality of breeding program.

Digital thermometers: Maybe not a good idea...

Over the years, I have used digital and traditional mercury thermometers. In the course of obsessing over illness, I have often taken Harv's temp with both types, and have noted that digital thermometers tend to give lower readings than mercury--by up to one degree.

It happened again during Harv's laminitic episode, and I decided to investigate. See the below study and its abstract:

Hine L, Laven RA, Sahu SK. An analysis of the effect of thermometer type and make on rectal temperature measurements of cattle, horses, and sheep, New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Vol. 62, March 2015.

 "Make of thermometer can influence rectal temperature measurements. In this study, digital thermometers generally recorded lower temperatures than mercury thermometers and had the highest variance. If digital thermometers are to be recommended for use in livestock, particularly in cattle and horses, robust data are needed showing that the specific make is reliable."

Dover Saddlery sells digital thermometers specifically for horses -- I wonder if they're better...

Grand Prix (in my dreams)!

So I'm not the only one inspired by the Euro Dressage Championships! This video is probably an example of what's going on in a lot of people's minds, if not in the home rings. I do some of my best work in the car with my "freestyle playlist."

Love this video and the effort shown. Love the setting, the horse, the jeans, the field, the horse (what a doll!) -- and the passage is more than I would have gotten out of Riley!

Harvey: Poor boy

Harv in his deeply bedded home.

Friday night, I went out to the barn to see Harv, as usual. As I led him to his pasture, it was clear something was not right. He was moving stiffly on his front end, with hesitation, and his balance was worse than it's ever been. Once in the pasture he would not move, and when he tried, he was swaying and having trouble standing over his feet.

The barn manager and I looked at him as I prodded him to walk. It was just... bad.  Lori agreed he was not right, and I was thinking he could fall down if we pushed him. I called the vet.
Harv has been neurological for a number of years but his hind end has been the issue -- and now it looked like his whole body was involved.

Is this goodbye?
Well, I thought this was it. I took his temp (normal), then I pulled my chair out to his paddock and sat with him while he ate hay. His eyes were mild, and calm, and his expression was happy. He was eating hay,  dropped and relaxed.  While we waited for the vet, I said my goodbyes to him, feeling grateful that he was not in pain. I longed for and dreaded the vet's arrival.


Not what I thought
When the vet arrived it was past dusk, so we trained our car headlights in his paddock. She evaluated him, using a flashlight when needed. She agreed that he was showing clear neurological symptoms as she walked him around, turning him both ways.

The first surprise: his pulse was 55. "I think he is in some pain," she said.  He also had strong digital pulses in both feet. She pointed out his subtle shifting of weight, which I'd called "swaying" and interpreted as loss of balance. She thought it was from trying to relieve pain from one limb, then another. He didn't respond much to hoof testers, but I guess this is common.

So you know the diagnosis. Laminitis.

What happened?
I have been determined to keep Harv in good weight. He can't eat hay, so I have him on 13 lbs of low starch senior feed, which is in the range of the recommended amount. Nothing has really changed in quite awhile though. Nothing new. He does get a lot of sweet treats, but...  I feel awful. It's possible I caused this.

As I talked to Lori and Sue, who also care for Harv, we agreed that he might have been a little uncomfortable on his feet for weeks, if not months. The ground is hard this summer, and we attributed a lot of the stiffness/hesitation to balance issues.

Just before the vet arrived, Harv's face was so happy, and placid, and content. I never dreamed he was in pain. He's a stoic horse, he really is.

Treatment
So as I write this, Harv has been on banamine for a just over 24 hours -- the IV banamine resulted in a rapid improvement in his gait, he even tried to trot a little. I've been rather incompetently caring for him, administering banamine that he spits out, soaking his feet in cool water (and having him knock it over in the aisle, and wrapping his right foot (which may have an abscess).  His stall is deeply bedded.  We drew blood for Potomac and Cushings.  I can't go crazy with treatments for him, and I want his life to be as natural as possible. He's going out at night in his small paddock. We thankfully have fine, soft hay right now so that is what he's eating. He's none too happy about the diet change. Lori keeps saying what Harv must be thinking:  "I hate this place!"

Harvey is a tough old guy. Friday I thought it was over, and here he is, still hanging in there.  Feeling very lucky.

Bob update: Talk to the hand

Bob started an experimental treatment at UPenn in early August -- it's too soon to tell if it's helping, but its track record is good. It does require that he spend a full-day in Philly every week, with an overnight stay.

Monday morning he woke up unable to move his hand -- he could feel it, but limited finger motility and his wrist was not functioning as a joint.

He had a CAT scan (no results), and we feel it is slightly better. The likely diagnosis is radial neuropathy, and he is seeing an accupuncturist.

Never a dull moment.

movie review -- fastest ever

I watched We are Marshall -- an inspiring football movie to be sure. I love a good underdog story, and this team "rises from the ashes" after a devastating loss -- the college's football team and many of the fans perished in a plane crash. There was a great quote in the movie, delivered by Matt Mcdonowhatever...

It doesn't matter if we win, or if we lose. It's not even about how we play the game. What matters is that we play the game. That we take the field.

You can view the whole quote at Masterpiece Movie Lines. I can't find a video clip but the movie is worth watching for its message.

And the message is there for amateur riders, too. I sometimes chide myself for investing so much time and resources in a sport where advancement is difficult, expensive, and (most importantly) reliant on a fragile partner. My only defense is that it is what I love to do.

So I get out there and ride.

More beads

It often happens that I buy beads for browbands, only to see that they aren't quite right for a browband, due to variations in size, popular taste, etc. I've been making bracelets too. Here is one of my faves. I love the hearts and wings theme. For sale for $20 which includes shipping to continental U.S.

Amy Winehouse: Musings 3

So I'm nearing the end of my Amy Winehouse  mini-obsession. I'm finally starting to listen to other music, although one song still plays in my head whenever I have a quiet moment, Wake Up Alone. For all of this sad research and sense of loss and waste, I hadn't cried.

The movie Amy was cry-worthy -- even Bob said he had to look away a few times. I  did tear up a little -- but no crying.

There is an online forum devoted to Amy and her music. The forum is still somewhat active, which is remarkable since she died in 2011. There are threads on her lyrics, her best performances, her personal style, her interviews, and more.  None of the posts are creepy or morbid; most are upbeat, all are admiring. These are young people, mostly, and they clearly love her.

I read through posts of AW news, lyrics, videos, remembrances. So little new information, and ever-dwindling, but still people engage with the forum.

There is one subject line: anyone else keep dreaming about her?

One forum member's signature line is "We only said goodbye with words," a line from Back to Black.

One young woman posted a new, previously unreleased photo. She wrote "Look Guys! A new photo of our Amy!"

Our Amy.

That made me cry.

Horze Bridle: the Lormont

Horze.com sent me a Lormont bridle recently.  I've owned many bridles ranging from $40 to $350, and I have a good feel for what you get for your money bridle-wise. At a price point of $68, my expectations were modest. I was hoping this "entry level" bridle would not be stiff and cheap-looking as so many are. And as it happened, I needed a new bridle, as Riley broke the flash loop on my old Bobby bridle a  month or so ago.

The Horze Web site has many bridles to choose from, from bitless to racing, and the Lormont Bridle is probably one of their entry level dressage bridles.

What a pleasant surprise this bridle is! It features a soft padded, round raised nose and browband, a square shape, and brass fittings. I was interested in seeing how it fit Riley behind the ears -- the crown part is ergonomically shaped, with soft padding, and it hits the sweet spot. It comes with web reins with stoppers, but because I need long reins I didn't use them for Ri. 

The Lormont is a great, solid, bridle, with the added bonus of coming in an attractive style -- it would never have occurred to me to buy brass fittings, but the fittings are a soft gold and expensive-looking. The leather is soft but not mushy, and I like its light weight. 

The first few times I used it, I got many compliments -- now granted, my old bridle had  broken piece where the flash loop was partly detached (it was unsightly), but my trainer and several boarders all remarked on how much they liked the Lormont. I love the ergonomic headstall, even though I can't use my own beaded browband with it due to the larger loop-size it requies. I've ordered a new empty browband with the larger loops so I can bead him a new one. While I can live without the red Z branding (see image below), it is pretty much like all of the manufacturer logos on the headpiece. It does not stick out, particularly, next time I'd suggest they go for etched silver instead of red.

With bridles at this price point you can have issues early on -- cracking, dye bleeding, stretching, chipping of finish. While I can't speak to the bridle's durability long term, but after five rides no obvious issues are evident. For the price, it is a very nice bridle.

I think Riley looks stunning in it!

Note that the reins are mine (old, ugly, but extra long!)