Separation Anxiety

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I've been drowning in homework and general college-life busyness :( Monday I had a Genetics test and Wednesday was Organic chemistry...... SUCKS. I finally got both of those behind me right in time for Limerick to get adjusted on Wednesday (boo). So, poor pony isn't rideable until tomorrow, just in time for me to go home, which means no riding until Sunday at the earliest. However, I decided to update because I have some exciting news. This pretty is currently on its way to me!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I finally found a used County that I reallllllyyyyyyyy hope will work for us! It should get here no later than Monday, and I'll have it on trial for a week, during which time my County rep will come out to evaluate and hopefully reflock :) Since I'm going home this weekend, I'm going to ride Huer in Hillary's new dressage saddle, which coincidentally is very similar to mine. YAY for seeing Hillary, Hue, my family, dogs, and Rue <3

Home for the Weekend!

This weekend, Kimmie, Jazz, Limerick and I went home for a weekend of fun with Hillary and Houston! It involved a lesson with my home trainer, lots of yummy food, a reunion with my dogs, two sleepovers in a row, and a mini trial at a local farm :) Needless to say, it was a total blast.

Kimmie and Hill with the flat trailer tire

Limmers and his BFFL, Levi

The adorable Mr. Leviticus 

LIMS

LIMS' NOSE

Drying in the sun after his bath

Friday, Kimmie and I got to HB (my home barn) around 7:00, unloaded the horses, and went out for sushi with Hill. Then we went back to the farm, Kimmie quickly hacked around, and Hill and I tag-teamed the Limmers in a joint effort to make him a naked pony, sans hair (except for his legs).

My best friend is supaaaa cute

yummy buche de noel 

Saturday was crazyyyy busy, and we pretty much ran around all day accomplishing the many things we needed to do. First, we got up early so Kimmie could school XC and Jazz was a total rock star! It was their first time schooling a real cross-country course, and it really could not have gone smoother. They are obviously eventers in the making :) We started packing up after schooling when Hill just happened to notice that one of Kimmie's trailer tires was flat... the same trailer that drove 80+ miles the night before! That was an eventful discovery, but we got it sorted out shortly, and luckily Kimmie was able to go buy a new tire and change it herself. After that excitement, we headed back to the home barn, unloaded Jazz, and started setting up for the tack sale. As Hillary said on her blog, is was a major flop in terms of turnout, but I did manage to sell an unused Stubben bridle for $100 and a cheap nylon halter for $10! I also gave away some old baby pads, just to free up some space in my rather large tack collection.. Shortly after the failed tack sale, I had a lesson with E, my home trainer. Limerick was a star, but E was unfortunately distracted and only dedicated 50% of her attention to me, which was really frustrating since I only get to lesson with her on breaks :( Later that night, my parents took us out for a yummy dinner at a new French restaurant in town. It was delicious and really the only time I got to sit down with them and just talk.

Finally, Sunday morning we got up even earlier (BOO) and went to HB to braid, feed, and ride. Limerick was even better than Saturday, and I don't want to jinx anything, but I think that the chiropractor really took care of all of our problems! We started out WTC in the indoor (I miss it so much) and then went out in a field by ourselves, with no protestations from the Limmers in terms of leaving his friends. For some reason, when his back was really ouchy he became sort of barn sour... it wasn't really bad and he would mainly throw a little tantrum, but it certainly was not fun. We had none of that, even though he hadn't been to HB since August. I was such a proud mommy! Also, on Friday I started riding in an eggbutt french link snaffle that I happened to find in the depths of my tack trunk, and I LOVE it. It offers much more consistent contact than we were getting from the loose ring, and Lims is also much more willing to accept the bit :) Shortly after my ride, we left for the show and got everyone where they needed to be. It was the tiniest bit hectic, but overall a really good day! Jazz had some minor meltdowns involving a few refusals, which is relatively unheard of for him, and Kimmie even had a minor fall during her jumper course. She was fine, but was really pissed at him for forgetting his brain, especially after how well schooling went the previous day. Hillary and Hue had an AMAZING day and I am so proud of them!! I don't want to steal her thunder, so you can read about it on her blog, but I will say that they left with a ribbon!

Kimmie and I got back late last night, quickly turned the ponies out and upacked, and then went back to school and promptly crashed. I'm still exhausted, but it was so worth it :) I have a lesson on Wednesday with S and I should get to ride most days this week. I'll post soon with more updates!

Hillary and Huey after an amazing XC round :)

I'm proud of this picture of Houston's braids! It's also Hill's new banner photo

Kimmie falling... 

Kimmie falling... 

Kimmie falling... 

Before the fall, looking awesome/B.A. 

Dressage Clinic with Reese Koffler/Things are looking up!

Sorry for the silence, I just needed some time to emotionally "recover" after the dressage clinic. The first video I posted is of Limerick refusing the log that I talked about on Saturday. The other is 13 minutes of Collyn riding him in the clinic. You don't have to watch all of it, but if you do you'll understand pretty quickly that he was a total dick. I hate that word, but it's really the best way to describe his behavior as of late :( He jigged, pranced, ran around like a giraffe, and even cow kicked at one point, which is basically the equivalent of rearing in Limerick language. All in all, he was pissed off, but we couldn't discern why... his tail started swishing upon arrival and didn't stop until we left.

I refrained from posting until now because I didn't want to be a total Debbie Downer, and today was the first time that I've felt any better than hopeless. I'm done talking/worrying about it, but Reese, the clinician, echoed and added to my B.O.'s opinions. However, some part of me prayed that our problem was being caused by physical pain somewhere, anywhere, in his body. Today, my prayers were answered. The chiropractor came out despite my B.O.'s protestations that he's not in hard enough work to be sore, and proved my suspicions right. She described him as "very tender and extremely sore," with a tilt in his pelvis that was causing a lot of pressure to be put on his S.I. region. He also had quite a bit of tenseness in his neck and was resistant to the chiro's efforts to stretch it. Once she started to massage his back and pop his joints back into place, the relief was immediate. He leaned into her and kept sighing and stretching his head down, like he couldn't believe that it didn't hurt anymore. I also asked her what that type of discomfort could cause and she suggested refusals, run outs, jumping funny (ROOTING), swapping leads at the canter or just cantering strangely, reluctance to go forward, etc. She also said that jumping, and especially landing, was painful for him, which also explains throwing his head up over jumps and throwing his body over so that he could try to land on all four feet. She also mentioned general unwillingness and pissiness, like tail swishing, ear pinning, etc. He did ALL of these things... now we just have to wait and see if the adjustment took care of all or just part of the problem.

Needless to say, despite the fact that I now know Limerick was probably in moderate to intense pain, I am beyond relieved. I don't want to get my hopes up, but we had this exact same problem at the old farm, and the day the chiropractor came out to adjust him was the day he returned to the horse I know and love, not the bratty monster who had temporarily taken his place... I can't ride until Friday at the earliest, and even then I'm only supposed to do light work. Limerick, Kimmie, Jazz and I are heading to my home barn this weekend and I'm so excited!! I get to have a lesson with my home trainer, and most importantly see Hillary and Huey :) Kimmie and Jazz are XC schooling and competing on Saturday/Sunday, and I'll get to take pictures of them as well as of Hillary and Hue. More happy updates to come, it's only going to get better from here! As a backup, I do have a more experienced ammie, G, coming out to ride the Lims once a week and I'm also going to start lessoning with her in addition to my once weekly lesson with S. I'll keep you posted :)