Finally get to ride my horse

Zoe's abscess is totally healed and we are back to riding.  She feels really good under saddle.  I put my back out a few weeks ago and she got to rest some more as I healed up.  Last week we had a lesson and we got some "trail worthy" shoes put on her feet.  So now we are back on the trail.  Phew!

Now to work off some of the flab-or is it fluff- that has accumulated on my horse from standing around for 4 weeks.

Mom-the horses are shrinking!!!

Aren't these cute?!? Lilly is on the left and Grace on the right. They are very friendly. They are a mother/daughter pair-just like Skippy and Zoe. They live at our barn now, at the far end of the arena...the "scary place", if a horse is going to spook it is usually at that end of the arena. 

This is Zoe's third time seeing these horses. 

 This is Skippy's second time seeing these horses 

Skippy and Zoe had a similar "discussion" regarding these horses. The "discussion" started out as a "shouting match" and it went something like this....

Z-Here we go into the arena again, maybe I'll get to eat at the edge again...wait...there's something at the scary end. 

Zoe stops half way into the arena, lifts her head high, tail raised, eyes bugged out, ears forward so much that they might fall off the front of her head. She snorts and blows. She starts dancing. 

Z-Mom did you see that!?! They're starting to shrink the horses! I knew there was something wrong about that end of the arena! 

Me-Just calm yourself. They are just little horses. 

Z-NO NO NO! 

So I just let her off her lead and I walk over to the minis and stand there while Zoe runs back and forth in the middle of the arena. She doesn't run back to the gate, she is curious but doesn't want to get closer. She had her "floaty" trot, head raised and tail up like an arabian. I just stand there talking calmly while she.....

Z- Mom they're going to shrink you too! Get away from there! This isn't right! What can I do to save you?!? Why don't you listen to me!!!! 

After a few minutes....

Z- Wait...there's food in here...I can eat some over here close enough to watch you mom, in case something happens. 

That's when I knew we were done with the horse that wouldn't listen to me. So I put her back on her lead and was able to lead her closer. Then I would ask her to back by wiggling the rope. I did have to wiggle it pretty hard at first-usually she is lighter than that, but she did go back. Then we went towards the minis again getting closer, then we backed and we kept doing that until we were about 5 feet away. Each time we backed she was getting lighter with the lead rope wiggling. So I knew she was listening to me. 

Z-Mom, they are so weird. Why are they so little? I can whip my butt around and kick them for you! 

Me- NO! Let's walk back and forth across the arena and don't run over me! 

Z- Ok, just don't let them make me that small, I like eating too much and surely something that little doesn't get to eat very much. 

Later that morning I lead her into the arena again and the "wild Zoe" was gone, the curious, cautious Zoe was there.  The next day I rode her in the arena. We had to work on listening to me and not watching the minis all the time. Eventually she was able to ignore them and get to work. I was hoping that would happen because the next day I had a lesson. 

Lesson day went fine. No problems. She did try to watch them, but we were too busy doing working. 

Skippy...well she's a bit of a different story. The "shouting match" was similar, only she noticed them as soon as we walked into the arena. And when I let her off her lead and walked over to the minis she ran to the opposite end of the arena and ran back and forth. She wasn't as accepting of them as Zoe. I eventually got her on her lead again and using the same "game" was able to get her closer to them, however she wasn't comfortable at all. We tried it again later that day and she was VERY wary. I think it will take a few more times to get her past that and be able to ride her in the arena without her spooking. 

Healed up

So today we had our first lesson in 5 weeks-and we were able to do it! Zoe didn't take a bad step. Altho we still need to work on our right lead. We did do many things correctly and she kept up her tempos really well. I have some exercises to work on to help us with our lead. I think I will also go back to riding without my brace on my left leg-maybe it's getting in the way. The most exciting thing-Zoe is better!!!!  Just need to wait for a trail worthy shoe to get on her foot, rest a few days after shoeing and we can hit the trails again. Farrier appt is June 11, but we may move it out a week to get more growth on the left front.

Abscess almost healed

Abscess is healing up. Zoe is moving much better. Every once in a while she takes a "bad" step but comes out of it the next step. Every day she improves. I'm glad we don't have a hole in her foot. Everything must have come out a crack. Researching abscesses brought up information saying it was okay to put them back on the dirt-no bandages?!? In my case it is working but I can't imagine doing that with a hole in a foot. Farrier says eventually we will see it.
On Sunday, June 1st, I put her in the arena and lunged her. 99.9999999% of her steps were great.  So I decided to ride her. She did great.  I've been riding her mostly at a walk and she is improving. So this Thursday I will take a lesson on her.