The weekend that just wouldn't end............
Wake up at 3am after going to bed at 1am......NOT A HAPPY CAMPER AM I.
Drive the 2.5 hours to San Marcos to see CASPER! I miss Casper. Stop in town at Wal-Mart to get Cas some carrots...he LOVE 'em!
Arrive just as Mary is pulling out of her driveway to go to the barn (barn is right next to house, but quite a haul).
Hugs to all, missed ya's and so on. Cas stays turned out in the indoor arena at night, which he loves! walked in, started talking and he came to investigate. I love him! First thing I notice, how shiny (even in the somewhat still dark arena) he looks....and then, how much more FIT he looks. He still has the same laid back demeanor, and was happy to take all the carrots I could shove his direction. Tony, the stable hand had gotten up early to feed him (Thank you Tony) so that Mary could ride after he ate. Robert gave his feet a quick trim, noted shoes are needed on the front for 2 cracks the developed in the past 9 weeks (he's about 3 weeks over due). But, trim first, ride, then shoes.
Mary tacks him up...he stands like the gentleman we know he is......I gooobie up with sunscreen, grab camera...Mary grabs sun glasses, and Cas and we head to the outdoor.
Not only is the a ride for us to see how far he's come, but a test of the meds he's been on since his trip to Dr. H last week. We went out to the arena with a plan.
Lunge - canter both directions
Ride - first to Right, then to left. If he lopes to left, 1/2 to 1 full time around and quit, done, end of story. End with him getting the RIGHT answer and stopping.
Sounds good to me.
Lunge - Trots to warm up....then canter to right...nails it, of course
Canter to left - 1st attempt, wrong lead all the way around
2nd attempt....NAILS it....starts correct, ends correct. Trot......ask again, Nails it!
OMG....maybe the meds helped.....maybe...
Mary hops on - keeping in mind he's on 4 days off....
he extends his trot ot VERY nice. For a big guy, he does have good movement.
Canter Right - big case of I don't wanna-itis ..... Mary pushes him on through. He balls his front end up, tucking his chin to his chest and powers around like a freight train....after about 20 seconds of that he relaxes into a more natural frame and says "ok, this is what you want, eh?"
Canter Left - ummmm NO, NO, NO, NO way he says....he balls up even tighter than to the right and just won't give it to Mary. Ok, stop, back up, re group! Mary extends his trot until he has no choice but to canter. It work! Correct lead, really balled up, but correct lead, and after about 30 seconds he relaxes, some. WHOA, stop....dismount, cheering from us, big rub on neck and pats from Mary. Cas is looking around like "what in the heck? All I did was canter...why the party??" Like, he really didn't know why, but was happy work was over.
Pleased...we were all very pleased with this.....
Plan of attack....keep plugging away at it this week and see what happens. Mary will call Dr. H today with update and get his thoughts....throw around possibility of another supplement, chiropractor....anything...
Un-tack, front shoes....hose off....
My tummy starts to rumble, grumble...and not the I'm hungry way...
Tell mary, "BRB, need ur potty"....
Get back to barn....try to hurry DH....
We make mad dash from Mary's with Mary kinda looking puzzled.....I needed potty again...stop at gas station for gas and potty. I am feeling REALLY bad. I get us to Luling, and ask DH to drive.....I sit in passenger seat, feeling terribly.
We have 2 more stops...one on way home, one on other side of home about 1 1/2 hrs....I'm not gonna make it...
Ask DH if he can do trip on other side of us by himself...he says "yes"
Make stop on way home...takes about 2 hrs....me sitting in car with ac on whole time....
Another hour to drive home...get home about 3..
I make one more mad dash to potty and "die in bed"....
Horses in trailer still...look ok, checked h20 before going on...all good....
Guy comes by around 6pm to check on them......leaves....
Comes back around 7:30.....my phone rings, it's him. I feel terrible and don't answer...Call Robert, tell him to call guy.
Robert calls me back....."Guy just said one of horses is dead..look outside"
WTF....I look outside, only see one horse standing in the trailer.....
OMG....."what happened??"
R says "I dunno, guy said he was there about an hour ago, and they were fine.....came by now, not fine. Dead mare has trauma to her face/head like maybe they got into it in the trailer, or maybe she hit her head. I'll be home in a bout an hour and we will deal with it."
"ok" was all I could say.
R gets home, we go out and take the living mare out of the trailer, move the trailer so he can get the bulldozer out, and as he's moving it guy shows up. He has his skid steer loader on a trailer hooked up to his truck. He was upset, but not mad at us. Not our fault. Although, how can you not feel bad about that huh?? Trying to do him a favor, trying to do the right thing and look what happens?
Guy goes down the road to drop off the skid steer, and I follow him to the gate with the mare. He said all that he could find wrong with the fence was that one of the hunters that comes on the property left a gate open. Go figure. We turn the mare loose, it's getting dark...almost pitch black. She knows the fence, knows the pasture....should be ok.
Walk back to the house...
My filly spends the entire night exchanging shrill whinnies back and forth with the mare......
I'm sure she misses her friend, and is lonely out in the pasture by herself....
Quite a weekend, huh?
I will post a few shots of Cas here, in a minute....
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