March 2025 Wrap Up

 

	Butterball
Training rides	0
Lessons	2- jump
Hacks	2
Ground work, lunge, long line	1-     Walk cavaletti and back raises
Flat rides	6
Conditioning rides	0
XC school	0
Shows	0

Butterball and I had a pretty quiet month. I went out of town twice. North Carolina with my dad and brother at the start of the month.

Cats came along and had a fantastic time. Still breaks my heart it wasn't Pico, but such is life. 

Deer nomming on a deer block

Fox squirrel in the snow! I had no idea there were fox squirrels in NC

March snow - I thought it was fun, but I hear people who live up here are less thrilled with March snow. 

Then NJ to visit my best friend at the end of the month. 

Her super cute cat sharing my bed 

All in all, Butterball had 12 rides this month and 1 ground work session. After this most recent farrier visit I can see bruising growing out through the sole on the LEFT hind, not even the one he was lame on. I feel so bad that my barefoot experiment ended up hurting him. And obviously we missed Carolina International due to his sore feet, but in the end most of the national divisions didn't run XC because of the massive storms that blew through. So all we missed was a long drive and a CT. Well timed, Butterball. 

We seem to be back on track now because he was negative to hoof testers all around at his farrier appointment on the 24th and has been feeling great both on the flat and to jump. 

After the farrier appointment, my friend and I went for a hack around her neighborhood. There were lots of dogs, fortunately behind fences, that came bolting up through foliage to bark at the horses. Butterball was super about that and barely flinched. But he did have a difficult time with a large rock. 

SO GOLDEN!!! 

Wish I'd been sitting up a bit straighter LOL. Through clicking and cookies he eventually touched the rock. Then her dutch gelding came to investigate. I swear BB gave him a look as he snorted like "What's the big deal dummy, it's a rock"

The big news of the month was getting our re-treed dressage saddle back and new jump saddle. After a couple of rides in the jump saddle, I can safely say that it works very well for both of us! And his back has never looked so up as after a good dressage ride in the re-treed saddle. 

I got him a schockemohle off of Ebay that we both love. He's so handsome in it! 

Looking ahead to April, we're doing Rocking Horse this upcoming weekend and then Ocala International Easter weekend. My lovely coworker/friend whose house he goes to for the farrier kindly switched shifts with me after the disappointment of not going to Carolina. 

I definitely need to get more serious about his fitness in April now that things are feeling great again. And to do this I am jotting down tentative plans on my calendar for working those fitness days in. It is so easy to just hack and then flat at home and never end up doing our trot sets let alone the canter sets. Also the ground is (relatively) quite hard where I am, so hauling out to do the fitness work would be ideal. 

I hope April is off to a good start for everyone else as well!!

The Plot Thickens

Ben got checked today by his beloved vet. As soon as I got him to JT's, it was apparent he was horrendously foot sore just standing in the cross ties (mats over concrete). I don't think I'd noticed at home because there are mats over sand where we tack up. And I'd been doing some light lunging in the soft sand ring. We pulled his shoes and some sand had gotten between his leather pads and foot and he was very positive to hoof testers there. I had stared at him a couple times on the line wondering if he was off in front but it was subtle and went away if I pushed him forward.

I had acupunctured him Tuesday. He was pretty reactive to the needles, but his back was a lot less sore after that. His vet said the sudden stopping is usually foot in her experience. The hock/stifle/back usually causes a more gradual quit. Makes sense. So I still ignored his back like an asshole, but that's not why he was suddenly saying no. 

We did shock wave his back. His farrier is coming out tomorrow evening to get just plain shoes back on. We found a shimmed pad we're happy with one of JTs saddles with. We have a plan, again. Isn't that all you can do with horses? 

And he got his first clip of the season to get rid of his fluffy belly fur. He is SO GOOD to clip. Genuinely the best. And is so handsome and shiny.

Saturday he joined my husband and I on our evening walk. I put a chain on in case of hopping about, but didn't need it. And Ben was just thrilled to be taking a walk with us. He nailed the grabbing a bite of grass and then trotting to catch up again all without touching the end of the lead. Clever boy. He just had the most pleased, content expression on his face while strolling around the neighborhood, I loved it so much. 

With my relaxed lunging days while he wasn't getting a saddle put on we played more with hunting the pole and clicking when he got it right. He started to pick up on it and was pretty happy he learned how to get a treat to dispense. He's also gotten WAY better at woah on the lunge. Clever pony. 

So things go. Rocking Horse is still a big maybe. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't. We'll see how shoes+jump school Thursday go.