When I first got Izzy, he had been living out in pasture for more than a year and a half. Actually, I think his owner might have had him on pasture for pretty much his first six years of life. While pasture is fantastic, especially for young horses like Izzy, it can be pretty tough on their feet.

Izzy had developed a crack up the front of his hoof, but I knew it would grow out with good farrier work. While Izzy was with the "leg wrecker" trainer (start here and scroll back to find the beginning), I had her farrier shoe him because he was starting to get footsore (he was barefoot). It was a fairly mediocre shoe job at best.

Within just two or three visits by the farrier, the crack disappeared, and the hoof started taking on a much more balanced shape. Farrier work is one thing I don't try to micromanage. I always have good farriers and trust them to do their work. I can recognize a really bad shoe job, and a nice shoe job will stand out just as easily. Outside of that, I leave the angles and length to them. So far, that has worked out okay.

My current farrier has been working with my horses for almost a year, and both of their hooves look really great. Speedy has been able to go barefoot, which I love (no more lost shoes), and Izzy only needs to be shod in front.

My farrier was out this week. I forgot to take pictures of Speedy's toes, but I did get some shots of Izzy's freshly shod feet. They have really changed shape over the past year and look like they are now an excellent weight bearing structure.

I follow a six week shoeing cycle, how often do your horse's feet get done?

We all know that I am not much into grooming and hair products, but I do enjoy seeing my horses look good. I must be doing something at least partially right because both of my horses have lovely coats, beautiful, barefoot hooves, and healthy manes and tails.

It's more likely that I've just been blessed with horses who posses good hair and hoof genes.

Manes, and to a lesser extent, tails are my least favorite parts of the body to address. I enjoy a thick mane and tail which means I use a fair amount of detangler, but I only comb them out once or twice a month. Frequent combing thins the tail and shortens long mane hairs. This has been a great strategy for Speedy because Arabians are "permitted" to have a running braid while showing. Other breeds can as well, but it's not as traditional. 

Izzy's mane is a hot mess. Number one, it wants to hang on the "wrong" side, and even worse, it splits down the middle where it can't decide what it wants to do. Enter the amazing Smart Tails Professional Mane & Tail Thinning Comb By Smart Grooming. I ordered mine via Amazon for $32.89 plus $6.82 for shipping and handling. It came all the way from Germany and was supposed to take a month to arrive, but it was at my door within about a week and a half. 

A friend of mine shared this mane and tail thinner on Facebook, and I was immediately intrigued. She shows regularly, so I knew that I could trust her recommendation. The tool is beyond simple to use. You simply start at the base of the mane or tail and gently drag it through the hair. Within just a stroke or two, an entire section of mane can be thinned.

The comb is quite sturdy, and the blades are sharp. It comes in three blade types; coarse, medium (which I ordered), and Fine & Superfine.

I still need to do some more work on Izzy's mane, but already, it is starting to lay on the correct side, and it's half as thick as it was.

When I saw how easily it worked on his mane, I decided to clean up the bushy hairs from around his tail head. If I don't want to pull his mane, you can bet that there is no way I am pulling tail hairs. With this trimmer, I had his tail looking quite tidy in less than a minute. I even did Speedy's!

As I continue to shape and thin his mane, I am certain that braiding will get easier and easier. The only trouble with this thinner is how easy it is to get carried away. It combs the thickness out so easily that before you know it, you'll have no mane to thin! 

You've been warned!

A week or so ago, I shared a post about lunging Izzy with draw reins. I don't want to be overly dramatic or anything, but the change in Izzy over the past week and a half has been almost miraculous. Chemaine's suggestion that I use these on him was genius.

I have so much to say about this transformation that it would probably be easier if I start at the beginning...

When I first went to look at Izzy a year and a half ago, the one thing that I wasn't so thrilled with was his movement. I felt like his gaits were choppy, and he carried his head quite high. I didn't hold it against him though because while he'd been started as a four year old, he then spent the next 18 months in pasture doing nothing. I am not an expert at judging conformation, but I instinctively liked Izzy's short back and how his neck tied into his body. I figured with some work, his gaits would improve.

Since bringing him home, Izzy has always looked tight through his back. During turnout, he never stretches down and trots like Speedy does. He rarely canters in turnout either. He either gallops with his head sky high or does this convoluted I am trotting ... now I am kind of cantering ... and now my back legs are trotting. Basically, he's been a bit of a mess. 

Since about February though, I've started to see some real changes in his movement. For one, he's actually starting to bounce a little when he trots in turnout, and he can actually trot a straight line. Instead of galloping, he now picks up a pretty quiet little canter. And even more amazing is that he is now picking up a RIGHT lead canter. ​And all of it is looking so much more relaxed and comfortable - for him.

I don't have any recent conformation shots, but you can see how much he has filled out in the picture above when compared to the shot taken in 2014. His head doesn't look nearly so large now that it's attached to a neck that has filled out. He also now has some back muscles. 

This change is not due to a week's worth of lunging in draw reins, of course. It's clearly the result of a year's worth of (at least somewhat) correct riding. While things have been progressing well, we had kind of hit a glitch though when it came to relaxing over the topline. Chemaine suggested lunging with draw reins as a way of teaching Izzy how to stretch his back under saddle and accept contact. 

I don't know how it worked so quickly, but after only a half a dozen short sessions, Izzy gets it. On the lunge line, he is now quiet and soft and stretches down in the trot. When he starts to get quick in his stride, I simply say, easy and lower the whip. He immediately slows himself down and rebalances. 

Our lunging sessions take 11 minutes: 5 minutes per side with 1 minute to change the lunge line to the other side. I have him walk for 1 minute, trot for 1 minute, do walk-trot-walk transitions for a third minute, and then I ask for a canter. He now picks up the correct lead every time. I let him canter for a 4th minute, and then I ask for a couple of trot to canter to trot transitions before we switch directions.

After I lunge, I ride. Not only has the lunging helped him to stretch his back and relax, but it's all transferring to his under saddle work. He has gotten better and better each day. On Sunday, he picked up both canter leads with hardly any fuss, and it was quiet and controlled. I was laughing out loud in delight. I am loving this work right now because I know that we'll challenge him again before too long, and he'll tell me he can't do it. For now, this is fabulous!

For those of you who are interested in trying the draw reins/sliding side reins, I wanted to share a quick how-to-build-your-own for about $5. They're not pretty, but they get the job done and are very adjustable.

​You'll need a length of ¼" - ½" diameter rope about 18 feet long. I bought some cheap poly rope at Home Depot a number of years ago. You'll also need a trigger snap and two bolt snaps.

Slide the trigger snap onto the rope. This is the piece that connects to your girth ring between the front legs. Tie a bolt snap to each end of the rope. To adjust the length, tie the knot farther down the rope. I untie one end and shorten it depending if I am connecting it to the surcingle (above) or my saddle. When I connect it to my saddle. I just run the rope behind my billets and then snap it back onto itself using the bolt snap.

To apply the draw reins, I clip the trigger snap to the girth and then grab one end of the rope and run it from the inside of the bit ring to the outside where it attaches to my girth. Then I grab the other end and run it through the other bit ring and attach it to the other side of my girth. The first few times I did it, I started fairly loosely, but now that Izzy knows what's going on, I don't bother to change the length.

Right now, I am using the draw reins before each ride. Once I am certain that Izzy can start a ride already relaxed through his back, I'll try to only use them a few times a week. Using them only adds 15 minutes to our ride time so it's not an inconvenience to attach them. And really, if they get him working more effectively before I get on, then the 15 minutes is time well spent.

If you end up trying these, let me know what you think.

Well, not the last bandage ever. Anyone who has followed my equine story knows that I am quickly becoming an expert in all aspects of bandaging. What I mean to say is that I finally applied the last bandage that Dr. Tolley prescribed before our next, and hopefully, last ultrasound.

To catch you up, six or seven weeks ago, Speedy got a little bit wild during turn out. A day or so later I noticed a very slight swelling on the back of his tendon, and he was decidedly lame. Dr. Tolley diagnosed it as tendonitis (too small to be called a "bow"). 

Dr. Tolley created a treatment plan that involved several months of rest and bandaging. For the first month, Speedy was confined to his stall only, no paddock access, and I changed out a pressure bandage every other day. At month's end, a follow up ultrasound showed that the slight damage to the tendon had healed, but it was still slightly thicker than the healthy one.

Dr. Tolley recommended a cast for two weeks followed by a second cast for the following two weeks. I applied cast number two over the weekend.

Bowed tendons are certainly not anything that an owner wants to deal with, but they can heal well and permanently with proper care. Speedy's injury was very slight, but Dr. Tolley is treating it as conservatively as possible to ensure a full recovery. After the first pressure bandage was removed, all swelling at the injury site disappeared, never to return. 

While the "divot" at the base of the tendon looks dramatic, it was actually really hard to see (and even feel) until the hair was shaved away. That thickened area has also disappeared. 

Seeing how Dr. Tolley's cast needed a bit of shoring up, I preempted Speedy's desire to chew away the knot by doing a top layer of vet wrap (not pictured). This cast will stay on for another two weeks. Following that, Speedy will again visit Dr. Tolley for a third ultrasound. Since getting the first Gelocast, he's had access to his paddock and is allowed to go on walks. 

A few times over the past week he's tried to let loose in his paddock. He looked fantastic with zero lame steps. I don't encourage any play, but it's hard to keep such a large animal confined. A grazing hand walk at least every other day has been enough to keep him pretty happy.

I know he misses being worked and played with, but the time is passing quickly. Before he knows it, he'll be grouching and grumbling at me as we return to schooling the walk to canter to walk transitions.

Just take it easy, Speedy G; we're not done yet.

I wish I could remember who suggested this dressage pad. I am pretty sure I saw it on a Facebook page moderated by Sprinkler Bandits. In any case, I was in need of a dressage pad for Izzy that is show legal. Everything legal that I own is Speedy-sized. The other white pads that I own have some kind of logo or monogram which is not allowed at rated shows.

I don't know what most riders prefer, but I like a pad with some substance. I find that the thinner pads tend to wrinkle and bunch up. This pad has a solid weight to it, but it's not too heavy. It seems to be sturdily constructed, but I won't know for sure until it's gone through the wash a few times.

While I haven't actually girthed up my saddle with this pad yet, I think it should fit okay. I compared it to the pad I used at last weekend's schooling show, and it has the same drop.

The pad retails for $20.95, but if you're a regular SmartPak shopper, you can easily get it for less with a Smart Perks, USEF, or similar discount. If my girth ends up fitting too closely to the edge of the pad, it can easily become a schooling pad, and I can never have too many of those!

Overall, for around 20 bucks, the Union Hill Dressage Pad is a pretty smart purchase - inexpensive, but more than serviceable. I think I am going to break it in today.

I suppose I should be a bit more specific as there are 7 billion people on the planet and likely as many horses and dogs. Specifically, happy birthday to Speedy G. His actual birthday is April 15th, tax day, but since there was that whole weird holiday on the 15th thing, tax day was actually on the 18th which is sort of why I forgot to mention it until today.

Speedy G, registered name G Ima Starr FA, is now 12 years old. It's not a special birthday or a momentous one, but it got me thinking about Izzy's birthday which is next month. Poor Speedy G; he just can't catch a break. Izzy. Izzy. Izzy.

Speedy's been with me since he was a 3 year old. By the time he turned 4, I swore that I would never buy another 3 year old ... or a 4 year old ... or even a 5 year old. In fact, I wrote for sale ads until the dude was 8. It was about that time that he finally started to become a somewhat decent equine citizen.

When I first started this blog in 2011, Speedy was nearly 7 so you only got a glimpse of some of the weird ass crap that he pulled. Over the past five years of adulthood, Speedy has just gotten more and more dependable. He's still a stinker now and then, but over all, the dude's a saint. It just seemed like 8 was the magic number.

Izzy's birthday is in May. Guess how old he is going to be. Why yes, he is going to be eight years old. For the past few weeks, the people who see Izzy daily, my barn own and Laurel, have commented on how mature he is suddenly looking and acting. All I can say is please let it be so.

Arabs mature slowly. It seemed like it took Speedy forever to become an adult. I've heard that warmbloods also mature slowly. If someone can confirm that 8 is their magic number number as well, I will be very happy. 

I am counting the days until May 14th ... come on maturity!

The show manager for this weekend's Fresno CDS schooling show at Sequoia Hills Stables was kind enough to schedule my second ride just two rides after my first. That gave me just enough time to let Izzy walk around, grab a few bites of grass, and let Laurel love on him and tell him what a good boy he was.

While this test is far from brilliant, it is better than the first one which makes me very happy. Izzy showed me that with even the tiniest bit of experience, he can show quick improvement. We scored 2.8% better on Test B. I realize that's not a lot, but I sort of expected him to have had it by the second test. Instead of 4s and 5s, we earned 5s and 5.5s (no 4s at all for Test B). For both tests we earned a 6 for the halt.

I love this shot from our first trot circle at E. He lost his balance, maybe because he spooked a tiny bit, and in typical Izzy fashion, he flashed his emotional side with this little gem ... (The judge was quite generous in scoring this movement.)

While the judge can't judge a 20-meter circle based on one good moment, I am glad we had at least a few. For example ...

The judge's Further Remarks: "Horse needs to learn to carry rider in a calmer way, as well as a willingness to accept the rein. Improved toward end." It's hard to argue with any of that.

We finished this test with a 52.50% - obviously not a fantastic score, but I am so proud of this boy. He is not an easy horse to ride even though he has all the talent in the world. With some more experience, I think this fancy boy is going to make some waves. 

We go back to Symphony Stables at the end of April for another lesson with Chemaine, and then three weeks later, if everything goes to plan, we'll do a two-day clinic with my favorite German trainer, Dr. Christian Schacht. Izzy will get to do his first over-night field trip there as well as ride in a somewhat spooky covered arena. While it's not actual show experience, it's good exposure. We'll probably attempt another show in July.

I guess this show is an example how you can win even when you lose!

No matter what the scores say, I am so proud of Izzy. He was such a good boy at this weekend's schooling show. As the only adult ammie showing Intro A and B, we took home two lovely blue ribbons. I don't even care that we earned them with a 49.69% and a 52.50%. Izzy handled himself like a true rockstar.

My friend Laurel came with me and served as Izzy's groom and all around protector. I owe her much more than the Starbuck's scone and horse show lunch that she got for coming with me. She kept me laughing the whole day. 

The craziness started with my carefully planned out day - the one where I only left myself 5 minutes for braiding. How we even made it there in time to show is a mystery to me

As I laid in bed on Saturday morning thinking about my day, I was going though the schedule in my mind. I kept hitting a mental glitch when I got to the braiding part. I finally got out of bed and looked at what I had written. When I saw my miscalculation - no one can braid in 5 minutes! - I jumped in gear and got out of the house by 7:00.

I picked up my pace a little and saved a few minutes on my braiding by doing thicker and fatter braids. Laurel arrived a bit early, so even after a few minutes spent persuading Izzy to get the heck on the trailer, we managed to pull out right on time.

As we laughed and chatted our way down the two lane country highway, I realized I was looking at some unfamiliar territory; I had missed the turn which would take us towards Woodlake. I pulled over to the shoulder while Laurel used her phone's GPS to figure out where we were. It was to be the joke of the day - how many times could we piss Siri off by turning on the wrong road. Apparently, Siri loves the phrase, MAKE A U-TURN!

The last straw was actually making it to Woodlake only to encounter a detour that took us around the entire town. By that point, Laurel and I were in complete hysterics. It took us two iphones, a ticked off Siri, a crappy set of Google directions, numerous u-turns, and a full extra hour of driving before we pulled into the beautiful Sequoia Hills Stables.

I can't say enough about the show management and the facility. Parking was easy, the show office was clearly marked, and we were greeted by friendly and helpful volunteers. In no time at all we were back on schedule. While Laurel groomed Izzy, I switched into my show clothes and then tacked Izzy up. Laurel grabbed my bag of stuff while I led Izzy to an over-sized round pen.

Using Chemaine's strategy, I quietly lunged Izzy with the draw reins until he started to stretch his back and relax. Laurel kept me company by chatting over the fence. With her easy going conversation, I focused on keeping myself relaxed and confident, and Izzy followed suit. By this time, Laurel noted that Izzy kept looking to the two of us for reassurance. Wherever Laurel went, Izzy was happy to follow. We had quickly become his herd.

I had the warm up to myself, thanks to clever planning on the show manager's part (she knew this was Izzy's first show so we were first to go after lunch). I walked Izzy for quite a while just letting him look around. We eventually picked up a baby trot and simply focused on staying relaxed.

As my ride time approached, Laurel encouraged Izzy to follow her as we made the walk over to the show ring. He kept his nose right between her shoulder blades.

There were clearly problems during the test, but Izzy tried so hard to stay focused on me. This was the first time he's been in a show ring with the judge's tent and potted flowers. There was also a spectator's tent. Even with the tension and giraffing of his neck, you can see moments where he's kind of figuring it out. I can definitely see his potential. 

This judge didn't pull any punches. The slew of 4s and 5s that she gave us were what I expected. Some of the 5s might have even been a stretch. Had this been a rated show, the 49.69% that we earned would probably have been our score - I don't think the judge "softballed" any of her scores, and I am okay with that. Once Izzy learns to relax, our scores will go up. I am tickled that he actually did each movement without a meltdown.

My honest to goodness goals for the day were a) get him to stand somewhat still while I tacked up, b) let me get on without a rodeo, and c) trot in the warm up. There was no d) - I didn't even think we'd make it into the show ring.

After the horrible rides we'd had earlier in the week, I had seriously considered not even going. Chemaine, my trainer, talked me down off the ledge reminding me that it was just a schooling show and that Izzy needs experience.

So while some critics might scoff at the work we did in the ring, I couldn't be happier. Even Laurel, who sees him every day, was blown away by how hard Izzy tried. She hadn't expected me to be able to ride him either.

The judge's Further Remarks were quite accurate and are our blue print going forward, "Much tension throughout with very short strides in both gaits. Often above bit." Well yes, that's all very true.

Look for test B tomorrow. It was actually a tiny bit better!

I already reviewed these breeches earlier this year, but I've since bought them in white and wanted to do a follow up review. Short story - LOVE THEM!

They were more comfortable than a broke in pair of jeans. As I mentioned last month, I do think they run a bit small, so I ordered up a size. They don't sag, creep up, or bind in any way.

The full seat is gray, which is super smart since our saddles are black, and it moved right along with me. In fact, I forgot that I was wearing full seats. Some full seats can be too thick and stiff. These are not.

From the Riding Warehouse's website:

My plan (HAHAHAHAHA) for yesterday was to get back on Izzy after our marathon ride from the day before to see if I could get a few answers right in a short amount of time. You know, get a few relaxed strides at the walk and maybe the trot just to show him that it's all good. The weather had its own nefarious plans though - cue maniacal laughter.

It was a lovely day, even balmy. As I hung out at the traffic light on my way home from work, I stared in amazement at the trees on the opposite side of the intersection; they seemed to be doubled over in pain. I started scanning the foliage on my side of the street and was shocked to see that they too were being bent into submission by an angry wind. Where did that come from?

Bakersfield's weather can be quite strange. It can be pouring rain on the east end of town and dry as a bone to the west. The wind can howl at one end and be eerily silent on the other. I prayed that was the case on Thursday. As I pulled into the barn's drive, I saw Izzy bolt from one end of his stall to the other and quickly realized that a relaxing ride was not in the cards. 

At my last lesson lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, she suggested that I try lunging Izzy in draw reins to help him understand how to get a bit more through by fighting with himself rather than me. She has a wonderful description for him which really sums up his tension. She describes him as emotional about his work.

And it's true. It's not just anxiety or tension; he has strong feelings about what he's doing, and he's quite vocal about it. I usually see it as being opinionated, but describing him as emotional elicits more of a nurturing response from me. So rather than try to fight it out with him in, I pulled out my home made set of draw reins and got to work.

Nothing will stir up the controversy pot faster than the mention of draw reins. They can be dangerous. Horses can panic and flip over and try to kill you or themselves. They can easily become a crutch, but when used correctly, they can also be a valuable tool. I first lunged Izzy with just a lunge line and then I attached the draw reins. For a few minutes, I set them so loosely that he could fling his head wherever he liked. Once I was certain that he wasn't going to flip over or try to kill either one of us, I tightened them to where they are in the photo.

Chemaine is a very knowledgable trainer who does not rely on gadgets to get the job done. In fact, when she suggested using draw reins, I was quite surprised as the only gadgets I've ever seen at her barn are whips and spurs, and those are used judiciously and fairly.

Her Grand Prix mare, Belle, has done some funny stuff with her mouth and head lately. During a recent lesson with her own coach (how good must he be?), he noticed it and right away knew it had to do with Belle avoiding the contact by sucking back her tongue and moving it over the bit. He suggested lunging her in draw reins to encourage her to stretch and loosen her back. Chemaine says that in just a few short weeks, Belle is even softer and more relaxed than ever before.

Chemaine thought the draw reins could do the same for Izzy. Much like Belle, he doesn't want to carry himself long and low. He wants to be in an upper level frame, but he's not supple enough or relaxed enough for that. 

My draw reins are a single length of poly rope with two scissor snaps that slide freely in the middle of the rope. I attached these to the girth ring. Each end has a trigger snap that can be attached to the surcingle. If applied differently, these draw reins can also be used from the saddle, although I don't use them that way. In fact, I only used these on Speedy a few times way back when we first started dressage.

It took Izzy about five minutes to figure out that the lower he kept his neck, the more comfortable he became. I lunged him with the draw reins for about 20 minutes, and I changed directions no less than four times varying the diameter of my circle. When he was soft and trotting forward nicely, I made the circle bigger. When he got off balance or tense, I drew him closer and focused on pushing the inside hind deeper.

The transformation was almost miraculous. He started out with a back that was so tight, it looked painful. His legs stabbed at the ground and he looked like he might fall over at any second. Gradually, his head came down and his stride got longer and slower. His ears started to flick back to me, and he even started to correct himself when he lost his balance. Rather than speed up to rebalance, I saw him start to slow down on his own.

When I called Chemaine to let her know how it had gone (she evens does lessons over the phone), she suggested I lunge him again today before riding and then again tomorrow at the show. Oh, right - a show. Yes, we're doing Intro A and B at a schooling show north of Bakersfield tomorrow.

I'll let you know how it goes on Monday. Have a great weekend!