Post-Hawaii Drama.

So, where did I leave off? Allie wasn't coughing anymore, and needed a clip.

Ok, well I went on holidays to Hawaii for two weeks so Allie sat around spelling while I was overseas. I got back last Friday and rode on Saturday. We had a little jump and she went well. I put her back in her grassy yard up the back of the property afterwards because her front yard is basically dirt and I don;t like paying for hay if I don't have to.

Well, the rides we have had after puttin gher back in the grassy yard have progressivly gotten worse with the coughing. I'm so frustrated!! So, back to the dirt yard and back on hay again. She will have the next couple of days off as I'll be at work and I'll see how she is on Friday. Grrrr.

I got the vet bill while I was away for all the investigation of this stupid cough - $1329.65!! And she is still coughing! I'm pissed to be honest.If she needs steroids then she should have gotten them a long time ago.

Now, I'm hoping she comes good as we've got our first away event on the 28th which I desperately don't want to scratch from. Every time I get going with this horse some other shit happens. I am so sick of it. Am I just want her to be happy and healthy! She friging deserves it after everything she has been through.

Anyway, I ave her a light lunge today then had a go with our brand new set of clippers I bought. She was really good! Shes been clipped before but never without sedation. I got her left front and shoulder and neck done. She was super good, I'm proud of her.

Not too bad for my first ever time using big arse bloody clippers.

She's not particularly impressed.

I wish I had better news for you guys. :(

So, I've been very quiet here. I guess it's because this is a horse blog and I've not been doing much more than feeding the damn things. Being a mum to a tiny baby is hard you guys.

But Evie is starting to go longer between feeds. She is very happy being looked after by her dad, so I'm slowly starting to go do more stuff by myself. It is really helping my mental state.

I've tried riding a couple of times but Allie needed/needs so much stuff done to get her right, before she can officially start back in work again. The shopping list:
- Vaccinations
- Teeth
- Body clip (way too hairy and itchy)
- Body work (massage etc)
- Feet trimmed, lucky I know a good trimmer ;)
- Saddles fitted and billets changed on dressage saddle

Of course, hooves were easier than most, I just needed hubby to look after Evie while I did them. Then I had the EMT out for a massage - she's feeling pretty good over all, just slightly tight in the hind quarter. The EMT and I agreed that the jump saddle fits well right now but that the dressage does not. So I'm riding in the jump until next month when we can afford to have the dressage altered and billets done. That works!

My float needed a new loom because we lost blinkers and electric brakes. So that finally got fixed, and we took the horses to the vet to be vaccinated and clipped (and Allie's teeth). The trip over was super eventful, with Gracie not traveling well at all and a bloody truck riding up my arse and holding his horn down honking straight into the float and terrifying the horses again and again to the point where I stopped and got out of the car and had it out with him on the side of the road. I was fucking furious. He didn't give a shit though. Ugh I hate other drivers when I'm towing.

ANYWAY they both got clipped. Even the groomer kept going on and on about how much better Allie looked with a clip! She seriously looked like an unkempt yak (see comparison below). And she feels awful with all that hair, she's too hairy for Aussie winters. It's been pretty mild this year so she's been super itchy from sweating.

So with teeth, body, hooves and coat all done and a saddle that fits, yesterday we went for a fang around the property. She was a lunatic, had so much energy. She started the stupid threatening to rear bullshit again (I guess that happens when you aren't schooled for almost 3 years) so I wore my vest and got stuck into her and made her move FORWARD. And it worked.

We ended up bowling along the gravel drives (it's so wet that we can't ride anywhere else really) and along a high well drained ridge in a big balanced forward canter with me up in two point and her feeling the awesomeness that is her body and she could breathe fine (!!!!!) and I felt like the last 3 years of setbacks didn't matter and it was just my horse and I and and and and yeah. All that good stuff. It was fricking fantastic!!

Next up is saddle fitter, then hopefully we can figure out a way to get to the indoor to school on some footing that doesn't threaten to trip my horse.

Allie Clipped

Hairy, muddy dirty pony pre-wash.

I took my hairy beast to the vet clinic to be sedated and clipped this morning.

Arriving at the vet clinic - does she suspect something?

Allie was just a gem the whole time - even trying to snuggle with the vet who had just jabbed her vein with a needle. The sedatives took hold very quickly. I'm talking like 30 seconds and she was like this:

I is a Allie dronk.

She cleaned up really well! I got Sharon from The Galloping Groom to clip her if anyone is interested. She was really good.

Allie kept trying to nuzzle with Sharon and I because she enjoyed the scratchy clippers so much! It was super sweet. I'm glad she had a positive first experience with the clippers. We might not even have to sedate next year.

Her head looks so nice and non-mule like without all that hair! (Not that there is anything wrong with mules...)

I'm really happy I clipped her - she has sweat dermatitis from not being able to dry off quickly when she sweats.

Bit hard to see but she has dry, flaky lumps all over her shoulder. :( Sharon said that will clear up now she is clipped.

Ready for the big reveal?

Nice, huh?

I can see her nice clean tight legs again! She doesn't look like an oversized anorexic dartmoor pony anymore! She looks like a real horse again. I'm pretty chuffed. Her coat is still shiny and looks awesome. We left a saddle patch on just in case she is sensitive.

Now to put on a bit more weight and muscle (if this bloody rainy weather ever lets up again!).