I'm going to outline where each horse is this summer in their training and what we are working on.
Gus - is a 16-year-old OTT that we have owned since he was four and pretty fresh off the track. He has been a great horse for Jeff; he stays pretty sound and has just had his hocks done. He has had a few days of light work and now is ready for actual work. Jeff's back has been a little nudgy since bucking all that hay, so he has just done some light riding. I have been trying to do more with him - some dressage lessons and hill work - but honestly, our horses usually only get light work by normal standards.
Elvis - is a 7-year-old Quarter Horse that has had a string of injuries and has not been completely sound for almost two years. So he is green and unruly even though he is old enough to know better. He has just had his sniffles done and is on light work at the moment which actually seems to be helping his soundness issues.
Prima - is an 18-year-old Oldenburg mare that was retired from dressage several years ago with chronic navicular disease. She has been a brood mare and produced two nice foals for us. New treatments have arisen since her retirement, so we decided to try to do one round of PRP and shock wave to see if that could help her lameness. She's pasture sound but looks off when ridden in a frame. Her final shock wave was two weeks ago, so the vet will be back to check her next week to see if there has been any improvement. Right now she is on pasture rest and walking exercise only.
Flicka - is a 9-year-old Swedish mare that has had soundness issues and that we have been using as a brood mare. When ridden in the past she has showed inflammation in the C-6 and SI areas of her neck and back. There are no skeletal changes or injuries to the bone. We tried injections, conditioning with and without a rider, rest. But the problems have always come back. This summer we are doing a lot of long line and lunge work with her to try to get her going correctly without a rider - to use her back and neck correctly. I don't think she has ever done this since we have had her. I think she was injured some way in the past and has always braced and compensated and caused herself more pain. She is starting to be able to supple and bend while staying forward, which is an improvement.
PJ - is a 4-year-old Oldenburg mare that we bred here at the farm. She has her first foal at her side this summer. We will be presenting them both next week at the Oldenburg inspection and when the foal is weaned, she will be started under saddle.
Bella - is a 2-year-old Hanoverian filly that we bred here. She is learning to have a bit in her mouth, and to stand tied; and practicing bathing, clipping, leading and trailering - all skills learned earlier. Since we made the decision not to show this year, we have to invent reasons to do these things.
Tempi - is a 1-year-old Oldenburg filly that we bred. She is learning to stand tied and trailer by herself. She is practicing bathing, clipping and leading.
Tia - is PJ's foal. She is a German Riding Pony. She hasn't had bath yet. I'm going to try that today. We will have to do it for real on Tuesday as the inspection is Wednesday morning.
This is where we are with the training/exercise needs of our horses. It's almost a full-time job!!
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