Photos from Hobby Horse schooling show Aug 11, 2024 and a little recap of this year of Ducks rehab to this point.

I splashed out on some photos taken professionally at Hobby Horse last weekend.  I dont normally buy more than one or two but I realize that we nearly didnt go to at all, its been a long journey to here:

• He wasnt in a good place at the start of this year, at all, and even after his vet appointment with all his joint injections he mentally took a long time to get to place where we could even ask for more than trot. I was both sad and blown away by how we had got there. How did I not manage to avoid that?!!!

• There was a time when I was almost sure I wouldn't be able to ride him at all. Painstakingly we started him once more on the rehab road with gentle consistent work looking for how he was      responding. It was deliberately slow and considered. The first rides were just 5 minutes long, in walk. Followed by a bit longer and a bit longer, just twice a week while we kept him in the equiband with sliding side reins so that he couldnt get stuck at all in any frame and instead worked his body carefully. For months I didnt ride at all while my coach took him through this carefully reading his body language and attitude to the saddle.
  
  
  

• Talking of saddle, that too was changed as part of this. Each time we scrutinize his saddle I have to manage my disappointment that "here we are again. Why cant I get it right! If only he could speak English". Here he is the day we got his Stubben Xara.

Wearing it at Hobby Horse with his show saddle pad!

• Between January and May we worked through this gentle slow increase in ridden work until June came around and we were able to go outside. I trailered him to my coaches barn to see how he was somewhere new on a trail with her horse. He was happy!
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Once we started getting in the outdoor arena we could ask for canter but it had to be on the loosest rein possible and with zero pressure.
  
  
  
• We were able to attend Clayhill lesson day where he had to do the baby jumps and that went well, in fact he was joyous, he carried me in a happy canter for the first real time. This response  resulted in a chance to attend the eventing day there. Still on the baby jumps, still with low pressure, still careful with my rein.

• We got to a good spot where he was happy and then he trod on the nail. I knew the moment I saw it that he may not survive it, I dropped him off at AVC knowing full well he may not come home. That 7 hour round trip was hard on my head.

• The shows that I had hoped to go to, because he had come so far, in the 6 months at the most painstakingly slowest pace imaginable, had to be shelved. There was no way he could attend. I once again took Stori and Olivia and supported all my friends instead from the ground. I had one day where I had a bit of a bawl about it all but generally I was ok. It was what it was.
• We were allowed to go to the cross rails class at Horses at Work. I was excited to go somewhere to see if he was ok. To see if he would want to be there and if he still loved jumping or if we were actually on a new long road to recovery.

He loved it! No red flags anywhere to be seen.

• So this little schooling show, hot on the heels of this positive day at Horses at Work hunter cross rails class is a very big deal for me. We had the best time. He was a great partner and although we were ready to pull him if he even looked uncomfortable, we didnt need to. His enthusiasm shone through and despite me letting down the side by an error in course in dressage, we won our class. 

 

I am not sure, but this may be my first ever first place rosette.

July 2024 - nail in hoof and Eli arrives

In pure Ducky bad luck style, soon after our Clay Hill event he picked up a nail to his hoof. We knew this could be catastrophic as has been for many horses and took him straight away to AVC for the best part of a week. I had to manage my feelings on AVC - Ace went there and never came home - so I had to block those deep concerns.

Thankfully the nail missed critical structures and he came home to a week of stall rest and a slow return to work. To see how he was feeling we went to HAW for a cross rails hunter class and he did so well! Never did I think we would get the opportunity to return to jumping. I feel so thankful!

After Alpine went over the rainbow bridge we starting feeling the silence in the house and therefore put together our must have next dog list - we wanted short hair, rescue dog, good with cats.

Welcome Eli - hes a 14 month old Royal Bahamian Potcake dog - basically Nassau street hound. Was found on a garbage dump and brought to NS. Hes settling in well, has lots of zoomies around our yard, is in his place on the pecking order with the cats (the bottom), loves his toys and is getting better with barking. Took a while to warm up to Paul and doesnt like strangers, we are working on him getting more comfortable when friends come round to visit.

 

Chloe and I went to see the new Twisters movie last weekend, I love the original movie but this is a great addition to it, a really good summer blockbuster movie with awesome cast and soundtrack. Loved the weekend together doing this.

2023 and 2024 update

Its been a while since I last updated and while I have enjoyed reading other blog posts I haven't spent time updating this one. Heres the highlights since I last posted

• Ducky is 15 now. We remain unable to get more than a few months of consistent work in before some new or repeat issue shows up. He keeps it varied to say the least. We have now progressed to other joint injections to keep him happy and on top of all that hes had a virus, a corneal ulcer, acute injury from picking up a nail in his foot leading to a trip to AVC and I had a concussion from a fall in the summer of 2023 leading to 6 weeks off riding. Hes had a Wow saddle that worked for a while and now hes on a Stubben. I hope thats the last saddle I need to buy. 

           We have had some fun at some off property lessons and even been to a couple of events and I enjoy what we can do. He still loves to jump way more than flat and we keep it low to keep him ok.

• Dukie passed away January 27, 2023 after a gradual decline and then Alpine followed in Jun 2024. Alpine went on a lot longer than we expected but in the end his body gave up long before he was really ready. Both losses were devastating to our family.
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We went away a couple of times in 2023 - to New York in August as a family for the long weekend and then away to Vegas for Pauls birthday in October with friends. Both trips were so very precious.

• This year we have had to be more careful spending in this expensive post pandemic world with Freya coming up to her final year of High School and Chloe finished her 2nd year at university.

Still very thankful for this life.