Ye Ole Kimberwick

Our trainer has once again come through with another brilliant training aid. While a kimberwick bit is not legal for dressage competition, we are using it as a training tool.

Wikipedia defines the kimberwick as "a bit that offers the rider a slight curb effect and provides a bit more control than a snaffle."

We tried Delphi in a kimberwick this week. For my part, I like it. It allows me to take my focus off of constantly testing for throughness (by allowing me to keep Delphi more through with less effort) long enough to focus on things like my lower leg position or transitions without being distracted by the constant effort to keep Delphi relaxed.

When Delphi and I go back to our dearly beloved pattern of maul and pull, stiffen and yank, brace and tug (a pattern we've worked hard at these last five years), the kimberwick interupts the behavior-on both our parts-allowing me to feel how much more or less to half halt and release more clearly and allowing Delphi to self-reward and/or self-correct if she juts her head up in an effort to brace or get heavy. By interrupting the unwanted behavior and reinforcing the desired behavior, the kimberwick has become a good training tool for both Delphi and me.

At Journey's End

Actually just starting the journey. Team Delphi earned the first score toward our USDF bronze medal at Windy Knoll Farm's show September 25, 2010. We couldn't have done it without our trainer Karen Brown and the dedicated equestrian, technical, and emotional support from our groom Ceil and her assistant Marlene.

One for the scrapbook; I got a "fairly good" from General Burton on my RIDER score:

Other good scores:

• Both halts: 8, "straight."
• 10 meter circles and both leg yields: 7, "accurate" and "supple."
• Canter trans: 7, "balanced."
• Change of rein through trot at X: 7, "fluid."
• One loop maintaining counter canter: 7, "active."

The collective remarks from General Burton were: "Well done. Need to ask for more in extensions. More zest and enthusiasm."

We can certainly add more zest and enthusiasm now. After getting a score of 62.1 at first level from General Burton we truly are zesty and enthusiastic. Well done indeed, Pumpkin Pony!

Update: For a fun photo of General Burton, click here.

Delphi Schooling with Karen Brown

Braids Triumphant

The button braids won for our final practice before the WKF show:


And don't worry; I shaved those fuzzy ears today.

Ride Times and Forecast

My ride times for the WKF show Saturday September 25 are as follows:

• 8:11am- Second Level Test Two in Ring 2 (Judge Tom Poulin)
  

• 4:44pm- First Level Test Four in Ring 1 (Judge General J. Burton)

The weather forecast is: 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.

Update: Delphi will be going over to WKF Friday evening since I now have a stall due to our early morning ride time.

Keep Testing for Throughness

During our lesson today (the first in three weeks- woot woot!) we worked on "accordion horse" with an emphasis on keeping Delphi supple and through the aids. When I remember to apply the suppling aids before during and after the transitions, especially the transitions within gaits from collection to mediums and back to collection, Delphi stays much more through.

Keeping my legs back with a soft knee helps Delphi to come under from behind. I must focus on keeping my lower leg back on her side behind the girth: Karen suggested thinking of my lower legs as a paintbrush that lightly sweeps the horse's sides hanging from my relaxed knee.

Concurrently with the the leg (and whip as needed) aids, I should keep Delphi's jaw and poll relaxed. Do this with flexions and counter-flexions, even over flexions, then GIVE somewhere to let the horse stretch down, then do flexions and counter-flexions again. Same idea with half halts: half halt strongly, but then GIVE somewhere.

Never maintain a mauling pull on the reins if the horse gets strong. Especially when returning to collected gaits from medium gates: it's okay (and necessary) to half halt strongly, but remember after each half halt there must follow a give, and the half halt must be concurrent with leg aids behind the girth, then repeat as necessary and keep repeating in all gaits and paces to keep the horse through and supple.

Sound!

Delphi got a clean bill of health and the go ahead from Dr. Jordan to continue her training and showing. These are Dr. Jordan's notes from Delphinia's exam at Waller Equine Hospital:

"Delphinia presented for swelling of the left hind limb. The swelling started approximately three weeks ago. It will resolve during activity but the following day after being in a stall it is noted to swell from just below the hock to just below the fetlock. The horse has been sound.

On presentation there was no swelling noted in the left hind limb. There was no pain on palpation of the flexor tendons or suspensory ligament. There was an old scar over the hock and a newer scar on the lateral aspect of the proximal 1/3 of the cannon bone. The horse was sound on lameness exam and flexion test. There was no hoof tester sensitivity.

A radiographic series was performed with a lateral view and a DLPMO [the palmaro/plantarolateral and dorsomedial surfaces of the carpus/tarsus] view. There were no abnormalities noted on the radiographs.

I recommend continuing to train and show the horse. You may consider putting that limb in a standing wrap while in a stall. If she can have paddock access this may help to limit the swelling.

I suspect that the swelling may be associated with decreased lymphatic drainage related to the old scar however I cannot determine the exact cause of the swelling."

Which is vet speak for, "I don't know what's wrong with your horse, but turn her out and keep her out, continue riding her, and if you force her to stand in a stall, which you shouldn't, but if you do then put the leg in a standing wrap."

Well, duh.

Oh how I wish wish wish she could be agisted at grass 24-7, but it's just not possible at a traditional boarding stable. I'm thankful for the ~10 hours per day of turnout that she currently enjoys. Still and all I'm glad I got the green light to go ahead with her training and showing.

Leg Support Update

In an earlier post I mentioned I've started Delphi on the joint supplement TriSport. On continued research, I've decided to add three key ingredients (in addition to glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane [MSM], vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid [HA]) in order to support not only the joints but the tendons and ligaments as well:

• Collagen, a primary protein found in tendons and ligaments.
• Silica, a trace mineral that is essential to resilient connective tissue.
• Grape seed extract, an antioxidant that promotes the repair of connective tissue and inhibits the enzymes that break down collagen.

The supplement SmartFlex Repair contains all of the above ingredients (glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, vitamin C, HA, collagen, silica, and grape seed extract) and is available in pellets so you can avoid the powder cloud or the horse leaving any powder stuck to the bottom of her feed bin.

Day 19

Delphi's fat leg (the fetlock strain she acquired presumably from schooling quarter turns) is getting old. My patience is wearing thin so we have an appointment day-after-tomorrow with Dr. Jordan to hopefully find a definitive diagnosis through exam, ultrasound, and x-ray as needed.

The WKF show that General Burton will be judging is 11 days away, and Delphi has not been in work for three weeks now. Grrrrrrr.

Blast the show, however; I just want my pumpkin to be okay. The good news is that she hasn't taken a single unsound step. Hopefully this is just a case of professional worrying on my part.

A Note for Clarification

To follow-up on yesterday's post concerning joint supplementation, I briefly mentioned the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) as an injectable. As a point of clarification, I would certainly not begin the prophylactic use of joint injections without first acquiring a definitive diagnosis of the problem at hand, which would include a thorough lameness exam by a board certified veterinarian as well as diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound and x-ray. Only then would it be safe to even consider more aggressive (than oral supplementation) treatment.
It is my opinion that we tend towards over-medication and under-diagnosis in this country, which I don't want to even hint at supporting. Through correct conditioning, fitness, and "legging a horse up" by long slow distances over varied terrain, we should hopefully avoid the over-use or indeed misuse of the many drug therapies available. If the horse has a definitive diagnosis made by a credible veterinarian, then one should by all means treat as aggressively or conservatively as one deems appropriate for that situation. However jumping to joint injections from a single episode of a puffy fetlock would at best be ridiculously unnecessary, and at worst border on cruelty. As a horse owner, I have an active role in maintaining the health of my horse, and I owe it to the horse to rely on sound medical advice from professional experts including doctors of veterinary medicine.
As Dr. A. Kent Allen, DVM has said, "ABSENT A DIAGNOSIS: Medicine is poison. Surgery is trauma. Alternative therapy is witchcraft."