May 31, 2009

Trail work 1 hour total, trotting intervals 15 minutes.

Phebes went out on trail for the first time since the tye-up in April. We rode a pleasure horse pace, with short trotting intervals. Since she hasn't seen the trail for over a month I thought she did reasonably well spook-wise. She found a couple things to spook over but stopped as soon as I picked up the reins. I walked her in the last five minutes (hand walked) and took her pulse as soon as I tied her to the hitch rail. Pulse recorded at 50 bmp, so she wasn't over stressed in any way.

As for how the rump muscles feel? Well-they feel like they always do, which is firm. Some give, you can push them in, but not jiggly like a big old quarter horse, or an out of condition horse. This is the one big nagging worry that is staying with me. How can I be sure she isn't setting up for another tye-up? The only clue at Chicken Chase was the "B" on muscle tone, and I swear if they checked her today she'd still probably get the "B". I think she will always feel this way. If someone knows more about this than I do, I'd be happy to listen to your thoughts on how a well-conditioned horse should feel on the top line of those big rump muscles.

Tomorrow we will do arena work for an hour with 20 minutes of trotting intervals mixed in. Trying to stay positive and focused. ~E.G.

4 comments:

  1. congrats on the first time back out on the trail! Did you go to Versailles?

    Your question on muscle tone is one I have too - what if your horse is ticklish...they'd always be tense, wouldn't they? I mean, if someone was poking around at my butt....well, I'd be tense!! :-) Good thing I'm not an endurance horse. Hope someone can shed some light on that one!

    Bet it feels great to be back at it!

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  2. Nicole,

    It felt so GOOD to be back on trail. We rode the trail here at home because if there was any indication of a problem I wanted to be close enough to hand walk her in if I had too. She seemed to be feeling good, her respirations were normal, pulse was low, no abnormal sweating. I'm hopeful.

    On the muscle tone David gave me an idea that instead of feeling, to watch her moving at liberty. I could see a definite "jiggle" to her big leg muscles. That made sense to me and at least that is something to go by. Like you said when you start poking and prodding, she stiffens right up so you don't really know what you've got. I'm off to look at your blog, been chomping at the bit to know what happened at TOTR this weekend. ~E.G.

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  3. http://www.pdemott.smugmug.com/gallery/8394238_yLz9A#551232163_y8bYK

    Here are some photos.

    Laura and I got 4th and 5th respectively. Saw Chris E. there. I think she completed and got 19th. It was a tough race for top 5. The first loop we were all bunched together. And went faster than we probably should have. I didn't realize it but we did the first loop in an hour and about 5 minutes. (15miles) I had a watch but I thought we were closer to an hour and a half because we were supposed to start at 7:10 but Nicole said it was about 7:30 when we started.

    We came in 4th and 5th with the crowd but Jazz (my husband's horse) was the first to pulse down. So proud of her. Stormy pulsed down 3rd about 6 minutes behind her.

    Going out Laura waited to start with me and we missed going out late even by my time by at least 5 minutes. My boots fell off my saddle as soon as we started trotting so we had to waste time tying them back on. (in the first loop only took a couple big muddy spots to loose one boot, and then a few more and I lost the other) I was wearing the new renegades I just got her in the front only. Jazz had on her epics and didn't loose them at all. (it was really muddy) so we took them off for the last 10 mile loop. But I wanted to take Stormy's since she did the whole first loop barefoot. Since I knew there was about 3 miles of gravel road near the end of the 10 mile loop. But by the time we got too it I had my boots tied on so well they were in a knot and I couldn't get one of them off. So instead of wasting any more time we just walked the 3 miles off on the side as best we could. We slowed down a lot anyway on that loop but still came in 4th and 5th.

    Perfect weather, and besides being a little muddy in spots, okay alot of spots, it was perfect.

    Great ride! We stood for BC but I doubt we got it because we left shortly afterwards. When I turned the horses out in their pasture they ate for a little while but before I even got the trailer unloaded the started running around. My father-in-law mowed there pasture and I think they were excited about being able to run on it easier. (it was over my head in spots)

    Michelle Detmer

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  4. http://www.pdemott.smugmug.com/gallery/8394238_yLz9A#551147870_WAtq3

    This horse won the LD and he had marking like your Phebe. Grey paint fading to all grey. But he was much taller than your girl.

    Michelle Detmer

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