Smitty has an Ulcer Update

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Britt

After fasting Smitty for 12 hours before his scoping appointment this morning, I found Kujo in his stall instead of a baby warmblood. Mr. Crankypants was hangry in the extreme, and taking it out on his poor jolly ball with much angst.

A little juice soon helped him forget how hungry he was, and we quickly got to running the scope down his nose and into his stomach. My vet joked that I could probably scope him myself at this rate, and honestly, she could be right.

Right away it was obvious that his stomach was a happier place, as the red blotchiness of before was replaced with a shiny pink lining with only minimal discoloration. The pyloric ulceration we had found before was gone, and we were well on our way to a completely healthy stomach.

Smitty’s treatment so far has been thus:

3 weeks of Ulcergard (gastrogard) @ 1 tube/day
3.5 weeks of Abgard @ 1 tube/day
Introduction of Alfalfa mash 2x/day
Succeed GI Conditioning program, starting with 1 week loading dose

At that rate, it’s obvious that the Abgard has worked as a good substitute for the Merial products, which is amazing since it’s 1/3 of the price, and well worth the wait for international shipping.

The plan is to keep him on 1/2 tube of the Abgard until I run out, so approximately 2 weeks worth. At that rate we should be in the clear, and I will continue with the Succeed supplement indefinitely for its hind gut benefits. Whether we keep him on alfalfa will be a later decision, as I’m also hoping it helps him gain some weight through the winter.

All in all, the scope was a success and ideally we’re on the path to a happier, less hangry Smitty.

Let’s Discuss: From Ponies to Horses

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Britt

While I was hacking through London last month, one of the topics my guide and I discussed was ponies. Specifically, how the British in particular embrace ponies as suitable mounts for much longer than we do here in the States.

In the UK, pony jumpers are incredibly popular, and riders are eligible until the age of 16 to compete in the 148cm (i.e. pony) competitions. The European Pony Championships hold their showjumping event over a 1.2m (3’11”) course and with 45 riders representing their countries, it’s obvious that the idea of jumping ponies over height is not an anomaly there as it is here.

Even Jack Whitaker, though obviously being born into showjumping royalty, has to deal with his share of gritty pony wrangling:

And check out this well ridden course by a junior pony pair, liberally sprinkled with pony snark.

Pony jumpers, as well as other disciplines on small-statured mounts, seem not to be nearly as common in the States. Of course we see the adorable pig-tailed girls of the short stirrup classes, but when they get to be preteens, they’re already been riding horses for some time. Not to say this is wrong or right, since of course sometimes a taller horse that lacks typical the pony snarkiness is the safer option for a rider moving up.

But maybe it’s something else here that makes ponies, and short-statured horses unpopular after a certain age. Maybe older riders feel there’s a cultural stigma about riding a smaller mount. Maybe it goes with the bigger-is-better mentality that we Americans like to adopt. Maybe it has something to do with pony breeders, or the absence of marketing sport ponies to adult amateurs. Or maybe we need to see more Teddy O’Connor’s, or North Forks Cardi’s, in the top arenas before the vertically challenged equine becomes en vogue.

All I do know that after being involved with marketing and selling horses, that the ponies and <15.2h horses are the hardest to sell to the 14 and over crowd. Even a horse as cool and athletic as Riley, at 15.1h I wonder how easy he will be to market when the time comes.

Riding shorter horses can be a blast, but why do you think we don’t see so many shorter horses or ponies in the hands of adult amateurs? When did you make the move up to horses, and why? Would you consider riding something shorter if the right match presented itself?

Moving Smitty

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Britt

Almost two months ago, it occurred to me that our current boarding situation was perhaps not the best thing for a baby warmblood.

While the care was excellent, the atmosphere could at times be chaotic. For instance the jumping ring was located in the midst of a mobile home park (well, double wides), and beyond worrying about training my young horse, I also would commonly have to worry about motorcycles being revved, doors slamming, dogs walking, and the general bedlam that comes with riding in about 40 people’s backyard.

The other aspect to Smitty’s detriment was the turnout. Not that there wasn’t enough- Smitty actually had one of the largest paddocks there, but he had it all to himself. For many different reasons, the other boarders wanted individual turnout for their horses, and so my big gangly creature was relegated to sniffing noses over the fence for socialization. I really felt like having other horses to be with would be necessary for his sanity and well being.

So I went back to a facility I had looked at when wanting to move Foster from the boarding-barn-that-shall-not-be-named. I remember getting the warm fuzzies until I saw their gigantor fields and knew I would never catch my horse if he decided not to come in.

But everything about it was just about perfect for baby Smitty. So just a couple days after Christmas, we loaded him up and made the 10 min trip down the road to his new home.

Bonus: New stall comes with a jolly ball!

So far Smitty seems quite at home- he lays down in his stall and out in the field, and he adores his new friend Brio, who at 24 years old is nonetheless quite feisty and makes Smitty try and keep up with him. Watching Smitty’s long legs attempt to gallop has been quite the sight.

I feel really good about the decision to move Smitty, and am also loving the new barn family myself (my tribe- equestrians and fellow winos- what’s not to love?). Though we’ve gotten ~~iced~~ snowed in, I can’t wait to get back out there and see our new friends and see Smitty become a happier, healthier horse!

Photography Friday: Upgrading the Equipment!

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Britt

So I did a thing last week, a totally fiscally irresponsible thing, and I have to admit, I don’t regret it one bit.

I upgraded to a full frame camera, which basically means more pixels, faster shutter speeds, and better low-light imagery.

And I’m thrilled!

As soon as I got my grabby hands on the new beast, I took it to the barn and convinced my friend to let me take a couple photos of her new pony. I’m super happy with the result, and I can’t wait to hopefully make good on my resolution to expand my photography practice this year!

Happy Friday y’all! Stay warm out there!

Assessing 2016 Goals

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Britt

2016 was a roller coaster year for us. In a lot of ways it signifies the closing of several long chapters, and the starting of new stories. In April we sold our house of 3 years, and in May my beloved Foster became someone else’s to love. But we also purchased our dream home, and in September I ~~went crazy~~ bought myself a gangly 4 year old warmblood sight-unseen. So with that in mind, let’s look at my original intentions for the year.

2016 Goals

The Horse:

~~Find the perfect situation for Foster.~~ Done, and unintentionally done again.
~~Keep riding, even if catch riding~~ Thank you Darcy and Riley for keeping me in the saddle
Participate in at least one dressage clinic Nope!

Darcy dressaging

The House:

~~Paint upstairs – hallway, study, State room~~
~~Wrap up giant handyman to-do list covering all sorts of small sins~~
~~Declutter in the extreme….~~
~~In order to put the house on the market!~~

This was a wrap!! 15 showings and a full-price offer within 24 hours on the market!

House on a Hill 1.0 Before and After

The Rest:

Health
- ~~Eat less red meat~~ Thanks to the husband’s willpower
- ~~Make a dedicated effort to consider myself an athlete as a rider and take responsibility for staying in decent shape~~ Yes, until September
Concentrate on photography and expanding my range of work
- Complete 10-15 sessions this spring – my fingers are itching for that shutter button! 11 shoots this year total- still looking for more!
- First newborn session! Didn’t happen- but first maternity session did!
~~Stay positive and keep calamities in perspective~~ Found some balance in my life and a new positive attitude
~~Focus on savings~~ Saved those pennies and then lost them buying a horse!

Final Thoughts
I think 2016 will forever stand out in my mind as a bittersweet year. Bitter in the loss of Foster as my eventing and everyday partner, but sweet in the realization of selling the house- the culmination of 3 years of hard work and literal blood, tears, and lots and lots of sweat. I will say that I’m a happier person now than I was at this time a year ago, and I’m thankful for all that went into that as well.

2016: An Infographic View of the Year

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Britt

Musings from the Olympia Warm-up Ring

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Britt

As part of my night at the Olympia Horse Show in London, I purchased a ticket to go visit the warmup ring backstage. This was essentially a spectator area filled with tables and seating and its own personal bar (which you know I took advantage of on my way out!).

So before the final class of the day, the 1.55m Martin Collins Christmas Tree Stakes (not to be confused with the Mince Pie Stakes – not kidding), I scuttled down (or rather, up, over, down- very confusing to someone who’d already had a glass of wine ~~or two~~) to the warmup arena to watch the big names go.

PS of Sweden made an appearance!

I think one of the most interesting things about showjumpers is the variety of tack that they employ. I saw every combination of hackamores, drop nosebands, figure 8’s and double bridle variations, and that was before even looking at the bits. The most popular bitting option appeared to be a gag bit, but I did see a few standard snaffles here and there.

Other trends included leaving a patch of hair on the sides of the horse (like above), something I hadn’t noticed before in other disciplines but surely to avoid any spur marks that might eliminate an otherwise clear pair.

Besides the horses themselves, it was fascinating to watch the riders warmup so differently from one another. Many would take a medium sized oxer (say 3’3″ to my eyes) and then go over a small vertical like below. I would have loved to pick someone’s brain to know the reason for the small vertical, but alas, I never found the opportunity.

Others, like the horse below, would repeatedly stop their horse in front of the fence. My guess would be to get their horse listening and on his haunches, but again, I really can only speculate.

As you can see, I took the opportunity to document as much as I could without being absolutely obnoxious, and enjoyed chatting with the other Olympia-goers about their horses and their favorite riders and horses. It was awe-inspiring (because let’s be serious, I am never going to have to prepare for a 1.55m track) and educational to see all the differing approaches in the warmup ring, and amazing to get to see some of the world’s top riders up close!

Lots more photos to come!

A ride through London

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Britt

After wrapping up my work duties Friday afternoon, I spent the rest of the day searching for the myriad items my family and friends had asked me to bring back for them (lamb stock cubes, Lady Grey tea, mulled wine infuser bags, etc). After successfully finding a grand total of zero of these, I instead girdled my loins and prepared for a very horsey day in London the following morning.

The entrance to Hyde Park Stables

So Saturday morning, I threw on my winter jods, caught the tube, and made my way over to Hyde Park Stables. As I breathed in the smell of horses, I put on my loaner paddock boots and helmet, and filled out paperwork describing my experience level. I was then introduced to my mount for the day, a moustached fellow named Ivan.

We then mounted up, my tour guide Katie aboard a tall ISH-type guy named Sovereign, and we walked across the road to Hyde Park.

Sadly, they wouldn’t let me wear my GoPro camera, which resulted in a bit of sketchy one handed riding while filming with my iPhone. The GoPro probably would have been safer, but ya know, whatevs. Katie and I chatted about, what else, horses, as we rode around a sadly very foggy Hyde Park.

A rough idea of our path

Katie was a student in London and had previously been a horseback tour guide in Kenya, and while we navigated crowds she regaled me with horror stories of dealing with the un-horsey public and wild animals in Africa (the former of which there were more stories!). At every opportunity, we would break from a relaxing walk into an increasingly brisk (on Ivan’s part) trot, which made the ride way more satisfying than your average ride-a-plug-tourist-ride. Once Ivan realized what we were about, his personality became more and more apparent, and I actually had to ride to keep him from leaving the much taller Sovereign in the dust.

Crossing the road after catching up to another group

Sadly, the hour long ride was over in a flash, and before I knew it we were heading back to the stables. I loved on Ivan and told him what a good, fun boy he had been and handed him off to the staff (that’s a weird concept!) so he could get a warm mash and stuff his face with hay.

Being curious about how a stable in the middle of the city works, I then proceeded to hang around like a bad smell and investigate the stables themselves.

As you can see, they utilize every inch of available space. The horses are either in small stalls or bays and no stall seems to be shaped like the others. Tack and boots are stored over the horses’ heads, and I’m told that at night some of the saddles are removed from more rambunctious occupant’s stalls. The horses don’t have fields, so they are taken out several times a day to stretch their legs and get adequate exercise, and all seemed happy and shiny and full of personality given their jobs. Each horse rotates between working in London and a holiday field where they spend a few months eating grass and getting fat and muddy.

My ride was a wonderful way to view London and get a reprieve from the busy work week. I think I probably had a stupid smile plastered on my face the whole time, and I would whole heartedly recommend this experience to any horse person who finds themselves needing the smell of a barn amidst the busy London streets!

Secret Santa Gifties and Other things for Smitty’s Mouth

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Britt

If you’re an online shopper like me (because fighting holiday crowds at the mall is for the birds), you are well acquainted with goodies arriving on your doorstep. But when they are horse-related goodies, it’s like double the fun.

So when the husband told me that my Secret Santa gift came while I was away, of course I was stupid excited.

Hillary of Equestrian at Hart knew just the thing to satisfy a mouthy youngster’s oral wishes. Things he is encouraged to put in his mouth!

The other rather exciting package is not so fun for Smitty, but rather delightful to me in a money-saving kind of way. Funnily enough, this one also owes credit to Hillary for her suggesting it in the first place!

AbGard is an Omeprazole product that isn’t marketed here in the US, but has the same dosage and active ingredients as Gastrogard/Ulcergard. After reviewing with my vet, it also has the entritic coating that allows the drug to survive long enough in the equine stomach (which is why other types of Omeprazole won’t work for horses- it lacks the right coating), and at $13 per tube versus $28, it seemed silly not to give it a go. That’s $450 savings for a month’s supply- well worth the wait of having the meds shipped in from another country.

So when I saw Smitty last night after my long absence, it was armed with all sorts of goodies.

I got my first little whicker of recognition, which warmed my heart, and a snuggle, albeit with my anxiously wondering if my ponytail would end up in his mouth. I then threw him on a lunge line to make sure all 4 legs were working as they should. Sorry to the lady who probably had a heart attack at seeing me walk my 4 year old into the arena in 34* weather in just a halter.

Wild thing!

After a quick session and a bit of head-tossing, we came back in and I dosed him with his new Abgard and introduced him to his new Likit. For once his first instinct wasn’t to eat it, and when I left he was still breathing in the aroma of the contraption in front of him.

Smitty says thank you to Hillary for his new toy, and maybe not so much for the Abgard- although as a side note- I do think we are moving toward a happier, healthier, Smitty as a result of our treatment plan!