Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
She is carrying 2 chronic injuries - hocks and SI. I am doing everything I can to make sure she's comfortable. Core conditioning on long reins over poles once a week, to build core strength and topline, 6 monthly vet check with jabs as needed, monthly Indiba/Laser or massage with the vet physio, supplements, a highly structured work-load to ensure she is fit and strong. Vet is clear she is better in work, staying strong.
Vet and physio tell me there's plenty far, far worse out there happily doing the job, and that some with nothing much evidently wrong seem unhappy, while other horses with dodgy xrays seem absolutely fine. So the only way I really have of deciding if Lottie is ok to jump or not is by listening to her. Luckily she is prettty expressive!
Lottie loves to jump and is incredibly genuine and honest. I know we all think forward horses love to jump but at least 4 instructors have told me how lovely it is to work with a horse so full of enthusiasm for the job. She locks on, takes me to the fence, ears pricked, looking for the next one on landing, making absolutely every effort to get to the other side, even if I present her on a shocking line. That has made her incredibly consistent, with just 4 jumping faults (1 fence) out of 14 competitive rounds between 85 and 100 this season. And she never ever stops in training either. Last year she was eliminated for accumulated refusals and I knew that she was not right. That is when I took her to the vet and hock issues were identified. After being jabbed she was almost always clear BE and SJ up to Champs and she only had the odd dodgy jump at Champs because the atmosphere was electric, the courses technical, and we were both a bit overwhelmed!
She had another vet check in Feb and was jabbed again. And as I said has been flying all season. Until the day before yesterday when I had a tune up lesson for BN 2nd rounds tomorrow. She was fab for 30 mins then downed tools. Slammed on the brakes 3 times, and I hit the deck all 3 times. I was playing around with a new bit and RI said she was behind the leg as was backing off the bit (although it is meant to be gentler), I failed to adapt to that as she is normally very on the aids.
I hoped it was just that, so I went back to Dean Valley last night in her old bit to gate crash a friend's lesson (at her invitation!) who is also doing 2nd rounds. Again she jumped super for 30 minutes then slammed on the brakes coming to an oxer. We had a good, punchy canter, and were on a perfect stride. There was just no reason to stop. RI was saying 'you need more leg, to try her in spurs etc' and I said no, I'm not asking her to jump if she does not want to. And that was lesson over. I am sure stronger riding could MAKE her jump, but I know my horse, and if she is saying she does not want to, then I am going to listen to that.
I have withdrawn from 2nd rounds and will take her to vet next week. I am hoping beyond hope that she has just tweaked something that will settle again and we have more time together and more jumping adventures to come. She has been an absolute dream to compete over the past 12 months. Such a brilliant, brave horse. But I have a horrible feeling that the injuries have caught up with her and, much as her mind remains willing, her body is saying 'ouch', when it comes to jumping. She still seems perfectly happy and keen out hacking and schooling. Not lame and moving freely. I also think she jumps well up to a point - then it hurts too much. So it's towards the end of the lesson, the issues come in. But I have no way of knowing how uncomfortable she is in the build up to that point, as she goes from yeehaa GO, to a flat no so fast, with no warning signs.
Vet and physio tell me there's plenty far, far worse out there happily doing the job, and that some with nothing much evidently wrong seem unhappy, while other horses with dodgy xrays seem absolutely fine. So the only way I really have of deciding if Lottie is ok to jump or not is by listening to her. Luckily she is prettty expressive!
Lottie loves to jump and is incredibly genuine and honest. I know we all think forward horses love to jump but at least 4 instructors have told me how lovely it is to work with a horse so full of enthusiasm for the job. She locks on, takes me to the fence, ears pricked, looking for the next one on landing, making absolutely every effort to get to the other side, even if I present her on a shocking line. That has made her incredibly consistent, with just 4 jumping faults (1 fence) out of 14 competitive rounds between 85 and 100 this season. And she never ever stops in training either. Last year she was eliminated for accumulated refusals and I knew that she was not right. That is when I took her to the vet and hock issues were identified. After being jabbed she was almost always clear BE and SJ up to Champs and she only had the odd dodgy jump at Champs because the atmosphere was electric, the courses technical, and we were both a bit overwhelmed!
She had another vet check in Feb and was jabbed again. And as I said has been flying all season. Until the day before yesterday when I had a tune up lesson for BN 2nd rounds tomorrow. She was fab for 30 mins then downed tools. Slammed on the brakes 3 times, and I hit the deck all 3 times. I was playing around with a new bit and RI said she was behind the leg as was backing off the bit (although it is meant to be gentler), I failed to adapt to that as she is normally very on the aids.
I hoped it was just that, so I went back to Dean Valley last night in her old bit to gate crash a friend's lesson (at her invitation!) who is also doing 2nd rounds. Again she jumped super for 30 minutes then slammed on the brakes coming to an oxer. We had a good, punchy canter, and were on a perfect stride. There was just no reason to stop. RI was saying 'you need more leg, to try her in spurs etc' and I said no, I'm not asking her to jump if she does not want to. And that was lesson over. I am sure stronger riding could MAKE her jump, but I know my horse, and if she is saying she does not want to, then I am going to listen to that.
I have withdrawn from 2nd rounds and will take her to vet next week. I am hoping beyond hope that she has just tweaked something that will settle again and we have more time together and more jumping adventures to come. She has been an absolute dream to compete over the past 12 months. Such a brilliant, brave horse. But I have a horrible feeling that the injuries have caught up with her and, much as her mind remains willing, her body is saying 'ouch', when it comes to jumping. She still seems perfectly happy and keen out hacking and schooling. Not lame and moving freely. I also think she jumps well up to a point - then it hurts too much. So it's towards the end of the lesson, the issues come in. But I have no way of knowing how uncomfortable she is in the build up to that point, as she goes from yeehaa GO, to a flat no so fast, with no warning signs.
this is very sad, but well done for listening to her. Hope it’s better news when you get her checked out.
