spookypony
Well-Known Member
There haven't been any reports from the Spooky Pony for a while: thought I'd just post a quick update...
The last report was probably late July, when he dumped me at some speed for no particular reason during a show warm-up
, and I did a ligament in my shoulder. 
I cancelled his August engagements (
) for reasons of my recovery (the people-vet said 2 weeks no riding, I stayed grounded for 3 days, but was rather ineffectual and timorous for a while after.), and then I was away variously on hols and on riding across Scotland on a completely different little horse---equipped with a neoprene shoulder support.
The last month has been spent on re-fittening him and myself, where the start of the uni term has proved problematic, and on rebuilding my confidence. Last week, I found myself suddenly and unexpectedly laughing again at his practising of the sport of "X-treme Spooking", so I think I have turned a corner in the messed-up mind department.
He was supposed to have an endurance outing two weeks ago, but that was cancelled (
), so this Sunday will be his first time out since July, and I'm actually looking forward to it again!
He's supposed to be doing 3 unaff. dressage leagues this winter, and 2 of them begin the weekend after next. He's done naff all schooling lately, so it'll be interesting...
...but now, our yard has a sand-school, so hopefully, onwards and upwards soon, now that I can possibly school in the evenings! 
This summer's been a real struggle for management of his tender tootsies: he seems to have a real problem with the grass, and the correlation between incarceration in Pony Jail and forward-going lively pony (as opposed to walking-backwards-and-bucking-when-asked-to-trot pony) is impossible to ignore. He'll be having a blood test for insulin resistance/EMS, and then, we'll figure out a more permanent management solution (current discussions with the YM favour a special Pony Jail within a bigger field, so that he can have some friends). My instructor offered me the loan of a Houdini-*****land to keep him company if no-one else wants to put a horse in with him, but I'm not sure I need that particular head-ache!

Thankfully, the chorus of "shoes would make him sound" appears to have finally been silenced by the counter-argument of "but they wouldn't solve his obvious metabolic problem, and would mask one of the key symptoms", and I'm hopefull that we're on the right track, and we'll have a happy, lively, forward pony soon!
The last report was probably late July, when he dumped me at some speed for no particular reason during a show warm-up
I cancelled his August engagements (
The last month has been spent on re-fittening him and myself, where the start of the uni term has proved problematic, and on rebuilding my confidence. Last week, I found myself suddenly and unexpectedly laughing again at his practising of the sport of "X-treme Spooking", so I think I have turned a corner in the messed-up mind department.
He was supposed to have an endurance outing two weeks ago, but that was cancelled (
This summer's been a real struggle for management of his tender tootsies: he seems to have a real problem with the grass, and the correlation between incarceration in Pony Jail and forward-going lively pony (as opposed to walking-backwards-and-bucking-when-asked-to-trot pony) is impossible to ignore. He'll be having a blood test for insulin resistance/EMS, and then, we'll figure out a more permanent management solution (current discussions with the YM favour a special Pony Jail within a bigger field, so that he can have some friends). My instructor offered me the loan of a Houdini-*****land to keep him company if no-one else wants to put a horse in with him, but I'm not sure I need that particular head-ache!
Thankfully, the chorus of "shoes would make him sound" appears to have finally been silenced by the counter-argument of "but they wouldn't solve his obvious metabolic problem, and would mask one of the key symptoms", and I'm hopefull that we're on the right track, and we'll have a happy, lively, forward pony soon!