This week, we started our rides with One Rein Stops & a bit of Cruising before moving to Bend at the Walk. As is typical, he wasn't sure if he should keep his feet moving while softening around laterally, more so on the right side than the left. He did quite well on the left side & it didn't take long for him to leave slack in the rein. He continues to show he'll be quite soft. By the end of the week, he was beginning to respond just to the lift of the rein. I briefly introduced Bending Transitions on Thursday. He has continued to chew on the bit but continued to quiet down quicker & quicker. After our rides, he's spent some time tied while wearing the bridle, where he does well at keeping his mouth quiet.
Early in our session on Tuesday evening, he did catch me by surprise with a little bucking fit & got me off. All is well. I'm not sure what the cause was. I had decided he was ready to move up to my show saddle & used a different bridle with mecate reins instead of the usual yacht-style split reins. We had just begun to lope & I wonder if the lead rope end of the reins didn't wrap around his leg in some fashion & surprise him. Randy's horses & our steer had also been moved to the area beside the arena & had been moving through the weeds. Regardless, aside from his few moments of crow hopping when lunging, he's never offered anything of the sort & I've never gotten the sense that he would. Throughout the rest of the week, he never offered anything of the sort again.
Today (Friday), we were FINALLY able to make our trip up to Knotty Equine for Roam's session (notes below).
Once back home, it was a great (warm & windy) day for a bath, braiding, & photos. He's looking so much better now that he's at a more appropriate weight (though he could still afford to lose a smidge more as he continues to build muscle).
Notes from Roam's Equinitry session:
Jen primarily noted some urinary/kidney issues. As Jen worked on his hind end, Roam peed several times, but not what we would call a normal full amount. It was quite yellow with a bit of . Jen felt strongly that it was uncomfortable for him to pee & likely burns. Jen did clean his sheath but wasn't able to check for a bean. She also noted that his pelvis is rotated up & forward, but that's likely due to the kidney/urinary discomfort.
This would explain those moments when we notice Roam standing a bit stretched out as well as his leaning back against the fences.
Jen strongly encouraged that Roam receives a round of UniPrim (antibiotics) to knock out any potential urinary infection that would be causing him discomfort.
He was blown down & out to the left in his C4, 5, 6, 7, & T1 (neck/thoracic area) & she spent a fair bit of time working on his poll. She also worked on an esophageal torsion, which may contribute to his bit chewing & his cough/sneeze.
Overall, Roam enjoyed Jen's work (see video). She also gave me an exercise for his head/neck/poll.
While Jen thought it was possible that his bucking was caused by his urinary issues, I'm not completely convinced of that, as he's truly not shown any past indication, but I definitely won't rule it out.
While these notes can sound a bit 'scary,' we're finding that more & more horses experience urinary infections. Roam will be the third horse in the last year that we'll treat in this way. We'll set up a follow-up session before he goes home in October.
Next week, we'll continue to work on Bend at the Walk, Bending Transitions, & potentially introduce Vertical Flexion at the Standstill. While I'm sure we'll discuss it more tomorrow during your visit, I'll also order some UniPrim so we can get Roam started on that ASAP.
- Lexy Nuesch
Next week's update will be posted on Saturday.
I do my best to get these updates posted in a timely manner, but it's not uncommon for me to be outside until after dark, depending on the weather, my schedule, & who gets worked when so updates will sometimes be posted quite late in the evening. Don't be alarmed if you don't see your update right away. In rare cases, I may have to push them until the next morning, but I'll reach out & let you know if so.
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