Second time lucky?
I never expected for a moment that Jazz would be difficult to clip, or I would never have left it until this morning. He's so quiet about everything in the stable, it was a total shock when he was frightened by the clippers. I thought I was going to have to settle for a clipper-noise lesson, but in the end he let me do a belly and bib clip. It's pretty moth-eaten, from the uneven pressure on the clippers as he moved around, and the lines are all over the place. Still, it was functional :-)
Hunting, he was almost exactly the same as he was last week. Quiet at the meet, and at the checks. He didn't try to roll this week, thank goodness. He jumped all the timber including fences that other people were having stops at. He also jumped two (one enormous) ditches and three small hedges and forded a river with banks about six feet high. I am thrilled to bits with his progress, he's way ahead of where we had any right to expect. Next time out I want to try some bigger hedges, 3ft6-4ft, because he was so confident today that I don't think there will be a problem.
He feels extremely safe. He uses his power to keep himself out of trouble. He doesn't touch the timber at all, and he scans the ground on landing to see how to handle it. He bascules over the fence and then he's away after the others. We cantered and cantered and cantered today. It was too wet to gallop, but it was fun! I was glad we were out less than three hours, because the ground was strength sapping and we are both tired.
I'm off for a bath. My perfect hunter is out in the field. Someone took his green ribbon off his tail today - they said he didn't need it!
C
posted by cptrayes @ 4:14 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
So thrilled for you! Removing the green ribbon was quite a tribute to a horse out only on his second hunt.
How fantastic that he feels so safe with his jumping. Clearly his brain is now on full function over those fences. That's how Russell R. used to feel. I love a horse looking to take care of himself. It automatically takes care of the rider too and establishes a partnership.
The very best part is that you are having FUN! Jazz has been such a trial for you, this makes everything worth it. He is now becoming a polished stone instead of simply a "diamond in the rough."
Yes, this is such good news. The boy is becoming a man - and you deserve it for all that you have been through with him. Good boy Jazz.
Judith
excellent! hope that carries on into eventing next season for you ...
Jean, the very thing that made him such a difficult horse to train is what makes him a fabulously safe hunter - he never releases control. He is inspired by being in a group to do stuff that he might not be brave enough to do on his own, but he keeps control of himself, and keeps himself, and therefore me, safe. His sheer power makes him able to do whatever he sets his mind on, and so we have a brilliant time.
Claire he may never be brave enough to do cross country on his own, but it doesn't matter any more. If he never events, he has a job that we both love doing.
Judith, he's certainly getting somewhere now, and I'm so relieved. I know he will, given the proper progression (ie as long as I don't scare him by asking too much too soon) jump the seriously big hedges some time in the future. Maybe later this season, maybe next, but he is already attracting a lot of comment about what a wonderful hunter he is. And best of all, it's all completely deserved!
C, with a grin.
Great news!
Such fun that you can hunt through the winter - and Jazz will be seriously fit by the end of the season, and I am sure so much more confident.
Not the first or last horse to be made by hunting - we had Wacko Jacko - 10 months ago a "psychotic" cripple :-) out last wek - now a seasoned hunter, or nearly (!), and the chairman's wife said "He's a lovely sort, what a smart horse" ! Warmbloods seem to make rather good hunters, after all ;-)
N
I wonder how many horses that are in pain from their feet have been put down because of behaviour problems, don't you Nic?
C
Fantastic!!! SO pleased to hear he's found his 'niche'. Well done for your perseverence (sp) you both deserve to be reaping the rewards.
In typical Cassie fashion i'm also after some advice!! :-)
Vigo is in horsepital at the moment, it's a long story but basically over the last 5 months he's gone from girthy to worried about being tacked up to being difficult to mount to throwing myself off twice (concussing me once and leaving me black and blue after dumping me on concrete the second, and throwing the guy I had riding him into the fence the moment his bum touched the saddle most recently). He's also, much more recently, gone lame on his right hind. He is virtually impossible with vets and needles. I had the surgeon on the phone yesterday saying they've had some difficult horses but nothing quite like him (genuine terror) so it makes him very difficult to diagnose/treat.
He's now had xrays and a bone scan and been scoped for ulcers.They just about managed to do a nerve block in his stifle and hope to do one, maybe two, more tomorrow depending on whether he lets them near him or not (been bawling about what the poor horse is going through but at the moment it's a necessary evil). Anyway the bone scan showed nothing, no hot spots, apart from the xrays showing two spinal processes just behind the wither looking very close together but not shown to be 'active' on the bone scan. Nothing found in his right hind at all.
My question is what do you do with a horse like this. He's only 5yo. Do I have him pts or do I somehow persevere or do I pass him on? I feel he's not the horse for me. I love him dearly but i've lost my confidence no matter how amazing a feeling he gives me jumping. I worry if I were to pass him on i'd simply be passing on the problems and maybe it's 'safer' to have him pts, or is that selfish to think nobody elese could do anythng better with him?
Utterly confused. Any pointers/opinions welcomed.
Caroline so sorry to hijack but you tend to come up with sensible suggestions!
Cassie I feel there is almost certainly a physical reason that they have missed, but that they have probably missed it because it's not findable - a brain tumour or some other massive pain inside him somewhere. His behaviour is not only while ridden, not only with you, it is escalating, and he is a deeply unhappy horse. I would, personally, have no hesitation from what you have described, in having him put to sleep, where he will be safe and out of trouble. I was wondering how things were going with you and this is the last thing that I wanted to hear!! I feel so sorry for you after what you went through with Robin, you didn't need this too!
C.
ps just one more test - have they done a liver function test on him? I heard of a case which was similar where no lameness cause could be found and the horse was cold backed (bucked when sat on) and it had an inflamed liver - apparently the liver sits on the right hand side and every time the horse brought his right hind leg forward he was prodding his inflamed liver. Might be rubbish, but worth asking?
Thank you Caroline.
No they've not looked at his liver but i'll speak to my vet and then surgeon tomorrow.
That would tie in with the back pain plus the right hind lameness I guess!
Thank you. I feel so guilty about even considering having him pts, like I can't be bothered to get him/us through it but he is SO hyper sensitive to everyone (bar me, i'm the only one that he will let touch him when he's gone off on one) that his life must be miserable.
I will look into the liver thing.
Thank you, will keep you posted.
:-(
Sometimes things just aren't findable, and the kindest thing is PTS. I knew of a horse, homebred, experienced home (local livery yard owner/instructor) that they couldn't get right, he was so unpredictable he was dangerous, they knew all his history, did every investigation (he was a potential very valuable horse) but in the end they decided he could never be a safe riding horse and he was PTS. The owner said she sometimes looks at a video of him and can see there is something not right, but no-one could find it.
Judith
Judith I agree but a part of me thinks i'm giving up way too soon because I can't see myself getting through it, not necessarily because Vigo can't get through it (whatever it is).
What's troubling me is that the symptoms are random and odd.
When he was suddenly worried about being mounted he was actually not unhappy being girthed up, even though he was worried being mounted (worried eye, head up, tense) once you were on he would go like a dream. That's why I think maybe it's just he's scared himself and we can get through this.
I'm so confused, I want to do what's best for him, what's best for me and not feel like i'm putting him to sleep just because it's the easy option and i'm not sure any of those are compatible (sp.sorry lost ability to spot a correct spelling!).
Anyway, it's helped writing it down so don't feel you have to respond :-)
It doesn't sound as if you are ready to let him go Cassie. You've got two issues here. You need to get him sound if anyone else is to try to find if anything is wrong mentally. Then you can send him away to someone very experienced with problem horses and they can tell you whether he will ever be safe. You might take it as a pointer to my own feelings about how it will go that while I was quite prepared to take on Muriel's horse Linda, I wouldn't offer to take on Vigo. The symptoms the two present are completely different.
If you can find an answer which ties the lameness to the mental issues (eg his liver) then we could all breathe a sigh of relief. But please don't beat yourself up if you decide to have him put to sleep - there are far, far worse things for an animal than to be quietly and painlessly dead.
Please keep us informed what's going on. Good luck.
C
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