Winter Blues

So – I pulled Hawkey’s shoes last summer, and spent the last 5 months working the kinks out of being barefoot.  He had a sore couple of months, but all in all the transition was much easier than expected.  He is now sound at all gaits, both in the round pen and under saddle.  You can just tell that he now feels great – and is thus a bit high strung which, of course,  translates into pony thinking as “Since I don’t have to expend mental energy concentrating on my owie toes, now everything ELSE. IS. Spooky”.

Now, you might think with the mild winter we have been having that I would be all set to make some forward progress but while getting Hawkeye sound, I have spent most of the last few months out of the saddle.  This qualifies as yet another Ready!-Set!-Start Over! for me.  My trainer is a good friend, a great woman, and she has the patience of Job.  She has been hopping on before my lessons and getting Hawk focused which goes a long way toward helping my confidence when I get finally get on.  If he can pay attention to his feet more than the shadows and the cooing pigeons, I might manage to learn something.

But the worst thing is -  I have managed to let the weather, mild tho it is,  become my enabler on days when I just can’t get my $*!# together.  I know Hawk is happy to see me (well, the carrots at least) when I get out there, and that he does so much better when I actually go work with him on a regular schedule – but somehow the grey days take their toll and I find myself curled on the couch with a warm blankey reading about horse care rather than getting off my butt and executing some.  He deserves better than that, and I have to find a way to give it to him.

Adventures in Plastics

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Go figure. Captain Ringbone managed to pull his right front shoe last week. It is forever lost in his paddock. Astoundingly he is MORE sound without it. Not sure that as wet as the paddocks can be, that I am ready to commit to barefoot yet- but I am looking at the Epona shoes as nice compromise. I have my fingers crossed.

Introducing…

I was aware when I leased him, that Hawkeye had an intriguing history.  According to the woman I adopted him from; he is a Ranch Nokota, his descendants originally roaming the wilds of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.   He lived on the range until he was about 5, at which point he was gelded and brought east in order to raise money to support the Nokota Horse Conservancy.

I knew from the moment I decided to purchase him that I would pursue his registration and find out all I could about his history and the history of the breed.

What I did NOT know, was how enlightening a journey that would be.

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I believed that Hawkeye’s Sire was a Nokota named Jumping Mouse and his Dam was a Percheron named Scrap Iron.  Because he was branded, it seemed logical that he had at some point been registered so I contacted Seth Zeigler, of the NHC, in the hopes that I could have his registration transferred to my name.

I did not realize just how “small-world” the horse community is.  I assumed I was contacting North Dakota, but it turns out that Seth currently lives in Sweden where he has started a program to introduce the breed to Europe.  So here I am trading emails in the middle of the night with this friendly, gracious person whom I have never met.  He is convinced we could figure out Hawkeye’s identity, even though there were some (gaping) holes in my information.  The good news is Jumping Mouse was massive for a Nokota, so Seth is pretty sure that is where the Percheron part of the legend comes from. The sad news is that Jumping Mouse passed away well over 10 years ago.  The bad news is Scrap Iron was not a Percheron, but a cross between a QH and a reservation Nokota. Also, not so much a mare.

Seth also wants to know if I can tell him when Hawkeye came east. Can I tell him the name of his first owner? Can I provide pictures of his markings and brand?

I was provided the name of the people who had originally arranged for the Nokotas to come east by Hawkeye’s previous owner. In my second flash of small world syndrome it turns out…

I am acquainted with the woman who helped develop the Nokota Horse Conservancy.  Well, that is to say, I have met her once or twice. She works on the local historic commission with my father – who is friends with EVERYONE.  So I contacted her and she remembered Hawkeye (!) and put me in touch with the woman who originally purchased him – the same woman who sold him to my friend.

Seth identifies Hawkeye’s registration number, finally.  Apparently there are a few other “Hawkeye”s in the registry, so I am tasked provided with the opportunity to come up with a new name.

I can conceive of variations on Mouse since there are at least 2 “mice” in his line but it just doesn‘t flow. He is a big horse, and even tongue-in-cheek it isn’t right.  I do love with the name Hawkeye, and have from the first moment I laid eyes on him – and I really don’t want to change it.  We play with variation on birds… Hawk in Gaelic (Faolchon) Hawk in various Native American languages and themes (Hawk Totem; DreamCatcher).  We try and tie the Mouse to Hawk (Flying Mouse). We toy with descriptive words based on color (Ebony;  Midnight; Dubh).   Some literary references (Shadowfax; ShadowHawk)   Eventually the Shadow part sticks. It is something of a double entendre in my mind.  My big black pony.  The shadow that follows me around the paddock.  It just fits.

So… now you know. It is official.  He is My Hawk Shadow.

Formal Registration

Trail Hawk…

So, I have not been at the barn very much lately.  Work is… overwhelming.  So much to do, so little time. There was discussion about the team spending Memorial weekend in the office, but as it turns out we get the three days to mentally prepare for the next few weeks.  Deb has been riding and working with him quite a bit, for which I am immensely grateful, since I have been so tied up.  He is working his way back to sound – not completely there, but moving so much better with the steady exercise and new shoes. We start the Adaquan next week, so that should help, too

Friday night was glorious.  What had been a hot, overcast afternoon gave way to a glorious, lightly- breezy evening.  The clouds were blowing out, leaving billowy streaks across the sky. The first thing I did, when I left the office on time last Friday (for the first time in 2 weeks) was race directly out to check up on Hawkeye.

It was hopping.  Everyone came out to take advantage of one of the first dry days in recent history.  I bumped into one of the women with whom I am slowly striking up an acquaintance.  She has a lovely quirky chestnut gelding, and I am enjoying both of them quite a bit. While chatting about our plans for the evening we discovered that neither of us had been around the bridle path that runs around the property. So with the high spirits that come with a break in the weather, we decided to take it on and see how our horses handled it.

I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  Hawkeye is still learning to trust me as his leader and is a bit greener than I thought when I was leasing him. In some ways these things are very new to him – so going out along the property line, outside of the fencing, crossing the creeks and not getting worked up by the ponies running along side of us in their pastures could have proven to be quite the adventure. Since I don’t have showing aspirations, I don’t plan to jump 3’6″ fences, most of my hopes about owning a horse are wrapped up in going on trail rides, and being comfortable that little things are not going to freak him out. He was completely calm and composed the entire time.  He (fearlessly?!) led the way down the trail – tromping along in his big-boy walk.  Ears up, paying attention to everything, I think he was really mentally enjoying being out of his paddock, and not working in the ring.  He crossed the streams like an old hand, and never gave me a moments pause.  He proved himself gloriously. I was very pleased and proud.

And, considering I am new at it all too, I don’t think I did too badly myself.

New Shoes!

Right Front

So – we had the farrier out last week to help me get a grip on Hawkeye’s feet.  Our farrier is a fabulous guy.  I was fond of him BEFORE I owned horses – he shoes (shoe’d? shod??) for a friend. When Deb was looking for a new farrier for Griffin, I poked her till she gave in and called Martin.  Now he has the unenviable task to work with me and my special needs pony.  Someone should have warned him.

So we talked through a lot of the options, and while he and I don’t completely agree about the benefits/drawbacks to the barefoot debate, he knew enough about it to discuss it with me, and not dismiss me out of hand.  What he came up with for me is a plan.  I like plans.  It gives you someplace to go.  If “A” doesn’t work, we try “B” and then there is always “C”…  so that you are moving forward, not failing in place.

First of all, Hawkeye’s toes were VERY long, so we are going to also move him to a 4 week trim cycle, hoping to keep ahead of the growth.  We are also adding 2 degree wedges to attempt to raise his heels which rocks him forward just a touch to help relieve any pressure on his joint capsules while still supporting the back edge of his foot.  This addresses a major concern I have about growing his heels out far enough that I then have to worry about them becoming underrun.  Right now when we trim him, there is no need to trim at the heel so they are slowly growing out but the wedge makes it feel supportable. This just seems logical and fits nicely into what I know of Hawkeye’s joint problems.  It is something that I could NOT do if I were to pull his shoes – so it seems like a good first step.

Deb rode him on Wednesday – and said he was more sound.  I NEED to get the Adaquan thing figured out as well, cause I know that will be a huge help and will slow the inevitable joint degeneration.

Now, if it would just stop raining long enough to give him a bath!

When it works….

It is finally nice and warm here, so blankets are off, and the battle with the mud is on. At the very least Pony needs a little fly spray and a brush. So I hit the barn last night, even though I got there much later than I had hoped.

Hawkeye’s field has a lovely tree lined creek running through it, and he was enjoying a little splash when I got there.  I went out and just spent a few moments hanging out with him, watching him graze with the sun flitting through the trees.  When it came time to go in for his groom, for the first time since I have known him, he wandered away and attempted to escape his halter.  Not grumpily, just a few steps retreat everytime I approached.  I think he thought it was a fine game.  I, on the other hand, did not want him to learn that having me chase him around the field was going to become de rigueur.  Since we weren’t going for a ride anyway, I decided that this might be an excellent time to revisit the round pen.  While, my Join-up experiment had gone well enough last time, I still felt like I had just not quite gotten it right.

This time was an entirely different experience.  I forsook the lounge whip this time for my lounge line, even though it has a rubber weight on the end of it, as just seems easier to make passive than a long stick.  Hawkeye started off with a nice easy trot.  I had his inside ear INSTANTLY.  Nice.  He was then convinced to switch directions and maintain the gait without drama. Only a couple of laps around the pen and he was putting his head down.  Excellent.

This entire time I consciously made eye contact as he lapped around me.  The MOMENT I dropped my eyes to his shoulder, he would slow his pace and creep slightly in toward the center of the circle.  If I raised my eyes back to his, he would step it back up and out.  There was never any licking or chewing, but that seemed outweighed by all the head dropping and the continued attempts to slow and come in to chat with me.

So I lowered my gaze for one more lap, still encouraging him on, but letting him close the circle. I stopped pushing him onward and turned my shoulder to him, dropped my gaze and coiled my lounge line.  Sure enough, he came to a stop directly behind me, body turned into the circle considering.  I am not a patient girl.  Not peeking at him was tough, but somehow I closed my eyes and just waited.  I heard him step closer.  Still arms reach away.  Now he started licking and chewing as he tried to puzzle out what the next step should be. I remained still.  Another step.  I could hear him breathing just behind me. Finally, finally, a soft nudge with his nose on my elbow.  What a good pony!!!

As with everything I do with the ponies… patience and being able to find that quiet, mental, place makes all the difference.

Barefoot…

I have a very questioning nature.  I have never been very accepting of the “do it because I said so.” school of thought.  Possibly because my parents never gave us that response, possibly because I just enjoy being a pain in the @$$.  It is not that I mind following instructions – but I do tend to want to know WHY you want something done, or WHY it needs to be done in a specific fashion.  If the answers are logical enough – then there is no reason to debate and I tack those lessons into my arsenal of things learned. If, however, the answer is flawed… I have no problem questioning it.  Now, keep in mind, I am not the sharpest tack in the box, so I know if I see the gaping logic hole, there is probably good reason to be suspicious. I may not always be right –but I strive to always be learning.

Can you see this coming???

I have been reading a lot about the barefoot debate recently.  I was told by my vet – in no uncertain terms – because Hawkeye has mild ringbone (arthritis) that I should keep his shoes on.  Grow out his heels, shorten his toes.  My thought at the time was “Great!  Easy.  No boat rocking. No research.  No pissing off the farrier (who I adore).”  Keep in mind, he flip side to easy tends to mean no independent thinking.

So, recently, I was reading a book where the author was questioning metal shoes on his horses, and he was asking the same questions I had asked when I first started riding. My ears perked up.  Horses in the wild don’t wear shoes nailed to their feet.  The traditional answers about terrain and cement don’t make sense to me.  I don’t ride my horse on cement roads – so that is beside the point and Wild mustangs live on some pretty harsh terrain. The research is showing that they don’t have the issues with laminitis and founder that domesticated horses have so you have to wonder why that is.

So much for easy.

When you consider how the  hoof is supposed to flex with each step.  How that flexing increases the blood flow through the leg and the hoof.  How flexing is better for shock absorption than the hard, rigid, horse shoe surface.  It makes me wonder if the shoes, in the long run, are not part of the CAUSE of Hawkeye ringbone.  All the “wild horse trims” advocate short heels… not longer heels… and the importance of getting the horse to strike the ground heels first.  I have Hawkeye in “rocker shoes.”  The wild horse trim rolls the toe over to match the hooves of mustangs who roam the west – as they naturally created that same break over as they wear away their toes.  Toes that metal shoes prevent from wearing away.  Hmmm… Am I trying to create something artificially by using a tool (the shoe) that actively prevents what it is trying to replicate?  Does this feel like taking pill B to counteract the side-effects of pill A – which I may not need to take anyway?

Annnnnd now I am doing more research.

I have a long way to go before I commit to pulling his shoes and attempting a barefoot path, but the questions have started, and will not stop until the answers make sense.  I have to find an answer that is best for the HORSE – not just easiest for me. That is how I see our relationship.  Hawkeye chooses to trust me, therefore I must ask questions and do the work required to provide the best existence for him.

It is how I prove to both of us that I am worthy of his trust.

Roundpen

So, the new barn has a nice round pen.  Something of a luxury, as it turns out.  None of the other barns I have ridden in have one.  As Hawkeye is settling in, and slowly getting introduced into his herd, he has been something of a nut.  My uber quiet giant pony is not only dancing in the cross ties, but at one point attempted to pull them out of the wall.  Since he has gone from full time turn out to a somewhat confined lifestyle while he gets through the introductory period, I suspect there is a good deal of pent up energy that needs to find a release.  It is spring after all.

So on Monday night he got to spend 20 mins running around in the round pen.  Part just checking it out, part confirming he is sound – what with the move, the new herd, and recent new shoes.  We trotted beautifully in both directions.  I need to work on my lounging skills – as I don’t think I have all the body language down.  Changing direction was a bit of a challenge, but I think we both enjoyed the playtime.

Sharing Space

Over the weekend I finally found the opportunity to attempt something I have wanted to do almost since the day I started riding.  Hawkeye moved Saturday morning, and I spent the day padoodling about straightening my tack trunk, marking his brushes… fixing his blankets… I did not really work with him, I hung out where he could see me – and take whatever comfort he needed in someone familiar in an unfamiliar environment.  He took the entire move in stride, and never even seemed to look back.  Whether or not that has anything at all to do with the time I spent there or not – who knows.  It made me feel good to do it.

Sunday when I got there, they had turned him out into his own paddock.  He could see other horses, but since he is in quarantine for a few days, he does not get to be in breathing proximity to the herd.  The weather was fantastic, the best we have seen in quite a while so I took my little three legged stool, a book, and a bag of treats out to the paddock to just hang out in Hawkeye’s new environment.

I had somewhat assumed that I would get ignored.  There was grass to graze and a loopy 4 year old in the next paddock to run the fence line with.  Well, the grass was not as interesting as my book, apparently, as evidenced by the grass spludge all over the few pages he allowed me to read.

It is an interesting principle, this sharing space.  Done right it means you have to be able to sit still.  To sit still you have to calm your mind and let go of whatever might be causing your stress.  This is not just good for your relationship with your horse, it is good for you.  I watched the horse in the next paddock get wound up over every little thing*.  OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE.THE.WIND?!?!… THERE ARE OTHER HORSES GOING INTO THE INDOOR RING!!  HOLY CRAP CARS ARE SCARY! (*to be fair, his paddock mate was off working and he was grumpy to be left with only Hawkeye and I for company…) While Hawkeye calmly pulled at the barely-there-grass, or pushed the Kong toy I filled with carrots around with his nose to get the little orange treats that tumbled out of it. My book fluttered in the breeze.  I spoke to people over the fence and he was nothing but quietly curious about any of it. Not only am I teaching him that I am not always demanding he perform, but he is teaching me what does and does not spook him from the ground. This sense of quiet, and trust, will inevitable translate into my work in the saddle.  As I spend time with Hawkeye, and watch him be calm and unflappable, I am learning to trust him too.  That not every clump of grass or gust of wind has the potential for me to eat dirt. The less I look for monsters, the less he will see them, too.

My biggest battle when I leased horses was trying not to get too attached, or bonded, to an animal that I did not own.   Buying Hawkeye is going to open up an entirely new world for me.

I spent Sunday sitting in the sunshine, finding my inner peace, and bonding with my new friend over it.

Moving Day…

So, today we moved Hawkeye to his new barn, a few miles up the road from his old barn.  My sister and I wanted to keep our ponies together – she has a fabulous Irish Sporthorse gelding – and since Hawkeye will go from living out in a field at my barn to having a stall at night at Deb’s, this seemed like a smart move.  Not that Hawkeye particularly cares, but it will hopefully make me less neurotic. Maybe.  Stay tuned.

Everything went swimmingly this morning.  He was not keen about getting on the trailer at first, but all things considered there was very little drama.  He unloaded at his new digs like he owned the place and was nice and settled by the time I left there this evening.  Tomorrow we are going to go out and wander around the property, and let him take in some of the sights.  He will be in “quarantine” for the first week and after that we will have to think about which herd to introduce him to.

I am THRILLED to not have to split time between my barn and my sisters.  I can’t wait to see where this next step in my journey as Hawkeye’s partner takes me.