Mo is Sick, Gambler is a Star

Firstly, Mo is sick :( I am super stressed about it, mostly because I dont know what it is, and neither does the vet, conclusively. She was sick on Friday last week, with a fever and slightly colicy symptoms but nothing typical, so when the vet came out Friday night, she said she didnt think it was impaction, but maybe just the fever that had caused her to be all lethargic and not wanting to eat/drink, and then since she wasnt eating and drinking, there obviously wasnt any poops or pees. She got better, from the fever, and is all about food again, but remained 'tucked-up' in her belly, which resulted in my calling my poor over-dialed vet again. This time, she came out again and saw what I was talking about more, the "shes just off" and not wanting to move, and lethargy more than just listless due to not eating.

Our kind of go-to at the moment is Anemia. [Says the vet: ] It would explain her low energy, unwillingness to move, and lack of tolerence for exercise. While checking her for lameness yesterday, when the vet was back again, she trotted a few circles [barely, she did NOT want to go, and in an 'I cant" way, not an "I wont"] and then later cantered maybe one, just to be sure she wasnt off, and she was breathing heavily and even a little damp from exertion! For a horse that was competition fit in July, that should have been nothing! Poor Mo!

So, until further notice, Mo is on iron and general supplements via a liquid called Red Power, which I guess is to super power up her red blood cells so they can do their thing with oxygen and whatnot. We have drawn blood, one sample to test her iron, I suppose and the other to see WHY. If her liver is unhappy, or kidneys or something else internal, or if its just her body not absorbing enough of what it needs from the pasture. Hoepfully I will hear those results tomorrow, so I can sleep a little easier, and know that my very special Mo will be ok. Right now I just feel like she has the plague, and Im just scared all the time. At least she seems happy, if not quite right. Shes perky, bright, nickering to me all the time and generally trying to eat everything, as per usual. So that makes me feel a bit better. I just wish she would stop making all those wierd grunty 'Im in pain somehow" noises and be able to just TELL me whats wrong.... Wheres Dr Dolittle when I need him??

Such is my journey with Mo right now, just a whole lot of GET BETTER PLEASE vibes going around. I sure hope she gets better soon :( In the mean time, I think she is enjoying the lawn-mowing priviledge.

On a much happier note, Gambler is a freakin rock star. We are FINALLY starting to connect on the same wavelength. It was like before, I could get to DO stuff. But it wasnt really his plan, and he kind of exploded most times. The last time we played, he didnt explode once, AND we cantered online in a big space without him leaving :D He is so smart. His figure eight in the round pen is amazing, he is offering me the whole pattern at a canter with a flying change, and lightness on the turns and just incredible engagement mentally. He also looks amazing when he does this...

Our riding is coming along finally too. In the beginning, I was being so careful with him, and treating him all right brain, but the other day I ponied Zephyr off of him just for something different, and a buddy for my want-to-be-trail-ride, that I had a PURPOSE [duh....] which kind of got me to get him to be where he needed to be for Zephyr, no matter what. We had some little conversations a few times, because he wanted to GO HERE, but Zephyr needed him to BE THERE, and we managed. That simple. He didnt blow up, he didnt freak out, nothing. Just kind of went " Oh, well, since you have an idea, I guess I will listen..." I facepalmed after this. Have a plan, work the plan. Follow through. He is left brain. Play to the left brain. DOI!

Our next ride was great. The ride with Zephyr, we almost died via KILLER GATE [not really, but Gambler thought the gate swinging toward him might eat him] so we played with being able and confident to move the round pen gate, which is much stickier and requires me to actually physically push it rather than just swinging away when unlatched. That went much better. We got some isolation in the front and hind end, and more move-off-of-not-into-pressure-please-and-thanks! It felt great. We also went in the round pen and played the GAZILLION and then some transitions game. walk-stop-walk-trot-slowtrot-fasttrot-stop-walk-backup and so on. Super fast, super precise, evil thought stealing transitions. And he was RIGHT ON!

It was so cool, as we were trotting, the first time I thought "and now, we shall SUPER TROT" and he just powered off into a super speedy trot, and then I thought "Feel the inner turtle" and we slowed down to the slowest moseyest trot any western horse would be jealous of. He was just so in tune! I thought canter once or twice, but when his back came up, I wasnt sure if it was power or buck, so I just left that one for now. Ill try it when Im not home alone! Safety first and whatnot.

That ride we just stayed inside of fencelines, played with gates that werent alive, and it was GREAT! The next ride we had a similarly super great warm up, that included SUPER play outside the round pen and over some log jumps. Then we went on our first SOLO trail ride, playing point to point with grassy spots and apple trees. Man oh man was that Gamblers most favoritest game EVER! You would think he was starving to death or something.... I say this while you try and find his ribs beneath that solid fat covering... He is misled on his fed-status! Thirty acres of food and youre hungry, my foot!

So that was just super super super! We even navigated the gate horseback, out and back in, NO PROBLEMO! Smart pony! And since that ride he has been stalking me like "When do we go out again??" and its adorable. He is such a goober.

NOTE TO MOM: Picture day? Soon please? Roni, and Indy and Phyr Phyr at least.... likely not Mo since she is not up to more than an 'every girl needs a fan' kind of picture. 

So Gambler is a pro at life now. Its awesome. He is just a dream cloud to ride. I thought Indy was nice. Really, I did. And now, when I get on her after Gambler, its a bit of a letdown.... sorry spotty pony.

 :)
S