Kristin's Blog post # 8: You Can Cry and Trot at the Same Time

Horses are a passion that is equal parts triumph and sorrow. Well, if you are lucky they are equal parts, but often the sorrow just stands alone for months or years.

Trance and Lizzie came down to Aiken on Monday, February 4. That Friday Trance was signed up for the Intermediate at Pine Top. I had a jump lesson on Tuesday with Kim Severson, and he felt very tired. I assumed the shipping down wore him out, and wasn’t too worried. I then had two FABULOUS flat schools, and on Friday headed to Pine Top for the show. As soon as I got on in warm-up I knew he did not feel quite himself. There was no sign of lameness; he just seemed very lackluster. He went in the ring and was very well behaved (another sign things were amiss!) and scored a 36. I came out and immediately told Skye that I wasn’t sure we had enough gas in the tank to get through the day (the Intermediate ran as a one day). We warmed up for showjumping, and again he just felt very tired. He felt as if he had just run a CCI** the day before, when all he really had done was a flat school. We jumped around and only had one rail, but I was just not happy with how he felt. I withdrew from XC (the horse doesn’t need to prove anything there), and brought him home. We ran blood work and all looked good, so I convinced myself he was still wiped from shipping down and gave him the weekend off.

I got on Monday hoping to have my wild, crazy TB back. I went out to the ring and walked a bit, and again that same lackluster feeling was immediately present. I felt my heart sag a bit, and asked for the trot. He was lame. Like, quite lame. A lot of feelings of fear, frustration, concern, panic, and sorrow all came rushing over me. Skye walked in the ring and I immediately told her he was off. She asked me to trot, but I just started crying. She told me to trot, and I just sat there sniffling. Then she said, “You can cry and trot at the same time.” So that’s what I did. He was lame, so we put him up and called the vet.

The good news after a big workup is that it seems to be rather acute, his xrays look great and he flexes ok. We pulled the shoes and he had thrush quite bad under his pad, as well as a lot of irritation from sand getting caught in there. I hope that’s it.  It has been a couple days and he is still off, so maybe there is an abscess in there. I am packing and soaking and waiting.

Needless to say, we aren’t going Advanced next weekend. It has been over a year since we sent in our first advanced entry, and no advanced yet. However, my gut was right, something was off with him, and I am so relieved I pulled him from XC Friday.

I could spend my days writing depressing poetry or burning copies of my entries and checks while blaring emo music, but I’m not. You can cry and trot at the same time. So, while I am sad about Trance’s situation, I can be sad and productive. Thank God for Lizzie.

She has come out of her shell here in Aiken. She has just plain flourished the past couple weeks. Suddenly, her connection issues are almost entirely resolved; she now loves the bit and has such a great contact. She is a jumping fool, and is happy as a clam on jump days. After the Trance fiasco I went home and entered her in a schooling show that was yesterday. She has never been to a show, and I have only taken her off the property once for a hack/trot over logs day. So, I was very nervous about how green she would be.

We got to the show and she tacked up great. I gave myself 30 minutes for dressage warm-up in case things were highly precarious. She was just….perfect. She was so attentive, she didn’t spook at a thing, and she was truly on her best behavior. So, I just went in early. She had never been in a ring, and she trotted around like a champ and headed down centerline. She was truly a star!! There was a stallion in the paddock next to the ring snorting and charging the fence, and she didn’t bat an eye. She knocked out the test rhythmically, and got better as it went on. What little tension she had for the first half was long gone by the second half. The judge came out after the test and said, “I know this is very inappropriate, but would you sell her?” I was in shock! She asked me her bloodlines, and I laughed and informed her she is an OTTB. She could not believe it! I told her she wasn’t for sale, that she is hopefully my next event horse, but that this was only her first schooling show. The judge said she would want her to do straight dressage on, and that she hopes when I take Lizzie cross country that we smash into all the fences. That made me laugh. She wrote her email on my test and told me to stay in touch.

 
Sorry so blurry, we didn't realize the autofocus was off on the camera.

I was on cloud 9, and it was just what I needed. Lizzie was great, she got a great score, and the sun was shining. She then went in and jumped clean around the beginner novice   sj course. (photos here: http://4141sailing.exposuremanager.com/p/apple_tree_02_12_132/_dsc7738_1_41_3 ) It made my day. Well, it made my week – easily. It was just a very small local schooling show, so all with a grain or ten of salt, but it was just what I needed. You can trot and cry at the same time.

kristins_blog_8
Jumping at home.

Since I have to scratch Trance from the upcoming show, I am now staying another week in hopes of making it to the Sporting Days Advanced combined test. And since Lizzie was so good, my heart  so bummed about not getting to the Advanced, and my pocketbook no longer paying for a full event, Skye convinced me to sign her up for her first recognized horse trial! I was going to wait a bit, do some cheaper derbies and combined tests at home and come out in a couple months at novice. But, screw it. We sent in an entry for BN at Sporting Days. If you can’t be galloping around at the top level on your top horse, the next best thing is the lowest level on a horse with a brilliantly bright future.
You can trot and cry at the same time. And if you can’t, this isn’t the sport for you.

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