End of June Analysis

It's July and it's HOT outside! Gogo has had the past three days off voluntarily while I was resetting my off-kilter schedule and getting everything under control again, but of course now that we are back under saddle, temperatures have spiked into the Hotter Than Hellfire range. Weatherbug is currently telling me that it is a balmy 91 degrees outside, and it's only going to get hotter. Welcome to the dog days of summer! I wish I was eventing right now, that's for sure!

I am happy to report that June was a HUGE success, for all intents and purposes. Every single one of my important goals was met and even surpassed, and the one slightly more frivolous one is also starting to take form as I get more optimistic and hopeful about the upcoming months. During rehab, every day is a new one and you can take nothing for granted, but at this point I am feeling great about where we are, far better than I did the first time around. Gogo is feeling stronger, behaving better, and moving sounder every day. Best of all, her legs look GREAT and I have fantastic news: she's had her wraps totally off for almost TWO WEEKS! (Save for one day when she was very fresh last Thursday, but even then, the legs looked awesome underneath the wraps and were icy cold the following day, all day. Win!) Every day I come in and check her, and every day the legs are cool and pretty tight. They'll never be totally normal again, but compared to how ugly they were during the spring, I am completely impressed and delighted.


June Goals:
1) Continue to build walk work under saddle up to 30 minutes of loose rein walk and 20 minutes of connected walk
Success! Every day, six days a week, Gogo is walking for 30 minutes on a loose rein (and I can let her, I don't have to keep a contact with her like I did over the winter when I trusted her about as far as I could throw her), then working on the bit for 20 at a walk and now 15 at a trot. The schedule is as follows: 25 minutes loose rein, around the rail and across diagonals only, then 15 minutes of walk work on contact, with work on the rail, a couple of large 25-30 meter circles, and a few very shallow leg yields, changing directions often, then 15 minutes of trot work on contact (about a Training level frame or looser), on the rail and across large diagonals only, then 5 minutes of on contact walk work and 5 minutes of loose rein walk to cool out. Total time: 1:05, six days a week, ring work only. The structure this time around is not flexible and does not include any time outside the ring yet. The big difference is that we work every day in the outdoor, where she had a brain and can get some sunshine and a nice sweat going.

2) Take our first TROT STEPS!
Success! Major success! As you just read above, we are all the way up to 15 whole minutes of trot and she feels fantastic, moving better every day!

3) If all goes well, be at about 10 minutes of trot by the end of the month
Success! And a little beyond! We started with 15 minutes on July 1st.

4) Wean off of standing wraps - from every night to every other night, and possibly longer
This one makes me the happiest. In the past two weeks, she's only worn her overnight wraps once, and that was last Thursday when some Bambis in the woods spooked her and she did some Oops Canter. My paranoia had me wrapping her again at night, but it turns out I had nothing to worry about. The legs continue to be tight and cool every day, much more so than during the spring, which makes me think she just needed more time. Time is definitely something I have plenty of now!

5) Start thinking about ideas and plans for the end of the yearSuccess, sorta! I'm getting some good ideas, but have nothing for sure yet because we're not cantering yet. Really, the only 'goals' I have for the end of the year are as follows: Holsteiner approvals if she can be trusted to be turned loose in an arena by the time they come around, hilltopping (maybe even TWICE!), and going on an overnight trail ride. Beyond that, I have no plans. It's pretty clear to me at this point that we won't be eventing at all unless she continues to heal rapidly. In that case, we MIGHT do a single Novice event at the end of October, but I'm not making any plans and it's certainly not high on my priority list. Why fit her up for nothing? It's better to just let her take her time.



July Goals:
1) Go back to Dr. C for our next ultrasound: maybe get cleared for canterwork??
2) Reevaluate her hocks and see where we are with possibly needing to medicate them (or hopefully not)
3) Solidify plans with the AHHA for Holsteiner approvals (send in papers, DNA sample, etc)
4) Continue to keep standing wraps off unless really needed (hard work, acting wild under saddle, etc)
5) MAYBE take our first steps of canter??
6) MAYBE start to hack outside the arena again??
7) MAYBE go out in the medical turnout??

Ok so maybe we have some additions and some extras. But that's all fine and good. We'll see!






It's gorgeous out and I am loving this weather and life too. The world is beautiful today, and Gogo is kicking some trot patoot. What else could I possibly ask for?

Besides, you know, possibly a nap:



Mmmmmmmmmmmmm nap.