Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Suck It Up Already

My buckskin plateaued. His belly has not moved in a couple of weeks now...
(Okay, not the best picture of his belly because his gigantic butt is in the way...but trust me...the horse still has a significant belly-LOL)

I have been loping and long trotting him a lot and he's actually in pretty decent shape, wind-wise. But that belly is not moving.

I think it is time to PowerPak deworm him. He is slick everywhere but his belly and hip area and that hair is just curled and nasty feeling...

Hopefully that does the trick and gets him moving along again. It's just incredibly hard for him to do a lot with that darned belly hanging down. His back is getting stronger though, he doesn't require daily massages with liniment to prevent soreness anymore. So there has to be another reason why his belly is not coming up and parasites seems the most likely culprit.

I'll probably end up doing the same with Spooks. His hair looks pretty rough and he is not shedding out like the others have either, even though he does not have a hanging belly like Frosty.

If it seems to help quite a bit, I might do the others as well, but Moon (who usually looks like hell in the Spring), Turk and Bugs all seem to be doing fine for now. I know...the only way to really tell is with a fecal count...but for now, I'm going with how they look and feel. :-/ I might have a fecal done on Moon because he always seemed to be the one who needed additional deworming, but I gotta slow my roll on this spending. I have dumped a ridiculous amount into horses over the last few months and it never seems to end.

Turk's belly has sucked up in the last couple of weeks...

I haven't been getting him rode as much as I should be though. Unfortunately, he was kind of low on the priority list.

Moon HAS to be worked.

Frosty HAS to be worked.

Spooks gets worked.

Turk...I was just kind of getting to whenever. Megan rides him now and again, but nothing regular enough to improve his condition.

I'll give the horse credit though. I sure didn't think he would be much of a 'pleaser'. He's rather arrogant and it's difficult to keep his attention focused on what's going on in his immediate vicinity. He's been really surprising me with his desire to attempt to do what I am asking him to do. A lot of it is kind of hard for him physically yet. For as much muscle as he is made in the hindquarter...

He doesn't have much strength in his stifles or his back. I've started working on that and now it will just take time for his condition level to come up. That means I have to start putting the time in on him so that can happen. He's really unsure of what to do with his feet too. He kind of plops them down however and wherever. Spooks was that way when I first started riding him as well. It just takes constantly reminding them to keep driving from behind and to pick the front ones up and set them down cleanly. Pretty soon, they start traveling lighter and are quicker with their feet and then you can move on to working on suppleness.

It's hard to supple a horse whose shoulder and ribcage move, but their feet don't. LOL...Lots of stumbling and fumbling around. Turk's lope is getting more controlled and he only occasionally falls out of his hind leads now. But he is still at least a month (with regular riding) away from being ready to lope the barrel pattern.

I have been debating whether to send my sorrel horse to the trainer or not. I just don't seem to be finding the time to get rolling on him, but I think I will hold off for now. I've got Moon on a good track, Spooks is coming along, Turk will too with more regular riding, Frosty should (hopefully) after being PowerPaked. I'll be able to start making the time for the sorrel horse. I'd like to have him going fairly well before the bay horse comes back.

Of course, by then I will have Shooter and Sandy out here. Shooter is not going to be a problem to get started and we will just have to see what Sandy looks like. My mom said she is trying to keep him from getting too fat...but I know my mom...Sandy is already fat and she is just hoping to keep him from porking out before I get there. ;-)

Can we say...Full House this summer?

10 comments:

Mikey said...

I don't know how you do it. I really don't, lol. It's a lot to keep going and keep focused on. My hat's off to you girls!

cdncowgirl said...

WOW. I don't know how you get all those horses rode PLUS do all the other stuff you do.

My Appy has that gut thing happening too. He gets wormed fairly regularly its just something with how he's built... I can ride him and ride him and he'll be in pretty good shape everywhere but still have a gut, and then (if I'm lucky and get enough riding in) it will just suddenly be gone. What's funny is he usually doesn't look too bad untacked but put a saddle on and wham you notice the gut lol

Unknown said...

You're most likely right about worming them - you wouldn't think so coming out of winter but I would do the same. Let us know if the Power Pac does the trick.

ACountryCowgirl said...

See you next winter!!! J/K but you are going to busy, busy, busy..... I can't wait to see how they all come along when I can get to the barrel racings:) Atleast I have weekends off so I will be able to come see some:)

Anonymous said...

I'm tired just reading that little portion you're doing!

Casey and I will be starting work, now that we have access to a round pen and arena, as soon as I can possibly wear shoes again. Rotten ponies!

AKPonyGirl said...

Just my 2 cents...instead of PowerPac have you considered deworming with Strongid 2CX daily? My horses are on that from breakup until freezeup with ivermectin during the winter months. My experience has been that PowerPac kills off alot of worms at one time and can lead to colic. I'd rather manage my parasite load a little bit at a time.

I'm with everyone else. You are certainly busy!

Rising Rainbow said...

I look at your schedule and it sounds much like mine except for the names. I'm not getting the kind of riding time in that you are, not yet anyway, until the weather cooperates. BUT like you, the more I do, the more I add to my list.

in2paints said...

I barely find time to ride my ONE horse! Kudos to you for doing such a good job with so many.

Your horses are beautiful, by the way. I can never get enough pictures of them. :)

Cut-N-Jump said...

Seems like once you get one or two going, adding another one to the mix, then another, then another is easy enough to do. Slip them in here and there- next thing you know you have a full schdule.

I hear you about spending a bunch on them and finding still more needing to be accounted for. Never ending spending.... :(

I will be happy to get three of mine going. Never enough hours in the day!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Darn it...blogger ate my comment and I'm too tired to rewrite it. Sure don't have to worry about not being able to sleep these days. ;-)