Lilacs are my favorite

Weighed in tonight. Lost another 1.8 lbs. The weight loss is starting to slow down now. Probably because I'm getting close to my goal weight. The meeting tonight was about strategies for eating out. Something we all do and at our house more often than not. I do most of my eating out on the weekends. I've learned to look up restaurants on the internet. I look at there menu and look for their nutrition information. Often I know what I am going to order before I ever get to the restaurant. When that can't happen I've learned not to rely on the old standby "I'll just have a salad." Salads are loaded with fat and calories in most restaurants. I'm trying to exercise every day, but it isn't always easy. This week in particular has been difficult. Still I usually manage to do something 5 days a week.

I made it out to the barn this afternoon. I planned to ride for 30 minutes and then come home. I thought it would be a quick trip, but it didn't turn out that way. Boo is in such need of hair removal!!! I used a shedding blade, and a curry comb, and a mitt, and brushes etc. Took me quite awhile and I got lots of hair off him. He was acting kind of weird. Not like himself. He kept twisting his head around to try and look out the barn door which was behind him. I went over and closed it, but it didn't really help all that much. He seemed to be really sensitive to me touching him too. He got high-headed and twitchy. I wondered if he might be colicking, but I could hear gut sounds even without putting my ear to his belly and he left me a pile on the barn floor to clean up.

I took him into the covered arena on a longe line and walked and trotted him both directions a couple of times. Maybe for 10 minutes. Then we cantered each way just to see if he was moving alright. This seemed to calm him down a bit. His eyes got soft and he did the backing up, forehand and haunch turns, and side passes I asked of him. He still seemed a bit twitchy when I ran my hands down around his withers. I was trying to decide if he was sore somewhere. Finally I decided the only way I would know for sure was to get on and see how he was under saddle. Once we were tacked up and back in the arena I climbed aboard. He started swishing his tail back and forth but walked obediently forward. After a few minutes he stopped swishing and the rest of the ride (at the walk) went without a hitch. He didn't feel off to me. He behaved himself. Now I'm wondering if he was just nervous. The wind was blowing and the direction it was blowing from and the direction he was looking in the beginning was where the pigs live. Could it just have been a reaction to the pigs???? If it was it was weird.

I rode him at the walk for 30 minutes and after the ride I cleaned him up again and this time he stood just fine. AAaarggghhh! It's as bad as having a sick baby. I wish they could talk to you and tell you what they're thinking. He would probably just say" Ah $%%^& she's back. I'm gonna test her and see if I can get her to go away again!" One things for sure. I will be going back again on Thursday and on Friday to check him out.

Finally, after I was finished with riding and weigh-in I got to go get myself the most beautiful bouquet of lilacs. They are blooming in my daughters backyard. Smells heavenly in here :)

I did it!

Finally! I rode Boo late Wednesday afternoon. I was suppose to meet the chiropractor out at the barn at 5:00 for Bay. He's been a little stiff on his left side lately and we wanted Mark to take a look before the state OHSET meet. I got out there early because I knew I'd been neglecting Boo and there would be quite a lot of grooming to do. I think I filled up a wheelbarrow full of hair!!! I managed to tack up and get on. Needless to say Boo was a bit hot after not being exercised in so long. Still I managed to keep him to a walk. About the time we got started the barn crew started bringing in the horses for the evening and feeding. Now Boo was really amped up and he started jigging. Still, he's a good boy and settled down albeit resentfully. I got to ride for about 10 minutes before Mark showed up.

There was nothing big wrong with Bay. Just a sore back, so Mark did a few adjustments and some acupuncture. He's okayed for light riding this weekend and then if that looks good it's back to work as usual. While all of this was going on I had Boo tied up outside his stall still in his tack. The PT said I could ride for 30 minutes, and I was not going to miss a minute! Having to stand for 30 minutes or more, tacked up, and watching his barnmates eat their dinner must have taken some of the jig out of Boo because when I was finally able to get back on he was as good as gold.

We could only ride at a walk, so we did a lot of circles, squares, shoulder-in, serpentines etc. I was trying to keep it from being to boring for him. The weather wasn't cooperating so I couldn't take him out to the outdoor or down to the back pastures. I think we got in another 10 minutes before the hailstorm hit. Hail coming down hard on a metal roof is a scary thing even to me. All the horses were spooked. I decided it would be the better part of valor to get off and call it good. I took Boo back to the little barn and groomed another wheelbarrow full of hair off him, blanketed him, and let him have his dinner.

So, how did my back do with all this? I won't say I wasn't sore at all. I was a bit stiff. I think it was more from the work I did before and after than it was due to the riding. I came home, did a few PT approved stretches, and was fine. When I had my appointment this past Thursday the PT was so encouraged by my progress that she sent me home with some more stretches, some strengthening exercises, permission to continue to ride Boo at the walk, and cut my twice weekly appointment to once a week. I am going to have to manage my back. That's just the way it's going to be from now on. Even if I am feeling fine I cannot take my body for granted anymore. I have to be AWARE. I plan to ride again tomorrow. Maybe I really will get to take advantage of trail season this year!

I weighed in on Tuesday. I've lost 19.2 lbs in the past couple of months. I have 9 lbs left to lose before I hit my goal. I'm gonna buy myself a new pair of walking shoes as a reward. When I hit 20 lbs it's gonna be a new pair of dancing shoes. I'm really liking this rewarding myself for success thing ;)

Finally hung Boo's photos

Good news! Well, good news for Sarah and Bay! They are first alternate for state in OHSET. Apparently, one of the qualifiers decided not to go...so Sarah and Bay will be going to state after all. That will happen around mid May. Looking forward to the little mini vacation it will give me. Yes, I said mini vacation. I don't have to do any of the work!!! Plus I know a few other people who will be down there including another girl from our barn and my niece from Central Oregon.

This past weekend was the Arabians In Motion horse show at the Mt. Hood Equestrian Center. I volunteered on Friday, and on Saturday Sarah and Bay competed in dressage. They ended up with a 5th place ribbon at 65.6 in their first class and a 1st place ribbon at 65.2 in their second class. Everyone was happy and we got to go home early. It looked to me like the show was going well. I think they had about 80 horses entered. Did anyone else go? If so, how did you do, and what were your impressions?

I got the best news yesterday at the end of my physical therapy appointment. I get to ride Boo tomorrow for 30 minutes. Everyone is still being cautious, but I will take what I can get. I've found myself avoiding the barn because it is so hard for me to stay off the horse. Keep your fingers crossed for me that riding does not cause any kind of set back. I'm thinking it won't as long as I take it slow and careful. I've been feeling a lot stronger this past few days. Not completely normal, but definitely better.

I weigh in tonight...drumroll....

Bad news/good news

I am going on 10 weeks of sciatica now...finally getting physical therapy. It's helping, but they are adamant that riding will set me back. Guess I will wait a few more weeks. I haven't been blogging. I don't want my blog to turn into a "woe is me" type of thing. My head hasn't been into how I could keep that from happening. Although I am still struggling with cultivating a more positive attitude, I've decided it's time to blog again. Who knows...maybe the act of blogging will help me get through another few weeks of no saddle time.

Good things have been happening to me. I've been losing weight. I'm up to 16 lbs lost now. That is 10% of my body weight. Feels good. I have another 12 lbs to go and then I'm satisfied. I'm not trying to be the size 4 of my youth. I don't want to work that hard ;) Besides, I like to eat. I'm walking every day now except for the day I line dance. I have to be careful with the dancing because I think that's what kicked off the sciatica. Wasn't line dancing though. It was 2-stepping. I think it was most likely all the turns. Don't think I was doing it correctly. Torqued myself or something. I can't pin down the exact moment because it didn't happen like that. One minute I was fine. The next I wasn't. All I'm really sure of is that it did not happen on horseback.

Sarah and Bay competed in OHSET again last weekend. They came in 4th this time. Such a weird group of placings. First meet they were 1st. Second meet they were 24th. Third meet they were 4th. Wish the judging had been more consistent. At any rate they ended up 3 points away from going to state. Instead they are the 1st alternate for our district. Pretty good for Sarah's freshman year and Bay's first time doing OHSET.

They are competing this weekend at AIM at the Hood. Sarah signed up quite some time ago. At the time she signed up for training level. Don't think she felt ready for 1st level. She's quite conservative. She's been showing 1st level at OHSET, so I think she is finally convinced they are ready for it.

I took advantage of the good weather this past weekend to give Boo his first bath of 2010! Of course it's raining now, so he's probably muddy again.

I also got my DH to give me a trailering lesson. I asked him last summer, but it never happened. This year I'm pushing him. I'm going to give Jocelyn the credit for this lesson. It was her buying her own trailer, and then hauling Star out to trail ride, and eventually over to Madras for her endurance ride that inspired me. I'm gonna do it again this weekend. Guess you can teach an old gal new tricks. Heh heh...had my 57th birthday on Saturday.

Wordless Wednesday

Hanging in there!

Still not riding as much as I'd like to be. Planning to go tomorrow and spend a good portion of the day. That will be right after my appointment with the doctor since I'm not even a smidgen better than I was when I went two weeks ago! I'm still pushing through pain just to walk.

Enough of that though! I am putting my nonriding time to good use. I joined weight watchers and as of Tuesday evening I have managed to lose 7.6 pounds! Boo will be grateful for this when I get back on him tomorrow. I am of course stretching every single day. Sometimes more than once. I say "of course" because it's needed for my sciaticia. It, too, will help with the riding.

I'm spending lots of time with my grandchildren and getting some reading done. I've read the first two books by Laura Crum from "Equestrian Ink." I'm going to work my way through them in the order they were written. I really did enjoy them.

On Saturday my hubby and I went down to Albany to the Horse Expo. We only stayed a couple of hours this year, but did get to see the breed demonstrations and stallions. The Arabian demonstration this year featured sporthorses, so we saw jumping, dressage, carriage driving, and endurance horses. Arabians are very versatile and are capable of many disciplines. Rembrandt, a Friesian, was once again very impressive cantering back and forth in the arena to the strains of "Bad To The Bone." There was a beautiful Quarterhorse stallion, whose name I did not get, who was equally as impressive. We watched Steve Rother work with a couple of horses who had canter and whoa problems. He is always entertaining. I bought a pair of Ariat Crowne paddock boots. My only purchase this year. I wanted them to wear for good boots...not for riding. I have plenty of mud encrusted or dusty boots to wear to the barn...and then of course my dressage boots. I had hoped to find a Kensington fly sheet. There was a booth with Kensington products, and they did have fly sheets, but the sizes were all huge and Boo is only a 72. Guess I'll have to rely on the internet. I wish Kensington would make a white fly sheet. Boo is black and the darker colors just hold heat. I may have to break with the brand this year and try something different. Any suggestions?

Getting old is the pits

I haven't posted in the past couple of weeks because I haven't been riding. I started back again on Sunday, and I went out and rode again today. I'm struggling a bit because I have some sciatic nerve pain going on in my left leg and it's difficult to ride through although I try. Hoping it's going to get better soon.

I've taken Bernadine's advice from the clinic and start my ride out with my martingale, but once I know Boo is having a good day I take it off. I swear it's easier to ride him without it. Who knew! We have done walk, trot, and canter without problems.

I know he's been missing me because he's coming in from the pasture voluntarily when he sees me and today when I put him back out he stood at the pasture gate and watched me until I left. He is shedding like crazy and I used the shedding blade on him. That's probably what he liked the most...that and the peppermint.

For those of you who would like to know little Miley has finally healed from her nose ordeal. She is taking the last of the prednisone (to wean her off) and her muzzle is pink and hairless just above the nose, but I'm hopeful the hair will grow back. The vet and lab eventually decided they think she must have been bitten by something...most likely a spider.

Last weekend I went out to Mount Hood and watched Jocelyn and Heather show. They both did an awesome job in a crowded field of horses. It was fun to get to meet them.

In February Sarah and Baythoven took first place in their dressage event at OHSET. The next meet is coming up this weekend and we are hopeful that they will do well once again. Hope to come back from that with some pictures. Wish us luck!