"Workout" on 8/3

100 SPF Broad Spectrum Sunscreen... check... Refill cup... check... 69 cents for refill... check... HD video camera... check... tripod... check... stethoscope... check... timer... check... notebook... check...

Yep, another day of working with *drum roll please* Stonehaven Stables Faran's Phoenix.

His name has been chosen. We think it is perfectly suited for him. Symbolically suits the situation for both he and I, and he is named after one of my favorite equine characters in literature to date - Faran, from the David Eddings books.

Fits him really well in name from his predecessor too - as he is extremely intelligent.

Now that the drama and pomp and circumstance are over and done with, on about what has been going on with Faran of late.

On Sunday we had a really marvelous workout, but it seems that workout, paired with being kept in the round pen, and his lack of conditioning beforehand has caused him to become a little bit sore, which is making him not want to work in the roundpen at a walk/trot. He has done so without too much consternation (I got the bulk of his consternation on "film" this time, but really opened the check valve before it got out of hand).

His issues are not making him limp, or be lame, or anything like that. I'm just noticing a bit of awkwardness and laziness in his movements. He's occassionally dragging his back legs, and seems to trip himself up. I also think it is possible that because he is a large guy (length of body) that this round pen I have worked him in the last 3 days might be a bit small so he is getting "tight". He did still walk and trot for me - really much better yesterday than he did on Monday, which was better (in response to the voice commands quicker) than on Sunday.

He was supposed to be turned out to the pasture in front on Monday night, but that didn't happen for some unknown (to me) reason. So when I got there and asked how he did in the front pasture, the property manager said we would turn him out that night (last night on Tuesday) at dinner.

I took Faran into the round pen, which he wasn't keen on, but did it anyway, and walked him around a couple times in each direction letting him check out everything and where everyone was (regarding the horses loose in the pasture surrounding). I then unhaltered him, and began him at a walk for 10 minutes in one direction, with a short burst of trotting occassionally, and then back to walking. I had decided to change my plan when I saw how he was moving out sluggishly and was dragging his back legs, and they almost seemed weak under him. The only way I can explain what it looked like it felt like is if you were to run a marathon and how your muscles would be so spent you couldn't lift your legs to walk properly. He wasn't limping, favoring anything, or showing any outward signs of injury, just didn't seem in top form, so I did a workout of just warming up, then I walked him out to let him graze on some grass in the yard. He really enjoyed this, and I felt it was a fair reward for the effort he did put forth even though he really didn't want to do it. He honestly could have baulked, bucked, kicked, and fought me all the way, but he only thought about kicking once. He thought better of it with one quick stern "NO!" from me though - which I also was very proud of his reaction and his reaction time.

After he had grazed about an hour, I turned him out to the new pasture. He kind of looked sideways at me, but quickly ambled off to check out the new surroundings. He sniffed every manure pile in the pasture, and the current residents of the pasture looked on warily. When he found a place he liked, he quickly dropped and rolled several times, then hopped back up and walked right back to me, as if to say, "OK, that was fun, now what?" I looped the lead lightly around his neck and walked toward the water trough, and he found the mineral block and licked and chewed it a moment, then went and had a nice long drink. Then he wandered off to the far side of the pasture and walked the fenceline next to the road we walked on Wednesday 7/21 after he came. I watched him moving and he was covering much more ground on his own (which was when I began thinking the pen is just too small and so he gets tense. This is also combined with the way he was trotting when asked - it was almost a trot in place.

I stood there to make sure the other horses didn't come run him off/steal his feed while he ate his grain, and once that was done and I was leaving I saw him drink several times from the trough, eating his two flakes of hay, and grazing some as I drove away. Looks as if at that time the introduction was fairly uneventful - though they were watching intently.

I am going to give him a couple days rest in the pasture where he can roll, eat, graze, relax, rest, stretch, move at his own leisure to let any soreness come out of his muscles. I also will note, the farrier is scheduled, and some of that stumbling could be due to the fact his toes are entirely too long.

Then (probably not before Friday) I am going out with a surcingle, cavesson, long lines, driving lines, and going to begin working him and preparing him to understand rein commands.

I do not think this going to be difficult, as he does very well with voice commands, and does understand control with a halter, and even just a lead rope looped over his neck. I forsee this being another easy transition. Then we will continue with the conditioning and such to make sure that while he gains weight his muscles gain strength, and his endurance improves. Then when his spine isn't so exposed, and he is closer to a body score of 5 or 6, I will put a saddle on him and begin preparing him for weight on his back. I have hopes of this happening in the next 2 months, but only his further recovery will tell when honestly that will happen.

So, then next few days I am going to spend finding all the equipment that has been stored away and get everything ready to go.

Attached I have a short video of our "workout" session on Tuesday. It was 104+ outside, and miserably muggy, but he did what I asked. Instead of a work out, I kept it to just a warm up. 10 minutes in each direction mainly at a walk, with some short bursts of trotting just to elevate the blood flow through his body. I just wanted him to move because I was trying to loosen up what seems to be tight muscles.

Sorry - video has been delayed until I can get it edited to a point it will fit in the maximum 10 minutes allotted. I will link it up here A.S.A.P.

Enjoy!

Until our paths next cross -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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I am glowing!

Today I really wish I had taken my tripod and videoed the workout. He did amazingly well. He really was fantastic.

We exercised a full hour non-stop and he did so well. He only had one little temper tantrum which I saw building up and once the main coil was released he did perfectly well the remainder of the time.

What we did was warm up 10 minutes to the left, 10 minutes to the right, both at a hot walk and short bursts of trotting, then working out at easy trot 15 minutes to the left, 15 minutes to the right, then 5 minutes to the left at a long walk to cool down and 5 minutes to the right at a long walk.

He did so well, and I really wish I had videoed. I will do it soon. He is ready I think because he is very good at the voice commands walk, trot, easy, woah, and will come down to a walk from a trot with purely voice commands.

He is so smart, and is picking up everything so fantastically. He is truly an worthy "poster child" for rehabilitation and re-purposing of equines.

His one little "outburst" came during the warm up and the other horses loose in the pasture surrounding the round pen we were working in were reacting to the commands I was giving him and it was a bit too much stimulus for him I believe. One time a sorrel tried to challenge him through the pen I got him stopped, and stepped to the fence which sent the sorrel loping off. Other than that, he only grew tired and needed to be prodded forward after about 12 minutes of trotting it got a bit more of a struggle to keep him moving forward, but he did with a little clicking, some voice command coaxing, and some arm movements. On occasion I used the soft lead rope out behind him underhandedly flicking it gently about 3-4 feet behind him when he still refused. I don't believe it ever touched him, but if it did it barely brushed on him and caused no pain or injury. Mostly a bit of clicking and reminder of the gate I wanted was all I needed.

Did I say I was proud of him. I must add that this was totally at liberty. I walked him on a lead one time in each direction, then took the halter off and did everything using hand/arm signals, body language, voice commands, and sounds.

I am so extremely proud of him! I can't say it enough!

I'm not even going to post the video of when he was in the arena cause he did so much better this time. I just need to make a new video.

Today was simply amazing!

I may not get to go back out there tomorrow, because I need to work on finding some of my equipment in my storage unit. Once I do find it though, I will be going out there daily and keeping up the conditioning training, because he's doing so well.

His feed has been bumped up to grain being a scoop and a half a day and hay. We will keep this up at least another week, when we will possibly bump it up to 2 scoops. More exercise makes the need for more food.

It is time, I think, to begin training him to drive. This will prep him to be ridden soon. His development is coming along. There isn't any physical change yet. I will take pictures in one month to compare.

The swelling on his leg isn't changing yet. I have tried cold water. Next I will try ice on it to see if that helps when I have some time to stay out there with him long enough to really test it. The guy who operates the facility got in and felt it too and said he thought maybe he knocked it getting in or out of the trailer, and since it isn't hurting him now it is just going to take some time to go down. It's pretty close to the right point where a knock would create an "injury" so I think he could be right, but if it was that it has been a couple weeks and it should be down by now.

Well anyway, let me just say I am very proud, very excited, and looking forward to the next training session.

Until then -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Day #1

Such a day of excitement!

***edit: This date should be July 18, 2010. I have no idea what happened that made it June! I did not take full possession of him until 7/18/2010 - and I have papers to show it.***

Today was the day Touch Diamond got delivered to the Running R Ranch. We let him out into a pen that allows him access to all the horses, but keeps anyone from injuring the others. This allows them do introductions on their own, but will in the end reduce the amount of risk that there will be serious fighting and kicking and reduces the chance someone will be cornered, or run into a fence and cut up. They can talk, groom, bond, or work out their differences as needed, and everyone has a place to go within a safe distance of everyone else.

For a week or two this round pen will be Touch Diamond's home day and night. He has a stall if the weather turns nasty for safety and health. This isn't the largest ranch, but the owner is very careful to maintain his pastures to a level of grass as long as possible. However since the round pen has no forage, Touch Diamond is being provided grain, coastal hay, and water. While this will give everyone a good change to do "gentle" introductions, and will also allow us to see who he gets along with well so we can put him in with the right horses when released.

****Along with the benefits of measuring and corralling any unwanted behaviors this will also allow us to clean him out for any parasites that possibly are in his system without risking them going into the pasture which would re-infect him, and also infect the other horses. It's going to work a bit like quarantine. I know the rescue facility dewormed him, but because his legs were covered in bot fly eggs I feel it necessary to be on the safe side.****

I observed him for a while as he settled in. I am going to take a camera out tomorrow to begin documenting and filming the work being done.

He is very friendly and curious. I have been given permission to post the information from the prior owners / rescuers about him to provide the best coverage about just how far he has come. She is sending me some additional pictures, but here is a duplication of the website she was keeping for him before I took him on. She has made some drastic improvements. It's amazing how far he has come.

I want to repeat, the following is a copy of what she has had on her site:
Bravo


$500.00
After Arrival at NTO...3/24/10




Improvement as of 4-22-10...


Bravo is new to NTO. He is a 6 yr old, dark bay gelding, and measures at 16hh. His registered name is Touch Diamond. I got Bravo from a young couple who rescued him from a horrible situation. Although it does not show in the first two pictures, Bravo is covered in rain rot and his face and upper neck is covered in ring worm spots. His legs were covered in bot fly eggs, and he was just a complete mess. He is by far one of the worst of the horses NTO has encountered, not just weight, but overall condition. But, Bravo has such a sparkle in his eyes. He is just begging for someone to help him. Thank goodness the day was warm as we began working on him as soon as we got home. My volunteers began the task of bathing him all over, then doctoring the rain rot and ring worms. He has good teeth and an even better appetite. I got some medicine from the vet that will help fight the fungus battle from the inside out, so he should show signs of improvement real soon.

I try not to dwell on the past of the horses I get, but there is no excuse for a person allowing a horse, or any animal to get into this shape. His previous owner indicated she was feeding him a sack of feed a day and hay. You know people, don't lie. Just ask for help. It is not a crime to need help, the crime comes in not asking for it.

4/22/10

As you can tell, Bravo is coming along very nicely. His hair has almost been replaced with good healthy hair, and the rain rot is all but gone. He is a remarkable young horse. We checked to see if he had a tattoo and he did, so we got on line and found out who he is. His sire is currently standing stud in Oklahoma. He was never raced, and we are not for sure why. But sometimes just because a horse is a thoroughbred, does not mean he has the heart or desire to race. He may just be a trail horse or maybe he can be a hunter jumper. We will help him choose. In the meantime, he is just hanging out with so much grass he does not know what to do. Occasionally he will just take off running and he literally thunders around the pasture.

Native Dancer, Mr. Prospector, Nasrullah, Bold Ruler and War Admiral are all listed on his five generation pedigree.

5/4/10

We saddled Bravo the other day in Western, and I am not for sure he knew what that saddle was all about. He humped up a couple of times, but then settled down. We lunged him and he did not seem to know how to do it. He still had the saddle on with the stirrups bouncing around and he never acted like it bothered him. When I got him, his previous owner said she had put the grandbabies on him and they rode him. Not for sure this was the case, but when he gets more weight on, we will work with him undersaddle again. He has no soundness issues, so I would consider him a prospect for any riding activity.

6/1/2010

Bravo is ready to go to his new home. He is very sweet, easy to catch. He is ready for whatever you want to train him in.

That was the end of the posting on her website. She had sent me a new picture of him in the pasture via email during the arrangements and discussions about getting him here to me.



She said she would send me more pictures of him during his progress with her so I can provide a proper documentation of his full recovery and conditioning and "re-employment"

Until next time -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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