Indoor is almost ready....and so are we

Apollo is officially transitioned over to TC Senior completely. Today was his first day, actually. He's eating it really well, and we switched him to a ground feed tub so he's not nearly as violent when he eats. He doesn't thrash grain everywhere, so I know he's eating all of it. I'm really hoping he all of a sudden gets fat like everyone else's horses that get TC Senior, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm pretty happy that he's gained so much weight in the dead of winter, so I think this new feed will REALLY boost him up!

The indoor is projected to be done BY NEXT WEEKEND!!! Aahhhh!!! And a bonus surprise--it's going to have RUBBER FOOTING. I've never ridden on rubber footing before, but everyone raves about it, so I'm really excited about that. We both need to get back to work--we're flabby. I'm hoping this new grain plus the SmartCalm he's getting will take his "edge" off so he can focus a little better. I'm also hoping he doesn't play nearly as hard outside. Before, I think most of his calories were going to his brain, so he would burn them all off playing outside instead of eating hay. If the TC Senior and SmartCalm work like I want them to, he'll spend less time frittering around and more time relaxing and eating. 

I'll get pictures of the indoor once all the footing/doors/windows are in. It's GORGEOUS. It has banked walls, giant windows for plenty of light, it feels so airy and spacious. Plus it's WIDE! I'm also excited to get back to work because we're starting to put together our spring/summer calendar. My original plan was to do a local hunter show, just a few baby classes, to adjust to "going somewhere else and doing a job." I'm starting to rethink this because we found out about a place called Gordonsdale in Virginia that has XC schooling literally whenever we want, weather permitting. It's farther away, but I'd much rather go there than do a crossrails class nearby. I'm hoping to do Burgundy Hollow in May, Fair Hill in June, Loch Moy in July. That'll account for the three events I've budgeted for, and we're also going to school at Gordonsdale and maybe Plantation. 

I haven't decided what division I'll do yet. I'm hoping he'll come along much faster now that he and I both know a LOT more about what we should be doing, and he's had several months to chill out and grow up a little bit. My goal was to do elementary to start, but if he's going really well at home and at Gordonsdale, I might try BN at our first event. I've been MOST worried about the dressage test because our canter departs are.....not good, especially to the left, but I have high hopes for getting him back into work!

Baby boy's new diet experiment

So a few days ago, I was trying to rule out any other possibilities for problems with Apollo. Treated for ulcers, dewormed, teeth done, saddle is fine, chiro adjustment, check check check! His sides jiggle, but I want those last few ribs covered. The fact that he's packed on plenty of weight during the dead of winter really makes me happy, but I'd like a little bit more. Something I didn't think about?

WHAT WE ARE FEEDING HIM.

It seems so obvious. So clear. One of the first things you go to. But no, I'm a dope and totally overlooked it until a few days ago. He gets 6lbs of Purina Senior and 3lbs of Strategy per day, plus 3lbs of alfalfa or grass pellets as a third meal. He's also getting Optizyme, SmartCalm and U-Gard pellets every morning. I decided to read up on other people's luck with the Purina Senior and Strategy on young hot-headed hard keepers. The results were not promising. I'm not good or super experienced in the science end of stuff, but they said the Purina Senior has a NSC of 22% (too high for a horse like him), and that it's very carby/sugary/starchy, also not good for both hot heads AND ulcer-prone horses. Ruh roh, I say. A lot of people said Strategy is the same way and turned their young OTTBs into fruit loops. Other people said their youngsters were totally fine on it. The other horses at the barn seem fine on it, then again everyone else can eat Chinese food but it gives me more digestive problems than you want to read about.

Apollo is very reactive to his feed. I already knew this because he was injured earlier this summer and needed SMZs melted and mixed in his feed. I figured hey, he's not working, if I give him sticky sugary sweet feed, surely he'll eat it all up! He got half a scoop every evening with his meds for several days. He went from a good boy:

To a fire breathing dragon:

The first photo was taken several months after the injury (and after we moved to a new barn) but you get the idea....

So I started looking at other options for him. From the day I bought him, people online went CRAZY for Triple Crown Senior. Greatest feed ever, puts tons of weight on, doesn't make them hot, good for ulcer prone horses, etc. I finally said OKAY FINE I'LL TRY IT. Tractor Supply doesn't carry it, but a local feed store does. They were even nice enough to load it in my trunk for me :)!

Yippee!!!

I bought two bags to start. I'm gonna transition him over this next week, and hopefully by next weekend he'll be eating just the TC Senior. According to a calorie per lb chart I found, the Purina Senior has about 1200 cal/lb, while Strategy has 1500 cal/lb. This stuff has a little over 1500 cal/lb plus pre and probiotics already mixed in. It also has rice bran in it, which people rave about but I have no experience with. I'm really hoping he does even better on this feed! It was a little expensive, but that's okay. If it's what he needs, I don't mind spending the extra $$. His needs come before my wants. 

And just in case anyone was wondering....

I got two pencils per hole of my god awful Kincade keepers. I'm moving up in this world.

Bits bits bits

My new bit is FINALLY here. I borrowed a full cheek French link about a month ago, and Apollo really likes it. No gaping or fighting, much less bracing. He's easier to bridle and is more willing to reach for the bit under saddle. I ordered him a 5" with 1.5" rings from Adams Horse Supply, by far the best price ($22.) This is NOT the JP Korsteel with the curved pieces. It's the regular Korsteel one. They're pretty hard to find because I guess everyone except me wants the curved mouth pieces.

Shiny new bits are so pretty--I want to buy a bunch more just because I like looking at them....

.....I have that same logic with vodka bottles, and I hate vodka.

There it is! He's average sized but has a very fine head with a smaller mouth--the 5" is perfect for him. It's a nice bit, and it's so CHEAP! I grew up with this crazy idea that new bits cost upwards of $100/ea. because we used Myler bits. I'm almost embarrassed to say that it never occurred to me that not everyone used Mylers, so when I started shopping for other bits, I was really excited that they were way more affordable. It sounds ridiculous to other people who are used to the idea, but the thought of buying a bit my horse really likes for only $22 blows my mind.

I also bought a set of keepers. I already had a set a friend gave me, but they're small and seem like the kind of thing I'll lose. For $4, sure I'll buy another set! I bought a set of Kincade keepers from Adams. I'm disappointed. They're tiny, and the leather feels like cardboard. There was absolutely no way I was getting them over the top cheek pieces of the bit, let alone attached to the bridle.

This is what I've resorted to.

When I started stretching them, I could barely get a pencil in each side. We've since graduated to getting the part that attaches to the bit to go over the little metal balls of the cheek pieces, and I'm using toothpicks to gradually stretch the pieces that attach to the bridle. Using a set of keepers should not be this difficult. I'll probably move up to using two pencils per keeper hole tomorrow. Luckily the set of keepers my friend gave me work perfectly. I ran a Sharpie through each side a few times and wiggled them to loosen the leather and got them all hooked up to the bridle. Long story short, if you're shopping for keepers, don't buy the Kincade ones. They're dirt cheap for a reason.

Baby's Big Belly

We're going on three months without regular work, so we're both getting a bit flabby. The indoor is getting so close to being finished that we'll be back to work in no time! Apollo's job during his vaycay is to gain weight. He was in pretty good weight before, just needed the "finishing weight" on top. I'm treating him for ulcers and supplementing 4lbs of alfalfa pellets in the evening. 

He still has that last rib to cover, but he's looking good. His sides jiggle when I groom him--I've never been so excited to see fat on a horse before! I'm excited to get him back to work though--he's had three months off, and I've had a lot of time to think about how his training has gone so far. I've made a lot of mistakes, so this is my "second chance" to tune up/fix them. I will have rubber elbows. I will not perch like an equitation princess. I can relax my body to relax his. 

We did a trail ride on New Years Day, and I discovered something. I feel like a derp for not realizing it earlier, but if I "talk him through" what I want him to do, HE DOES IT. Not because he understands what I'm saying or even really cares what I'm saying, but when I narrate our ride, I ride better. I'm consciously aware of what I should be doing. If I'm saying to him, "Okay buddy, it's time to sloooow those feet down, we're going to do a grandma crawl now, that's a boy, keep on crawling" he does it because I'm aware of what I'm asking and I'm better able to ask him to do it. I'm going to work on that more once we're back to riding. 

I just have to remember: rubber elbows, rubber elbows, RUBBER ELBOWS! It's okay if we make mistakes. It's okay if he does the wrong thing--we will work through it and I will teach him the right way. 

And I will not perch like this anymore. My pelvis is severely tipped (even when walking around in daily life), and it's exaggerated in the saddle. I'm working on strengthening everything that's stretched out and weak so that my pelvis can hold itself up without me forcing it. It's uncomfortable but has to be done. I want to be a better rider.