After a busy week full of appointments and springtime fun, I'm glad to be soaking up some sun on my deck and resting with a cup of coffee as I write up this week's recap.
As for Annie, we had a quiet training week but it certainly wasn't quiet! She had her annual spring vet visit on Monday and a farrier appointment on Tuesday. Our vet was very happy with how she is looking and commented repeatedly on how wonderfully behaved Annie was for her and the vet tech.
I had her Lyme titer pulled with her Coggins test as she has had an active Lyme infection back when I first tested her in 2021. I got her results back today and she's stable in her numbers since her treatment. I'm definitely thrilled about that! I'm just waiting on her fecal egg count results which will determine if I need to and with what I'll deworm her with.
She also had two of her three vaccines and by her farrier appointment the following day, she was a bit lethargic and her neck was sore but was not running a fever. Regardless, she was wonderful for the farrier and thankfully was back to herself by Wednesday. I'll give her the third vaccine in another couple of weeks to space it out.
We're also now through our second week since moving Parker out of the pasture. I continue to feel validated in our collective choice to move him as both the mares are back to themselves in terms of energy. I also chatted with Parker's human the other day and she agreed that he is much calmer and experiencing significantly less separation anxiety now that he is out with another gelding. It was very clearly the right choice to rearrange them.
Phoebe's person and I also got the grass pastures ready for the mares since it's finally long enough in two of our four lanes to start letting them out on it - a sure sign of spring! We've both been increasing our hand grazing of the girls so that they'd be ready to go out on grass. Phoebe has PSSM so we're extra cautious of making sure to allow the grass to get tall enough so it's not overly sugary plus we have the lanes so that we can rotate and manage the grass in their large pasture. They were both definitely excited to have the first lane of the spring opened up for both eating and napping!
Because we opened up the grass lane at the end of the week, I have not asked too much of Annie since I know she's happiest out there and the novelty of access to grass hasn't totally worn off yet. I'm totally fine with that and have been enjoying spending time sitting in the grass and soaking up the great weather we're finally getting while the mares eat.
I had a lovely grooming session out with the girls on Saturday and after we all took turns grooming each other, I watched them stand in silent solidarity with each other. Phoebe lowered her head under Annie's neck and rested, something I don't think I have ever seen her do. Phoebe tends to be the more stoic of the two mares and it takes a lot for her to seek out this type of support. I absorbed this beautiful message from them in that moment that I really needed to hear.
It reminded me how important it is to lean on others when we need them. You don't need to move through this life alone out of fear that we will be seen as weak or less than for needing some help. I know that I can struggle to let others know how I am feeling even though I spend a lot of personal time feeling through my emotions. I know that I have a tendency to fall into the trap of keeping all of my emotions to myself and then bursting. I'm not sweeping the feelings under the rug because I do feel through and process them, but when they're really big I struggle to ask for help from friends and family out of fear of burdening them. I tend to be the one who people come to for help and advice and it can feel uncomfortable to me to set aside my ego and allow myself to be the one going to them.
Definitely interesting, too, that the oracle card I drew for this past week (in last week's blog) was "Open Up"... a sign for sure!
Annie's vet visit really made me reflect on how sad it is that so many horses struggle with vet appointments when they really do not need to. Every horse will need to see the vet at some point, either for routine appointments or for emergencies, and there is so much we can be doing to help them feel more comfortable with a potentially uncomfortable situation.
So with that said, here are some simple things that anyone can do both before and during your appointment to reduce your horse's vet-related stress!
Prepare your horse ahead of time using positive reinforcement!
You can introduce and practice nearly every behavior that'll be asked of your horse by your vet before your appointment from standing still for an exam to receiving oral medications or injections. Practicing these potentially not-so-fun things well before your visit using rewards will make them less scary and therefore less stressful.
I personally like to use continuous feeding in these situations (like when Annie was receiving her vaccines or when she gets her feet trimmed) using loose hay or lots of forage pellets so that she is more focused on eating than the worrying about the potentially aversive thing going on at the same time. Most veterinarians and farriers are also totally comfortable with you feeding your horse during their treatments so long as you explain what you'll be doing ahead of time.
Create a low-stress environment.
You can't control everything, but you can do a lot to set the stage for a low-stress vet visit. Some of the ways you can do that is by scheduling routine appointments during quieter barn times, meaning not during turn in or out, during busy lesson times, or during feeding time. Make sure your horse goes into the appointment on a full stomach, has had a chance to exercise ahead of time, and that you're grounded going into the appointment so that you're radiating a sense of calm and safety for your horse.
And like I mentioned above, offer your horse hay during their appointment to make it more tolerable for them if that's okay with your vet and appropriate for the situation. If you can't use continuous feeding, using a higher value treat during these appointments can help combat anything aversive going on.
Reduce overall stress levels.
If your horse is already feeling stressed because they're not getting their baseline needs met (access to forage, friends, and freedom) it seems reasonable to think that they'd be extra upset when some random stranger shows up and starts poking and prodding them!
I know I probably sound like a broken record harping on this, but training will always come second to meeting your horse's species-specific needs. It's exactly like how we talk about how kids don't do their best learning if they don't feel safe and/or are not having their basic needs met at home.
All of these tips can also help set your horse up to be less stressed during emergencies, too. By preparing your horse ahead of time, you're not only helping them, but also yourself and your vet!
Empowering Observations:
Horses and humans thrive in herd for a reason - you're not meant to go through everything alone! You're not weak or a burden if you need to ask for help or support from your community. We expect our horses to be vulnerable with us so we need to be willing to be vulnerable, too.
It is your job to prepare your horse for certain situations, not your vet, not your farrier, you! You know that you're going to have the vet out for vaccines and the farrier out to trim your horse's feet, so prepare your horse ahead of time! There is so much we can be doing to make our horse's feel more prepared and more comfortable with what we will be asking them to do. By using reward-based training we can help our horse's make more positive associations with potentially aversive situations.
Things I'm Loving This Week
While I'm not using it just yet to give Annie a bit more time to finish shedding, I know we will be using our Rambo Fly Sheet soon! I have the version with No-Fly Zone treatment, but Phoebe has the Protector and both are great depending on what your horse's needs are. Annie is sensitive to bugs and this sheet has been an absolute game-changer for us. While I initially balked at the price, I was desperate to find a sheet that was durable and actually fit her comfortably. I LOVE how this sheet fits her, especially the neck piece that does dig into her neck, chest, or withers. It's got great coverage and has been super durable.
With Annie's birthday coming up, I asked my Instagram followers to recommend birthday treat options for her since my attempt at a flax-based cake last year was a bust. Ansley Bevan of AB Equine Therapy recommended her simple treat recipe, which I halved to see if Annie would like before I made a whole cake with it. Not only was it super inexpensive and easy to make, but Annie loved the treats! I'm excited to make her a cake version next.
Equestrian Reflection
Journal Prompt: Reflect on a difficult moment with your horse. What blessings arose from that moment?
The biggest moment that comes to mind for me is the last time I fell off of Annie at our old barn. I have talked about it a bit here before, but the gist of the situation was that I tacked Annie up to go for a trail ride with two friends. As I was tacking up, I remember feeling a pit in my stomach and Annie did not seem comfortable to me. We all walked out of the barn and my two friends mounted up as Annie danced around the mounting block. I remember saying that I was not going to ride but my friends tried to assure me that I just was anxious since I had come off of her before and just needed to do it. I got on Annie and we walked off into the pasture that led to the trail we would follow. We didn't get halfway through the pasture before Annie started to lie down with me on her. Before I even really realized what was going on, I started to dismount as she went down which startled her and she popped back up causing me to fall. I broke down in tears and walked back to the barn, my head hung low and my thoughts screaming at me because I didn't listen to myself. I knew then that things had to change.
It was that situation that caused me to stop everything I was doing. I had Annie checked out by our vet which is when we found she had Lyme disease. I also started down the positive reinforcement training path with her because we needed to rebuild both of our confidence and trust in each other. Even though it sucked in the moment, I'm glad Annie told me that her check engine light was on and that I needed to do something about it. I have no doubt that had it not happened that day, it would have come up later because I truly believe she was brought into my life to push me onto the path I'm on now.
Affirmation: Powerful lessons are woven into every moment of my life just for me.
Equestrian Oracle
Theme for the Upcoming Week
You Are Powerful
How amazing is it to think back to all of the unbelievable experiences that you have had in your life? The perfect things you now own that once were just a dream? Or the beautiful thoughts that flow through your mind with ease? You have manifested all of this. How powerful is that?
Through setting an intention, having unwavering faith that what you want is yours, believing that you deserve it 100% and not settling for anything less, you can literally create anything you want in your life.
This card is calling you to hone in on your vision. After all, that dream was planted inside of you for a reason. It's time to place your order with the universe, sit back, and enjoy your life and know that it is on its way.
*The Equestrian Reflection and Equestrian Oracle cards are courtesy of Felicity Davies and can be purchased directly from her here. Full transparency - I receive no financial gain from sharing these, I just love them and find them to be helpful on this journey!