Kingsley edited to say...

Hello everybody! Let's not be fooled, this blog has never been as popular as when I came along with all my problems. This blatantly suggests I am way more important than any other waffling my auntie puts on here.
With this in mind I thought I would pop in to personally tell you to have a look at a new post about my hooves that Nic made after Wiola put some stupid lines on my perfectly growing feet!

http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2011/01/hooves-can-be-deceptive.html

If you look at my hooves closely you will see I am growing more horn on my now shorter side and less on my now longer side. So no more stupid lines. 

Pic: Another photo. Yet another photo. Booorrriiinnnggg. On your knees and take some feet pics!

Finding Own Feet - Kingsley in January

I've been trying to find a moment to write an update on Kingsley all day today and finally here we go.
Here is a link to the post made by Nic which includes photos of his feet.

http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2011/01/rain-it-raineth-every-day-and-kingsley.html

And here is the footage Nic and Pauline managed to take in between downpours. I've watched it many times but have a look yourself before reading the rest of this post. Feel free to comment on what you think about his movement. I think his soundness issues are rather unique and complex so in a strange way make for an interesting analysis. Remember that before being sent to Rockley Farm he had had 4 different vets giving 4 different opinions and even more treatment suggestions. Including PTS. 

Kingsley - walking comparison from Nic Barker on Vimeo.


Kingsley - trotting comparison from Nic Barker on Vimeo.

I think that in the grand scheme of things he is improving non-stop. As with any on-going process there will be slower periods and faster ones and moments when discomfort increases for one reason or another.
The January lunge footage is after he went for a hack so I am guessing he was tired. He looks much more confident in trot on the circle in both directions and despite the fact he rushes the sequence remains correct (which it didn't in October when he was unable to trot on a circle at all).
He is loading his forehand a lot which is either due to tiredness or perhaps he somehow figured out stretching down is comfortable for his back.
He moves freer through the shoulders and his stride is longer in both walk and trot.

There is also something I can't quite put my finger on but the only way I can describe it is that there seem to be more propulsion going from his hindquarters onto the forehand. When you see him in December video he trots calmer without rushing but whatever push he creates behind doesn't seem to travel through his body forwards. On latest January footage he looks like there is some beginnings of impulsion and his body is being pushed into each step rather than pulled into it by the shoulders/front legs. What do you think?

The main problem is of course the way he uses his body. He is built downhill but so are many other horses and this isn't the reason not to move in a better balance. His hindlegs show a lot of weakness and if you watch him on the right rein you will notice he doesn't really have much pushing power in the left hindleg at all.
The added issue of lunging is that, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't help with bending/lateral stretching of the horse. In fact, the horse can happily move his body at an angle to the circle line even with all the gadgets in the world.
We briefly chatted about it with Nic and she suggested going back to long lining which I agree would be a good idea.

In November I felt a little impatient and really wanted to see the changes in him quickly but the more I watch him now I feel that he is doing some grand work there and he needs time to adjust. His feet are still growing and as you will read from Nic's blog, the medial lateral balance of his hooves isn't good.

I had a little play with one of Nic's photos, not sure if I did it right but look at the difference in the hight/shape of the inside and outside hoof walls:

If you take into consideration how much this hoof still has to grow to allow him to balance better then I think the improvements so far are more than we could ask for.

He continues to carry his tail in line with the spine which is great as he used to crook it to the side. His hocks remain straight and he doesn't move his right hind leg sideways in walk as he used to.
I guess all we can do is to remain patient and let him find his own feet.

Meet Sam. And some other news.

After painfully slow couple of months the work is slowly coming back. I ran my first Intensive Training Day of 2011 yesterday and it was great to get back into it. According to my records it was the 150th Intensive Training Day since I started doing them in 2009. When I get to the 200th I am going to celebrate I think ;)
The rider, who has been riding with me regularly as well as Case Studied the Foundation Programme for me is now being moved onto the Development Programme. I'm adding lunge lessons for her again to further improve her seat and she is also ready to learn about the whole new world of schooling the horse.
We were both rather tired at the end of that day!

I have another very interesting Case Study coming up this year - but first, you just have to meet Sam!

Photo: Rosie meet Sam. Sam meet Rosie. 

We had a lovely visit from Anja and J. today and the three weeks old Sam [aka EdGal] who was nice and quiet around horses as a good horseman would ;) He is sporting an all-orange attire because he is well and truly Dutch (well, half Dutch actually but orange seem to have dominated over the German and English part!). Rosie approves.

Now we just need to wait a couple of months for Anja to be allowed back in the saddle and we shall proceed with 'Coming back into riding after having a baby' Case Study! Can't wait :) 

On Thursday I spent another fantastic day with Anna Ross Davies and everybody at Altogether Equestrian. Having so little opportunity to train and have lessons myself, those days are my way to switch off from everything and enjoy my very own learning experience. I watch lessons, listen, ride and try to absorb what I am told! 

Going back to the weekend and more news - on Saturday I met with one of the managers of a riding club I am going into partnership with. R. came to visit the venue I will be using for assessments and Intensive Training Days for the club's members. It was a final "inspection" before all the formalities are ticked off and we are officially up and running the services for them. Thankfully she loved the friendly atmosphere, the horses and the set up so their website will be updated over the weekend. I will post the link as soon as it goes online :) 

Yet another interesting thing happening is a Polish edition of Nic Barker and Sarah Braithwaite book:

Nic mentioned this back in October last year shortly after we took Kingsley to Rockley Farm and I thought it was a great offer from a Polish publisher and offered my help if there was anything I could do. 

It turns out the biggest issue has been with translating the title as well as some parts about nutrition and feed stuffs. 

I've received emails from Polish publisher with some pointers as to how they want to see the title and I must say choosing the right combination of words is not as easy as it might sound. For example there is no word like "performance" in Polish language or at least not the one that would convey the same meaning. I made some suggestions but I am not sure what their final decision is going to be. Large section of Polish equestrian industry (and certainly the competitive part), not unlike here in the UK, still sees barefoot as "some hippy way of keeping horses'. Having an unshod horse is considered a good thing for someone who follows Parelli and other "natural" horsemanship techniques. The title has to appeal to wide audience and grab attention of 'traditional' parts of the industry as well as the already curious one.

I am very much looking forward to the Polish edition! 

My personal view is that we have still a lot to learn about management of horses. There are no mentions of metal shoes by Xenophon and I doubt he had Martin Collins surfaced arenas to train the military cavalry...

I am not saying we should de-shod entire equine population but perhaps there is something we are overlooking since there is more and more evidence of lame horses becoming sound after barefoot rehabilitation. 

P.S. Pauline saw Kingsley boy today and she managed to find him among his himalayan bear fur ;) Photos and videos to follow as soon as I receive them.

Kingsley - length of stride. October 2010 vs January 2011

Being a biomechanics geek as I am I had a little play with stills from the video footage.

Photo 1. Top October 2010. Bottom January 8th 2011

Photo 2. Top October 2010. Bottom January 8th 2011

His movement in walk used to have quite a distinctive character. It would be either pottery and short strided or very large and very unbalanced. He had disturbed medio-lateral balance of his feet (that is when the hoof wall on the inside of the leg is a different hight than the hoof wall on the outside of the leg). If you looked at him from the front he would look as if he was "paddling" sideways before allowing his feet to land. It was a peculiar way of going. He is a little croup high but the way he moved would make you think his withers are about a meter beneath the croup line!
One of the things I am watching with him (and there are plenty!) are the changes to the length and evenness of the stride in walk. In October 2010 he made shorter steps with his right fore (although this sometimes changed to the left fore). One fore leg was almost always striding shorter than the other.

A little legend to my creative lines ;)
Yellow Photo 1: Front limb angle
Red Photo 1: Distance in between the knees (within the yellow lines) in a relaxed walk stride
Pink Photo 1: Toe to Toe distance

I measured the above on the January photo (bottom on Photo 1 and 2) and copied the lines onto top image (in Photo 1)

Photo 2 is just a simplified version with lines running down. Now, I know it's not super accurate and hardly a scientific paper but I think the changes are rather great!

Another thing: look at the way the pastern joint and fetlock absorbs the movement on October Photo (rigid joint, not much give) and January (plenty of 'spring').

I'm dying to see the trot footage!

Kingsley Update

Kingsley continues to get better and better! Pauline will visit him this weekend so there will be much more footage to come. For now, the lateral view of his limb placement.
Have a look at Nic's write up about his rehab HERE. She does say that the improvement is much clearer when evaluated on circles and front/back but what I love to see is the proper V in his walk stride where his hind hooves land in the same line as his front feet. So far his walk was always verging on lateral as well as being very crooked. Add to this an odd sequence every time the terrain changed and you might get why I love to see that correct feet placement on this video! It makes me want to see him on the circle right now!!! ;))


Kingsley from Nic Barker on Vimeo.

I've shortlisted two yards that would potentially suit him once he is back with us in March so fingers crossed there will be spaces available when we need them.

Numbers

There is a definite bonus to quiet winter time - I have the time to nurse my cold. It's gone I think but I still feel tired and slow.
I have the time to wander around some of my all favorite places, like Holland Park.

And say hello to some of my favorite critters: 

I also have a lot of time available to spend on organising all the Numbers...January is a lovely month: I get to do my tax return and that alone speeds up the appearance of grey hair on my head. 

On top of that, I had to re-think and change all the Academy prices because we are entering a partnership with a company I will for now call XYZ (details very soon!). Everything had to be ready in the first week of January so together with the Norway adventure it had kept my brain very busy. Thinking in numbers is good for my pocket but not for my mental well-being. I feel like I've been put in a bubble and exist in a zombie like world when I have to sit in front of spreadsheets for any length of time. It has to be done though. 

I miss messing around with Kingsley as just being with horses is one of my best ways to relax. The little boy will be staying at Rockley Farm until the end of February, he is doing so well there that it would be a shame to interfere with the progress. Despite my efforts I can't find a yard that would fit the bill. It worries me as I would really love to have the opportunity to see him more often and see properly to his later ridden rehab.

One option that I am investigating is to find a yard that I can also hire out as and when needed for Academy coaching purposes. It needs to be a facility centre with all year turn out for long hours and not far from London. 

One promising yard has just replied to my email so I will arrange a visit but they have no part-livery/assisted DIY spaces right now. We can't have him simply on DIY so there must be a trustworthy team on the yard. They have a waiting list though so we shall see. Until then, I will continue searching. 

Grooming and yard work gives me some physical work out and horses' presence is nicely calming. 

The work being quiet means I had breaks between lessons which let me spend more time with some school horses before schooling them. I gave them thorough cleaning and chatted with them each for a bit. Working horses do love that interaction. When left alone they stand looking depressed and lackluster but as you show them some interest, after a moment, their ears point towards you and they nuzzle you from time to time, turn around and sniff your pockets for treats. 

It's also interesting to see how some of the horses retreated into themselves while in isolation during illness. They are now being brought into work and one mare in particular, from a cheeky, boisterous almost character stood indifferent when I scrubbed her coat. Normally she would be on top of me begging for polos. It took about 20 minutes before she started to react to grooming at her favorite spots at the withers, stretching her neck and nudging me for goodies. 

Ok, more dealing with numbers for me now. 

If I ever had to be snowed in at a place this is the one I would chose! Merry Xmas Kingsley Boy!

Happy Christmas! from Nic Barker on Vimeo.
I suggest you click on "full screen view" and pop your speakers on full volume and dance with Kingsley's ears ;)
For words visit: http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-christmas-from-this-blog.html

I CAN trot on a cricle!

Hello guys! It's Kinsgley here. My auntie left me to go to Poland and my mummy is off to Scotland soon so I thought I would sneakly improve some more to give them both an early Christmas present!
Nic has been working me on those damn circles which I really see no sense in but ehmm hmm I must say all this gym is making me a little bit more athletic! Wonder if the mares notice too? What do yout think?


Kingsley - 12th December from Nic Barker on Vimeo.
Have a look at the full write up I got from Nic on her blog: http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/12/kingsley-footage-on-circle.html

My fabulous yet very horsey holiday camp now has its Facebook page so please support my resort owners by joining in: Rockley Farm Facebook Page.
If I don't speak to you before Christmas please tell Santa that I would really like to have all four feet and my body doing a good job. I would also really like to prove to all these mares what a cracking little man I really am when I am free from discomfort. I can jump too so if Santa doesn't mind I would also like to go back to that hobby. I saw that Badminton is running Grassroots Championships and I am told there are many mares there...I am only young...Call me a dreamer...
Happy Christmas and please let me know what you think of my hard work?

Deja Vu and Fast Forward

The first of December and although the light icing of snow flakes is hardly a world stopper it has been enough to severely limit my work.
I managed to work as normal yesterday in a beautiful mini snowy blizzards - all the clients bravely turned up and soldiered on. Horses actually seemed to have enjoyed themselves. The barefoot ones worked without a problem but the shod ones were a disaster, tripping on sizable balls of snowy high heals.

Today on the other hand is a deja vu of the last winter. All my lessons were cancelled due to the weather. Same tomorrow. When I am finally in a position to have my own venue it's going to have a gorgeous indoor arena with a decent surface and a nice, warm club house so I don't have to go grey with worries about making a living. That, or I will have to become a seasonal migrant, living in milder climes throughout the winters.
There is something primitive in how the weather can so easily destroy many months of hard work and efforts with one cold snap.

But never mind, I guess I can always buy large quantities of porridge and milk and go on it through the winter ;)

The good news is the Academy's partnership with a very interesting riding club is going ahead so I will fill you in fully once all the details are set and everything made public.
Kari and I spent a couple of hours today talking the Academy's plans through. There is a lot we want done but out of necessity and the fact we are very much learning to work together as we go, everything is done in little steps. Being a health care professional, Kari has very clear idea about what can and what can't be done with a rider from posture re-education point of view. I can't argue with that :)
There are many exercises you can do to improve your riding off the horse and from what I've learned so far, the routine that works your core, improves your overall body awareness, coordination and symmetry brings the best results in the saddle. The key to success with any routine though is that you have a functionally correct posture. You can be doing the best exercise programme out there but if your postural movement is incorrect you might be doing more harm than good.
Funnily enough, it applies to training horses too, doesn't it?
This is why we are determined to keep improving on the Academy's rider performance services and some interesting materials will soon be available to all Academy riders.

Tomorrow I am off to meet managers of an exciting new company who emailed me a few days ago. They have recently launched a product that is said to "to change the way amateur sportspeople monitor their performance through multiple-camera systems at sports centres". I'm an absolute believer in video feedback and the benefits of it for all level of riders. About 60% of people are visual learners and even if your preferred style is auditory or kinesthetic you can still get a lot of quality feedback from video analysis.
I am looking forward to seeing the product in action and perhaps find a way to use it. I will scribble about it after the meeting once I've learned more about the product.

Weather permitting, Pauline and I will hit the road to visit Kingsley in his winter wonderland!

Photo: Rockley Farm - Kingsley snow ploughing :) Visit http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/ for all the updates on rehab horses and more stunning photos.

Then, again snow mercy permitting, I am flying to Poland for a few days to finally see my family. I haven't been home since Aug last year and I will be devastated if the flights are cancelled. So please keep everything crossed the winter calms down. I can't wait to see them all!!

Back from Poland, wether the weather permits or not(!), it's Olympia time :) A perfect highlight to the winter, I love this show and will be watching Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle to Music with a bunch of friends. We might invest in a bottle of Champagne to celebrate this year of so many failures that it easily classifies as a worse one to date. But then again, it might yet be the best in other ways ;)

After Olympia, it's Xmas time - for me Up North with Ricky's family so I am hoping for masses of snow, some great walks in Lyme Park and plenty of rest.

So that's my month ahead on fast forward, now back to the day one.

Kingsley's Barefoot Rehab update + VIDEO

Kingsley continues to grow a hoof of a very different angle to the one he had while shod.

Below is a screenshot from Rockley Farm's blog so if you would like to enlarge photos please visit Nic's blog: http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/11/solomon-and-kingsley.html

One thing I find very interesting with Kingsley's hooves is that they have been changing a lot throughout the year we had him.

Have a look at the below photo (I zoomed the feet but left the full caption too so you can see the entire horse and the position he is in as it does changes the way he weight loads his feet).

The above photo was taken shortly after Kingsley's purchase in September 2009 and while he was already unsound. Although the toes are very long and he already has some event lines (not visible due to blurring of the photo) there are no deep ridges he developed later, possibly due to medications?

I don't want to speculate too much without having the knowledge but it is very fascinating to note how much the shape of his feet has changed. Different trimming and shoeing has certainly influenced those changes but now that the nature takes it turn it seems that the shape and the hoof/pastern angle are changing yet again.

Sometimes I wish we could just fast forward the growing time as I am really anxious to see if this new shape helps with re-educating the movement pattern!

And Video Update - look how much straighter his spine is! When I saw this I almost cried!

I have never before seen him walking with his spine and tail aligned in a straight line, his back has always been rigid and tense as a result. There are some little changes in the confidence in his steps and of course hind limb straightness has improved a lot too but the difference in the spinal column is the best of all to me. This has been my worry all together - that he is so crooked as a result of compensation that he won't be able to move straight again. And here we go...

Kingsley update from Nic Barker on Vimeo.

Kingsley's Feet Growing Own Way...

31st October 2010

You can see a centimeter or so of the new horn growing from the coronet. Note the different angle to the "old" hoof angle...

Kingsley is hairy and furry but seems to be loving his Rehab Retreat! Nic took a longer footage of him walking so I will leave it up to her to draw more conclusions. Keep checking Rockley's blog for more updates: http://www.rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/ :)

From what I see on some videos I watched on Pauline's camera he is moving straighter with his right front and is not moving it outwards as much as he did 3 weeks ago. He also seems to be loading each front leg more equally while in the shoes he landed heavier on his right fore than on the left fore.
His is currently short striding on the hard surfaces which is to be expected but free moving on the grass.
All in all, still too early to say whether the changes are going to improve him as a ridden horse but they are certainly happening.

And here is just a a cheerful photo of Pauline, Kingsley boy and I at Rockley:

Update on Kingsley

Photo: Getting ready for a yawn ;) Kingsley relaxing after his lunch - 24th October. Pauline went to visit him and will be going again this Sunday so hopefully more photos and videos to come.

Kingsley boy is continuing to enjoy his "rehab holiday" in beautiful setting of Rockley Farm. Nic has just posted a short video update on him one her blog:

http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/10/kingsley-and-rose.html

Make-Shift Month

October brought many new challenges with it and apart from being rather stressful it's certainly not a boring month. My main mission has been to patch up that large hole in my income caused by the illness of the horses so I've been doing quite a bit of random teaching here and there. I can't wait for things to come back to normal.

The Case Studies work continues and it's very time consuming. I am hoping to finish video editing of the two already finished Case Studies today. There are some fabulous video editing software out there but I am making do with a free one so I doubt I will be very pleased with the result. It will hopefully be informative enough and motivating enough to encourage riders to enquire some more :) Once it's all ready I will first post the videos on my Horse and Country TV Blog as a preview so keep checking their site...

If you have a friend or a family member wanting to learn to ride you might want to send them a link to Academy's new blogger:

Jody Stevenson

Jody is learning to ride with me and as I found out she is also a writer (a film writer but that's just a detail ;) I asked her if she would like to guest blog about her riding experiences. She is funny, eager to learn and a pleasure to teach and I think her writing reflects all these qualities.

Some excerpts from Jody's blog:

“I’m scared!!!”O.K. I was excited before, but now I’m here, I’m just plain scared! There are two big strong horses standing in wait for me and my friend (who’s late as usual…). They’re both crazy beautiful – but soo big!…. So I’m feeling more than a little intimidated right now. As I’m guided onto my horse (his name is William and he’s apparently about 80 in horse years), I suddenly feel immensely privileged that this huge majestic beast is giving me a piggy back. I mean seriously, how many strangers would you just let jump on your back?.. Especially as he knows full well what the next hour holds in store for him! Namely, this slightly crazy girl flapping her arms and legs around in unfathomable patterns and expecting him to “do something”, whilst letting out the occasional excited and fearful squeal. Lucky for me, on top of having a fab trainer in Wiola I also have a fab trainer in William. He’s been doing it for so long that, he is mostly able to interpret my uncoordinated and clumsy movements and save my life by stopping when he knows I’ve lost balance.”

“Without the saddle I can really feel Honey’s movement. I learn to recognise the dip in Honey’s side when she’s raising her back leg off the ground, I also learn that a little kick when she’s doing this will propel her leg further forward and subsequently make us move faster. I’m pretty impressed with myself when this little trick works, until she start’s getting a little too fast, when I hang on for dear life.Now I have to think of my body in two halves, the waist up, which I should be keeping straight and strong at all times, is mine and the bottom half is an extension of Honey’s so should become one with her natural movement. So while my bottom (which really shouldn’t be bouncing all over the place) moves from side to side with her, my chest should move forwards and backwards. And my elbows should be by my side (which they never are). Oh easy peasy!”

Jody's Blog can be found on:

http://www.aspire-equestrian.com/blog/category/guest-blogger-jodi-stevenson/

On a good work note I took on 5 days of work in Banbury next week at a new Dressage/training yard so I am looking forward to seeing the new set up! Although I will probably end up rather knackered at the end of that week ;)

Kingsley Photo Update

Photo by Nic Barker of Rockley Farm: Kingsley 13th October: Basking in the Sun :) More updates on Rockley Farm's blog.

Kingsley Today

Integrated into the group and enjoying lush dinner with stunning views..Lucky Boy! (Kingsley is the first one on the right when you look at the photo)

Kingsley's Day 1 at Rockley Farm: Video Report

Photo: Movement assessment on soft surface: Rockley Farm - Barefoot Performance & Hoof Rehabilitation

After about four hours of journey in a swift little horsebox, Kingsley, Pauline, Annette and I arrived at what I can only describe as one of the most picturesque set ups I have ever seen. It's safe to say I am now totally in love with Devon countryside.

Here is our journey in pictures:

Day 1 at Rockley Farm - slideshow dvd

And here is a little video report from the day. We were greeted at Rockley Farm by Nic, Andy and some stunning Hungarian Vizlas (plus a hound puppy! :)

Kingsley stepped down the ramp as if he was making these sort of journeys every day. He travelled fantastically and was so quiet we even wondered if he was there at all!

We let him have a little look around before taking him for some rest in a large stable with haylage which he promptly started to eat.

After a cup of tea and a chat in Nic's house (which has the views to die for) we went for a walk on the Tracks (to read more on what the Tracks do and how they help in hoof rehab please read Nic's explanation plus photos on here: http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/09/tracks.html)

Once we finished the tour of the fields and Tracks we came back to the stables to put Kingsley through variety of movement evaluations.

1) This one was filmed to observe the general balance, the way the feet land on the ground, length of stride etc I videoed alongside Nic, the proper footage will be available on her website.

2) Trot Up on the hard surface (still in shoes)

3) Movement Assessment on the soft surface: Walk

4) Movement Assessment on the soft surface: Trot

Then the shoes went off:

And Kingsley was allowed to roam free on the Track for the first time:

Once he had a little look and a bit of a sniff around he got to meet Felix, the top man in the herd. They settled well into haylage munching. He was to be introduced to the rest of the herd one by one later and on Sunday morning.

Kingsley didn't just eat - he decided that exploring the surrounding is the ting to do. The water container is situated on top of the undulation covered with peat gravel so the horses have to put some effort into their daily whereabouts. I think he will like this!

We departed totally sure we did the right thing taking little man all this way. I will be updating you all on his progress and I hope to see Kingsley more comfortable on his own feet some time soon.

Even if Kingsley's problems are way beyond the navicular syndrome/disease I am sure rehabilitating his hooves is still the best way to go if he is to ever become sound.

For more videos of Kingsley please visit my You Tube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/equestriancoach1

No Feet No Horse

It seems a theme now that I have very little time to update this blog so a long update is coming tomorrow. Today I will pass on the news on Kingsley...

If you read my last post you will know that nothing has improved Kingsley's feet problems and we faced a sad end of the road. There is only as much money and tears you can spend on a horse and the decision was made to have Kingsley put to sleep.

As my friend was going to be away we decided to arrange for everything once she returned. In the meantime I had someone coming for a lesson who happened to have a barefoot horse...The said horse was placed at the Horse Of The Year Show some years back but had since developed various feet problems. The owners tried many types of shoeing, pads etc but opted to take the shoes off in the end as a last resort. A year on and the horse is sound and happy.

It got me thinking...I have read a little on barefoot in the past and although I would happily never shoe a horse if it was done from a young age but I wasn't sure what to think about this chucking shoes away after years of having them on. From my limited knowledge on the subject I was aware that any barefoot rehab needs careful preparation and experienced trimmer to supervise the process. The last thing we want is to put Kingsley through unnecessary painful procedures.

I must say it wasn't easy to even make the decision to try one more time. We were prepared to call it a day and start afresh but every time we discussed it neither of us could say "right, let's do it on this/that day".

The more I looked at his feet the more concerned I became. The many photos taken of him helped me to trace the shape of his hooves and even to me they looked in ill condition.

To learn more about it all I posted a thread on Horse & Hound Forum which you can read on here: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=400084. It has 87 replies as per today and they make for rather interesting read.

If you do read it you will notice a lot of criticism of the farrier. As I now know, the farrier isn't always to blame. He might have been doing all he could have to work with the ill hoof. If the foot doesn't grow well not much can be done.

As Kingsley wasn't at all comfortable in his egg bar shoes we agreed for him to have wedges for a couple of weeks as we were advised he needs pressure taken off his DDFT (Deep Digital Flexor Tendon).

These are the photos I took 2 days after the wedges were put on:

11th September 2010

As you can see this is one unhappy pair of feet. After having a good thorough chat with my friend we decided we should try to give the boy this one more chance and try him barefoot. The question was, how to go about it.

We both would have loved to take part in his rehab and learn what he really needs to become sound but after researching all the options we think we found someone who will do much better job. Once everything is finalised I will post an update.

I found some great reading about barefoot thanks to members of the Forum:

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.rockleyfarm.co.uk/RockleyFarm/Home.html

http://www.hoofrehab.com/

Also:

http://eventing-a-gogo.blogspot.com/p/hooves-of-steel-barefoot-journey.html

http://www.easycareinc.com/education/whybarefoot.aspx

http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/natural-hoof-care-in-the-uk

http://eventing-draft.blogspot.com/search/label/trimming

http://ohhorsefeathers.blogspot.com/

Vet visit today - it's not better, it's worse

I must say I didn't think we would be given good news today. The last time I walked Kingsley he just started feeling uneven and rigid again towards the end of the 30 minute hack and I decided that it was best to wait till today with riding him more.

And in fact there was no good news. However, I was quite shocked to find out he actually got worse than he was back in April. He was lame in walk and trot on the hard on straight line. Very lame. Nodding lame.

We then lunged in the arena on a all weather rubber track and his trot on a circle was the worst I have ever seen him. I kept pushing him on on vet's request but to be honest it was painful to watch.

On the left rein his feet sequence in trot was poor and he had no desire to move forwards. On the right rein he couldn't trot at all. He moved in bunny hops like canter strides, half cantering half trotting, cutting the circle inwards to avoid any bending.

I decided there and then that even if there was any chance of any further treatment I was not riding him until I saw him trotting up sound without a rider.

As he was moving so much worse than last time in July, the vet decided to nerve block the foot again just to see if there wasn't anything else going on.

He was much better and much happier to move which indicated that primary pain source is in the left front with right front being less affected.

Having said that, he wasn't fully sound after nerve blocking.

We also looked at his X-rays from April and July and compared the changes. They showed further deterioration...

He has had one dose on Tildren IV (full body) in April, 2 sets of navicular bursea injections - one April/May and another in July, Navilox and is off work since August 2009. No improvement wouldn't be a problem. But he is so much worse :( I was really shocked to see him in trot today. The last time I lunged him was a couple of months ago and to see him moving so oddly and with such difficulty today was just so disheartening.

There remaining options are: another change of shoes...more tildren...more bute...and the most kind of all - PTS.

I would love to see him happy and perky again; he is not a content young horse right now. As many of you will know I would love to ride him everyday and would happily hang on to a possibility to do so but after today the saddle stays firmly on the rack :(

I'm back on the roads!

For now that is. Wiola let me update you on my life as I am such a multi talent - she says I am just perfect at avoiding being a riding horse. That's fine by me. I mean, everybody got to be perfect at something, right?

Mr Vet came on Thursday and decided there was an improvement in my way of going. Of course it was. I have it all figured out. See, my Mum and Aunt would never EVER put me down if I get even wee bit better. Granted, if I am lame non stop I am going to be in deep trouble.

This means, if I go sound for a bit (not difficult as with all the nice Danill-meals I'm getting there is very little discomfort anyway, you see), then lame for a bit, then sound again, I am buying myself a lot of time on this lovely yard with my dear buddies and the pampering services here are second to none.

So there you go guys, I've got it all sorted in me little head. I am no silly horse.

I am still lame in trot. Lame as a duck Wiola says. [Enter ears back here - I am a 6 year old Irish Sports Horse thank you, not a d u c k].

I forgive this bad language as Aunty Wiola took me for a very nice ride on Friday. Did I mention I like hacking? So I do. I know Wiola gets bored with hacking but frankly, I don't care. Neither do I give a damn about her riding career and all that nonsense. She told me that if I would only go sound to be a hacking horse I could be replaced with a competition horse.

Now, please tell me I am wrong but - I like it here. I don't want to be replaced by any freaking show horse that is afraid of a body brush and shows the whites in his eyes when approached with a slightly differently shaped feed bowl.

You are with me guys aren't you? I think Wiola might as well get used to a career in walk hacking. Surely there is one such? That is what I like doing anyway. And Mummy would always agree with me so that's that.

A few photos of me below. Just for the record, I *did* say they are all almost identical and there is no point having them all here. I wasn't listened to.

See, she likes hacking really ;)

Speak soon,

Kingsley

xxx

Some Exciting News, My Chiro session and a bit of a Riding Frustration!

My new regime is proving to be a very good choice. Although I am actually working a few more hours than before I no longer have to commute for 4-5 hours a day 5 days a week and this has added some rest time to my weekly schedule :) I've also "booked" myself a day off next month which is an achievement ;)

For those of you who like statistics or are into industry analysis: I am now teaching about 39-40 hours a week plus 10 hours yard work a week plus around 3 hours (only :((((( ) riding a week (this doesn't include numerous pop on this pop on that during lessons and some odd schooling). I intend to continue like this till the end of the year but have some mad plans for 2011 which will hopefully let me ride a bit more. Right now I am throwing myself into improving all my riders and I'm trying not to dwell too much on limited training for myself.

Let's call it conscious cheating of ones subconscious ;)

The more time I spend on improving others the less I despair about so little riding time - a win/win situation. As a result my clients get a bit of a boot camp but it will hopefully take them where they would like to be.

One thing I've learned for sure is that if you have no financial back up you have to keep calm and carry on ;) If you're going in the right direction, the opportunities will come up your way...

One such opportunity has arrived in form of an offer from Horse and Country TV!!!

I will be writing a blog on their website on the ins and outs of the Academy. As I am setting the Academy up on a shoestring every promotion opportunity is great. I hope you will follow us there and I will post a link to Academy's blog once it's up and running.

While we are on the subject of promotion...If you like the idea of an everyday rider/ grassroots rider having an opportunity to train via holistic, progressive, comprehensive Training Programmes that don't cost more than an average riding school's voucher, then please join the Academy's Facebook Page on here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aspire-Equestrian-Riding-Academy/233852927658?ref=ts and suggest it to your friends. It will be much appreciated :)

I wish the technical tasks on the website could be sped up as I would love to put it live now for you all to see (and maybe send your comments and feedback :).

I might not be riding as much as I wish but I'm trying to focus on being riding-fit anyway. Part of my plan for this year is to sort out my shoulder/neck pain which gets worse after riding. I guess mucking out deep litter bedding in your teenage years, falling off a lot while backing young stallions and being put in plaster 8 times doesn't help your body to stay healthy. I am trying to fit in my sessions into my hectic lifestyle and Kari (who also works as Academy's chiropractor) came to see me today at my lunch time. We did a first part of prodding and poking which apparently starts diagnostic process. On a serious note, it seems I have much less sensation on the left side of my body and could have damaged some nerves but I will see Kari again for further investigations (I had to shoot off to teach and we didn't complete the assessment).

The funny thing is, my left side does feel less "connected" to me when I ride.

Kari's sessions and exercises have made some fabulous difference to some of my riders so I am really interested in seeing our method of combining on-horse training with off-horse very specific, personalised exercises developing and gaining popularity. It's not just professionals who can be trained in this way!

Pic: Kingsley still on box rest. Vet is coming again 4th or 5th of August.

The hardest bit is not to resent poor little Kingsley every time I see him; as much as I like him he reminds me all the time about the year of riding he has stolen from me. Naughty boy.

Seriously though, as frustrating as no-proper-riding is, what I miss the most is that everyday work with 1-2 horses and I fully intend to make it happen next year.

Enjoy your horse/pony - kingdom for a sound horse!

Guest Post From Kingsley

So basically guys I'm still lame. I think it's funny that my mum Pauline and my aunt Wiola haven't really had a chance to ride me properly for a single time since they bought me and that's just about a year ago. My life is pretty cool apart from when the vet comes and sticks needles into my pasterns [what the hell?] and when I need to stay in my room for god knows what. I like going out and hang around with my gang so being grounded is just no good.

Just so it's clear I am displeased about all this 'stay in your room' business I make sure all the rugs and anything left in my stable is thoroughly mixed with shavings, hay and my poo. I see to that all right and if a rug has no rips on it I am right there to add some.

From what I gather my left foot is pretty much buggered. I *know* I move my left fore in a semi-circle before it hits the ground but I really don't think it's any body's business to tell me how to walk or trot or canter. I like doing things my way and it annoys me when these two-legged creatures think they know better.

It's my right to be pampered. When my aunt comes she always calls me "Hello Trouble". If she thinks I don't know what that means she better think again. Sometimes I decide to ignore her and pretend I don't see her so she goes and gets a treat - I trained her well.

Mummy is different - she buys me all the great stuff so I always have a good look when I hear her. It's easy to deal with Mummy, she basically does as she is told. I know I'm always right.

Aunty gets cross if I barge into her and although I know it's wrong I like to test her now and then. Plus, it's not her who has to stay in her room for days on end so really she is no position to tell me how I should behave!

I get to be groomed a lot. Now, that's rather cool and I like it. My aunt says I'm a lazy pet horse and my mum calls me a giant hamster but to be honest I find it quite offensive. Whenever I'm not grounded I have a lot of stuff to do, places to see and rugs on my friends to rip so I am no lazy hamster thanks very much.

My situation is pretty grim from what I understand. Aunty told me today that IF I ever get better I will have a lot of hacking to do as there is no way I would be allowed to do my own thing. That's fine as I like hacking.

I'm also told I will have to go to the Horsepital which I don't think is funny at all. My mum wants to know what exactly is wrong with me and Mr Vet said I most likely damaged my collateral ligament. And I also have navicular disease but that you knew.

Last week my physio, Anna Johnson, came (yeah I do get physio of course) and apparently I'm tight in the back and hamstrings - really? Try being lame for (at least) a year and not be sore anywhere else...good luck!

So that's it for now guys. I've had my left foot re-xrayed and re-medicated with cortisone injections and if I'm no better in the next 10-12 days I'm off to Newbury for MRI. The joys. I just want to go and graze some grass!

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And this is how Kingsley looked on the day I first went to try him.

August 2009 at seller's yard

And now: end of July 2010