Dusty's Progress

[Marsha Cassada]

We are doing the flexing excercises before every drive. He knows the drill now and seems very supple. We stayed in the home pasture doing circles and obstacles for a while and are back on the road now. I'm using slight inclines to practice backing--that works very well! We go about 2 miles walking, trotting and (oops!)cantering. It was near 100 today when we went out but there was a breeze. He was barely sweating when we returned and wasn't that anxious to get a good roll.

I think I have his bit and headstall length right for him now; he seems comfortable with it. We are using the blinders but no checks.

We did a couple of extra challenges today, such as standing whoa under a sprinkler. He wasnt' too crazy about that but took it very well.

I am noticing that he wants to veer right as we go down the road. Does this mean his dominant side is left? Should we be doing more left turns? With in-hand work I do not notice a pronounced preference, only in the harness.

He is rather gooserumped and cow-hocked, as some may recall. I can see a definite improvement in his hind end this summer. Whether it is the cavaletti work, driving, nutrition, correct trimming, maturity--I am not sure. A year from now I hope to post a before/after photo and see if you all can tell a difference and the improvement isn't just my imagination.

 

[Sue_C.]

He is rather gooserumped and cow-hocked, as some may recall. I can see a definite improvement in his hind end this summer. Whether it is the cavaletti work, driving, nutrition, correct trimming, maturity--I am not sure.

It might have helped his goosy-butt a bit, for sure, but if he is truely cow hocked, it won't help a lot. But...if he has "close set hocks", it WILL make a world of difference as the inner thighs get more muscular.

A year from now I hope to post a before/after photo and see if you all can tell a difference and the improvement isn't just my imagination.

What a fantastic idea! I shall have to get someone to take a picturte of the mare I just got started (only hitched four times now) and do the same thing.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I wanted to add a little bit about the veering to the right:

We were close to our property on the way home with a shallow ditch and wheat field on both sides of the road. So I decided to go ahead and let him veer right and see how far he would go. I relaxed the reins and let him have his head. He went in a circle! He kept circling right until I guided him back up on the road. The circle did get smaller and probably he would have come to a stop if I had let him keep on.

So what is going on with him and what is the best way to deal with it?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Talked to a horse woman this afternoon about the veering thing. As we were discussing, it made me remember that his blinders are not exactly straight. I have been trying to adjust the headstall, and to get the bit right, one blinder is a hair higher than the other. We wonder if that could be his problem. I will put the simple western headstall on him and try that. Also she suggested ground driving him and seeing if the cart weight was causing him to veer. So, I have some things to try!

The one thing I DON'T want to do is go on the way we are and cause something permanent.

 

[Sue_C.]

Where do you sit? I know it is "proper" to sit on the right, but when you do that with most mini carts, the weght is not evenly distributed, and it does affect the "ride". Could be he is reacting to the weight on the right hand side, and "going with it". ??

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I always sit in the middle. I tried moving over to the left to see if it made a difference. I could tell he knew the weight was different, but he still wanted to go right. He is willing and cooperative, so I know we can figure it out.

Buddy the dog sits in the middle, too, on the floor. Since he kept sliding off the slippery seat, he doesn't ride up there any more. I have a little rug on the cart floor so he doesn't fall between the boards.

 

[RhineStone]

Wolf tooth?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Wolf tooth?

He had them removed last fall.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The fact he does it when you release the reins means it definitely isn't you!

Is there a chance he has a trace or other harness part getting caught up on the right? Have you checked your tires to make sure they're inflated evenly? Was he heading "downhill" to the shoulder or did he do it regardless of where he was? Did he seem unhappy or perfectly content?

What a mystery! Sounds suspiciously equipment-based though from what we've heard so far.

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I don't think it is equipment. When we did our walk this morning I noticed that when I am on his right side I have to keep forcefully moving him away from me. He is almost like a velcro horse. When I changed over to the left side half way through the walk, he stayed the correct distance from me. So, I need to work on excercises to make him more straight. It is definitely a physical thing. The vet who does their teeth is also a chiropractor but I forgot to ask him to check Dusty when we were there for teeth in May. He did check him last November and Dusty was fine then. I do not see anything obvious, such as thicker muscle on one side, so maybe we are catching it early enough.

 

[RhineStone]

How does he track up? Is he short striding on one side? Is one gaskin more developed than the other? Can he put each hind leg up underneath himself, or does he throw the leg to the side to make a turn?

Myrna

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Just returned from having my friend work with Dusty. The problem is in the gaskin. The left side is tender--no telling why. So he will be resting from cart work for a couple of weeks.

 

[Shadows Fire]

Perhaps some chiropractic work would help him?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dusty seems to be doing better in the gaskin. On lead he does not lean to the right any longer. While relaxed he no longer tenses when the gaskin is rubbed. I think I am ready to put him back into harness, but we will do ground driving a little first to make sure he is moving straight.

Meantime we've been working on desensitizing. He is a very steady boy, but I tried some new things. I stapled balloons to a pole and asked him to step over them. Not a problem. I popped them under his nose and he merely raised his head, no backward movement.

I walked him onto a tarp, then folded it up over his back and head. He thought that was cool.

The only thing that he was uncertain of was the string of plastic flags strung at head level that I asked him to walk under. He didn't like to go under, but he did not retreat or fidget. He just didn't want to walk under them. I got him under one and he didn't want to walk under the next one, though he did after a few seconds. After a few times of going under them he began to walk under them easily.

So that will be a regular obstacle we do now. And I will probably do the balloons again.

It has been so hot that my ambition for training is zapped. Also lots of company and distractions in our daily routine--excuses! excuses!

 

[susanne]

.

I had to laugh when you mentioned standing under the sprinkler...kudos to Dusty!

That is one of the few things (other than ill-adjusted harness and foam on the beach) guaranteed to upset Mingus. My very steady boy is terrified of -- YIKES!!! -- flying water...

.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Took both boys to the chiropractor today. Dusty had quite a lot of trouble in the left shoulder. I am to rub on liniment and let him rest for two days. There were a couple of vertebrae near the tail that were out slightly,also.

He hasnt' been in harness for a month, though we've been doing ground work.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm sure the time off will benefit him. More time to grow up and toughen those muscles so he's ready to go as a three year old! You're a good horsie mom to take them to the chiropractor like that.

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm sure the time off will benefit him. More time to grow up and toughen those muscles so he's ready to go as a three year old! You're a good horsie mom to take them to the chiropractor like that.

Leia

I asked the chiropractor about what age is good for working. She is a barrel rider, plus sees lots of performance animals in her work. She did not think it was harmful for Dusty to be doing light harness work, since he is going on 3 1/2. She did agree that many performance horses begin working too early. She said her current barrel horse is 5, and is just now getting old enough for stiff competitive work. Besides the physical maturing, she also commented about their mental maturity.

We stopped at an antique tractor show on the way and Dusty checked out the machinary. He got some scratches and pets, so it was a good experience.

 

[RhineStone]

I wish we had a horse chiropractor closer by. The one we have used in the past is about an hour away.

Myrna

 

[BannerBrat]

Marsha,

I've been following your thread, and love reading about your progress with Dusty. I hope he continues to improve!

Thank you for continuing to update.