Pre Miami Update

I am already behind by one report, so this one goes up, warts and all.

Wednesday Roundup

Irish Eagle was ridden today. He is not lame or touchy on his shins and so he was ridden "lightly". We will ride him off and on while the shins are tightening and healing.

More on Spitfire Red plus Bathing 101:

Fence building and Travel Preparations

Saving the wood....

Fence building gang!

The brains of the crew.

Tiny had her trot and is getting more muscular in her body. She will breeze one more time and,if all goes well we will look for a race.

Phontiff's shin looks pretty good and we will breeze him also in Miami.

We are checking tire pressure for the trip...a stitch in time... I hope will help!

Eurocizer Action, Stack Bali's Anhydrosis, Wax Poetic's Feet, and Another Race for Faye

The PVC pipe with holes drilled in works as a good coolant for the horse.

Let's compare the healing of Irish Eagle's shins. This was a few weeks ago...

His right front was the worst and it still is pretty obvious. His bloodlines are with european breeding and they are traditionally slower to develop. As he heals it should flatten down.

Stack is not sweating and I am giving him a supplement from tack shop in Miami, pretty much the capital of non sweaters....they say money back if it doesn't work...we'll see.
Meanwhile he is put in a stall with a fan while it is so hot. The real solution is to go up north. The day after I arrived a non sweater I had -started to sweat immediately.

He feels special with his own fan.

Wax Poetic's injury on right front is healing nicely and cleanly (sorry photo is not too good).

This injury needs more time. She is very tender if we touch it and she is slightly and subtly lame when jogged on the concrete. The hoof wall has been crushed at the cornet band and needs to grow out a little and strengthen.

Entered TS Faye right back for Sunday as I like the timing for her since she comes back so soundly and sanely. Unfortunately the race was not used. Perhaps we can get into a similar race on Thursday . We will know by tomorrow night!

IE's Shins and Monday at the Farm

Irish Eagle's shins today. You can compare with previous pictures.














The body's reaction as he heals: First the flare up then, as it heals, it tightens on the leg.











TS Faye and Spitfire on the machine today ...off tomorrow...to OBS on Wednesday.












Phontiff ridden lightly today, maybe getting a gate card on Wednesday's OBS trip.

Back at the Farm; Updates on Shins

TS Faye breezed on Wednesday. Today is Saturday and she is trotting on the machine. She has turnout in between.
As you can see, if you have been following this group, they were ridden long and slow until they got to handle two to three miles twice a week with heavy weight(rider weighs 160) then we started "tightening" the speed and shipping in to track.
At that point we start taking off the weight and go to faster speed .






So far TS faye is the only two year old who has not had any setbacks. With one more work we will be looking for a race.









Remember Phontiffs Wind...the horse I traded Mariah for?













He had sore shin after a work at Tampa.











Phontiffs has been ridden off and on. He is galloping lightly today and will go on Wednesday if he is okay.











I'd like him to have a little more weight on him... But he eats like a horse!












If his shins are good he could race this summer.










Tiny Tune Lilly has been on the shelf with a left shin. I decided to have her ridden today to keep her weight bearing- it should not her to trot around and in a few days we might gallop her if she seems okay.











Tiny has a very subtle head bob after a half hour trotting on the machine.. That is why I have to wait on her.















The profile of her left shin shows a slight bulge still. As she heals it will go away

IE's Shins Four Days after the Breeze

This is 4 days after the breeze that Irish Eagle did at OBS. The legs show more response after two or three days. That is why I give the horses a day or two off after being ridden. Sometimes we don't know that they worked too hard. Their body tells us by these physical reactions.











If you expand this photo the protrusion is more apparent.















This angle gives a better view. The body is reacting to the stress of a tearing of the periostium sheath. As the bone rebuilds the leg becomes tighter and the bone stronger. Time to heal and turn out will be the solution.
If there is any doubt about leg I can xray in a few months.

A Setback for Irish Eagle

Irish two days after his first good breeze. He has come up with sore shins. If you expand the photo you will see the protrusions on the front of his shins. Both his shins show this though predictably, the left a little more than the right.








Here is another view. I will turn this horse out for the summer. In a month or so I may start having him walk or trot on the eurocizer but that will be all as he is very young and needs time to grow. Around Sept I will start more serious training-looking to Tampa in the Fall for him. Since this is part of my experiment with the two year olds, he is the first one to make me stop and wait.
We will see what happens with the other two!
I may yet take the summer off!







Another view of Irish Eagle's shin.

Phontiffs Wind Working Through Shins

Back on May 29th, Mom said:Remember his shins were sore after last breeze at track a month ago? Today galloped on my soft sand- he is sound! If good tomorrow I might take him along to Ocala on next Wednesday. This is working through shins.

Tiny Update

On May 29th 2009: I put Tiny to trot on machine this AM.
She still has slight head bob so I'll only walk her for two or three days and then try her again...this is what I call "working" through the shins...we never stop horse completely-turn out and movement helps healing with the natural circulation ...no drugs necessary. In a month or so I may xray if I want to be sure about status.

25MAY09 Update on the 2YOs

Shins, works, and a household cleaner trick.




Phontiffs Wind, a 4yo who galloped on the farm and bucked a shin on a breeze at track. 2 weeks ahead in healing of Tiny. Jogging now. See slight buldge in left shin? About month old and is getting smaller.












Phontiffs Wind in the walker.







My rider makes the horse stand still then he jumps on-making horse stand in place. Depending on rider,this prepares horse for track where the riders are thrown on
Of course some riders need a leg up or a mounting block...









TS Fay good and workmanlike into the gates.









TS Fay fast out of the gates. Looks like a sprinter.









Spitfire needs racetrack, getting too fast for safety.









Spitfire getting too fast for the exercise track here. Needs a real track to stretch out on. Very aggressive early. Looks like a sprinter.









Irish Eagle wants to be a route horse. takes him three of our half miles laps to get into groove, then he continmues for a total of seven. Stayer material.









Spitfire done with gallop. He was getting fractious before going through gates. Today we walked him thru gates 3 times to acclimate and calm him. Seems very agressive, prly sprinter, personality and bodytype seem that way. Don't want him too hot or crazy into gates with nothing left for race.








I use a half cup of Pinesol per half gallon of water on a final rinse for the horses. Good antibacterial and pest repellant.








Applying the Pinesol rinse.

Tiny's Shin Rehab

From May 21, 2009: Bringing Tiny's shins back up to training condition is careful balance of rest and excerise. We want to get as much exercise as we can to increase healing circulation, but we check that against the chance of reinjury.




Tiny has been on paddock rest after injuring his shins: Two weeks in 100' by 100' paddock with free movement. Now the wheel. And then back to gallops







I have two horses with sore shins.
This is a good way to get them in shape- by walking we encourage healing with circulation!