Hot and Cold
Rogo has me completely mystified. After telling you how forward he'd become, and how I could hardly hold him in at the schooling show and test riding clinic, he completely died on me at our Equine Canada bronze show a couple of weekends ago. In Training Level test 3 he literally went slower and slower, while I kicked and whacked him, until he gently and softly came to a complete halt. It wasn't bracey or balky feeling - just a slow winding down to nothing. He blew through three moves with this (he was supposed to be cantering as he trotted slower and slower and then stopped) and the rest of it wasn't much better. I noticed in the warm up that he was losing energy, but this was beyond! We ended up with a 49 and I think that was generous.
His shoeing had gotten off and thus his gaits weren't good prior to the show. I barely rode him for 2+ weeks and then at the walk. The day before the show the third trip from the farrier put everything right. It's amazing what shoeing can do. So that night I decided to go and off we went, getting there late. I also rode Level 1 test one and it wasn't much better 51.5 and NO energy.
The next day he rallied for a
64.8 in Training Level 3, and a tie for first which we missed out on
because of the collective marks. Then he completely stalled out again,
getting 55 on Level One test one.
I'm
not sure what was going on and I porobably never will. I hadn't thought
we'd be in top form after the time off, but I wasn't expecting that
either. He still doesn't have the forward he'd had, but it's better. We
(I?) had tons of fun at the show, so it was a good weekend anyway.
Meanwhile, MY foot got
so painful I could hardly ride and had to cancel going in the Cindy
Ishoy clinic this past weekend. Turns out I have Morton's neuroma, a very painful condition where the nerves in the ball of your foot
become irritated and putting your foot in a stirrup is agonizing. I got
so I couldn't keep my foot in the stirrup. A cortisone injection seems
to have fixed it for now, but it may come back and may need surgery :(
Here are some pictures of the show. I think he looks better than we were :)
Comments
That's really mysterious about Rogo at the show. Hoping you get to the bottom of it, or better yet it never happens again.
I agree with Karen - you two look great in the pictures. Good hearing from you!
Hope you're foot continues to improve!
As for the Rogo, I'd start with an expert's opinion--talk to the vet. There may be other things going on unrelated to shoes, two weeks off or your own foot problem. (Been THIS route, too).
Regardless I'm glad you had fun and you both look gorgeous in the pictures! That's all that matters right? Hehehehe!
Sorry about your foot. I hope you don't need surgery.