Auggie and Friends

 When You Lose Your Friends "No one should take themselves so seriously (please stay with me) With many years ahead to fall in line (please stay with me) Why would you wish that on me? I never wanna act my age (please stay with me) What's my age again? What's my age again? What's my age again?" -Blink-182  Julie (left) with me after a horseshow-summer camp at 13 years old. I had two blue ribbons that day, and Julie always showed her support for me, even if she didn't win anything.      The weekend of the family reunion came and went with a lot less drama than I had expected. I avoided actually attending the reunion itself by busying myself with work and tending to Auggie, but I did talk to my aunt and uncle as they were staying at my parents' house for two nights. I wrestled with deciding what I should  do (morally speaking), versus what I wanted to do with my time. In the end, I simply avoided the forced gathering by quietly making myself unavailable. To

  Life Without Blinders The World is Full of Possibility!      Auggie begins to enjoy spending time together!       It was the last Friday in September when Auggie and I finally clicked. I can remember exactly the day because my aunt and uncle were due to arrive that night at my parent's house for a family reunion on the weekend. I had been dreading this "family reunion" since its inception in July, when my older cousin had implored me to attend the event at her house. As much as I appreciated being invited, I despised the forced "get togethers" with my mother's side of the  family. I had never enjoyed the gatherings as a kid and always ended up feeling bitter about it as a result. That weekend, Auggie was like a retreat for me when I needed it the most.     I made a point to decline the invitation from my cousin right away, as I wasn't interested in the whole family ganging up on me or making me feel like the odd one out. I did not want to answer questi

Auggie learned to love being groomed and pampered! Waltzes For Warmbloods  Music as a Training Aid for the Anxious Rescue Horse     With the saddle issue out of the way, I felt that I could better pinpoint some of Auggie's fears and anxieties in the arena and at the mounting block. He did not want to stand still or wait for anything; he was a ball of tension, and I could feel it through the lead rope any time I took him out of his stall. He walked with a purpose, often trying to get ahead of his handler, as if he were late for something very important.     He had been conditioned to a life of work, work, work and if he didn't hustle up and get to where he was going, he was certain that something bad would happen. He had been treated like a machine for so long, that he was compelled to act like one. His demeanor was still on the stand-offish side, with very little playfulness or humor showing at that point. I could see in his eyes that there was a personality behind the cold sho

Making Some Progress, One Step at a Time Auggie's Correction pad helps to solve some problems!               The correction pad arrived in the mail three days later, and I was eager to test it out. Holly instructed me to put one foam shim in the right, front pocket of the pad and then place it between the saddle and the normal pad. Once I had tested it out, she would return to the farm to observe Auggie moving with the saddle and without the saddle to compare and make adjustments. This change could make a huge difference for the outcome of our training, as improper saddle fit can lead to all sorts of behavioral and physical problems. I was very hopeful that I was on the right track.     That Tuesday, I tacked Auggie up as usual and included the correction pad under the saddle. He still threw his head when it came time for the bridle, but I was more prepared for that at this point and allowed him to lower his head into the bridle when he was ready. It was going to take some time to

Getting Help from a Professional Saddle-Fitting Consultant  Asking for help was the best thing I ever did! Auggie started to become sensitive to the pressure of the saddle. We needed to correct that quickly!           The longtime Equine dentist in our area, Mark, arrived at the farm that Friday morning to work on several horses that were due to be floated. I could not leave work that particular day, so Amy was in charge of bringing Auggie to the wash stalls for the procedure when it was his turn to be examined. I figured with the sedation there shouldn't be any trouble getting him to safely cooperate with Mark for the fifteen minutes or so that it takes to file down the teeth.     Amy texted me later that day to say that Auggie hadn't cooperated with Mark and that he needed a dose of Dorm gel (  Dormosedan  ) in order to get the exam completed. Once Auggie was fully sedated, Mark examined his mouth and determined that he did NOT need any dental work done at the time; his teet