THIS horse

Today was such an amazing day. I was so incredibly proud of my horse and all the hard work both of us have put into bringing him back from all of the injuries that he has had. I can confidently say and have been able to confidently say for the last nine months or so, that THIS horse is the horse I always wanted. Today proves that as I cantered up centerline on a horse who was light and responsive, a horse who I didn't have three years ago when all the drama started.

This picture sums up today- Rico is AMAZING and I'm hanging in there

But it was not the score I wanted, I went off course, and classic Rico added some fun things into the test that I didn't think were fun, but I had to bring myself back to three years ago when I was fighting an unknown lameness and the vets said that they didn't know if he would ever come back to dressage, let alone fourth level.

LOVE

With a lot of hard work, vet visits, and rehabilitation plans, I can happily say that my horse and I returned to fourth level, we earned the highest score we have ever earned at that level, and WE HAD FUN DOING IT!

Our first centerline in three years!

The best part of today was reminiscing about how far we have come. Three years ago in September 2009, I showed 3-1 and 3-3 with scores in the low 60s. He was nearly impossible for me to get along with- he was a very physical ride, he didn't care what I thought, and he was right in thinking that bucking was a good way to control how much I asked of him.

Bucking through our test in September 2009

In November 2009, Rico's leg blew up and he was diagnosed with a suspensory. I sent him to rehabilitation in Gilroy with hopes of having him back in the spring.

Rico in the aquapacer at rehab in December 2009

In February 2010, I brought him back but something wasn't right. I fought with abscesses, swellings, and a horse that used to be an 8 mover but was now moving like a pony.

I am not a pony!!

June 2010 the vets gave up and we took him down to Alamo for an MRI. The injury was a lesion on the deep digital flexor tendon and my horse needed surgery. We did the surgery and I started bringing him back, but he wasn't coming back. He launched me and threw out my SI for the first time. I knew that if he came back, he was going to be that impossible horses again so in September 2010, I moved him to my parents ranch and gave up on him for good.

Not a bad life for a broken down retired horse

April 2011, financial problems took me down to my parents ranch too. There I was, broken after my second SI injury and losing weight due to a stomach ulcer caused by the painkillers I was on. He was just sitting there and so was I, we were broken together. One day I decided to ride him, I trailered him over to the nearby arena and hopped on him bareback. He went right on the bit, he was sound and moving better than ever.

Starting to move like he used to!

October 2011, we're back to nearly full work and have our first lesson in a couple years. I had plans for bringing him all the way back to fourth level and showing him in 2012.

Even started cavalletti

December 2011, we're fighting hock problems and I'm struggling with the idea of injecting them. February 2012, we take our first lesson with Heidi and the next day he comes up lame with a check ligament injury after galloping around in his pasture. Back to square one.

This horse has had enough cold hosing for a lifetime

June 2012, he's back! But then shows up lame in 3 out of 4 legs. I chose to inject his hocks, taking a big financial risk on a very injury prone horse.

Turns out it was worth the risk, but how was I to know?

August 2012, he feels amazing, I finally have my horse back. Better than my horse- he is light, easy to ride, and FUN. But then the behavioral problems come back, he's rearing, bucking, launching and overall very unhappy. I dealt with it as long as I could but when he started losing muscle, I realized that his saddle wasn't fitting him. I bought a new one.

He's back! But without muscle?

October 2012, here we are! Rehabilitated for what I am hoping will be, but likely will not be, the last time.

But we're happy to have gotten this far!

I would love to say that today is the day that made everything worthwhile. But honestly, it isn't, because what we went through was a blessing in disguise. Everything that we have gone through has led up to this moment.

Shoulder-in is better than it's ever been

Without Rico's injuries, I would not be a Grand Prix rider, or have my A rating. Without Rico's injuries, he and I would have never been forced to work together to get through all of this, strengthening our relationship. Without his injuries, Rico would not be the horse that he is today, the horse that I can't wait to go ride every day, the horse who doesn't injure my shoulders or ignore my aids or buck me off when he is frustrated.

School canter which we got a 7 on for the first time!

This is the horse that I wanted all along, and I'm so grateful for all that we have been through that led me to THIS horse.

I love this horse

Down to the Wire

We're getting down to the wire here. Today is our last ride before we show tomorrow! It's been shocking to me that more things haven't gone wrong. I mean I know that I was seriously injured and it's a miracle that I can ride (only yesterday was I able to sit the trot with minimal pain); and I know that my horse's leg was acting up and we had to drain his leg; but I swear that we should be injuring another leg or that I should be seriously ill or something.

Everything looks okay though!

But rather than focus on the bad, I want to go through my test so I can memorize it and figure out what to work on in warm up. Yesterday I warmed up and then rode the test. I did a LOT of transitions and rode him a little extra round, then picked him up for the test. Mistake. I should have worked on the bend/suppleness more because the entire test was him leaning one way or another. So today I'm going to focus on the bend for all gaits, but I also have other stuff to work on:

Wish we could trot up centerline

A enter collected canter; X halt, salute, proceed collected trot; C track left
- straightness on centerline with no tempis
- balance and straightness in the halt transitions
- straightness in the collected trot (remember to turn left)
- suppleness in the corner

Mediums are difficult for both of us.

HXF medium trot with 5-7 collected steps over centerline
- GO GO GO
- then WHOA WHOA WHOA
- then GO GO GO, remember this amount of GOs

We're both better at half pass now.

KX half pass right; X 10m circle; XG shoulder-in; C track right
- half pass needs bend
- 10m circle needs bend, end it in a shoulder-in
- shoulder-in needs bend and steadiness, when in doubt bend without much angle

Hoping the extended trot doesn't throw my back out during the test.

MXK extended trot
- GO GO GO!!

Needs bend always!

FX half pass left; X 10m circle; XG shoulder-in; C track left
- half pass needs bend
- make sure to go straight before circling, which needs bend
- end circle in a good, steady shoulder-in

Extended walk is not a problem, collected walk is very difficult

S collected walk; SR half circle collected walk; RS half circle extended walk
- downward needs balance and softening
- no jigging in collected walk
- no diving in extended walk

SE collected walk; E half pirouette left; S half pirouette right; E collected canter
- no jigging in transition
- left pirouette needs to not step out
- right pirouette needs bend and no sit and spin
- straightness in collected canter

Canter left is pretty good

A centerline; DE half pass left; EC counter canter; C LR change
- no pirouette on centerline
- bend in half pass, slow and bouncy
- balance in cc, no kicking in the change

Medium canter can be fun... at times...

MF medium; A centerline; DB half pass right; BC counter canter; C RL change
- GO GO GO
- no pirouette on centerline
- bend in half pass, slow and bouncy
- balance in cc, no kicking in the change

If the rider would stop tipping, the horse would be better...

C 20m circle 5-6 strides of school canter; HK extended; A centerline; X halt, salute
- shoulder-in into the school canter
- GO GO GO
- no pirouette on centerline
- straightness and balance in the salute

This horse occasionally halts square

AH! It's such an intense test for a horse who goofs off. In the past he has done the following obnoxious things in a dressage test:
- dropped his shoulder and ran off on the forehand during an extended trot
- broke to canter and galloped away with me during an extended trot
- took off bucking in an extended canter
- tempi changes on centerline
- not really halting
- halting crooked
- kicking my foot out of my stirrup in the lead changes
- sit and spin in the walk pirouettes

Lead changes are a good way to express yourself

Luckily he isn't so heavy anymore, so I'm not too worried about being taken off with, but all of the others still apply! He's getting much better about not kicking my foot out of my stirrup, but it still happens occasionally. He's also getting better about the sit-and-spin walk pirouette that he likes to do, but I'm probably going to still ride them a little large just in case.

This horse could be a reining horse if he wanted

Honestly though, I can obsess over the test and how we are going to do all I want, but what really counts in the long run is that we are BACK in the show ring. Even if we suck super hardcore and get a 45%, I'll be so happy that he is sound enough and I am healthy enough for us to make it back into the court.

This person is almost as injury prone as this horse.