Ouchies

Haven't posted in a while because there's not much to say. I threw out my back last Tuesday at work, lifting a dog using only my lower back muscles and carrying her around on towel slings for over an hour (so the knee bend squat option could not be practice while mobile). I spent the hour hand feeding this ancient dog, bathing the urine and diarrhea off of her, cleaning her run, getting her new blankets and putting down rubber mats so she didn't slip on the floor. In this process, I knocked my SI joint out of whack (reoccurring problem that started when I was 16 and murdered my back carrying drums in marching band). My only solice in putting all this effort into this poor dog and throwing my back out is that the morning staff found her dead in her run the next morning, laying on the squishy blanket I put her on, and she was sparkling clean with all of her food eaten for the first time during her stay.

I haven't been on Buddy since we've schooled cross country, haven't even sat on him bareback for fear of doing more damage to myself. But I am incredibly grateful to wonderful people in my life how have been getting on him and keeping him physically and mentally ready for the SIUC IHSA Hunt Show this weekend. I will not be riding him at all- one of my very best friends Lauren Greeno will be warming him up on the flat and over fences, and other riders from SIUC or other surrounding universities in our region will draw him to show in classes he's been approved to be in. My mom always calls Buddy my little autistic child- he thrives on routine and familiarity and has his little quirks when going about things. This is going to be a big weekend for him, but I know he can handle it. In the past 5 days, 6 different people have hopped on him for hacking or just a quick spin test ride (my trainer Jill) and he's done wonderfully. Its really helping me see him go with people of varying riding capabilities so I know what to tell competitors who draw him this weekend. I either don't notice his little quirks anymore, or his bad habits don't come out as much with me because I'm so used to subconsciously counteracting them. Keep a look out for my post after the show this weekend, I'm sure I'll 400 pictures of strangers riding my horse!

Monday: Marissa did a quick little lesson on him


Then Jill hopped on him for the first time and schooled him around for 5 min just to see what he's like: "Well that's a canter I could ride all day..." - Jill


Then Becky jumped a course with him twice.. not his prettiest fence but my slow camera didn't catch any others


Tuesday: Brigitte rode him around Western, worked on soft bending and clean stops. His head barely moved from this position and he was the most supple I've seen him in a long time.