# The great adventures of my horse family



## Dwarf (Jun 26, 2014)

What a beautiful family you have! :loveshower:


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Not an update on my horse family, but more on me. Today I got a call from the owner of the horse that kicked me in the face last Tuesday. She is convinced that, when I get well again, I will go back to her stable and keep working with her horses, including the one that kicked me. I don`t think that I will be able to do that ever again and I don`t know what to do. 
You see, the problem is not even the horses there - it is the management. There are 2 stables - breeding mare stable and stallion stable. At the moment there are 3 stallions in breeding mare stable, their stalls are right next to the mares and they can see, smell and somewhat interact with them daily. Since there is only 1 pasture, the stallions get out of their stalls... rarely and by rarely I mean, maybe once a week, maybe once a month it depends on I don`t even know what (the stable hand says that he lets these stallions out almost daily, but I know he is lying). So, you can imagine how exactly dangerous these horses are - they are going CRAZY in their stalls because of the mares and lack of exercise. In the stallion stable there are 2 young stallions at the moment and they are living on somewhat 24/7 pasture turnout with shelters and no mares around. BUT they get 0 human interaction - they only see the stable hand who is feeding them. On top of that, everything is filthy, the stable hand is not mucking out anything at all, there are garbage lying around in piles and it is not only plain disgusting but there are rats living there - I am very, very, very scared of rats. 
So you can imagine what a horror story all of this is. As I understand my main job was to work with these stallions (both in mare stable and in the stallion stable) to get them somewhat civilized. The only reason I agreed to this was the fact that I pity these horses so much! Most of my time there I spent letting the stallions outside, feeding the horses, making sure that little foals don`t have to lay in pure horse poop and has at least some straw in their stalls etc. I also worked with the stallions in the 24/7 stable, one was already lunging and the other was... well he was very scared of human and for the last month I just put the halter on him (that alone usually took around 1h because, well - no stalls there and I had to catch him in pasture) and brushed him a little every day. Until the last Tuesday when he got scared of something and kicked me. 
So now the owner thinks that I should have achieved more with these horses (mainly the ones in mare stable) during the month (she didn`t say so, but I felt it) and thinks that I will go back there once I am off my bed rest. I don`t know how to tell her that I won`t go there. I know she doesn`t have anyone else that could help her and I am so sorry for the misery of those horses. But I just can`t do this anymore. This is not the first time and I know it won`t be the last. They just refuse to change their lifestyle and it is only getting worse...
I know I`m just ranting here, but putting it all out makes me feel a bit clearer about all of this situation.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I’m glad you started a journal. I think you take really good pictures.

Hmmm... I think you’ll feel better about it once you tell her that you quit. It’s okay to quit, she’ll find someone else, no matter how she tries to make you feel you need to stay. We are all replaceable at our jobs. Lol (This is the story I’ve told myself when I left jobs)

I don’t think anyone could blame you for not wanting to go back. I definitely wouldn’t want to. I also think that the setting you described would take several months for a single person to get anywhere with. I would be careful to not assume that’s what she’s thinking though, because probably whatever is going through her mind is completely different than you imagine. 🙂


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Thank you @Knave !  I will try to get some courage to tell her that I am finally not coming back there... ever. I hope that she will be at least somewhat understanding and I really do hope that she will rethink her horse living arrangements. They deserve so much better.  

On the more positive note - today is the day that I finally became a proud owner of my very own horse trailer! I was dreaming about this moment for years because trying to arrange someone to drive me to competitions or to horse clinic was a nightmare and well expensive as hell. And I finally saved up enough money to buy a trailer of my own! It is quite old and used of course, but I still love it and can`t wait for the first trip when I`ll be healthy again!  
We celebrated the new trailer drinking gingerella out of champagne glasses since I can`t drink real champagne.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Congrats on the trailer! I also hope that you no longer have that job to worry you.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I am finally starting to feel better and don`t feel like fainting after 30 minute walk, so I am considering getting back on a horse soon! Today Caldelero is getting his Tetanus shot, so probably after the 3 recommended after-vaccine rest days.  
Also today is Caldelero`s birthday - he is 5 years old! Time flies, it feels like he was a baby just yesterday. Bought him (and rest of the family) some extra carrots, apples and sugars so they are getting fancy dinner tonight to celebrate. Here is my big birthday boy, a bit hairy, but I`ll fix that as soon as I am out of the bed.  
















Oh, and Arcaro and Varbūtība were so cute today that I just had to share a picture of them.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

*Welcome to family Abbie l`un des Chanceux!*

Uf, how busy and nerve wrecking this last week has been! Smaile foaled a beautiful filly in Saturday noon, but she did in the paddock with other horses around! Though baby and Smaile and the rest of the horses were fine (except Caldelero, I think he`ll need a therapist after seeing that, he really seems very traumatized after this experience  ), Smaile had a retained placenta. Long story short - I got the medicine for that and Smaile birthed the placenta after just one dose and all seemed fine. But of course, as it always is with me, next day came with new challenges as the filly had milk coming out of her nose after nursing. The only vet I could get out here ASAP told me that it looks like Smaile just has too much milk that is coming out very, very easily and with a lot of pressure, so the filly can`t swallow all that and it gets into her nose. He told me that there is really not much we can do and I just have to wait until she gets bigger and starts eating more and the pressure in the udder goes down. Not the solution I wanted to hear but I really don`t have any other option at the moment. I didn`t see milk in her nose yesterday though, so.... Maybe he was right and it is going to resolve itself.
Anyway, after all the fuss, sleepless nights and shaking hands I figured that the filly really needs a name with good karma, so I named her Abbie l`un des Chanceux (from French - Abbie one of the Lucky Ones). I may still change my name a little and figure out a more easily pronounced option, but the meaning will be very similar. I need my filly to be very lucky!  
Abbie is very feisty little filly and seems to be enjoying life. She is bucking and kicking a lot and there has been more than couple of times when she almost kicked me in the face again.  
Yesterday she became 3 days old and we celebrated with champagne (though non-alcoholic as my broken bones are still healing) that we also poured on her legs for them to be light and fast. And she got the family halter. This was the halter that I bought Caldelero when he was born. After that Arcaro got them in the same champagne pouring ceremony and yesterday was Abbie`s turn. I wonder if we maybe someday will be able to do the same with Abbie`s foals. That would be something! 

The rest of the family are now at the "far far away" pasture where they always go in spring and autumn. Though without Smaile they really are weird there and it seems like they are just standing in one place, waiting for me to bring them home. Maybe they don`t feel safe, because Smaile was the Alpha mare? Or maybe they really all are traumatized by the foaling thing? Eh, who knows, but I am bringing them home today for couple of hours as I am going to finally start training Caldelero again. We have show comping up at 8th June!


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Congrats on the filly!!

Yes, what the vet said is not really what you want to hear, as nobody likes the idea of milk going in the lungs and causing an infection. Could you just get rid of some of the milk by yourself? 

The name should be Abbie L'une des Chanceuses as she is a female, or Abbie La Chanceuse.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Fimargue said:


> Congrats on the filly!!
> 
> Yes, what the vet said is not really what you want to hear, as nobody likes the idea of milk going in the lungs and causing an infection. Could you just get rid of some of the milk by yourself?
> 
> The name should be Abbie L'une des Chanceuses as she is a female, or Abbie La Chanceuse.


Exactly! He said that it wouldn`t work as the udder gets full in no time and also that it could hurt the mare or the filly as she could get mastitis, start producing even more milk etc. Any way I have been measuring her temperature several times a day and still haven`t caught her dripping milk form the nose in last 24 hours. If I will see any evidence of that again, I will just call some other vet and promise to pay him/her everything I have, maybe then someone will actually come at the same week or even day!  I have also left a message with my regular vet but he is unpredictable and I am waiting for an appointment for around 2 months now. Sometimes I just want to go to the vet school myself, it would be much simpler! 

Ha, guess the google translate is not the best source for actually translating stuff!  Thank you, I will change that!


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Abbie is gorgeous and I hope it all works out well. Human and horse babies are all so nerve wracking.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

*Back on track*

Yay, I am finally riding again! I was a bit nervous about riding Caldelero since he has been out of work for a month and he is still very green, but he did great! Not only was he very calm and careful with me, he also was very attentive and really listened to what i was asking for. Our biggest struggle is him falling on the inside shoulder in turns, but yesterday (and today) he actually went away from my leg. Finally!  Today we even jumped some small-ish cross rails. There, of course I felt all the other things that we still need to work on, for example he likes to stretch out before the jump or turn on the light speed (oh, you can`t even imagine how many times I have thought that this is how I die while jumping him  ), but he still did very good considering that I am definitely not in my best shape and am still a little dizzy when moving. 
These past days have also been very, very hot so the horses spends most of the day in the stable. Varbūtība is growing that baby bump of hers by days and soon enough the baby no.2 will arrive! 
Oh, and while I am starting to get ready for the second foal, Abbie seems to be doing fine. I thing she sometimes still has that milk in her nose (well, have seen it 2 times since the last post), but she is feeling very good. Also she has an appointment with my regular vet next week. He is really very smart and if he won`t be able to figure this out, he has very good connections with other vets and he is one of those vets who is ALWAYS seeking for an advice if he himself isn`t sure about the diagnose. I hope he comes Monday or Tuesday, I really need this to be over so I can breathe again. 
Anyways, here is a picture of Varbūtība and her babybump. Oh and one with Caldelero`s ears from our yesterdays after-ride walk to the forest. I really need to get his mane in order, he is so hairy that you can`t even see his neck.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

*When nothing goes right*

Sorry, this is probably going to be a bit depressive post but honestly, I just need to vent a little, because I am SO close to nervous breakdown as ever. 
This last year have been very, very tough. Bad things keep happening to me and my horses one after another. In just a year I have been run over by all of my 4 horses, a week after that some horse kicked me and ruptured my thumb extensor tendon (still trying to bring myself to schedule a surgery for that), a very calm schooling horse suddenly went nuts when I was showing her for buyers, roared and fell right on me, knocking me out and the grand finale was around a month ago when a horse kicked me in my face and fractured it in 8 places. Now one of my eyes is noticeably bigger than the other, I have very visible scars and people are talking around that it`s a shame, because I was so pretty and now I`ll never be the same again.
At the same time Caldelero has scratched his cornea, gotten some mysterious fever around 40C and cough (the cough is still sometimes there, so I am trying to bring myself to take him to bronchoscopy), he somehow found an old, rusty nail somewhere in the pasture, dug it up and pierced it into his cheek, and now his hooves are awful and breaking down and he`s getting shoes at the next farrier appointment. Arcaro has gotten his cornea scratched 2 (!!!!) times, one for each eye, he had an abscess, he now has a huge splint, he has seemingly unbeatable mud fever and mysterious swelling in 3 (like wtf, why 3) legs. The mares at least have been somewhat good, but still, Smaile`s breathing this winter was really bad, after foaling she had a retained placenta and Varbūtība got colic for the first time in her 11 years on earth. 
Oh, and how could I forget Abbie - the foal who had milk coming out of her nose, who probably has a little umbilical hernia and today, after a running marathon with my dog, she suddenly went dead lame. By the time I found the cold gel and went back to her, she was okay again, but still! 
I just don`t get what am I doing wrong. I am trying to make environment for my horses as safe as possible, I fully renovated the stable, I am feeding them as good as I can, spending my money to the last cent for supplements and good quality, well fitting tack, I am truly giving them all I can and more. I even just found a well paying part time job so I could afford more and at the same time wouldn`t have to be away from home and could care for my horses at all times. So why do bad things keep happening to us? Ok, I could live with my troubles, but why do my horses have to suffer? I really haven`t had a one day in all this time, that I wasn`t worrying about something horse related. I just can`t take this anymore. People usually says that "after a storm there is always a rainbow", but I am starting to believe that all I`ll have is a never ending storm. Has anyone of you had a similar time in their life? And did it get better, were there really the promised rainbow? 
I want to go back to this - when my horses were healthy, I was in one piece and was able to enjoy the little things in life.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I’m sorry you are feeling down. Truly though things are cyclical. So after winter comes spring. You’ve had a run of bad luck, but it will get better and your days will be bright again. 

On a side note, don’t let people bring you down. A little scarring only makes you more beautiful. It says you’ve lived through things.  Chin up buttercup.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Thank You @Knave ! I really hope that things will sort out!

Today finally my vet came to look at my horses - last two times I waited for him, he was called in emergency surgeries just as he was half way here (there is a 2 hour drive between us). Abbie is fine - she doesn`t have hernia and he thinks that the "milk problem" was because of some difficulties to swallow that has resolved itself. 
Arcaro, who actually has a birthday today, got RTG for his huge splint. Just as I feared, the splint bone has cracked. But my vet was very positive about this and told me that it will definitely heal on it`s own as it`s not fully broken and/or dislocated. He gave me DMSO to rub in 2x a day and if it doesn`t get better, we`ll try the shock wave therapy, turns out that it`s very affordable here, in Latvia - 7 week course will cost around 350 euro in total.  The bad news is that he chipped his hoof really bad a week ago, but my farrier is on vacation, so the only one I could get to come and trim his hoof so it doesn`t chip any further was a barefoot trimmer. Arcaro became lame right after the trim, but I figured that it was only because the excess hoof wall was off and the chipped place now had more pressure on it. Well, my vet was not too impressed about that fact and said that his hooves are too flat now and that`s why he is lame. He also had some very, very minor pulsation on trimmed feet. He wasn`t too worried though and just said to check if it doesn`t get stronger. I, on the other hand, am VERY worried! I hope it`ll be fine. Is there anything I could do to help him? 
The worst part is that tomorrow some semi-ok farrier is coming to trim Caldelero`s hooves as he is also chipping a lot and he just can`t wait for my regular farrier and now I am scared that he`ll also become lame. We need more qualified vets and farriers here, otherwise everyone is just impossibly busy and getting an appointment is a nightmare!


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

I'm so sorry you have had so bad luck and that life is unfair to you. I know these feelings as I have depression and it just keeps coming back sometimes, especially now that I have again tried to be without medication. I also get face burning, sometimes daily, and that is one of the biggest reasons putting me down and aggravating my depression. Horses are the only thing keeping me going. 

It seems your barefoot trimmer took too much off the sole. I trim my horses feet myself and I make them round, heels even, but do not touch the sole.

Chipping, and flat feet, could also mean way too long hooves.

Happy birthday to Arcaro!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Fimargue said:


> I'm so sorry you have had so bad luck and that life is unfair to you. I know these feelings as I have depression and it just keeps coming back sometimes, especially now that I have again tried to be without medication. I also get face burning, sometimes daily, and that is one of the biggest reasons putting me down and aggravating my depression. Horses are the only thing keeping me going.
> 
> It seems your barefoot trimmer took too much off the sole. I trim my horses feet myself and I make them round, heels even, but do not touch the sole.
> 
> ...


Yes, I guess depression is a life long fighting and even if it does get better at times, it can get really bad at any given moment. Congrats on coming off medication though, it must be very hard! 

That`s the weird thing - she didn`t touch the sole. Only took off the excess hoof wall, but I guess it was a little too much? 
But the chipping is unlikely because of too long hooves, for example now the last trim was around 5-6 weeks ago and that shouldn`t cause chipping above the sole. The chipping is most likely because of the very dry and hot weather we are having - the ground in pasture is hard as concrete.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

I'm not sure I'm off though, I might need to take it back stay on it forever... as every time I do, I go back to the way I was. I have been crying almost daily now and sometimes I get obsessive thoughts again. So trust me I know how life can be nothing but utter s***.

Yes, that could well be. I was not meaning to say it in a way that you wouldn't have got them trimmed regularly! It just that what I consider long, might be enough short for the farrier.

Well definitely the ground can also have it's effect. We have hot and dry and concrete hard ground for weeks and then nothing but rain, it definitely does not help...


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Fimargue said:


> I'm not sure I'm off though, I might need to take it back stay on it forever... as every time I do, I go back to the way I was. I have been crying almost daily now and sometimes I get obsessive thoughts again. So trust me I know how life can be nothing but utter s***.
> 
> Yes, that could well be. I was not meaning to say it in a way that you wouldn't have got them trimmed regularly! It just that what I consider long, might be enough short for the farrier.
> 
> Well definitely the ground can also have it's effect. We have hot and dry and concrete hard ground for weeks and then nothing but rain, it definitely does not help...


True! Also the hooves are growing much faster in summer, so that probably didn`t help with the chipping. I just hope that now the hooves will grow out fast enough for poor Arcaro to be sound again. And I hope he doesn`t get laminitis, I am terrified of that! On the other hand, he is prancing and galloping around the paddock with his sore feet as if they woulnd`t bother him at all, so maybe laminitis is not an option.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Well if he is prancing and galloping, then I don't think it is looking too bad.  He is not overweight is he? Is he eating grain?


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Fimargue said:


> Well if he is prancing and galloping, then I don't think it is looking too bad.  He is not overweight is he? Is he eating grain?


No, he is in a very good shape - not too thin and not too fat. He is getting small amount of grain, but I can pause that until his feet get better.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

My heart aches for you. I am so sorry all these horrible things are happening to you. It is not fair at all. I truly hope some of these issues resolve themselves. And, as the song says, "the scars make you beautiful." I love your journal and hope that soon things will improve.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

It might be a good idea, just in case. I hope they will get better very quickly, but at least he does not seem too uncomfortable. I would not worry too much for the laminatis, as he doesn't even have any extra weight.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> My heart aches for you. I am so sorry all these horrible things are happening to you. It is not fair at all. I truly hope some of these issues resolve themselves. And, as the song says, "the scars make you beautiful." I love your journal and hope that soon things will improve.



Thank you! I hope so too! Maybe I`ll have a run of very, very good luck for while now to compensate for all these unfortunate events.  



Fimargue said:


> It might be a good idea, just in case. I hope they will get better very quickly, but at least he does not seem too uncomfortable. I would not worry too much for the laminatis, as he doesn't even have any extra weight.


Well, off the grain he goes then. Arcaro will not be happy about this!  

Keep you fingers crossed for Caldelero to NOT be sore after today`s farrier visit! I really want to finally go to competition with him this weekend! We will probably fail miserably as we are not ready at all yet, but I just miss competing so much, that I don`t really care. At least I`ll have a chance to finally wear my new competition shirt that I bought last year, before all my misfortunes, in hopes of competing.


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## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you! Hoping to compete too someday, but in dressage.

Abbie is such a cutie.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Yay, Caldelero is not sore after the visit of the new farrier and, hopefully, we are going to show tomorrow! This will be Caldelero`s first show ever, so I am VERY nervous. The weather is also getting much colder and all of the horses are full of energy, which would be nice, except Caldelero has decided to put all that energy to good use and figure out new ways how to improve my seat. For example now he thinks that I need to work on my balance when I`m asking him to canter, so every time I do that, he jumps in the air with all four legs and first 4 strides he`s not even cantering, just bucking. A year ago I wouldn`t care, but now I am totally out of shape and honestly I am also scared of falling. I don`t know if that`s because of all the recent accidents or just because I`ve been out of the saddle for a while but, yes, for the first time in my many riding years, I am really scared of falling. So, tomorrow will be CRAZY!  
My boyfriend made me some new jumps and yesterday was the first time I got to use them. We didn`t jump too high since I`m really out of shape and also the ground is still too hard, but, since we are only going to jump a 60cm and 80cm courses, it was also unnecessary. Here`s a little something from our last jump, Caldelero did quite good, me - not so much. But I will improve, hopefully!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I am SO impressed with Caldelero. We went to the competition today and he was just incredible! Right after unloading he didn`t behave too well - roaring, bucking, kicking out and just being scared from everything. I barely could tack him up and after that he just would not lunge! Since our start was coming up and we needed to warm up, I risked and just got on him without lunging. He calmed down in an instant. He still spooked at new things and riding him wasn`t easy, but he didn`t roar or buck or anything. He had one stop at 60cm and the course itself wasn`t pretty as he was spooking at everything, but in 80cm he jumped as if he was an old horse! I screwed up couple of times - forgetting the course for a second, that was enough for me to make a wrong turn and I wasn`t really well balanced or strong enough for youngster, but he fought for us both!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Caldelero is on fire! We went to another competition yesterday and he got his first ribbon! 
We jumped 60 cm and 80 cm courses. He behaved excellent, didn`t spook as much as I thought he would, since these were more serious competition with lots of horses, banners, flags etc. He placed 4th in 60cm out of 34 riders! The most surprising fact is that we didn`t even try - I just let him "do his thing", went for all the long corners, didn`t cut short anywhere and I didn`t even hope for a placing since there were many children with ponies and other riders who cut short every distance. I was taking his saddle off when I heard the invitation for prize giving ceremony.  
And at 80cm he was already tired since it was a really hot day and we had to wait for more than 2 hours for our start. But still - a clear round that placed 10th out of 32 riders and we were less than a second slower that the 6th place.  
Many people came to me and said that he is really a keeper and for second competition he did VERY good. So, yes, I guess we have to start competing at higher courses - 80cm and 100cm. July is quite empty for competition here, so we have time to get stronger and work out some flatwork issues.  
Oh, and this competition happened just by the sea! I tried to go swimming with Caldelero but he refused. And like really refused, I tried everything. I guess we have to start training him to swim in lakes or rivers before going to the sea next time.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaands more pictures.









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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Uff, what a long week! Last Monday Varbūtība gave birth to a colt, who then needed to go to a clinic because he couldn`t pee and we were afraid that he had a ruptured bladder. Long story, short he was fine and I took him home after 2 days of observation. I don`t even know how I succeeded hauling them back and forth to the clinic as I am very new at this hauling thing and the 3 hour drive with a baby and a mare is challenging even for somewhat more experienced drivers.
Of course my series of unfortunate events are not over just yet. This Saturday we had Summer Solstice celebration and I figured that I could go away for just one night and leave my mom to look after horses. I put them in stalls, so they would be "safe", left a feeding plan etc., and left thinking that everything will be just fine. Of course it wasn`t. Again, long story short, Varbūtība had kicked out at Caldelero, who lives next to her, and the leg went right trough the wall... Of course it was stuck then really high. My mom, who is totally not a horse person didn`t know what to do and called my "neighbor" who has horses herself. Thankfully she was home and came to help as quickly as possible. Varbūtība was free in about an hour, but the leg looks awful - it has many minor wounds and it`s very, very swollen. She isn`t really lame and the swelling goes down somewhat when she is turned out. I sent photos and video of her moving to my vet and he said that at this point it all looks normal and she should be fine, as long as she doesn`t become really lame or the swelling gets better after 5 days. 
And also I have seen milk coming out of Abbie`s nostrils again. We have an appointment at the clinic for endoscopy tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed for it NOT to be a cleft palate and that instead it would be something very minor. Also keep your fingers crossed for a safe drive - Abbie is much bigger than Varbūtības foal was and I am afraid that she`ll hurt herself in the trailer jumping around. :/


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Nope, can't like your post. You have had far more than your share of misfortunes, completely undeserved. I am so sorry. How is the newest baby doing?


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> Nope, can't like your post. You have had far more than your share of misfortunes, completely undeserved. I am so sorry. How is the newest baby doing?


Well, I hope that after tomorrow this is it. No more accidents, no more night rides to clinic and desperate calls to my poor vet, who pities me so much, that the last time he was here, he gave me a huge discount and took money only for the medication and materials.

The newest baby is doing very good! He is super active and lively, although scared of humans. Since I am cleaning and wrapping Varbūtības leg couple times a day, he is finally starting to show some interest in me. When all of this craziness is over, I`ll try to make more pictures of him.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Finally some good news! Abbie doesn`t have a cleft palate! 
We went to the clinic today - the drive was uneventful, Abbie acted like she had been driving around in trailers forever. She was scoped by the very best veterinarian in the country, so no doubt about the diagnosis - there are no abnormalities, she is perfectly healthy. He thinks that she just hasn`t gotten hold of this "swallowing food" thing, but she`ll grow out of this eventually. The trachea was clean, so she isn`t choking on her food and there are practically no danger in this situation. Oh, the relief I had. I really thought that she had cleft palate and I think that the whole clinic staff thought so too. Turns out that I just have a very greedy foal.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Yay!!! Hooray!! Wonderful news!!!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Such good news @smaile! Have been following all your foals and was hoping this is what you would find out.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I still need to wrap my mind around the fact, that everyone should be fine now. I still catch myself getting a little heart attack every time a horse sneezes, lays down or stumbles. 
As of today admission to most of the Universities here are open. For the last couple of years I have this little dream of getting a degree in veterinary sciences and becoming a real vet. This last year I have seen my vet in action more than I would want to, but it has made me think that maybe this could really be my thing. Eh, if only life would be that simple - I live 3 hours away from the Veterinary University, I have 6 (!) horses at home and even if I could ask my boyfriend to take care of them, I couldn`t pay for anything myself as I would be a full time student. I also would have to pay for my studies at least for one semester since at high school I was all about social sciences and have very average, if not bad, grades at chemistry and biology, so no free studies for me until I get my grades up. The fact that I am 25 years old is also big problem as I would be 31 (you have to study 6 years to become a vet) when I graduate. Not really the best age to start a totally new career. Also I am not sure if I could handle all the blood and guts and other terrifying things that I would have to deal with. 
But still, I really, really, really want to do this! I have a bachelor`s degree in journalism, but it is really hard to make a living as a horse journalist here. Impossible actually. A horse vet sounds much more realistic. 

I made pictures with horse from tonight, but the internet refuses to cooperate. I`ll try to upload them later.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)




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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)




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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Yay, Caldelero got his first set of shoes! I feel like he is moving much more confident now, even with only front shoes.  
But oh, how furious my farrier was about Arcaro`s hooves. He said that even now, after ~3 weeks, he is still walking on his soles.  I feel so guilty about this...
The good news is that Arcaro will probably be just fine after his hooves grows back. And even better - my farrier`s apprentice is now advanced enough to be the "go to" guy when my farrier is away himself. So no more desperate calls from me to anyone else about my horses hooves, I hope.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Nope, still living in my never ending nightmare. Yesterday I was taking off halter of Varbūtība and Arcaro came to say hi. She, of course, got all "mareish" and bit him. He usually just runs away or kicks out in the air, never ever would any of my horses kick me, but this time he somehow got me. It was a total accident - he didn`t even stretch his back legs out fully (at least I think so) and it was totally my fault as I was standing right between him and Varbūtība.... Now I have a broken shoulder blade, it hurts like hell and I can`t move my hand for a month. My right (!!!) hand! I can`t even sleep normally. 
Oh well, it could`ve been worse, I guess, since it was just cm away from my spine. And at least the horses are okay. For now....


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

This is just too awful. I can't believe your string of terrible misfortunes. My heart aches for you. When will it ever end???


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> This is just too awful. I can't believe your string of terrible misfortunes. My heart aches for you. When will it ever end???


I still have some hope (after reading thousands of "positive quotes" in Pinterest, of course) that this is just a very heavy storm before a lifetime of sunshine and rainbows. Hope is fools gold or what ever was the saying about this.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

So, last week I somehow completely spontaneously applied to vet school. Well, I guess you can`t really say spontaneously in my case, as I was talking and dreaming about this for years, but just at this moment all stars aligned and I have someone that can take care of horses while I`m gone, I have a place to live while I study (at least for this first year) and, well, so many people were saying that I should just go for it, that I ... did.
The official results will be announced this Friday, but I can see the provisional results, and, according to them - I am in. Like, really in! In the vet school! 
After the announcement of results, I`ll have to decide really fast if I want to really do this or if I`ll give my place to someone else. And I have no idea what to do! On the one hand, this is my dream - being able to really change some horse`s life and helping them. Not to mention the chance to meet new horses every day, educating the owners and most of all - myself. But those are 6 years of school! being away from home, not being able to really make a living and graduating when I`m 30. 
Also what if I can`t get over fear of surgery? I`m not scared or sick of blood, but the thought of me cutting someone open makes me uneasy - what if I just can`t do it? So many what if`s and doubts! :O


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I say if you're accepted, do it. I have had the fortunate experience of having my education completely alter my life in the most positive way. I know university has not been the same experience for everyone, but I would always encourage people with a chance like this to take it and make the most of it. Good luck!


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Thirty won’t be bad at all. If you want to do it you should. It’s an investment.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Just think: you would never have to call the vet again . . . or wait for the vet . . . or trailer to the vet . . . and your children would have a vet right on call. I wish I had a vet in the family sometimes, just to ask those nagging little questions. After all you've been through, I'll bet you wish you had a vet in the family too. I'll bet also that once you start doing the surgeries, you will get accustomed to it.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Yes, actually all these misfortunes with horses was one of the strongest pushes to just go for it and apply - at least now I now that I am really interested in diagnosing, researching and treating different illness in horses. Oh, the many hours spent reading research on eye ulcers, COPD, neonatal foal diseases etc.  
And I got in. At least I think so, this applying system is somewhat confusing here, but the e-mail says that I am accepted.  And I guess I`m going to go for it! You know how there are decisions that you know are going to be either the best or the worst decisions in your life and there isn`t going to an in between? This is one of them! 

While I`ve been agonizing about vet school, the weather here has turned incredibly hot! Well, at least for our climate - it`s going to hit around 86 F degrees for couple of weeks and I don`t see any rain in the forecast. Horses are miserable, they live inside the stable most of the time because of the horse flies - there are billions of them here. Since I still can`t move my right hand (and I can`t get on/off the horse, I tried), Caldelero is being ridden by my friend. This week also a very advanced dressage rider came to ride him and she showed me some exercises to help him get rounder in his back and more elastic. Caldelero is actually quite popular here - after my accident I got couple of calls form riders that wanted to take him for themselves , they even were ready to keep him at their stables. This seemed very weird to me, but oh well, I guess that is a good thing? 
Next week we have small competitions held near my stable and Caldelero is going with my friend. I, of course, cried a bit, since I wanted to go with him and compete, but oh well. Next year. 

Since horses live in the stable and I actually can`t hold my camera, I don`t have any pictures, but Facebook showed me a memory from 4 years ago with me and Arcaro`s sire Alberto. I miss him so much! I`m going to try to schedule Arcaro`s last rtg for his splint to see if everything is ok and if I can start to finally break him in. I hope that my friend, who is riding Caldelero, will be able to start training Arcaro as well as I want this to happen as soon as possible.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Since last week I am officially a vet student. I have had like billion panic attacks about the fact that I don`t remember anything from high school chemistry classes, that I`ll be in student loan debts after this, that I`m too old and what my horses are going to do without me for the main part of the week. Yestreday I bought chemistry books for high school students and I`m probably spending the rest of the summer trying to get all of that in my head since I`m hoping to get a scholarship for the next semester. Keep your fingers crossed!

At the same time Caldelero went to small training competition yesterday with my friend who is riding him now until my scapula heals. He did really good and she`s going to be jumping him 100cm course for the first time next week. My heart hurts so bad that she gets to compete him but I don`t! He is fantastic horse, who LOVES competition and jumping, like really loves. It`s something that I felt at his previous competition and my friend said that she felt that too - the moment you enter the ring he just gets all fired up and becomes a totally different horse. And it`s not stress or fear, it`s a pure excitement - he really wants to jump. It`s like he lives for this. And what more can you want from a showjumping horse if not the love for jumping and competing?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Congrats on getting in vet school! I have thought about going back. I had the misfortune to be going at a time when female vet students were frowned at and at a school were there was little tolerance for women. They had only recently been allowed to attend. I should have stayed home and gone to our state school. You know what they say about hindsight. I feel age is against me now. It'll all come back. Just need some refreshing.

It's great you have talented people to ride your horses. Hard to watch but good for everyone.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I love your photos!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

QtrBel said:


> Congrats on getting in vet school! I have thought about going back. I had the misfortune to be going at a time when female vet students were frowned at and at a school were there was little tolerance for women. They had only recently been allowed to attend. I should have stayed home and gone to our state school. You know what they say about hindsight. I feel age is against me now. It'll all come back. Just need some refreshing.
> 
> It's great you have talented people to ride your horses. Hard to watch but good for everyone.


It`s hard to even imagine how awful that must have been for you! Equal rights and no prejudice (well at least less prejudice) seems so obvious that sometimes today we underestimate our freedom of making our own choices and being able to do whatever we want with our lives....


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Congrats on vet school! 

I too love your photos. Thanks for sharing your horses with us!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Uf, it`s still hot here and we still have billions and billions of horse flies. Everyone are miserable, the grass is burning out - we haven`t seen rain for a month or two. Not even one drop. The saddest moments in past few weeks has been those where I see in the weather forecast that it is supposed to be raining here, but all I can see looking out of the window is clear skies and 33C degrees. :frown_color:
The good news though are that I am starting to slowly get back on a horse. Well, ok, I hopped on once and for 5 minutes, but it was GREAT! I`m starting to ride Caldelero next week myself, after my check up rtg. Until then he is still being ridden by my friend who is also going to compete with him again this Sunday. We went for a training session to a stable near us and I think that Caldelero really did good. He jumped wall and water jump for the first time in his life and didn`t even blink. Oh, what a wonderful horse I have.  

I, of course, have tons of new pictures with my oh so pretty horses. But please don`t judge my riding - sitting on a horse for the first time in a month and wearing a dress doing it wasn`t the wisest choice I ever made.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)




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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

And I finally have also some new baby pictures. Abbie and L`aventure (his owner decided that he really doesn`t look like Little Stuart anymore  ) are spending their evenings in fruit garden right under my window.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Great pictures! But . . . what about your broken shoulder blade? Much pain still? Riding with mainly one hand? Or are you pretty much back being able to use it? Can you sleep on it yet? Still having to do physical therapy?


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> Great pictures! But . . . what about your broken shoulder blade? Much pain still? Riding with mainly one hand? Or are you pretty much back being able to use it? Can you sleep on it yet? Still having to do physical therapy?


It`s not me in most of the pictures, but my friend who is riding Caldelero now. I`m the one in dress, since I wasn`t planning on riding, but we had a photographer visiting and both of them put me on a horse "for some pretty pictures". 

But speaking about my scapula - officially I should have kept the sling on until 4th August, but I took it off couple days ago because I just can`t stand it anymore! I can sleep on it for a moment, I can move the hand almost normally and I can pick up light things like a purse, coffee mug etc. I still can`t really ride as I can`t take the reins in contact, my car is manual so I can`t put it in 5th or rear gear, can`t comb my hair as I have to put the hand up high for that etc. In short - I do have my hand back for light tasks but I still can`t do most of the simple everyday things. I have a check up rtg next Monday and I`m hoping to hear that my scapula has healed and I should just ignore the pain until the hand gains it`s strength again. I probably should think about the physical therapy as well, since I have over used my other hand, but I think that it won`t be obligatory since I didn`t really fixate my hand as I should`ve and it never lost the ability to move at least slightly. Will see what the doctors say.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Ok, I just need to vent a little. I just saw on my Facebook timeline the horse that kicked me in the face. The same horse that, accidentally but still, has left both - emotional and physical scars for life and now some inexperienced girl has taken him to her stable to work with him. On her Facebook post she is talking about him having some bad experiences with humans in the past and how he is the sweetest and smartest horse. I just felt like all of the suffering that I went through and still am going is being demeaned. Like it was just my lack of skills that resulted in this horrible accident. I even wrote a letter to this girl, not to be rude or judge her, but to just warn her that this horse can kick and that she should be careful with him. She sent me just a thumb up. What does that even mean? Like my experience and advice for this animal, that might become dangerous (before she realized that I know the horse and am trying to give her advice, she was pretty talkative and told me that now he is rearing up towards the stable hand and trying to kick him to death with his front legs). 
I don`t even know why, but I feel really awful. I don`t know if it was seeing that horse or the attitude I got from that girl, or the owner who probably has said something bad about me while still trying to make me go to that horrible stable to help her out as she doesn`t have anyone else, but I feel deeply hurt...


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Awwww, no, that's so lousy. Of course you would feel that way. We all would. For someone to make light of something so heavy and dangerous. So rotten. ((((hugs))))


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I’m sorry that happened. Of course you feel bad. You tried to help her though, so let it go at that I guess. I’m sorry.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I just hope that she won`t get to experience the not-so-lovely side of that horse. As far as I know, they are gelding him before starting to work with him, and I think that if he gets to spend recovery time in a civilized stable, by the time she will start working with him, he`ll be a normal horse. I hope.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Enough with the bad things - Caldelero did his first 100cm course! He was so very scared and uncertain about himself, but he did great! He did have some miscommunication with his rider on first obstacle, so that went down hard, but the rest of the course was really good. He did hesitate before most of the jumps and didn`t take of as he should have but went really close (eh, I`ll have to learn show jumping terminology in english!  ), but other than that his jumping was excellent! He still has to learn to tuck his legs when jumping, but other than that I would say that he has a great potential! 
I have a check up rtg this afternoon, so keep your fingers crossed that I will be able to start riding again! If so, the next 3 weekends are reserved for competitions! 

Sadly I forgot my camera home, but we managed to take at least some pictures.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

*Back on track... again.*

So, I did not get a real "cleared to ride" from my doctors as I apparently have dislocated the fracture at some point, the RTG clearly states that the scapula is at consolidation phase, which I googled and it means that it`s healing and that means that I can`t really dislocate it anymore and am able to ride. Just probably shouldn`t fall off. 
I have had 3 traings in total and it`s going... ok.  I am very stiff in my right hand as the shoulder hurts and the arm has lost most of it`s muscle tone. My overall physical condition is very bad and I am not strong enough to get a normal, active canter or even trot. I can do it for like 5 strides and then Caldelero takes over and starts getting longer and longer.  Yesterday we went for a training session at the stable we went to last week and I tried jumping 100cm courses as I was planning to compete with him this Sunday. It actually went better that I thought it would go. Of course, I was sitting like a potato - leaning forward, looking down, leaning to sides and even pulling my heals up - but even with 0 strength, disabled right arm and with no ability to get Caldelero to canter like a show jumping horse should, we managed to get through the 100cm course quite easily and I didn`t fall off which basically was the main goal at the moment  
Sadly it looks like we might not go to competition tomorrow. Caldelero has loose nails on his front shoe on one side. It`s not bad, the shoe isn`t really moving even when I try to wiggle it and it`s the outside of the shoe, but I am not sure if he`ll be able to keep that shoe on him until tomorrow. If by any chance he doesn`t pull it off today in pasture and training and it doesn`t get any looser, we are going, but if it`s getting worse - we`ll skip this one. I would be SO disappointed!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

The shoe didn`t get any looser, so I called my farrier to ask what he thinks and he said that, since the shoe doesn`t move and is still straight, I can go to the show.  
It was... interesting. I was like a potato on a horse and these really weren`t my best competitions, but well, it was my 4th time on a horse after a month break, so I guess it`s ok.  Caldelero was great, as always - he got 1st place in 80cm! When we were supposed to go in for 100cm course, a thunderstorm went wild and the wind blew most of the fences away, we all got sand in our eyes and the rain was pouring so hard I couldn`t hear or see anything. All of the horses spooked but Caldelero just turned his butt to the rain and stood still.  Sadly, when we finally went in to jump, he still thought that the only possible position at this weather is his butt facing the rain, so when we had obstacles that he had to jump towards the wind and rain, he stopped. Since these were training competitions, we still finished the course, just without result.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

This is the only picture from 100cm course as the photographer decided that she probably shouldn`t get her camera soaking wet


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Congratulations! You are so hardy to be jumping courses with your shoulder barely healed! Icing on the cake to actually win! Just to complete the course as a potato is an accomplishment . . . for both of you!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> Congratulations! You are so hardy to be jumping courses with your shoulder barely healed! Icing on the cake to actually win! Just to complete the course as a potato is an accomplishment . . . for both of you!


Well, the winning part was all thanks to Caldelero, I was just sitting there and hoping I won`t fall off  But thank you, I guess all of us riders are like this. We just live and breath horses. 

Caldelero had appointment with his farrier today to reshoe him. My farrier was away at this moment and he sent his apprentice to us. It was scary for all of us, since he isn`t very experienced but at the moment Caldelero seems just fine and I trust that my farrier wouldn`t send him if he wouldn`t be ready to shoe on his own. Still scary though.  

And here are some pictures from yesterday`s 100cm course. I think that Caldelero is really getting better at jumping and his technique is quite good. On some jumps I even heard "wooow" from the audience


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I am slowly getting back my strength and today we jumped our first real 110cm! 
Also it`s finally a little colder and the horse flies has gone away so the horses can finally spend their days outside. Both foals are so big already! Abbie has discovered what treasures you can find in pockets, co that is her new favorite thing  Abbie is almost a copy of Caldelero not only in looks but also her personality resembles him a lot. The way they act, their independence, their need to jump over fences and the way they figure out things. She truly is Caldelero 2.0


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)




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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Uf, didn`t realize I had so many pictures from today.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Today my vet came to do a check up rtg for Arcaro`s splint bone. It looks good, everything is healing and Arcaro can start training again. Arcaro is also up for sale now as I just can`t keep 4 horses AND got to vet school. So, if anyone here is interested... 
But of course there are also bad news. Varbūtībs`s foal Laventure had swollen pastern and was slightly lame some about a month ago. Since the swelling wasn`t bad and he wasn`t very lame, I figured that he had sprained something and it went away quite fast. Last week I noticed that he had some weird bump in front of that pastern. Since my vet was here, I asked him to take a look and he was quite worried after looking at the leg and decided to take rtg. And yes, Laventure has cracked his pastern. The prognosis are very good, but he is on stall rest for a month. Why is this happening?! :/


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Rotten news . . . AGAIN . . . so sorry.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> Rotten news . . . AGAIN . . . so sorry.


Yes, I am still waiting for that period of fortune and incredible luck that is supposed to follow after series of unfortunate events.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Caldelero has had a very hard month - competing every weekend, hard jumping training once a week and he usually gets only one day off. I think he is starting to get a little tired and very annoyed, so I`m going to give him 3 day rest and next week we aren`t going to compete. Caldelero has shown such a potential that I am thinking about him jumping 110cm this season already. 5 yo. actually has to jump 110-115cm courses at the end of the season, so he would finally catch up with other 5yo progress. Though I am 100% sure that I couldn`t get him through 110cm course, we have done it at home, but in competitions I am too scared and too weak to help him. So I`m planning on asking my current trainer do maybe jump with him. I know she likes him, so she might say yes.  

Here are some photos from today - Caldelero is not making this easy for me. When he`s jumping, I feel like we are jumping 130cm or more, not 100cm. Such a powerful horse!


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## OHChicory (Aug 25, 2018)

*What a great thread. I have enjoyed reading your journey and seeing all the amazing pictures you take. I can only hope your luck turns around as after a while, bad luck starts to get depressing!*


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Today was probably one of the worst days of my life. I had made an arrangement to take Arcaro to the stable near me to film a selling video since I don`t have a place to do free jumps. Though he has been hauled more than once in his life, he flat out refused to get in the trailer. I tried practically everything, but he just roared, flipped over and ran away like a billion times. It took us 2 hours to get him in and when we finally did, I got to drive for about 200m when my bf and owner of the stable I was taking Arcaro started to signal me from their car behind me. I felt that Arcaro was doing something BIG in the trailer but I never imagined the sight I saw when I got out of the car. He obviously had reared and flipped over in the trailer. When we opened the back, his head was where his hind legs should have been and he was upside down. Hind legs was stuck around the front beam and head was tucked under front legs. He wasn`t moving. For a minute, I really thought he was dead. 
We somehow opened the front beam where his hind legs were stuck and he rolled out of the trailer and just ran away. He has some scrapes all over his body, he probably bit his tounge/lip because there were blood and his hind legs are swollen. Other than that he seems fine. Can`t say that about my trailer though.

I have NO IDEA what to do with this horse. I have to sell him but how? And to who? Tomorrow my trainer is coming to look at him and she is probably going to try to break him in and ride him, but if that won`t work out, I don`t know what to do. I`ll have to keep him as a lawn mower. VERY expensive one. :/


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Wow @smaile, I am really sorry. Your winter drags on, but I promise that spring always follows. Chin up darling.

I don’t know what to tell you really about the horse. I will tell you that my husband told me a story about a horse. I can’t remember his name for sure, but I think they called him Trouble. Trouble was a horse he was supposed to start for a ranch he worked for. Whenever he would tie up the horse he would come back later with zero sign of struggle the horse would be on the other side of the fence. He never was able to catch him jumping it. Never hurt, never a broken fence, just happily standing on the other side. I’m not talking small fences either.

So, he didn’t start Trouble. The whole idea bothered him. Trouble sat, and I think when he was nine or so I came along and made a deal to turn several of the ranch junk horses to a guy I knew who would start anything. Of all the horses he took that day, Trouble was no issue. He was a kind horse who never did anything wrong. He started him and sold him off. 

I guess what I am getting at is that the horse might end up fine when your trainer starts him. If he doesn’t, I don’t see what you owe him. Turn him like I did all of those ranch horses that didn’t work out for the ranch. They got a better life in the end. The ranch didn’t make any money off them to speak of, but they at least didn’t have to feed them anymore.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Terrible story, @smaile. So sorry to read this. I have an encouraging story like @Knave's story. A filly was born next door to me. The man next door couldn't do a thing with her as she grew up. He called her She Devil because she was horrible. He finally gave her to a horse trainer friend of ours. I don't know how much effort the horse trainer put into her, but she sold her a month or two later, as a 2 year old to her friend. We wanted to make SURE that the friend didn't know about She Devil's history, and did not tell her the name. The lady was an expert rider and was thrilled with the filly. We weren't trying to trick her--we just wanted the best for the horse.

That friend trained the filly beautifully, and now she wins trail obstacle competitions bridleless. That horse will do anything for her, and has a glass smooth running walk as well as being beautiful. Happy ending. I pray that your happy endings come very soon.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Thank You @Knave and @knightrider ! I really do hope that Arcaro`s story will have a happy ending like the ones you wrote. 
He is truly a sweet and kind horse, but since he was born, his reaction to any pressure is rearing and flipping over. He gets scared - flips, doesn`t want to go somewhere - flips, he wants to faster and I don`t allow it - he flips etc. And he is 174cm tall, so you can imagine how terrible it looks - the ground shakes when he falls. I thought that he grew out of that - he hadn`t flipped for about a year, since I started longing him. If he is going to do that under saddle, then this is it. No one is going to risk their life for any amount of money and I probably couldn`t live with myself if he hurt someone. And he could hurt himself as well. When he gets in that "mood" he doesn`t think at all and is ready to go through a concrete wall just to avoid the pressure. 

My trainer is really good with difficult horses, there are actually just couple of people I would trust with a horse like that and she is one of those few - she has enormous experience with "crazy". And even she said that she can`t guarantee that she`ll be able to get him to his senses because this doesn`t sound too good. :/ The worst part is that he is SO talented. He has lots of power and, God, if you could see how high he throws his hind legs when jumping! He might even make it to 150cm courses with the right rider...


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Flipping is terrible and I wouldn’t ride one by choice, but I have heard of them getting better. Sometimes (I know this sounds horrible and maybe it is, but the alternative is awful too) a person will hold a horse down and tie them up after they flip. They can in turn choose not to deal with that again. It is possible he will not do it after this instance. It must have been absolutely horrible for him and it is something, if smart; he won’t care to repeat. 

My grandpa owned a work horse that would rear over once. Just by coincidence he was by the pond at the ranch and the horse ran backwards and flipped over into the pond. He was drowning and could not right himself for a few moments. Grandpa thought that the horse would die. Somehow he got himself straightened up and came out of the water. He never once in his life flipped again. Maybe your horse will feel the same about the trailer.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Another encouraging story: I am not a brave rider, but fell in love with a horse that reared and came over on her rider when she did not like what she was asked to do. I know my journal is very long, but the rearing/falling part is in the beginning of the journal, if you have time to read it.

Does Arcaro give you any warning before he flips? Isabeau did give me plenty of warning, so I was able to cure her. If he gives no warning, then it would be super hard to eliminate it. What we did that fixed Isabeau was simple and easy and anyone can do it. It just took about two years.

Interestingly enough, like our friend's scary mare She Devil, my Isabeau turned into a wonderful amazing horse . . . and super interesting is that she is now the horse that takes care of timid beginners. I think it is because they don't tell her what to do. She is always a horse who wants to call the shots.

https://www.horseforum.com/member-journals/isabeau-psychomare-diva-queen-637890/


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> Another encouraging story: I am not a brave rider, but fell in love with a horse that reared and came over on her rider when she did not like what she was asked to do. I know my journal is very long, but the rearing/falling part is in the beginning of the journal, if you have time to read it.
> 
> Does Arcaro give you any warning before he flips? Isabeau did give me plenty of warning, so I was able to cure her. If he gives no warning, then it would be super hard to eliminate it. What we did that fixed Isabeau was simple and easy and anyone can do it. It just took about two years.
> 
> ...


I read Your, or should I say Isabeau`s, story. It is so inspirational, she really did go through some amazing change and seems to be a completely different horse today! 

No, sadly Arcaro doesn`t reall give any warnings he`s just suddenly out of patience and goes over. Sometimes he rears and comes down normally beforehand, but other than that - nothing.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

So, this is the first morning in my new student life. I`m at my dorm and well... it is SO scary and so far away from home and I`m starting to think that this was a huge mistake.  I hope that after this first week it will feel better.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

> I hope that after this first week it will feel better.


Hoping so much that it turns out to be a great experience. Think about all you will learn and know! I admire your courage.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

smaile said:


> So, this is the first morning in my new student life. I`m at my dorm and well... it is SO scary and so far away from home and I`m starting to think that this was a huge mistake.  I hope that after this first week it will feel better.



Sending encouragement your way. I still vividly recall the first weekend of grad school orientation, also wondering if I had made a big mistake, picked the wrong program, and was going in the wrong direction with my life. Turns out I met my husband that weekend, it would just take a few weeks before I knew it :wink: Good luck settling in!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Thank You, I hope so too! 
It`s day 2, I`m drinking my morning coffee and getting ready for the first day of actual learning. I got to speak with lots of "older" students as it turns out MANY equestrians are in vet school. When they heard that I`m aiming to be a horse vet and that I`m not really into small animals, they said that it`s going to be quite hard, because the internships with horses are too few to actually be ready to start your own practice after graduating. Also the prices of veterinary equipment are not too friendly and I`m probably going to have to sell everything I own just to buy an rtg machine for example.  Oh well, I have 6 years to start saving money (ha, if only I had something to save from) and I am going to beg for an unpaid, unofficial internship with my equine vet. At least now I know that in studies attitude is everything and this time I am quite content on getting the most out of my studies! 
I also terribly miss my horses! Can`t wait for Wednesday, when I can go home!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

These past months has been crazy, but I did it! I have finished my first semester of Vet school (only 11 more to go, ha). I really loved every minute of it! Though it was hard, I got to know so many wonderful people, even new equestrians, I am slowly starting to understand more and more about horse anatomy and why riding or caring about horses in particular ways are or aren`t healthy and overall I feel like I have finally found a profession where might belong.  
While I have been studying, my horses are enjoying holidays. Now I`ll have 6 weeks off school and I`ll be able to start riding Caldelero again and I`m going to break in Arcaro as he is up for sale for a while now. Here are some pictures of them and, of course, babies!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)




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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

What good news! I am so happy for you! Enjoy the riding and Merry Christmas to you!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

What a wonderful update. Congrats on having the first semester under your belt! Horses are looking gorgeous and happy as usual. Enjoy your holiday and a wonderful new year.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I can`t believe that my holidays are almost over! Only one week left and then I`m going back to Uni. Thankfully my schedule is still similar to my first semester - I get to come home already at Thursday evening. 
I have been spending these days with my horses, of course. Slowly getting Caldelero back in shape - he is really starting to get on the fat side. I even had to buy him a new girth. The babies are both doing really well, growing rapidly and playing all day long. And the mares... Well, the mares are mares - eating and occasionally throwing a mare stare to the boys.  
My biggest news are about Arcaro - I finally got on him! I have only sat on him at walk while someone is walking him by the hand, but he is wonderful! Well, ok, not wonderful, but he doesn`t spook and is being surprisingly well behaved. I hope I`ll get to trot with him tomorrow.  
Little picture update, though I haven`t got any time to actually make real photos, so most of these are from my phone.  We are enjoying wonderful winter wonderland here, though it`s starting to get a little bit too cold for me, ha.  

So, here I am learning anatomy









Laventure and Arcaro napping









Abbie and Arcaro









Me on Arcaro. Ignore both our faces


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Aaaand here is Laventure enjoying himself while Varbūtība is being ridden. 
































And me riding Caldelero. The last obstacle is our first 115cm


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Oh, and here is a video from autumn with Arcaro. He refused to stay in my "fee jump paddock" so I had to lunge him over jumps. I hate to do that, especially when the ground is as muddy and slippery as we can see here, but he did quite well and jumped 120cm oxer from trot without even blinking. His technique is quite awful, but he has a lot of strength and he`ll certainly develop it once I start jumping him under saddle.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

:rofl: That video :rofl:


"_You want to see jumping, I'll show you jumping!" 
_

Your horses are looking beautiful as always.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

@egrogan, your comment made me laugh out loud! Thanks for making my day!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

egrogan said:


> :rofl: That video :rofl:
> 
> 
> "_You want to see jumping, I'll show you jumping!" _


_

Hahaha, I bet that was exactly what he was thinking at the moment. _


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Ok, I take back every good thing I said about Arcaro. These past days he was still calm and didn`t care about me on top of him at all. We walked in a lunge line and I even was starting to understand when I want him to stop or start moving. Since he was this good and hadn`t flinched even once, I wanted to try trotting with him, just a few steps. Well... After one or two steps at trot he completely panicked and bolted. He went on full gallop in lunge line, fell down couple of times just to get back up and keep on running. Finally my boyfriend, who was holding the lunge line, got him to stop and after he seemed to have calmed down, I got off. The worst part is that after I got back up, he was calm while he was standing, but when we wanted to walk, he just shut down and panicked again. I tried getting on and off and calming him couple of times, but he was too nervous. So we called it a day....
I know that I probably should have just let him run it out or sth, but I just couldn`t. After my recent years traumas, I just can`t afford to fall, that would be the end of me. Though I am starting to think that this horse will be the end of me either way. He is too unpredictable for my current state.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

How utterly and terribly disappointing. I don't blame you for giving up. You cannot afford to get hurt. Very rotten news.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> How utterly and terribly disappointing. I don't blame you for giving up. You cannot afford to get hurt. Very rotten news.


Well, I haven`t given up completely, I will keep working with him, but I believe that today was a huge setback - we`ll have to start it all over again. If he won`t calm down, I`ll probably try to hire someone else who could work with him. That would be a huge cut financially though, since I`m trying to sell him and he already has costed me more than my asking price for him at the moment. How do people breed horses and profit? To me, looking at the average horse market prices, seems impossible unless your horse was living in an open field without any vet or farrier care, eating only hay, until he was 3 years old.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I am so sorry that this is the colt you are working with... I imagine he could easily knock you confidence. I do think you need to put yourself first. If you have to spend the money for someone to start him I guess that you will, but I wonder if you could make a deal with a trainer you know. Like maybe you could say, I will leave this horse with you and you can sell if for whatever you can get, but I need x amount when you sell. 

Of course, that plan might only work if you had a friend who liked the horse. I hope you get him sold quickly.

As for making money breeding horses, I have no idea! It seems that unless a horse is broke and going good they wouldn’t sell for much.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Knave said:


> I am so sorry that this is the colt you are working with... I imagine he could easily knock you confidence. I do think you need to put yourself first. If you have to spend the money for someone to start him I guess that you will, but I wonder if you could make a deal with a trainer you know. Like maybe you could say, I will leave this horse with you and you can sell if for whatever you can get, but I need x amount when you sell.
> 
> Of course, that plan might only work if you had a friend who liked the horse. I hope you get him sold quickly.
> 
> As for making money breeding horses, I have no idea! It seems that unless a horse is broke and going good they wouldn’t sell for much.


Ha, I actually have tried it. Sadly, since he is a problem horse, none of the people I would actually trust with this are willing to take him on. And I understand them - if they are making a living out of working with horses, risking your ability to ride to make a small amount of money would be irrational. Oh well, Smaile has had 7 foals, not all of them could be lovely, right? One of them had to be a bit on the crazy side. At least Arcaro`s brothers and sisters are calm and nice


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

So, I am taking things slowly with Arcaro again. Today I just hanged (there must be a better word for it in english ) by the saddle and we walked a bit. He was stressed and uptight, but did nothing, so at least we got to end on a positive note. I am scared out of my mind about mounting him again. I have become old, I guess, there was a time when I easily broke in around 5-10 insane horses a month and did not even think twice about the ground  

Also I got some photos of Abbie`s dad Avelinus C. I guess he is not doing too well, I don`t like the fact that he is still so small and skinny and looks like a 2yo mare, but there is nothing I can do. He would have been such an amazing horse if he`d just gotten normal care when he was young. But, I guess this is how you make money out of breeding horses - you just spend the bare minimum on them.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

BTW, I found some pictures of Arcaro`s grand sire. He looks exactly like Arcaro, he has the same eyes and head. Well, except the fact that he is a bay. Other than that, I guess we know where the "crazy gene" is coming from


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

I`m enjoying my last holidays - I have to go back to Uni tomorrow. Sooo, next holidays I`m probably having around the end of June  
But, until then, we are going trail riding with my horses and enjoying last days of winter.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

That's just gorgeous. I used to love riding in the snow, but now that I live in Florida, I don't miss the cold at all.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Uf, haven`t updated this thread in centuries. 
Long story short - Caldelero is on lease and living in another city. He has been there for about 6 months and looks like he`ll stay there for another year or so as the new rider really loves him and I believe they are a good match! He is competing up to 110cm already and they are thinking about jumping 115cm at the end of this season and 120cm next season. Giving Caldelero to a leaser wasn`t an easy decision but I am glad I did it. I really didn`t have time for him with the school, my health and all the other horses. I am visiting him quite often and I think he feels quite happy there. His rider is a wonderful person and is giving him all the best things possible.  
Arcaro`s life is a bit more complicated - I almost found a buyer for him but he had bad xrays. Turns out he has bone spavin in his hock. Nothing too serious though as the joint has already fused and my vet assured me that I shouldn`t worry about it too much. I decided that since Caldelero is away, I could ride Arcaro myself, ha.  I found a girl who was willing to break him in for a very reasonable price, so I took him there. That was definitely not a wise decision - turned out she was very aggressive in handling Arcaro and he got even more sensitive and stressful. It all ended with him flipping out and injuring himself - another splint right above the old one. The worst part is that this girl didn`t even notice it and didn`t see that he was lame. I visited him about 2 days after and immediately noticed the splint, took him out to see how he was going and saw that he was lame. I was really, really angry with myself for trusting this girl and for leaving Arcaro there, so I took him home as fast as I could. When my vet gave green light for Arcaro to continue his training I got a chiro to look at him and after she said that he`s good to go as well I took Arcaro to one of the best riders in this country. He now lives in a stable with grand prix show jumping horses and even a horse that is going to RIO Olympics, he gets super care and his new rider is gentle and careful to be sure that Arcaro feels safe and happy. It all costs me a little fortune and I am close to bankruptcy but at least I see the results and I see that Arcaro is really happy there.  

Meanwhile Abbie, Smaile and Laventure are living their dream life eating grass all day long. Laventure got a bit skinny after gelding him and weaning but he is getting really good young horse muesli, grass/hay ad lib and he`ll be just fine. At the same time Abbie is eating only hay/grass and she is so fat that I`m not convinced she even has ribs.  

Ok, so here goes pictures! Which is basically why I updated this old thread - wanted to share how pretty my horses are, ha  
Here goes Abbie, Laventure and Smaile enjoying their life in the field.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

I haven't been following this thread, but can I just say that your steel gray horse (Arcaro?) is SO gorgeous!! So are all the others, but I just love grays! His face marking is so pretty, do you know what it's called?


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

And a little something from Caldelero!


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

And finally some recent pictures of Arcaro getting his chiro treatment before going away for training and him enjoying his time in his new stable.  
Notice that Arcaro hasn`t been there for more than a week but his trainer is freely walking around the property with Arcaro in two lunges (don`t know what is the proper term in english for that, ha). He said that he trained hot horses in Netherlands this way and it really worked as the horses already knew simple commands with reins when you got up and started slowly riding them.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

duskexx said:


> I haven't been following this thread, but can I just say that your steel gray horse (Arcaro?) is SO gorgeous!! So are all the others, but I just love grays! His face marking is so pretty, do you know what it's called?


Yes, that is Arcaro! He truly is gorgeous and also HUGE, ha. He is the second biggest horse in that stable.  I think it`s called blaze? He also has 3 high white socks - his mom Smaile has always been generous with the white on my horses, ha.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

smaile said:


> Notice that Arcaro hasn`t been there for more than a week but his trainer is freely walking around the property with Arcaro in two lunges (don`t know what is the proper term in english for that, ha). He said that he trained hot horses in Netherlands this way and it really worked as the horses already knew simple commands with reins when you got up and started slowly riding them.


Amazing photos, especially the jumping!! Wow.
We call the two lunges "long lines," or "long lining." I find it very useful for training young or green horses.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

gottatrot said:


> Amazing photos, especially the jumping!! Wow.
> We call the two lunges "long lines," or "long lining." I find it very useful for training young or green horses.


Thank You! I am really proud about Caldelero`s progress! His rider said that she`ll soon have to put a "not for sale" sign on his forehead as everyone is asking about him and saying that they would like to have him.  

Yes, it sure seems a very good way how to get horses to understand rider`s cues without horse being too stressed and without putting the rider in dangerous situations. I am very happy about the way this trainer works with Arcaro and even if it costs a fortune, at least I see that it`s worth every cent I pay him!


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

I love all the updates about the horses, but what about YOU????

How is your health? Any more broken bones (hope not!)? Tell us all about vet school! What are you studying? How are you finding it? What is fun? What is not fun?


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

knightrider said:


> I love all the updates about the horses, but what about YOU????
> 
> How is your health? Any more broken bones (hope not!)? Tell us all about vet school! What are you studying? How are you finding it? What is fun? What is not fun?


Ha, i think my horses have far more interesting life at this moment.  

No more broken bones thankfully! I had the surgery for my hand in the spring, repairing both - ulnar and radial ligaments, that I had torn some years ago, so no riding for me this summer. 
Vet school is great! Really really hard, but I love it! I passed my first years exams with flying colors and now I`m slowly getting ready for my second year that starts in only couple of weeks. I guess first two years are quite boring - we mostly study only theory about what a healthy animal should look like - anatomy, histology, lots of chemistry, zoology etc. I really like anatomy as it helps me to understand my horses better and I have taken an interest in equine physiotherapy - for now only reading some articles but it really fascinates me. What I really don`t like is nutrition. I like to feed my horses and give them lots of fancy supplements - I like that, but calculating calorie count, hay analysis, making grass seed mixes etc.... ugh! So boring!  


I haven`t yet had official internships but I have volunteered at my University`s Equine clinic and also at small animal clinic near home. I really love it! Guess the best part is seeing animals recovering after all that hard work we do for them. The feeling that you have been a significant turning point in someones life. 

Here is a picture of me volunteering after a sleepless night of studying and a REALLY long day of school.


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## smaile (Sep 21, 2010)

Hahaha, I just can`t not share this!  

Yesterday I got a call from Caldelero`s leaser - she said that she heard him crib, AGAIN. He did it once some months ago and when we were looking for the reason of this behavior, our vet said that we could give him a supplement for gastric ulcers - just to see if it makes him stop. He never cribbed again but we thought that it may as well be coincidence as he also got more pasture time, the plastic feeder that he did it against was taken out etc. The supplement ended 2 weeks ago and - he cribbed again. 

So while we were scheduling appointment at the University clinic for gastroscopy. Arcaro`s trainer was calling me. He said that he thought Arcaro was a bit lame - he said that he trots ok in the arena but in his paddock he said that Arcaro seemed a bit funny. Soooo now I was scheduling 2 separate vet appointments at the same time  

At least Arcaro is fine - I got the best of the best vets to look at him and Arcaro had just bruised his hooves and has to take Bute for couple of days to feel better. And he`s getting shoes on anyday now. Caldelero has an appointment with the same vet at the clinic on Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed for it to be nothing serious!


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