Crew stops at the farm

Very excited to ride this morning in my newly adjusted RP saddle. Thanks again, Denise, for all your help.

After riding together last weekend, my friend, Lee, suggested that I practise an easy canter with Luba. This is a good way to increase speed without extending the trot and the concussion that goes along with extended trot. However, Luba is always very excited to canter and go fast, so we need to relax.  You could also re-read the last sentence, replacing the word "Luba" with the word "Nancy". ;) 

Luba also finds it absurd to leave for another loop when her trailer and hay and feed bucket are right there on those rides that loop back to ride camp. (I do NOT this this is absurd!) So I decided to ride, have a short "hold", ride and have a short "hold". 

I set up a crew spot up by the barn. Slurry, water, hay, a cooler and a mounting block which doubled as a chair for me. I also added one ounce of salt to the 20 quart water bucket, as an experiment to encourage Luba to drink. She drank well from the slightly salty bucket. I will continue this and try to gently increase the salt. For the record, I neglected to have a water bottle and a snack for myself.

This was a suggestion of Dr. Sue Garlinghouse, who gave a talk at the 2012 AERC convention. These notes are from the blog, Boots and Saddles: 

"Horses have a lag of thirst response and an “apparent tolerance” for thirst in the horse (i.e. they are more tolerant of being thirsty than we are). One mechanism that was explained in the seminar is that horse sweat is the same saltiness as the blood.....so while the overall blood volume is less as the horse becomes dehydrated, the saltiness level of the blood doesn't change that fast. This can be compared to humans - whose blood gets saltier as they lose fluid. The little receptors that trigger the thirst response detect the change in this saltiness. Thus the response in the horse is slower and less selective. The adage of “don't wait to drink until you are thirst because then you are dehydrated” is even more true in the horse than in the human."

"Another option is to offer salty water first, before going to communal water trough. Have to start doing this at home (of course!). Here’s how to practice: bring a thirsty horse to the bucket and don't let them drink out of their water trough until they drink out of the salty bucket. Use the same bucket for the salty water each time. Start really dilute and work up. Recommendation for Enduramax was 1 oz per gallon (2 tablespoons) for ending concentration, thus start at 1/4 or 1/2 this level then increase over time."

Our first loop today was a warm up and then easy cantering in the ring (riding in a side pull). Luba is still reluctant to pick up her left lead and I did not insist. Hopefully we can work through this when she goes to Sonja for training next week. I am not ruling out that the problem is between the pommel and the cantle ;

Our second loop was to ride on the front field which is a little hill. Round and round and schooling (serpentines, transitions). This was more exciting, so I put her snaffle back on.

Third loop was steady trotting around the back field, which also has a little hill in one corner.

The GPS tracks are interesting. Definitely had lower heartrates at higher speeds in the ring, where we both feel safe, focused and undistracted. Her recoveries look great. Maybe time to push the envelope - longer faster rides and some interval/hill training.

Easter Sunday tomorrow. Luba was born on an Easter Sunday, April 20, 2003.  This almost makes Easter her birthday! Happy Birthday, Luba xoxoxoxoxox

Serious Moonlight on her birthday April 20, 2003