[MIEventer]

Well, here are some vids of Nelson and I working tonight. We are both out of shape and out of practice since his injury and severe colic in January - but I would have to say I am pretty darn tootin' impressed with his recovery!

His leg has come such a long way, and he's now on great suppliments through Smartpak for his Digestion, Ulcers and the damage done due to his colic.

He needs about 100 more lbs, and alot of conditioning - and I need to lose lbs, lol, and condition.

Ah - please excuse his Pay Pay hanging out...lol.....it's always out.

Here is his leg as of now. You can still see where it is "Swollen" but my Vet says that it is scar tissue and that's just how it is going to be. No heat, no puffyness, nadda - so that's where it is going to stay till the day he passes:

Here are piccies of us riding, not that great but here ya go:

And video's of us riding tonight. No laughing. We are both very out of "it" since we've been out during January.

There ya be Just wanted to share our "progress" with ya! Tell me what you think!

 

[centrestableswendy]

You guys are SUCH a great team!!! BTW, if Nelson goes missing, he's NOT, I repeat NOT in Central Pa, hehehehe.

 

[smrobs]

Looking pretty darn good to me. His leg has healed up wonderfully. He is so slick and shiny, I'm jealous ;p.

And I don't mind him hanging his business out there. I am pretty well used to it by now, Rafe still does it often LOL.

 

[MIEventer]

You guys are SUCH a great team!!!

Thanks Wendy! I love him so much! He's my everything! We're a work in progress, I still have a long way to go to be more functional in the saddle, but thank goodness for my lessons! I have alot of issues, but knowing it is 1/2 the battle right? lol - least that's what I keep telling myself.

BTW, if Nelson goes missing, he's NOT, I repeat NOT in Central Pa, hehehehe.

Ok! Good to know! Let me make a note of that....hold on.......gotta get my pad and pen....

Looking pretty darn good to me. His leg has healed up wonderfully. He is so slick and shiny, I'm jealous ;p.

Thanks!!!

And the PayPay - lol - you know he's happy when it is out..lol.

 

[reining girl]

he looks fantastic!

 

[Spyder]

I won't comment on the trot/canter videos since he has just come back from being laid off that is all I would do also.

The shoulder in however requires different thinking on your part. First do it sitting not rising. Second don't pull in his head as there should not be that much bend in his neck, The shoulder in starts from the OUTSIDE rein. You are opening the outside rein but it should be against his neck so by opening the outside rein and pulling the inside you will get him crooked in the body and noticibly in the head/poll.

The outside rein and outside leg initiates the shoulder in with virtually NO movement of the inside rein at all.

Think that you are the hub of a wheel and Neislon's shoulder/neck/head is a spoke in that wheel. You have to position him so that hub/spoke scenerio remain throughout the movement. No spoke I know has a bend in it.:wink:

 

[MIEventer]

First do it sitting not rising.

Sit is so difficult for me right now since I have a weak core and he has a lofty trot. But I will work on this for sure! I do breif moments during our regular work out's - I usually do it along the long sides of the wall and then I have to break, and his topline is virtually non existant, so I don't want my fat *** weighing it down - LOL. But this will give me a great opportunity to do Shoulder In while doing my sitting trot along the long side of the wall.

Second don't pull in his head as there should not be that much bend in his neck, The shoulder in starts from the OUTSIDE rein. You are opening the outside rein but it should be against his neck so by opening the outside rein and pulling the inside you will get him crooked in the body and noticibly in the head/poll.

The outside rein and outside leg initiates the shoulder in with virtually NO movement of the inside rein at all.

Ok! That makes sense, thank you for explaining that to me. So I am going to ask for his body to bend around my inside leg?

What I've been doing is asking for the movement you would for a 1/2 pass - opening up both my outside aids, and asking for the cross over with my inside leg.

Ooops! Good to know!

So I just want the shoulder to move, nothing else. Oooh boy...Nelson's going to be irritated with me tonight! ROFL! This is going to take alot of effort on my part to get this right! Poor Nelson......he's probobly wondering what the smeg it is I am doing...hahaha.

Thank Goodness for friends like you to grab my shoulders and turn me in the right direction with a bit of a shake.

he looks fantastic!

Thanks ReiningGirl! We are both a work in progress. We have a long way to go, but he's come such a long way as it is since January.

I have his face stuffed in a round bale during his day turn out, and friends at the barn are sure to throw hay in his stall during the night when I am not there.

He is on 2 pounds of Purina Senior and 2 pounds of Purina Ultium, plus suppliments. He is also now on digestive suppliments through SmartPak Equine to help repair is digestive tract from the severe colic he had.

1 day at a time. He still has NO muscle, and needs to gain alot more weight, but he's looking better everyday in compareson to what he looked like in Jan. Eish.....he looked horrible in Jan.

 

[HalfPass]

Hey MIE,
I think Nelson looks great. He looks happy to be working!

Everythiing looks good to me other than the Shoulder in.
I guess the things that stood out to me were as Spyder mentioned his neck falling out. I sometimes have this result myself when asking for this movement.

Spyder can maybe clarify but the outside rein I thought is sort of a keeper of the shoulder falling to far out thus causing the neck to bend too much.
I could totally be wrong. So hope Spyder can come back and comment again.

So happy the two of you are getting back into the swing of things.
Yay for you two!
Halfpass

 

[MIEventer]

Thanks HalfPass! *HUGS*

 

[Spyder]

Spyder can maybe clarify but the outside rein I thought is sort of a keeper of the shoulder falling to far out thus causing the neck to bend too much.
I could totally be wrong. So hope Spyder can come back and comment again.

The outside rein is the "keeper" once the movement has been achieved but both the outside rein on and outside leg on initiates the movement.

How this is a bit rough but think of the shoulder in as the start of a pirouette that doesn't get past the first step or two and in fact a good shoulder in should be able to be converted into a pirouette.

If the inside rein is kept quiet as it should be the outside rein almost becomes passive. So if done like this there is NO bend in the neck (assuming the outside leg remains to prevent this.

The biggest problem with the shoulder in, is that it is too often over ridden.

 

[Dartanion]

You two look fab together!! I have been thinking about getting D onto some smartpaks I just need a job so I can get a consistant income >.<

 

[MIEventer]

Thanks for the more info Spyder! I just got off work and am heading to the barn and I'll definately work on your advice.

Dartanion, thanks! The Smartpaks are fabulous, convenient and after dealing with the Consultants on the phone, I have Nelson on what he needs, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[eventerdrew]

Looking great, Kim!

I'm so so so happy that Nelson is recovering well. He looks like a happy boy

 

[MIEventer]

Thanks Drew! That means alot

 

[MIEventer]

Well, my attempt at Should In's was semi successful, semi not. Nelson was getting quite frustrated with me, lol, because he grinds his teeth really loud when he does...so I stopped, went back to long and low and just left things alone until my next lesson - where I can do this under educated supervision.

I tried to get someone to record my ride for me, but everyone was so busy with their own riding and own ajenda, it wasn't plausable.

 

[centrestableswendy]

Can't wait to see more videos and pics! Keep 'em coming Kim! Love you guys!!

 

[Hoofprints in the Sand]

So happy you two are getting back into the swing of things...hopefully Sandie and I can follow in your path now!! lol Silly horses, always coming up with new ways to hurt themselves!

 

[MIEventer]

Thanks Wendy! I think you are one of the rare who enjoy seeing Nelson and I lol!

Thanks HITS! I think we need to have a sit down with our poneh's and discuss the positive and negative - negative being they hurting themselves....and bugs......lol

 

[centrestableswendy]

I could watch videos of you and Nelson all day and never get tired of it Seeing you do something you love with such a great boy is awesome. I can only hope I have a bond like that with my girl someday.

 

[MIEventer]

You are gaining that bond with your girl everyday you are with her! I am excited to see the both of yours progress!