Frustration! Feeling like giving up.

[galadriel]

Duchess pulled her shoe off *again* today.

My horses are talented. Duchess doesn't have much of a competitive drive, but I think Kat could go far. But every time I try to get them into a decent training program, they pull a shoe, get injured, or I have a physical problem.

Last Saturday Kat cut the bulb of her heel, probably sticking her leg through the fence (she paws). This negates any chance of her being ready for the competition I wanted to enter them into on the 13th. Okay, thought I, well, I'll just enter Duchess in the three-phase and maybe take Kat along for just the dressage.

Now Duchess pulls her shoe off again; jumping her without this shoe would probably make her lame. I started her back jumping courses yesterday (up till now we've been doing single jumps with a break between). Now Duchess can't enter the three-phase, either.

I could brush it off and just go for the next show, but this seems like it happens every time. The first HT I entered Duchess in, I entered her because Kat got lame. I was going to take them both to a HT later (Kat's 1st) but Duchess developed a nasty abcess that made her lame for 6 weeks. After that I started having some problems (breathing, back, wrists) and couldn't ride for a fair amount of time...now I can ride again and I have two horses who aren't sound.

It seems like they always manage to make themselves lame or unsound two weeks before a show. Maybe if I just give up on ever competing again, they'll stay sound and shod.

I think I'm going to cry.

[katieB]

Chin up Gal :) It must be frustrating though, looking forward to going etc and then something else goes wrong :( Hope you can make it to the next one. Ive got my first show on Ellie coming up in 2 weeks (just a fun local level one) so ill be praying I dont have your luck! :)

[chapsi]

I bet you feel very frustrated about it all. You plan to do something, and at the last moment they manage to do something that upsets plans.
I know it´s coincidence, but sometimes it looks as if secretly they arrange to spoil things for us! :rolleyes:
Never mind, there will be other opportunities.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by katieB
so ill be praying I dont have your luck! :)

Oh, THAT's comforting.

[chev]

I know exactly how you feel. The last time I entered Lili for a show she scraped all the skin off her face. This time she's got a sarcoid.

There is nothing more you can do - just grit your teeth, and keep your fingers crossed. (Mine are currently deforming, they spend that much time crossed).

Hope your luck changes soon. :)

[Laetitia]

Give yourself a few months and they'll forget about it and then everything will roll along as planned. Just don't make them privy to your plans. L

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Laetitia
Just don't make them privy to your plans. L

Hm! Come to think of it, I did tell the farrier the date of the show with both of them standing there... I'll have to be more discreet in the future.

[Alex]

*hugs for you galadriel*

I'm sorry things aren't going so well at the moment.

I think horses are smarter than what we think, and sometimes I wonder if they know what we're planning, and just do stuff like this to test our patience :rolleyes: :D :D

I know it's frustrating, but try to remember that just spending time with our horses is a precious thing (I know you know that already). You'll make it to the shows soon - I'm sure of it! :) Don't give up!

Cheer up, you're in my thoughts.

Love,
Alex

[kedwards]

I'm so sorry to hear about your frustrations, Galadriel. If it helps any, I've been in the same boat myself this year with Bud. :(

But then, I'm a Red Sox fan, I'm used to hoping next year will be better.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by kedwards
If it helps any, I've been in the same boat myself this year with Bud. :(

It's odd and it doesn't make sense, but yes it does make me feel a little better, somehow. Thanks :)

I've heard about various problems you've had with Bud, and I sympathise (a lot!) Hopefully once you get this canter lead thing straightened out, Bud will be fine, right? You said his hoof is almost all grown back.

[Tinkerbell]

Worse things have happened at sea, as they say.

Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth and carry on.

[cvb]

Originally posted by galadriel
It's odd and it doesn't make sense, but yes it does make me feel a little better, somehow. Thanks :)

A friend of mine just came back to the Uk to do competitive dressage again. He's be described in Horse & Hound as "talented".:eek: He's aware of time ticking away and feels he hasn't achieved what he should have by now.

Talked to him on the phone the other night and the horse he was aiming to do Grand Prix with has knocked its knee and is off for the next few months - so he's pretty down in the mouth too.

It was a completely random injury. It can (and does) happen to any of us. (He did say that in the meantime some of the younger horses are getting extra attention and work as a result. So every cloud has its silver lining !)

Just to day that it can happen to any of us, regardless of what we do or the work that we put in. So stick with it Galadriel, it will all come right in the end. Its just that sometimes we think the end is one thing (the event on 13th) and it turns out its something else. You'll see it in hindsight - but until then, keep the faith !

[Mehitabel]

just found this thread - i am sorry. it does happen to us all, honestly, and i do know just how it feels. at least it isn't anything major and you'll be back out there soon. you'll have to start talkign in code to your farrier!

are you going to take them both for the dressage anyway? or can you get the shoe put back on in time?

[galadriel]

Sorry about that, guys :)

Today I was diagnosed with a virus of some kind (no obvious symptoms)--but it does explain why I got so maudlin. I'm very, very overly emotional when I'm sick ;) I'm also a bit down due to my current job offer--I'll make a separate post about that.

I'm still not very happy with the girls, but I promise not to be so morose at NR, *at least* until the next time one of the mares injures herself ;)

Oh, and I don't even like to *trot* Duch when she's lost this shoe (it's her really bad hoof)--I am looking into Easyboots this afternoon. If an Easyboot will allow her to be ridden without getting sore, we may do the comp after all. In the meantime, the slug is out of work, period. [Wish *I* had some young horses to work while my primary horses are incpacitated...]

[kedwards]

It's odd and it doesn't make sense, but yes it does make me feel a little better, somehow. Thanks

Misery, here's your company! I felt like crying a couple of weeks ago. It isn't that anything has been big, but it's been one thing after another and just enough to keep us from progressing in his schooling and showing has been out of the question. You get those days where it just seems like enough is enough.

Glad to hear you are feeling better, though. I am too. I can't really guess what's going to happen at this point, but Bud is at least showing improvement. The real test will be when I start to introduce jump work again.

[Lucy J]

same thing happens to me with ciara, we do a few weeks really good work then for one reason or another we don't progress, no shoe, or lameness, teeth, bad saddle, or my baby/work commitments. in 2 years we've only made it to one show!

desperately trying hard to remedy things now, but i get days where i feel that none of the effort and expense is worthwhile, but the good days outweigh that.

[Big Ears]

I KNOW how you feel. I have had my cob for almost ten years and I could probably count on one hand the number of months both of us have been fit. If she's been ok, my back has been giving my gyp or vice versa.

She has now been fully retired due to liver problems at only age 15 and in the ten years I have had her we have been to three shows! OK I'm not very competitive but also she then got nervous in traffic, so hacking out became difficult.

SO I REALLY sympathise. I believe Molly spends her nights in the stable reading a vet's book and picking out her next ailment - the more obscure the better! We have a joke here that the minute you say the s word (i.e. saddle) she has the vapours. Anyway she's really done it for good this time!

[LindaAd]

Oh, me too! Just this year Barney's been off since spring, so all my plans had to be postponed; riding Ginny, I had to cope with my own fears and her stroppiness, then an eye infection and something else before that, can't even remember what it was now, lost shoe probably....

But that's why it's so wonderful when it all goes right!

[jUmPingIsLifE]

horses, i think its when they do things like this it means they love us haha.

i know how you feel, sort of. Tahoe through his shoe 3 times withen the first three weeks i had him so i couldn't really do any work with him. i got him bellboots and we went through a time where he was awsome, we were working hard doing differant things we were on a roll finally and he throws another shoe right before the day i was going to take him out on long trail ride with the neighbors horses (first time out with new horses... i was curious to see how he would be riding with new horses). so no trail ride :( by then there was only a month or so before it snowd so when the farrier came up i asked him to just take all the shoes off.

[Kerry's Partner]

I suppose if we were talking about a human we'd say: It's because they're human."

Kerry if you recall developed a ? abscess ? jaw fracture in Jan this year. Then she tilted and twisted her pelvis this year. Then she developed a splint (do not know how at all she is NOT over-worked - ever).

Today I'm told she's to go in for surgery under anaesthetic because she has only a third of one of her lower teeth - the rest of the space being a big black hole full of infection!!!

The times in between have been magical btw - but I still have to say: "What a year!!"

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Kerry's Partner
Then she developed a splint (do not know how at all she is NOT over-worked - ever).

Kat sprung a splint in response to a kick to the leg. I've seen it happen to other horses too.

After all the misery and frustration, went out to ride last night and Kat was gorgeously responsive. She was soft, relaxed, and really seeking the bit. The last time she was that good, she colicked... but she's been fine, so hey. [In the middle of typing this paragraph, I had a sudden re-paranoia fit ;) and I had to go outside and check on her again. ]

I'm taking both to a little bitty local show Saturday instead of the 3-phase I'd been aiming for. I'll enter each in on walk-trot dressage test. They're up for that :) and we'll move on from there.

[Kerry's Partner]

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLL Kerry and I together last Sunday were better than we've ever been - just beginning to develop in the way I feel Sue (Carnell) hoped we would and started us out for - and now this!! Yep it IS frustrating to say the least.

I hope all goes really really really well for you.

Sandra

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Kerry's Partner
I hope all goes really really really well for you.

Thanks!

I wish the same to everyone who's also shared frustrations in this thread. Good luck, guys :)