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View Full Version : Cooper’s 16th Week - another epic tale!


Whatanejit
2nd Jul 2006, 06:47 PM
Monday

Thought you might like to see some pics of last nights ball. It was in the Natural History Museum and we danced and dined underneath the Dinasour in the cathedral room.
It was spectacular but very hot - I think all my makeup ran off my face.....

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Dinasaurball2.png

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Dinasaurball.png

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/MeandJonball.png


Back to the horses.........

Day off for the big boy.
He was already turned out when I got to the yard so I just walked down the field, had a scratch, a cuddle and checked him all over for scrapes or bumps.

I noticed a tick in his chin groove – made a note to remember to get something to remove it.

Tuesday

Set up lots of poles for his in hand exercises with flags and tarpaulin and plastic bags.

Sorry I forgot the camera.:o

I tacked up May and took her in the school for a while, then rode her over the poles, tarpaulin and past the plastic bags and flags.

She is a funny girl and really good at that sort of thing but she was totally fixed on looking at the grass and diving upon it at any opportunity when I relaxed on the reins.

Her grazing muzzle is on for her whole turnout period and she uses any ridden opportunity to get at the grass.

But the big news is that May got shod in the front feet today – yee hah!!
She was so much more comfortable tonight.

We noticed that Cooper has roomies. Initially, we thought there were only 2 but look there are four.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Roomies2.png

Awwwwwwwwww.




Wednesday

RI back off her hols with a nice tan, relaxed and no sore back!

Yeah!
It has been four weeks since he has been properly schooled. He and she did really well.

He went on the vertical with just a little encouragement and looked soooo handsome. He isn’t working from behind yet but there is plenty of time for that.

He has the attention span of a goldfish in the school and when out hacking so you can only get so far with him, bless him.

She did, however, encourage me to enter him for his first walk and trot dressage around August time as she thinks he will be ready by then.

But will we??? :eek:

I found out that there is one on 3rd August at our local RDA so we thought we would give it a go. Watch this space.


Thursday

I caught him and brought him in for a good grooming session. I noticed a little crustyness on his feathers so had a good look at his heels and found this………….

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Mudfeverormites.png

Now, when he arrived with us in March, he had a big scab like that and YO said to leave it and it will sort itself out. However, now I am more informed it looks a little like it could have been mud fever.

I did a search on here and started to treat it with hibiscrub. Then YO’s wife came along and had a look and she reckoned it could be mites as he has little tiny scabs on the front of that foot too.

Any ideas anyone?

In the meantime I am treating it with hibiscrub, have also bought dog flea shampoo and have done his whole legs and feathers and am applying that green antibacterial gel with fly repellent.

I was giving it a good scratch with kitchen roll when trying to dry it and he showed his pleasure with his lips wobblying around.

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view&current=CooperItch.flv


Friday.

Had and 0800hrs hack on May with Gina and her Mum. Just a short 1.5hr hack – too many flies, very hard ground but May was raring to go with her new shoes and.........

wait for it..........

her new slim line waist – we had to go up a hole in her girth – looks like the muzzle and the exercise is working.

I then tacked up Cooper and schooled him for about 15mins. I am finding his trot so much more comfortable now. It is still bouncy but not as much and I think we are just getting used to it.

Slapped on lots of sunscreen as his nose is quite pink - he isn't too keen as you can see from this clip of OH trying to put in on at the weekend...

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view&current=CoopersuncreamMOV.flv

Then for our solo hacking expedition.

I took him as far as the pedestrian crossing which takes you to the golf course by the Country Park. :D

Now it was hard work – would have taken me about ½ hr to get there. I had to encourage him a lot with leg and voice. He tried to nap once or twice but he still kept moving forwards.

When we got to the lights I didn’t just want to turn him on a 180 and go back in case he got any ideas so we stopped and I let him graze for a few minutes and watched the traffic go by.

I then faced him home and the big brute thought about running for it!!
Now my novice instinct used to be to pull reins, grab neck strap and foetal position.

With Cooper we are not novice and I won’t punish him by pulling on his mouth so I sat up, half halted, sat through his jogging, used my voice to calm him and he settled into a v.v.v. forward going walk!

I can’t remember how many times I sang the same verses of

Cooper the red nosed reindeer and

Jingle bells,
cooper smells
a hundred miles away,
he blew a fart
behind a cart and
blew up the IRA

–sorry I can’t help my background and nobody cares in Surrey, anyway!!

We then had a calm (ish) walk back home – only took 20 mins to get back! I was delighted with him. I’m not sure if I’ll have the nerve to cross the lights for some time but given that just getting to the lights solo was an ordeal I think I will just work on that over the next lot of weeks and we will take it from there.

Don't post yet there is more to come............

Whatanejit
2nd Jul 2006, 06:48 PM
Saturday

I managed to catch the big boy lying down - how cuuuuute is he?


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Cooperlyingdown.png


I have May all weekend.

Had a 0830hrs ride booked with Cooper, May and Gina so we headed over to the Common.

We managed to get a few canters in – Cooper is getting much better at this and is cantering when OH asks him to which is great.

With May's new shoes the ride that took us 3.5 hrs last week only took 2 & 3/4hrs this week as we did a lot more trotting. Gina had a couple of big spooks which we don’t like Cooper witnessing. Also, as she is a really dominant mare in the yard but looses all confidence out hacking May and Cooper are not as happy when she is hacking with us.

Mmmmmm.

Sunday

Yeah! Trec training day at the RDA.

We hacked over – didn’t start off well as Cooper, who was leading the ride, did a massive spook on Jon at absolutely nothing!

He has never done this before – Totally mimicked what Gina did the day before.

Also, Gina was riding behind him and he was not happy and OH had great difficulty in pushing him on.

I tried to get May past Gina so that Cooper would be more comfortable but May wouldn’t pass Gina and kept backing up.

May then backed up straight onto the electric fence, bunny lept forward and spun around – we had only left the yard about 5 mins!!!

For goodness sake!

There is definately some strange dynamic occurs with May and Cooper when Gina is with us.
When it is just May and Cooper we have very peaceful, uneventful rides.


Anyway, OH pushed Cooper on and I eventually got May to go behind him and funnily enough he settled and started striding out with his head down.

Totally made up my mind not to take him out with Gina again. As we were riding along wondering how I was going to break it to her Mum her mum said...

‘I don’t think we’ll ride with Cooper for a while until I can sort out Gina’s confidence hacking’.

Phew.

We had briefly talked about this a few weeks ago so I guess the penny dropped but it made it so much easier coming from her.

Thankyou Gina's mum.

The rest of the day was fab, though and absolutely boiling!!!

Here are a few pics…………..

The lateral movement pole - he couldn't really do this one.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT13.png

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT12.png

The S bend - Cooper kept trashing this one as he doesn't realise he has 4 feet but may did well.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT11.png

Low branches

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT6.png

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT7.png

The canter corrider -
Coops just walked it and May trotted. It is only 50 cm wide and you have to stay within the poles and not even touch them!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT8.png

The ditch

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT3.png

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/TT4.png

We all got home safe and sound.

Boy it is a hot one today.

Until next week...........

xx

Dee

RustyMary
2nd Jul 2006, 07:00 PM
Great update as ever Whatanejit :D

Lucyad
2nd Jul 2006, 07:22 PM
Great update lovely photos - the trec looks good fun! I wowuld like to try that. May definately looks a bit slimmer as well.

palmerlover52
2nd Jul 2006, 07:30 PM
Lovely, the trec looks great fun!!!!

Rips
2nd Jul 2006, 07:45 PM
Are those trek obstacles? How lucky you are! I would love to do that - hasn't hit ireland at all I don't think.
I've done the s-bends as school excercises before but nothing else, going to try those canter poles the next time I ride (in 2weeks *sigh*)

NoviceNic
2nd Jul 2006, 09:33 PM
Blimey what a full on update. Thanks Dee. Love all the shots of Cooper. What a good boy. :D PS I hope for your sake it is mud fever on his heels. If it is the same as Captain then get ready to clip his feathers off and have all the creams under the sun that everyone has recommended.

Photo to show you how bad Captain's legs get if I try and grow his feathers. :(

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/novicenic/horses/000_0125.jpg

Does he have scurf going up his legs? Looks like flakes of dandruff.

Whatanejit
2nd Jul 2006, 09:41 PM
Cheers RM, Lucyad & PL52.

Yes Rips - they are just a few of them.

We didn't get photos but there was also a trailer that they had to walk into and then walk out the other side.

Mounting from the ground, immobility and the gate - we were all ok in the immobility as the horses just ate the grass.

None of us did the mounting from the ground and we all struggled with the gate.

Ah well, you can't win 'em all.

I've no idea what the Irish status of Trec is but it is good fun.

NN Poor Captain.

I really don't want to have to cut his feathers off. I'll give it a few weeks of treatment and we'll see how it goes.:confused:

He really only has a little feather anyway.:o

No there isn't any scurf at all.

kirstie
2nd Jul 2006, 09:59 PM
Monday's night looks amazing both look like you had a great night, it looks great, amba used to have a nest in her stable with four babies in but i found them all dead in the stable last week :( we think the mother chucked them all out.

Wednesday night sounds like you had a great day as well, if you do, do that Dressage test the best of luck and i'm sure you both will do fantastically, Cooper has come on a long way so much! That does look strange, i'm not very good on mud fever so i couldn't say what it is, but i'm sure NR will tell you, hope it gets sorted out soon!

Friday - YEEEEEEEEEE for May losing weight bless her, Amba's the same as cooper actually worse, i cant get anywhere near her with suncream and we had to give up because she was so paranoide with her face been touched. I love your song as well by the way! :p

Saturday - Aw he looks very cute indeed, bless him glad you had a great hack and it was fun for all! :)

Sunday - Looks like you all had a brilliant day out doing the le trec it looks really fun, all the activities look really good to do, cant wait for next weeks update. :p

Little Dolphins
2nd Jul 2006, 10:59 PM
Hiya W'Jit, great and eventful update! You and OH are v. tough, braving the heat; I've just flopped in these temperatures! The yard and fields are like summat from an old cowboy movie- all scorching sun and dust. (I'll bet our cyber pals in the US are laughing up their sleeves at me.. "what does she know about hot?!").

Re. heels beneath feather:ditto/snap! Yesterday,discovered scabby blob with redness beneath, and having nothing else at hand, squirted purple spray. Seems to have dried the scab (yuk, all sort of sticky), so I squished on lots more purple. She didn't suffer from mud fever in the winter, but it probably is some kind of mite. And no, there's no scurf up the leg. And, no, I don't want to remove her feather, either, as I think it's protective in other ways. However, N'nic and Captain have already been there with this one, so it may come to that! Hope Cooper's red bits improve, Dee!

Whatanejit
3rd Jul 2006, 05:06 AM
Cheers Kirstie - gosh we have been busy these past few weeks - looking forward to a quieter few coming up.
Maybe:rolleyes:

Oh poor HQ has got it too then LD.:o

Its weird how many people tell you to do different things with it - I must buy some of that purple spray stuff. I'm slowly but surely getting my first aid kit together.

I refuse to complain about the heat:cool: :cool: especially as early am and very late pm are the most beautiful times visually and temperature wise to ride.
I must admit is has been hard work getting up so early for the early rides on the weekend. OH is the worst - a nightmare to get up in the morning. Then we are bushed for the rest of the day.

We are going to try a late pm ride this week - boy it is going to be hot!

xx

Dee

Dina
3rd Jul 2006, 06:16 AM
Great update,Cooper is looking very gorgeous and shiny:D
The le trec activities look like so much fun:)
Dargi does the same thing when I put sunblock on his nose,I figure that it must be abit cold and he does'nt like it being wiped onto his nose.

cazrider
3rd Jul 2006, 06:39 AM
Lovely update as usual Dee.

Cooper is just gorgeous.:D

I washed Sennie's tail yesterday and gave his dock a similar scratch to Coopers legs, and had the lovely wobbly lip.;)

Is the Trec training still on for September?

Whatanejit
3rd Jul 2006, 07:26 AM
Cheers Dina - I thought he would get used to the cream by now as it gets applied a few times a day but I think he is disappointed it isn't food.:rolleyes:

Thanks CR - the lighting wasn't the great for the wobbly lip shot. His eyes were rolling back in his head with pleasure too. He is sooo funny.
The Trec in September is the actual real thing - Sunday was the training for it.

We are planning to enter the Level 1 pairs class. They both have strengths and weaknesses and so do the riders:rolleyes: My main problem is May's nappiness she just won't go forward unless she is following someone and only sometimes somebody. I'm not sure if she will actually go into the obstacle field on her own on the day! But hey, it will give us something to work on over the summer. Cooper on the otherhand will go wherever you point him but just isn't that well schooled and forgets he has 4 feet so he keeps kicking everything over:) :) .

We don't mind if we come last we just want to enjoy ourselves, have something to look forward to with a few goals set accordingly.

Are we going to see you there CR in Sept?

XX

Dee

cazrider
3rd Jul 2006, 10:30 AM
You may well, Dee.:) OH has decided we need a two man tent, and I love the idea of having Sennie right near us.

Lovely pic of you and OH at the ball BTW.

capalldubh
3rd Jul 2006, 12:33 PM
Great photos and the trec looks great fun - I would like to try that!

Good song, too - I like the idea of personalising it - I have always stuck to Molly Malone as it's the only song I know enough of to sing consistently.

Shannon has permanent mud fever, looking very similar to your pics - but we leave the feather on and just pick the greasy scabby bits out using a mane comb. Very similar reaction with trembly lower lip - it's weird to discover the places your horse likes to be scratched!

Skib
3rd Jul 2006, 02:54 PM
Lovely week for you - both the NH Museum and the trec practise. Continuing to learn from you and Cooper as well as to enjoy it.

Clare-22
3rd Jul 2006, 07:52 PM
That was a very eventful week :D Good boy Cooper! He is looking as gorgeous as ever :)

Jenni
3rd Jul 2006, 09:29 PM
He is such a wonderful horse

if it is mites or beasties then frontline is better than normal dog flea stuff.

It kills lots of kinds of bugs, if the skin isnt broken i would spray him with frontline, a bit pricier but much better.

Also a wash with Malaseb shampoo is great. Its for skin complaints and for sensitive skin and is wonderful stuff. Think you have to get this from the vet but i could be wrong. Bathe his legs using this shampoo, then hibiscrub them and they will come up a treat.

domane
3rd Jul 2006, 09:43 PM
Sorry I am late posting but I have been wracking my brains to say something I haven't said already.... but I am going to fail miserably..... :p

Dee... you are an inspiration to us with the quiet, education way you are bringing Cooperman on... he is looking so healthy and so happy and you and Mr W'jit are having an absolute ball with what you are doing with him. Each week your posts are entertaining, thoughtful and ooooooze enjoyment.

I LOVED the photos of the ball... it looked spectacular - what an atmosphere that must have been!!!

Ticks... I believe cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit and held on the offending article will kill it so you will be able to remove it without leaving half of it embedded under his skin. I think you have to hold it on for a few minutes though... I'm sure there are other options though, I just don't know them!!

I don't know anything about mudfever but I do know that Cherry had mites in her feathers... picked up when they moved into the summer grazing - the long grass hides the little varmints!!! She was treated by a dose of Mr YO's cow wormer - a rather contraversial (sp? my mind's gone blank!) treatment I have since discovered!!! But it sure did the trick :D

So glad to hear that May's limited intake and exercise routine are starting to pay dividends AND the replacement of front shoes too....all good stuff.

Lovely piccy of the boy laying down... how does he curl up so neatly, he's soooo gangly still, bless??

Lovely photos of Trec... look at his lovely vertical head... if not the lateral moves... still he's just a baby... next year you will have it nailed, betcha...

It's all great stuff... keep it comin'..... xxx

In view of the above, I REALLY think that now is the time to change your name to NOTANEJIT :D

NoviceNic
3rd Jul 2006, 10:31 PM
Ditto the NOTANEJIT. :D I agree with LD dont take his feather off until there is absolutely nothing that helps. I had to take Captains feathers off because it was that bad the sores went all the way up his legs as well. I hate taking his feathers off but if it means he is more comfortable then so be it. :(

Whatanejit
4th Jul 2006, 05:34 AM
Epsom RDA is a truly beautiful place. I was only there for the first time on Sunday. RDA is such a wonderful charity that I wish I had time for them.
I guess we can support it financially by entering their shows.

Providing the weather holds up it will be a lovely venue for le Trec in September -there certainly was a loo in the stable block but I didn't notice a shower - I'll find out from Gina's mum - she is RDA County Chairman and was sitting in on the meeting re le Trec a couple of weeks ago.

It would be great to have an NR Trec meet:D Let me know if anyone else is planning to go.

Capalldubh - Molly Malone - of course - I think I could sing that monotonously to him for hours!

Cheers Clare.

I use frontline on my dogs Jenni- the spot on the back of the neck every few months and it is great - I didn't realise they did a spray for horses - do you get it from the vet or from the tack shop?

Another livery mentioned malaseb too - I'm getting a bit like Nic, though, and plastering his legs in a little bit of everything.

They looked much better last night I must say and he enjoyed his little scratch with the kitchen roll.

Cheers Jane - ooh I don't want to cause any pressure by having to respond in an inspirational way but I always appreciate it when you do. Welll done Dee will be fine:) .

HC lent me a Michael Peace book to help with the desensitisation but she thought I must have already got it because of all the stuff that you had recommended for me to do. So thanks a million.
It is a great book and I've got a few extra ideas from it.

Oh I think wjit has stuck now - wait till we meet up before you recommend Notanejit:D :D

xx

Dee

Jenni
4th Jul 2006, 07:43 AM
its the same frontline. It can be used on horses . its in a bog spray bottle about £25 for th ebogger one i think. Youjust get it form the vet

I have used malaseb on my dog who has sensitive skin when it comes to bugs and its great stuff, doesnt sting on open wounds either. He found the hibiscrub very nippy no matter how much i diluted it.

HairyCob
4th Jul 2006, 10:02 AM
Another wonderful updadte Dee, I'm with the others though, NOTanejit or maybe Wasanejit from now on I think... not that you ever were one;)

Cooper is looking fab, and doing so well! Glad to hear the books are coming in handy... I expect to see you riding up a flight of steps in no time:D

Whatanejit
4th Jul 2006, 12:17 PM
I don't mind going up the steps - I've done that before on a horse it is going down them that I don't like.

Can't seem to find any around here - the local bank or post office wouldn't be impressed I don't think!

xx

Dee