Fungus among us
Dr. B came out to the farm yesterday morning, and among other things, he looked at Clover's fungus patch, the one on her inside left hind. It just ain't going away, despite constant and liberal applications of Whitfield's ointment and all other various and sundry types of otc antifungal sprays and creams.
He prescribed Panalog, and wrapping the area to keep the treatment on the spot. We should see results in a week, but if not, we're going to get a skin scraping for Rochester Equine to examine. Urgh. Meanwhile, Clover had been inside all weekend, in an effort to keep the area clean—of course we finally got the first wet week we've had this droughty fall, and the paddocks are a mess. Clover hates being inside, and she got bitchier and bitchier, kicking at the door and trying to shove her way out with her shoulder whenever the stall door opened for cleaning, grooming or feeding.
At least the fungus doesn't affect Clover's way of going, and since she hasn't been reinfected, or kicked, or otherwise injured, I've been able to ride. We had a great gymnastics lesson last Saturday, it was the first jumping—and lesson—we've done since UNH. We did some basic work over a two stride in and out, and trot poles to a crossrail with a placing pole on the landing side, to get the horse to canter away on the correct lead coming out of the corner. Clover was great, and we got our leads correct on both exercises, except towards the end when she got tired and I got lazy about riding for the correct lead.
My trainer pointed out that when I get into two point position, I push the balls of my feet down on my stirrups, which has the effect of popping me more out of the saddle than I need to be over a fence. I just need to sink down into my ankles, and bend more at the waist (ouch, I'm stiff in my lower back!)
On Sunday I rode again, only this time, Clover was well into being cranky for having been stall-bound. I got after her after she very definitely kicked out when I tapped her with the whip—usually she only humps her back up—and she nearly lugged us into a jump standard. I didn't overreact, but I did “have words” at her, and did some shoulder fores and a couple of rein-backs to get Clover engaged and listening.
It worked! We had a great ride from then on. We capped it off with some canter work, and the shoulder fore work must have really gotten Clover's hind end engaged—she was carrying herself. Her poll was low, but her hind end was working! It was great, she wasn't coming up against my hand or lugging me around on her forehand.
He prescribed Panalog, and wrapping the area to keep the treatment on the spot. We should see results in a week, but if not, we're going to get a skin scraping for Rochester Equine to examine. Urgh. Meanwhile, Clover had been inside all weekend, in an effort to keep the area clean—of course we finally got the first wet week we've had this droughty fall, and the paddocks are a mess. Clover hates being inside, and she got bitchier and bitchier, kicking at the door and trying to shove her way out with her shoulder whenever the stall door opened for cleaning, grooming or feeding.
At least the fungus doesn't affect Clover's way of going, and since she hasn't been reinfected, or kicked, or otherwise injured, I've been able to ride. We had a great gymnastics lesson last Saturday, it was the first jumping—and lesson—we've done since UNH. We did some basic work over a two stride in and out, and trot poles to a crossrail with a placing pole on the landing side, to get the horse to canter away on the correct lead coming out of the corner. Clover was great, and we got our leads correct on both exercises, except towards the end when she got tired and I got lazy about riding for the correct lead.
My trainer pointed out that when I get into two point position, I push the balls of my feet down on my stirrups, which has the effect of popping me more out of the saddle than I need to be over a fence. I just need to sink down into my ankles, and bend more at the waist (ouch, I'm stiff in my lower back!)
On Sunday I rode again, only this time, Clover was well into being cranky for having been stall-bound. I got after her after she very definitely kicked out when I tapped her with the whip—usually she only humps her back up—and she nearly lugged us into a jump standard. I didn't overreact, but I did “have words” at her, and did some shoulder fores and a couple of rein-backs to get Clover engaged and listening.
It worked! We had a great ride from then on. We capped it off with some canter work, and the shoulder fore work must have really gotten Clover's hind end engaged—she was carrying herself. Her poll was low, but her hind end was working! It was great, she wasn't coming up against my hand or lugging me around on her forehand.
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