I know, I’ve been MIA on posts for a bit. There is lots going on in the background – between family, work, the Green Beans, and the PTO, I am certainly a busy bee rest assured!

Things are coming together the get the boys home on leased land next door soon, but there is still more to do! I wrapped up the 2019 Green Bean Challenge end of year awards, then moved on to prepping for the AERC Convention in early March (presenting to the BOD as the Director of the program as well as manning a booth); I’m also getting ready for a big audit at work, making major changes to our quality system for new regulatory requirements, and getting the kids all signed up for summer camps (we actually had to do one back in Nov!!). Oh yeah, and did I mention fitting in riding so I can reach my goal of doing our first 50 mile ride in April at Foxcatcher??

My plan has been to ride with hauling out at least 2x a month for longer rides, as he is still pretty fit from last season. We are mostly on track there around the weather and other stuff going on, including an unexpected need to replace trailer tires before an I had an issue on the road!

This winter he has been better at holding his weight than last, but he still fluctuates more than I like – especially when I cannot see ribs on Saturday and suddenly they are prominent that Tuesday. That irks me, as well as I got a surprise diagnosis for him back in early December and it has me constantly on the lookout. The story there is that I saw a request to participate in a study for PSSM variants in the STB, looking for healthy and symptomatic horses. I had no reason to suspect any such thing in Sully, and had been assured he never tied up during his harness racing days, so I figured I’d submit a sample of a healthy STB for the greater good of the study. To my surprise, he came back P2/P2. This means he is positive for the PSSM Type 2 gene from both parents. Type 2 is a muscle wasting issue more than a tying up issue (PSSM1), so as far as I’ve researched, his diet can manage it well but I may need to make changes if he presents with issues. Thankfully what I have him eating already seems to be the ‘right thing’ for this, but I did add some Mg and Purina SuperSport to help even further. I almost wish I hadn’t sent it in, but at least I know there is something to look out for as we move up in mileage.

One of things we have done in prep for April is to get up to Jeannie & Jess for an assessment to see if he needed his stifles injected again this year, as I have felt he occasionally becomes short-strided, yet he is still utterly happy to motor on down the trails. My next surprise was that the saddle & pad combo we had done so well in last season, is now not working so great over the winter. We aren’t sure if it is the weight fluctuations causing the change, or something more at this point. He did not need injections, and I was instructed to find a fluffier pad for him and see if we can continue to make the Synergist work as well as it did last year. Being that it is a little wide for him, we have room to get a thicker pad. He’s been barefoot since December and has got some good/tough feet on him, but the general conses was that his he might feel better in the composite shoes long term (as they support/cushion for his stifles), with only 1 cycle off instead next winter. Felesha was out at the appointment with us too and trimmed him up per Jeannie’s instructions after the workup; Next we will get his Blue Pegasos shoes back on, his annual teeth appointment in mid-March, and get him feeling as feisty as he was in Aug – October and ready to tackle that 50 mile ride 😛

While at our conditioning rides I have been working on Sully’s space issues. I did do a little ponying work back at the barn with Prophecy, but Sully doesn’t mind him hanging on his butt of course, so nothing compares to being out and about working on it. He wears a red ribbon in his tail and we all talk about his ‘needs’ before heading out so everyone is aware. I’m able to read him a bit better on when he is upset with another horse and head off the kick before it happens, but he still gets one in on occasion and then is put at the back of the group.
Knock on wood, the loading and unloading is all going smoothly (after some balking when he learned how to back off) and he even chooses to back out of the trailer over turning around in it after getting a bit clumsy and deciding he didn’t like to turn that tight anymore. My divider is still out so he can turn if he so chooses, but it will need to go back in soon to bring them both home!
Prophecy is pretty happy as a pasture puff, tho I do think he longs for work some days so I hope to be able to pony him more in the future. He is unfortunately lame at the moment, maybe an abscess brewing as we can’t find a source for it!

Here’s some of our fun the past 2 months