Anyone Else Have A Crazy Year?

[Auburn]

This year began with me hoping to event my OTTB mare, "Chasing Piper" in a mini event series. We made it to the first one at Flying Cross. She ran away with me in the Dressage warm up, both days. She jumped, sometimes over jumped, everything in SJ and on cross country. By the end of the 2 days, I was totally exhausted.

After four years of owning "Piper", I decided to sell her. I placed ads on several sites and on Facebook. I got a few calls, but only two people tried her. One was a trainer, who said that she did not have any students who could ride her. I sent her to a farm, where the trainer taught students at Xavier U. She said that she had advanced students. After a week, she called for me to take "Piper" back. "Too much horse! Exhausted, after riding her." You see, "Chasing Piper" was an OTTB, chestnut mare, with Storm Cat on the top. People do believe in the "Chestnut mare, beware" thing.

I am a 65 year old person on Medicare. Friends had told me that "Piper" was not the right horse for me, but I am stubborn and wanted to prove that I could still ride/train this mare. I finally sent her to Paulus Racing and Performance Thoroughbreds. Amy found Piper her person. She left 2 days ago, as a Christmas present for a Pony Clubber. I am so grateful that Pipes found a good home!!

My 18 year old Event mare, "Tessie's Brite Star", had strained a suspensory in 2013. I gave her most of the year off. During this recuperation time, "Tess" began to show signs of having Cushings. She went on Pergolide and Tyro-L. In 2014, she came back strong and had me placed 4th in the USEA year end awards. Then, she injured the other suspensory. I gave her a year off for that one. She came back and I began to ride her bareback and pony Piper to get them both in shape. She was good for about six months, then reinjured the same suspensory. Another six months off and she began to pull me when walking. She decided to go gallop with her pasture mates and strained it, again. So, I made the decision to euthanize her, before she ended up with a catastrophic injury. "Tessie" was my heart horse, who took me places that I never dreamed that I could go. May she rest in peace and gallop with all of those who have gone before her.

Enter my new horse. I found "Nike" on Dreamhorse. He was way up in Ada, MI. Madeline Bletzacker, one of my good friends, who kept telling me that Piper was the wrong horse for me, saw the ad and told me to send them a deposit, immediately. My DH and I pulled the trailer up on a Monday. I rode him on Tuesday morning, had him vetted Tuesday afternoon and we hit the road for home around 5pm, pulling "Nike" in the trailer. We dropped him at the barn and got home at 2:45am. My DH had to go to work at 8am. I was exhausted. "Nike" was exhausted. My DH, well, I cannot even imagine how he got through Wednesday?

"Nike'' is a cutie pie. He is a Paint, with a splotch of white on his left hind pastern. Other than that, he is a Bay. The previous owners did not have papers. Being a gelding, it does not matter. The fact that he has a "forward" and a "whoa" are what I needed. He is especially kind. He has lovely cadence and a very cute jump. However, the previous owner was riding him in a Gag snaffle and a contraption which caused his neck to develop wrong. I am riding him in a leather bit. I am lunging and teaching him that it is OK to stretch down and not brace against a rope on his neck. So, "Nike" and I are saving each other.

Please share your stories of 2017?

[IFG]

What a year. Pictures? I saw Piper posted on the Paulus site. So glad she found her person. I am starting to look, but working to pay off the barn and buy a new truck first. My 25 year old retired eventer lives at home. He is intermittently sound. When he is, he runs around like a maniac, and is ouchy after that for a bit. Alas. I had the metal out of my knee in May (Tibial Plateau fracture after falling on frozen ground getting on my horse in Jan 2015). Getting stronger, getting more financially sound, then I will get my Nike.

[OuttaShape]

This is the year I have bought a house, sold a house, sold a horse, bought a horse (last week! After 2 months horse-less) and am now getting married next week(!!!). Who needs money, right? Or sleep...

Congrats on finding Nike!

[weixiao]

I’m sorry for your loss of your horse but congratulations on your new guy. He sounds fabulous!

I had a crazy year too. Moved to a new country last fall. Finally got my young horse (that I had owned for a year and a half and left with a trainer) to me only to find him injured. Spent the first half of the year trying to find a solution to his issues and heartbroken. Spent the summer ready to give up on horses. Finished my masters. Moved to yet another new country. Started horse shopping. Gave up on horse shopping. Had one fall into my lap that was pretty much the opposite of what I was looking for. Bought him sight unseen off of some photos and a two year old video (from yet another country). He has been more than I dreamed of. Other one is standing in a field and will be re-evaluated next year.

Definitely a wild year. Hoping to be able to relax and enjoy things more next year!

[fordtraktor]

Definitely. Lost my beloved old horse of 20 years in January to a battle with laminitis so that was pretty draining. Had a bad/stupid fall in March and lost a lot of the feeling in my hands. Spent the summer trying to get back to a decent spot confidence-wise then had another stupid fall two weeks before Event Camp. Arrived shaken and nervous about jumping anything and ended up jumping a lot of training and prelim stuff. Then work and school, gave one away and traded another fr a small western pleasure mare. Now I am having a ton of fun teaching her to jump and just rediscovering the joy of it all again.

it was a tough year health-wise for me and that always carries a cloud. Oh and I still don't have feeling in my hands but have gotten more used to it. Appears it is going to stay unless I have surgery and it isn't that bad, just annoying so there's no way I would contemplate that.

i have two good riding horses now and a 2 yo KWPN I am excited about so I am optimistic about the future.

Auburn, I wish you all the joys with Nike! You deserve it.

[somanyhorses]

It's amazing how much can happen in a year.... what a great idea to share stories. I'm exhausted just thinking about mine, but here goes:

My eventer started the year really well and was about to move up a level after his first two events for the season, when he strained his near fore superficial digital flexor tendon in early April. Cue box rest, hand walking (I mean kite flying....) and a slow rehab, and we've just started jumping again, over 8 months later. All is well with him, though vet does believe after scanning at various stages, that there is scar tissue indicative of a tendon injury before I bought him... so we'll see how he holds up.

My beloved first ever horse was lost to colic in March, he was 23. I had him for 20 years. He was out on lease to a lovely family and I hadn't actually seen him for over 2 years. It hit me really hard, but he was so loved right till the very end and had a wonderful life. RIP my friend.

One of our 2 year olds (my partner's) developed a weird growth in her mouth that turned out to be a benign tumour which required rather expensive and extensive surgery removing part of her jaw, but she pulled through and managed to keep all her adult teeth, so fingers crossed she has a normal adult mouth and life.

One of my purpose bred for eventing youngsters, came up a bit funny as a weanling, and was diagnosed with OCD in both hocks (DIRT lesions). Vet's opinion was that these were not the kind he would grow out of, so surgery was performed to remove both when he was 10 months old. That went really well, but 3 weeks into his box/yard rest post surgery, he jumped out of his yard and in that process got a puncture wound which then resulted in a tendon sheath infection, which then resulted in emergency surgery 6 days later after the puncture wound was not noticed and he was therefore misdiagnosed. That was 2 months ago, and his recovery is as good as we could have hoped for at this stage. Still some swelling in the tendon sheath however he appears sound and he will hopefully have a ridden future. It will be years till we know whether any adhesions that have formed will affect his ability to hold up to work, but at very least he will be paddock sound and have a happy life here. It's been a really stressful few months with him, and it makes me really happy to see him looking as happy and healthy as he currently does. Two trips under general anaesthetic within a month, before the age of 1, is not something I hope anyone ever has to put their young horses through.

Lots of good things happened too. We backed my 3 year old home bred filly (then 2 and 4 months) lightly in January, spelled her, finished breaking her in April, and now I have her in light baby work, mainly plodding around in the paddocks. She is very quiet and so much fun to work with, her lines are Heraldik/For Pleasure/Brilliant Invader so I hope she has the eventing talent her breeding says she should!

I had a beautiful filly born in October who is a full sister to the yearling with the OCD and tendon sheath infection, and the 11th and final foal for that beautiful old (21 years) broodmare. The mare's offspring include a 3* eventer, a 1* eventer and some very nice show jumpers, and the now 6 week old filly is by the same Heraldik/For Pleasure stallion as my 3 year old. My 2 year old from the same mare (by a Mr Blue/Family Ties/Brilliant Invader stallion) is absolutely stunning and and an amazing mover, albeit 16.2 at 25 months which is concerning as I'm tiny! So I have lots of exciting young horses to stare at and make future plans for, which is fun and motivating.

During winter, feeling depressed about my eventer being out of action and my weanling being diagnosed with OCD, I escaped Australian winter to go to Portugal for a dressage bootcamp which was just awesome, and I've really enjoyed working on my dressage skills this year, and what I learned helped hugely during my eventer's rehab when I spent a lot more time in my dressage arena than I would have liked!

One of my old boys (retired eventer who took me through to 2* in my early 20's), turned 30 this year. What a great milestone! He has the best life, living out with one of my other retired eventers, and nannying our weanlings through to 2 year olds. His vision seems to be fading a bit and he's a little bit unsteady on his feet some days, but he still goes for a canter regularly and looks a million bucks. He makes me very happy, and I'm thankful for every day that he's with us.

Roll on 2018... I hope it's a great year for all of you!

[Interstellar]

In January I was given a "red headed mare". She was posted for sale but had a reputation so bad no one would buy her. I went out and saw her and just got "that feeling" and I had to have her. She used to be lead around in a lip chain, run people over, took a nasty bite out of someone who blanketed her, would run away and buck with her owner, owner broke her wrist riding her, and was just a nasty mare to other horses. She'd also HANG on your hands because that's all she knew was to plow on her front end and hang on the rider. I gave her several months of just care to kinda let her reset a bit and have been working on changing everything. She has manners, can be lead around with my hand under her cheek, is finally using her hind end and not hanging and starting to USE herself, has never once offered to hurt me, she LOVES jumping (like seriously this horse needs to fly and if we don't jump during the session she tries to arrange it), and has seriously saved my butt when I've made mistakes to jumps quite a few times (overthink and get in my head, working on it). LOVE her. I will say she isn't as lovey to my trainer or anyone else lol but does like certain people who come to scratch her face. Can't wait to event her next year.

I did my first event in May. Local event. Did Novice on our first run out. Decided to take my homebred/trained gelding. A month before the event we hadn't even jumped an entire course of jumps. I put a LOT of work into him and we were mid/bottom pack in dressage (due to my inexperience with this), he put in a killer jump round when he tried to run out on the first fence of a two stride combo (I got in my head and leaned so is my bad) and I had to get him over that and then cowgirl up and and jump the next fence at an angle. Lost my stirrup and jumped the next one without it on an angle because we were out of room, got stirrup back and finished the last three jumps strong. I got cheered on by everyone upon finishing and multiple offers on my horse. Three riders fell off on that course so the cheering was for my save. And then cross country, we didn't have time before they closed the local XC course for the show to get there and practice, so we went into cross country having never jumped a XC jump in our lives. And gosh that was THE best time of my LIFE. Holy flying. My boy gave me his all and was having fun. I got us DQed due to my "um wait what jump number are we on? Did we skip one?" And forgot to double back for one jump combo and the course naturally flowed to the next fence after it. Lesson learned to course walk multiple times. Otherwise we'd have finished either 2nd or 3rd. But I couldn't have asked for more heart and try from my boy.

We're polishing up all winter and I can't wait to get out there and attack 2018. I'm finally a BSN RN (nurse) now (six years in the making) and finally have the money to compete this next year. I'm not new to riding but new to jumping and never had the money for lessons before. So it's been quite the journey learning with my green jumping horses. I have an amazing trainer as of this year though who has been the one to propel us forward.

I wish everyone an amazing 2018 and can't wait to read your stories!

[phoenixrises]

Oh my gosh yes, what a year.

January started off great mare was more than likely ready to start 1st level in the spring. Then we had a big thaw and right after below freezing so the ground was cement with no snow. She decided to have "fun" and pulled her right SI. Have to wait a few weeks to get a lameness vet to come to us, injections and 3-6 months off. Vet mentions she looks slightly neuro doesn't quite know what but it's nqr. Fast forward, trying to come back into work she'll be fine for 2 rides then off, everywhere ran tons of tests couldn't' figure it out. Takes till September to finally figure out that it's a flipping VIT E deficiency by then she's quite neuro and we even entertain euthanasia. Put her on massive doses of VIT E and now 3.5 months later I have my horse back. It'll be a while to know if she'll ever be 100% but she's doing fantastic.

While I didn't have a horse to work, I ended up going to look at a herd of 5 minis (all related mom, dad and three siblings) buy them. find homes for 4 and keep the filly. So now I do driving with her (went from not halter broke to competing in 4 months, she's fantastic and I love her) and hope to do our first CDE next year.

[FatCatFarm]

I switched from riding my steady eddie Novice horse to his hotter, sensitive and more athletic younger brother the beginning of this year. Sorting him out dressage-wise and then show jumping has been a challenge. We had good but nothing special outtings in late winter and early spring, but in March, he lawn darted me and I wound up with broken ribs which sidelined me for a bit. Then we lost my dad in May. Got my guy back out in July where he put in a relaxed dressage test and a most excellent jumping round. Decided I wanted to move him up to novice in the fall so worked all summer at that but then wound up switching trainers so bagged doing any more shows for the short term. Went to a Kyle Carter Clinic instead and had a blast, and now the time has changed and it's the holidays and the weather sucks.

I also sold my daughter's horse which she wasn't riding enough to justify keeping and then bought an OTTB mare, a lovely grey, who's still on let down and learning how to be just a horse.

Next year I hope to do a couple of schooling shows at Novice then hopefully our first horse trial. I am also taking him and my daughter on his steady eddie brother on a beach ride; then going to Africa for a family Safari in late June. I may breed the OTTB mare as she's going to be a late maturing girl and having a baby might be a good job for her for now before she is returned to work. We'll see.

[Auburn]

It seems that I was definitely not alone in my difficult year. It just goes to show how brave all of you are to weather these storms and persevere. Kudos on that!

I hope that all of you reach your goals for 2018. We still have them, even though they sometimes take a back seat to life. Thank you for sharing your 2017 journeys.

[beowulf]

I am so glad to hear Pipes found a Pony Club home!! That is the best present.. I hope they send you a video of the "unveiling"??

You will have to tell me more about Nike.. and please share pictures.

Like fordtraktor my year has kind of been one of those years you are ready to close the chapter on.. The horse that carried me through my childhood was PTS in July after a long battle with so many issues. He was ready to go but I don't think anyone in the family was ready to lose him. He was our Patriarch, and has been on the farm so long that it's still strange not to see him basking in the sunlight with the boys in the morning.

My FLF gelding has had an interesting year that started off with us not being sure if he would still be with us after his punctures, broken rib and pelvis fractures.. It was a weird year for me riding-wise. I didn't ride at all from October 2016 to about March 2017 other than one or two catch rides.. Holden was cleared for work in late March but I dilly-dallied and really took my time getting him going. That riding drought really took a number on my position and fitness! Thank god I have a horse that does not do anything silly because I am sure that first month was the most ineffective and unbalanced I have ever been as a rider. I did not make any plans, took it all one day at a time, but by September it was tentatively looking like Holden might still have a competition career... and then in October he got the abscess from hell that blew once, twice, and then again.. for a horse that never gets abscesses it was a really ugly one and I am glad it is behind us... and now he is enjoying a very light riding schedule because of my work schedule and lack of cooperating weather.

On the plus side I've rediscovered an old hobby, ice-hockey, and that is keeping me busy.. If there was ever a sport that is *almost* as expensive as horses, it's ice hockey.. but it's good to keep physically active while I can't ride.

I guess the year was not entirely unenjoyable. I did get the most beautiful Hanoverian filly in existence in January... and Holden and I did scratch two objectives off of our Perpetually Delayed Bucket list: go to the beach & attend a hunterpace at an actual hunterpace speed..

It's nice to read of everyone else's year.. I'm sorry for those who have experienced losses of friends, major medical bills, vet bills, and disappointments... and hopeful that you all will have a much better year going forward.

[ACountingRider]

Mine definitely had quite the turn-around. Im the epitome of professional-amateur having just taken the 9-5job in the past two years after leaving a WS-position. But haven't officially declared ammateur as I try to work off board through riding my trainer's horses. This summer I moved to city to take a better paying job, but I was forced to board my little 6yo OTTB an hour away at a lesser-expensive barn that is fortunately owned by my trainer.
It's been such a blessing with the opportunities gained by riding there, with lots of extra ride time on others whenever I want.

After a rough summer dealing with stone bruises and a sliced face, I hung up my goal to move my little girl to prelim. But after some really confident xc schools and jump lessons my trainer gave me the thumbs up to make the move up at Sporting Days.

This is when my true amateur self cut in. She jumped beautifully and clear! I cried. I am still stunned and so proud. I've competed at the preliminary with two former packers but have really wanted to prove that I could bring a horse from the beginning to prelim, especially since I now wasn't riding full-time. She was so workman like and perfect. I'm just in shock. She is this little unnassuming plain bay mare, I bought for $3,000 Spring 2016. We show up in our 1980s horse trailer and I'm a nervous passive rider, but she just rocked it.

Thank you for letting me share. I've had a tumultuous past two years, but it feel so so good to have a horse in my barn like this.

[Auburn]

Since I am technologically challenged, the best way to see Piper with her new young person is to go to my Facebook page: Lowelle Messner. I have head shots of Nike, as well. If you note his facial markings, it looks like he is shooting you a bird. No kidding. At first, I thought to give him "Birdman", as his show name. After getting to know him, I decided that he needed something less cheeky and more with his character. He will be shown under the name: "Ledston."

[Auburn]

I did it! Yay! This is Nike.

[Auburn]

I am so proud of myself. I figured out how to do this. This Piper with her new person.

[Abracadabra]

my OTTB was beautifully bred, and raised, and retired, and rehomed, but I didn't do anything with him for years! his education was slow, and steady, and I had a few girls I knew putting some time on him, but I didn't "get" him, (I've never ridden TB's before) he WAS NOT a typical TB however, and I knew there was something special about him. He just didn't ride the way I rode, and we struggled. I puttered in his education, and he sputtered in not wanting to do anything! I even gave him a year off, and concentrated on another "easier" mount! Last summer I pulled him out of the field, to go for a hack with the girls, and he didn't put a foot wrong, so I knew it was time to do more with him. Finally found a trainer I could progress with, and took lots of lessons, wintered him in an indoor arena, with my coach riding him every week, and suddenly a different horse began to emerge. he's still an "old sitffy", and gets comments like "needs suppleness, and bend" but we took him to 4 sanctioned dressage shows this summer, and he loved it. and so did I! Truly never give up on them, they will come through, with time, and patience, and good training, they will come around to our way of thinking, and riding. Looking so forward to another winter indoors, and practising some of first level skills, and see if we can get right lead canter all the time, and see what next season holds for us!

[mychestnutvalentine]

Many ups and downs this year -

Started off the year by purchasing sight unseen except Facebook photo and video a wonderful 15.2 tb cross gelding. Best decision ever . From getting him for my mom and starting him, I connected with my now current Dressage trainer who has been key to my growth in my riding. Since I still owned my grey mare I managed to sell my old corn pro stock trailer and buy my first aluminum horse trailer ! Wahoo . My grey mare continued to be on and off lame with much spent in diagnosis, x rays and injections. I was also thrown off a project horse and severely sprained my ankle , possible tear. My gelding completed a mini event but in the middle of summer got a splint. So no riding for anyone for awhile. This fall I got my mare up and going enough for a mini event which was a disaster . Realized this could be a career ending injury and began to search for a turn out home for her. My gelding came back full force with Dressage and I’ve laid low with jumping until we are super fit with flatwork. My mare is currently turned out and a nice lady hacks her.
Recently i had a 4 yr old ottb fall into my lap. Excited to work with him over the winter!

[Kairoshorses]

This has been hell year, horse-wise. My family is good, and I (still) love my job as a professor, though now that my partner works at a university in a different state, it's...well complicated. Thank goodness we have an online program!

But horses....Sigh. My soulmate, horse-of-a-lifetime, giver of dreams, and the most grounding influence I've ever experienced, My Shamrock Paddy, developed ringbone so bad that he had trouble getting up, and he let me know he was ready to go in January. I know it was the right thing to do, and we spent the entire weekend beforehand standing together, grazing, reminiscing. But it was still heart-breaking, and I miss him every single day.

I've tried to find another horse like him (and I've bought four so far), and while all of them passed the vetting, they all ended up with major issues, from ulcers (treatable, yay!) to kissing spines to broken withers to navicular. The broken wither and kissing spines horses both ended up having to put down after two horrible, inoperable bouts of colic, one in March, one in June. We ended up moving to a different barn, thinking the feed/care might be the culprit.

The one with navicular I'd just been doing dressage with, and I figured I should do some lunge lessons to help my seat....and the horse reared up on the lunge line and went over backwards with me. I tore lots of muscles (and I had some spectacular bruises that I couldn't show anyone!), but thankfully, nothing worse--other than now I feel uber breakable, and all the confidence my blessed Paddy gave me has waned significantly.

I tried a horse in April, and my vet didn't like his Xrays, so I passed, but his owner offered me a year lease to see if he'd hold up for what I wanted. I accepted, and I've been riding this lovely horse since, but he's still not quite right, and I'm going to have to send him back.

My lovely young mare who is in training ran into a tree (!) and fractured her skull and her TMJ. The vets at A&M weren't sure she would be able to see, eat, or live after the surgeries she went through, but she seems to be a miracle pony, and she's doing well. She's still in training, and I'm hoping that I will be able to ride her one day.

But damn....I used to run Training and think it was fun, prepping to do a three day just so I could do Steeplechase.....but now, I'm REALLY nervous and afraid. All the confidence I had is gone.

Wow, this has turned into a rant/whine, but it HAS been a horrible year, horse-wise. Thankful that my family and I are relatively healthy, though we're all over the place (TX, AR, France). Here's hoping 2018 starts a new, happier horse cycle. And here's hoping I can find a horse who'll help me regain my confidence.

[allons-y]

OK my turn,

Our Pecans didn't do well this year, weather didn't cooperate and this is their 'off' year. I miss the Pecans but not the work right now. My extended family is whining for Pecans tho...

Two foster dogs I hoped to adopt didn't work out and had to be sent back.

3 feral barn cats obtained, one is pretty much invisible. I'm really not sure if she is still here. The other 2 are great cats, but they haven't sorted out their own hierarchy yet. Cat 3 is still mean to to cat 2 (my heart cat). Cat 3 is mean to my Pitbull, he's trying to win her over.

Evil Pone is coming along nicely as a green restart. He simply didn't have any real training. Doesn't buck, but otherwise was like a completely unbroken horse.

OTTB seems to be completely retired, old pelvic fracture that healed badly and kissing spines. I consider putting him down constantly. He's not lame in the pasture, but unrideable. He is very high maintenance and I could use that time and money on others. I hate this sort of reasoning. I should euthanize but just can't do it yet.

Newest horsie, from killpen, is now beating up the Pone. He is the OTTBs best friend now. Pone never liked the OTTB, he's only suffering hurt pride from the betrayal. I saddled up the new horse (Rocky) today and did a lot of ground work. He has no clue. Meanwhile, the dog played with and finally made a bed on an empty feed bag, noisily. Rocky snorted once then ignored that.

I still have no power to the barn, but this year, power is the goal!

My 23 year old niece was killed instantly in a car crash. We are all still reeling from that.

My 50 year old nephew was diagnosed with metastatic, incurable renal cancer. He's on oral chemo to prolong life and mitigate symptoms.

My daughter now has three children under 6 and is losing her mind from the stress. My 71 year brother keeps asking if there is an airport near me, repeatedly. I think he is losing his mind. My DH seems to be losing his mind too. I'm afraid every time I leave him home alone or he drives to the store. Our Dr is trying to help, we keep adding and deleting meds.

Work is insanely busy and stressful right now. Patients are so sick and the emotional toll is heavy. I am physically and mentally exhausted after a shift. Most of my coworkers are incredible people, no one could survive this job without each other. I find crazy, touching, heart-melting moments at work daily. Being a nurse at this facility is quite a gift, albeit an exhausting one. I am so thankful I found this place, the work we do here is incredible. The entire team of Physical Therapists, Occupational therapists, Speech Therapists, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Techs, and Doctors pull off miracles. It's a blessing to be involved in these patient's journeys.

Bottom line, I'm happy. Despite all the bad stuff above, I'm happy.

[Auburn]

Kairoshorses and allons-y, Sending prayers that 2018 will hold much better things for you, than 2017. Holy cow! You are very strong to have gone through what you have and still have positive attitudes.