It's warm, it's summer, and things are going great!

     Guess what? It's warm, it's summer... and there is grass! Okay? Grass? No big deal, right? NOT! Grass is a definite big deal when your horse is skinny and needs to gain some weight! Since it's warm Udex gets to be grazing outside 24/7 (okay more like 20/7 because I do take him in to work him!) Anywho, this grass will be the number one reason he starts gaining weight! So, shall I say it again? GRASS!!!! Different meaning this time, right? Okay, okay, maybe I am obsessing a bit too much... Oh well, point is it's warm, constant grazing, and Udex is getting bigger and happier each and every day!

Wow! Look at that back!

     So Udex is gaining weight. Yip-yip-hooray! Not only is it just "weight" it's muscle! He is looking so great! On his rump and legs is where you can see the most muscle! His ewe neck is going away (thank goodness!) His back is getting bigger! I remember before sitting upon him bareback was a painful thing to do, but now, he feels worlds better! He looks fantastic! He still does not look good in the eyes of a stranger, but compared to before he looks more then amazing. 

Ms. Meagan playing with the green foals in the paddock

     A very amazing friend of ours came and taught me a bit of Parelli natural horsemanship! What a treat! She is a very talented woman who knows a lot about horses. She is one of those special people that click with all animals. I don't think I ever mentioned Udex getting nervous if he is brought into the barn and there is no other horse with him or in sight. However, if I am riding him in the arena, then he is fine. Anyways, tacking up a huge horse (over 17.hh tall) while he is pacing, throwing his head up, whinnying every five seconds right in your ear,  and kicking out is not a very easy task to do! Ms. Meagan taught me what to do with him, and oh boy! The techniques she showed me were amazing! Udex calmed down and was actually quiet! He was alone in the barn and when I first brought him in, a bit nervous, but as soon as Ms. Meagan showed me what to do with him and we preformed it on him, he was a new horse! I was amazed! If you ask me if I had ever witnessed a miracle, that would have to be it! I am so thankful for such amazing friends like Ms. Meagan who are kind enough to share their talents with others! Udex and I are so, so, SO thankful!

     As I write this it is around 12:30 at night, and constant worries are going through my head, as always. Typical worries that every owner of a horse share. "Will my horse be warm enough tonight?" "Will he have a freak accident in the paddock!?" "What if he starts to colic in the middle of the night?" I guess thoughts like those are normal when you love another life just as much as your own, if not even more. I am so thankful to have an amazing horse like Udex. I watch him do his fancy natural extended trot in the paddock and just think to myself about how God must like me a lot more then I could have ever imagined! To put such an amazing boy into my arms and to be giving me the opportunity to bring him back up to where was. Oh man! I am so, so, SO blessed! I have a lot of amazing friends! Each and every one of them have helped me so much!  I can't thank them enough for helping in the ways they have!! I'm not lucky.. I'm just blessed. Every night before I go to bed, and as soon as I wake up I say a prayer... and instantly all my worries of Udex fade away and I feel stronger then ever that we can do this and make it to the top. 

It has been too long since I wrote! UPDATES!

     Sooo it has been a while since I last wrote! I am extremely sorry to anyone who has been reading or keeping tabs. Anywho, I have been uber busy with Udex lately! I have a lot to write about! Jeez, not writing really adds up; grr.
     So most importantly... We found out a bit more from Udex's past! We got curios and typed in the address on his papers from where he was born, raised, and trained and his trainer... And boy were we shocked! Apparently Udex was trained at this very elaborate, stunning, fancy, advanced, dressage training stable. Have a look for yourself here. I was shocked! I mean, I knew he was trained up to Grand Prix but NEVER would I have suspected at such a grand, nice, sophisticated facility! W.O.W.! We asked and sure enough they remember training an Udex to grand prix. So that was a huge shocker to know that fancy stable was his home... Now it is just a matter of getting him to where he used to be.. Hmmm.

     CLIPPING!!! I attempted to do just that to Udex, and well, you could say I successfully failed. 

When at the tack shop I somehow managed to grab the human clippers instead of the horse clippers. How I did that; don't ask. All I know is that when I got him I realized that it was awfully small to be for a horse. I did use them though, and they did work! However, they died. I would use it for fifteen minutes, then charge for an hour, then use for another fifteen minutes, charge for an hour, etc. You get the point. So after about 3 hours out of his stall Udex was a little cranky (you can't blame him!) I only got his neck, chest, parts of his back legs and parts of his belly done. What a trooper! Not a lot of horses I know can tolerate that, but Udex was very patient and doing his best! Anyways, I will get actual horse clippers this time and finish the job!

 

     Ahh it is finally warm enough to turn the horse out without a winter blanket, but as a substitute, a nice fly sheet instead! Udex looks very handsome (and feels very great for that matter!) with his gold fly sheet and hood on! No annoying flies on him this year! I am paranoid with the bugs! All it takes is for one bite and who knows whats happening next. 

Have you ever heard of a "Pessoa Lunge Training System?" If you have not, what it is is a device that encourages a horse to use his back legs, develop his topline, and maintain a nice head frame. Any ways, with much thought and consideration I have decided that it would be best for him to stop riding, but instead work him in other ways such as with a pessoa, taking walks, and doing other exercises! So, I have been working him in a pessoa lately. It is too soon to see any improvements, but I have high hopes for this gadget! He is very familiar with it and seems to enjoy it! 

      I switched bits! Udex seems to hate having a thick, gawky, soft eggbut snaffle in his mouth. Udex loves the feel of a sharp, thin, bradoon instead! I think that has to due with him being trained with a double bridle. I guess he is more used to sharper feels. I am glad I found the bit that works for him! I am thankful I have soft hands while riding him, because heaven knows a bradoon bit in the wrong hands *shiver* can lead to a lot of problems.

     But wait... There is even more news to share! I have been riding Udex with just a halter, and sometimes even without a halter or any other tack! He is so smart! With a halter and lead rope, he puts his head in a nice head frame! I was definitely impressed! Everyday he has a new surprise for me! I love him so much, I can't even try and explain it. Bareback and bit-less he really enjoys. 2-5 times a week I hop on him and ride him like that! If he was not too thin I would trot him more and canter him without anything! For now its just a bit of trot and lots of walk because he is so thin and high withered. Anywho, we both enjoy it lots!

     ULCERS! *Sigh* Poor Udex! lately he has been walking away from his feed, acting different, misbehaving when being worked, and preforming almost all the other symptoms of having ulcers. It makes sense considering his past and what he has been through. We are treating him for ulcers and changing his diet. So in a few months, he should be ulcer free! (:

     The dentist came out for him! He has a slight overbite. He is not parrot mouthed or anything, just a teeny 2 cm overbite, totally fixable so no worries! It is causing him to have slight problems eating, and maybe some irritation with the bit, but other then that it's not a problem due to it being just a slight difference of alignment of the teeth.

     So, that was the last time I ever go a long period of time without writing! I should be back to daily, or every other day, posting starting tonight! So thats whats been going on with Udex and I! (: Everyday he is improving a lot and teaching me so much! I love my baby sooo much! I can not believe how much of a bond we share! I can hop on him without any saddle or bridle and know that he will listen and obey my every command. I tell you, with trust, love, time and patience, anything is possible. One day I will have Udex back to the Grand Prix horse he once was, and everyone who made fun of us can be sorry. Until then, I am going to kick back and enjoy these precious moments that are making my horse and I an even stronger team.