Tag: horse

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Mojo Lame again

Mojo was in his stable whilst we waited for the physio to look at my daughter’s horse. I did his feet and he seemed little stiff so took him in the school. He was quite unlevel walking to the arena and reluctant to walk much once in there.
The physio had a look and couldn’t find anything obvious, so we turned him out to see if it was just being stiff due to standing still for too long.

The next day he walked over to me in the field and didn’t look lame, so will see how he is next week, the hoof trimmer is coming so we can assess him then and decide whether he needs the vet to take a took. He is bright, eating, and mooching about in the field. If at any time he looks lame again the yard owner will call the vet.

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Progress

Mojo had his feet trimmed on Tuesday 28th February 2023. My daughter took him in the school first and free lunged him, didn’t video until the end but he did trot and looked sound.
I used the calming spray and he did seem to be very calm and let Penny trim all four feet.
Very pleased with his progress and do hope it continues, he has physio next week so all see what she says,

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March Update

Mojo has been struggling with foot lifting, I now have help in the form of Kristie Jillings of Equine Harmony

We have been training for duration of the foot lifting and now have some yoga blocks to help with his balance. So he puts his feet on the blocks for an increasing duration. So far he is fine with the fronts on the blocks and will let me place his hinds on them.

The idea is to get him to step on with the fronts one cue, then try and do the same with the hinds. Then transfer this to the hoof stand.

We continue with his stretches and exercises over raised poles and he is moving better now.

Mojo with his hind foot on a yoga block
This is his more difficult hind. Photo taken by me 5 year old granddaughter.
Mojo doing pole work.
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May 13th 2020

I went to see Mojo on Monday the 11th May after 6 weeks of not travelling anywhere due the virus pandemic. We have been safe and adhered to all lockdown and self isolation measures. Mojo has been in a field with Smoke and Indi in the care of our excellent yard owner.
When I went on Monday I just picked out his feet in the field and did a few exercises.

Today, I joined my daughter – we are now allowed to see 1 other person we don’t live with – as long as we stay 2 metres apart. I picked out Mojos front feet but he was a bit sticky with the hinds. So I just looked at them.

Liz managed to rasp one front foot before Mojo decided enough was enough. So I just applied some hoof paste and gave him a good groom. Apparently he was not impressed with having to come out of the field into his stable this morning. Even with the yard owners husband leading him – he normally loves him and isn’t a problem.

 

We will have to do more sessions on the yard before asking the trimmer to come. Liz will rasp one foot at a time if necessary.

horses foot

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Update on Mojo’s feet

November 4th 2019.

Mojo had his feet trimmed today, started with the hinds, got the left one done then he decided not to pick the right one up. So Penny did the fronts, he is perfect with them now and holds them for quite a long time. Eventually got the right one done with lots of rest along the way. Non of the horses were very settled in the horrendous rain so we were very pleased with him.
December 9th 2019

Update on Mojo’s feet. He needed them done as quite flared and cracked so the trimmer came a week early. He wasn’t at all settled or co-operative, so we decided on veterinary sedation. Fortunately we are close to the hospital and a vet came out straight away. Mojo was sedated and towards the end twitched. I felt a bit bad about twitching but he did need trimming. He also had an injection for feather mites and I trimmed and oiled his feathers whilst he was still sleepy. Hopefully he wont be so bad next time – he lets us pick out his feet and I have been trying to add duration but the vet thought the mites were making him extra sensitive.

Mojo update, 13th December.

Yesterday was the first time I got to see him since the trim under sedation, he picked up all four feet but wasn’t interested in any treats but took the grass pellets.
14th December 2019.

Today I groomed him, poked about at all four legs, to check his skin. He didn’t object to me brushing his feathers. Then I got him out on the yard and held a bucket of Readigrass whilst Liz picked out and brushed his hoofs. He didn’t object to her holding his left hind out behind him – as the trimmer would do. He was a little tense with the right hind and did snatch it just as she had finished and was putting it down. Big fuss for him when the feet were off the ground.

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Up-date 25th October

Update 25th October 2019, I had Sally Ede out to do some communication and healing Mojo, today was the second session and she said he was much more relaxed this time.
He still is protective of his hind legs but was better when I picked out his feet before Sally arrived. I did the fronts as they are near perfect now and he holds them up well. Liz did the hinds whilst I bridged and treated, he lifted the left one as soon as she bent down and touched it, the right he lifted as soon as she asked him, held it up with no snatching at all.
He has been on Cortaflex and Buteless for around 8 weeks now, and Sally says he need to strengthening exercises, I have been backing him over poles and trotting over them too.
Long reining is the next stage them Liz will have a few ridden lessons with Sally. Then I can hop on board and continue with the pole work too.
The trimmer is coming the first week in November so hopefully he will be happier to let her trim them all, as long as we go at his pace.
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Agility Training

May 11th 2019
We have been having a little trouble getting out of the field as there is a very friendly pony who always gets to the gate first.
Mojo was OK to get out of the field, I had Liz with me and she distracted the pony who keeps chasing Mojo away. I took him into the stable to groom and pick out feet. He offered all 4 feet with me just saying “lift”. This is the cue my yard owner has been using, so I need to keep the consistency. No kicking, snatching or putting them down before I had finished cleaning them. He was eating his lunch at the time but got a few more treats for being so good.

Then we went in the arena and I put out an L-shaped corridor. We did that one way and then he backed on cue a few steps with in the poles. I asked him to back over a pole which he did well but then I decided to try the corridor again but going the other way. He got a bit confused and thought I wanted him to walk over the poles.

https://youtu.be/C7ohsLZuSis
We ended with him standing on the tarp and getting a handful of treats. I left him in the school whilst I put a few things away. I had bunting tied to the fence as the yard owner wanted to do some obstacle training with her son and his pony in the afternoon. As i was unravelling it Mojo came to have a look, he was very eager to touch it.
IMG_3828
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April 2019

Well finally got Mojo in the school to do some pole work and short lining. We haven’t managed much recently apart from grooming and a little targeting on the yard. I used my new short lines from Whinny Reins – they were brilliant, very easy to hold and didn’t get all tangled up like the feather lines, I must take a photo next time.

Anyway Mojo was very good, he walked well over the poles from a “walk on” cue and stopped on a “whoa”. He went to the frisbee I threw for him and even had a little trot, must now get the trot on a reliable cue. Only did a few minutes and now must build it up so we do more and then some ridden sessions.

 

 

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Update 2019

Update 25th January 2019

Due to cataract surgery I haven’t done anything with Mojo – apart from pulling some twigs out of his mane. Today he was in for a rest from the wet fields, with a big pile of hay in his hay bar. He popped his head over the door and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. That is probably due to his unruly forelock blocking vision. I went in his stable and groomed him – well the bits that were dry, then put on my treat bag and loaded it with grass pellets. We went out into the yard and I groomed him a bit more, pulled the twigs out of his tail, sprayed it with “Mud Away” – not sure it does any good but we will see. He had a few pellets to nibble on in a bowl whilst I tidied up his tail and mane – scissors and a solo comb. I got the frisbee I use as a target and did his stretching exercises. He stood quietly whilst I switched on the small trimmers and just walked around the yard. We then did some targeting of an umbrella – just to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything. It is amazing with these horses that even after doing nothing but being a horse in a field for nearly 2 months he was still enjoying touching a moving umbrella.

My plan in the next few weeks is to get him happy to go in the lorry and be driven around the block.

February 11th 2019

Mojo had a flu booster today, all was good the vet was superb, she hugged him and as he was wondering what she was doing the injection was done and he never even flinched. Plenty of treats followed.

Before the vet arrived I groomed him and did some stretching exercising with the target. Also I had the trimmers on and walked all round him, he even let me touch him with the back of my hand whilst the holding the trimmers which were on. The battery is dying so it wasn’t very loud but a few weeks ago he would had have just left.

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Mojo Ridden

A couple of snippets from our 2nd lesson with Sally Ede. Mojo was calm and relaxed and focused. I used my body and a slight open rein to turn. We used scratches as reinforcement and he was forward going so only a slight touch with the leg to indicate ‘yes” that is what I want.

I now want to add verbal cues to the rein cues but that will come after I get more confident riding. At the moment Mojo doesn’t seem bothered by my riding and as long as he is under his emotional threshold all is well.

I did feel a little guilty as I wanted to use more positive reinforcement in our ridden sessions but I also need to know he can be ridden  by anyone, as he will most probably out live me.