Hoppy!

On Monday, the 18th, Hoppy came out to work on the boys. It was also Peanut's 9th birthday. What do you think of turning 9, Peanut?

While Peanut grazed, I took pictures of Hoppy working on Gene. There are no pictures of Peanut's spa day, because I was busy holding the little bugger.

Hoppy at work:

Pictures really don't do her technique justice, as there are often very quick/subtle/strange moves which I simply can't capture.

When Hoppy works on a horse, they will often lick and chew after each adjustment, look stoned, sigh, and yawn.

Now look pretty, Gene.

Peanut's adjustment mainly concerned his hunter's bump, his neck, and the fact that he had a rib out of place and jutting in a bit. As usual, she went on about what this would cause me to see, and of course it's all stuff I've noticed. She popped the rib out, and then worked on his diaphragm a bit since he locked it on that side. He most definitely did not enjoy the diaphragm release, but suddenly he stopped evading her, stood still, and looked stoned. That was when it freed.

I know that this sounds like poppycock to anyone who hasn't seen it in person or seen the differences in the horses afterwards. Peanut tends to track with his right rear to the middle of his body, and after he sees Hoppy it ends up in line with his front. That is a definite difference and isn't me just looking for something, and that's just one. Gene's neck hadn't locked up this time, so we won't have the big difference of him having an unlocked neck vs locked... which is a good thing. We don't want to wait until the bloody thing locks up.

Hoppy couldn't get over how Peanut looks. She said that he looks great, and finally looks like one complete horse rather than a neck stuck on a chest/belly stuck to a butt. His pot belly look is gone, and instead he is getting toned and the muscles of his rear legs are especially transformed and coming along nicely. She kept stopping during Gene's adjustment (he went first) to comment on how great Peanut looks. :D

Of course I told her about the new saddle, and showed it to her. She loves treeless saddles for horses and seemed to like the Fhoenix, especially when I told her what a difference it made to the both of us. But, really, the hills in the area are probably more to thank than anything. She would still like to see some muscles built up along his spine, but there is no doubt in her mind that they will.

She also commented on how nicely Gene is doing. His feet are looking good, his flexibility is increasing, and he's in fabulous shape. There was another horse, a couple of months Gene's elder (Gene will be 22 on Sunday) who was in the field behind us, skin and bones and struggling to breathe because he is so very sick and his owner won't let him go. He's also an app, and the difference between the two of them is staggering.

Hoppy brought up Daniel as well, and said how he's in a new barn and she needs to get in touch with Lisa. :)

Ok, this is jumping the gun and was taken on Tuesday, but she looks so pretty that I had to put her in today's post.