Performance Show 2017 date?

[carolinec]

Does anyone know the date for the Dales Performance Show 2017? (I can't find it listed under Events on the DPS website.)

I was "possibly" considering bringing Pip to this years but unless he calms down he won't be going anywhere. LOL.

Since bucking me off in a lesson he's decided at the age of nearly 18 to revert back to puberty and act like a naughty 3 year old. I'm getting saddle and back checked out but I suspect he's just "having fun" as quite a few other horses at my livery yard seem to be playing up as well. He WAS getting a token feed each night but privileges have been removed to give him less energy to mess about with and he's certainly not impressed.
He's hacking out ok but just wants to go everywhere as fast as possible.

I'm looking at booking a Summer holiday and whether I bring Pip or not; I'd still like to attend this year so I don't want to be away.

[Fi]

Hopefully Alison will see this! I'm fairly sure Richmond is booked but I'm not sure if its the last weekend in August or the second to last!

Norty Pip, but glad he's feeling good!

[harveydales]

Norty Pip I don't think they ever change. Harvey is still capable of his scary bronking when the mood takes him and poor Tanya is out of action at the moment with a broken hand courtesy of Harvey dumping her and he is 23 this year.

It would be great to meet up some time. The performance show is too far for me to tow now it's at Richmond but perhaps we could meet up somewhere nearer to home?

[carolinec]

Hmmm....

Pip was bought as a "sensible" 11 year old and to be fair; we've done all sorts of things together including Fun rides, beach rides and even one PF show.
Unfortunately the older he gets the sillier he seems to be getting and my nerves are getting the better of me. Hopefully he will settle back down as I plan to do some Fun rides this year whilst we are both still able-bodied and I need to stay in the saddle.

[tinkerdorisalison]

SUNDAY 20TH AUGUST

Sorry for delay getting back to you Caroline

[carolinec]

Thanks Alison

We'll have to see how Pip settles down. He seems to be back in "hacking mode" but doesn't seem interested in anything else. I can't really complain; that's what I bought him for and he's been brilliant at it.

[mickey]

My rie has been put in foal and will all being well have a foal by then meaning I've had to start working Duke harder. He had his feed privilidges reduced dramatically after a couple of weeks of our lesson being a rodeo display. He seems to have calmed down a bit. I might take him for the intro section:) And if we really get going maybe get Evie backed and let Lu ride her

[carolinec]

We are now getting to the bottom of Pips recent behaviour problems and it seems that he is lame in trot on the back leg he broke his splint bone on 2 years ago. He is marginally lame in walk.

The Physio came and identified that he is compensating for that leg by shifting his weight so he is well-muscled on his good side but not so good on his bad side. He is also wearing out his shoes unevenly although the farrier hasn't commented. The physio turned him in a few tight circles and was concerned that he doesn't cross over very well either on the front or back.

I had been having weekly lessons and he was also being hacked 3-4 times a week prior to this in preparation for doing pleasure rides this spring.

The vet is coming out on 6th February to do a lameness assessment so I'll keep you all updated. If it's related to the splint bone it's not insured so I'm expecting some expensive vets bills. I'm hoping he just needs a bit of TLC as he's nearly 18 but I'll keep you all updated.

[harveydales]

Fingers crossed it is just a bit of TLC that is needed. Harvey trots up sound but if you watch him walk from behind, he is not even and never has been and he also wears his feet unevenly. But it hasn't stopped him - he is 23 this year and still out and about doing loads. I think it is important to try and keep them working/moving at this age or they will stiffen up. I'm lucky in that Harvey can live out 24/7 but with access to his stable if he wants. Good luck with the vet and fingers crossed it is nothing much to worry about. 18 is still a youngster. Do keep us posted.

[dalesnfellfan]

Hope it's nothing to do with the splint bone and covered by insurance, I was pleasantly surprised that Emeralds splint bone wasn't excluded on her insurance however Connie has one hoof excluded for thrush as her pre purchase vetting noted a thrush infection which cleared up in 2 weeks and she's not had any sign of thrush since but they won't take it off, seems crazy really.

What did the vet find and how is he now?

[carolinec]

Pip is home from the vets.

He has arthritic changes in his hock and stifle (all the same leg as the broken splint bone although unrelated). He has had steroids injected in to the TMT joint (tetra metatarsal) after numerous nerve blocks were done and he significantly improved when that area was blocked. His stifle also shows slight changes too but not worryingly so yet.

He is being put on Eplitalis joint supplement for daily use (probably for life if it works) which is typically rather expensive but as long as it keeps him sound & happy then I'm happy. Hopefully since it's not splint bone related the insurance will pay for the meds for 12 months.

I've been informed he is VERY overweight (too ashamed to say) and has to go on a diet of limited hay with anti-laminitis chaff to get the supplement in to him. He still can't be ridden for a further 2 weeks until the vets comes out and re-assesses him but hopefully he will be ok for hacking/fun rides but the vet thinks that lessons etc. where he's turning in tighter circle are no good for him.

Overall the prognosis looks hopeful that our hacking days aren't over. We are just both officially middle-aged

[harveydales]

Well that's good news in a way as at least you can keep hacking him. I would have thought any horse (or person) over a certain age will have some degree of arthritis and so long as it's not a major flare up, movement and exercise is the best thing. You can deal with the weight problem and that should help the arthritis too. Fingers crossed.

Andrea, that seems totally daft to exclude Connie for thrush! I expect loads of horses have thrush without their owners even realizing. what a con this insurance lark is.

[dalesnfellfan]

Yes I couldn't believe it when she had the exclusion put on in the first place and later when they wouldn't take it off, but they said as it was pre-existing she wouldn't be covered for thrush or related issues on that foot. She hasn't had a whiff of it since and since her shoes came off (almost straight away) she has much better feet than she came with.

My vet never puts small silly stuff like that on the vet cert. just mentions it verbally, as he knows what the insurance companies are like, but as she came from quite a distance away she was vetted by a local vet and he noted every little thing down.

I'm glad it's nothing too serious with Pip, and you can continue hacking him and having fun for a good few years yet.

[Debbie]

Oh no! Sorry I didn't peek at this earlier. I saw a showing title and with limited time, I skipped reading. Really sorry to hear you've been through so much stress with Pip but so pleased to hear the diagnosis. Here's to a smooth recovery and plenty of lovely years ahead

I remember when Bloss turned 6 I had a devil of a time getting her weight down. We'd had a wet year and the clover in her field exploded I ended up taking her reduced flakes of hay and making really long lines with them. It forced her to move and it did mean she had to take longer to eat. Otherwise she'd stand in one spot, inhale her entire allotment of hay in about 15 minutes and then stand there the rest of the day waiting for supper hay

I've heard of others using hay bags and nets and other ways to slow the feeding down. I think it depends on the pony as to the success rate. I've never attempted one with Blossom. I'm pretty sure she'd either do herself an injury, or destroy my barn/fencing and anything that made her work for her hay like that.