H:: The nightmare of PSSM...

So Drifter has a rare muscle condition known as Equine Polysaccharide storage myopathy, otherwise known as PSSM. In simple terms, he has an abnormal accumulation of glycogen in his muscles. It is a condition that primarily affects quarter horses, draft horses and of course appys.

We found out around 12 months ago. Drift went very lethargic, reluctant to move forward, incredibly stiff and generally did not seem himself. After several lameness work ups, osteo, clipping, bloods, we were at a complete loss. Just getting him to trot was exhausting, I just could not ride him and he wasn't happy. The only thing his bloods showed were a high enzyme count which suggested he'd tied up.

Pre diet: Jumping flat and twisting from behind. He was getting under fences like he never usually did.

My vet mentioned that there was a rare condition called PSSM that might be the culprit, he explained it in general terms and recommended I put him on the high oil low carb diet. Of course I started immediately but there was only minimal improvement, I was building up very slowly as he wasn't used to a diet with lots of fat, he's always been kept on a very minimal diet due to his hooves!!

So of course I went home and researched, and posted on my old faithful - Phoenix horse. This forum is full of people with so much knowledge, but also a genuine interest in helping others. They directed me to the PSSM facebook group which I found immensely reassuring. It also had the 'Miracle Diet'.

10 days post diet: Finding our wings again

Being completely cynical by this point, I gave it a go but with very little hope. After 7 days we had some ENERGY. After two weeks I had DRIFTER. I couldn't believe it. I jumped him and I felt like we were flying again, like it was nothing. So of course, he has stayed well and truly put on this diet ever since and it has never stopped us since. He's been amazing and has achieved so much in the last 12 months including sailing his highest fence yet at 1m 25 !!

3 weeks post diet: Flying at 1m20

But it isn't without nightmares. Last night I arrived at the field as usual in the pitch black after work to find a Drifter that didn't want his dinner. ALARM BELLS.

I brought my two weather hardy neds in to see what was up, and Drifter was not right. He didn't touch his hay and was shifting from one back leg to the other, in serious pain. He kept trying to get down and was refusing to get back up. He looked so uncomfortable. In the 10 years that I've owned him I can honestly say I have never seen him look so ill. As I was sat on his stable floor with his head in my lap, I was reduced to tears.

My poor baby

Having a heart horse is something you can't really put into words. To say he owes me nothing, is an understatement, I owe him everything. He has changed the whole way I look at horses, and he has got me through times and places when nothing else could.

After our vet gave him some pain relief, and buscapan, he significantly improved but was still visibly uncomfortable. He is still not right but improved. He has had a huge scoop of turmeric in his feed tonight and is rugged to keep his poorly muscles warm. I have yet to see what the next few days will hold but I'm positive we'll see it through. But it is a stark reminder that our health is everything, that it the gift. To wake up and be okay. To wake up and have everyone we love be okay. That's all that matters, everything else is a bonus...

Keep calm and carry on...

H:: A bit less control, a lot more to learn

So we kicked off the shoes and were embarking on our barefoot journey. It was then when I started researching further into training and horsmenanship techniques. I went on a Horse Psychology course and learnt clicker training, and I wanted to subscribe to Parelli but it was just too expensive for a student! So I read books, of which Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov and Dancing with horses by Klaus Hempfling were my top two.

Just hangin' around together

TofE made me really look into myself rather than always at Drifter, what signals might I have been giving off, and how much emotional congruence plays a role with horses as much as people. Horses know when we aren't feeling right, they know when we aren't ourselves. One of my teachers once told me, if you're already in a mood, don't even bother. This is an interesting concept, but one I don't completely agree with. I think it is a LK says; you have to be true to your emotions, the horse understands better if you accept you’re not happy, rather than if you're trying to be okay when you're not. Riding for me is a total stress release, and the challenge is whether Drift decides to bring me out of it, or join me in the bad mood!!!

So we decided the next part of our journey to liberty would be to ride without a bit. So I bought a Dr Cook off ebay, as these seemed to be a popular choice on the forums and we gave it a go. My first time riding him bitless I popped him over a tiny cross pole and he gave me this:

SOLD! The lack of a bit seemed to have sent Drift into orbit and I couldn't believe how different he jumped. And the best bit; excuse the pun; if I got it wrong and misjudged, Drifter was not pulled in the mouth. Since that day I've never bitted Drifter again because he doesn't need one. Nothing evangelical, just that he seemed happier which meant I was too.  He is now ridden in a side-pull for jumping and hacking and still his Dr cook for xc. I see it as part of my training process to work on his responsiveness and although it makes things more difficult at times, the reward to me is totally worth it.

It is tricky for dressage since we can't compete at all bitless. This is a huge sticking point and one I think BD really need to look at changing. I really don't see a bitless horse having any advantage so why not? Dressage at it's best, is the most beautiful display of horse/rider connection, the less the control, the more beautiful in my opinion. I've seen Grand Prix done with a cordeo, and it's utterly breath taking.

Attempting dressage HC. 

So. Which one?! I have tried so many bitless bridles to find the best connection and comfort for me and Drift. The side pull is my out and out favourite, which is literally two reins on the side of the noseband, but it is also the softest with no more pressure than a head collar. My plan is to get Drift going in this for xc next, but  he can still be partial to a good bronc for fun, so I need to make sure his responsiveness is perfect first.

'Mum, wasnt that an awesome jump?'
 Proceed to bronc for Britain forgetting Mum has yet to purchase her 'oh shit strap'!!

I love riding bitless and intend to break P using a side pull, if I can get her training and preparation right, there's no reason not to. Interestingly since I stopped riding using a bit in 2010, Drift's dentist appointments have been pretty much unnecessary, they have always commented on how fantastically soft his mouth is with no sharp teeth. And finally, riding bitless was definitely our precursor to riding at liberty, not that it has to be that way, it's just that for us, that was the natural progression.

Every rider has that one special horse that changes everything about them..