Our local large animal vet has recently closed their doors. That means that the closest vet is about 1.5 hours away. She is a great vet but if there is an emergency, a horse needs immediate care. So I decided to take the standard first aid course with Equi-life Canada. I knew some basics already and I learned a lot of new things. I especially look forward to taking Wilderness First Aid in September.
I was expecting to learn how to dress wounds and I learned that and much more. I was most impressed with learning the Sulis Method. This method was developed by the Scottish military to assess pain in horses and treat it with massage and stretches. I am really excited about this because Toby often has a sore back and this will help me assess how he is feeling before riding and help him feel better in his body.

Teddy and Toby have been amazing in the last couple of weeks. My daughter decided she wanted to ride Toby for a week-end clinic instead of share Teddy with me. Toby has been off for 2 months due to throwing his hip out. He is still young and reckless with his body. So, he has been getting PEMF and myofacial release treatments. I am also keeping him confined to his paddock with no play area anymore. There are too many trees and the space is very large. He seems to hurt himself when he is unsupervised with too much freedom. He has been doing great with the time off and doesn't seem to mind not going in the play area anymore. So my daughter started riding him and he has been a perfect gentlemen. When I lunge him first, I double check that he is feeling good in his body and can pick up the canter leads in both directions. He has consistently shown he can! This is a relief because I believe he bucked my daughter off two months ago because he picked up the right canter lead and was in pain due to his hip/pelvis issue. We are so glad he is feeling good again and he is willing and keen to partner with my daughter. Teddy, of course continues, to be a cross country machine, brave and bold over (most) jumps and excited for more.

We are so proud of Teddy at our first Eventing Derby in Kelowna this last week-end. It is amazing that my 10 year old daughter and I can ride him at different levels. He was so gentle, brave and willing through it all.