Stifles and pasterns...

Today after his second day of cantering. It was windy and rainy today and he was more forward. He didn't break a sweat. Cantering to him is just no big deal. Such the opposite of my other horse. The mud is finally starting to dry up.

I think his name is Jasper. I think it's going to stick. Jasper is one of my favorite kinds of stones, it comes in all colors. There's a really beautiful one called Poppy Jasper... and his show name could be Chalcedony or Calcedony (Kal-sed-nee) which is the type of stone Jasper is. Or Calcedon, the town that Calcedony was named after. Or Poppy Jasper, because it's sweet.

I really paid attention to the clicking noises today, and it's his stifles. Which of course has me worried. I don't know why a stifle would click but the joint would still be fluid with no signs of lameness. I'm calling the vet tomorrow. My friend Elizabeth who is a nutritionist gave her horse a fabulous supplement when one of his hocks was fusing- it was amazing. So she's going to find out what that was and order it for me. I think I'm going to give him blue-green algae as well.

I'm also worried about his pasterns. They're really long. The more I read about long pasterns on the internet the more worried I get. The main thing people say is that horses with long pasterns shouldn't jump. Which is exactly what I want him to do. I guess it's typical for Thoroughbreds to have them, and Saddlebreds. My Quarter Horse Mindy had long sloping pasterns and never had lameness problems because of them, and she jumped some Training level jumps. Never consistently though, just once in a while.

Ugh. Stress.


The metaphysical side of Poppy Jasper:

"A stone of energy and courage, Poppy Jasper, also know as brecciated jasper, is aligned to the root chakra. It is useful in matters of health and survival, and in raising vitality and energy, allowing the wielder to grow in healthy and organic ways. A protective stone, it enhances physical endurance and helps the wearer to ground and brings balance between the emotional and the physical. It was used in the Middle Ages by warriors to promote courage during battle and helps one to maintain a happy outlook and can-do attitude. Some say that it is also useful in attuning with animals."