29th of March Dinio's chiropractor examined him and corrected him. He was a bit stuck in his right side. His mouth problem could origin from this. But overall she thought that Dinio had developed a lot and was really fit. I shouldn't worry to much, give him an easy session this day and from the next day ride him as usual. March 30 my sister moved to our stable with her horse Chilikungen. He settled in immediately. I also noticed that Dinio has not got any cholic for 7 weeks now. Hipp hipp Hurray!!

Thow my sister is new in the stable and does'nt know the surroundings we decided to take a long walk together with our horses on April 3rd. My ame was to show here the forrest nereby. Dinio took the lead and was so happy to walk inte the nature again. Due to the wet ground in the forrest I haven't been there for a while.  Suddenly Dinio froze, his heart started to beat very hard. He was really terryfied and paralized. In those situations you really have to take it very slow and easy. I tried to get in touch with him with no success. Chilikungen was calm and we tried to let him take the lead. But Dinio didn't follow. Still very afraid and the hart still beating very hard. So we decided to turn back. Was it wild bor or a moose?

Dinio didn't want to return eather. He was still not listening to me. Finally he started to move and we took another way through the forrest. When leaving the forrest I noticed that Dinio was swetting a lot and he was still very upset. He didn't calm down until we entered the farm where the stable is situated. Poor Dinio! Both my sister and I wonder what it whas that have frightened him so much.

Our dressage sessions varies from excellent to not so good. The straight bridle makes Dinio to open his mouth and he fights it. So this is a bridle that I have to exclude. But the dentist gave strong orders. Talked to Helen in Spain and she recommend me to try Sprenger. Dinio has a very small mouth and need a bridle that doesn't take som much place in his mouth. I have also looked at Bomber bits and decided to try Bomber bits happy mouth - a stright bridle with tounge freedom. After one session this friday (13th of April) I must say it was a huge different - so much calmer in his mouth.

Today Sunday 15th Margareta will helf me to check wether the bridle is correct in lengt or if it to short. But I think it fits.

Oh, I just forgot. On April 11th a small cholic attack with was over after 10 minutes.

Adding one of my favourit photos of me and Dinio. Taken March 25 - 2012.  

This weekend the weather was lovely so my darling mother decided to pop in when Dinio and I had our session. Also my sister and her duaghter Jennifer came, cause they will move their horse "Chili Kungen" to our stable next weekend. There is so much to move when changing stables. Anyway, Dinio did great and I am soooo pleased with him.

Serpentines in wrong canter - no problem, flying change - no problem, half passes in trot and canter - no problem. Trot halt - no problem. Catching canter from the walk worked perfectly during our Saturday session, but not so well during our Sunday session. But it is getting better and better. I still have to work on the reverse and the canter. We also have some work left on transitions between extended trot and working trot. But we are going in the correct direction.

I have a new puzzle to solve - Dinio is now working on a straight bridle, but he is not so pleased with it. We have got orders from Dinios dentist to ride on this bridle for a while. So I have to find a solution to this.

After our session during Saturday, a happy Jennifer was aloud to ride Dinio in the walk for a little while. She takes lession on a riding school and just love horses. In fact she rides very well and want to ride on Dinio now and then. But she will have to wait until our riding arena has a fence on the open side of the arena, which will be in place during this spring. Adding some photos from our weekend session.

Since the middle of March the outdoor arena went free from ice so I could finally start the ordinary work with Dinio again. Both him and I had longed for this. At the beginning he had so much energy stored up so the work was concentrated on draining it. But from the beginning of this week we have had some wonderful sessions. Dinio is with me and I can really start to work with presence and feeling and small aids. Yes, we have had some wow sessions.

Yesterday evening I gave Dinio a resting day. I thought he needed that. But at 9 o'clock in the evening Tinna called me from the stable and Dinio didn't feel well. The symptoms showed that probably the hay was stuck in his throat and I drove up immediately to the stable while I was calling the emergency vet. When I arrived Dinio felt well again. I called the vet once again and she recommended me to feed him with a slow feeding hay-net and to water the hay. He had probably been eaten to fast. Wonder if this has to do with him having a resting day? Hmmmmm.

His colic attacks has, however, stopped. This since I started to serve him his concentrated feeding in a lot of water. When feeding now he gets about 16 liters of water in his concentrated feeding.

Otherwise everything is wonderful. The spring i here with warm weather, sunshine and Dinio is very happy indeed.

In the beginning of February I started our training excercises again. Our outdoor arena went rideable again due to the snow. Dinio started off very well and was very happy and eager to work again. He and I had several wow sessions and I am now confident in my believe that we will attend our first competition during this spring.

In February Dinio got his teeth overlooked again. This time by a specialized vet of teeth and unfortunately he found some problems in his mouth. I am now riding on a straight bridle and shall continue so for a while. He will come back in six months to check his teeth again.  

During our rides in the nature we are joined by Tindra and Lizzie. Dinio takes the lead and Tindra follows. He is a real gentleman, very proudly walking and showing her that he is not afraid of anything, making her completely calm and relaxed. Lizzie is of course very happy for this. Tindra is a 7 year old mare and not so experienced yet, but she is learning. 

March is, however, a different month, unfortunately our outdoor arena now has turned in to a ice track, so for now I have to ride in the nature again. Very sad for this but "what to do". Mother nature decides and you just have to adjust to it. Adding a picture from March 2011.  

This weekend 2 new horses will arrive to the stable. There names are Tindra and Silvestro and belongs to two of my friends, both dressage riders. Lizzie, owner of Tindra and Margareta, owner of Silvestro. It will be very funny and inspireing to have them around.

The weather is still quit warm for the season, only a few minus degrees and a little bit of snow. Now it is possible to ride on the outdoor arena and I varie the work between the arena and the nature. Dinio prefers our walks in the nature. A resting period is unneccesary, according to Dinio. He demands his work so I will, from now, start to increase it.

This Tuesday my ferrier attended his hoofs and everything was just fine, they are rellay looking good now.

Not so much to write about now. We are taking the days, one by one, and we are longing for the spring and the continuing training for Kristian.

Not my favourite time of the year but I must cope. Dinio and I are now in a resting period. His "work" now contains of walks in the nature. Even though the ground is hard and makes it impossible to trot and canter you can still work the horse in the walk. We are training on long strides, short strides, the bending, walk pirouettes etc. We also do some climbing. Dinio prefers to trot or canter when going uphill but applies nicely to my demand on walking. Good for his back development!

At the end of January it's ferrier time and in Februry it's dentist time for Dinio and vaccination of Botulism. I also plan to have a saddle check in February and a chiropractor check up before our real work starts again in March.

Our plan for the spring is to start the training again for Kristian at the end of March and also do some competitions before summer. I hope everything will work according to this.

Adding a picture from November when training at home.

We had a wonderful Christmas, Dinio feasted on a lot of carrots and I celebrated the holiday together with my family. A few days of vacation made it also possible for me to get a very needed rest. The day before Christmas Dinio and I took a long ride around the Täljö area, today joined by the geldings Tott and Rulle. Dinio took the lead at once and kept it - he was very happy indeed and the two other horses had problems to keep up. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinio rested and on the following Monday I gave him an easy session at the outdoor arena. We still have warm weather so the surface is just perfect. He felt just wonderful.

On Tuesday a very sad event took place - my darling cat Tracy was diagnoced with stomach cancer so I had to put her to sleep. She was the most wonderful cat ever and I miss her very much. Later on during the evening Dinio had a cholic attack but was soon over. During his attacks I am massaging him and frequently walks him. Hmmmmm. Some days everything goes wrong.

On Wednesday evening Dinio performed perfectly during our dressage session. He was with me constantly and all the issues we have had problems with where just gone.

Overall Dinio feels much stronger now and is also very elastic. It is a pure joy to ride him. When he feels like this I think nothing is impossible and my expectations for 2012 increases.

Today it is only two days left of 2011 - we will be spending them with long walks in the nature. It will be a bit colder now and I also heard that the snow will arrive.

Adding a picture of my darling Tracy and a new picture of Dinio from yesterday evening.

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

December 11th and Dinio has been with me for 1 year. I am therefor taking the opportunity to share some of my experiences of importing a horse and the following issues that have appeared during our first year together.

Dinio came from Malaga, south of Spain, so the climate change for him was huge. Therefor thick rugs where needed. Here he is also spending several hours per day in an outdoor paddock. Huge change! 

In January Dinio got his first cholic and they became quit frequent. The first tip from Helen in Spain was to serve him warm water. And now, one year later, I still have to serve him warm water, about 40 degrees C, otherwise he doesn't drink enough. 

In March and April came the next surprice, the Swedish mosquitos, which caused a major allergic reaction. Bought a full covering mosquito rug. Poor Dinio!!

Increased hoof care also needed. New soil to walk on, different climate, different food, all this affects the horse. No grass during the first year, just some few minutes of grazing per day!!

Otherwise, everything has worked perfectly. But it takes at least one year for the horse to adapt. Anaway it did so for Dinio. Now he has finally also got a bit of winter fur, not long hair, but quit thick. He is enjoying life very much.

From now and to the end of January 2012, Dinio shall get a long resting period, only walks in the nature. I think he will enjoy that.

I am of course looking forward to 2012 and the coming competitions and the continueing training for Kristian von Krusenstierna.

Merry Christmans and A Happy New Year!!