Listen to yourself before it’s too late..

Listen to yourself before it’s too late..

18. december 2019 Af Julie Rasmussen

I’ve promised on Instagram to post this post for 2 days now, but I simply can’t get it written down. It’s hard to think about it without breaking down. And that’s okay.

Trying to stay positive ❤️

This whole situation, it starts as it all actually goes well for us. We start at competitions regularly, finally start competing in 1.10m classes and all it just ran on rails.

I notice at a competition that Calypso needed to pee, and wouldn’t do it on the warm up before the class started. It resulted in a very chaotic round, but I couldn’t afford to be angry as we all know the feeling of having to pee completely crazy. He finally got rid of the pee after the first round when we put him in the trailer. Once again when I rode the second round, he had to pee. We didn’t think much about it afterwards, and we continued our daily training.

My best masseur was out to Calypso around the beginning of November and there wasn’t a single bad thing about Calypso. He had all the muscles and looked absolutely perfect.

On December 1. we left for a competition, and he had to pee again, even when we started saddling. Calypso changed behavior, and actually became really dangerous for me to deal with. I couldn’t get in touch with him throughout the warm-up or inside the arena. I felt something was completely wrong, so I followed my bad feeling and got my masseur out again.

From our last competition. He jumped everything, even with back pains ..

Always.. always follow your sensations.

In only 1 single month, everything has changed. The masseur said as soon as she sees him that he is completely closed in mind. Just as I have thought. When she had to look at him, she finds bad pain in the back of him that is due to my saddle, We where so surprised all of us, because at the last visit, we agreed that the saddle would do no harm for a long time – as long as I was just starting to look for a new one for him.

Calypso has also been stressed – even so much that there was no contact at all for a whole week. He was completely closed-minded.

Besides this, he has had large “stones” in his penis. It also provided a reminder of how important it is to keep the genitals clean on a gelding/stallion.

I can’t believe that a saddle can cause so much pain, problems and has also made him stress.

Saddles are not for fun and I learned it the hard way. If you think your saddle is 1cm too narrow then have it checked ..I feel so guilty, even though I only followed the advice of the professionals.

We have been moving him around a lot lately, and we can conclude that he is not ready for that. That’s why I try everything in my power to get him to his old self again and just be here for him.

We now have to go through a long course of veterinary, chiropractic, rehabilitation and groundwork. Once again…

The training is taken in Calypso’s pace right now. We mostly only play in the arena. Do some ground training in between games, but only when I can feel that he himself is looking for something to do. Right now, we’re just playing “run and catch” as that’s what Calypso is in the mood for. Playing, getting goodies and cuddling with me are definitely his favorite things to do.

I do not know if this text is related in some ways. My mind is filled with thoughts about this process, why it should be so unfair to us, and whether we are on the right track again. One thing is for sure – Calypso stays with me.

( “life ain’t all sunshine and rainbows”. Remember that when a tuff time hits you. I choose to share this with you, because it’s the right thing to do when I chooses to involve you in my everyday. Stay positive! ) – it sounds easy, but even I can’t. It’s probably just a way to say you’re trying to. :/

Hugs from Julie and Calypso