Dewey's Plans and Surgery for Kim

Dewey has been ready to start riding for a little while now, but I've been having significant pain in my left leg for a couple months.  After last week's MRI and much consulting about conservative treatments, the doctors determined the only way to solve the pain is for me to have back surgery to fix the issue.  This puts a pretty good kink in my plans for Dewey, since I'll be going in for surgery on Tuesday next week.  Happy new year!

According to the neurosurgeon, if all goes well I'll be back to riding at the end of January, so hopefully Dewey and I will be riding at the Comeback Challenge in Denver.  In the meantime as I'm able, I plan continue the ground work I've started with Dewey plus adding in some trick training.  I frequently use clicker training to teach horses all kinds of things, and Dewey has decided he likes cookies, so I think he'll be fun to play with this way.  I also will be incorporating Miles and Mahzi the dogs into the work, which will help Dewey to learn all the tricks of the trade and hopefully result in a very fun liberty presentation at the expo.

Since Miles showed her what to do, Mahzi has already proven herself happy and willing to climb onto obstacles on the trail and jump fences in the arena.  She and I have also been working on her mounting block skills so she can demonstrate preparing a horse for a rider while standing at the block.  Mahzi is almost ready to mount from the block and ride the older more finished horses with me!  Between these projects and the other fun tricks I like to teach, I think Dewey and I can put on a pretty good show together, even if I'm limited with how much time I can spend in the saddle during his 90 days with me.  Fortunately Dewey is eager to learn as well as a quiet, loveable, and friendly soul, and I don't anticipate any issues with how his riding will come along.

I do have a request.  I ask that whatever you do, be it prayer, positive thoughts and energy, sending good ju-ju, whatever you are inclined to do in an honest attempt to persuade the universe, would you do it in my behalf?  I really want this surgery and recovery to go smoothly so that I can get back to doing what I love:  riding, teaching, and training.  Hopefully Dewey will be the supreme example of how lovely a three year old OTTB can be, despite difficulties like a surgery on the human!