| Jennifer
Serot |
| Missouri |
Gilly
Connemara
Gelding |
|
|
3/01/04
A recent picture of Gills & me!
We are
having beautiful weather - 60 degrees. I just got back from riding
Gilly. He is still tuned up from when Debbie [McDonald] was here. It
is so enjoyable to ride when you are working with the horse. I brought
Gilly some apple sauce today. He slurps it up and loves it.
01/05/04
Debbie
[McDonald] is so wise. I had the best rides of my life
when she was here. Gilly was more round, more forward, and working
harder then ever when she was here. She is an incredible teacher! |

|
| 8/09 |
I have been watching
the Aachen [2003 Grand Prix Freestyle] video everyday. I watch it
before I ride to get inspired. [Jennifer's personal friend, Debbie
McDonald, and Brentina competed at Aachen.]
A park opened up by my house and they have a
therapeutic riding program for children with disabilities. I am going
to start volunteering there. It is going to be a blast working with
the kids and horses, they have 2 old thoroughbreds and have sessions 2
days a week . And the plus is its about 3 minutes from my house.
Well, I headed out to the barn
today and rode Gilly. He felt uneven in the front and my trainer saw
it also. We are going to call the vet on Monday. What I fear is that
Gilly is such a tough little guy that he has been hurt for some time
and he has been working through pain. I am going to go out tomorrow
and spoil him with as many treats as possible. I will let you know
what the vet says. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is
nothing big and a few weeks off and some bute will fix it. But
he did have a good old time in the pasture this morning so I know he
isn't hurting too bad. We played the....Jen has to walk as far as she
can to catch me game. hehe.
|
| 8/14 |
The vet
was supposed to come out at 3:30 today but didn't make it till 5:00
because he had an emergency. A Clydesdale in the area colicked. [St.
Louis, home of the Budweiser Clydesdales.]
I just grazed Gilly until the vet came. He tried to clean off
the leg and Gilly got very scared and upset. So he tranquilized him.
He injected the ligament with steroids and wrapped it. Then gave him a
shot of legend.
He is going to be hand walked with no turnout for one week. The vet
will come back next Thursday to evaluate him. When I left Gilly was
just getting his bearings back. I left a note for the barn manager to
call us if his leg swells up or if he looks sick. But we are going to
go out there tomorrow morning anyway.
|

Gilly takes a bow!
| Someone did tell me that my pony looks like a
Lipizzaner stallion, so that's a plus! [Gilly is a Connemara
gelding.] Gilly was gelded late so he has a nice neck, but a big pony attitude comes along with it.
But he is a sweet heart. I taught him how to bow last Christmas, but he will only bow for cookies (sugar cookies!) and Krispy Kreme donuts. Yes,
I know, he is very spoiled. |
| Jennifer is a special friend of
Debbie McDonald. Jennifer and her family first met Debbie and
Brentina in person at one of the California qualifiers for
Gladstone. The family flew to New Jersey for the second
weekend of the Selection Trials for World Equestrian Games to cheer
Brentina and Debbie.
Debbie is sitting right next to me and she says,
"Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!". She is visiting and boy did she make Gilly look good when she rode him. It took my breathe away. |
|