I have so much to tell yall but I can't get it together to write a decent post!
I went camping with Mel. Camping is fun! Believe it or not, I'd only been (horseless) camping once before in my life, and it rained and the WWII tent leaked so we walked home in the middle of the night, which wasn't hard because we'd only walked a mile into a cow field in the first place. And I've blogged every time I've been horse camping - it's been a rapid learning curve but I'm getting it figured out. Camping without a horse is much easier than horse camping and (I suppose) almost as much fun. Anyway, I've got lots of pictures and I swear I'll try and get up a real post soon.
Then I went to SFO. Of course I had Korean fried chicken and watched surreal k-pop MTV, and I went to a fun Fourth party, and I melted my new food processor. G needs to email me the picture of the damage!
The Mystery Plant turned out to be a turnip. A three pound turnip. That's on the house site. Then today I dug out two more beds beside the house, added compost, topped them with straw-mulch, and edged them with rocks - I'll put pics of that on the house site too.
Dixie has proclaimed herself healed and acted like a dumbass two days in a row - spooky and hot on the ground, cantering in place in horse jail. I figure extra riding can't do more harm than airs above ground, so today I rode her a whole block down a new street. I don't think the exercise will help as much as the mental stimulation from novel things. She's been content all evening, so if her leg stays tight we'll just walk further down different blocks of my neighborhood.
Yall may be on to something with the bareback thing. I actually put a saddle on her today - I wanted some stirrups in case she spooked - and it was kinda weird.
Saturday I'm off to ride crazy ay-rabs again! Plotting my return to endurance with A - she has plenty of horses that need 25s and 50s, so maybe we'll go off to a ride soon.
I was planning on taking Dixie in for a recheck in two weeks, but I might take her in next week. I don't really know how to restart her - mentally. I am just terrified that she'll reinjure because I pushed it too soon. Even if she trots out 100% sound for a lameness vet and there's no tendon disruption on u/s, how do I get up the nerve to ask my horse to do that again? Right now I'm thinking I'll just restart slowly - we'll sign up for two days of 25s and I'll see how she feels after the first day, and if that goes well maybe gulp a 50 again? No idea on a timetable yet.
So - everybody else has had a horse that hurt itself and went back to regular work. How do you deal with the fear of Doing It Again?
I dunno. I have never had to deal with a suspensory injury. When Moon pulled his stifles, he was out for months. It wasn't hard to tell because he was still lame. The next spring I started him back and it took a lot of gradual building up. I'd ride him, he'd be lame the next day. I'd wait til he was sound and ride him again. Mrs Mom finally got me onto some exercises to help build stifle strength and from there we just built up. The first time I ran him I was scared to death he was going to be sore and lame afterward. He wasn't. But I took a lot of extra precautions after his runs and still do to this day. Cold hosing as soon as possible, whenever possible. Rubbing with Sore-No-More and checking for hot or sore spots.
ReplyDeleteOh, I also have been meaning to tell you, I saw a supplement in Valley Vet called Suspensory Saver. It's supposed to help build/rebuild connective tissue.
But then, I started Moon on a breathing supplement that is supposed to help rebuild tissue and realized that he already gets almost everything in it except the Grapeseed Extract and the Vitamin C. Vitamin C is supposed to be super beneficial for connective tissue support. As well as the Grapeseed Extract is supposed to a good antioxidant. When I'm done with the supplement I bought, I'm going to switch Moon to an Ester C and Grapeseed Extract supplements. Barrel horses need all the regeneration support they can get for lungs and legs.
Yucca is another good supplement to prevent inflammation and build strong tissue. That supplement is very inexpensive.
I hate to sound like some kind of 'holistic' whack-job or anything, but I have been taking MSM for quite some time for my hips and it helps, but never quite got rid of the pain. I picked up some Ester C (buffered vitamin C...You'll want that kind to prevent stomach upsets in both horse and human) and some Grapeseed Extract....My hip pain is GONE. I figure if it works on me...it will probably help the horses too.
I also want to give you a ring to talk about boots. I don't really think Moon needs shoes. He runs fine barefoot. I just need some protection for him when we are riding in rockier areas.
Honestly the fear never goes away :( That being said once you complete that first ride with a happy, sound horse it takes a big weight off your shoulders. And from there you just take it really slowly and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteMy mare injured her right front suspensory 2 years ago. Rehabbed her and last year we did a 50 just fine only to end up with another injury later in the year, not sure what the diagnosis was but I'm thinking she reinjured her suspensory. So you never know it always depends on the horse and all those 100 other variables.
So I'd say take it slow and keep an eye on it but don't worry about it so much that you forget to have fun because well that won't be any fun!
Trust your vet but also trust your horse. She will tell you if it isn't right. Twice I have felt Windy off and twice I was right. Nothing serious - an abscess the first time & right now she has some fill around her tendon after she rolled her ankle last weekend. I'm giving her a week off and will go from there.
ReplyDeleteAnxious to hear about more arab rides!
Turnips. Yuck! I remember my mom used to cook them and the whole house would stink!
I haven't had a bad injury, but I've lived through a serious colic episode (10 days in the clinic on fluids), and the fear of a repeat is always there. Sometimes it's in the background, sometimes it's on top of me. That's the only part of horse ownership I hate - the worry.
ReplyDeleteit is always hard to know how long to wait before you know they won't hurt themselves again. sorry, can't help you there. and I worry about it all the time anyway.
ReplyDelete- The Equestrian Vagabond
You will ride every ride in fear. And in about 2 years, when nothing happens you may start tore ax and offers out about each misstep. I finally had to tell myself that I could not do this sport and worry about it consistently. It was either going to happen or not happen (the reinjury) and in the mean time I would ride well and careful but not obssessively. I think the first year is critical. Obsess for the first year. The second year ride well but not stupid and be ready to run to the vet for a recheck if you have any doubts. Always always always listen to your gut when it tells you to rider option because the footing is horrible or there's just something about the leg you don't Ike - especially in year 2.
ReplyDelete