Thursday, April 5, 2012

What happens on Holiday/Lesson weekends?

Just take a wild guess...

Your horse (if he is a goofy, young, grey gelding named Granite) will injure himself. It is inevitable.

Yep, it's "Friday" here at the office and we are gearing up for a three-day holiday weekend. I even (re)scheduled  a much needed lesson for Saturday. And.... last night when I went to (for the first time this week) tack up and ride, I noticed that Granite's back right hind fetlock (outer right side actually) is swollen. No obvious injury, so he must have tweaked/twisted/torn something. I trotted him out and he is just slightly off. Thankfully, not hobbling lame, but he rarely gets noticeably lame when he has swelling or even an obvious injury: martyr. But there is definitely heat and swelling.

I cold hosed and buted and standing wrapped the boy before banishing him to his stall for the evening (he is typically turned out 24/7), then I hauled myself out of bed at 5 something this morning to go unwrap him and check him out. Still swollen, still hot. Fortunately, not worse. But, no better. So I put some Surpass on the injury and turned him out in the small paddock, leaving his stall door open in case he felt like hanging out inside today (which he won't). I'll go back after work and cold hose him again, and if there is no significant improvement I will be buting and standing wrapping and, yet again, banishing him to his stall for the evening.

So.... let's hope it gets better and not worse so I don't have to deal with vets on a holiday weekend. I'm hoping for quick recovery so I can still have my lesson on Saturday, but I have a funny feeling that it may not be in the cards for me. I may be borrowing the other boarder's little horse to hop on at some point this weekend. I'm not wasting my extra day off!

Cross your fingers for us.

I will say, being at the barn at 6 in the morning is so lovely. I wish I had the capacity to make it a regular occurrence (but, I'd have to get up in the hour of 4 to have time to ride before work). Nothing better than the smell of my sweet pony boy first thing in the morning. LOVE!

8 comments:

  1. It's very frustrating - I hope he heals up quickly.

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  2. Keeping my fingers crossed that he gets better!

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    1. Ouchie! Sound like maybe he bashed it or got kicked...is it possible he could have gotten stung or bit by anything??? Hoping it heals up quick :)

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  3. Bummer! Hope it's nothing serious. And yes, completely agree that the barn around 6am is absolute heaven. But like you, I can't manage to swing it. I catch a 7:05 train every morning, so I don't even want to think about how early I'd have to get up. The barn's pretty nice in the evening too!

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  4. Thanks ya'll. There is no localized swelling or obvious injury or abrasion. Just swollen, tight skin all the way around. Not a great sign. But... time will tell (and then maybe the vet will tell... who knows).

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  5. Crossing my fingers for you guys. =-(

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  6. Sending quick healing thoughts your way!!! :)

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