Another week off I think

I am going to give Sam the week off I think. This morning the fetlock was up ever so slightly. I think maybe if I give him just that little bit more time off it should be all good to go by the weekend. I am going to give him a few hours of turnout time in the morning. My OH can bring him in around midday for me, just enough time to fill his belly before play drive kicks in! Other than that he is still in very good spirits just getting a little bored I think.

I think we are ok

I think we are ok but tomorrow morning will really tell. The fetlock was still down this morning so I popped him on the lunge and he was sound. I can type that now but this morning I was looking at his fetlock and I just wasn't sure if it was slightly swollen or if I was seeing things! You know when you have looked at something that much you just aren't sure anymore! On the lunge at first I was sure he was fine and then I started to second guess myself. I figured he was probably fine and I was just over reacting.

This afternoon I decided to take Sam out for a quiet hack around the riding paddock. My plan was to just walk but Sam had other ideas. Poor bugger was a little hypo after having over a week off with no turn out time. Once again I could feel him holding himself back. I let him have a bit of a trot and canter. He was rushing and a little spooky but still easy to control and bring back to walk when I wanted. We will see what the fetlock looks like in the morning!

Did I over treat?

The good news is that I think Sam is really on the mend. Last night I didn't poultice his leg. I have him booked in with the vet so I figured it couldn't do much harm missing a night. Well this morning a lot of the swelling was gone! There was still a little heat but it was just really good to see a lot of the swelling gone. I decided to leave it for the morning and headed out again around 1pm to pick up my float and check him again.

I practiced hooking the float up and checked Sam. The leg was looking good so decided to do some float loading practice for tomorrow. He loaded straight away. Backed out very slowly. I put the centre divided across to the middle and loaded him up again. This time he was happy to stand while I put the bum bar across and closed up the ramp. I then went around the front, tied him up and we headed out for the road. We just went around the block but he travelled well and I did well driving.

I get myself so worked up when I have to float Sam. I am getting worse with my worring so the more I do not under any pressure the better I will get - well that is the plan anyway. When we got back I untied him and put the ramp down. He wanted to back out straight away but he kept hitting the bum bar. I had to ask him to move forward so I could undo this. He was happy to move forward and stand there. When I undid the bum bar he did back out and wouldn't stop so I asked him to walk straight back up and in again. He did a little rear and then gave to the pressure and walked straight back on. He was happy to walk out one step at a time then.

I was very pleased with the whole floating experience.

I popped him on the lunge to check his soundness and he seemed sound. I still gave him the day off and I will check him on the lunge again in the morning to see if he needs the vet or not. I have washed him, trimmed his mane, tail and rugged him up so he will stay clean in case we need to see the vet. I know it is silly but I would like him looking his best if he needs to go out in public.

Update

I think it is looking a little better. This morning when I went to hose off the poultice I couldn't find any heat. After I hose the poultice off I ice bandage it for 20min. When I take the bandage off that is when I can feel the heat. It seems to be on the outside of the joint and a little on the inside. It was the same tonight.

I have made a booking with the vet for Monday. I will float him into the UNI so we can have x-rays and see what they think. By that stage if it still isn't better that has been 6 days so I think it would have been long enough.

Front View

Back ViewWith the poultice on



Just a content little face eating breakfast. I think he was telling me to leave him alone and to let him eat in peace!!!!!!

Getting better?

Thanks Kate for your reply. I strapped him up over night and this morning the swelling was down, there was still some swelling but minimal. I put him on the lunge to see how he was doing. Slightly lame at the trot both directions. Slight - I mean sometimes you could see something and sometimes I was questioning myself. I only let him trot two circles on either rein - didn't want to push it.

I ice bandaged again for 30min and then put a natural type poultice in it for the day. When I was rubbing the poultice on I found the heat had localised to right around the fetlock joint. I think I felt a small lump on the outside and inside of the fetlock?

This evening I hosed off the poultice and I could only ice it for 12min and put the poultice back on. The swelling has stayed down but there was still heat in the joint.

Do I call the vet? Do I take him in for x-rays? Do I keep doing what I am doing until Monday and reassess again. Sam is very bright and happy within himself. I can still poke and prod and squeeze with no reaction.

Am I over reacting? Probably but I worry.

Poor Sam

Poor Sam. He had a lovely time being turned out during the day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I ended up being called into work on Monday so my OH had to bring Sam in and feed him for me Monday night. Tuesday morning I get to the paddock and Sam's offside hind fetlock is huge! Some heat but not sore to touch, poke and prod. I ice bandaged it and went back out at lunch time to do it again. When I went back out in the afternoon to feed up and it was nearly down. I had run out of coolant for my ice bandages so I just rubbed some rapigel into it thinking that it would probably be down by the next morning. I trotted him out and he trotted out sound.

This morning it was huge again. I rubbed more rapigel into it. Tonight I iced bandaged and then wrapped it up for the night. Hopefully it will be a little smaller in the morning.

He is such a silly billy!!!!! At least it really doesn't seem sore.

My little Pony, I love my little Pony!

So much has been happening! Last week I was away all week for work so I decided to take the opportunity of getting my instructor to ride Sam while I was away. Jane only rode him three times but oh boy the difference is amazing!!!! He is now so rhythmical, even, light, forward, AWESOME! I had a lesson last Monday and we even did walk canter transitions!!!!! We asked him for this but tightening my outside butt cheek then pressure with the outside thigh and then a bump with the outside leg. We weren't too concerned about where his head was we just worked on him going forward off the aids. It was amazing!

I wasn't able to ride during the week because I went to ride on Wednesday afternoon and he was slightly uneven. Low amount of heat on the nearside fore so I ice bandaged and did it again Thursday morning and night. He seemed fine so on Friday I let him out into the large turnout paddock for a few hours. Saturday I turned him out again and when I went to catch him he decided that they all needed some exercise so took everyone for a gallop around the perimeter of the paddock twice. Keep in mind this paddock is about 30acres!!!!! I didn't think he was fit but I found out just how UNFIT he really is. He was breathing heavy for a good twenty minutes after that!

I saddled him up and headed out onto the road to meet Jane, my instructor for a road ride. The track we took is about an hours ride of a mixture of walking, trotting and a little canter. Sam was extremely well behaved. Jane's horse was being a little naughty so Sam would stop and wait and not batter an eyelid until we were ready to go again. Even when she trotted and cantered off in front of us he stayed at a walk unless he was asked to catch up. I was really impressed with that.

The property we were looking at is all going ahead. We settle in about a week and a half and move in, in two weeks!!!!!!! We are so excited! I have a few decisions to make. I have a dressage comp that I would like to do the Sunday after we move in. At the moment I do not have a companion for Sam. Options -
1) Do I move Sam when we move so he is at the new place by himself and then we do our first ever competition together on the Sunday. (I thinking of the stress levels of both of us)
2) Do I leave Sam where he is do the competition and then bring him home to the new place?
3) Not do the competition at all because I will find the week mentally very challenging - I have to work as well full time.

Please cancel all of the above - I have just looked at the entry form online and I have missed the closing date!!!! Wow you really have to enter early down here. Well that certainly makes my life easier - Sam will move with us!

OK next decision that needs to be made. There is a family where I keep Sam now who are having some financial problems. They would love it if their pony could come and live with us. I wouldn't charge agistment and they have offered to help around the place in lou of paying agistment but they would supply all his feed, rugs, farrier care, vet care etc. They are very good owners and love their pony very much. They get the farrier out every 5 weeks, worming is done on time and the pony wants for nothing. He is an easy going pony who seems to get along well with others - if anything I think he would be at the bottom of the pecking order.

Pros - Sam would have company
He wouldn't cost me any money
Cons - Another horse eating my pasture
His owners would come out every weekend

We do get along with his owners but we were hoping to have our new place all to ourselves for the first few months - does that make sense? I also don't know how long he could stay with us - I would like to get another horse for me but one that other people could ride as well. So many choices to make!!!!! I will have to have a think.