Sunday 30 October 2011

The hunchside of Notre Dame

So not only do I have chicken wings I'm also related to Quasimodo :-) but my crookedness is sided not front to back.

Had interesting discussion on how even obvious asymmetries may not be obvious to the person with them as it is your normal view of you.

My issue seems to be one of feel if I raise mt right arm above my head to me it feels I come off my right seat bone; to SFO it looks as though it puts me on my right seat bone so who knows. Either way raising the arm gives the effect SFO was looking for.

Put gloves under my calves on Blackberry interesting that the right one never moved, not so with the left.

Onto Pooh in rising trot tried moving seat left/right whilst arm raised then swapping arms, in sitting trot no stirrups/reins also moving seat and then emphasizing seat bones.

Was impressed I kept my seat when SFO accidentally caught Pooh with lunge whip and he shot forward.

Pooh becomes more elevated if I sit to the inside and emphasize the outside seat bone.

Doing this in canter gives a much more forward canter and much better transitions. Need to try and loosen off right leg especially on right rein as tendency is to grip up. So tried cantering whilst moving leg from hip.

Pooh very jolly in canter can feel the progress and my hips ache now!

Watched a bit of the lesson after mine L on Crisp, very interesting to see how to activate a stretch to the rein using leg (wiggle legs) and not the hand as so often seen.

Sunday 23 October 2011

Guilty

So Chorrie has been on box rest since 5th May; longer than it should have been because of 'The Great Escape' in August. Looks like another month to go before he can go out in the pen.

He's missed the decent weather and all because I want the possibility of riding him again.

If he was stressing I'd obviously have turned him out and let the injuries take their chance, but because he isn't and he is coping I'm going for the best chance of him returning to work.

Only upside is he can start going out for grass again.

I'm clearly putting my wants above his.

Guilty as charged

Saturday 22 October 2011

One handed canter

So back to Arrow, lovely Autumnal day sun shining what could be nicer?

Arrived to find the hunt 'around' not much of a surprise having driven past two members of the field.

As always started off on Blackberry, legs over front, turn left/right (stay on seat) Connie cushions, then small stool under each foot and canter through the knees/hips. Stools made me much more aware of being connected to balls of my feet.

Pooh

Lots of lunge exercises (now mostly forgotten almost a month later! *doh* ) but highlight was canter transitions with reins in one hand

One handed canter / Pammy Hutton

So back to Arrow, lovely Autumnal day sun shining what could be nicer?

Arrived to find the hunt 'around' not much of a surprise having driven past two members of the field.

Blackberry

As always started off on Blackberry, legs over front, turn left/right (stay on seat) Connie cushions, then small stool under each foot and canter through the knees/hips. Stools made me much more aware of being connected to balls of my feet.

Worked in moving head, then shoulders then pelvis, then back to centre one bit at a time.

Then look right move head then shoulders then pelvis left (found that hard)

Pooh

Started off 'free' doing circles and turns in walk on a long rein. Sue then put a lunge line around my waist (same exercise as we did with Pip on Blackberry) and I had to 'fill' the rein front back and right side, to try and get feel for correction needed for collapsed right side. Not quite lunging the BHS way and would make for a comedy You Tube video :@)

Then onto lunge and worked on no reins in trot, hands above head turn left/right, hands on shoulders tilt left/right, one arm up one arm down.

Onto canter reins in one hand whilst cantering and then for transition.

Walked Pooh off then off to Talland for 'An evening with Pammy Hutton and friends'

Love Pammy such a good egg! Not hugely impressed by student riding in group lesson generally, too much hand not really doing as Charlie asked but then who knows how they ride when not under the pressure of riding in public. Judge not less yea be judged.

Very impressed with the four girls Pammy taught, canter no stirrups whilst doing lunge exercises whilst not on lunge. Very very impressed with their seat and balance.

Can just about forgive Charlie :-) for having James Blunt in his freestyle!

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Scan 7 steady as she goes

So mixed visit more GOOD than BAD and for left leg it is still early days.

Feet x-rayed no rotation GOOD
Right check ligament injured 5th May/ 4th August continues to heal well GOOD
Left check injured 15th September has improved but not good enough for pen turnout so GOOD for improvement BAD for no pen turnout.
Shoes to stay off as vet concerned laminae may have stretched and not yet have tightened BAD
Can go out to hand graze GOOD
Another month in box before next scan BAD

Overall it is improvement so am holding tightly onto that. Realistically left is only a month so no surprise really! But I wish it were different.

1/ Decrease bute to 1.5 daily
2/ If 1/ goes OK then on Sunday reduce Sedalin to 2ml / twice daily

Still using laser daily on coronary bands vet did wonder if it would open AV shunts, seemed happy enough when realised was under physio advice.

Need to get a set of hoof boots now

Sunday 16 October 2011

Where I have chicken wings for arms!

So back to Arrow *whoop* *whoop* lovely driving over in the sun with the Autumnal colours beautiful countryside that makes you glad to be alive and living in England.

Remind me of this when it is January, grey, cold and pi$$ing down with rain!

Remembered carrots for the Pooh Bear who was pleased to see me or maybe pleased to see the carrots!

Started off on Blackberry got told I have chicken wings for arms! My upper arm is shorter than you'd expect hence the chicken wings gag! Remind to to always have a wee before Blackberry as we spend so much time laughing it certainly tests your pelvic floor!

Used the Connie cushions under my thighs and SFO spent time 'lengthening' my legs which clearly is a physical impossibility but had to let my leathers down FOUR holes after! So I assume you de-contract contracted muscle hence the apparent lengthening.

Need to have moveable forearms, I tend to get a 'hitch' in my upper arm that fixes my forearm. So moveable forearms

Onto Pooh Bear

Biggest take home is give an aid and immediately 'lengthen' the leg, I tend to give an aid 'upwards' and my leg contracts and contracts then SFO tells me off I lengthen my leg and to Pooh it feels like a halt so we get a halt!

However if I think aid, lengthen then 1/ SFO stops telling me off :-) 2/ Pooh gets a more forward active trot 'for free' clearly the contracted leg has a retarding effect.

Worked on weighting seat bones 60/40 (60 to inside) and aid with outside leg, need to keep inside leg soft to allow Pooh to step over.

Clucking was heard at one point :-D got reminded that whilst I may have chicken wing arms no need to do the funky chicken and stick my elbows out in canter!

So temporary fix is to think elbows by side.

Canter trans much better but need to get to the inhibit organise aid not flap aid bugger!

Seriously good two lessons, this is the lemonade from the lemons of Chorrie being off games. It is a total and utter bugger he is off especially for him as he is stuck in but it forced me back to SFO which is doing me good!

Thursday 6 October 2011

Supporting limb laminitis.

Wednesday 5th October

YO doing AM shift so arrive 15:30, move Chorrie's to Fred's stable and he isn't sound. Legs are the same, so walk him out and fcuk he really isn't right on his right fore.

Bounding digital pulse and crippled so am thinking foot abscess. Can't get him to lift left fore, nothing to see right fore. Call vet for advice wouldn't have under 'normal' circumstances but am now paranoid. Liz is off to Holland tomorrow as team horses running at Boekelo so she calls in on way home (not that we are any where near her way home). I love my vet. Walk him out for Liz and he is still crippled, shoe off Liz can't find any sign of abscess so have to assume laminitis.

So 1 bute twice daily (increase if needed), 3ml Sedalin twice daily to improve blood flow to feet. Hay to be cut drastically by 50% Liz explained doing so can shock body and stop laminitis in its tracks.

Get farrrier out asap to remove other shoes, bed down on deep straw bed. Prognosis for laminitis in horses less good than with ponies, next seven days are critical.

Put on Nicky's support bandages overnight and send text for advice.

Call farrier who is off to Wales tomorrow but will come to us on way home, again we are nowhere near his way home. I am very lucky with the professionals I surround myself with.

Gutted doesn't even begin to sum it up.

6th October

AM Chorrie looking comfortable and bearing weight well right fore; has laid down overnight. Liz rings to check on him. Physio agrees that support bandages overnight and during day between visits way to go. Also use magnetic boot right fore. Nicky suggests use of grazing muzzle which will be easier than stones in hay bar to slow him down. So muzzle him and go home for lunch.

Call EqueStride about their medical device boot 1250 euro; Nicky will call engineer who designed boots tomorrow.

PM Call WFS to see if they have any Global Herbs Laminitis Prone in stock and they do so will go collect if farrier cannot find abscess. Arrive and farrier Chris is waiting, C seems OK in his muzzle.

Chris can't find an abscess nor any signs visually of where one could be no marks on sole. Digital pulse is down from this time yesterday. More reactive RF heels than yesterday but more comfortable at least in stable.

All shoes removed and started on GH Laminitis Prone.

Now soaking hay overnight for morning.

Bandaged legs and left him in muzzle.

7th October

AM most of the bucket feed eaten overnight even with muzzle on so that is good. Remembered to feed him first so he could eat without muzzle, increased GH Laminitis Prone to two scoops and he's not a happy bunny with that. So will buy the liquid as that is supposed to be more palatable.

Looking very comfortable in his box, walking out well on rubber mat walkway and turning well in box. No so good on concrete apron but hard to tell if this is because he is barefoot or laminitis. Either way he is better than Weds night.

Feet are normally warm, and digital pulses down.

To my mind it is perplexing he was so acutely lame on Weds PM that I thought there was a very real chance I'd loose him to this bloody nasty disease and yet 24 hours later he was almost normal. YO thinks he may just be very sensitive regarding his feet so another horse might not have shown signs yet.

Would like an explanation but will settle for him just getting better.

Am amused by fact am now using two Global Herb supplements, opinion of SA remains unchanged! Also using magnets which whilst I don't believe in static magnets it is any port in a storm!

PM Boy still looking good :-) is eating the liquid version of GH Lami Prone WTF did WFS not know the liquid is more palatable? FFS it is written on the tun retailer know thy product!

Nicky has spoken to designer of boot he'll fly over to meet us next week, would like to meet with Liz too. Fat chance she get back from Holland Monday and is off again Wednesday. If Liz is not available then Nicky will do (!)

Saturday 8th October
AM
Boy still looking good, feet warmer initially in morning until supporting bandages have been off a while. No digital pulses has stopped eating feed with GH liquid supplement.
PM
Syringed GH supplement into him, need to remember to do feed BEFORE dope! No change still looking comfortable.
9th October
Liz rang wants to review him tomorrow. She knows Marcus Head (Orthopaedics at Rossdales ) so will ring him about the boot.

Nicky concerned re boot if we reduce loading of inferior cruciate ligament LF will that load RF more?

10th October
Left fore considerably warmer then previously and pulse apparent.

Liz pleased with how he is doing, confessed she had been very worried Wednesday night for him. Some concern regarding rotation so review next week, scan legs and x-ray feet as if nothing else will establish baseline.

Drugs to remain as is, keep shoes off, restrict hay, watch re bed eating. Any deterioration call immediately.

Physio spoke about boot, agrees with vet, laser coronary bands twice daily for 20 minutes in total 40 seconds/foot going round feet. Magnetic boots all round during the day. Increase EMS frequency on back.

Long afternoon session, vet at 16:30, physio at 18:00 left yard at 20:20.

11th October

Feet feel cooler this morning but LF is still warmer.

Weighed out 8kg of hay (1.1% BW) have decided to soak hay supply for the day overnight then feed 1/3 for between visits then 2/3 overnight.

Wednesday 12th October
Soaking hay working well but it is a very small amount for 24 hours. Pondered using 'Russian Doll' style nets but too much risk of troughing straw when hay finished without muzzle.

13th October
Feet feeling cooler.

14th October
Herbs have arrived from EquiNatural

Feet still holding up; farrier out to Fred.
Saturday 15th October
Boy holding his own blasted EMS machine not working!

16th October
17th October
Nicky due

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Need a sedative

Me that is!

Late into work as feeling rancid then had to leave early to take puppies to vet. had originally planned to go last appointment but was considering blood test for Beaglie so had to go in earlier.

So home whisked dogs out and arrived with two minutes to spare :@)

Lily terribly stressed and was reminiscent of a child clinging to Mummy not wanting to go in the school gates. So elected to do her first to 'get it over with' had to muzzle her :@( when I went to put her down off table she tried top clamber up me for comfort so now I'm sporting a HUGE scratch. Fat Pig weighs 8.30kg.

Beaglie as easy going as ever, his lip fold pyoderma has cleared up well. Discussed use of NSAIDs for his back. Still not really using them other than when we went to Exmoor for prophylactic purposes. Doesn't feel there is any need to x-ray again.

Discussed his borderline thyroid result last year, her view is to only treat when symptomatic and as he is currently asymptomatic see no clinical reason to repeat tests as his heart rate is normal.

Have hopefully found a house sitter (one of the vet nurses) so that should make the East coast road trip next September easier.

Monday 3 October 2011

Check ligament update



Nicky out this morning thinks left is looking firmer and he could perhaps go out in pen.

Also mentioned EqueStride boots which look interesting and could be useful. Unless they are > £500 and assuming they check out by Nicky and Liz (vet) then I'll get a pair.

Can start using TENS/EMS on left leg.