Bow Knows... No Bows? Bows.

Bows.  Not happy, pretty bows that you put on a fluffy, girly dog.  No.  Rotten bows.  Bows that happen on horrible footing to previously clean, tight legs on my favorite horse in this province. 

That's right.  Jose has a bowed tendon. 

The worst part is, I didn't even see it!

Jose came in last week with uneven swelling on 3 legs.  I bandaged him, buted him for a couple days, and kept him on stall rest.  A couple of bandage changes and some hosing later, I pulled his wraps and felt no swelling on any legs, everything nice and tight.  My dearest husband was with me and I'm grateful for his keen eyes. He kept telling me there was still "swelling" on one front leg.  But I couldn't feel anything.  He pointed at it.  I was down at his legs in the stall and couldn't see what he was looking at.  Finally, I stood up and walked out of the stall and looked at him from a distance.  There it was, plain as day, a tendon bow. 

Ugh, I died a little.  I know it's not life ending and fortunately not career ending for him because he's not a show horse, but it's not a fun injury to deal with and certainly it could render him unfit for riding in the future.  No, we don't "show" but we have a lot of adventures and he's my Mr. Reliable.  Not being able to take him for rides again is a horrible, daunting thought! 

I left the wraps off overnight so I could see what was really going on.  The next morning, yup... there it is.  Swelling around and definite tendinitis...  So, back to aggressive treatment right away. Cold hosing, bute, borrowed some BOT wraps today from my incredible friend and got Jose his early Christmas presents with some ice wraps and lik-it boredom breakers.  Two days later, the swelling has reduced remarkably and he's continued to be weightbearing without hesitation.  Small blessings!!!  I'm so fortunate to have a veterinarian who allows me to pick her head for anything I might have overlooked or not considered.  Sweats, cold treatment, bute and something new, Sinew-X supplement. 

There's still definitely thickening back there, but I'm THRILLED with the response it's given already.

I'm also so thankful for all the support at the garrison saddle club.  Many more hands to help keep his water bucket full and his hay net loaded.  It's a beautiful thing to have a group work together. 

Send lots of happy thoughts Jose's way please!!!  <3  So we can join you in your Happy Horseing!

Back Up and Running!!!

After contacting every single internet provider for a rural community, we're finally up with "LTE" service.  I say "LTE" not LTE because so far we've had a few experiences with no service or painfully slow service.  Regardless, it's more than before and we're back in business!!

So what's new? 

Belle is unfortunately not pregnant.  I was so sad to hear that my good friend, who had borrowed her to breed to a retiring stallion - same sire to her first heart horse, is not in fact in foal but had a very minor infection in her uterus.  My heart is broken that she won't have a wee one in the spring.  Most unfortunately, that is the nature of breeding. 
Positive note, the vets don't expect the infection to have any lasting results as it was caught early and was fairly localized and she should not have any issues conceiving and carrying a pregnancy again in the future.  So, we're planning to try standing her to Ritchie in the spring. 

Thursday and Billy are growing very well!  It's so fun to discover with the youngsters - their first snow fall, exploring a new paddock.  Chai will be 18 months on the 29th of November.  She's already so tall that I have to stand up on my toes to try to get my arm over her back!  Sensible though, oh good grief is she a good kid!  I can't wait until the fall to bring her to the garrison saddle club and have more opportunity to play with her!

Baby racehorse was all sorts of amazing!  #horsewithnohashtag

This is not a trail ride.

If you know me at all, and realistically, if you're reading this blog you must be one of my close friends, you know that there are some things that I do NOT do on horseback.  One of those things is jump.  That's dangerous and scary.  The other is "trail ride".  Again, not safe.  Too many variables and opportunity for accident.  However, I have some pretty incredible friends and they are much braver than I am.  Upon an invite from my dear friend who was taking her brand new baby racehorse #horsewithnohashtag, out to Blackfoot grazing area, we tagged along with another friend and his super-easy quarter horse.  Jose was a rockstar!  We climbed hills - which we've never done together, and he stayed with me the whole way, all perfect!  Not sure I'd be in a big hurry to do that one again, but it was not horrible in the end. 

 

 

If he isn't the best boy ever, I'm not sure who is!

Ali was sure to give Jose a good brushing when we returned home. 

Happy Horseing!