Sunday 1 May 2011

Was my last post really on March 16th?!! Where does the time go!


On a very big plus note Lola is back in work (for now at least...) :-D She never did go in for the op as my vets were struggling to source some of the anaesthetic needed. When it finally arrived, 3 weeks later, it couldn't be done as Lola had to be on box rest for 3 weeks following the op and i was due to go on holiday 3 weeks to the day, leaving no-one able to look after her. Even if someone could have done her, i wouldn't want to leave knowing things could still go wrong. Vet agreed that another few weeks wouldn't hurt as she's not lame and it's not sore at all (following much poking and prodding to which the pony usually explodes if it hurts!) Gave me the go ahead to ride her lightly in walk & trot on a surface, so i did. managed to ride a few times before hols and she was fantastic. Took her in the new 60x40 outdoor school for the first time and she wasn't bothered at all. Had a bit if a look around and a prance but no dramas, much to my approval as i didn't really fancy broken bones to take on hol with me!















(Please excuse the horrible position- i partly blame new- very stiff! boots and guarding a very sore back from previous accident a few weeks before- details to follow...)





Holiday time approached so the pony (i really need to stop calling her that! Force of habit i'm afraid) had another week off . Holiday was spent camping (not so good part) , however as we were camping at Badminton that more than made up for it! :-D The weather was wonderful, i actually managed to get a tan (well, my arms and face did) and it was lovely to see Mark Todd win for the 4th time. Now, i'm not going in to the in's and out's of the competition as i'm sure you all saw or read about it for yourselves but lets just say after actually seeing a certain 2 riders ride up close, one particularly for her dressage test, i am now completely and utterly awe-inspired. Not naming names but lets say both are female, one's not a million miles from me (based in leicestershire i believe) and the other is a tiny bit further (almost in Scotland- further!)I'm now desperately searching for any clinics either of the above riders may be holding this year!!



Since arriving back from Badminton i have so far managed to ride Lola 3 times, hopefully 4 if tomorrow goes to plan. Vet is coming back out to look at the leg on weds so i'm trying not to do much and get my hopes up in case she still needs the op. Call me optimistic, but the original hard lump is now considerably smaller and softer, and the scab which was refusing to heal is closing up more and more. I've got just about everything it's possible to cross tightly crosses that it may be re-absorbing by itself. Vet wasn't sure in the end whether anything was actually chipped or if there was just slight damage to the bone, so i'm now praying for the latter. She's been a bit of a brat on the ground recently, seeing how far she can push the bonudaries but has been a sweetheart to ride. She was also 5 on April 27th and for a brief moment i thought she was turning into a real 'Kevin the teenager' but she seems to be out the other side again now so i'm putting it down to spring grass.





Gem is just beign Gem. Still out of work, have back lady lined up for this month and is being scoped for ulcers after she's been out. If that is clear then we're going to x-ray her spine i think, and possibly send her off for scans to see if there's any trouble spots anywhere else. If all comes back clear i can bring her back into work guilt free and just put her cold backed-ness (is that even a word? It is now) down to memory of badly fitting tack and work through it. Hopefully.



A photo of Gem as we don't see her often :-)


As for the other pony i was riding, Max, i am riding no longer. Got on him in the school about 6 weeks ago and for no apparent reason he just took off. Bucked all the way across the diagonal and managed to deposit me in the top corner of the school. My friend runs over looking concerned and i get up to take my bow, laughing. Nothing hurt so grab the mounting block and prepare to get back on to see if it was a one off spook at something he saw in the distance. I did remember just before i got back on that i'd changed his bit that morning so change it back to his old one to see of that may have prompted the behaviour. Jumped back on, got friend to lead him for a minute or two, then he took off again. Off gallops max again, along the diagonal, bucking all the way. I expected it a little more this time so managed to ride through them, turned the bottom corner and finally felt him slowing up. Woohoo thinks me, he's stopping :-) and stop he did- only we went from almost gallop to halt in a stride whish sent me flying forward. Then the little sod reared and kind of lept into the air and on landing put in one almighty buck sending me flying into orbit once again. Grrrrrr! Did attempt to get right up but that led to me falling back on the floor unable to breath. Luckily i was only winded (which i knew- i know that feeling well now) as i landed flat out on my back for the second time that day. I must have held on to the reins or something on the way down though as i've managed to really strain something in my little finger. It still hurts now. My shiny new body protector arrived the day before too and typically i wasn't wearing it. There is a possibility i'll never wear it though, brought an Exo-Cage whilst we can still get our hands on them but it's so bloody restrictive and bulky i doubt i'll wear it. Maybe for XC one day but i can see me ending up with another. I'm quite liking the Airowear Outlyne's after trying one the other week :-) Limped away with a dead leg feeling battered and bruised and returned max to his field. The bruising on the bottom of by back has only just gone down- it ran from hip to hip across the bottom of my back and was several interesting colours before it finally went- hence the dodgy photos of me riding lola above. It was about 2 weeks on in those photos and it still bloody hurt. Max has been ridden twice since- once my his instructor who said he was tense but didnt buck and once by his owners daughter who got as far as her foot in the stirrup before he bucked once and took off. Luckily she wasn't sat up top yet and managed to slide to the ground. Now i'm not scared of riding bucking horses, but when i don't know the reason they've started bucking i don't like it. I've told the owner i dont want to ride him now, partly as i don't know why he's suddenly started doing it and partly because Lola is back in work and i wont have time. It's a shame as he is a lovely lad but i really dont want to fall off someone else's horse, get injured and not be able to work as then i won't be able to afford my own. Shame really :-(


Anyway, thats quite enought for now! Shall update you after the vet has been on wednesday. Keep things crossed for us please :-D xx









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