Besties

 Danny and I had a "mommy and Me" day. :) We started the day off with a visit from Freddie and Dan is sporting a nice new pedicure. He also now has stud holes in his front tootsies too. He made cranky faces but he also was being sweet with me. He was wiggling his nose on me a lot today. Hee hee. He makes me giggle. I tossed him out for about 15 minutes and then we went for a ride. We rode at home because of time but he was super! It was a good ride. We played again with all the things and I really think we're getting it. We did trot half pass and leg yields, turn on the forehands, canter half pass and leg yields, and even did some more counter canter. We also added back in practicing the canter walk canters and those got a hair better. Our downwards are really getting better. We also did some reinback and we practiced the medium trot to collected trot to halt. That's actually getting fairly good! We even had a few baby steps of piaffe! So yep, good ride. 

Then I hosed him off and turned him out for about 30 minutes so he could graze. And of course roll. So I hosed him off again before I put him in the trailer to head to Aiken for our vet appointment. It was a good appointment. We watched him lunge on a very small circle and he looked good, both up front and behind. So then we flexed him and he was negative! Even in the hinds, which last time, he was just about crippled! Great news! We then checked his neck and Keelin thought she felt some decreased motion at C4 but also worried about C7. So we scrubbed him up. He was hilarious. I guess it felt like a good massage because his lip would NOT quit wiggling. So then when she went to inject him... same as last time, he was super sensitive to the ultrasound probe and also the needle hitting the bone on one vertebra. This time it was C7. C4 didn't really phase him, so... hopefully

that means our hunch is right and this will really help him be happy again and willing to go into that right rein and bend more effectively. We also discussed how the time line with the last set of injections worked and how it's a lot more muscle that has to rehab and... it really does seem like the neck injections were the magic bullet. So, fingers crossed. It's a little worrisome that it hasn't been a full year yet, but... I'm also being VERY sensitive to it. And maybe now I can start doing more acupuncture and even put him on herbs and see if that helps extend the injections. 

 

So then we headed home.... he got turned out to graze for a bit and I even ate dinner before I fed, so he had time to relax. After dinner they all went back out and Mike and I took the dogs on a walk around the gallop lane. The horses all came along too. Danny and Funny were being silly... grooming each other.. then chasing each other... The horses kept following us... much to Mike's chagrin. Sillies! And I know it's probably not the case, but I swear Dan seemed happier. He wasn't pinning his ears.. he was seeking me out. It's almost like he was saying "Thanks for listening and fixing it".  :) Then we went to the other side of the property and they couldn't follow us anymore. And then we flushed a fawn out of the field and it went running amuck. Then Funny used that as an excuse to get the zoomies. Hee hee. Bonkers! Luckily Danny wasn't too bonkers as technically he's supposed to be in a stall, although more for cleanliness than activity.

So... no riding til Monday. Sadness!! But this means I can use all weekend to get the farm caught up. I've got to paint the arena mirrors, finish hanging the arena mirrors, spread poo, weed spray because some pokeweed is coming back up and I'm determined to stay ahead of it. I also need to get the electricity back up so I can use the middle field, and I desperately want to finish going through the boxes so the storage room and tool shed can be cleaned out some. So plenty to do! But still sadness about not riding. Oh well, we'll have Tuesday for sure and maybe, but doubtfully Wed, and then Thursday we'll head to stableview for champs!