Sunday, November 13, 2011

Arena ride

Today I forced myself to load up in the pouring rain and haul into the covered arena at the fairgrounds in Longview. 
I've not ridden C. in an arena like this before but he was really good about it.  We got to see some barrel horses practicing their runs and spent a bit of time just hanging around watching the action.

The last time I rode C. he had done something to his shoulder (Todd saw him slam  into a gate earlier that day) and he was definately "off" in the right front.

Several days later I pulled his shoes, had the chiro out to adjust him ( he was out in that shoulder) and then gave him 2 weeks off.

Today I detected just the slightest bit of a shortened stride on that leg.  C. is somewhat more upright in that front leg, it is the one that he always places underneath him when he grazes or eats off the ground.  I believe one of the speakers at last years Pacific Endurance Riders Association annual convention referred to this as high/low syndrome. 

I think we're going to take things easy for another week or so, just light arena riding.

Another thing has changed in the last few weeks.  Despite wearing a sheet every day and coming into a well lit barn in the evenings C. has grown quite the thick coat (for a TB, that is).  Today he got quite damp with just the littlest bit of work! 

On a good note,  Pinky is doing really well.  Her foot continues to heal up and today she actually attempted a few steps of a trot going from one side of the stall to the other :)  No more hopping!

I will get some weekly pictures on Tue. or Wed. when we do the next wrap change.

2 comments:

Funder said...

Yeah, the way I understand high/low is that it's a self-perpetuating problem. Once they start keeping the one leg underneath while they eat they always want to keep it under. Poor guy, hope he works out of his shoulder problem!

Yay for Pinky!

HHmstead said...

Glad you got your guy out for a ride, even if in a arena! With the weather coming - that might be as good as it gets for a while! Try some stretching exercises with that leg too - might help keep the shoulder loosened up?