Fall Pictorial

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Cartman got his teeth done.
We attended and completed the 25 at OR100.  It was awesome, as always- I love that ride.
We attended and pulled at Jubilee.  Michelle and Tucker had to do the 50 w/o us and they completed! Yeah!
C injured his left front ankle while tied to the trailer at Jubilee.  Totally sound Friday afternoon. Slightly off Sat. morning at the start of the ride.  I made it 1/2 mile or so then walked him back in for a vet check.  She said he was slightly off.   By afternoon it was blown up all the way to the knee and he was lame at the walk.

I took him to Scott Hansen for x-rays and ultrasound when it swelled up again three days later.  No cracks, chips or tendon injury present.  Just a lot of swelling over the inside sesamoid bone.

C got two weeks off. Stall rest, wrapping, bute, surpass, for a week... then light turn out after a week. He was back in action in two weeks.  No swelling. 

I noticed some white hairs as his winter coat has come in. Panic ensues.  I make an appointment with Barb Apple to re-fit his saddle and give us a Western dressage lesson on 11/3.  I force myself to ride in the most beautiful Crates reining saddle in the world.  I still HATE riding in it.  Decided I don't care how good it looks on my horse, I'm selling it.  It is torture to ride in.

We did some easy 5 mile jogs on the path.  After another two weeks I took him out 10/30 and he was a butthead.  Strong in the bridle, wanting to get hunchy????  I took him into the sand for about 2 minutes to take some of the edge off.  He was still really forward all the way back to the trailer. 

Its started to get chilly at night, an he'd gotten pretty sweaty after our loping in the sand so I kept him up in the barn over nite.  The next morning, Halloween, his ankle had slight filling in it.  WTF?? 

I wonder if its been doing this after every ride, but showing up as filling after being stalled?  Previously I've always turned him out immediately after.

I decide to give him at least one month off.  I'm pulling his shoes and hoping this problem disappears after a rest.

So, to keep myself occupied with no horse to ride.....

I'm spending a lot of time with the dog.   He really needs a LOT of exercise to be happy.  And before it started raining we were spending a lot of time playing with Todd's new toy, the 1923 T-Bucket. 

I'm also determined to get back to blogging a little more consistently.   Alas, I hate blogging when I feel like all I'm doing is whining about my rotten luck!  That pretty much sums up 2013, so far anyway.  The year NOTHING went as planned:(

Still, there is much to be thankful for.  Happy November everyone!