Dec 19- recovery time, ride #83

Sherlock has been improving steadily with his cut legs, and has been sound for light lunging and extreme rampaging about at dinnertime. We don't remember very well how to lunge with the rope on, must practice.

I find myself saying he doesn't remember how to do things, but then I realize I am not holding up my part of the bargain- by not giving him the cues he understands. Lunging is tough for him, and if I don't move my feet to make some noise he has to keep looking for me when I am on his blind side. So it's both of us who need to practice.

12/11 Massage/chiropractor came and worked on a bunch of horses. She used a massager-machine that is put on like a saddle. Sherlock was a bit twitchy but settled into it. His back was sore and some ribs out on the right side.
After massage I let Sherlock eat a little bit and grabbed out both my new saddle and Amy's. I have purchased the wrong saddle model. Mine has the deeper seat, with a stronger cantle angle. Which makes the cantle higher. Still it seems to fit the same- if I can just balance it.

Busy week with a big blizzard. Not much turnout. Backing off meds to 1g Bute every other day. I can give more grain on days with no Bute. If he has a whole scoop of grain with Bute in it, he skips the bad-tasting part. If he has a half-scoop he eats it all no matter what's in it.

12/19 ride #83 Rode 30 minutes mostly walking. New saddle and reverse-wedge pad, rope halter. Mounting tough with saddle slipping around- pad compresses once weight hits it, and that makes the girth very loose when I try to get on. Might cut it back off the withers. Sherlock did stop to have the pad adjusted once- will need more duct tape to secure pad. Better with pad adjusted, trotted well. A bit stiff for sure. Neck stretches, turns on forehand, shallow serpentines.
Good ride, willing if a bit creaky. Nice ride to end the year on!

Dec 10- saddle woes, ride #82

OK!  November checkin!

After the lovely Halloween party, the weather changed and Sherlock was keen never to have his belly touched again.  Ride #79 November 6th I rode and practiced doing the usual walk/trot workout with voice and weight cues ONLY, almost no leg. Nice to build those skills for the days when he has bad-weather-belly.

Snowed- blanket bingo.

November 14th Ride #80. walk/trot, stretches, lots of transitions, shallow serpentines NO LEG. Sherlock is looking for a cookie whenever we go to the mounting block. Offering to bow instead of stand for mounting. No cookies in pocket during rides. He knows how to stand well now, he can take it.



November 22 Ride #81. Got new Wintec saddle just like Amy's, changed black Medium gullet to red Wide gullet with an hour of cursing and whining. Yes, it's easier than having the whole saddle re-flocked or buying yet another saddle. (I have 5 saddles now. Where is my brain?) BUT the screws were rusted in and stripped, got all 4 screws out and went to Ace Hardware. At some point in the endless parade of screws I mentioned these saddles are made in Australia and we finally found the METRIC screws for the outer slots. The inner ones are by inches. The outer ones are metric. WHAT!?
Anyway, I put my new pride and joy up on my horse and it's very cantle-high. Severely downhill. Just walked Sherlock a  little to stretch out my back, but couldn't really work with the saddle fitting so poorly. Ordered a reverse-wedge pad to lift the front of the saddle.

November 28th I opened up Amy's saddle a bit and her gullet is white- Extra Wide. Ordered white gullet. Maybe I will send the pad back. Accidentlly walked Sherlock into the barn door instead of the doorway. I think in the snowbright, he couldn't see which dark shape was the doorway.  Pay attention, Cooper.

December 2nd I got a call at 4:00- Sherlock cut his leg. Went straight out, RF knee very swollen, 2 cuts. One deep, one long across the inside of the knee. No sign of joint fluid. Knee very stiff. Mud all down R side. Gave small amount of PM grain with Banamine. Barn management walked the entire fenceline and made minor repairs.

Ouchie.

December 3rd Cleaned and rewrapped, Banamine in grain. R hock also swollen today, 1 cut and some surface scrapes. Did he fall off the little bridge in the pasture?  Hock was too sore and swollen to wrap. Turnout in small Doves paddock with Prince and Dusty and Vern.

December 4 Cleaned and rewrapped, Sherlock is walking well. Swelling much reduced, Grain with Buteless. Turnout in Doves.

December 5 Whole leg swollen again and knee stiffened up. Should have stuck with meds. Bute in grain, rewrapped knee, hand-grazed. Turnout in Doves.

December 6 Walking well- AM rewrapped, Bute. Walking very well. Trotted after haycart for dinner! Got wrap off, rewrapped for the night.Turnout in Doves.

December 7 AM grain with Bute. Turnout in Doves. Galloping and playing in turnout. Removed wrap PM.

December 8 AM grain with Bute. Turnout in Doves. Walking great, swelling nearly gone- only localized to front of knee. Deep knee cut closing, long one making some efforts, hock cut weepy. Reportedly showing off some flying changes in the paddock!

December 9 AM grain with Bute. Walking well, all cuts closing up, long knee cut making a scab at last. Turnout into pasture.

December 10 Ride #82. So I got both the reverse-wedge pad and the gullet. Haven't unpacked the pad since I think I won't need it once I have the right gullet plate in. I changed the gullet with less cursing this time but the gullet set came with only 3 screws. So I still have one of my Ace Hardware best-matches in. Very happy, all set. Sherlock walking great, all cuts scabbing up. AM grain with a bit less Bute today. Saddled up and it looked downhill. Got on and it felt downhill. Should have brought the pad. Mounted fine with minimal cookie-begging, walked a just a few minutes since the saddle was not right.
Now Amy's saddle fits perfect with no extra pads. Maybe I need to change the flocking- this is an air-flocked saddle. Instead of wool between the tree and the horse, it's basically a balloon, or 4. More research needed. Will ask Amy to help me out. There must be a solution.

Getting ready for the holidays- tons of chores, shopping, and work to be done before I can leave!

Enjoying the sunny day