Disappointed but not destroyed

I got a call from our vet this morning saying she could squeeze us in really quick today since I couldn't do tomorrow due to work. Going into the appointment I was very hopeful, thinking that we would do the injections and it would turn out to just be something little so we could go on our merry way. After all he really hasnt been that bad off. Coming out of it, however, is a different story. He tested positive to the flexsions on his left hind (which I am really proud of myself for being about to tell which leg it was! Especially for a hind leg), very positive actually. Once she put his leg down he didnt want to move at all and completely refused to trot for about 5 strides. Then when he finally did he was very off. You could tell when she was holding his leg up he kept trying to lift his whole hip up to avoid the pressure where the pain is.

We are not 100 % sure where the problem is. We do know that it is either the hock or the stifle. We could have blocked his stifle out to see if that is where it is but decided to wait. I am going to take him into OSU for a full work up and diagnosis and figured they might as well do all that there since they will be the ones helping me through the rest of this process.

Good news is that he is the normal happy and personable dude he always is! I have a feeling we will be spending lots of quality time together in the next few months. It is sounding like worst case scenario (which we never hope for of course!) he will be out for up to 6 months with potential sx. That is if he is diagnosed with this OCD.

Sad news for him is that the doctors orders him to lose more weight, especially because of the potential issues ahead of us, as it will only make it easier on his body. The hard part is going to be getting him to lose it at all, let alone with him not working!

I am very disappointed to say the least but still hold hope that the issue is much smaller then what it has potential to be. I know that between OSU and I we can get him all healed up riding again by next year. I truly will do anything it takes for this horse. Even if that mean going out in the cold winter just to hand walk him around :) Hopefully I will have better news after taking him in (will be like 2 weeks as I leave for Nashville on Sunday) and I will keep you all updated.

With all his pretty ribbons today :)

Houston, we have a plan!

I headed out to the barn decently early (for me on a late start day!) this morning since I am back to being worried about my pony. I brought him in from the pasture and took him straight to the arena to see what he looks like on the lunge line. Honestly, it could go either way! But I am seeing a slight unevenness on his left hind (the one that pops the most). He go forward, can walk/trot/canter, and definitely isn't dying but.... it still worries me! Especially since this is the 2nd time in the last 3 weeks.

So... of course I called my vet. We are going to try the injections one more time, since she said it could just be him growing, but if this same thing happens again in to OSU we will be going! Because the stifle in general is so thick, then you add on it being a Mystic Pony stifle, she wouldnt be able to do the xrays at our barn. If it came back as he had something he would have to go into OSU anyways so they might as well do the xrays and know more about him to start with.

The downfall of this whole timing is that I am leaving for Nashville on Sunday. For a week. The up side is that I will be gone for a week and he will just be able to rest.

Since he was still off today he had to suffer through me washing his tail and feather :) I feel like that was a fair trade! So at least he is a somewhat clean unusable pony instead of a homeless looking one :)

Said no horse owner ever...

"Let me just pay for that extra vet bill with all this extra cash I have laying around" -Said no horse owner ever!

EVER.EVER.EVER! This FB post about sums up my night. After a super nice, much needed, escape from reality with my brother and some cousins with no cell signal I come home all relaxed, ready to ride my adorable pony. I get on and walk around everything is fine and dandy. Pick up the trot... perfect just what I wanted to come home to, a lame horse. It seems like its the same thing as last time (more concerning) so I kept working him to see if it would get worse/better. Nope. No change. Just a very slight weirdness to his gait that someone who doesn't know him might say he was just fine. Okay... so that brings me back to the possibility of it being OCD still. The biggest reason against it being that is his age. Normally it is in young horses (it is much worse if found when they are really young from what I have read). Everything else seems like it could be it.

"Lameness sometimes may be very mild, with a stiff action and shortened stride being observed, rather than the horse having a prominent lameness."

"The most common signs of OCD will be painful movement or swelling and pain in the joints that moves from leg to leg and seems to be more problematic at times and then disappear, only to come back at a later time. This waxing and waning of the pain may or may not be more pronounced with additional exercise"

Up until just the last 2 weeks he has been fine besides the popping of his stifle which has not led to any lameness at all. It says it can be brought out more by a heavier work load, which at first I didnt think of because it hasnt varied much overall. However, he has started jumping more which would put more stress back there. I am going to go check him tomorrow and put him on the lunge line to see what he looks like. I think I will call our vet and see what she thinks I should do. We may end up getting xrays just to confirm either way. It would make me feel better at least!

Super Star!

Wow the pony was a super star today for our ride! He had yesterday off and we had a short jump school today. What a stud! No issues what so ever. He came out with a nice forward pace without me having to talk him into it, went when I asked, was attentive to half halts, and saved my butt majorly one time!

I am really starting to feel him get the concept and feel like he knows what he is doing. Our lessons are definitely paying off. I got him into a really bad approach to a vertical (had to go between poles within the grid and I picked the wrong pathway!), got him in all sideways and would have totally not blamed him for running out just because of his inexperience and it wasnt a tiny fence for him. I apologized and asked him to go and he went right over it, his confidence is definitely getting better and better!

We put together small courses with the grid and the one stride along with some single fences. We got our distances, our lead changes, and had no forward issues. I even took him through a weird angle bending line and he just popped right over like it was nothing. It was a short 30 minute ride that left me feeling SO good about our progress! He will totally be ready for Inavale next year not doubts!

Our Top Secret Misson...

After a great XC lesson and a great dressage ride last night I decided to have a fun bareback and bridleless night tonight! We are hoping to attend Gypsy Affair and the National Championship show in October. There is a musical freestyle class that we hope to rock the house with :)

For the most part he is super good! Especially for not doing it that much. He does try to ignore me sometimes but is getting much better, I think the cookies help! Heres to hoping we can make it to the show and compete, it would be tons of fun!

Fast Learner

This afternoon we headed out for our 2nd jump lesson out at Inavale. Neither of the boys have jumped much since our last lesson (Mystic had jumped once on Friday) due to different circumstances. Both also came out great! It was a great lesson for everyone and both improved on our last lesson which is always a huge plus.

Mystic and I got to work on the more technical side of cross country today. Last one was more open galloping and single fences, where today it was shorter distances with more technical rides. I am super happy with how he responds to everything. I can confidently say that any "issues" we had could have been avoided if I had rode him better. Although he is continually gaining confidence jumping he still isnt at a spot where he will take charge and bail me out of a sticky situation, which is understandable. Even then he still doesn't just quit on me or run out like he could.

One thing that is becoming more and more apparent is that he really is a horse that will only give as much as he needs to make it over the fence, especially with the little ones! Its actually pretty bad how terrible we look over the small stuff. But the minute we start jumping more bn fences he perks right but and tucks his knees to his chin. Its a good thing he likes this jumping thing!

We schooled more banks again today since it was a slight issue last time. Im thinking maybe he wasn't feeling 100 % last time though. He didn't stop or run out at it at all today. He even kept us together and I held on for dear life looking like someone who doesn't know how to ride going down the banks! We were going down and up a decent sized bank. We then put together the down bank to another fence fairly close after it. It is actually pretty tricky getting organized and getting him off his forehand so that he was ready to jump but we got it put together. Then we did it the other way where we did the jump first to the up bank. A big thing that we need to work on is getting the energy combined with getting him off his forehand, it will make the bigger fences that much easier for him.

It is so nice to be making progress and feeling as if we should be over prepared to hit Inavale next year at beginner novice. I would much rather be over prepared and give him a great first big outing then be slightly under prepared and set his confidence back. We are having SO much fun with this!

Sorry for the pic overload :)

Beach bums!

Yesterday Alanna and I packed up our boys and headed for the beach for the afternoon! We decided to go a little later than we normally do so we could both sleep in a little more. We knew it would be busier but didnt even think that it would be high tide! So we got there and of course it was high tide with tons of people. We did our normal wondering down the beach until it was more open and just walked until the tide started to go back out. It was a beautiful day! Sunny with a breeze but definitely the prettiest it has ever been when we have taken the horses. Both boys were great.

Now we are on to our XC lesson on Monday! There should be pictures as Alanna is having Kelsey ride Chevy.