Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Manuka Honey rocks!

As the wound has shrunk, the dousing with Manuka honey has formed a skin over it, hardened and fallen off with increasing regularity. Only a couple of days last time before the top fell off revealing a smaller flat sore. It has almost completely healed, and will leave just a bit of a lump visible mainly from the side (pretty much as the vet had predicted).
The wound really does look tiny now!


On the riding front, he has continued to have a wee thought of napping most days, but generally a little tap on the bulging shoulder is enough to remind him to behave. So at this point he is not really scaring me; and hopefully he won't push it any further!

Although we did have a bit of a moment where he got away on me several days ago, and with both of us pulling in different directions, I was quite disconcerted to look down and see that I had pulled the bit right through his mouth -oooops.... started him today in a fulmer so we shouldn't have that wee problem again.

However, each little victory gives me more confidence just riding him in general, and that belief in myself that I can indeed cope should he 'do' anything.

I am a little disappointed in the quality of his flatwork at present as he hasnt really got back to where I felt he was pre injury. However, although I havent had the moments of brilliance I guess he is more consistent in his frame - nice to know though that he is capable of so much more. He is moving away from the leg better, and is much more understanding of the aids.

I feel that I need to go back to the dressage whip, which was of great help in lightening him off my leg aids, but still feel I need my short whip to enable me to give him a quick one should he think of napping. At this stage the short whip wins out as I think the naughty behaviour is the one to be dealt with first.

And in terms of the snorting wheezing head flick, he has been back on grass now for a week, and apart from the odd snort, no real problems (madly touching wood). He is still on the herbal mix, and the grass is 'old' grass without seed heads. I have also not pushed him yet, so I may find when I heat him up a little more in his ridden work, we could still have a problem - we will see.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Nine more days of healing

It looks to me like the wound continues to reduce in size. However, it is definitely not bothering him at all.

Have this morning put him back on the grass with his friends, and will monitor snorting etc.

Rode him midday, and apart from two snorts at the trot he was fine (and EVERY horse has reason to snort occasionally), so will keep him on the grass (and the herbal remedy) and see what happens. If it transpires I need to keep him off the grass periodically, then I guess I will have to manage that.

Riding wise, NO napping AT ALL....had one wee 'think', but I gave him one quick reminder and the idea failed to take root in his wee brain....now I just need to keep my own psyche in the right place and keep on top of it.

He went very nicely - soft and round at trot, although still hard work at canter. But all good :)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The fall and rise

Two days ago, Sampson decided he would try the napping thing...so we got the sideways, the no go anywhere and the running backwards; all of which worried the old wuss on him! To the point where I actually got off him four times...(of course it was simply a good reason to do more mounting practice).

Finished that day settling for one tiny weeny circle just inside the paddock gate without a nap, and feeling quite upset at the turn we had taken. He was obviously getting a little too attached to his mates (at one stage he broke away from me and galloped to the corner where he stood and stared at his paddock mates). So.....into solitary confinement.

Yesterday, he again napped quite badly, although I am pleased to say I didnt get frightened. Eventually (and I am VERY slow to anger normally) I did get angry, clouted him one, and he was immediately back on good behaviour. Had been hesitant to use the whip, not really knowing how he would react.

Had a lesson today, and apart from one nap going through a paddock, whereupon I immediately clouted him twice, he couldnt have been better behaved.

Instructor loved him and thought he also had a lovely temperament, (despite the napping) saying it was just a little idea he had that we would work through.

Also pleased to say that there seemed to be no head shaking at all today (Friday last week he was nigh on impossible to ride it got so bad).....so....is it that he is in solitary on NO grass just hay, or is it the herbal medicine he started on at the same time he went into solitary confinement?

The big problem is of course that he is a huge horse and he is also fence walking while separated from his mates, so has already lost weight despite the copious amounts of hay being fed. I may let him back in with his friends after I have ridden tomorrow and see if that affects his head shaking snorting sneezy wheezy thing.

However, very pleased with the lesson, he went absolutely lovely -albeit hard work. Instructor did say to keep his sessions short at this stage ; max 20 minutes, as he is big, and needs to build up some muscle etc. Plan to have fortnightly lessons; which will also help to keep on top of the napping, if it remains a problem

...but for today I feel empowered with the victory.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

If it's not one thing; it's another

Well, Sampson is now back in normal work, and I am most disappointed to find that he still has his sneezing, wheezing, head flicking allergy thing going on.

Although there was substantial improvement as soon as I took him off the meadow chaff, it obviously set up some kind of hypersensitivity to other allergins / seeds / pollens ?? Quite frustrating as he will snort and wheeze, and head flick while you are trying to school him.

Also makes it more difficult when he is trying to go in different directions (wanting to go with his friend) and bucky leapy, as he will head flick, get the rein, and off he goes. Oh well, at least he is feeling well (despite the hayfever) I guess, but yes: VERY frustrating.

Popped him over a small cross bar (with filler) about 60cm ? a few times today and he felt lovely...way more responsive to the leg and hence easier to ride.

Update pics on injury....seems to be healing ok now (says she madly touching wood)






Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Wound pics





Am continuing to plaster the wound with manuka honey each morning and evening (he has a big sticky patch under his belly from lying on his leg).

Comparing the pics to how it was less than a month ago, I can definitely see shrinkage.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Back on Board

Having been injured on 29th November, Sampson has not been ridden since apart from some lessons to convince him to stand at the mounting block while I clamber on.

Although he still has a yukky sore on his leg (which is having copious amounts of manuka honey applied with a paintbrush morning and night) he hasnt been looking sore at all, and apart from a small amount of swelling, any fill in the leg has gone totally (so no tendon damage...thank goodness).

He stood like a rock while I got on, and apart from one small start while walking up the drive past the house, didnt shy or anything. There were three horse trucks, two buses, one very large house truck, a van, and a car, plus people, music, dogs and noise....apart from a little tension (probably more from me than him) he just kept walking.

Likewise he took no notice of the tractor turning the hay next door.

We did about 15 minutes of trot work, and I was pleased to find that although he has slipped back a bit from where he was, he did do some really lovely work; soft and round. The main thing I found was that he was easily distracted and quickly lost concentration, which for a young horse after a period of time off is hardly surprising. I think he will come back up to where he was pre injury pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, he is still a bit snorty - especially from the seeding grasses; a hangover from the bad batch of meadow chaff he was fed some time ago.

When his trot slowed and became very high and springy, throwing me out of the saddle, (in response to one of the gypsy's lorakeet screaching), I decided that we (I) had probably had enough for his first ride in a long time. When he gets into springy trot mode, I am unsure how to deal with it as it seems the more you try to push him forward, the higher and springier the trot becomes (and the more I get catapaulted at each stride)....perhaps he has a natural passage just waiting to be discovered?

Meet Sampson

Young girl next door came over yesterday for a lesson on Willie (who at 17h and fit is not really the ideal learner's pony).
She had rung up on the day the new pony got injured for a ride, but I put her off as I was waiting for the vet.
She told me yesterday that she had a dream that night and that the new horse was called Sampson.

Well, I think the name fits, although it was some time before it dawned on me that much as I had wanted to avoid the "son" names, we now had another one. So Sampson joins paddock mates, Wilson, Jackson, and Kitson!