Beautiful day for PT

 Today was a lovely day. Sunshine, no humidity, occasional breeze, albeit a hair chilly. We ended up sleeping in and then going to Gibbs Garden for date day. Which meant that it was 4 pm when we got home. I could have gone to Ashland but... I decided that it might be better to drag the arena and move the poles down to the roundpen so I could do my rehab on everyone easily. And then hopefully I would have time to rehab both horses. (Dan got skipped today on purpose). So that's what I did. I figured I could go to Ashland with both ponies tomorrow, even though it's supposed to be dreary. 

So... after the arena was drug (ahhhh, such a nice feeling!) I put out the barrel and then set the blocks upright for two jumps. But I didn't get as far as setting up a grid. I'll do that tomorrow maybe... besides.. if I take both girls to Ashland tomorrow.. then have lessons at Ashland Tuesday... then have to work Thursday.. I won't get to ride til Friday and that's the vet visit day, so... I've got time to set something up. 

Anyways... after that I rehabbed the girls. I did Funny first and then it was Lyrics turn. I had set up 4 walk poles and then two half raised poles at the end. We walked through them 10 times. (Or maybe 12... or maybe 8... counting is hard!). We did 2 walk throughs straight.. then 2 walk throughs drifting to the left to encourage her to reach with that left front. I also did our circle turns to really encourage her to reach and push with that left front. I incorporated all three things together... when we turned to the left we went straight through the poles and when we turned right, we did our PT turns. 

When we finished I lunged her very briefly at the trot. Unfortunately I couldn't find my cavesson and lunge line. I'm guessing I left them in the tub at the arena. Whoops.. bet they got poured on. I need to get a new tub for the arena... one that stays closed and keeps the rain out. Or.. at least move things down to the barn if that's where I'll be doing most of the rehab. So I didn't want to lunge her free because then she just runs, so I only had the lead line which isn't very long. So we didn't do too long because I didn't want to torque her limbs. Plus, I didn't want to make her sore/lame. But, she did look pretty sound today. She was a tiny bit more braced tracking right but she did get long and low. We finished with walking through the poles twice more, backwards. (Ha.. not backing them.. but from the raised cavaletti's first). She really had to reach with the left front, so it was good. 

I did some research and it could be tendinitis of the deep (or superficial) flexor tendon or the check ligament. Both which sounds like they are treated with rest, time, shockwave and/or injections. I was tempted to shockwave her tonight... but decided to just massage, bemer, and biomechanic tape until her vet visit. I don't want to hide something and don't want to pay for an ultrasound for no reason just because I'm not sure if she's not lame there because she's not lame there or because I "hid" it with the shockwave. 

While she ate, she got bemered again. I also did her right front because of that splint. Then I did the biomechanic tape. I decided (after talking myself in circles) that *IF* it was her digital flexor tendon that was sore... she would want to stay neutral or in extension. But then I confused myself... and am currently confusing myself again... so then instead of thinking of it like that... I just said... she wants to stand with that leg back and doesn't want to bring it forward and leave it forward. SO..... if I tape her with that leg forward, with the biomechanic tape, in theory, I should be reducing the force required for her to bring it forward, therefore... taping it that way would help encourage her to bring it forward because she has help/assistance. So... that's what I did. I just taped up the front of her leg. Ie... to encourage extension. Which, I think, means that I'm reducing force of the flexor because I'm doing the opposite of what the flexor does. Maybe??? I don't know. We'll see. Unfortunately because of her pull on bell boot, it took me two tries. ha ha. But we'll see how she fares with it. 

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