Winter Music

  Maybe?? Maybe not? I don't even know. I rode Lyric again today to help me determine if I needed to cancel or keep my vet appointment for Monday. Patrick came and did her feet this morning. We ended up doing 3D frog pads in the fronts. This should provide caudal support and keep her heels from dropping and her frog from prolapsing but also give her a bit of support. We debated between those and pour in pads, but we're a little afraid that the poor in pads would be too much pressure on her soles. But Patrick was able to trim a good bit of toe away on the slightly negative foot and tweaked the angles mediolaterally on the right front to help get her alignment a hair better. Then we kept the McClain pads in the back, and Patrick noted that he felt like her hind feet were making great progress. I agree. She feels much better in the back end overall.  So I was curious to see how she felt after. Plus, I had the time and I've missed riding her, so... we rode! We rode at home as i...

 Thank you God... thank you for hearing my prayers and answering them!  Lyric was SOUND today!!! On Sunday it was such a gross and icky day but I wanted to work with the ponies so I did some in hand work with Dan and Lyric. After Lyric and I did our pillar work, we played with some leg yields in hand. And then I put her on the lunge to see how she looked. And... she actually looked pretty sound. Hmmm.... Interesting.    So, today... I had time and it was gorgeous out! I figured, let's try! I groomed her and tacked her up and we headed to the arena. I did lunge her first and she looked pretty sound. She was still a bit short strided and not tracking up, but to be honest, she kind of always lunges like that. So after a few laps and no lameness, I hopped on. We warmed up a good bit at the walk and she was still wanting to be a bit hollow. And still a bit sluggish but at least I didn't have to kick for every stride. So then we trotted. And she was sound! Like... sound en...

 Ugh..... I was so optimistic that Lyric would be fixed! She got injected Tuesday. And I was allowed to ride her on Monday but I worked. And then it rained all day Tuesday. And then I worked. So, today, I rode! And she's still lame. :( Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Why? Ugh.. like, no change really. Maybe a bit more willing to walk but... ugh.  I'm so sad. I've missed riding her. I'm terrified it's something major and scary.   

  So today was vet day. I hauled her to Dr. Barrows and we had to take off her jammies. She met the Grinch. Hee hee. Brave girl. She was super good. I told Dr. Barrow what I had thought and how it all started and she watched her go. She saw the weird hypermetric hike to her left hind too but agreed it was mostly right front. We tried trotting her in a circle and she would NOT go. She said she looked like a shuffly navicular QH. YES!!! That's how she feels too!  So we blocked her heels.... a little better but not a ton. Blocked her foot and ankle... and MUCH better, although she looked a bit lame on the left front too. So then we took her to the arena and lunged her and she looked MUCH better... striding forward and more free and reaching. And definitely more forward. She also watched her hind end and didn't really see anything. Other than the tight rope walking but... that may be conformation. She flexed her hind end and didn't really appreciate any change. She was sore on ...

  Okay.. maybe it's not so bad!  Last night I gave Lyric one gram of bute and then this morning, at around 8 am, she got another gram. I hopped on for a quick ride at 12:30ish... and she was sound! I rode in Kelli's saddle and just did a short ride to assess. I figured... as much as she's been bouncing, surely a quick ride can't make it any worse than it is. Plus I wanted to ride in Kelli's saddle once more becuase I was going to have to send it back soon and wanted one more confirmation that it fit okay. (Side note.. sent a photo to Tasida for the girth and she mentioned it looked too narrow on her even. Jeepers!! Hopefully they'll fix it all correctly!).    We walked around a good bit and she felt much better than she had been. I didn't have to squeeze for every stride and she was much more forward. She wasn't inverting nearly as much and was much happier to reach for the bit and lift her back when I asked. She was still maybe a hair shorter and slower...

 Sigh... she's still lame. But bouncing happily. ;)  And.. now I'm really starting to panic that this is going to be something bad. And it makes me sad. Because I want to ride her. We were really starting to click and have fun and be brave.  I guess I'll maybe check her Saturday again. Debating whether I should give her bute or not and ride and see. But that seems like I might be pushing it. Sadness.... Of course.. she did this when I turned her back out after a quick lunge to check her... I fail to see how me riding her on bute for a short ride will cause more damage this her wiping out!!! Good grief!

  Well poo. Today was a frustrating day.  Life got away from me but I managed to take Lyric to Ashland to ride with Kelli. Unfortunately I suspected that she was still lame when I went to fetch her from the pasture. I tossed her in the roundpen to check and... she just bounced. Ha ha. Not helpful Lyric! I did see a bit of trot which looked okay... and regardless, Kelli and I needed to check out our saddles.      So.... We both ordered dressage saddles from the same company at the same time. The saddle fitter sent in our orders. I got a brown one and Kelli got a black one. And we got them and rode in them. And they were fine-ish. Kelli's was really not quite right but she kept messing with it to try to fix it. Mine felt awfully wide and was sitting a little low but in the beginning Lyric felt okay in it. But looking back.... (I'll have to check my blogs!) I feel like she's been a little mincy and short strided recently and it seems like it correlated with the sad...