WE'RE BAAAAAAACK!

And better than ever!

There is no way I am ever going to succinctly put into one post everything that has happened over the last 4 months or so. Sometimes I think things happen for a reason, and sometimes I think that whole logic is bullshit. Not sure which side of the fence I'm on right now, and I don't particularly care. I have my HORSE back.

A few minor details:

1. We MOVED. Well, she moved. I'm in the process of moving. Long story short, the old barn situation wasn't working for either of us, for so many reasons it makes my head hurt. We were both ready for a fresh start, and I had two months of serious down time when my seasonal job ended and I was only working 3 days a week. What better time to rehab a horse? I am loveloveloving the new place: it's super laid back, the price is right, she has TURNOUT FRIENDS (!!!!) and the BO is fabulous and accommodating. Stella's attitude has done a complete 180: she's laid-back, friendly, happy to see you and really enjoying being fussed over and given a purpose again. Sometimes, you just need a totally new start to get out of an old rut.

2. She didn't have collateral ligament damage. A couple weeks back I had the best lameness vet in VT come out and do some ultrasound and x-rays of her hocks and that RH. It's been over 10 months since the accident, but before I asked her to do more than handwalk, I wanted to know what I was dealing with. Turns out there was never any collateral ligament damage: nothing on the x-rays suggested it. However, the ultrasound did reveal RH proximal suspensory damage, or at least what was damage. It has fully healed somehow, with no lesions. It's about 4 mm thicker than the LH suspensory, but as far as recovery goes, I couldn't have planned for it to go better. Which is great, because I couldn't have planned at all: I didn't even know.

3. I did get some unexpected and somewhat heartbreaking news from the x-rays. Stella is coming 7 this year, and I knew that at some point I would probably be faced with arthritic changes in her hocks. Her back legs are essentially too long for her body, and it puts her hocks at a tough angle in relation to the ground. What I didn't expect was to be told that my almost 7 yo mare has substantial arthritic changes in both hocks, about 10-15 years sooner than she should. The good news is that the changes are occurring/occurred in the intertarsal joint, which is the least mobile of the multiple joints that make up the hock. I had an x-ray of the RH done last May, which showed some minor changes. Now, 10 months later, you can see that both intertarsal joints have basically fused or are almost totally fused. Fused = no more cartilage.

What does this mean? Well, it sucks, for sure. Not what I had hoped or expected. But in terms of what I had in mind for her, it doesn't change a whole lot. She was never destined to be a Grand Prix level dressage horse or jumper. She wasn't destined to be ANY kind of jumper. With proper management and careful rehab/care throughout her life, both the vet and I are optimistic that she will do just fine as a pleasure riding horse/low level dressage horse/all around hacking horse.

Sorry, did I say minor details? Oops...

Her rehab is already well underway, with help again from an past trainer friend and with a new perspective on horsemanship and the bond between horse and rider. I couldn't be happier with where we are now, where we are headed, and where I hope we will end up.