The start of riding again

We started riding again on 16th Jan. It was evening, so it was dark and damp. Stew came to the yard with me, just in case an ambulance was needed. I tacked Molly up, to her suprise and led her into the school. I gently banged the stirrups against her side, no reaction. And then got onto the mounting block. I leant on her a few times before getting on properly. She was great, didn't move a muscle. When I asked her to walk on, she gingerly took some steps forward, but was fine. I was grinning like a lunatic! We only did 10 mins and called it a day, she was so good I didn't want to push it.



So next time I rode was Saturday, and Sam came out with me on Hal. We went for a walk around the estate, she was very perky and forward going. We had a couple of bucking fits, but that was all. Sunday was much the same, except Stew rode, and I rode Chloe. It was Stews first time on a horse for 5 months!


Then I took her out again, with flashy lights, and again, she was brilliant.

Yesterday, we got the go ahead from the vet to start increasing her walking to an hour, so I took her up round the village today. Again, despite it howling a gale, she was excellent. I'm waiting for the explosion, but there is no sign of it yet thankfully.

I'm so proud of my mare, and so happy to be riding again

We got the go-ahead today!

Vet has been to see Molly today

She was trotted up.....sound!!!

So after the farrier has been on Monday, as she needs her shoes refitting to support the heel a little more, then she can start out with some inhand walking.

And then, if all goes well, after about 3 weeks, we can start gentle riding

Happy happy Becky!!

And she was good as gold again for the trot up - not bad considering she hasn't set foot outside her stable for 6 weeks

Staples

Staples came out of her leg today, can't hardly see the scar. Clever really

Home today

She's come back home today! So pleased to see her standing in her stable scoffing haylage like it was going out of fashion. She has a Discharge sheet, which says she has to be on box rest for 6 weeks followed by 4 weeks turnout, followed by 4 weeks walking. The vet will come every 4-5 days to re-dress the bandage until she can have the staples out in 12 - 14 days.

Apparently she'd spent all afternoon booting her stable door! So she must be feeling ok.

The Operation

Molly had the op yesterday, and after a very tense and nervous morning, the vet called to say she had just got up again. Relief doesn't really adequately describe the emotion that she had made it through the most worrying bit.

So I went up to see her tonight. She was very bright and pleased to see me (or maybe just pleased to see the bag of carrots I took!). We spent quite a long time just having scratches and cuddles. She has still got the drip thing hanging out of her neck and her leg has a lovely blue bandage on it. She seemed to be absolutely fine - and had scoffed her tea, and licked the bowl clean.

Just got back from the horsepital.

She was in the middle of her tests - had just been lunged, and apparently went ballistic and was just in her box waiting for the nerve blocks to kick in.

Much to her disgust she is stabled next to a male donkey, so when I turned up she was waving her teeth at him. All the time I was with her she kept rushing over to pull another of Molly's nasty faces just incase he should dare forget his place. Anyway, they said they will move her if she gets too stressy.

She has been shaved up to her thighs on both hind legs, she looked quite odd and she had a drip thingy tube sticking out of her neck. which didn't seem to bother her - well not as much as the poor old donk anyway.

So she was lunged again while I was there, apparently she was much less lame this time, indicating that the problem is indeed the nerve as suspected.

So, tomorrow she has her op. She is first in, so should all be over by late morning. They will call when she gets up again. She will be there for about 4 days, and we can't go to see her tomorrow.

Ugh, she is in the best place, they are brilliant at the horsepital. But, naturally, I feel sick with worry. I don't really care if the op works or not, as long as she comes back to us after the anaesthetic. I can't bear thinking about the alternative.

A set back

Molly had some further scans, and great news, the fracture has healed. However, a week later and she is still trotting up 3/10ths lame. So the vet isn't happy about this, and thinks it is most likely that the nerve which shares the tunnel with the suspensory ligament is trapped.

So, she has to go back to the horsepital again in about 10 days time, to have more nerve blocks done. This will establish if it is what the vet has described, and if it is, then she will need to have a neurectomy. This involves a general anaesthetic, and the vet cutting the nerve that is trapped. She will then continue the box rest and hopefully then be walk hacking within 2 months.

If it isn't this nerve problem, then the vet will need to do more blocks/scans to find out the problem.

So, meanwhile, she is still on box rest, with walks out. She is full of herself as might be expected, and she is always pleased to see us. It's gutting really, but the main thing is that we do whatever it takes to get her well again.