Athlete Injury

You know what a hassle it is when you get an injury running, you're not sure exactly what the problem is but you know for sure where the problem is. You treat it at home and if it doesn't get better you go to the doctor, get told not to ever run again, ignore their advise and go for a ten mile run. Either the problem gets better or worse. OK so now trying to do that with a horse. The number one problem is that they can't tell you exactly where they are hurting and you have to start guessing. Especially when there is no obvious external sign - swelling, heat, holding the leg in the air or a cut!

That's where Riley is. Jogs around on the longe perfectly sound, acts perfectly normal out in his pasture yet when I try to ride him, starts out fine and suddenely, out of the blue, for no obvious reason is dead lame. This is an extension of the problem he had last week, he seemed to be better and has been off the anti-inflammatories. The obvious problem area would be his feet since I am in the process of getting him out of shoes and going barefoot - a perfectly normal, natural situation for a horse. There are a variety of things that can make the transition difficult. The thing with Riley is that he was doing really well until he escaped from his pasture. So he is not going to the horse show next weekend. He is going to the vet to make sure he hasn't fractured a bone in one of his feet or that I have overlooked something unrelated to his feet.

Normally if it was the feet you would soak them in hot water and epsom salts, but I am reluctent to do this because all the water softens their feet and makes their soles more prone to bruising. Oh well, the hoof trimmer is coming tomorrow to have a look and I will follow her advise for treatment. It is a very frustrating process and it seems to me that it's never the same from one horse to another and the solution for one is not the solution for the other. Constant trial and error - makes the healing process take forever.

I will try and get a run in tomorrow in the late afternoon furnace.