I took Jazz out for a hack. 100 yards of stone wall close to home was down to bare earth, cleared yesterday by a digger. He looked, he walked on down the hill. A man in a white shirt, part hidden behind the newly rebuilt bit of wall he was working on, was bobbing up and down - Jazz's number one fear up til now. He looked, he sniffed, he walked on down the hill. I am totally shocked. Where on earth did the old Jazz go? Where did this new one come from? For heaven's sake I'd be able to advertise him as "hacks alone and in company" now! Not that he is for sale.
Ace was brilliant too. He did shoulder in walk in both directions with some really, really proper 3 track crossing-over steps. Marvellous. It will be a piece of cake from now on, it's clicked in his brain, I can tell. He is also the easiest horse to teach walk to canter. He trots a few steps, but he does not rush or tip, he just trots then pops into a balanced canter. He is a lovely, lovely horse to school. And very different in attitude from any horse I have ever trained before.
We are still waiting to see if George is arriving tonight. There are battles going on between the owners and the hospital he is at. They want to do things the traditional way, in spite of the fact that they are saying that his scans and xrays are so bad that it is very unlikely to succeed in bringing him back into work. How stupid is that? Will your treatment work, asks the owner. Probably not, says the vet. Well why don't we try something else then, says the owner. Because we always do it this way, says the vet. I could scream!
C.
Three lovely horses for you..lucky woman! Jazz has finally grown up. What a star. And Ace continues to be...well...ace.
ReplyDeleteHate that with the vets. It's happened with my cats more than once. Elderly cat..treated for throat infection but the drugs ultimately did nothing. Conclusion--it must be this fungus thing. Vet says we need to do a test--a very expensive one. What is the treatment for the fungus? There is none. If the antibiotic did nothing, then the only other conclusion is that it must be the fungus, but let's do the test anyhow. To what end? Well, that's just what we do.
If traditional methods are not likely to help George, why pursue them? The prognosis is not good, but that's "just what we do?" I fail to see the practical logic in any of that. Owners need to stand firm on trying something that actually might have a good outcome, instead of wasting time, money, and George on, "Probably not."
How frustrating with the vets. Hope it gets sorted and he gets to you.
ReplyDeleteAmazed at the change in Jazz, how well I remember reading about the (nightmare) hacks of old, and now he sounds like a dream to hack.
As for Ace, what a clever boy.
:-)
Still not resolved with George, and it means he probably can't come here because she has to find a vet at home who will support a non traditional approach.
ReplyDeleteSarah he's still a long way from being a dream - I couldn't just slop along without a care, he is still likely to stop dead in the middle of a trot and leave me going on up the road :-) But he is lovely, and at the moment the BEST of my three for a quiet hack!
C
"and at the moment the BEST of my three for a quiet hack!" said of Jazz. falling off chair here... :-))
ReplyDeleteShame about George, how depressing of the vets!
I think the vets need reminding of who actually owns the horse. I may be tempted to tell them I am taking him home to have him pts there ...... Then give him a month at your place.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for an update Tracey, but I reminded the owner that she no longer needs the hospital because the stuff that needs their machines is now done, and that she has every right to ask for another opinion from a vet who is more sympthetic who she knows. The white coat effect is SO strong though!
ReplyDeleteClaire I am still picking myself up off the floor :-)
C