Radar was completely sound on the road even in trot and we had a lovely and completely normal hack. Except that "normal" now includes him staying soft and swinging for the entire ride. I can't believe how much he has changed, both when ridden and around the stables. He has become a soft and cuddly and much more relaxed horse. And there is no doubt about it, it dates from Jazz's death. Whether it is as a result is another question, but it is hard not to come to the conclusion that it has at least something to do with it.
Ace was pretty good this morning. One side of his back was completely free, the other didn't feel quite as good. I gave him a massage both sides to warm up his back and put the saddle on with no reaction from him. I lunged him in trot and canter on each rein and unlike Tuesday he did not buck, kick or squeal once. So that confirms that he was in real pain on Tuesday, I think.
I got on with some trepidation but he was completely relaxed in walk. I walked for a long time stretching and bending him, but every time I touched his sides with my legs to ask for trot he kicked out. I wasn't convinced that this was a pain reaction, I felt it might just be fear. It's what he does when cold in winter, too. So I took him into the far corner and turned across the diagonal heading straight for the gateway to the stables and encouraged him to go faster by clicking and a tiny bit of leg. First time he did about three steps when we were close to the gateway. I repeated it until he was trotting for a few strides and then asked him to continue on around the arena, with my heart in my mouth! He was fine, quite forward in fact. I did one circuit on each rein with a change of rein through trot, and stopped.
He can't/won't shorten up and is carrying his head lower than normal, but he is very happy to stretch out long while still working from behind and avoiding falling onto his shoulders. After riding, both sides of his back had loosened even more, with the better side completely "soggy" and the worse side feeling pretty good.
I am so angry that the physio set him back like this. It's going to take several more days to get over his fear of moving with me on him and learn that he can carry himself in a shorter frame without it hurting. I have this repeating video in my head of her squeezing his spine and having him snatch his opposite hind leg off the floor as if in reaction to pain, and her saying "that's not normal" - and then carrying on with that side and repeating exactly the same thing on the other side. How stupid was it to do that?
Never again!
C.
Way to go, Radar!! Whether it's the lack of Jazz's presence or your increased schooling due to some extra determination caused by the loss of Jazz, something certainly seems to have clicked "on" in Radar's brain and body.
ReplyDeleteAce's brain and body may still take a few rides before both realize the pain is gone. Good progress so far, but wish you didn't have to cope with any of it, and that Ace didn't either. *sigh*
With all that "expertise" and supposed training, you'd think the physio would have had more sense. Still makes my own blood boil to hear all this.
Reminds me of the physio at the hospital who saw me when my shoulder was hurting so badly after my surgery. She did absolutely nothing useful. My chiro or acupuncturist would have helped me at once. She was useless. Soured me on physio as the method of choice, that's for sure.
Interestingly enough, my knee surgeon took me off physio very quickly. He suggested that the therapists tend to push too hard and could actually cause problems stretching my knees too much. I'd kind of forgotten that until now. Bummer.
I'll get over it soon I expect Jean, but just at the moment I am getting madder and madder about what she did :(
ReplyDeleteInteresting about your knees and the physio, too.
C
Blimme have just read all the previous... poor Ol' Ace.. does sound like he's back has been in spasm .. poor chap.. sounds like you read him so well and with such tact.
ReplyDeleteRe Radar's change just goes to show horses are far more complex than we sometimes give them credit for.. heard dynamics goes way beyond our simple understanding..
I'm sure Radar's bwhaviour is connected to Jazz not being here NH. He has been slowly but perceptibly changing every since Ace came home from hospital and things came back to normal.
ReplyDeleteC