Radar's abscess is nearly ready to pop at the heel and he is already much happier on that foot. I expect to find a little hole in it tomorrow morning.
Ace is loads better. His back was quite soft this morning and he was not reacting to it being massaged.
I am still very annoyed with the physio, but I have learnt a number of things from it. One will be to trust my own judgement as to whether my horses need any treatment in future. More importantly, perhaps, I think that the whole distressing episode has given me a real insight into how to manage Ace.
I thought that I had made a mistake leaving him without a rug on Sunday night. It wasn't really cold but I had a niggling feeling he should have been rugged. I think that is what made the physio decide that he had a back problem - he had been cold, and as we know from our winter escapades, he gets very stiff when he's cold. Put that together with the fact that she had not expected him to react to what she did, showing that he must be quite over-sensitive in the back for some reason.
So, I own a horse who has a very sensitive back who is badly affected by the cold. I am going to change my management of him rug-wise. If there is any doubt at all about whether it is going to be cool and wet, he will be rugged. If Radar needs a rug, Ace will be in a filled one.
I'm working tomorrow so he will have another day's rest and then if he lunges OK on Saturday I will ride and see how he is.
C
Interesting insight into Ace's issues. You may well be on to something. We already knew he was sensitive to the cold, so now you just have to take that to a bit of an extreme with him. He does sound a bit like a "tropical flower" but it also sounds as if it's quite manageable.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to good news when you do work him again. I am feeling a bit less upset about it now that you seem to have sorted it out.
Still...that physio....g-r-r-r-r-r-r.
I get less cross every day Jean, but it will take me a long time to forgive her.
DeleteC
We know Ace reacts in the cold when you ride him so I think keeping his muscles warm with a rug is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteMy boy is still rugged at night though it is nearly August.
I figure if I have my coat on then he needs a rug .
I have given up on the idea of getting a summer !
I was trying to make him use his food to keep warm, so he didn't get laminitis. I can't win :-) !!
DeleteI guess he'll just have to do more work instead - he'll be happy (not) when I tell him that.
C
Glad that Ace is improving so fast, like you say, its a live and learn experience, but not one you needed to pay through the nose for!!!
ReplyDelete