I can't ride Ace. He is flashing his tail when I put on the girth and although he will let me sit on him he stands there picking up his back feet. If I try to move him he braces his back and kicks the floor with a hind foot. So I give up. Four bute a day made him rideable. Two is not enough. Goodness only knows what's going on but I don't think we can do anything else now except wait for the operation.
In the meantime I'm going to stop the bute, which is very bad for his liver and his gut. He may have a backache, but he can't associate it wih being ridden, and for only two weeks I think it will be OK. I'll keep up the omeprazole to keep on top of any ulcer issues.
My fear now, of course, is that we will do the operation, pay all that money, put in all the work to get him back to fitness, and that I still won't be able to ride him. And the problem is that there is nothing whatsoever I can do about that for two whole months.
Needless to say this development has upset me a fair bit, and when I rode Radar he was clearly going to be an argumentative eejit which I just didn't feel I could cope with without losing my temper. So I got off and put him on the lunge. He did seven miles in twenty minutes and I felt much happier.
Roll on hunting, that'll sort me out.
C
shame, but surely the right decision for both your heads.. (in all senses!). and you can at least keep up the in hand/lunging to help build his back muscles before the op...
ReplyDeleteI really felt unsafe Claire :-(
DeleteI guess I'll be getting fit though, all that walking!
C
Just hang on to the memory of how he felt and behaved after the injection. 4x bute just to get on isn't worth it
ReplyDeletelyndac
Good point Lynda, I had quite put that out of my mind, but he was great for three weeks, wasn't he?
DeleteC
Could be anything going on with Ace at this point. 4 bute a day is a heavy dose and I'd be reluctant to risk it unless I knew it was absolutely needed for some reason. No reason here.
ReplyDeleteLynda's made a good point. You did have 3 weeks of peace after the injections. That's a good sign.
As for Radar...good heavens. I guess if he's happy romping around for seven miles on the lunge line, more power to him. You weren't in the right frame of mind to ride him anyhow.
And yes, all the walking will keep you somewhat fit. Not quite the same as riding, but it's still exercise...and in this case, a lot safer.
It's the waiting and not knowing that wears me down Jean. It hits me right in my biggest weakness :-(
ReplyDeleteC