Radar behave!

We went for a hack in the rain. I would never have gone if I hadn't had the incentive of needing Radar fit to hunt.  It wasn't too bad, but cold, about 6 degrees, so really winter weather except that most of the trees are still green. Radar was too keen to get home and I eventually lost count of the number of times I turned him round to face away from home to get a nice swinging walk back. I alternated that with halting completely, which he hates but knows why I do it!

Before riding Radar I put Ace under the heat lights for half an hour. I massaged the side of his back away from the wall - the left where the incisions were - while he was still under the lights and got a lot more flexibility right next to his spine than I did yesterday. On the other side I had to wait until he was away from the wall (where he is 'penned' with a rope so he stays under the lights).  Though he was stiff to start with, I managed again to free him up a lot, and more than yesterday. He has  no lumps at all on his back, just the scars and the missing hair. The vast majority of the heat has disappeared. And he is still moving at least as well as he has been since the operation. The turnout seems to be doing nothing but good so far, I am relieved to report.

My plan now is to get a bit more flexibility in that strip near his spine, let him recover strength walking up and down the hill while turned out, and then start to lunge him, towards  the end of the week.

As for me, I now need a bath, to clean up but mostly to get warm!

C