Quick Update

Chrome was still limping so I had him checked out and he has a mild tendon strain..... luckily it's the extensor tendon in his front leg, so it should heal up with no problem, but it will be a long time before I'm riding him again.  A couple of months at least.  :(  He still doesn't limp at the walk, but it's obvious at the trot.  He doesn't act like he's in pain and even gallops sometimes, although I discourage it.  I'm thinking about putting him on a calming supplement for a little while.  Any suggestions?  I'm so glad it wasn't a flexor tendon....  So the blog is probably going to be quiet for a while longer.  Please send good thoughts and prayers that he heals up quickly and uneventfully.  This has been very stressful and terrifying for me.  He doesn't care.  He just likes all of the attention as always.  :)

Why there has been no riding....

It's long past time for an update.  Things have been.... rotten.  I've been having to stay late at work, it's been a million degrees outside (see this post http://rdxhorses.blogspot.com/2016/06/i-miss-riding.html to see how hot it's been for the last two months), I injured my knee, then Chrome started limping (see below) and now the slipped disc in my neck is flaring up.... yeah.  I miss riding!

Chrome was limping... head bobbing lame... at the trot, but fine at the walk and was galloping up eagerly to see me.... the only thing I could find was this.

There was no heat in the hoof or leg, no swelling anywhere, etc.  He's on a six week trimming cycle. I'm thinking it may need to move down to four.  His hooves have never cracked before, even when they were long.  I think it's the wet/dry/wet/dry weather we've been having.  I've never seen such a rainy, miserable, wet summer here before.  Normally it goes a couple of months with no rain at all, but this year it's been raining every few days for months.  We've had multiple power outages from electrical storms.

My farrier had heat stroke so she couldn't come trim him when he started limping, but hubby did trim and rasp his hoof, then I soaked it and treated all of them just to prevent thrush/white line because it's been running rampant in our area.  He was much improved the next day.  I'm so relieved.  It terrifies me when he's lame, especially because he hasn't ever really limped before except when he had the abscess, but he wasn't three legged lame like that this time.  He didn't even limp the time he had the puncture wound in his hock!

Anyway while I was doing all of that to his hooves I apparently twisted wrong because the next day the nerve pain was back in my neck and shoulder.  It's only been three months since that original nightmare and I'm feeling really down about it.  I'm fortunate that this time isn't as bad, but I definitely won't be doing any riding for a while.  :(

So that's our sad, pathetic update.  It will be okay though.  We are tough and we will survive it.  :)