Squeezing in A Ride

I'm gearing up to be out of the for almost five months. I've been out to see the ponies and usually bring a minion to do the heavy lifting. Yesterday was a rare day when I felt good enough to ride. I've been really careful about bending. I always get help tying shoes and putting socks on. I have cut out walking up/down hills. I wear yoga pants or breeches every day because I can get those on w my left foot and a grabber. 

I'm thrilled that my horse can go weeks not under saddle and he will let me hop

on. He throws in the occasional hop in and spooked a bit when he thought a deer was a horse eating monster but he's still more solid than most horses twice his age. His spooks are limited to head shakes and snorts. He's such a good boy!!  

Since I'm sure you don't want to hear me whine about my hip here are happy pics of the pony. 

Some Good News

Dickie's loose stifles resolved with the appropriate work but circumstances prevented us from continuing (crazy barn owner followed my own hip problems). Even out of shape he remains a far more forward and eager participant in the riding process. 

I've done my homework in loose stifles and his seems to be a mild case. A less saavy horse person (I'm referring to my trainer not me) probably wouldn't have even caught it. More than one person thought his attitude about turning or going forward was just him being opinionated or a baby thing. And it's not unheard of for Dickie to be very very opinionated. He's overall agreeable but when he has something to say he wants to be damned sure someone listens. 

I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing but in my research I noticed that most people got films to rule out a bone chip. His symptoms made it highly unlikely but it's been in the back of our minds. Since I'm going to be out with an injury this would have been a good time for Dickie to recuperate too. Did you catch the would have been. That's right. NO BONE CHIPS! He doesn't have any signs of joint dysfunction in either stifle. The vet was really happy with the films. His joints are so dang big that it was easy for even me to see what she was pointing out. YAY! 

I didn't realize how worried the recesses of my mind were until I heard to vets verdict. She said looks like an immature 4yo (not joint wise but muscle wise) so he still has a lot of room to fill out. 

I feel pretty confident we will come back from this time off with a vengeance. Five months will let him fill out more. He's solid in his training so I'm not worried about a nut ball when I get back on. He can sit for two weeks then pack injured out of balanced me on a trail ride without lunging. He's still like driving a drunk at times but he's not stupid and he has all the basics. It's not like he won't get handled. As soon as I'm steady on my feet he can go walking with me and I'll start a lunge program. Maybe I'll actually do some serious longe lining since we have beautiful trails. 

* Photos aren't me. They are my friend'a adorable daughter who I steal to go riding. 

On The Bench

I can't remember where I left off with my hip. Back in may I finally found a good doctor. She diagnosed my problem as femoral Acetabular impingement. Basically my femur head is malformed so a bone spur creates friction on the cartilage in my joint. My primary care doc injected my hip with cortisone and lidocaine. The lidocaine works for four hours and wiped out the pain. That meant my pain was coming from the hip. Sadly the cortisone didn't work. 

Things have continued to go downhill I had to go on disability the end of July because I can hardly function for a few hours let alone a 12 hour shift. The next step was an MRI. Dye was injected into my joint before the MRI. I met with the surgeon yesterday. I have a torn labrum (like a suction cup around the ball), thinned cartilage on the ball, and extra bone. The plan is for surgery. I will know a date sometime next week. 

I am looking forward to surgery. I know that sounds crazy. I have detoriated to the point where I'm in pain 24hours a day. It hurts to stand and sitting is even worse. I've had to borrow my moms SUV becuase driving my little car is excruciating. I have been dealing with back and hip pain for years and the end of finally in sight. I know there can be complications but at this point anything has to be better. 

The bad part is the recovery. I won't be able to drive a car for a few weeks and I've been the main driver for my family. I had to go in disability after FMLA started and I'm really scared what will happen with work. Nursing is a physically demanding job. It is hard to be finally fixing a problem that has affected my life for years but knowing that "fix" could risk my job. There really isn't a choice though becuase I can't work as things stand. 

I am sure you are wondering "WHAT ABOUT RIDING?" The answer really really sucks. My surgeon said I will be out of the saddle for 4.5 months. That is unreal to me. I won't ride a horse until 2015!! I haven't been out of the saddle that long since I started riding. Even if it was just a bareback ride on Bre during nursing school I at least got on a horse. I will be able to ride again. Next summer Dickie will be 5 and ready to do more and I'll be better than I am today. Remind me of that when I get frustrated!! 

We Still Exist

The good news:

Dickie is doing great at the new barn. We've been there over a month and everyone really is as nice as they seem. The barn owners have are incredibly responsive to my requests. Dickie is so happy. I didn't even realize how stressed he was. He loves his big pasture and playing with his buddies. He used to plant his feet when I would try to take him out to the pasture. Now he doesn't want to come in!!  We've been enjoying the trails and he splashes through the water jump like a pro. 

The bad news:

My hip has taken a quick turn for the worse. I may have had my last ride on Dickie until surgery :( I have had nagging pain for years but I was sore enough I might get hurt if he was silly. 

The worst news:

My step dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May. My mom is disabled and isn't able to take him to medical appointments. He's pretty worn out so I have been driving. It has been bittersweet. I am loving getting to spend time with him. I've known him since I was little and he has been a second dad. He's an amazing person and every second we spend together is a privilege. My time and energy will be directed to my mom and Chuck for the next few months. 

If you don't see me here I will be back I promise. 

Back on Course

The second day we arrived I took Dickie for a spin in the outdoor. The giant amazeballs outdoor. It was windy and I hadn't been on him in a month so it wasn't my wisest choice but he was a good boy. He snorted and wanted to look everywhere but where he was going but I can't blame him. The place is gorgeous and I keep gawking myself. 

Today it was hotter than hell. Those of you in hot parts of the world wouldn't care but I'm a delicate flower. I spent my summers in Alaska growing up and most of my free time in an ice skating rink. If it hits 80 I feel like I might pass out. I decided to hit the trails rather than swelter in the arena in the hopes we could find a little shade. 

The property is on 80 acres and most of it is for riding. There's a gravel access road around the property so the footing is great at all speeds.

The first part of the loop runs along a huge grassy field that was just mowed. It was killing me not to go the long way around the far side of the field but I didn't want to over do it on a hot day. 

The loop ends in the prettiest fruit orchard. I picked an apple and fed it to Dickie from his back. I realized I've never fed Dickie a treat that way. Bre and I used to ride along the Oregon trail remnants were there were old cabins and apple orchards. She was so used to me feeding her that way she'd slam on the brakes and eye ball me if I even leaned over to check my girth. 

We were both sweaty by the end but he still had tons of gas. He was spunky and asking to trot and canter the whole way. He's turning into such a fun horse. Last year just getting him around the arena was an accomplishment. These days I can hop on without even lunging. He strides out on the trail by himself brave as can be. I'm such a lucky horse owner. 

Finally Settled

Being at my friends house was great but I really needed an arena to get back to work. I spent much of June calling stables and stopping in. I had originally hoped to move to the stable across the street. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wouldn't be happy. The indoor is teensy with questionable footing. The outdoor is lovely but only in the summer. 

I ended up at a place I always thought looked amazing. I didn't go there initially because of the price and I thought it was father. After driving to BFE for ten months anything seemed closer. And once I went there I realized it was much much closer. Stalls in the small less expensive barns rarely come up but they just happened to have an open space so I jumped on it. I figured I would be on a waiting list for months. 

The main barn has about 40 stalls and is very fancy. Everyone seems friendly and I talked to several people who have been there for many years. Much better than my old barn where a boarder didn't stay more than a few months. Dickie is in one of two four stall barns. I get the benefits of a high end barn then go back to my quiet barn. We could never afford fancy barn but I think I would like the little barns better anyway. The stalls are 12x 14 and he looks like a pony in there. They are bedded at least six inches deep with fluffy shaving. My horse is a huge pig and the stall didn't even look dirty in the morning between the size and amount of bedding. He loves deep bedding and has fun rolling around. 

The gelding pasture is giant. You can see it towards the upper right (has trees along the left and back corner). He was hilarious when I turned him lose. He ran and ran. He wasn't panicked he just ran for the fun of it. There's about ten geldings and they all get along. When I went to get him today he already had buddies. He must be pretty happy because I had to walk half way across the field before he decided to come. 

There is a 100 x 200' indoor, a 200'x 300' all weather outdoor, and a round pen. There's also 80 acres of trails, cross country jumps, a water obstacle, and access to even more trails off the property. 

And best of all they provide feed. Most of the barns in this area don't include grain and often don't offer alfalfa hay. EVERYTHING is included. No more stuffing hay in my car! No more wrastling 50lb bags of grain with my bad back. The only thing I need to provide is his supplement. 

I still can't believe we found this place!!! We just moved weds and he's already settling in. I rode him today and I didn't want to stop. There is so much to explore. I can't wait to get through a weekend of work so I can get back in the saddle. 

And this happened too.....

My mom has an older F-250 Diesel with only 133k (diesels go 500+ for reals). I have lusted after it for years. It's been sitting unused, other than running it to keep is healthy, for years. She sold the horse trailer years ago and has an SUV for the boats and cargo trailers. I can't believe it BUT MY MOM AND STEP DAD GAVE IT TO ME!!!

The transmission only has three gears so it will tow the shit out of things but it's not meant cruise in the freeway at 65. The plus side is that the c6 transmission is very dependable so if I take good care of it I am set. For the longer freeway drives I will be getting rides with friends who have newer trucks. But for hauling to lessons, trail rides, and local shows this truck will be perfect. 

I've been learning all about cavitation, pyrometers, and glow plugs. Can't wait to have an adventure!!!