Tadpole

In the TC soap opera, we last left off with the unfortunate news that TC was not handling the aquapacer very well. He was bolting out of the water and putting himself and the workers in danger. I was really frustrated with it and had become continuously more nervous about how things are going to go when he comes back.

So smiley

Despite feeling pretty down as our visit approached, I still managed to finish a report at the last minute and RUN out of my apartment a little late on Friday to go sit in traffic for 1.5 hours and see my baby horse.

It's amazing how just hanging out with him can lift a lot of the frustration (and simultaneously make me feel sad because he isn't home yet). He's so sweet and so interested in me... or the carrots that I brought, and I just love hanging out with him. I got there and he immediately started smiling at me. I decided to teach him to smile a couple of weeks ago and after two maybe fifteen minute sections, he's already a pro.

While I was playing with my smiley horse, the owner came over to talk to me. When I spoke with her last, she had looked a bit concerned as she told me that he wasn't doing well in the aquapacer. This time, she had a huge smile on her face and she said:

"He LOVES swimming!"

Uh, I was unaware that they started swimming him! All week I was back and forth about whether to do it. He's afraid of people being above him so could get nervous and develop ulcers, or if he panics in there he might drown (lol obviously he wouldn't but it might scare him if he thinks he might drown), he could hurt himself, etc.

Well, turns out that everyone else (owners + my vet) made the decision for me, and I'm super grateful for that! Sometimes it's nice to just write the checks and let other people make the decisions.

So blurry but so cute

But yah apparently my horse is obsessed with swimming! He even drags the handlers into the pool (not in a rude way, but in a very excited yay swimming way). I'm not surprised, he adores water. Last year when we schooled cross country (that's an overstatement, we actually just trotted and cantered around, jumped one log, and played in water), he LOVED the water complex.

Right now he does one lap, then comes out of the pool to catch his breath, then goes in for another lap. That's all he can handle now, swimming is apparently really tough work! He gets to swim 3-5 times per week- it takes a lot of workers to swim them, especially in the beginning, so he might be doing it less. Eventually he'll be swimming multiple laps every day.

Apparently he was very uncoordinated when he started swimming. I guess it's normal, he got in and was only using his back legs to propel him forward. After a few times, he started using his front legs and he's now an expert swimmer. Maybe learning to use his front legs to reach forward and pull back will help us with his lengthenings when he comes back? One can only hope.

Right on top of me looking for carrots

Swimming is even better of a workout for them than the aquapacer apparently. There's zero pressure on his leg and yet he can basically exhaust himself, which is what he really needs. It will build his topline as well, I'm not sure exactly what muscles he uses while swimming, but a lot of the racehorses that go there for conditioning use swimming to keep their condition. I mean I don't want him racehorse fit, but staying fit through rehab is important so that when he comes back, he's not so fragile.

The idea is that with swimming and eventually trotting on the eurociser, he'll be able to start cantering almost immediately when he gets home. Which is good, because I think he's going to start cantering almost immediately regardless of what I have to say about it.

Even though I'm probably making things up, I feel like his topline looks better already (he's swam maybe 3 times). The change is most likely due to putting on weight. He's had to be put on basically unlimited hay because he isn't eating very well. He's now on rice bran and LMF Gentle Balance. I'm not the world's biggest fan of LMF but it's included so we're running with it. It's also good for hot horses (more on that later). But I'm really looking forward to him not looking like such a neglect case with no topline and no fat on him. He's shedding too, which will help. And which is revealing an even more gray coat- but not as gray as his half sister's at this age, he seems darker than a normal gray horse.

Getting SO gray

I'm so so so so happy. I can't explain the difference in what I felt just a week ago. He's doing so well, and he'll be strong and fit by the time he comes back.

We spoke a little longer about TC and what her impressions of him were, which was really interesting, but that I'll be putting in a new post. I may as well draaaaaag out my visits as long as possible!

The drive home was much better, no sad thoughts or ominous wind turbines. It was nice and sunny and the sunset was so pretty and life was much better than it was just a week before. I'm so glad to have all these great people on my team. The next step is to find a trainer that can help us out when he comes back. #squadgoals?

But before then, gotta figure out if he IS coming back with the next ultrasound to reveal how the suspensory is healing and whether it's being a dick and trying to adhere itself to his splint bone. One more visit (I think, maybe two) before we see the vet.