Updates From Rehab

I've been emailing and texting with the people who run the rehab place (maybe a bit too much) since TC got there last week, but with work and the holiday, I hadn't been able to make it out to see TC since we dropped him off.

Because of how busy the rehab place is, and how most of the horses need to be quiet, they have set visiting hours. Unfortunately for those of us with two jobs, these visiting hours are M-F from 8am to 4pm and Saturday from 8am to noon.

My plan was to go every Saturday, since the weekday times are impossible to make, but then I looked at my Saturdays and I felt a bit let down. They're all so busy with teaching (so I can pay for the damn rehab place) that I won't be able to see him for a couple of weeks at least. Luckily, despite not having the world's most productive day at work on Tuesday, I zipped out early to the rehab place before visiting hours were over. I was sick, right? Sick of not seeing my pony.

The best medicine (blurry because he kept reaching at me for food)

I had wanted to bring him cookies and brushes and the like, but all of that stuff is at Rico's now! Luckily I'll be nearby on New Year's Day, so next time I go, TC will get his tail brushed and maybe his mane pulled. I did stop for some carrots and an apple at one of the fruit stands out there though, I can't show up empty handed. And man, this is an epic fruit stand. I have a feeling that I'll be eating a lot of fruit (and kettle corn) in the coming months.

I expected to see TC moved to a new stall. Apparently he opened the window on his stall where he gets fed through and then was playing with his neighbor. I was cool with that (he can't get out or climb), until I was told that he's done it a bunch and they're afraid that he was going to open his neighbor's door.

When I got there, he was still in his stall, but had a chain on his window. They said that other than playing with the chain constantly, he was staying in his stall and leaving his neighbor alone. I feel bad that he doesn't have friends to chat with, but it's probably best that he doesn't play too hard right now. Maybe next month he can move to a more open stall. They said they were going to see if he'd play with a jolly ball, they have an extra one. He has one but it's still at the old barn, I need to go get all my stuff out of there before the 15th so I'll pick it up and bring it out to him sometime.

Chained in, poor pony

He was a bit obnoxious about me being there- he's such a little kid. He had been totally fine before I arrived, but the second I was there, he turned back into the baby horse I know and love. He started pacing and staring at me while I talked to the people who run the place, so I stuffed him full of baby carrots. He's apparently doing very well, although he is convinced that he gets far too little treats and attention. Maybe he'll appreciate me a little more when he comes home and he won't be such a dingbat undersaddle? One can only hope.

For the curious, this is the rehab plan:

Meds:
TC got a long term tranq at his vet appointment on 12/21, and he'll get another one on 1/21 so that he stays quiet in the first couple of months that are so important.

He also got an IM injection of steroids to keep the suspensory from adhering to the splint bone (our main concern) at that vet appointment on 12/21 and has another one coming on 1/21. Just to generally reduce inflammation.

From 12/17 to 1/15, he will get 1g of bute in the morning and 1g of bute in the evening, and then from 1/15-1/31, he will get 1g of bute just in the morning. We want the inflammation down because the origin site is very small so there's no where for the swelling to go other than to just annoy the ligament.

Activity:
TC gets standing wraps on him 24/7 except when out of his stall. He's been chewing on them a bit, so they're going to put some RapLast (or equivalent) on there.

From 12/21 through 12/27, he got hand walked twice per day for 15 minutes each, wearing his sports medicine boots (which are hanging on his stall, I'm glad they aren't getting lost in what I assume is their many piles of SMBs) for extra support. My vet wants him to get the ligament stretching, but not so much stretching, so the boots apparently reduce 26% of the strain on the tendon? I dunno, don't quote me on that, just following vet's orders.

Starting 12/28, he is now being taught to use the eurowalker, and he'll do that for 2x/day 15 minutes each, working up from there.

Starting at the end of January, he'll be started on the aquapacer. I can't wait for this, I want to go watch once as he is used to it.

Losing his topline so he's all pointy again
(and those wraps are killing me)

So far, he's doing well on the eurowalker, and his leg looks FANTASTIC. I only got a glimpse of the very top where his wrap had sunk a bit (and I resisted redoing it, he's fine even if he doesn't have the world's most perfect pony club wraps on him all the time) and the swelling was completely down.

It was super fun to hang out with him, he was so sweet and cuddly, even if he was giving me a hard time for the carrots. I tried to teach him to smile, but that just made him mug me even more for carrots and the apple I had in my pocket, so we had to stop. We did a little bit of turns on the forehand and backing up too, just to give him some entertainment. He ate a whole bag of baby carrots and an apple. Normally I wouldn't give him so much, but his life sucks right now and I have no use for the food (I have apples and baby carrots at home! But bringing them to work and then the long drive to the rehab place seemed like overkill when I could just stop at the world's most awesome fruit stand).

Once as he was eating it was easier to get pictures

It didn't feel like enough time with him, I could only really be there for twenty minutes since they close visiting hours at 4. But it made me really sad to see him and I was almost glad to leave so I could start feeling normal again. When I'm distracted by work and teaching and commuting and playing on the internet (also making myself go on a hike on Monday and do yoga on Tuesday), I feel normal, I almost relish in not having a horse so I can do so many of the things I sacrifice when I have to go to the barn in the evenings. But when it really comes down to it and I have to face what I'm missing, I desperately want him back.

So the reality set in when I saw him that this isn't just a fun vacation from responsibility for me. This is a ST injury, yet another one. And this isn't a short time, it's going to take until at least April to be able to see him every day. And even after the rehab facility, I have a long while before I'm going to be able to ride him for real and a longer while before I'll stop being paranoid about his leg. If I ever do, I never did with Rico.

But it is what it is and he's doing well and I'm doing a good job of enjoying my time off of riding to the best of my ability. He gets new experiences like having to live in a box stall and going on the eurowalker/aquapacer/etc. I get to fix my wrist and go snowboarding (for the first time in 10 years! Once as I started teaching full time and then riding Rico at a high level, I never wanted to risk it. But I can break now!) and put some time into figuring out a fitness routine that works for me, and generally enjoy being horseless for the first time ever. Okay I say that but I'm driving out to ride horses for trainer friend tonight and negotiated exchanging getting jump lessons for teaching dressage lessons with one of my eventer friends...

Excited for dinner

And by the time I ride him again it will be warm and dry, he'll be at a facility where I'm positive that he'll be safe in his stall (plywood + drill + zip ties) and ridden in good footing, and I'll hopefully be in training with a great trainer who can help me bring him back safely and effectively. I'm going to start trainer shopping at his 60 day check up, so you all will get to see my process. I have two in mind who come extremely highly recommended and are generally known as the top two trainers in the area, but I'll be auditing a lot of lessons, looking at a lot of barns, and frustrating a lot of trainers/BMs with my incessant questions. I am the worst sort of client.

Should be a fun adventure this spring and summer! I'm still banking on a show this year, one way or another.