The Actual Last Ultrasound (Though Probably Not)

Surprise! On Friday, TC got a recheck ultrasound. I dunno why I didn't share this, I just felt like I was jinxing it for some reason (I swear I'm a researcher/data analyst and do not believe in stuff like that, but let's be honest, horses cause all rational thought and good judgement to escape from my brain).

At his last ultrasound (side note, he looks SO SKINNY in those pictures, it's only been three months and he's positively exploded with muscle), my vet had not thought that this ultrasound would be necessary. If you remember, he said that if TC was sound in full work after three months of undersaddle rehab (so October 7th), TC was then cleared to be turned out and trail ridden. He said we would only do another ultrasound if I wanted to jump him, which I do not.

But I'm the sort of person who would rather pay for an ultrasound now than pay for surgery on his leg if I turn him out before he's ready (um aren't we all that sort of person?), I emailed my vet and asked him a bunch of questions (when can I turn him out? when can he live in a larger paddock? when can I let him walk up and down hills?), and he also agreed that another ultrasound would give us the answers.

Look at this happy horse! He's uh still working on his six pack

Luckily my vet was able to come down to my barn on Friday morning. I couldn't be there since I can't take too many days off (I already have to take one for my brother's wedding and one for my thesis defense, which is in just over a WEEK and I'm freaking out, prepare for some hastily written posts), but I sent along a million questions and got a report back.

The vet had TC trot in a straight line on hard ground, circles both directions on hard ground, and then he had him longed in the round pen. TC was perfectly sound in all places! That alone was a relief. Sometimes TC feels lame on that leg for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, he feels lame because I AM CRAZY and make it up in my head. He also doesn't like to use his left hind as much as his right so it throws him into the right rein, which he then nods on and off of when he isn't through.

After that, they set up for the ultrasound. And it went GREAT! Like way way way better than expected.

Most of turnout is going to be him scrounging for food

Let's revisit the two issues we had been facing since I know there are some new people catching up and also I forgot:

1) TC's initial injury was that he fell in his paddock because he was climbing. He yanked the suspensory ligament out of the origin site on the medial side. He took some bone with it and by the fourth ultrasound (last time), it was pretty much as healed as my vet thought it would be. It still looked a bit rough but it was hard and doing well.

2) TC's suspensory was threatening to adhere itself to the splint bone. By the last ultrasound, it was staying about the same. It was there, it was organized, but the suspensory didn't show any issue with having it tug on it (our biggest fear- that the adherence would yank at the suspensory, causing the suspensory to swell, and there is almost no room for it to swell, so bad things).

Rolling is the best!

I'm happy to report that TC's bone is fully healed! Like better than we expected! It looks normal and the insertion point is totally strong and perfect again. I'm STOKED for this.

I'm HAPPIER to report that not only does it look like TC's suspensory isn't being bothered by the adherence, the adherence is becoming less organized! I got excited thinking that it was disintegrating, but I think he means that it's just not tight. We need it to remain looser than the suspensory so that they don't tug on each other. But my vet says that if this is full work for TC (it is), then we should be good to go with that adherence.

The happiest horse

What does this mean? TURNOUT. TC has been cleared for turnout in the 24x24 paddocks! I'm going to go get some no climb after this storm and have the guys put it up, meaning that TC will get an assigned turnout that only he goes in. I'm very nervous that they will put him in the wrong turnout, so I'm thinking about how to make that guaranteed.

TC has also been cleared to jump. Uh. Okay. I don't know if I'll feel comfortable jumping him until at least next year. But it's good to know that the vet thinks that his leg will hold up to jumping. I mean it should given how much he's been bucking lately.

I'm also allowed to trot and canter on hard ground and go on trail rides without too many hills. He can climb small hills, but we have some pretty steep trails around here so he can't go on those. I don't think we'll be trail riding until at least next year just because of the weather. And the stronger he is, the better, so the longer I hold out from trail rides and jumping, the better.

In spring, TC can have a large paddock to live in. I'm really excited for this. My vet said that if it was coming into summer now, he'd be good to go in one of those, but that he's worried about it being muddy/slick and TC slipping. This way I'll have the next year to get him really strong so that when/if he does play in his paddock, he's strong enough to do so. Now that it's storming, I'm getting a good look at how the paddocks hold up so I'll have a good idea which one I want!

He's such a weird looking horse

So that's that! Fingers crossed things continue to go well with this injury, but I'm really glad to have another look at the suspensory now that he's in what I consider full work. I might do another one in spring before I put him in the large paddock or maybe in the summer before we start passage training, but we'll see. For now, I'm just glad my horse is sound!

Or was, on Friday. Since yesterday I came out to find all four legs super puffy. He was sound and it went down with riding, so I think it was just from standing inside while it rained. He was totally dry and it had been raining all night and all day. His water is outside so I hung him a bucket inside and now I'm hoping he's not colicking.

Horses are fun!