DDFT injury - week 2 at the spa

Monty has been at the spa all this week having full spa on his leg once daily for ten mins and going on the horse walker twice daily for 5mins.  He was also reshod on Tuesday.

Went to visit him today.  His leg looks much the same as last week.  There is still a small bump over the damaged area of the DDFT.  It's not really visible on the photos but is palpable.  I suppose this is an improvement from it being overtly visible on the photos and I guess I'm probably being impatient expecting it to have gone away completely.

Next week he will reduce spa treatment down to every other day and will keep going on the walker for 5mins twice daily.

this was day10 - swelling obvious on photo:

day14: not really any swelling evident now

day30: no obvious swelling but still palpable

other piccies:

 resting his good leg:

DDFT injury - chapter one

Figured I ought to start writing this, as depressing as it is given this is meant to be my competition diary but I want to keep a thorough track of everything we have done so I can look back in the future.

Friday 25th May - got Monty in from the field to ride and was brushing his tail when I noticed his right hind tendon sheath looked very swollen.  On closer inspection he had score marks across the front of his cannon bone which looked like they were from electric fencing.  There was no pain on palpation of the swollen area, his tendons seemed fine and it just looked like a swelling in the tendon sheath.  I trotted him up and lunged him and he seemed ok so I jumped on and did a quick session in the school as thought I'd be able to feel any lameness easier than I could see it and as he is a horse who swells quite easily and it just looked like a big windgall figured proibably wouldn't do any harm.  He felt fine so cold hosed, applied witch hazel and arnica gel and put him back out.  No bute as was secretly hoping he's be ok to event on the Sunday given he was sound.

Sat 26th May - Initial swelling was much improved, just a slight general puffyness to the tendon sheath.  Cold hosed in the morning and at lunchtime then took him for a hack which was mostly walk with just one little trot and a few strides of canter and he felt fine and when we got back the leg looked almost normal.  Cold hosed again.  Arnica gel again.

Sun 27th May - due to run at Borde Hill BE100 but tendon sheath puffy again - diffuse swelling over entire back of leg behind suspensory.  Odd as tendon sheath only goes halfway up the metatarsal.  More cold hosing and arnica gel morning and evening.

Mon 28th May - leg 75% back to normal, just slight bump over DDFT approx halfway down metatarsal.  All swelling in tendon sheath gone.  More cold hosing and arnica gel in the morning.

Tue 29th May - 95% back to normal, just tiny tiny bump over the DDFT remaining - cold hosing and arnica gel morning and evening.

Wed 30th May - as per Tuesday in the morning so in the evening took him out for a hack up the ranges.  Let him have a canter along the top on the way back but kept to the soft heather and kept it steady.  Cold hosed morning and evening and arnica gel again.

Thur 31st May - cold hosed in the morning - all looking good.  No change since Tuesday.  Schooled him at lunchtime.  Worked well - no concerns.  Actually worked really nicely on the right rein and got some great walk to canters into the outside rein.  Went back down in the evening to get him ready for event next day and tendon sheath was slightly puffy again - back to how it was on the Sunday (day3).  Cold hosed again.

Fri 1st June - slightly worse than the night before.  Whole back of leg behind suspensory puffy again.  Cold hosed and scratched from Eridge BE90 plus the RC CT Champs meant to go to on 3rd June.  Started Danilon 2 sachets twice daily.  Cold hosed again in the evening.

Sat 2nd June - swelling gone right down again except the tiny bump over the DDFT.  Cold hosed twice again. 2 sachets Danilon twice daily.  Made Llewi's small paddock back up again and put him and his friend in there.

Sun 3rd June - bump over the DDFT still there.  Cold hosed twice. 1 sachet Danilon twice daily.

Mon 4th June - leg filled up again.  Cold hosed twice.  1 sachet Danilon twice daily.  Swelling worse in the evening and had reports he'd been charging round the field so brought him in onto box rest with stable bandages.  Did notice that when cold hosing if he was being a prat and jumping around he seemed to jump with both back legs together and not look very comfy.

Tue 5th June - leg back down again. 1 sachet Danilon twice daily. 5mins in-hand walking twice daily.  Bandages on at night.

Wed 6th June - stop bute. leg almost normal, just the tiniest of bumps over the DDFT. 5mins in-hand walking in the morning.  Arranged tendon scan at Liphook for 4.30pm with Sarah Taylor (locum replacing Jane Boswell).  Trot up in straight line - sound although she did comment he moves slightly wide behind which I think is normal for him?  Sound after flexion.  Slightly irritating as he's meant to be lame after flexion and that's why that poxy leg isn't insured!  Palpation - no pain but slight thickening in the DDFT halfway down metatarsal over the bump that I could see/feel.  Scan showed hypoechoic area dorsal border DDFT exactly where the bump was.  So subtle that she got Tom Hughes in for a 2nd opinion as there is a normal artefact in that region that causes a slight blackening of the tendon on scan.  But they both felt there was a slight lesion there and despite being sound he needed extended rest if it were to heal properly.  Both said very unusual area for an injury - trust my bloody horse.  She recommended 3mths field rest - restricted area where he couldn't canter around.  Ride him for 10mins in walk for first month, 20mins 2nd month, 30mins 3rd month then re-scan.  Not to worry about stable bandaging and cold hosing.

Thur 7th June - leg looks amazing - hardly see the bump at all. 5mins in-hand walking twice daily.  No riding today as weather awful.

Fri 8th June - leg still looking good.  5mins in-hand walking in the morning.  10mins ridden walking up and down the drive in the evening.

Sat 9th June - leg slightly puffy again.  Repeated same as Friday but went further up the road and just turned round after 5mins which caused a bit of bouncing but nothing awful.

Sun 10th June - still slightly puffy in the morning - nothing huge but worse than it was the day after the scan.  Tried letting him loose in the field at the top of the yard.  Dog barked at him, he spun round, cantered about 3 strides with both back legs landing together looking very uncomfy, then came to a halt and held the right hind up before carefully putting it down.  It obviously hurts him.  Made the decision to send him to rehab.  In the evening, leg was slight warm and more puffy.  Took him here:
http://horserehab.co.uk/livery.html

Thur 14th June - update from spa.  Been gradually working up to it but today got full bubbles and full height water over his tendon.  Been going on horsewalker for 5mins twice daily from Mon morning and been very good about it.

Sun 17th June - went to visit at the spa.  Leg looked really really good before the spa session - barely able to discern any lump at all over the tendon.  After the 10mins in the spa there was definitely a tiny bump again.  Not sure if this was due to the tendon reacting to the cold water - increased blood supply maybe? or any residual other soft tissue swelling disappearing so making the tendon bump more obvious.  Difficult to know. Cant imagine spa doing any harm though - it's bloody cold water at 2 degrees C so tendon prob just reacting to that.  Took him for a little nibble of grass although not overly interested.  Leg did seem to buckle underneath him at one stage - not sure if he just trod on slightly awkward piece of ground - could do without that happening.  Plan for this week - continue horsewalker 5mins twice daily and 10mins spa every day.  Arrange farrier.

Tweseldown BE90 20-05-12

Finally back out eventing again! Unfortunately the long gap did not do Monty's dressage any favours - he knows exactly what happens at Tweseldown after the boring dressage and couldn't quite control the inner giraffe! Posted the same score as the BE90 back in March (36) - not great although the section leader was on 30.5 so not a high scoring section.

Onto the SJ. Course causing carnage in true Tweseldown fashion. Full of dog legs and related distances. Eliminations, cricket scores all for the norm. No time to walk the course so watched a few, most making the doglegs look nigh on impossible and then warmed him up. Jumping well so in we went and he flew round - fabulous round but just breathed on the planks behind as I got him in a little deep so 4 faults - bit disappointing but best round he's jumped in ages so still happy He made all the distances and lines easy. Think there were only about 8 clears in the entire section so 4faults still good. He's been clear at every comp since September and I think even orange ponies are allowed a pole every now and then!

Then quick change and onto the XC. Managed to get a lead on him early and lead him in and around the start box, in the front, lead off, turn around and go - much better than last time's airs above the ground! He stormed the course. Came in 24secs under time and I hadn't pushed him. He made the horrible brush box to corner at 6 and 7 look so easy yet it was causing so many problems there was even a little crowd gathered there to watch! Walked my line about 10 times yesterday as it was on a slight right hand curve with a left handed corner so pretty technical for this level but he locked on and jumped like a pro.

permission to post given from the photographer.

Resized to 95% (was 425 x 386) - Click image to enlarge

video of last fence:

Exactly a year since our 1st ever BE - how much that pony has taught me in a year - he is amazing! Finished 9th out of 33 in the end today  5th top ten finish of the year out of 5 outings! Next stop BE100 at Borde Hill next Sunday - cant wait after today. He just ate it all up and made it feel so easy. He didn't even break a sweat! 

XC schooling and gallops visit 16-05-12

due to rain and some drama at the yard pony ended up having Mon/Tue off so on Wed afternoon we toddled off to LMEQ for a quick reminder on solid fences pre Tweseldown.  Pony jumped really well - water was v deep so didn't canter through it but he sploshed in it happily.  He took me into fences, including trakehners and ditches.  I took him into the triple brush - he was thinking every which way other than over but I just kept chanelling and he jumped it fine.  It's probably Novice height and width so a challenge but one he should answer by now.  I might take him schooling at T/down before the BE100 there in July so we can pop over the house to triple brush as they do seem to be one thing he's a bit sticky at.

Then took him on the gallops and did 5.5 furlongs at a fast canter followed by 6.5 furlongs at a steady gallop which he seemed happy with.  Good work-out for him so happy with that.  Got home and dropped trailer ramp to unload him and there was blood coming from his left nostril.  None on the floor of the trailer though so bit bemusing - either whacked his nose in transit or a very delayed post exercise EIPH.  Not a lot could do as bleeding stopped fairly quickly but will monitor for any sign of a recurrence.

Then the physio came and said he was looking really good on the trot-up and on the lunge.  Bit tight behind the saddle again but loosened off well with H-wave and some manual manipulation.  Next check 3mths.

Had day off Thur, short hack Fri and schooling yesterday - just half hour as very hot but he worked well.  Ran through BE95 nicely :)

Catch up

So, last blog entry was on 8th May.  That was a week ago.  What have we been up to since?

Last Wed tried a new way of lunging - draw reins from bit behind elbows and up onto the withers, no roller or saddle.  He seemed to go nicely like this, was really working through from behind, over-tracking well.  Only thing was that he always chucked his head up in the right canter transitions.  Wish he still wasn't finding this so hard to do correctly.  Only did 20mins and he was sweating nicely so good quick way of exercising him in a correct manor.  Will try to do this weekly.

Schooling on Friday evening - seem to remember him warming up nicely and then having a mental breakdown on the right rein again once I'd picked him up.  Once we'd had a big discussion about how to go nicely he then knuckled down and produced his best stuff on both reins.  Not sure why we have to have a big discussion before we can work nicely - he gets so silly.

BD at Pachesham on Saturday morning.

Warmed up nicely - must not let him curl to the left.  Must try and carry hands equally in front of me and sit up. I let him do most of the warmup rounder and lower to encourage him to relax which seemed to work well as he then picked up nicely.  Must not try to overbend him to the right.  So used to him overbending to left that I'm trying to create the same on the right which he just cant do and I dont want that anyway!

First test: P19.  Same judge as in Nov at MW last wkend.  64.09%.  =3rd out of 13 in the qualifier but also beat the opens so overall =3rd out of 16.  Won £2.50 lol!  Only 5 marks behind the overall winner.  He actually did a nice trot-canter right over X transition - amazing - he can do it when he wants!  Test mix of 6's and 7's. 7766 collectives.  Unbalanced canter to trot transitions, tilted head on trot circle right, she doesn't like his FWLR - 6 again, inconsistent stretch.  Again, said lots to like though.  Needs to be more prepared and uphill in transitions.

Then onto N22.  Started off ok then managed to forget the medium trots - put me off a bit.  hate going wrong when people watching.  First medium trot then didn't happen at all but he did try something in the 2nd one.  Rest of it went ok but he didn't feel as secure into the contact as he can be.  Just missed out on the 62% mark due to my error.  Ended up 10th out of 16 in the qualifier but would have been 7th without my mistake so not too bad as a lot of potential for more.  The girl we beat by 2.5% in the prelim beat us by 3% in the Novice and won it so plenty of potential for us to bring in bigger scores.  Sam's lovely horse Rocky ridden by SJ Lanning was only 3% ahead of us too and he then got 70% plus in the Nov qualifier.  Wish we had done that class instead but thought we liked N22 as 2x FWLR double marked.  He only got 6 and 7 though so didn't gain much there.

Then Sunday went to LMEQ for SJ lesson with Lucy Thompson.  Started off through grid of 4 canter poles then an upright which he popped through easy peasy, dead straight time after time no probs in a lovely rhythm.  Then she put filler in final part and put it up a couple of holes and for some reason we fluffed the canter poles and he nearly stopped at the final jump - naughty pony!  He did jump it but ended up hugging his neck!  Got told off for getting in front of the movement - mustn't go up his neck until he jumps!  We changed grid into 2 poles, upright, pole, spread and he mostly did it nicely but was a bit careless and knocked it down a few times.  Followed grid with tight turn left to upright and gradually built up into bigger courses.  Awful fail over one jump off a right hand turn, lost the momentum round the corner, thought he was gonna go, chipped in, caught me off balance and acted like I'd socked his teeth out (sure it wasn't that bad!) 2nd last course we did was fab - met everything spot on just concentrating on keeping the canter rhythm and letting him do the jumping.  Last one wasn't quite so great but still not bad and jumps up to 1m including arrowhead to finish.  Must really concentrate on keeping leg on round corners and riding forwards out of them, esp on R rein.  Generally pleased with him though.

Schooling 08-05-12

hmmmm is what I have to say about today.

Initially worked in really really well.  Super soft and stretching over his back on both reins, good trot-walk-trots on both reins.  Really in front of my leg - determined to use calf aids and not to keep nagging him and he was great.  We did some leg yield in a longer, rounder outline on both reins trying to keep the softness - much tougher on right rein but got something acceptable when he doesn't panic and run across like a crab.  Canter was good, could G&R both reins and keep him down and round.

Gave him a walk break and picked him up again but aiming to still keep him down and round but he came all sucky back at me.  Hate him like that - refused to take the contact forwards, kept ducking behind it over and over again.  Swinging his quarters in on both reins and when I made him put them out and bring his shoulders in he had a temper tantrum.  Threw his toys out big time on the right rein, could feel him about to rear so put him back on the left rein, re-established softness and then back onto the right rein again.  Couldn't get him to soften in the trot-canter transition but did get some ok trot/canter again but took me ages just to establish trotting a nice circle in a nice steady contact.  Do not like the sucky back dropping me thing.  Even when I put legs on to try and ride him up into the contact he just sits behind the contact, neck tight, back tight - yuck yuck yuck!

Finished with a nice stretch down in trot on both reins which he was happy to do nicely.  Debating what to do with him rest of this week now.  Dont want to do too much schooling but equally need to establish him into contact again before Sat.

He has got physio next Wed which I am hoping will loosen him up to the right again as just last couple of wks he seems to be finding right canter harder again.

BD on Sat at Pachesham - P19/N22 so nothing too technical.  First tests with him officially registered.  Huge classes - website says Novices full so suspect 30 odd in each class - eek!

Sat night Laura's hen do then Sun evening 5.45pm got SJ lesson at LMEQ with Lucy Thompson.  Want someone to push our boundaries a bit more than RW did - have got into BE100 at Borde Hill so need to go and jump something bigger than 90cm and hopefully with a bit more enthusiasm than on Sat.

Debating some sort of energy supplement for him as he just feels a bit lacklustre.  Bet he wouldn't have been if I'd taken him on the fun ride yesterday though - pesky pony!

SC&RMA fun ride 07-05-12

Dan and Llewi had a fab time at the fun ride.  Llewi was very well behaved, Dan less so!  Llewi felt tres wonky on anything resembling hard ground and rather unfit.  He jumped a couple of small logs ok, refused to jump some small tyres until given a lead - seems to have lost confidence jumping which is a shame as the first ever time I took him XC schooling he was a lot bolder than he is now.  Not sure if his leg means he lacks confidence to jump anything bigger than a foot high.  Will keep an eye on things.

Dan seemed to have a ball and was looking sound as a pound - love him!