After an amazing training session with Andrew J Murphy at the beginning of March, when we both agreed that Rhapsody was working better than ever and discussed plans for this year with an air of excitement, I was about to write this month's blog..... I was really looking forward to riding the new Para tests in national competitions... at last some new tests!! - and although we were not going to be able to get to the fantastic Quadrille competition in Belgium in April we had Hartpury and Bishop Burton to aim for. More than enough to look forward to this year!!
I had ridden Rhaps in the morning (Thursday)... and after work he went on the walker while I did his stable and made up haynets and feeds etc and there was no heat or swelling in his legs. Friday morning I planned to hack around the woods but when picking out his feet before putting his boots on I was dismayed to discover quite a lot of swelling in one leg with a lot of heat. I hosed his leg... put him back in the box and rang my vets GVG Brooks Equine.
Rhaps was sound for the vet but a careful and meticulous investigation led to the opinion that he may have tweaked his check ligament. A scan 7 days later would confirm...... in the meantime Rhaps would be on box rest with hosing and ice packs - and a hasty change of diet!!
The scan confirmed a fairly significant injury to Rhaps' check ligament... and yet he remains sound. His initial timetable is 6 weeks weeks box rest - just walking to an adjoining empty stable for his carrot snack ball twice a day while he has the ice pack on... and some grazing in hand - which he is very very pleased about... the following 6 weeks will be restricted exercise... and then another scan.
During the first week he was getting rather grumpy until I got the go ahead for the grazing... now the daily 15 minutes on the spring grass is enough (at the moment) to keep him sweet. As he marches out of his stable it is hard to believe that he has done himself such an injury (we have no idea how)..... and with no lameness he doesn't realise he is broken, but I know his management during these first 3 months will be crucial to his recovery so there will be no risking it.
There have been lots of very positive comments about similar injuries in response to my Facebook posts and the vet too is confident of a good end result from this injury.
It does however pose a problem for competing this year though and in an ideal world would be great to loan or lease a horse for the internationals this summer in England to keep me on the FEI rankings list.... thinking caps on.... all answers on a postcard please!!
I had ridden Rhaps in the morning (Thursday)... and after work he went on the walker while I did his stable and made up haynets and feeds etc and there was no heat or swelling in his legs. Friday morning I planned to hack around the woods but when picking out his feet before putting his boots on I was dismayed to discover quite a lot of swelling in one leg with a lot of heat. I hosed his leg... put him back in the box and rang my vets GVG Brooks Equine.
Rhaps was sound for the vet but a careful and meticulous investigation led to the opinion that he may have tweaked his check ligament. A scan 7 days later would confirm...... in the meantime Rhaps would be on box rest with hosing and ice packs - and a hasty change of diet!!
The scan confirmed a fairly significant injury to Rhaps' check ligament... and yet he remains sound. His initial timetable is 6 weeks weeks box rest - just walking to an adjoining empty stable for his carrot snack ball twice a day while he has the ice pack on... and some grazing in hand - which he is very very pleased about... the following 6 weeks will be restricted exercise... and then another scan.
During the first week he was getting rather grumpy until I got the go ahead for the grazing... now the daily 15 minutes on the spring grass is enough (at the moment) to keep him sweet. As he marches out of his stable it is hard to believe that he has done himself such an injury (we have no idea how)..... and with no lameness he doesn't realise he is broken, but I know his management during these first 3 months will be crucial to his recovery so there will be no risking it.
There have been lots of very positive comments about similar injuries in response to my Facebook posts and the vet too is confident of a good end result from this injury.
It does however pose a problem for competing this year though and in an ideal world would be great to loan or lease a horse for the internationals this summer in England to keep me on the FEI rankings list.... thinking caps on.... all answers on a postcard please!!
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