Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I am either praying that it's an abscess or that whatever it was, is done. A week ago Tuesday Izzy showed up three-legged lame. The kind of lame that looks like a fracture. The kind of lame that you're sure is life ending. If you've had horses for at least 12 minutes, you know what I am talking about. Izzy's front leg was extended as far forward as he could get it. Each stride was labored and lopsided. His leg was swollen from the coronary band up over his fetlock. He was clearly in pain. I quickly knelt down and ran my fingers up and down his leg, probing every inch. Nothing I did elicited a pain response. I cleaned out his hoof searching for a crooked nail or a foreign object that might have punctured his sole. I gently rotated his knee and fetlock - nothing. As I worked to find something to explain the lameness, other than a suspected abscess, Izzy nibbled my coat, snuffled my hair, and generally made a nuisance of himself. He wasn't in that much pain. After checking that he had been eating breakfast, he had, I dragged out my wrapping materials and packed his hoof with some goop. Each day I checked on him, hoping that an abscess would pop or that he would be magically healed. By the third day, he clearly felt better as he began bearing full weight on the affected hoof. The filling gradually disappeared and his stride grew even and sure.
As of last night, he was perfectly sound at the walk, but he's still not quite right at the trot. Although truthfully, I couldn't get a good trot out as it's been windy and rainy, and Izzy doesn't really focus in those conditions. I am 99.9% sure this was or is an abscess, but I wish it would hurry up and be gone. I have a class all day tomorrow, but on Sunday, I'll have time to work on getting a decent trot out or even a ride. That always tells me if he's sound or not. Sheesh. 12/7/2018 08:04:09 am
Just figures, doesn’t it!? Glad he’s improving. Abscesses do look like they have a broken leg! Poor old Col used to get the frequently.
Marlane
12/7/2018 03:05:15 pm
The first time one of my horses got an abscess I also thought she had a broken leg. That was when we lived where the horses were out on several acres with a lot of mud in Northern CA. Now in S CA they are in pens and I can put down dry bedding ( the pellets that swell up) where they stand the most under their shaders eating. No more abscesses. Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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