Spring Show - Part 2

Part 1

Spring Show Continued …

I gave myself permission to NOT go to the barn on Thursday.  I reasoned that if Speedy G was lame, he didn’t need turn-out.  And if he was just sore, I didn’t want to turn him out and have him go all wild and crazy and make anything worse.

I spent Thursday replacing the worried thoughts with healthier ones.  And if a healthy thought wasn’t to be had, I simply slammed the door on the “what if” thoughts and kept myself busy.  As I knew would happen, I started to feel more relaxed about Speedy and was genuinely okay with scratching from the show.  It wouldn’t be the end of the world, my pony was not experiencing a career-ending injury, and this too would soon be a forgotten memory. 

On Friday, I went out to the barn and put Speedy G back on the lunge line.  He trot out in a gait that was typical for a hot day at dinner time.  He looked even in both directions, but I still wasn’t sure.   I went to dinner with Cha Ching’s mom that evening and she suggested that I just decide about the show the next morning.  For those who know me, they’ll understand what a wildly crazy notion that was for me.  Wait until two hours before the show before I decided to go or not?  Preposterous!  But that is what I did.

After getting home from dinner, I threw my show clothes and boots into the back seat of the truck and drug out the ice-chest just in case.  Then I went to bed.

Still not convinced that going to the show was the right choice, I got to the barn early on Saturday morning anyway.  I am not a quitter, and I hate it when I sabotage myself.  I was going to give this my best effort.  I put Speedy G on the lunge line yet again and sent him around in both directions.  He looked fine.  I thought there might be some stiffness to the right, but I wasn’t sure.  To see if I could loosen up the right side, I decided to do a few more stretches.  Again he willingly gave lateral flexion and he seemed really relaxed.  I picked up the right front leg and gave a gentle pull forward.  I rocked the knee back and forth and was startled by a loud, POP!

In January, the chiropractor came and adjusted Speedy G in all the places you’d expect, loins, neck, and poll.  He also found that Speedy’s knee was “out,” but it wasn’t a big deal.  The knee that “popped” on Saturday was the same one that chiropractor had adjusted in January.

I was a bit startled to have given Speedy G an adjustment, but it didn’t seem to hurt him and he walked off just fine.  Well, the decision to go to the show was made right then and there.  I decided I was going to have to hurry though.  I tucked Speedy G back into his stall, threw him some breakfast, and started hooking up the trailer.  Within an hour I had the trailer loaded, Speedy G bathed, and his running braid finished.  Thank goodness for long manes.  There’s no way I would have had time for traditional braids!