Summer Fun

Fleck and I had an absolute blast today!!!! We went with friends to the lake and did a "photo shoot". Fleck also almost swam!!! He got in farther than ever and was just about to have to swim. He was grunting and almost swimming! Next time.... next time we'll get it. But regardless we had fun playing in the water!

 

Good News!!!

He DOES KNOW!!!!!

Told yah!

So... On Wednesday Fleck and Dan and I met up with Missy. It was fun although Danny was a total butt for the first 15 minutes... Baby brat!! Poor Fleck was walking faster than he's ever walked before... I think trying to lose the kid! Ha! But Dan eventually settled down and we had a good ride. We went to the lake and Fleck marched in much farther than he has before! I"ll get him swimming yet! At the very least he's "icing" his knees... Although the lake isn't that cool with this weather. Danny played around a bit too. So then we headed back home.

When we got back I tied Dan to the trailer and took Fleck into the ring and..... HE WAS SOUND!!!! Like really really sound... happy to go forward and even bouncy!!! And that was even when he was long and low and I wasn't holding him up. Whoo hooo!!! He felt so good that I was seriously tempted to jump him around the course that was set up. Missy even asked if I was going to! So yay!!!!!! I only did about 4 minutes just to feel him out. So...whooo hooo!!!

I'm back to being cautiously optimisitic!! And today he got his final IRAP. He even had good joint fluid in his pastern joints and the left knee. The right knee didn't have much this time but it did last time, so.... fingers crossed it lasts! I know that a few minutes in a great ring with great footing after three days off is not any indication that he'll continue to do well. BUT... it's a start!! And I'm allowing myself to be optmistic. :)

Of course this brings up a whole other set of worries... Am I going to push him? Is he happy and non-painful or just being Fleck and doing it because he likes it and it's what I want. Sigh.... I'm hoping our relationship has healed enough and that he has forgiven me so that he feels comfortable saying "nope, sorry Mom.. it hurts"!.

But... time will tell. He gets off until Wednesday because of work and the time off from the IRAP. So... on Wednesday, another trail ride... and then we'll cautiously, carefully and gingerly put him back to work and see how he feels. Please pray for us!

Pouting boy....

Argh....

So.... I had fun the last two days. I rode Liz's horses yesterday and jumped them both. I had fun! They are both really nice horses. And then today I had a lesson at High Point and rode Lucky, a very cute sweet TB. And... I'm thinking about finding something to lease or find myself a project pony. And I know it's not a bad idea... but I just can't help feeling like I"m cheating on Fleck... or letting him down.. or giving up....

I mean... I KNOW that he needs time off and if I push him too soon, I'll only make him worse. I know that I like to have goals and work towards things and I'm competitive enough that I just might push him too fast. And that he's generous and giving enough that he will do it.. because I want him to. And that realistically with arthritis in the knee, especially the middle joint, the chance of him making a full comeback are slim. And by leasing or riding another horse I'll take the pressure off, learn something in the meantime that will help me with him, and Danny...
BUT.....
I still can't help but feel that I'm giving up on him... or letting him down somehow. And I think he knows. He seriously was pouting today! And I didn't even tell him I rode another horse. He just knew.... It's breaking my heart....

I just don't know what to do....
Just stick with him and only him...whether that means putting my competitiveness on hold for a year or two... and having fun with him on the trails. I can always take lessons on other horses and still learn and such. And save money by not showing.
Find a lease horse or project horse to take some of the pressure off.... but then that opens up a whole other can of worms.... I'd either have to pay to board said horse (which would probably be better for Fleck) or worry about him beating up the new horse.. or have to have to separate herds.. which makes it hard for pasture maintenance...

Argh.... I miss it... I do. Quite honestly, I miss jumping and showing... And poor Danny can only do so much! The FEH stuff is fun, but still..... But I mostly just miss Fleck...jumping Fleck... showing Fleck... hanging out with him and meeting people with him. Even at the vet clinic doing his laser, clients come up and say hi to him and ask to pet him. Or talk about their appies...

I don't know... I'm just so confused and torn right now. And don't get me wrong... I'm oh so grateful and thank God every night that I still have him. Regardless of what he can or can't do in the future.... as long as he's here to be my buddy.. that's enough. But I can't help it if I want to eat my cake too.

Maybe I give him too much credit... he really doesn't care... Maybe he'd even prefer to let someone else do the work, but.... I don't know... I don't think so... I think he knows!

And I'm still giggling...

Another great day with Flecky. I left Dan at home this time and met Liz and Swing and Peri and Sunny. We had a blast! They were all hilarious little horses today!

So we started off and hit the woods. We were doing okay and then we hit the creek. Sunny decided he needed some ....persuasion. :) He was a good boy and Liz and I didn't mind hanging out. I told Peri she may have to return the favor with Dan at some point. So... while we were chilling and letting Sunny figure it out on his own, Fleck and Swing started being silly. Well, maybe just Fleck at this point. First there was a bug... and he was all intent on staring it down. Hee hee.. He followed it for about 3 minutes before it buzzed off. Then he decided his head was itchy, so he started rubbing it on this nice patch of moss... and eroded half of the ledge. Dingbat!! He had clumps of dirt wedged in his bridle and around the buckles. Goofy...

 

So then Sunny went over and we carried on. We had a few more creek crossings and Sunny got better each time. Then we went to the lake. Fleck went in a bit deeper than normal and Swing got in too. They were both splashing around. Well, then Sunny walked in. Peri thought he would just go in to his knees, like the others. NOPE!!! Surprise... Sunny just marched right in and went for a swim!! Ha ha... Poor Peri got soaked up to her armpits and Sunny was having a blast. Hee hee... So she got him back on dry land and they hung out up there for a bit while Liz and I tried to get our ponies in deeper.

 So...then Fleck was pawing and splashing and did that thing where he splashes with his nose. And then both Liz and I watched as he quit splashing, looked right at Swing and then aimed a huge splash right at her. It totally smacked her in the face and drenched her. Hee hee... We were both like "Seriously?! Did he just do that'!?". hee hee... Poor Swing. Then Swing decided she was going to take a nice roll... hee hee.. She got down to her knees but Liz was quick and got her back up. Hee hee.... I couldn't stop giggling at this point.

So then we carried on and headed up back to the trailers. We untacked and hosed the ponies off and chatted while the ponies grazed. A GREAT day with GREAT friends.....

Ahhhh, the soul saving of a good ride

It's amazing the difference a few hours can make. This morning... I was despondent again. In that horrible place where I'm considering buying/leasing another horse because I feel like Fleck is always going to hurt. And how fair is it for me to keep asking him? He owes me nothing... He's given me his entire soul and being and... how cruel of me to keep asking. Even if he does feel better.. it doesn't change the fact that he's got arthritis. And sure okay... I overdid it and my feet hurt today but not enough to stop me from doing things.. just enough to notice. So maybe it's only that bad, but... maybe it's not. He can't tell me. So... why should I ask?! So... I was feeling awfully blue...  My sweet loving kind caring healing generous giving horse... and I'm thinking about cheating on him and getting another. I think that would break his heart! So yep.. I was blue.. horribly blue.

And then... it was time to ride. I got the boys loaded up and headed to the beautiful Ashland farm. My friend ended up oversleeping and didn't make it, but maybe it was better that way. It was just me and the boys and the dark skies.. the occasional thunder rumble.. and nature. Oh, and a few tractors. ;) And we had a blast!!!!! They cracked me up. And Fleck felt pretty good!!

He was forward, happy, and even bossy!! Anytime Danny got slightly ahead of my shoulder Flecks head snaked back so quick.. ears pinned and evil grumpy face on. Hee hee... Poor Dan.. he really didn't even deserve. But it made me happy to see Fleck being so bossy!! Because when he was hurting.. he wasn't picking fights with Danny. And that broke my heart a little. So despite poor Danny getting it, I was glad. Fleck was feeling pretty good! We did some trotting and he was sound!!! He was happy to go forward and energetic. And yes... there was a funky step here and there, but it was so intermittent I couldn't really tell if it was typical Fleck stumble or real. Of course holding onto Danny too makes it harder to evaluate.

But yay... Fleck really is a "healing" horse... He took my mood and heart and soul and fixed it today. And yes, it doesn't change the fact that he may have to be retired, but dangit we can still have a blast!

TREATMENT!!!!!

Yay!!!! Flecky got his first IRAP treatment today!!! And his fourth laser treatment. :) Hoping it helps! Two more rounds of IRAP to go!