Moving Right Along

Daily life goes on with my temporarily retired horse. Much like I expected, it's not particularly interesting or exciting, and we don't do much of anything really. Every morning Gogo eats, goes out, grazes all day, and comes back in to her stall at 4pm. She eats hay at 8, 12, 2, 4, and 8pm. She looks a bit rounder than she did before she got here. She likes to be dusty but I tackle the red dirt every other day or so, despite the fact that it's a bit futile. I still enjoy it quite a lot.
This all being said, I don't honestly consider my horse to be retired and totally finished. Truth me told, I feel like a year in a field will do her wonders, and am considering this a year of rehab instead of just a total giving up on her and tossing her out to be a horse for the rest of forever. I really do think she'll come back and do something special and worthwhile. Really and truly, I do.
This opinion is shared by my boss and by her trainer. The trainer, M, is very well-respected around here and has coached Olympic riders year after year. She's seen about every injury you could possibly see. We pulled Gogo out the other day when she came to teach and ride at the barn, and jogged her out. I was doing the running, so I couldn't see really, but she said that she trotted off a bit lame but trotted back really quite well. At two months out from the reinjury, that sounds about right on, exactly the way it was the time before. This is encouraging though, because it means on turnout that she appears to be getting better instead of worse! M's take on this is that despite following the vet's advice to a T before, we did not give her enough time, which at this point I agree with. Her very Irish opinion of this is that for an injury like Gogo's, in order for there to be any chance at all you have to turn them out for a year and THEN start to get back on and tackwalk until you want to kill yourself, then trot until you want to kill yourself, and then canter until you want to kill yourself, and THEN you are good to go. This means not starting official rehab under saddle until the injury is officially 'healed'. This does make sense, certainly, but it's pretty opposite of the rehab we were doing before. In order to create proper healing, we used the under saddle controlled exercise to align the tendon fibers the right way and stimulate proper healing. Two different schools of thought, two different mindsets. I agree with M at this point because clearly, whatever we did before didn't work for some reason. Not giving her enough time before is now the painfully clear answer as to why this really didn't work the way it should have. At least, it's what I am willing to cling to as a potential answer at this point. I have hope that if I just give her time, time and more time.... that maybe she really will totally heal.
To give myself a severe timeframe that I will absolutely not budge from - one year off in turnout before I even THINK about reevaluating for a riding career - makes me honestly feel pretty good. There is no more uncertainty and brooding about what may or may not be best in terms of rehab. There is only one answer: DON'T change my plan and DO stick to my guns. One year off, and then we will reevaluate. That is that. And somehow, this feels like it is the right thing to do. It will be her best shot. And I really feel good about it.

I also know I said that I'm not going to do any goals, but honestly.... I kind of want to do some! Just some stupid ones like play all the Parelli games without majikal sticks and $150 rope halters, and whatever else I feel like doing. That will for sure keep the best of us pretty entertained for about 2 days! I also might have a horse to ride... yay! It's not Trout, who is apparently very unsound, but it's another very nice gelding (so I hear). His name is Murphy, and he's a black Morgan/TB/Irish cross. (Which may mean he's bats but... there you are!) I know Kippen and I have a half-serious bet going for getting new horses but honestly, the only horse I want to own right now is either Gogo, Gogo's baby, or Gogo's total twin clone. I don't want another horse if it's not one of those three options. Having something to ride will satisfy me quite enough for the time being, especially since I am just not ready to totally write Gogo off at this point. She really is my total dreamhorse, flaws and all. I wish I could just do a leg transplant on her. Wouldn't that be nice?

My landlord and I chatted briefly on the phone today about solidifying plans for bringing Gogo over to the 15 acre field sometime soon - as soon as he moves the roundbales out and fixes the small bit of fence that needs some work. Hopefully we'll be good to go on that pretty soon, maybe even within the week!



I might also have a new man in my life.... a training project of a different sort ;) More details soon!