Doing Better

I am not entirely sure why, but Fawkes' issue of locking stifle has seemed to improve over the last few days.  At least compared to the mess of Thursday.  Friday I just turned him out for awhile and he ran around for quite awhile and didn't have any particular locking issues and today we had a lesson. Trainer R2 said he seemed a little stiff but he warmed up out of it.

At liberty shot on Friday.  I think overall he is looking nice

 The chronology of this issue is pretty simple. When I first pulled him out of the field almost 3 years ago, totally unfit, he would occasionally have trouble unlocking his right hind stifle when I was tacking him up. That stopped pretty quickly and the issue seemed totally resolved until sometime late spring/early summer. I noticed when I was pulling him from his run and taking him to the barn to ride, he would have trouble getting the right hind unlocked. This was most noticeable during early morning ride times, and after he moved around for a bit he was fine.

Left side.  He was super impressed with being photographed.

 There has been no noticeable lameness, he has no problem picking up or holding either lead, he has clean changes in both directions, etc. He does sometimes start stiff, but he warms up out of that.  He also has a harder time stepping under himself with his right hind or moving away from my right leg, so I suppose that could be related to a weaker/locking stifle.  I don't think he is really less fit now than any other time since I bought him.

Offending, and dirty, stifle.

 What I can't remember is if this started right after his last shoe job or not.  My farrier said he hasn't historically been thinking of shoeing him as a horse with a stifle issue so it is possible his last shoeing appointment made the stifle lock up more.  He didn't want to do anything different this time until after the vet sees him, so we might change things up next time.  So anyways, vet is on Wednesday and we will probably try some estrogen shots and pull hind shoes/reshoe in hind if warranted. In the meantime, I am to keep him in work as long as he feels comfortable.

We had an excellent lesson, he was very well behaved.  We are keeping it easy and low key since I imagine he is rightfully sore.  We jumped long side lines and diagonal single fences, just cross rails.  If anything, he was a bit sluggish, but tuned in to me and obedient.  Even when another horse in the ring had a melt down and some humans got into a fight - the joys of boarding!  In the best news of the day, we may have found our saddle:

Equipe expression.  Trainer R will still get a vote, but it seemed to work really well for Fawkes, my riding, and I was happy with it.  Plus I got a smoking deal so I am determined to keep it if it isn't atrocious.