There isn't an awful lot to report on the Oatsmobile front. The estrogen did come in and he got his first shot last Wednesday. While it helped some, he still seems sore and by Monday night his stifle locked up again twice during our ride.
I am going to try and call the vet and see if you can give it twice a week, sort of double dose him for awhile. Or if she has any other ideas. Otherwise I just need to remain patient and give it more time.
If anyone else has thoughts on stifles in young TBs, I am happy to hear them. The horse is pretty fit, we do backing and poles to help strengthen the stifles, and we don't have any hills to work on.
Also, coming back from Ireland I was whammied by a cold and have been mostly laid out. Combine that with yet another spring fricking snow storm (do I sound like a broken record yet?) and it has not been the best week ever.
And yet, Odin really does make almost everything better. I spent the weekend on the couch wishing I would either die or get better, except when I double dosed myself on cold meds and went to the barn to ride.
Clearly I wasn't the most effective rider on earth but we still had nice rides. Not amazing and perfect rides, but rides that demonstrate he is growing up and learning his job. That canter.....oh, how that has changed. He can't do it correctly for very long but damn it is going to be really nice. He was a little silly but didn't try to take advantage of his sick person.
One new thing because it's horses and it never ends.....he has been locking his jaw on the left and R thinks he might have a wolf tooth coming in. I kind of hope that is the case because I am lazy and would rather it is a simple tooth thing than a green horse testing his boundaries thing. But either way, we will work through it. Sometimes we just don't have an effective left turn at the moment!
Turning is optional according to the naughty lesson pony I've been tormenting. I'm glad he didn't take advantage of his sick person. I believe if he will back up well backing horses will help strengthen his stifles. But it has to be nice smooth backing not braced shuffling backing.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say hills, its the quickest and easiest way to build up that hind end strength. Other than that it is a time thing, slowly building strength up over time. Jumping from the trot, backing over poles, cavallettis etc
ReplyDeleteAgree with L. Strength really is the best cure. Bobby had horrible sticking stifles for years ever since he went to the track at 3, and even now he gets chiro work several times a year to keep everything where it's supposed to be.
DeleteI rode a horse as a two year old on the track whose stifles stuck horribly so he got turned out. We rode him lightly as a three year old and there didn't seem to be too much of an issue. They he had his four year old year off (extenuating circumstances with the owner) and as a 5 year old started his eventing career. He went on to do training level with no issues.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the stifles, good luck and hopefully your vet has good ideas there - and about the locking jaw thing too!
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