To ride dressage is to dance with your horse, equal partners in the delicate and sometimes difficult work of creating harmony and beauty.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Still gambling

We drove to Lincoln City yesterday to do Lance's follow-up exam. The good news: his ligament looks as good as new. The bad news: the bone (where the ligament was/is attached) is rougher, over a bigger area, than Rick hoped or expected, indicating that the tear was worse than he originally thought. That roughness is a point of weakness, where re-injury is most likely to occur. If I condition Lance carefully, he doesn't do anything stupid (his mellow nature is a plus here!), and God blesses, he could still be an athlete. Otherwise, he will be a trail horse. Of course, this is the gamble I took when I decided to go ahead and get him, but I was so hoping the follow-up exam would show a better scenario. :-(

Lance's breeder has been anticipating being able to turn him out (in the indoor arena) if the exam showed he was healed up, but we don't want him ripping around and re-injuring himself. She says he has never ripped around, but neither has he been cooped up this long. She is going to be able to walk him Sunday, Monday and Wednesday; and I am going out to walk him on Tuesday. Rick thinks turning him out after four straight days of hand-walking might be a safe bet. I'm hoping and praying it is. 

6 comments:

Mary said...

I'm sorry! His ligament is healing and the rest will just take time. Perhaps you could lease a competition horse in order for *you* to do dressage, and let Lance come back slowly?

Michelle said...

I'm sure Horton's owner would be happy for me to keep training and showing him for awhile longer, but we don't have room for both here.

thecrazysheeplady said...

:-/

Laura said...

Dang... Would glucosamine, etc. help that? or is that just for joints... Slow is good, I guess, especially with a young horse.

A :-) said...

Michelle, I know this is not the outcome you had so hoped for. I'm really sorry, but it sounds like there might be some hope. Whatever you choose, however you decide to proceed, it will be the right thing. Everything happens for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Bummer! Sorry to read about this. How was the work-out walk today?