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

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Diagnosis

"Are you going to find out why my leg hurts?"
"Can you interpret that for me?"
"I'm afraid you're not going to like what it says, Lance. You're going to be stuck in your stall for awhile; you've torn your high suspensory AND inferior check ligaments – and in an odd location, too. Rick says it looks acute rather than chronic and thinks we caught it early, so hopefully it will respond well to treatment. But dude, how DO you keep hurting your ligaments? This is the third injury in two years! Rick says we need to take a look at your neck and back to see if you've got something going on there that's setting you up for these injuries."

I'm rather numb. This latest set-back raises big questions about Lance's long-term soundness prospects, at least as a dressage horse. But I like the big red goober so much. Keeping him as a trail horse is fine with me, but what do I ride while I wait? At my age, it is not good to take much time off from any active pursuit; the road back is harder and more risky.

In a very interesting twist of timing, on Sunday I got an email out of the blue. It was Larry's breeder (if you don't know who Larry is, you can click on the label at right), wondering if I'd be interested in another training prospect to show and sell for her. This one is a green three-year-old half-Holsteiner mare.
Yes, I'm intrigued. No, we really don't have room. Stay tuned.

9 comments:

Briana said...

Oh Lance! :( Glad you have a diagnosis now...sad for both of you though.

That mare is cute... ;)

thecrazysheeplady said...

Could he stay out more so he wasn't up, not moving around and then ripping around when he got turned out?

Theresa said...

Oh dang it Michelle! Lance, how DO you do this stuff?
I hope you and Rick can find an answer. Now, can the mare and Lance switch places? If she is in training with you, can Lance do his stall rest from whence she came? Not ideal for sure but maybe doable in the short term, or maybe outside digs for recovery, a small temporary paddock carved from a larger one? Big hugs Michelle.

Mary said...

So sorry Michelle, I was thinking of you last night and wondering...give Lance a smooch from me.

Kim said...

I was hoping not to hear that. So sorry. Love the paint mare though.

Michelle said...

Yes, Briana, it is better to know the enemy, so to speak.

Fortunately, Sara, Lance is an energy-conserver and doesn't rip around much – except when the coast breeze comes up some evenings. But he does annoy Breezy enough to get kicked sometimes.

Theresa, the mare's owner does not keep her horse in conditions I would be comfortable with. Remember how skinny and muddy Larry was when I got him? But I'm still brainstorming options.

Thanks, Mary; I will.

Me, too, Kim; thanks. I'm thinking of going over and meeting the mare next week with a friend.

Anonymous said...

Sad news for Lance and you.

Oh, it'd be fun to work with a green horse again! She's quite the looker. I hope you're able to work something ou where you'll still be able to ride the way you'd like.

A :-) said...

I'm just catching up here - I'm so very sorry that Lance is injured again. I can only imagine what must be going through your mind . . . first Russell, and now Lance . . . I will be interested to see what happens with the new possible prospect. :-) Hang in there.

Michelle said...

I don't know what the future holds for Lance OR that prospect, Wanda. Right now I'm waiting for more direction.

Thanks, Adrienne; I'm trying!