Down in the dumps.
Tetley doesn’t seem to be coping particularly well with being in the barn overnight. There is plenty of space but I don’t suppose that he walks round like he does in the field, since the haylage is all in piles in two of the corners. Anyway, I did ride him yesterday and again today and he wasn’t as good as he has been on either day. I am now pretty depressed about it. When he was so sound back in July/August, and especially when his feet came level, I thought we were nearly through it. When he went unsound on the other leg I could cope with that, just about. But now he has heat in either leg, or some days both, and can be lame in either, or sound and then have one “give way” if he takes a bad step, I am really unhappy about what the prognosis is for him. And for me and how much longer I have to go on without a resolution or any apparent progress with this damned disease. I am just about hanging on until Tuesday in the hope that the pictures give us something to go on.
I took Tia out for a hack and she was pretty good. A bit on her forehand but she was persuaded to do some nice balanced walk on the way home. I watched a video of her dresage test from weeks ago that Allan has just transferred to the DVD recorder for me. I was shocked at just how big I look on her! She did a nice test though. I guess I am just used to seeing myself on the video on Scooby or Tetley and there is certainly a difference :-)
I have just taken a call from someone who is interested in Caddy, only to find it is the girlfriend of someone I know well, and that she and I met at a party about a year ago. I have stalled her for the moment, as I'm not at all sure that she's the right kind of person for him, or even if I want to sell him.
It’s nowhere near bad enough outside to justify getting them in tonight, so I might not be mucking out tomorrow, which would be a bonus.
C.
ps I'm sure we are all thinking of Jean and hoping that she'll be feeling better about PJ soon.
posted by cptrayes @ 5:31 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
i'm sure tetley will eventually come right; you're just depressed cos it's the end of the season and the weather's turning ...
but at least you've got your own transport to get to the vets .....!!
Thank you all for your kinds thoughts. We are all coping OK. Toby seems a bit depressed, but Tucker is dealing with it better. I am certain he understands all that happened and is making a point of sniffing where PJ died to sort of keep it all in perspective. Toby kept going out to the pasture to call and look for him.
Enough of the sad tales. I did go to the show today, though I was a bit distracted and my brain was not functioning at 100%. That is the excuse for two errors of course. The first one may have cost me several placings as I ended up tied for 4th and the scores above were very close...so I am happy. (I kind of messed up the walk to trot to canter and ended up with a "3" on one score.) In a test that ended up as a 61.429%, with the top ride of the class at 63%, you can see it was significant. However, I am still delighted. Tucker was an angel and really worked well.
The second test was not quite as good. He was getting a bit cranky. I had him all ready to go and the judge was over 10 minutes late. To Tucker, 10 more minutes is enough to start to aggravate him. Still, he performed pretty well anyhow until, nearly at the end of the test, I just blanked out. I had forgotten the shallow serpentine at the canter on my second canter tour and found myself at the wrong end of the arena to finish the test. So, I just pulled up and asked the judge--who had no clue I had gone seriously off course. (DUH!) That error may have again cost me placings because I ended up in 5th with a 56.1. The top score was only about a 62% and right below was a 58 or 57 and they went down from there, very tightly packed. (Apparently, this judge had been scoring low all three days.) So, again, I am really quite pleased.
I did have to laugh at one comment on the second test. Tuck put in a little buck in his first canter. The comment..."on the forehand..croup high." I'll say! *G*
I think I have the makings of a dressage horse here.
Tetley's ailment is so frustrating. I was sure he was getting better too. I hope the x rays show significant changes on the way to fusion. Wish I could speed things up for you.
Tia feels big because she has a big heart. I don't think you look too big on her in the pics I saw.
Don't even think of selling Caddy if you are not sure it's the right buyer. (I'd actually tell you just not to think of selling Caddy period, but I know where that would go.) If there weren't an ocean between us, I'd take him here at my barn until he grows up so we could all see how he turns out.
Hi, Jean, so sorry to hear about your horse that died. But it was quiet and peaceful for him, and not many horses have such a nice end.
Glad you got to the show and were pleased with how he went.
Caroline - what frustration about Tetley, I don't blame you for feeling fed up with it.
As I have got older (and I am a few years older than you) my "drive" has certainly got less. I used to leap out of bed and go for early moring rides and if there was a show or competition looming I would be so focused on that. Now I have to crank myself up towards it and don't get hysterical if I can't fit in a ride, so it does have its compensations.
Are you planning many winter competitions?
Judith
Claire you are right that the end of the season doesn't help. Yes, I'm grateful for everything I have for the horses, and the lorry is one of the things that are invaluable.
Jean, congratulations on raising the gumption to go and compete. Well done! And the results - well, I should think you DO have a dressage horse there, those placings are fantastic. Shame about the errors of course, but we'll forgive you in the circumstances :-)
Ann, great news on the half pass. Sorry I can't offer you a lift to your event, just a bit far to come to pick you up!
Judith, my riding club compete indoor showjumping and indoor and outdoor dressage right through the winter. So I am planning to do both, definitely showjumping with Caddy if he is still here, and with Tia. And dressage with Tetley and either one of the others.
C
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