He rolled! Right over! This is a. good. thing.

[HeresHoping]

Am blubbing.

'So what?' you might ask.

In November 2013 Larry, my 17hh ISH ready to go BE Novice, sat down in the field. He was fairly motoring and his back legs shot past his front. It seemed like forever before he got up. I'd had him just three months (with four failed vettings on four other horses behind me, but that's another story). Initially we thought he had just pulled a muscle, but by January we knew it was something worse.

He was viewed by Sue Dyson at the AHT, and was more or less written off completely. The diagnosis after an MRI was a 'crushed' lumbosacral joint and a torn hind suspensory (not too badly, but never the less damaged). After much deliberation, not least because I'd not long had my TB PTS due to his horrendous, aggressive, dangerous behaviour which turned out to be due to a fractured ilial shaft that had never healed, we decided to see if a period (9 months to a year) of 'field' rest would allow things to settle enough for him to become a happy hacker at least.

After 6 months of mooching I finally managed to get enough money together to buy an ArcEquine unit - I wish it could have been sooner but needs must when the devil vomits broken cars, flooded bathrooms, and the like in to your kettle. We started with 6 weeks of it on its 'intro setting' (to be used until no longer lame) and I was getting a bit frustrated as I would think he looked sounder, then he'd be a numpty in the field and we'd be back to square one. The good news was that his sarcoids dropped off.

He finally looked good enough to up the programmes to 'repair and regenerate' mode about 6 weeks ago and have been following the recommendations on the various AE sites.

Today, out in the new winter fields, calm as you like (that might be the valerian but anywhere new has been incitement enough for him to throw shapes and charge about), he rolled. Right over. He hasn't been seen to do that in almost a year. Being unable to roll right over can be an indicator of something not right in the pelvis/SI/lumbosacral region. If he feels well enough to do that, I think I can start hoping a little bit more!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That is great news!
I wish we could explain to them that they need to be careful when playing in the field.

 

[be positive]

There must be something in the air today, mine also recovering from SI issues, with a fairly poor prognosis although he is in light work and has been looking good, today he threw himself inside out on the lunge, not really allowed but difficult to stop, the best bit was that at no point did he go disunited in canter, buck, leap, shoot off, canter so hoping we will get the all clear to up the work, I think he needs it.

I hope your boy can get back to work at some point, I think every step in the right direction is a positive one showing that they are building up strength and feeling better, the rolling over must mean he has more function in the area and is strong enough to manage it.

 

[HeresHoping]

There must be something in the air today, mine also recovering from SI issues, with a fairly poor prognosis although he is in light work and has been looking good, today he threw himself inside out on the lunge, not really allowed but difficult to stop, the best bit was that at no point did he go disunited in canter, buck, leap, shoot off, canter so hoping we will get the all clear to up the work, I think he needs it.

I hope your boy can get back to work at some point, I think every step in the right direction is a positive one showing that they are building up strength and feeling better, the rolling over must mean he has more function in the area and is strong enough to manage it.

That's great news, BP! Fingers crossed for the work increase. And the fact that you are already in light work gives me hope. I hope to start an in-hand walking programme in about 4 weeks time. Theoretically, walking around the field should have given him a chance to at least retain some muscle, but road walking will help harden them (and me, too, probably) up a bit more. I shall look at putting a saddle back on in the new year if all goes well.

The disunited canter was what set the alarm bells ringing with me after he had had time off and acupuncture for a suspected pulled muscle. Of course the vet's instruction to trot on a big circle was completely ignored, shapes were thrown, and cantering, completely discombobulated, ensued. By circle three he was doing kangaroo leaps behind, gritting teeth and ears pinned back. That was the point he was shipped off to the AHT.

Good luck with your boy. And thank you, Pearlsasinger. I share your sentiments. My boy's injury could have been avoided at the time, it was due to someone else's stupidity that he took off in the first place, but hey ho. That's horses.

 

[be positive]

Good luck with the start of his rehab, I did lots of walking in hand over poles, my physio has been so helpful with ideas to get him using himself properly, at one time he was working twice daily, inhand and ridden, all hacking no school work for about 6 weeks, 6 or 7 days a week, now he has built up plenty of muscle it seems to be stable and I can get away with doing less, the hours I put in over the summer would be so much harder to do now, the main thing is I have a happy horse who seems to be improving whereas at one point like yours it was one step forward then something would happen and it went back again which made me think we would never get to the other side.