sorry if i made your post into a battleground!
hmm, must add though that when i rode him and saw my uber-embarrassing lunatic long steeplechase stride, i did not feel 1 second's worth of hesitation or "you've got to be kidding, right?!" from him. he felt very confident in his ability and not at all put out, even though he's prob not been thrown at a fence like that for a long time/in his entire life!! less confident horses would not have felt like that imho. i think you shouldn't make any definite decisions till you are back in the saddle, he's had a fun trundle round a few ickle courses, and you can see how he feels.
re: KS - i had 1 operated on for this years ago. he'd always had a really terrible buck though so it wasn't really out of the blue. he came 100% right... well, as far as I got to find out. bucking and cold-backedness was totally gone, he was a different horse. didn't get to event him again as the poor doofus then fractured his pedal bone out in the field. cue: another OP, more box rest, totally sound, then new bone growth = curtains.
Oh god K, don't worry, I appreciate your thoughtful comments and yet could see that Starbucks' post wasn't aimed at me so took no offence.
I don't remember a U-E L L S stride, just a nice forward one that he really rather enjoyed.
I'm not rushing into any decisions, but just seem to have way too much time on my hands at the moment to ponder the situation. Normal (Baydale) service will be resumed shortly I hope.
I am so sorry to hear this, 2009 really hasnt been good to you has it!!! I really hope that they can help the lovely Hector, he is such a genuine chap isnt he! Fingers crossed we will see you both back on track again soon.
Baydale, just heard from a friend of mine who has just had her lad's hocks injected for the first time, she says he is absolutely like a different horse, she has never seen him flex his joints like that, and is hoping the difference will possibly help muscle up his back too.
sincerely hope Hector's injections make a huge difference to him. xx
BD, definitely, i'd love to.
i thought he'd lost just a tiny bit of the shape of his jump at the Pathway thing, compared to when i'd seen him jump before... but it is v hard to criticise a horse that does 2 lovely clear rounds at 1.15 ish etc etc. if it's back though, i think i'll see it.
Poor boy. I guess if he has the other problems in his hooves then treating the KS with surgery isnt really an option
So sorry to hear this honey. You didnt deserve such rotten luck this past month, and neither did Hector.
Maybe he can be my other dressage pony afterall.