Calm, Forward, Straight

Calm, Forward, Straight

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Tricks >Treats...


Friday, October 25, 2013

If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough...

The trip home from Md was swift and uneventful, if supremely uncomfortable and a tad nerve wracking. I was packed and ready to leave at dawn. Val loaded beautifully, and the traffic gods blessed us. I managed to get an appointment with a semi-local ortho the following afternoon...

Doctor #3 was definitely my fave.

Not because he was handsome, funny and gentle, but because he saw no need to slice me open and insert a Plate With Six Screws - Dr. #2's solution. (Dr. #1 vet wrapped my splint so tightly that my fingers nearly burst from swelling.) While the surgical option would have given me wrist mobility the soonest, the thought of general anesthesia + invasiveness made me sick with dread.

We let gravity comfortably realign the larger bone pieces. The results are a long cast, reaching a few inches below my shoulder. Mid November brings a short cast - total of six weeks. No restrictions other than don't pick up more than five pounds, and if it hurts - don't keep doing it. Thank goodness for common sense.

So far I have managed the pain with otc anti-inflammatories. The inconvenience and worry far outweigh the discomfort. Still haven't figured out how to work an ice tray, wash my right arm and - horrors - open an oyster. Hay bale slinging is out of the question, though I can manage the rest of my jobs so far.

It wasn't all emergencies and drama up at the farm. My hosts were so wonderful. And I learned so much. The one hand typing style is getting old though, so next post - clinic write-up.


Monday, October 21, 2013

In the Arena # 152 - How I spent my summer vacation or When it rains it pours...



No - not a riding incident. I didn't even get to ride. Just bad judgement in the confined space of a stall with a very unsettled horse. By far my worst injuries with horses have been on the ground...

Yes it hurt like a son of a bitch. It bent backwards way too far. Choice words -"F#@& - I just broke my f#@&ing arm!" Sad face here...

Damage - all I can say is the sound was disgusting. Seriously, it felt like my bone exploded. Every medical person who looked at the xrays made that not favorable whistling sound as they shot a glance my way.

There are some choices to make in the next few days, but first I have to get myself back home. One armed trailer hauling + standard transmission...

It's not all rainbows and unicorns but I did learn a ton. More medical details, a full clinic write-up and hints on how to Do All The Chores One-Handed to come.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

In the Arena #151 - Ready or not - here we come...

The past several weeks have been overrun with travel preparations. When it wasn't raining that is. Thirteen inches in thirty six hours. Okay - I'm really sorry I complained about how dry it was, how I was tired of having to water the plants, and especially how I couldn't use the arena, because then this happened:


I will not walk in the quicksand...
  

Somehow no wires or insulators popped... It's fun to do electric fence repairs in the pouring rain.
Yes - that branch is covered in poison ivy.


Not scared unless it falls on me...

We did get some decent rides in before the deluge. One in particular combined an energetic, attentive horse with a balanced, focused rider. Heavenly. Actual round circles. Really nicely forward + good bend, off of light aids. Best ride all year, and it felt like we might possibly be ready for our clinic. Of course I promptly got dumped the next day following a very lateral duck and spook, the source of which was a total mystery. (wouldn't want to get over confident or anything...) No worse for the wear, I remounted and we continued working.


Loving you despite the sandy helmet...

With no objections to getting wrapped, and after donning his protective headgear, Val self loaded and we hit the road. (love my horse!) I worried that he wasn't eating his hay, because he's such a rubbernecker when we trailer - always looking out the windows - but at our midway stop he'd finished his travel manger and promptly polished off the half bucket of soupy mash I held for him. He only got a little on me. ;D (is it weird that he pees on a moving trailer?)








After an uneventful seven hour trip, we arrived at L's farm. Val settled into his accommodations, although sadly for him he's residing in the round pen. Coming from the land of sand and no grass it didn't seem a good idea to go straight on to 24/7 grazing. Poor Val... Maybe to pay me back - he waited several hours before drinking anything. At bed check he pulled his face out of the water bucket to greet me, so all is well.

Saturday is our first mounted lesson + an unmounted bio-mechanics seminar. (!)
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