Setbacks

Remember that one time that I said I was going to go to Rolex?  And I was so excited because every other year, something has always come up?  Well, life happened (as it does), and Rolex has sadly been taken off the table.  😭 Adulting is stupid, guys. (Edited to add that non-horse-related things have come up that are preventing me from going to Rolex)

but my horse is still cute

Leo has been doing well.  On Monday, we had a tough-but-awesome lesson in which Trainer K brought back the 'no inside rein' exercise.  I feel like I've blogged about this exercise before, but I can't find the post at the moment...anyways, the idea is that you unbuckle your reins and cross the inside rein under the horse's neck so that both reins are on the outside, and then you ride with mostly leg and outside rein.  It's hard, and we got stuck going in circles a few times towards the end, but overall it was a successful lesson, and on Tuesday I rode him again with my reins like that and had a fantastic ride.

this was also without stirrups because why not

On Wednesday, I hopped on for an easy bareback toodle around the indoor with a halter and reins...and something felt off.  I tried the trot in the other direction, and there it was - a head bob.  I dragged people in to watch me trot my horse, and everyone agreed - a slight but definitely present head bob / gimp was definitely present.  Trainer K checked Leo over - no swellings, no cuts, no sore spots - he was just...off.  I figured that maybe he was sore from two riding days in a row - typically I give him the day off after a jumping lesson, or do groundwork.  Since he wasn't acting like he was uncomfortable (other than being slightly off at the trot, he was his normal bright-eyed self), I threw him back outside to have the rest of the day off, hoping that he was sore and things would sort themselves out with time.  (because that totally works, right?)

I wasn't able to make it out to the barn yesterday due to my work schedule, but I headed out there today to check for soundness/work a feed shift/ride in a lesson.  Leo walked right up to me in the pasture and came inside completely normally, and I was happy to discover legs that were still tight and cold.  I picked his feet out and tossed him on the lunge line - he walked off fine, but as soon as I asked him for a trot the dreaded head bob returned.  Switched directions and it was still there.  Trainer K checked him over again to see if I'd missed something (second opinions are the best), but nothing seemed amiss.  He was just...off.  I attempted to locate hoof testers, because at this point we were starting to wonder if he was abscessing.  I have a pair at home, but was unable to find anything around the barn.  Our initial plan was to leave him in overnight to see if anything stocked up, which would have suggested soft tissue, and then I'd bring out my hoof testers the next day and start trying to find an abscess.

why you gotta break, horse?!

At this point, the vet showed up for someone else's injured horse.  I was determined not to jump into a lengthy mystery lameness diagnosis process this early in the game, but I was able to talk to her about what was going on with Leo, and she agreed that an abscess was likely the culprit.  She even let me borrow her hoof testers, and then 'observed' me using them.  (you know, to make sure that I didn't break them or..something).  And a tender spot was found on his front right - which was confirmed by the vet, who is the most amazing human in existence, and who then gave me a bunch of hypothetical abscess treatment advice.  Because she is literally the best.  And I am so, so happy that abscess, not mystery soft tissue, seems to definitely be the culprit.

Jordyn the giant (she's legit like 17.3), who I rode in a lesson tonight

So, here's to an indeterminate amount of my future time that will be spent soaking, packing, and wrapping.  If it hasn't blown out by next week, I'll have the farrier take a look while he's out (he comes to the barn weekly).  If anyone has any magical abscess-healing tips, I'd love to hear them!