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Dr Dr, give me the news...
Today we had the gorgeous and clever Dr Christakos come out to us to investigate further into Axels discomfort under saddle.
We started with a ridden assessment. I didn't have a crash test dummy for the first hour so it was up to me to hop up. Even though I knew it wouldn't be pretty, I was so happy to sit on my boy again. In walk he felt ok (as always) and then the moment I put my leg on to ask for trot I got all the unhappiness and resistance again every time I asked
The next stage was nerve blocking the front feet, this made sense as he had a mild response to hoof testers on his frog, especially front left. So we went ahead and by this time my crash test dummy Bri had arrived. Off she went, and again, the resistance going into trot with no difference.
Back to the grooming stall and this time hind feet were nerve blocked, this was where we weren't expecting to see much. Back into the arena again and Bri asks for trot, again that resistance, but then... a little change in him, a sudden relaxation and off he goes, Bri asks a few times, and she gets it! No resistance! He looks lame on his left but he goes and he seems happy. So, just to be sure, she hops off and I hop on, even walk feels better, I put the lightest of leg aids on and he's off. Into his lovely swingy trot, I ask for less trot "yes maam", more trot "sure thing" he is happy and forward.
Next step is nerve blocking the hind suspensory to see if that changes the lameness, we do so and I hope back on. As before, he couldn't be happier to comply, off he goes but the lameness isn't much changed. How lovely it was to see those happy pricked friesian ears in front of me again!
After that Dr Christakos XRays his hinds and all looks pretty good there, in fact more than pretty good for a fifteen years old horse, they were some darn pretty XRays! So, that being said and done, whats next?
Next is ultrasounds of the hinds, we look and see what is there. Then... who knows? One step at a time, and even though we still don't know whats wrong, we are one step closer to figuring it out.
Oh and may I just say, that my sweet and perfect boy had not a drop of sedation and didn't flinch at needle after needle being popped into his feet and legs. What an absolute sweetheart of a pony he is!
We started with a ridden assessment. I didn't have a crash test dummy for the first hour so it was up to me to hop up. Even though I knew it wouldn't be pretty, I was so happy to sit on my boy again. In walk he felt ok (as always) and then the moment I put my leg on to ask for trot I got all the unhappiness and resistance again every time I asked
The next stage was nerve blocking the front feet, this made sense as he had a mild response to hoof testers on his frog, especially front left. So we went ahead and by this time my crash test dummy Bri had arrived. Off she went, and again, the resistance going into trot with no difference.
Back to the grooming stall and this time hind feet were nerve blocked, this was where we weren't expecting to see much. Back into the arena again and Bri asks for trot, again that resistance, but then... a little change in him, a sudden relaxation and off he goes, Bri asks a few times, and she gets it! No resistance! He looks lame on his left but he goes and he seems happy. So, just to be sure, she hops off and I hop on, even walk feels better, I put the lightest of leg aids on and he's off. Into his lovely swingy trot, I ask for less trot "yes maam", more trot "sure thing" he is happy and forward.
Next step is nerve blocking the hind suspensory to see if that changes the lameness, we do so and I hope back on. As before, he couldn't be happier to comply, off he goes but the lameness isn't much changed. How lovely it was to see those happy pricked friesian ears in front of me again!
After that Dr Christakos XRays his hinds and all looks pretty good there, in fact more than pretty good for a fifteen years old horse, they were some darn pretty XRays! So, that being said and done, whats next?
Next is ultrasounds of the hinds, we look and see what is there. Then... who knows? One step at a time, and even though we still don't know whats wrong, we are one step closer to figuring it out.
Oh and may I just say, that my sweet and perfect boy had not a drop of sedation and didn't flinch at needle after needle being popped into his feet and legs. What an absolute sweetheart of a pony he is!
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