Sparky & India

First, a quick update on Sparky. It's day three since the surgery to amputate her leg and as long as I can keep her pain under control with the meds, she's doing pretty well. Unfortunately, last night I went to sleep around 9:30, so I gave her meds right before then, and she didn't get any more until almost 7:00 this morning, so they'd worn off. She was very trembly and whiny this morning, which I completely understand. I gave her meds before taking her out, and then spent close to an hour just cuddling with her on the sofa. I could feel her relaxing as the pain meds kicked in. I felt really guilty about leaving her to go to the barn, but I told her that she needed to heal and that means a lot of sleep, so I left her with a Dentastix, a Beggin' Strip, and a marrow bone and snuck out. She was focused on the Dentastix when I left and I'd arranged with a neighbor to come in at 2 and give her the next set of meds. She's now sleeping at my feet and is doing ok. I take her back Monday to get her bandage changed and they'll do a laser treatment then, too. We should hear back in another week or so from UGA's vet school. The vet shipped off to the oncology department there the top of the humerus, as well as some tissue and a lymph node.

So, I got to the barn and India was in her stall, along with all the rest, eating breakfast. I hooked up my trailer, loaded her tack, and then groomed her quickly and walked out to load up.

And then it went south as she refused to load. I had the flag ready, but India wasn't budging. After ten minutes, I called my riding partner to tell her that I wasn't going to make it to Horse Camp after all. Thankfully, she'd not left yet, but her gelding was loaded.

I then spent another 45 minutes loading and unloading India. Because I'd just canceled, India sensed that I was no longer hurried, a feeling I'd been trying to disguise by taking lots of deep breathes and not exuding an aura of worry, but obviously I was doing so and as soon as the pressure was off, she did load, but not smoothly. Front legs in, hesitating a lot, and finally the hind end in and she went to her spot. My right forearm was about to fall off from all the flagging. I shut the divider, thanking her for not rushing off but standing nicely, and then after a few minutes of standing in her spot with my rubbing her bum, offloaded her. That was ugly as she rushed it.

More work on getting her back in, and she didn't jump right in. In the next 30 minutes of effort (and two blisters on my hand) I got her in 3 times. Her backing out got better, but not slow and deliberate like it should be.

So, I then tacked her up and we worked in the arena for 10 minutes of walk and 20 minutes of trot. The ride was really good, which redeemed my faith in my sport because if it had been bad, I would have just cried. She rated. She listened. She went where I wanted her to.

Then we spent 30 minutes walking around the farm, down to the dam, which she crossed really well all on her own. All the riding I've been doing as a solo rider is paying off, as is the trail riding with the friend that we stood up this morning.

We also crossed a small ditch, but only after some angst with backing, causing me to get off and lead her over it. She leapt over like it was a huge one, so we crossed it ten times on foot and each crossing got better and then I remounted (she stood nicely for that) and we walked over that ditch like it was nothing, so with a pat on her nect to tell her what a good horse she is, we headed down the drive towards the main road and she did so very well. She sucked back for a second as we got to the low spot where the drive crosses the creek and the sides fall off, but she listened to my leg and went on by. No startling at anything, so we went all the way back past the barn, back to the ditch and crossed it again. Then back to the barn and untacked and she was barely sweating.

So back to the trailer and loading yet again. She didn't jump in, much to my disappointment, but it took less time to get her in and then her backing out was much improved. So, two more times in the trailer and off loading nicely and that was that. Out to the pasture she went to join Asia, Lady and Tomcat. Asia came over to chat with me after I'd turned India loose and it was though she was checking in just to be sure that I still remembered her. I rubbed a bunch of winter fur off her forehead and she enjoyed that, and then I went back and unhooked the trailer and now home.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet Kelly at 1099/HorseCamp to practice ride and tie and we'll see if India loads nicely. Thankfully, I'm not to meet her until 11, so that gives me some spare time to get India in the trailer.