tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347998222024-02-19T02:49:22.709-08:00Graceful AddictionRebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-80285119487728157212009-01-07T15:02:00.000-08:002009-01-07T15:27:15.939-08:00Grace is at Boot CampGrace and I have endured another tough couple of months. I have not really written anything on this blog because I have felt really negative about our future for various reasons.<br /><br />I moved all three horses to a fantastic competition yard called Northcote Stud in September, but after a few lovely months there the travelling became too much for me. The yard was 30 minutes from home and a whopping 60 minutes from work on the motorway so I was spending two and a half hours in the car every day and driving over 105 miles! As a result, my riding started to suffer as I had less and less time for riding, competitions and lessons and was constantly rushing around trying to get everything done!<br /><br />In October she also had her sacroiliac medicated because the PSD had caused some strain through her way of going. Peter Scholefield assured me that it was very common following the injury and she should not require any further treatment. I plan on taking her back in the spring just to have everything checked over, but fingers crossed there will be nothing wrong!<br /><br />At the beginning of December I moved all three horses to a small part livery yard just ten minutes from home... Bliss!<br /><br />However, true to form as we moved Grace became really poorly. The day after the move I got to the yard to find her absolutely streaming with snot, coughing and not eating! I called the vet out immediately as she had been fine the previous day and I was embarrassed that I had moved her onto a new yard with foals and mares in foal when she was so bad.<br /><br />The vet took some swabs and gave her some bute. She did not want to give her antibiotics as it can cause them to become a carrier if it is certain strains of bacteria and until she knew what it was she did not want to treat it. But Grace got gradually worse and the vet had to come out again to administer more pain relief as she simply was not eating! The swabs came back to show she had a nasty bacterial infection in her upper respiratory, but I was instructed to leave it to work its way out, which I did.<br /><br />Finally the week before Christmas the snot stopped and she looked brighter and back to her old self! What a relief!<br /><br />Because I have not been able to really get going with hers, I have sent both Hannah and Grace to Jo Wright-Graham, or ‘Boot Camp’ as I call it, for three weeks while I am away on holiday! I have been getting some good reports about Grace via text message, and other than a small blip when the eggbar was digging into her frog (Jo’s farrier has given her a new set of shoes) she seems to have been working well. She finds it difficult sitting back on her hinds, but she is still not strong enough to fully take the weight behind yet, and hopefully as she starts to strengthen up this will improve.<br /><br />I am planning on picking the girls up on Monday afternoon and have booked a lesson on the two of them in order to get myself up to speed with what they have been doing and I am going to watch Jo ride first. I have given myself a good kick up the bottom and sent off a few competition entries before I came away. Grace’s first one is at Aintree on 24th January doing the two Prelims, and then I have booked her in for two more Prelims at Croft on 6th February. We have a busy few months ahead!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-72303828213783655512008-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:002008-08-23T13:34:01.901-07:00It's never plain sailing...Grace has been back from Jo’s for just over a month and true to Grace’s form, it has not all been plain sailing. She was starting to work really well and we had a few competitions booked, but on 2nd August she came in lame on her near fore. There was a small knock on her cannon bone which we assumed was causing the lameness, but that soon went down and there was still quite a bit of heat and puffiness in the leg.<br /><br />A few days later, the vet came back up and thought we should take her in for xrays as she was literally on three legs and could not move around her stable. The whole event was really upsetting for me because I just did not feel able to cope with another long period of box rest and the emotionally toil it takes on us. Thankfully, the xrays showed that the pedal bone was intact and the vet believed she had some severe bruising to the toe area.<br /><br />Her shoe went back on two weeks ago and I could start riding her again after a few days of turnout. Since then, I have been working quite hard on getting her in front of the leg and working from behind rather than pulling me down. She has had a few issues with her mouth and been a little fussy in the contact, so she is now in a plain eggbutt JP snaffle which she seems more settled in and is allowing me to ride her more forwards into the contact.<br /><br />This evening we had a little jump, and seeing as she has not jumped for over 13 months, she was absolutely brilliant. She knocked a few poles, but she quickly learned from her mistakes and by the end was jumping beautifully.<br /><br />We have a Prelim booked in for Wednesday morning, it will be her second competition since coming back into work with her first one being at Cockshot a few weeks ago. I am just hoping she stays calm enough for me to ride her because occasionally she can be very hot headed and sensitive to the leg and whip.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-54166047857622267872008-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:002008-06-29T13:14:39.173-07:00A quick update on her ridden progressI am sorry for the lack of Grace updates since her freedom, but things have been so hectic that I have been coming home and just collapsing on the sofa!<br /><br />So, just a quick Grace update as I am supposed to be packing!Grace went over to Jo Wright-Graham's this morning for her 'holiday' (more like boot camp). I was completely stressed out trying to find the time to get everything done in time but somehow managed it. Grace was really chilled out in her stable, which doesn't sound a great achievment but Han was out in the field and she only shouted once. This time last year we would have had a complete screaming abdab and rearing up against the walls!!!<br /><br />I put her brushing boots and over reach boots on before her travel boots because Jo said she would ride her for me when I got there. I then put her Maxwell halter on as the past few times she has been hesitating slightly which I think is down to the fact that for eight months she has been travelling to and from the vets only. But today there was no need for any pressure, she just wandered up the ramp with me and stood munching on the net while I tied her up even though Han was shouting for her (hmmm, naughty girlie).<br /><br />As always, Grace travelled lovely and quietly and was as cool as a cucumber when we got to Jo's. I tacked her up and she was still being very sweet and not getting stressy at all. Jo jumped on board and just tested the water but she was soon working her really nicely and Grace just looked fab (que more tears welling up as I am trying to pretend it is rain!!!)<br /><br />I watched her hinds the whole time and there was nothing at all. The only thing I have noticed is that she is not flexing them as much as I know she can do, but I think that is more down to lack of muscle than anything else and Jo has told me not to worry about it, it is something we will work on over time.Jo really liked her canter, but more than anything she said she has an extremely willing mind which is the best thing a horse can have in the dressage arena. She said she never once argued with her and took everything she threw at her, I felt so proud of my girl!<br /><br />We gave her a quick rinse down and I left her tucked up in her pale blue Thermatex (she looked so pretty in it) with the strict instructions it must not be left on overnight to get covered in shavings. I left her tucking into a huge pile of hay and her Alfa A lunch. She looked as though she had been there forever, and other than a quick glance and gentle whicker as I drove the horsebox away, I don't even think she noticed I had gone. I cannot wait to see her in two weeks time, I think with the work she will be getting she will look a different horseRebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-85027800818184026502008-06-01T12:09:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:21:30.195-08:00Pictures of Grace's freedom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUCtzer7upkGg2vr5lI6qd6d6WjANYkMGTwaOJg-JDmp2oxfWAHLQjxC39oL35tG9czdmbFxtgOwWQU9cCvQiAiNbAmBb5mNZGzLgafHquxEpGFUngIU3OKjcUMl3br9gm3zF/s1600-h/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(2).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206994149842026114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUCtzer7upkGg2vr5lI6qd6d6WjANYkMGTwaOJg-JDmp2oxfWAHLQjxC39oL35tG9czdmbFxtgOwWQU9cCvQiAiNbAmBb5mNZGzLgafHquxEpGFUngIU3OKjcUMl3br9gm3zF/s320/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzFLCXs61wnx1-g-wX4A0rDyEa-OBrL6PXIB5iz07RG_PAEAesFEdVg15OwY4k_aXOrP_FcejX8FFK0nYPXTzjw01xuq4vTVqgYLYOTyjzDzmHdI2q-HxNB6KKtDMqCvro54u/s1600-h/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206994158431960722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzFLCXs61wnx1-g-wX4A0rDyEa-OBrL6PXIB5iz07RG_PAEAesFEdVg15OwY4k_aXOrP_FcejX8FFK0nYPXTzjw01xuq4vTVqgYLYOTyjzDzmHdI2q-HxNB6KKtDMqCvro54u/s320/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF7OHFj0UCI5KtxFwouPC6kZ4EieRRShs5WEBWbRBn1llpy92ON3Rae-KOqnCXBYlPFDfiozUjPLInVpUC44vOVXkAsMc_mlS0_1B-YC5UdJwu1z0U3oeeXhyK6EBnA2KJD8U/s1600-h/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(6).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206994167021895330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXF7OHFj0UCI5KtxFwouPC6kZ4EieRRShs5WEBWbRBn1llpy92ON3Rae-KOqnCXBYlPFDfiozUjPLInVpUC44vOVXkAsMc_mlS0_1B-YC5UdJwu1z0U3oeeXhyK6EBnA2KJD8U/s320/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(6).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s1aTCAB52eZ3DSFIajLdn2j7k18yowT3L2WZ9aiFk3JgZBoF8hogIKIz6sNaeCEQkHvdHjjrPJGyC3Of8qNNmlrvfrh7GG-zhi5GIrxGRXYwereBkNAXPfATiXnZHy1FlV6f/s1600-h/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(7).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206994175611829938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s1aTCAB52eZ3DSFIajLdn2j7k18yowT3L2WZ9aiFk3JgZBoF8hogIKIz6sNaeCEQkHvdHjjrPJGyC3Of8qNNmlrvfrh7GG-zhi5GIrxGRXYwereBkNAXPfATiXnZHy1FlV6f/s320/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(7).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFobXK7jNomFB-pabJzC-VdYIfquDU8PaSPDX8LySgCEFgnYMF8Wy9GQGuLOS4rzlyGlu_y2SrH7Dhm1gy8CBBMyXCSqZkIx8L0beFNfreNO1pfJhsJb4fRstK3YWzVkAlOIXF/s1600-h/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(12).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206994179906797250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFobXK7jNomFB-pabJzC-VdYIfquDU8PaSPDX8LySgCEFgnYMF8Wy9GQGuLOS4rzlyGlu_y2SrH7Dhm1gy8CBBMyXCSqZkIx8L0beFNfreNO1pfJhsJb4fRstK3YWzVkAlOIXF/s320/26th+May+-+Grace%27s+1st+day+out!!!+(12).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-90159339124348634832008-05-29T05:04:00.000-07:002008-05-29T05:05:28.053-07:00Grace's life is slowly returning!Over the past few weeks I think I have endured every emotion the human body can feel. The sheer elation at knowing Grace can start the trot work was soon replaced by anguish on the first evening we trotted. She felt like a coiled spring ready to explode at any time, but it felt great because was so full of life.<br /><br />There have been several explosions which have been quite daunting, but I have managed to remain attached and just kept thinking forwards with her!<br /><br />On Monday, the emotions were so mixed that I cannot begin to describe them. I could not believe that after almost eight months of box rest I could finally turn out Grace in a field to be a normal horse! However, there was a distinct feeling of dread too, not only regarding her reaction to freedom, but also how my other mare would react to sharing her field again.<br /><br />Thankfully, after a few laps of the field the two girls seemed to settle well and up until last night there have been no fisticuffs between them. I think Grace tried to assert some authority last night, to which Hannah responded by ripping the rug clean off Grace’s back and chasing her mercilessly. Luckily, Grace has come away with a scratch on her shoulder where one of Hannah’s feet has skimmed the surface, but I know it could have been a lot worse. It was quite nerve wracking putting them both out this morning, but they seem to have resolved their differences now (fingers crossed).<br /><br />As I have been following the surgeon’s advice to the letter, for the first few days of turnout I have let her have a reasonably easy existence. However, I then upped the trot work in each sessions (I have cut these down to 35 minutes from 45 minutes due to other commitments) and she is really starting to use her hind legs now. Because she has been a bit ‘stressy’ I have been keeping the handbrake on more than I should. So, this morning before work I decided to let the handbrake off and flick her hind legs up with my super dooper whip. At first she was just kicking out at the whip, but soon she started really picking her hinds up and worked really hard!<br /><br />There is just a little glimmer of hope emerging.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-69379922150907563542008-05-19T02:10:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:21:30.795-08:00Grace is back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2__dT6LfkY_uwwx1IqRsxbZ9XObRrF4sFb6XLQcVMSE3KE77RC_je89T8OJQlaqdIi-8FkNLlRNf2AmNeFqbpUi2rL3yLpVmSg6xt13vddA6lfjD131b3j-i_CtIZbp_0s4F/s1600-h/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202023669218011874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2__dT6LfkY_uwwx1IqRsxbZ9XObRrF4sFb6XLQcVMSE3KE77RC_je89T8OJQlaqdIi-8FkNLlRNf2AmNeFqbpUi2rL3yLpVmSg6xt13vddA6lfjD131b3j-i_CtIZbp_0s4F/s320/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL0TwJfAwv3nYyAWmJIQwGMJ3OZD2YnnfD9G-uNLwD8EWQvVbGTI51C1Mx_u-8bdBd9x2mMHWypuZWMReglgRiJnpLeab6nckYU7cxflz48Fz3W9yeP99CPHn64-k10cV-fPZ/s1600-h/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot+(2).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202023677807946482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL0TwJfAwv3nYyAWmJIQwGMJ3OZD2YnnfD9G-uNLwD8EWQvVbGTI51C1Mx_u-8bdBd9x2mMHWypuZWMReglgRiJnpLeab6nckYU7cxflz48Fz3W9yeP99CPHn64-k10cV-fPZ/s320/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqNKdvc2Gp2q2slv_E7DO1xOxX_GcJzRgzlVsxXvPHukMFWYM1GHGxDvm2iic4gvqPqYz7tlblyPnYSKosXphwothB4osiG_rodY55levVLLFjR6sUkbhOuAMqQlebKuWVUFf/s1600-h/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202023686397881090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqNKdvc2Gp2q2slv_E7DO1xOxX_GcJzRgzlVsxXvPHukMFWYM1GHGxDvm2iic4gvqPqYz7tlblyPnYSKosXphwothB4osiG_rodY55levVLLFjR6sUkbhOuAMqQlebKuWVUFf/s320/17th+May+-+starting+to+trot+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, it has been a very emotional and exhausting seven months, but we have finally come to the end of it!<br /><br />On Tuesday morning, Grace and I went up to Hird’s for our 11am appointment. My very good friend Sue came with me for moral support (and to be a shoulder to cry on should the worst scenario become a reality), and for once in my life I actually set off on time!<br /><br />I had been dreading the appointment all week, which culminated in me throwing my guts up on Tuesday morning through nerves, fear, dread and whatever else I was feeling. After everything I have been through with Grace, I think I expect the worst rather than hope for the best.<br /><br />Grace loaded quietly as always and travelled perfectly. It still amazes me how well she travels after all the journeys she has made in pain or following surgery. I guess it shows what a genuine girl she really is!<br /><br />The journey went well with only a small amount of traffic on the M62 following an accident and we got to Hird’s in perfect timing at 10.55am... again, another first, I was actually early!!!<br /><br />As we arrived, one of the staff came out to tell us that there was a bit of a delay because a horse was having an emergency colic operation. Having been there myself, my thoughts went out to its owners, and we waited patiently while Peter performed the surgery. The staff plied us with cups of tea leaving Sue and I to devour the last of the new Digestive biscuits in the lorry (the ones with yoghurt on top... they are highly recommended).<br /><br />Finally, after an hour and a half wait, it was Grace’s turn. I think the nerves by this point had hit screaming pitch. My hands were shaking as I undid her headcollar and put the bridle on, and Sue had to take her travel boots off because I had turned to jelly. Thankfully, one of the staff trotted her up for me on the flat because I do not think my legs would have carried me at this point.<br /><br />Grace trotted up completely sound on the straight, but I did not take any comfort from this as she has always been sound in this situation. The moment of truth was yet to come; she would be put on the lunge and trotted in a circle. However, due to her ‘antics’ when being trotted up in hand, Peter decided to give her a small injection of ACP to take the edge off her.<br /><br />The ACP worked pretty instantly and Grace seems to go under quite heavily with just a small amount. However, the member of staff put her out onto the lunge and no matter how hard I looked for it, both hocks were moving evenly! I still did not allow myself to breathe, as Peter had not said a word other than instructing the member of staff to change reins.<br /><br />He put her on the left rein twice which set off alarm bells in my head... what was he seeing that I was not??? However, he turned around to me smiling said she was absolutely fine, looked great in fact, and that she no longer needed to come back to the practise!!!<br /><br />Peter explained that she did look a bit stiff, but nothing else could be expected after seven months of box rest. I said I could see that and asked whether it was anything to be concerned about, to which he replied that it was not.<br /><br />So, she is now walking for 45 minutes and having 12 long sides of trot incorporated into this for two weeks. After this, she is allowed to be turned out in a normal sized paddock which is fantastic news! However, the piece of news which just brought tears to my eyes is that once she starts the turnout, I have to let her go easy for a few days and then she is to be brought back into work over a 6 weeks period just like any other horse!!! He even encouraged me to work with a trainer towards the end of this period to make sure I am not backing off her, as I have to be very firm and make sure she engages her hind legs to ensure maximum healing. The scar tissue will still be tight at the moment, and we will hit some sticky bits, but he has assured me that there is no stopping her now!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-58825323212176629492008-04-21T00:43:00.000-07:002008-04-21T00:45:16.616-07:00Ode to Sedalin!After a long day competing, my lovely husband came up to the yard to meet me for some moral support... It was the first time in over 6 weeks (with 4 weeks complete box rest) that I had ridden Grace.<br /><br />On Saturday I had walked her to the end of the yard and back a few times, and let's just say I was glad I was not sat on her!!! I have never seen a buck like it in all my life. Because of this, I decided Sedalin was the best way forwards to ensure I was safe, but more importantly that Grace did not cause any more damage to her legs after the operation.<br /><br />I gave her 4ml as the vet had suggested, and 40 minutes later when I got on her she had heavy eyes and seemed to be quite out of it. I walked her into the arena, but as our feet touched the surface she came around abit, enough for me to feel happy getting on her.<br /><br />She had a few spooks, but whereas that would have been an explosion of bucks, rears, spins and squealing, it was a small spook and nothing more. Thank goodness for Sedalin!<br /><br />Tonight I am going to go it alone, but I am also going to give her 2ml as I still felt she was a bit too sedated at first... by the end she was coming around, so I think 2ml will just take the edge off her enough for me to walk her around for 20 minutes.<br /><br />My husband couldn't stop laughing at me because I was blubbering all the way around I never thought we would get back to this stage, and Grace felt so fantastic, I had forgotten just how beautiful her walk is!!! The bounce and ping just made me realise how determined I am to get her back in work and out there competing! She is such a natural mover, and I know she has so much more yet to offer.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-18881283161194388472008-04-05T05:48:00.001-07:002008-12-09T17:21:32.129-08:00Some photographs of Grace at home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDtZz870cG9IhaBZsL9_iExuO3f49iq9lWXCQP0vPmBLYekD6-py29GXcVnb5je65fB1NOR98Uos-xr-nvrLUQoEX2HwE_9r1N24O3XJMw890c2vXC2ZM_5K11pFbAO1wyWGf/s1600-h/1st+April+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185743488952158818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDtZz870cG9IhaBZsL9_iExuO3f49iq9lWXCQP0vPmBLYekD6-py29GXcVnb5je65fB1NOR98Uos-xr-nvrLUQoEX2HwE_9r1N24O3XJMw890c2vXC2ZM_5K11pFbAO1wyWGf/s320/1st+April+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxVo6DU5-JzhIhB3ZYv1VaKCQtDUjsh9Ydmfgz02cK0T2IgO5gNjedLdbmP3_0mAL6g5GmbzJrw4vIu6P0zYRq63oW03aTwo-wkkoe5IM8sTH3yDH0x0DpG6RazX9Zm_2ye0t/s1600-h/1st+April+(8).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185743497542093426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxVo6DU5-JzhIhB3ZYv1VaKCQtDUjsh9Ydmfgz02cK0T2IgO5gNjedLdbmP3_0mAL6g5GmbzJrw4vIu6P0zYRq63oW03aTwo-wkkoe5IM8sTH3yDH0x0DpG6RazX9Zm_2ye0t/s320/1st+April+(8).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHsyw44lL8KfzwwDLNPI2feMRfOr3IaG9vrknC6m9RrQoElssd_y3Ijjy7oGTimy3lH6tW9PaaC_fPBjYu63nN6W2J0Uvy4mdtkbaNAy9Y8pLnj4OnKnym-IGQf1Nk737n2vU/s1600-h/1st+April+(10).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185743501837060738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHsyw44lL8KfzwwDLNPI2feMRfOr3IaG9vrknC6m9RrQoElssd_y3Ijjy7oGTimy3lH6tW9PaaC_fPBjYu63nN6W2J0Uvy4mdtkbaNAy9Y8pLnj4OnKnym-IGQf1Nk737n2vU/s320/1st+April+(10).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVytCOr9Rp66y05udiCe3zvZhdIbcmWxr9E8e8x8WnwELBOc1v8LvJlrkyqEB3u0C31-OMFG5VnTu4wzr6fVWMCFWeznGqFXsmPZA60oCQNgjNhTPEGyNHWvgoBMM9Us3CKBs/s1600-h/1st+April+(14).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185743510426995346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVytCOr9Rp66y05udiCe3zvZhdIbcmWxr9E8e8x8WnwELBOc1v8LvJlrkyqEB3u0C31-OMFG5VnTu4wzr6fVWMCFWeznGqFXsmPZA60oCQNgjNhTPEGyNHWvgoBMM9Us3CKBs/s320/1st+April+(14).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-24481317660254957502008-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:002008-03-31T06:08:49.940-07:00She is home!The past few weeks have been incredibly stressful! In fact, I do not think I have been ‘normal’ since November 2007 when this all started. I feel as though I have been on a complete emotional rollercoaster and to a certain extent I am still riding on it. <br /><br />The good news is that Grace is now home. She travelled perfectly in the horsebox and came off the ramp incredibly quickly at the other end, she seemed so pleased to be home. Since then, Grace has been on complete box rest, with a tiny respite of being tied up outside her box while I muck out and put her bed down. She has been incredibly well behaved, if anything she has been quite quiet and calm. She is on Equine America’s So Kalm which I do think is helping, but I also think the fact she has been in this state since November has made her an old hand at it!<br /><br />The first part of the recovery is four weeks of box rest which will conclude on 23rd April when I can then start walking her on board. Hopefully, with the help of ACP we will be walking for 20 minutes for a period of three weeks, increasing to 35 minutes by the end. After this, she will return to the surgery for a reassessment where she will hopefully be 100% sound!<br /><br />The vet came up on Friday to change her bandages for the first time and there is one further change required tomorrow (Tuesday). I will probably continue bandaging her at night with some pads and a dressing over the wounds at night as she lies down a lot and I would like to keep it as clean as possible. However, I will speak to the vet regarding this when he comes out tomorrow.<br /><br />There was a slight swelling on the right hind when he came on Friday, but the left hind looked really good. I did not get a change to see the incision, but when he comes out tomorrow I am planning on taking some photographs so I can compare these to ones later on in the healing.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-18789082919279732992008-03-23T00:10:00.001-07:002008-12-09T17:21:33.028-08:00Our visit to hospital<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HqPsThXreAd5Gm3sgd2fiHNGiaXNPT_C66D9XbG_4W4CgMdCZADPEeSdvYIG1lBVwf0zjO8u1R7i9aOEk44MiaOKrEhAzLsoOBSaDFnB9Fxzc90-00jPyL6PPg6BqIZQ5WBw/s1600-h/22nd+March.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180832554626435602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HqPsThXreAd5Gm3sgd2fiHNGiaXNPT_C66D9XbG_4W4CgMdCZADPEeSdvYIG1lBVwf0zjO8u1R7i9aOEk44MiaOKrEhAzLsoOBSaDFnB9Fxzc90-00jPyL6PPg6BqIZQ5WBw/s320/22nd+March.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPUS-K8e_AlW2N4AKKlTzdw7Jhwaa1_NG_GYr_44Z4jlZS5co3M4fXXwd6OnC1ETW9-x_BQxPnLZImrbvtGE-JfK-Y3kFcX4QsdJITBfczuKc9VQTKh_QTL0CLaPMR3CZ5Av-/s1600-h/22nd+March+(2).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180832563216370210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPUS-K8e_AlW2N4AKKlTzdw7Jhwaa1_NG_GYr_44Z4jlZS5co3M4fXXwd6OnC1ETW9-x_BQxPnLZImrbvtGE-JfK-Y3kFcX4QsdJITBfczuKc9VQTKh_QTL0CLaPMR3CZ5Av-/s320/22nd+March+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnjeNMuWmGJ6_4BM46V02rjeffinTeu9gJpUUVaQ0QfunJ6w5kDEy3XUlBH9GdUg0dRD4gj0EXezEcYPreTK9U9uA3c9WGxr1LixXQPwO3eRLPi0tocfxg_r1wBJt5JMi9swL/s1600-h/22nd+March+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180832567511337522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnjeNMuWmGJ6_4BM46V02rjeffinTeu9gJpUUVaQ0QfunJ6w5kDEy3XUlBH9GdUg0dRD4gj0EXezEcYPreTK9U9uA3c9WGxr1LixXQPwO3eRLPi0tocfxg_r1wBJt5JMi9swL/s320/22nd+March+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cWoHHu64dhlHmfivmUPXdduqzDokK8eNdRshe1EKE5h-XelfPGowun35v2R4SK79ejyL66v6UbigmtR3MdGNnosQmX9fmZoxIhCPBY5L0dNkfC-_pFvndkq72wZkHZVIp_Ji/s1600-h/22nd+March+(4).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180832571806304834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cWoHHu64dhlHmfivmUPXdduqzDokK8eNdRshe1EKE5h-XelfPGowun35v2R4SK79ejyL66v6UbigmtR3MdGNnosQmX9fmZoxIhCPBY5L0dNkfC-_pFvndkq72wZkHZVIp_Ji/s320/22nd+March+(4).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWIL0_EKpBhJ5SmhzL-Ip_51ERnqODRwlVTxpXlE1-QUeWsYJib6nlAmg4PXhy6A77Z5zHJTb9MDd-S5XoivCqyF2aa0qF4HtRJP46u07iOWuJNT3BDY-VPhtSOQNUAGhpHqu/s1600-h/22nd+March+(6).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180832580396239442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWIL0_EKpBhJ5SmhzL-Ip_51ERnqODRwlVTxpXlE1-QUeWsYJib6nlAmg4PXhy6A77Z5zHJTb9MDd-S5XoivCqyF2aa0qF4HtRJP46u07iOWuJNT3BDY-VPhtSOQNUAGhpHqu/s320/22nd+March+(6).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After the operation on Thursday, I have been dying to see my girl So I go up at 6.30am, mucked out Hannah and set off for the hour and a half journey to Yorkshire so I could be there for the visiting hours of 9-10am.<br /><br />It was gorgeous and snowy over there, so I took a few pictures as we left the vets.<br /><br />As we arrived (I dragged my Mum out of bed) the vet explained she had just had her bandages changed because she had trashed them last night. Grace had been very good having them changed and looked well.<br /><br />So we walked to where she was stabled through the snow and I couldn't wait to see my girl! I walked into the stable block but I didn't know which one she was in... I clicked her and shouted her name very softly and I heard a huge commotion and then her familiar deep whicker. She went crazy as soon as she heard me and just kept whickering and stretching her neck to see me. I had some polos in my pocket so gave her all of those, lots of scratches and a few tears of joy at seeing her. Even my Mum filled up when she saw Grace's reaction to hearing me!<br /><br />We did take some pictures, but the battery was dying (plus my Mum was taking them ) so they are a bit rubbish... </div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-39560285328402689682008-03-20T07:12:00.000-07:002008-03-20T07:29:56.148-07:00Grace is out of surgeryI have been unable to concentrate on anything for the past few days, as all I have been able to think about is my gorgeous girl going through another GA. The questions have been running through my mind day and night making it near impossible to sleep and I have just been completely irrational about everything!<br /><br />I have been waiting for the phone call all morning as she went in for surgery at 9am... and finally at 12.45pm I received it (cue shaking hands, inability to breathe properly and tears welling up!)<br /><br />Grace is up and settled! The operation was successful and straight forwards. The nerves were easy to locate and she did well under the general anaesthetic which is good news. This is the best Birthday present I could have wished for and it also feels like fate. We bought her on 20th March and she has now been operated on and come through it exactly a year from then!!!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-54891005842300193992008-03-11T14:49:00.000-07:002008-03-11T14:52:16.929-07:00I'm absolutely devastated!I took Grace over to Halifax this morning for a scan and lameness work up on the suspensory ligament injury which was diagnosed in November. It was an acute injury, therefore we underwent four sessions of the shock wave therapy and injections into the ligament itself. I took her back five weeks ago and there was a good improvement from the first scan, and I was told I could start walking her under saddle, increasing this time up to 60 minutes before returning for the next scan...<br /><br />Which brings me to today... Firstly, the specialist asked me to trot her up! No easy task when it is windy and she has not been trotted for months!!! Anyway, off we went, and after some serious bucks and squeeling I got her trotting up for him. She looked pretty sound on the straight, so we took her into the school (after a little shot of ACP) and she was lunged. Immediately I could see she was not quite sound Peter agreed and said that she had improved because originally she had been 3/10 lame on a circle and now she is 1/10. But he wanted to scan it anyway... I watched the scans and could again see a good improvement to the shape of the ligament and the fibre patterns. There were some areas where the patterns were not perfect, but again, an improvement!<br /><br />As Grace was coming around Peter went through what he could see from the scans. He said she was not as far a long as we would have hoped at this stage, but all horses heal differently. However, he did say that the ligament was still more enlarged than the right one and this could just be the way it would heal... He told me that she could start going out in the field, and then I was to begin introducing small amounts of trot for the next six weeks. If she was still unsound after this time, then we would have to talk about the denerving operation... So, that is how we left it!I loaded Grace (again, she loaded perfectly) and set off for home. However, my brain started whizzing around and I was more upset than I realised. I was devastated that she had not improved much since the previous scan even though I have been really sticking to the plan, and realised that this waiting game is really affecting not just my sanity but also my whole outlook on life!<br /><br />We pulled into the first services and Peter had very kindly given me his mobile number should I need it... and this was one of those situations! I phoned him and just voiced my concerns. We are getting to the edge of the insurance limit with this one, and 6 more weeks is effectively two more months of waiting and costs (ie. more scans at that point). I told him that I had been thinking about having the operation done now as opposed to six weeks time and he said he thought this was a very wise decision! She may never come sound if we carry on this waiting game, as the ligament is not reducing in size as hoped... and the more I think about it the more I am wondering whether this injury was perhaps not as acute as we seemed to think! So, she is booked in for 20th March (my birthday).<br /><br />Please everyone keep everything crossed for her that day... to say I am devastated is an understatement. I just cannot stop the tears now the decision has been made, but I cannot bare to think that I will never ride this gorgeous girl again. At least if she has the operation, we have more of a chance of returning to where I always dreamed she would be!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-69550079269211036692008-03-08T07:44:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:21:33.294-08:00Only three days to go...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHilV9sZ7kPSkQ-k8t2-AnQe_e2GeQfELPxFVJmgIBHTsf6Um82S0dN8LwHYOwPZWAw0uZ8P_LUOWrG-E4i7RZ40hQe-bg2niWgQLtuQ8xQ5uM4FpuJ_fBafluq49s-5uGvO_5/s1600-h/6th+March+(5).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175398381647661426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHilV9sZ7kPSkQ-k8t2-AnQe_e2GeQfELPxFVJmgIBHTsf6Um82S0dN8LwHYOwPZWAw0uZ8P_LUOWrG-E4i7RZ40hQe-bg2niWgQLtuQ8xQ5uM4FpuJ_fBafluq49s-5uGvO_5/s320/6th+March+(5).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I finally got hold of Peter Scholefield and Grace is now booked in for the scan on Tuesday at 11am. I am already starting to worry about it and praying for good news! Originally I was supposed to be driving up to Yorkshire with my husband, but he is unable to come with me now so it will be just Grace and I going up to Shelf!<br /><br />Please keep your fingers crossed for us...<br /><br />She is now doing 60 minutes of walking under saddle and feels as though she is settling into a little more now. My husband took some pictures for me, so I hope you can see how well she is looking now. </div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-39716115746343572932008-03-04T14:05:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:21:33.803-08:00Week four of walking...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DVWtxp2RpR2SfsKH8re97n-6iN9WihubVjDFlLR-fNN382sLWma4j8yuNk1q5-M3Nf06l80NP_athcmWninTJhufIcdL6YfhvVqDliBxlfA9PG-xwlaFPdEa9mQ4FSQaZNHt/s1600-h/2nd+time+ridden+-+10th+February+(5).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174013596319798610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DVWtxp2RpR2SfsKH8re97n-6iN9WihubVjDFlLR-fNN382sLWma4j8yuNk1q5-M3Nf06l80NP_athcmWninTJhufIcdL6YfhvVqDliBxlfA9PG-xwlaFPdEa9mQ4FSQaZNHt/s320/2nd+time+ridden+-+10th+February+(5).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKmOX7goSGVJuCn4g20C2OVL5tbq7mB4dShyphenhyphena1wHunePBM0oXNTf5ZbgOpAKsZOgDr2lE4N8vDA9XTfkhEQPtX2tGpkNXksfNsLLAfEVBmJYTMo0dQfc41xLPYDvqjOUlNW84/s1600-h/21st+February.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174013609204700514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKmOX7goSGVJuCn4g20C2OVL5tbq7mB4dShyphenhyphena1wHunePBM0oXNTf5ZbgOpAKsZOgDr2lE4N8vDA9XTfkhEQPtX2tGpkNXksfNsLLAfEVBmJYTMo0dQfc41xLPYDvqjOUlNW84/s320/21st+February.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2zXaOvHmAzclKG6_JEU5ZzN-tw-B1_RLN0ozCWrzG6uIoCYDQn5NPAVywMH5Nmdf6rPqI6zuLJSLMlI0WxcGLcN_ARoRC8g_QsTS0mP9Gek2v_ANrNlTT-3Emkh6WxlaIGtp/s1600-h/21st+February+(4).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174013613499667826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2zXaOvHmAzclKG6_JEU5ZzN-tw-B1_RLN0ozCWrzG6uIoCYDQn5NPAVywMH5Nmdf6rPqI6zuLJSLMlI0WxcGLcN_ARoRC8g_QsTS0mP9Gek2v_ANrNlTT-3Emkh6WxlaIGtp/s320/21st+February+(4).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Grace and I are now on our fourth week of walking under saddle. It has been incredibly tough, as one minute she is laid back and the next she is turning herself inside out over something and nothing. I am still not quite sure how I have managed to stay on board all this time; we still have a week or so to go yet too!<br /><br />I have booked Grace’s next scan for 19th March, I am hoping and praying that there is more good news regarding the ligament because she is certainly feeling well in herself. I know she has lost muscle, but I have never seen her look so well! Her coat is in great condition, she is well covered (usually I have difficulty keeping the weight on her especially in winter) and is full of life. I have been riding her as forwards as I can to try and stop the spooks and explosions, but at the moment every time I put my leg on her she is sinking down on her hocks and teaching herself piaffe, so goodness knows what state the ligament will be in!<br /><br />Although the scan is not for another two weeks, I am currently trying to contact Peter Scholefield as I am struggling to keep her quiet and walking. She is very eager to get going, and feels as though she is a coiled spring waiting to explode... she is on a calmer, but it does not seem to be doing us much good. I am hoping that we could perhaps bring the scan forwards a week so that we could start some trot work if everything is progressing as it should do. That will be another day for me to worry about! I swear that I am going to take up gold fish!!!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-30576052712001568792008-02-02T11:43:00.000-08:002008-03-04T14:05:44.203-08:00Another small step towards normalityGrace has been doing really well since coming home three weeks ago. It is now 7 weeks since she had colic surgery and just under 6 weeks since she came out of Leahurst Equine Hospital. It has been a real emotional rollercoaster since I had her back because she has been as quiet as a lamb one minute (so I have been worried she is becoming ill again) and then a passaging lunatic the next (which makes me worry about the scar and the ligament).<br /><br />I have been slowly increasing the amount of time spent walking her in the arena and down the lane. She is not that interested in the grass, and the field have been either incredibly wet or frosty so I have not risked taking her in just in case. In the back of my mind though I have been very concerned about her injury to the left hind suspensory ligament because of how athletic she has been since coming home. Because of this, I could not wait much longer for fear of going crazy, so I booked her in for a scan in Halifax this week.<br /><br />Grace loaded perfectly and as always she travelled wonderfully. We got there and I felt as though I had been holding my breath for the entire journey... but I would be holding it for a little while longer while they scanned it!<br /><br />Peter sedated Grace, clipped the areas of her ligament and then started having a look at the left one compared to the right. I tried looking at the images, but I couldn’t really make them out enough to know what was happening in there. Suddenly, Peter said, “Right, can we have the lights back!” My heart sank... it was bad news; the ligament had not healed at all and we were back to square one!<br /><br />Peter could see the look on my face I think, but never once passed over the details. He explained to me that the ligament had definitely improved and was now much more like the right one which was fantastic news! There is still some inflammation, but he said he was very happy with her progress and normally she would now start her ridden work in walk. He knows about her colic surgery, and while she was sedated he had a really good look and feel of her scar, remarking that it was lovely and neat and healing extremely well.<br /><br />I asked whether I should start increasing her time of being walked in hand as I didn’t want to do the next stage of the colic surgery as it involves turnout in a paddock and would wreck all the healing her ligament has done. I have spoken to Leahurst, and they said to up her walking and to continue as I was doing, so this is what I had planned. Peter looked at the scar again and said that rather than turning her out he wanted me to do 2 more weeks of walking her in hand (taking us to the end of the first two months colic recovery period) and then get on her and walk her for 30 minutes, increasing gradually over four weeks!!! I cannot believe it... I had pencilled in our first ride on 16th April, but it has now been brought forwards to 17th February. Obviously it is just walking, whereas at the end of the colic recovery the idea is to bring them back into normal work, but the ligament now needs strengthening and Peter would rather have her ridden in a controlled form of exercise than honing around in a paddock!<br /><br />Needless to say, I am incredibly excited but still know the ligament might need further treatment if the scan in 6 weeks shows no more improvement. But for now, all I wanted was an improvement, and that is exactly what I got (plus the chance to get on my gorgeous girl again!)Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-79100791530558304892008-01-13T04:29:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:21:34.409-08:00Grace is certainly feeling well!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKsFj7kYFdzhAQ6O_MQGQRiOLxj5SKRCpMfWL4jbVucgR1H25hVkdTRyLFLAUrxvtKGutjboHTKC1RXThm-6fpuZi5M9EA-LSMn8n0etjA6otOQYXznf5jkzyW9XPaFT6DSI1/s1600-h/12th+January.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154964701751774066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKsFj7kYFdzhAQ6O_MQGQRiOLxj5SKRCpMfWL4jbVucgR1H25hVkdTRyLFLAUrxvtKGutjboHTKC1RXThm-6fpuZi5M9EA-LSMn8n0etjA6otOQYXznf5jkzyW9XPaFT6DSI1/s320/12th+January.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0diAYNeBooNS6P2S7CIWGhhkmWySDnmJi8JV5hUhtjxl1f9pLC2DDDwdPIzpHlEI1omLrlweWd1X1JBQsLiC-Qv2I63V5RDzsc03_54pUD_TIMJ6B0Lt3u5eGEz-YTqZ6QaZ/s1600-h/12th+January+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154964706046741378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0diAYNeBooNS6P2S7CIWGhhkmWySDnmJi8JV5hUhtjxl1f9pLC2DDDwdPIzpHlEI1omLrlweWd1X1JBQsLiC-Qv2I63V5RDzsc03_54pUD_TIMJ6B0Lt3u5eGEz-YTqZ6QaZ/s320/12th+January+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQnZ5IpKHy8xVHD0PxOWp16DXKLWlIMqubhoobCptkSwUgoUEGb37tkBYsojO057l5WyUg4g8wNHi_tABTkWURvRjfyXKBJ8g5WORDjKwdXdqS3uCo3705FPhHkTZjwvRjDZH/s1600-h/12th+January+(7).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154964710341708690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQnZ5IpKHy8xVHD0PxOWp16DXKLWlIMqubhoobCptkSwUgoUEGb37tkBYsojO057l5WyUg4g8wNHi_tABTkWURvRjfyXKBJ8g5WORDjKwdXdqS3uCo3705FPhHkTZjwvRjDZH/s320/12th+January+(7).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Grace has settled in really well at the new yard. Her appetite has certainly returned, but we did have some issues getting some hard feed into her because she kept turning her nose up at it! Before she went away to Leahurst she was on Dengie’s Healthy Hoof and her supplements (Cortaflex and MSM for her ligament). I do not know whether horse’s brains work in the same way as ours and relate certain tastes to events, but as soon as I put the Healthy Hoof in she was not interested in the slightest. I was a bit worried she was not interested, so also put a bucket of Alfa A in which she wolfed it down.<br /><br />Gradually I have been swapping her on to the Alfa A and she does seem to be eating it all... I have also added some TopSpec Balancer to her feed so she gets all the vitamins and minerals she needs and she went onto Coligone while she was at the YEC. To encourage her to eat, Dengie suggested trying her with some Alfa Beat too which seems to be helping.<br /><br />I feel as though I have turned into a completely paranoid owner though. I just hope when she is back fit and well, life might restore to normality. I am meeting myself going backwards at the moment, and seem to be spending far too much time at the yard! Grace has to be walked at least twice for 15-20 minutes and have some grass. We started by walking up and down the drive and getting some grass that way, but she was too busy being nosy to eat. The yard owner offered me a small field where I could hand graze her which has made a real difference. She will now eat constantly for 15 minutes without lifting her head.<br /><br />Her ligament still needs some exercise though, so I have been taking her for some grass and then walking her for a further 10 minutes on the drive. However, last night this really did not go to plan! Grace started squeeling and bucking to the point where she was doing handstands... I was so worried about her pulling her scar or even worse causing some damage to the internal scarring. She did three bucks in a row and I managed to get her back walking forwards but then she set off again and was passaging at the side of me. I was wincing just thinking about her tummy, but I couldn’t escape the fact that she looked absolutely beautiful!<br /><br />Her scar was a little warm when I brought her back in, but when my husband Andy checked her an hour later she was munching her haylage and very content... I just had to check she was still ok though!<br /><br />This morning I was ready for a repeat of last night. Armed with my Richard Maxwell halter we did things a little differently and went straight for some grass rather than walking for a while. She behaved impeccably having the grass, and even leading her back from the field she did not pull or get worked up. I decided to take her into the arena because I am worried that one day I will not be able to hold her on the path and she will get away from me. At least in the arena it is only a 40mx20m area, whereas there are several 20 acre fields she can get in on the lane!<br /><br />As we walked into the arena she erupted, but I calmly asked her to halt with the pressure halter, step backwards one stride and then we carried on. We walked in the arena for around 10 minutes, and although there were several moments when she felt as though she was going to stress, I just applied the pressure and she halted abruptly. So I was very pleased with her because it was much better than last night. Ideally she should be walked on a hard surface for her ligament, but I am going to speak to Peter Scholefield about taking her in the arena, and also to book her in for the final scan on the ligament.<br /><br />Although her silliness had me panicking and worried, it made me realise how athletic she really is. If she moves like that four weeks after surgery, what will she be like when she is fit again... I am determined to get her to the highest level she can achieve, no matter what it takes!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-81311342311152694572008-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:21:35.668-08:00She is home!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha91zfWNuhCzz8zmYubin6UOlc-U6JjrtGndj0EzH96LLyVKguTFJwr-JhJIpw3Xiv40UBbGHC2M4qjk_hGBFwJp_n4N_oIqu9kWfibt2tV5HhsUOU1gqAblr8uVKgZbNY0QsB/s1600-h/Home+at+last+-+9th+January.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153588134668634914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha91zfWNuhCzz8zmYubin6UOlc-U6JjrtGndj0EzH96LLyVKguTFJwr-JhJIpw3Xiv40UBbGHC2M4qjk_hGBFwJp_n4N_oIqu9kWfibt2tV5HhsUOU1gqAblr8uVKgZbNY0QsB/s320/Home+at+last+-+9th+January.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YKoDp8NNsr-qpsnoY1kBU6OY_X58DCBEtJnS4IWeIOYxzvR4EcJj9hrtFyAdHcXBYGx2A4SImslST9MhhdD-fH7rskfnISc1n7iASbYHweqrIWttOLKmlTd3mgqVFX-Ah0p8/s1600-h/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(2).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153588147553536818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YKoDp8NNsr-qpsnoY1kBU6OY_X58DCBEtJnS4IWeIOYxzvR4EcJj9hrtFyAdHcXBYGx2A4SImslST9MhhdD-fH7rskfnISc1n7iASbYHweqrIWttOLKmlTd3mgqVFX-Ah0p8/s320/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9pOIQsbDU3XDHQBYHCDZR0O0cA7axLqPQG0u_ywcsm6JExyJh1CmCdiuKrarNjzz5VbVgI5Di-gbLp4XW7KTA39baB_4FO7p2oAsmBn3U_M6F8Y3HQKskJkq0Di7giYwEO4h/s1600-h/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(9).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153588156143471426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9pOIQsbDU3XDHQBYHCDZR0O0cA7axLqPQG0u_ywcsm6JExyJh1CmCdiuKrarNjzz5VbVgI5Di-gbLp4XW7KTA39baB_4FO7p2oAsmBn3U_M6F8Y3HQKskJkq0Di7giYwEO4h/s320/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(9).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA1WHEUo7CJ6fuO5NGQDmsreXQ0fnKO5W3DTeBmQLLP_K07amtzHErqyxA9vx5kWe5IJaMszncYFPKSKuCV2PiGWijQXShQ49FBnJdLe6u62pVyPFFB-QJqA-ENMOWUswatxk/s1600-h/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(4).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153588169028373330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA1WHEUo7CJ6fuO5NGQDmsreXQ0fnKO5W3DTeBmQLLP_K07amtzHErqyxA9vx5kWe5IJaMszncYFPKSKuCV2PiGWijQXShQ49FBnJdLe6u62pVyPFFB-QJqA-ENMOWUswatxk/s320/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(4).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7ByJ0uLM_u0xguggjwL95zdP9qP2yTQMUoUoDMzJXd3henXmATA4MUFpVIVHxPOmqE8J0La30O_maKBqc9bgSj4VoindOluNnqSRJjUqvbvI7KQzQAgDE1n5-D-2PhYtZKEO/s1600-h/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(5).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153588181913275234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7ByJ0uLM_u0xguggjwL95zdP9qP2yTQMUoUoDMzJXd3henXmATA4MUFpVIVHxPOmqE8J0La30O_maKBqc9bgSj4VoindOluNnqSRJjUqvbvI7KQzQAgDE1n5-D-2PhYtZKEO/s320/Home+at+last+-+9th+January+(5).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It has been almost a month since Grace was at home, but this morning Andy and I set off to pick her up! I could not sleep at all last night because I was incredibly excited and was pacing the house at 5am... At least I had time to get some breakfast, a cup of tea and the ride Hannah before we left the yard.<br /><br />We got to the YEC at 11.30am and Grace went straight to the back of the stable as she always does when she sees her travel boots. We loaded her and she was a bit hesitant again, but got the hang of it eventually. However, she travelled perfectly and did not look fazed at all when I unloaded her at the new yard.<br /><br />Grace went straight in her stable and started smelling her turnout rug that was on the pole in her stable. As soon as she had established some of the things in there were hers she started wickering for haylage and delved in as soon as Andy put some in for her... Her appetite has certainly returned which is a good sign!<br /><br />The farrier arrived about forty minutes after we did and she behaved impeccably while he put some new shoes on for her and she stood getting some sun on her back at the same time. I wanted to get some fresh air to her skin because she has come up in little lumps which have now turned into scabs. I remember she had them when she came to me last November and went as soon as she had been clipped. So I think it is something to do with being hairy!<br /><br />She is now tucked up in her lovely fluffy bed and I cannot wait to see her in the morning. Hearing that distinctive whinny today when I was walking around on the yard just made me feel so grateful that I have her back, I have really missed that noise!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-54030453732829435432007-12-27T09:52:00.000-08:002008-12-09T17:21:36.278-08:00Grace is out of hospital<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxU7EnyEn-aN9UjfHtGxVaNvMS7_7-PgQelfxNGWxzETsDhHR-1F1fPtnDwtKPghwrq9GIzI-WB5mRdjyavtnKptXxnjTPdzWXGdxTxkBDTZK_G0V-FwY1y9Xb1ZKKgNk6u_k/s1600-h/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(4).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148717424874220930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxU7EnyEn-aN9UjfHtGxVaNvMS7_7-PgQelfxNGWxzETsDhHR-1F1fPtnDwtKPghwrq9GIzI-WB5mRdjyavtnKptXxnjTPdzWXGdxTxkBDTZK_G0V-FwY1y9Xb1ZKKgNk6u_k/s320/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(4).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsSuEuSfk5L0wjp0iu93bvxZMIwMu4KGvApN7kh6ND9ToSZ00RQ3zuKSRcHpKPL5gm-Wz19vxZ2uWMSpTMO-Qmf9Jr883HJ1yweESh3FcaFpe5tPPw06T2p08IIZkztWzSsHo/s1600-h/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(5).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148717433464155538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsSuEuSfk5L0wjp0iu93bvxZMIwMu4KGvApN7kh6ND9ToSZ00RQ3zuKSRcHpKPL5gm-Wz19vxZ2uWMSpTMO-Qmf9Jr883HJ1yweESh3FcaFpe5tPPw06T2p08IIZkztWzSsHo/s320/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(5).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAXG8Xbn5qd17xAIaoAQvXyRK8eCQskvcU0cbOiOnM2mOjagChn0q4scrn76B-lkAtrvX0rPy6fjqVTCUJor9pzUYFoGKWzDSkU_Y91SQP9QD0hbnrFXaDqd8kpwJr6e_c2jB/s1600-h/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(6).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148717442054090146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAXG8Xbn5qd17xAIaoAQvXyRK8eCQskvcU0cbOiOnM2mOjagChn0q4scrn76B-lkAtrvX0rPy6fjqVTCUJor9pzUYFoGKWzDSkU_Y91SQP9QD0hbnrFXaDqd8kpwJr6e_c2jB/s320/YEC+-+26th+December+2007+(6).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>This week has emotionally been one the worst I have ever experienced. I have been constantly waiting for the phone to ring with bad news, and when it rings and it is good news I just keep crying! It has been a real emotional rollercoaster and not one I wish to ever repeat!<br /><br />The last few days of her being in hospital brought more improvements, but also some small setbacks. She came out of isolation having tested negative for salmonella, started being walked four times a day and on normal rations. However, when I was planning on picking her up on 23rd December, a vet phoned me to say she had a swollen right hind and left fore which they wanted to keep an eye on. He also said that she had an oedema ‘under’ her scar which I took as meaning it was actually beneath the wound itself.<br /><br />I rushed over to see her because I was quite worried what all of this meant, but she looked great. Yes, the legs were slightly warm and a bit swollen but nowhere near as bad as I thought they were going to be and the swelling ‘under’ the scar was actually behind it where the bandage had stopped. The surgeon came and spoke to me and said they were pleased with her progress and I could take her out for a walk and some grass.<br /><br />Mel telephoned me on Christmas Day to say the legs were looking better, but she had developed swellings on her body from the introduction of feed. I quickly explained that this was completely normal for Grace. The good news was that I could pick her up on Boxing Day!<br /><br />Dad and I got to Leahurst at 12pm and I read all of her discharge notes, asked all the questions I could think of, and then got her ready to travel to the Yorkshire Equine Centre where she will be staying while we go on holiday. I was a bit concerned because she has never travelled or loaded into a horsebox, but I need not have worried. She stood on the ramp for a while until she could work out how to put her back legs on, but she travelled fantastically and unloaded as though she had done it one hundred times before.<br /><br />I am due to pick her up on 9th January when we come home... I cannot wait to have her back with me!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-32467246030657534082007-12-17T03:25:00.000-08:002007-12-17T03:27:11.309-08:00Update - 17/12/07I have just had a phone call from the resident vet Mel...<br /><br />Grace has had a quiet night, but still has diarrhoea which they expected. She is still in isolation, but the good news is that her temperature is down to normal and her heart rate seems to have normalised too. They are going to check her heart just to make sure, but no vet has ever commented or picked up on a heart murmur from her, so it is looking as though it was the pain causing this. She is also slightly anaemic which can also cause the heart murmurs.<br /><br />They have sent the biopsy off to the lab, but she did say they are not expecting to find anything nasty... she also said that although she is being tested for salmonella, the fact her temperature is low is a good sign, and her white cells have come up a bit since the last test.<br /><br />She is also a bit brighter this morning, but still very quiet. They are going to try her with a few handfuls of haylage, and anything that they can get her to eat so are also suggesting something like Readigrass.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-63696855796612362252007-12-16T12:54:00.000-08:002007-12-16T13:15:18.415-08:00Grace has undergone colic surgeryAs if we have not been through enough this year, on Thursday afternoon Grace started being really quiet, not eating and her eyes went dull. I checked on her before I left and she had started pawing so I phoned the vet immediately. John Gilliver was on call, and he examined her. She had a high temperature, a slightly raised heart rate but no real increased gut movement.<br /><br />He gave her a shot of antibiotics and bute and arranged to come back the following morning.<br /><br />I got down to the yard early and she did not seem any better and was pawing again... so John gave her another shot of antibiotics, bute and a shot of buscopan too. Her temperature had come down though, and her heart rate was normal.<br /><br />Later in the day she had gone downhill again... the vet came back out, gave her another shot of buscopan and she seemed to perk up a little and started eating some little bits of hay which was an encouraging sign. However, she gradually went more and more downhill and on Saturday morning she was referred to Leahurst veterinary hospital.<br /><br />The hospital ran lots of tests and everything pointed towards colic. I left her there being monitored carefully, and did not hear from them until this afternoon. I received a phone call at 2.30pm saying that she had improved through the night, but this morning was much lower than she had been, and was lay flat out at lunch time when the resident checked on her again. They did another rectal and couldn’t get their arm past the elbow due to the small colon being so very distended. They asked whether I would consent to her having surgery, which of course I did, and then the waiting began.<br /><br />At 6.30pm I received a phone call from the resident, Mel, and she said that Grace was awake and up... however, she had had a very tough time through the anaesthetic and there had been a few complications. They did not find any impaction as they thought they would do, but the small colon was full of gas which was causing it to distend. They let this gas out, and the good news is that everything was where it should be. However, because she has such bad diarrhoea they have taken some more samples and a biopsy to test for colitis and grass sickness.<br /><br />It is very much a waiting game now and the next 48 hours are critical for her!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-37917404716820189722007-11-19T05:24:00.000-08:002007-11-19T05:33:35.718-08:006-8 weeks of box rest begins!I received a phone call from Peter Scholefield as we were driving back from Halifax on Thursday evening. I wanted to take her some feed up and another rug because the temperature suddenly dropped and she is very sensitive to cold weather.<br /><br />Peter explained that he no longer thought it was a stifle problem as there was just not enough improvement when nerve blocked. When he moved to the hock, the nerve block improved things by 85% and when he blocked just the suspensory ligament there was a 100% improvement! So, the hocks were scanned, showing clean joints, but when he scanned the ligament he found inflammation and pain at the root of the ligament.<br /><br />Grace is now on six to eight weeks of box rest, and can start being walked in hand in four weeks time. She is receiving shock wave therapy once a week, and I have bought an Equissage to keep her muscles toned, her joints healthy and her lymphatic system in good working order. Since I started using the Equissage, her back legs have not filled once even though she is stood in 24/7 and is not getting any movement on them.<br /><br />She is getting a bit stressed about being in, but I am keeping her routine exactly the same so that she can settle a bit more which seems to be working. The Equissage is chilling her out too, although for the first five minutes she stands stiff not daring to move J<br /><br />The next shock wave therapy treatment will be on Friday, so we are off to Halifax again!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-77823139229502326712007-11-14T10:41:00.001-08:002007-11-14T10:41:23.251-08:00Grace has stayed over in HalifaxThis morning, Grace and I (accompanied by my husband Andy) set off to Halifax for an appointment with Peter Scholefield. The traffic was absolutely dreadful at that time in the morning, and we ended up being on the road for almost two hours. I was worried that Grace would be a bit stressed when we got there, but I need not have worried. We unloaded her and apart from being a little figgety to start with, she behaved impeccably.<br /><br />Peter wanted to see her walked in a straight line and then trotted. He noticed that her left side was dropping ever so slightly, so flexioned both hocks. These were negative thankfully! However, he agreed that there was something there and I was not imagining this strange movement.<br /><br />Grace was then lunged on both legs and Peter said she was showing lameness on both reins on the left hind and he suspected the stifle. He then nerve blocked this area and believed there to be an improvement, but could then see a slight uneven step every so often on the right hind. At this point Peter told me she would be staying with them over night as he wanted to continue the investigations.<br /><br />I was really sad to leave her, it is the first time I have left her anywhere since she came to me last year. But Grace was happy as she had lots of haylage and her loving Mum had taken her PJs and her dinner and breakfast just in case!<br /><br />I phoned the practice this evening and spoke to one of the ladies who work there. She said Grace was eating her tea, quite happy and Peter was hoping to continue his investigations tomorrow morning. He has also nerve blocked her hock (I didn’t really get much information as they were quite busy) and there was some improvement with this too. So, although I still do not have an answer, hopefully by tomorrow I will have some news whether it be good or bad.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-68676679249166222062007-11-10T09:39:00.001-08:002007-11-10T09:51:21.352-08:00A spanner in the worksGrace and I have been having a really successful few weeks and everything has been going to plan. I took her over to Arkenfield for a lesson with Spencer and I could tell immediately that he was not happy with something. He asked me to give her a canter and get her stepping under but when she came back to trot he said he could see something strange going on in her left hind.<br /><br />Spencer asked me whether I had seen anyone riding her and I said no, so he offered to get on her and ride her for me. As soon as he started trotting her I could see it on the left rein, but there was no evidence of it at all in the walk or canter. The lady who organises the clinics with Spencer recommended a vet over in Halifax who specialises in lameness problems so she is booked to go over to him on Wednesday morning at 8.30am.<br /><br />Because I have had an operation to remove two lumps from my neck I am having to take it very easy this weekend, but Peter Scholefield wants Grace riding hard until he sees her on Wednesday. Luckily, the lady who looks after the horses for me when I go away is able to ride her for me Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This morning it was very interesting watching someone riding her because it has given me more of an idea what is going on. She started off really showing the unlevel steps in the trot, but Yvonne said she was really leaning on the left leg and was heavy in the left hand (my weaker side). She worked very hard on getting her to move away from that leg and come soft in the left hand, and by the end there were no strange steps in the trot at all. So whatever it is improves with work.Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-73840463149499361632007-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:21:37.141-08:00Grace is really improving<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q0x02-lB9XC2B_A9Yq7KnfbrI0ASTSj5FIIxrNUlWA59dR9_3ubrIV5-oS9qxQSGT0V4MOTBs822crs3x9unreLKnHRafAdgjS2AAzV2KC2XwLC_UGsEZr2k4F1XrNmSYjK9/s1600-h/21st+October+-+MGS+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126775505312075170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q0x02-lB9XC2B_A9Yq7KnfbrI0ASTSj5FIIxrNUlWA59dR9_3ubrIV5-oS9qxQSGT0V4MOTBs822crs3x9unreLKnHRafAdgjS2AAzV2KC2XwLC_UGsEZr2k4F1XrNmSYjK9/s320/21st+October+-+MGS+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscKLnzLnN8TH_PDnf2-JgX-blccwnoFia14IL8TRIvLwzrpsA6NEJY1FefdVHLjmR_H0lyAIspInyPMiJ3V8oYFF2moxaoUdGK1iBsToKZ-YGh4XyOjSEOpNZZqU6d94DIffo/s1600-h/21st+October+-+MGS+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126775509607042482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscKLnzLnN8TH_PDnf2-JgX-blccwnoFia14IL8TRIvLwzrpsA6NEJY1FefdVHLjmR_H0lyAIspInyPMiJ3V8oYFF2moxaoUdGK1iBsToKZ-YGh4XyOjSEOpNZZqU6d94DIffo/s320/21st+October+-+MGS+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeJxDb-KFvYJJp1uHKbCMfh0caIV09IfVKGXq9YBCp8m530kLAN3b6m88bGBQ6XK-2eh6bkaCemV7iN1403MBf9A0QIhoCv8lqJmrCyWSPBWggXnVUTCgIyLYv1BekdbFey0h/s1600-h/21st+October+-+MGS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126775513902009794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeJxDb-KFvYJJp1uHKbCMfh0caIV09IfVKGXq9YBCp8m530kLAN3b6m88bGBQ6XK-2eh6bkaCemV7iN1403MBf9A0QIhoCv8lqJmrCyWSPBWggXnVUTCgIyLYv1BekdbFey0h/s320/21st+October+-+MGS.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It has been quite a while since I last posted on this Blog as I seem to have been incredibly busy doing not much at all! However, I am now determined to keep this up to date because it is lovely reading how far we have come in 12 short months.<br /><br />Since the Area Festival at Richmond, Grace and I have not really been out competing that much as she went quite badly lame after tripping coming out of the school. After three days of no improvement (and no change) I took her down to the vets and they mentioned that she could have damaged one of the tendons or ligaments within her foot because of the severity of the lameness, the lack of change and the fact that hoof tests were proving negative. So, we went away for a few days and awaited the farrier to come out as her feet had really grown and the shoe on the lame foot was now loose.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the farrier was having van trouble and could not come on the day, so I ended up telephoning the vets and booking her in with a farrier there so we could then book her in for a lameness workup which would include nerve blocks and xrays.<br /><br />As soon as her shoes were redone, she was much sounder almost immediately. The following days just showed such a big improvement that I decided to cancel the lameness workup and concluded that when she tripped she moved the shoe and it was then rubbing her and causing her pain. The farrier who shod her at the vets agreed with this as he found a small corn starting to form where the shoe was sitting. She is now to be shod every five weeks as opposed to every six weeks, and touch wood we have not had any lameness since!<br /><br />I have been having regular lessons with Jo again since she came sound, and also two with Spencer Wilton over at Arkenfield. Between the two of them, we have really started to see a change in Grace’s performance both at home and at the shows. Her canter has improved so much that we now get comments saying, “Some lovely canter” and “Working well in the canter” whereas before I was being told she needed more ‘jump’.<br /><br />Last weekend we travelled over to Manor Grange Stud in Yorkshire (where the pictures were taken) to compete in P12 and N21 (I think)! Grace travelled really well but was a bit sharp in the warm up as it was quite a spooky venue. She felt quite tense at the beginning, but by the time we went into the Prelim class she had started to relax and felt a little softer through the back. She came out with 68% and 5th place which I was really pleased with at a new venue. We had quite a wait in between the classes, so when it came to warming up for the Novice she felt a lot happier and more relaxed. In the test we had two mistakes which were largely caused by me... I didn’t check her enough in the medium trot so she broke into canter, and she was about to shy in the medium walk so I put my leg on harder than intended and she broke into canter!<br /><br />I was amazed when she came out with 67.9% and second place!!!<br /><br />Following on from this, I booked in to do the two Novice classes at Cockshot Dressage. However, just before my lesson with Spencer I realised N37 had a rein back in which Grace had not been taught. Spencer worked really hard with Grace and I to get the rein back started, but he did say that I should not expect it to happen at the competition as she was only just learning it. The following day though, Grace had is cracked and as I put the aids on we went backwards, but couldn’t stop!!!<br /><br />I did not really do much rein back through the week because she was starting to rein back whenever I asked for halt... like a child who has learned a naughty word she would not stop doing it! So when we were warming up for the first Novice at Cockshot I didn’t even ask for it once.<br /><br />N22 W went really well... She really worked, and as we finished the test the judge jumped out of the car (panic set in; where did I go wrong???) and said, “She has really come on!” So I left the arena with a HUGE grin, which became even bigger when I discovered she had been placed 1st in the restricted section and overall!<br /><br />We then warmed up for N37 and I quickly put one or two rein backs in before we went in. The test felt a bit more laboured than the first, but I do think it is a more ‘elementary’ type novice so I did not expect her to do as well as she did. Her counter canter felt really smooth, the rein back just happened, and her medium canter work has just come all of a sudden! We ended up on 65% which I was thrilled with (I had said that if she did well in N37 I would try some elementary tests before Christmas!) and even more thrilled when I found out she had come 2nd in the restricted and overall! There were some stunning horses in the open section too going on to do the Elementary, so I was quite shocked she had been placed above them!<br /><br />Our next outing is at Aintree International doing the Prelim Qualifier and the Novice Qualifier... I need a 1st in the Novice to get to the Regionals (a pipe dream) and a 1st or 2nd in the Prelim!</div>Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34799822.post-35636102612890968432007-09-06T09:36:00.000-07:002007-09-06T09:40:27.189-07:00We are through in the Novice too!!!I received an email this week from BD to say Grace had not only qualified in the Preliminary class at the Winter Championships, but also in Novice as she gained 4th place in the Novice Restricted! I was completely astounded as never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she would qualify in the Novice class. I had hoped for a placing in the Preliminary, but gaining second in that was a dream come true!<br /><br />I have not stopped smiling since I read the email, and have reread it several times just to make myself believe it is true!Rebecca McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16263743397853280458noreply@blogger.com1