16 March Better news for Eric

16 March

As soon as I arrived I checked Eric's temperature and the digital pulse in his right fore leg. Temperature 37.7 celsius (normal) and pulse 36 bpm (normal). Breathing normal. Box state normal. So far so good.I groomed him and massaged him but he didn't want me to touch in between hos front legs or behind his right shoulder. Most unlike Eric turning round and flashing his teeth at me. I know. I know.

Yves, the vet, arrived later in the morning. First of all he vaccinated Tamtam as he was due the week after. Then he took a look at Eric. He was much less lame today I noted. We walked and trotted him on the road and Yves confirmed (as we thought) that it is the right fore leg. He then did a full osteopathic check (Yves is also an osteopath) and tested his hoof. Yves confirmed that the problem is not skeletal or in the foot. It is in the shoulder and it is a muscle strain. I asked if it could be related to the diagonal left hind and the tight muscle in the loin area of his back. Yves said that could well be the case and that he has been carrying some small strain there for some time.

I asked him what I should do and he said in the first place box rest for a few days. After that? He asked me the age of the horse = 18 years old. He said if he was younger he would be recommending Willy's muscle treatment. At Eric's age it is up to me. I can just be very careful about what I do with him.....or I can have him treated. Yves said that Eric looks so good that it would  be a shame not to have him put back on top form. I was considering having the hind muscle treated  so maybe this is the sign that I need to get Eric properly sorted. I need to think......

Yves confirmed that Tamtam is now clinically correct....all the internal signs are ok. There are 3 stages to the rehabilitation-
(1) Clinical (now done);
(2) Psychological - dealing with the mental and behavioural problems the horse will have acquired as a result of working in pain (TT has the habit of trying to break free when he sees a saddle....and bucking his riders off); and
(3) Physical - Treatment of the musculoskeletal structure.
 We are now into stages (2) and (3).

Such a relief. I had barely slept the night before...worried sick. Thinking it was going to be Shantie's story all over again. Now I have some hope.

In the afternoon we worked the stallions loose in the manege on the flat and over jumps. We also worked TT in the manege (no jumping!!!!!) He is sound in walk and canter. It is only in the trot that you can see his hind limb lameness. Then we took him to the douche. It is the first time he has been back in there since his fall. A slight hesitation on entering but then no problem. We changed his headcollar to one of Willy's specially made heavy duty none breakable leather ones and I held the rope while Willy gave TT an all over pressure wash with warm water using the karcher. TT was an angel. He didn't move once even when he did his head. After we dried off his head and scraped off the water in his coat and then wrapped him in a all over polar fleece cooler. He seemed to really enjoy his pampering. A good start.