Echo Update

[blueeowyn]

I've been pretty quiet about Echo recently for a lot of reasons. Time to write is one, afraid to hope too much is one, and not seeing her as much as I would like is one.

Anyway, late summer her hocks were a bit ouchy so we wanted to get them injected. A MAJOR complication was the snowpocalpse of last February. The farm is in that dreaded "North and West of the city" area that tends to get more weather than we do here and we got quite a bit of weather. That snow (LOTS of it) caused damage to the roof. Fortunately, Peter was able to climb on the roof regularly to shovel the worst of the snow off but it still damaged the support structure. So, a new roof (including supports) was needed and was installed over the summer.

What does this have to do with hock injections? Well, horses tend to be a bit disconcerted when the roof disappears and people and equipment fly over head doing STRANGE stuff. Hammering doesn't really bother Echo, air powered nail guns overhead is a bit different (though the contractors were impressed with how well the horses at the farm took the chaos). Anyway, if she had jumped at just the wrong time, it would have been a bad thing so the injection was put off. After she was injected, time had to pass until the reaction to the injection had calmed down enough to put shoes on her hind feet (you do NOT want to flex the hocks when they hurt, horses object violently to pain). Then it was time to start getting her fit again after the time off (and after the floor was put back in the arena).

So, Dede is lunging her a few times a week and I am trying to work with her 2 times a week. So far her movement is very good sometimes wandering into fabulous. She has cantered on the line with me without being stupid (and sometimes with being stupid), she is starting to relax and realize that it won't hurt. Given that she has been in pain when being worked since 2004ish it will take time for her to get over that. As her relaxation and lack of fear grows her movement improves (worrying makes her tense and look uneven).

All in all, she is doing very well and I am very happy about it.

Comments

[wilhelmina-d.livejournal.com]

I'm glad she's doing well!

[sparowe]

I'd been wondering, but didn't want to ask. I am very happy for you both. :)

[orkney.livejournal.com]

Eowyn is a bit understated in how well Echo is doing. Dede says Echo has just about the best walk she's ever seen! And Dede is simply thrilled with how well Echo is looking and responding--she (Echo, not Dede) is muscling up amazingly well with so little time to work. While Eowyn was cautious about Echo's improvement, Dede was more so and now Dede is the more outspoken one on the improvement. Simply put, Echo is a fabulous horse with beautiful and even gaits, and she oversteps exceptionally well (a very good thing--her hind foot reaches under far enough to leave a hoofprint in front of the one left by the front foot). And she's sweet and beautiful and.... Grannie Annie isn't too proud of her : -).