Just over a week ago, when I went to feed and muck out early in the morning, I was greeted by a very sullen 'Mr F'. He has learnt by now that he can tell me when and where something bothers him and I mostly get the message. As I entered the stable 'Mr F' kept nudging me and then proceeded to look at his back leg.
Getting the hint I went to investigate. Clearly, his back fetlock was swollen. Perhaps he's been standing in the stable for a little too long instead of going outside. I took him for a walk up and down the drive. Sometimes, his feet can swell up if he has been standing still for too long, which does happen in winter if they don't want to go outside.
However, the swelling did not go down with excersise.
At first I tought 'Oh no! A repeat from last year!
I had hoped that with 'Mr F's condition imporving and the change of feed, these issues wouldn't make a re-appearance.
Upon thoroughly examining his leg/heel/hoof I noticed that he had a small cut on his heel. I guess that is enough for bacteria to enter, the mud outside was of course perfect breeding ground.
I found a great spray that is very good for treating fungal / bacterial infections and it worked well last year and I have kept using it ever since for general use (and even for myself if I have a cut!). The name is 'silvetrasol' spay.
First I gently removed the scabs, flushed them out with above mentioned spray and then applied some mud barrier cream.
'Phew!' I thought. 'Nothing too bad.'
Although it did take most of a week and a half to heal up, partly due to the fact that 'Mr F' was still allowed to go outside. He couldn't cope with being stuck in the stable, certainly not alone.
During his time of being 'grounded' (not riding) we have spent the time together in the fields walking and in the stable sorting out his feet and making him comfortable. He does appreciate that I care and the past days were a reminder that the time on the ground is just as important as time in the saddle.
This reflects straight onto riding, which becomes more and more apparent. The more I am 'connected' with 'Mr F' on the ground, the less aids I need to apply when riding. If he feels comfortable with me, he is willing to work with me. And also, if he is uncomfortable, through pain or me making a mess of things again, then I have to be much more persuasive.
Well, I prefer having to do as little work as possible while in the saddle, it makes being together more fun for both!
I may have to explain what I mean with 'groundwork':
I don't mean lounging or anything like that. Although I have done a little bit of that in the open fields just to see how we'd get on. But first of all: I am not a fan of the menage. I enter it and it seems to sap out all imagination. 'Mr F' equally isn't exactly enthused by the thought of 'work' ... exploring is much more fun.
What I really mean with 'groundwork' is that we go out and explore. For example the nearby woods are great and used to be very challenging for 'Mr F'. Especially on a stormy day, when all the bushes move and rustle. Many nasty things can be hiding in there! But he now copes fine and follows me without questioning.
Or we do gait changing and leading exercises in the open fields while I lead him. I don't need words or any other signals other than my body. If I walk, 'Mr F' walks, if I do one skip so as to run, he falls into trot and matches the speed exactly, his head never ahead of my shoulders. I didn't have to train him though, this just happened naturally, over the months.
Here something interesting: I noticed that 'Mr F' strides out with the same leg (left / right) as I do and seems to want to match my rythm. And if I suddenly stop, he does too. But it took us a while to get to this point. At the beginning I spent much of my time up there attempting to stop 'Mr F' from eating grass!
All this may not sound very exciting to some, but it helped us both a great deal to improve our communication and allows us to be together, without many words.
And as I have learned the hard way in July 2014: NEVER EXPECT - but instead accept what IS. Work WITH the horse, NOT AGAINST it. And you find it will be tremendously grateful.
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