MRI results: Two compression fractures that are healed. Around the breakages are what might be osteophytes, or bone spurs, abnormal bone growths that appeared when my spine was healing. My dad had bone spurs which turned into spinal stenosis, which effectively crippled him. He waited too long to get surgery to fix it, and now has long-lasting nerve damage. Not to mention the surgery was incredibly painful to recover from. Hopefully, none of those things are in my future. I'm in physical therapy now, and probably will be for a while. I also have a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon next week, and hopefully he can ease some of my worries. I have been riding minimally. By that I mean about 5 times since I re-injured my back in June. The most I can tolerate is about 30 minutes, then I have to stop. Half-halts and cantering are murder.
I can't really complain too much about my back. Kandice is very sick. Stage IV cancer sick. I'm very heartbroken for her. I wish I was a doctor and could fix her, but I can't. We're very all being very hopeful, but the possibilities are very scary. I talked to her yesterday, and she brought up how her mom had someone who was willing to take Callie out on trial as a lesson horse, but Kandice was worried because Callie has too many issues to go to most people. I told her that if it came down to it, Callie would have a home with me forever. And she will, but I'm praying it doesn't come to that. This isn't about me, but Kandice is very dear to me, and I would give anything to make sure she is okay.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Andy had his month at boot camp, which went fabulously. He now knows how to stand in cross ties without being a ninny, and is much more accepting of contact. I love him again.
Unfortunately, I am forbidden from riding until further notice. I did something to hurt my back on Monday. Maybe it was when I was riding, maybe it was when I was barbecuing. Who really knows. So I was pretty much bedridden, with this sharp shooting pain on one side of my lower back. I ended up going to the doctor on Thursday, in hopes of maybe getting some muscle relaxers and the reassurance that I hadn't slipped a disc. I had x-rays done, because a spot in my spine was tender. The doctor called me back today to tell me that the tender spot is actually a compression fracture of my T11 vertebrae. Suck. The question is whether it is new or old. If it's old, then I can ride pretty soon and maybe do some physical therapy to prevent future problems. If it is new, then no riding for weeks and weeks, and there's the possibility of surgery (injecting medical cement into the vertebrae, yuck!), which I don't even want to think about. So let's hope that it's old. I have an MRI on Thursday, and a bone density test on Friday, because normal 24 year-olds don't get compression fractures of the spine. My suspicion is that it was broken in my nasty fall, and the 4 other falls I've had since then haven't done any good for healing. I am super bummed, because I was supposed to be riding every dad this summer.
Unfortunately, I am forbidden from riding until further notice. I did something to hurt my back on Monday. Maybe it was when I was riding, maybe it was when I was barbecuing. Who really knows. So I was pretty much bedridden, with this sharp shooting pain on one side of my lower back. I ended up going to the doctor on Thursday, in hopes of maybe getting some muscle relaxers and the reassurance that I hadn't slipped a disc. I had x-rays done, because a spot in my spine was tender. The doctor called me back today to tell me that the tender spot is actually a compression fracture of my T11 vertebrae. Suck. The question is whether it is new or old. If it's old, then I can ride pretty soon and maybe do some physical therapy to prevent future problems. If it is new, then no riding for weeks and weeks, and there's the possibility of surgery (injecting medical cement into the vertebrae, yuck!), which I don't even want to think about. So let's hope that it's old. I have an MRI on Thursday, and a bone density test on Friday, because normal 24 year-olds don't get compression fractures of the spine. My suspicion is that it was broken in my nasty fall, and the 4 other falls I've had since then haven't done any good for healing. I am super bummed, because I was supposed to be riding every dad this summer.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Killing Andrew with Kindness
Okay, I didn't actually kill Andy with kindness. But I did do something that I thought was nice that actually ended up being not so nice. I got one of those Redmond Rock salt rocks that they advertise on RFD-TV. I figured that he needed a salt lick, and those looked like the Cadillac of salt blocks. I put in in his feeder, because he needs rocks in there to slow down his eating. Otherwise, the dumbey chokes. So I put it in there on Friday night, and came out after dinner time the next day. To my concern, Andy had left a lot of food uneaten. This is really odd for him. Normally he wolfs his feed down like it's his last meal. Of course, I started worrying about horse herpes (Okay, EHV-1, but I like saying horse herpes better), colic, and other assorted things that would put him off his feed. Then I took a look at his food, and it looked a little odd, like the consistency was off. So I tasted it (sidenote- I taste most everything my horse eats, minus hay, because that might just kill me.), and it was incredibly salty. The soaked beetpulp must have leeched the salt out of the salt lick. Poor pony. I gave him some more grain in my blue feed tub, and he nommed it up, then I took him outside to eat some grass to apologize. The salt rock is now on the ground, and I cleaned all the salty mush out of his feeder. Sorry Drew-Face. Sometimes when I try to be so nice I end up being so stupid.
Of course I have a lot to tell. So much that the thought of posting it all is so overwhelming that I don't really want to, but I will. I've done three shows with Andy. The first one went well, minus me stressing and freaking out. My dad has an intervention with me, and I admitted that I am an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to riding. I resolved to have fun riding and showing after that. Then I went to the ODS adult team show in April, which was great. It was at the state fairgrounds in Salem, a big, scary new place with lots of horses, riders, and scary things. Andy was a total rockstar from Mars. Literally cool as a cucumber. I couldn't believe he was my Andy. In the warm-up arena there were horses spooking and bolting, and old ladies falling all over the place, and MY horse was the calmest one there. Really surreal. We didn't score that well (57% and 58%, 7th place, bleck), but he went so well, and I rode the tests so much better than the last show that I was thrilled nonetheless.
The last show? Well...it was ugly. Andy was behind my leg and would not accept the bit whatsoever (no wonder; without forward there's no way to get a horse on the bit and round). I in turn got stressed out and grabby on the reins, when I should have been busy getting him in front of my leg. Lots of hollowness and head-tossing ensued. Intro B was absolutely awful. To make matters worse. I went to the judge after my salute to say thank you, and that bitch had the gall to roll her eyes at me and say in a really sT. Boy was I pissed (after I stopped crying). 1) it was a schooling show. 2) Like she's never seen a horse melt down, and flub a test? 3) It was not a good test, but I completed all the moments at the correct gaits. I've seen worse. That was not a good show, and I think a lot of it had to do with me being so stressed about my dad, who had just gotten out of the hospital two days before.
After that I had a minor (okay, major) meltdown concerning Andy. I just was so tired of always fighting with him. He's also been been nutty on the ground. We had an incident in the crossties in March, when he almost flipped over after spooking at a blanket, and since then I haven't been able to cross tie him. He's also been very spooky and reactive. The week after the show I was warming him up for a lesson with Sara, and when she drove up he spooked so big that he dumped. She walked in on me sitting on my butt in the arena, crying, while he stood there trying to look innocent. A few days after that I had him at Kandice's for a lesson, and he pulled back in the crossties (I had the ties clipped to bailing twine tied to the halter, so it broke easily), and ran me over in the process. I was fine, just shook up, so poor Kandice had to deal with me sobbing and my spooky, crazy-ass horse. I love Andy, and I am committed to him. I will never sell him, and I want to ride him. Therefore, I am sending him off to Sara for a month of full training. Sara and I had a long talk, and while we both agree that I could continue to ride him and progress his dressage training, I am in sore need of a mental break from him.
So he will be in boot camp during June. Hahaha, that sucker won't know what hit him. I'll be there for most of his training sessions, and will probably be taking 2 lessons a week on him. Sara will be doing a lot of desensitization/sacking out with him, since we figure when he should have had that done he was busy racing. He'll be staying at Horsin' Around, which isn't my favorite barn but I know they'll take good care of him. He is going to miss LB so bad. I am glad to be breaking up that bad romance. Somehow they've gotten a little too bonded. When I brought Andy back from his weekend in Salem he screamed in delight when he saw LB. I even caught him grooming her last week. So cute. What was not so cute was when I tried to bring him from the pasture he flipped shit, crawled in my lap, ran circles around him, and was such a monster that I had to bring Love Bug in too. Who was also a screaming, circling monster when I brought her in. PONIES MAKE ME SO MAD SOMETIMES.
On a happy note, I had such a good ride on Callie today. I got her to be so soft and round right at the beginning of my ride. I had an aha moment in my lesson last week in term of my hands and maintaining contact, and I guess it was the key to getting her into a frame. Kandice is also bringing a few horses here from her mom's farm. One is this hunter school-master that she's going to give me free reign to ride whenever to get him back in shape. Another is this 7 year old TB mare that she has had since it was a weanling. She's green-broke and has been started over fences on the ground, and apparently has a great aptitude for jumping. And I just might have enough $$ to bankroll another pony. Life is good :)
Ooooh, I also got to ride a nice horse named Pickle, who is currently schooling 2nd level. So much fun! I actually got to ride him in a schooling show last week, and got a 71% in Intro c, and a 70% in Training 1! So I can ride training level well! It's not just me! Andy's just a jerk sometimes.
Of course I have a lot to tell. So much that the thought of posting it all is so overwhelming that I don't really want to, but I will. I've done three shows with Andy. The first one went well, minus me stressing and freaking out. My dad has an intervention with me, and I admitted that I am an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to riding. I resolved to have fun riding and showing after that. Then I went to the ODS adult team show in April, which was great. It was at the state fairgrounds in Salem, a big, scary new place with lots of horses, riders, and scary things. Andy was a total rockstar from Mars. Literally cool as a cucumber. I couldn't believe he was my Andy. In the warm-up arena there were horses spooking and bolting, and old ladies falling all over the place, and MY horse was the calmest one there. Really surreal. We didn't score that well (57% and 58%, 7th place, bleck), but he went so well, and I rode the tests so much better than the last show that I was thrilled nonetheless.
The last show? Well...it was ugly. Andy was behind my leg and would not accept the bit whatsoever (no wonder; without forward there's no way to get a horse on the bit and round). I in turn got stressed out and grabby on the reins, when I should have been busy getting him in front of my leg. Lots of hollowness and head-tossing ensued. Intro B was absolutely awful. To make matters worse. I went to the judge after my salute to say thank you, and that bitch had the gall to roll her eyes at me and say in a really sT. Boy was I pissed (after I stopped crying). 1) it was a schooling show. 2) Like she's never seen a horse melt down, and flub a test? 3) It was not a good test, but I completed all the moments at the correct gaits. I've seen worse. That was not a good show, and I think a lot of it had to do with me being so stressed about my dad, who had just gotten out of the hospital two days before.
After that I had a minor (okay, major) meltdown concerning Andy. I just was so tired of always fighting with him. He's also been been nutty on the ground. We had an incident in the crossties in March, when he almost flipped over after spooking at a blanket, and since then I haven't been able to cross tie him. He's also been very spooky and reactive. The week after the show I was warming him up for a lesson with Sara, and when she drove up he spooked so big that he dumped. She walked in on me sitting on my butt in the arena, crying, while he stood there trying to look innocent. A few days after that I had him at Kandice's for a lesson, and he pulled back in the crossties (I had the ties clipped to bailing twine tied to the halter, so it broke easily), and ran me over in the process. I was fine, just shook up, so poor Kandice had to deal with me sobbing and my spooky, crazy-ass horse. I love Andy, and I am committed to him. I will never sell him, and I want to ride him. Therefore, I am sending him off to Sara for a month of full training. Sara and I had a long talk, and while we both agree that I could continue to ride him and progress his dressage training, I am in sore need of a mental break from him.
So he will be in boot camp during June. Hahaha, that sucker won't know what hit him. I'll be there for most of his training sessions, and will probably be taking 2 lessons a week on him. Sara will be doing a lot of desensitization/sacking out with him, since we figure when he should have had that done he was busy racing. He'll be staying at Horsin' Around, which isn't my favorite barn but I know they'll take good care of him. He is going to miss LB so bad. I am glad to be breaking up that bad romance. Somehow they've gotten a little too bonded. When I brought Andy back from his weekend in Salem he screamed in delight when he saw LB. I even caught him grooming her last week. So cute. What was not so cute was when I tried to bring him from the pasture he flipped shit, crawled in my lap, ran circles around him, and was such a monster that I had to bring Love Bug in too. Who was also a screaming, circling monster when I brought her in. PONIES MAKE ME SO MAD SOMETIMES.
On a happy note, I had such a good ride on Callie today. I got her to be so soft and round right at the beginning of my ride. I had an aha moment in my lesson last week in term of my hands and maintaining contact, and I guess it was the key to getting her into a frame. Kandice is also bringing a few horses here from her mom's farm. One is this hunter school-master that she's going to give me free reign to ride whenever to get him back in shape. Another is this 7 year old TB mare that she has had since it was a weanling. She's green-broke and has been started over fences on the ground, and apparently has a great aptitude for jumping. And I just might have enough $$ to bankroll another pony. Life is good :)
Ooooh, I also got to ride a nice horse named Pickle, who is currently schooling 2nd level. So much fun! I actually got to ride him in a schooling show last week, and got a 71% in Intro c, and a 70% in Training 1! So I can ride training level well! It's not just me! Andy's just a jerk sometimes.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
News
I haven't updated in forever! I plan to change a few things on this bad boy, then use it more religiously as a training journal. But life just kinda got too busy for blogging. It's a catch-22. When I have things to write about, I don't have any time to write about them. Anyways, here is what is going on in Megan-Andy-Love Bug-And-Sometimes-Callie Land:
- Andy and I are going to our first dressage show the weekend after next! We're doing Intro B an C with all the other 11 year olds. We have 6 more shows during the season to make it to training level.
- Andy actually did break my foot when he stomped it.
- I found out that I had the old break when I got my foot re-xrayed after it got hurt when Andy BUCKED ME OFF! Straight up broncoed me off, in front of Katie. It was the third bucking fit he had during that ride. It turned out to be caused by pent up energy due to little turnout, but we had a very hairy few weeks.
- Andy and I JUMPED! I hauled him to Kandice's barn for a jumping lesson, and he did fabulous. Of course, they were only 12 inch verticals, but he stayed so calm the whole time, and rated his speed so nicely. He really missed his calling as a hunter/jumper or eventer.
- LB got her foot caught in her paddock fence kicking at the adorable pony, scrapping off a lot of skin and causing a $200 emergency vet bill. She's perfectly fine now, and regrowing hair on the wound.
- I had a lesson with Sara on LB, and we got her to pick up the left lead canter! Multiple times. I have since repeated this feat, and on Sunday I caught Love Bug willingly cantering on the left lead when she was loose in the arena. She even did a flying lead change to get on the left lead.
- I ordered a new dressage saddle! It's being made in England right now. It's worth waaay more than Andy or LB put together.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I bought the most comfortable breeches ever. They are black, lined with fleece, and I got them on sale for $30. I have been wearing them since I was at the barn at 3:00. I think I will even sleep in them! I also bought a nice, fluffly fleece girth for Andy, since his leather 50" one is too long. Since the one I have now is way long, I got a 46". I ripped the tags off and went to put it on and...Too short! Arg! I am such an idiot. I thought for sure that 4" shorter would be perfect. Nope. I can't return a dirty, tagless piece of tack, but fortunately it will fit LB. Right now she has a crummy, dirty string girth. I checked, and it is a 46". This actually isn't too bad, because the polo team recently asked me if I had LB's tack. hahah, what space cases. Where else would it be? So I think they'll be wanting it back, so she does need a new girth. But if the polo club wants her stuff back, they gotta work for it. If they want it, they can come to Hillsboro and get it from me.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
My foot is interesting colors. Thanks a lot Andy!
I realized on Sunday that I had brought Andy home exactly a year ago. To celebrate, I brought him a delicious, expensive honeycrisp apple. Apparently, he does not like that particular type of apple, and he spit it out. What a diva. I guess his name is Prince Hellstrom, so he's pretty stuck up. I fed the rest to LB, who was sort of on the fence about it, but she is a food vacuum, so she ended up eating it all.
When I went out I was going to long-line him and work on some softening from the ground, as stirrups + my purple foot = ouch. When I got to the barn one of the little girls, Grace, was riding her pony in the arena, so I decided not to. Sometimes he does buck and screw around on the long line, so I figured I wouldn't. Mel told me how Grace wanted to fall off of her horse so she wouldn't have to canter on her lesson on Friday. Poor girl! I've been there before, when I wanted to fall off and get hurt to get out of playing in a polo match that was totally above my head. I did end up falling off, but not getting hurt enough to get out of playing. But good for Grace, she got the rhythm of cantering during her lesson and I saw her canter when I was riding in there. Hahah, ponies. She rides the cutest little black pony, jazz, and she had to kick it so hard to get it to trot. That makes me appreciate having a really forward, sensitive horse. If I kicked Andy like that he would be in the next county over before I could blink.
So I wound up riding with my newly acquired bareback pad. I love it! It made his narrow back so much more comfortable, and the oh-shit handle made me much less worried about rough stops. I am happy to report that I have now cantered Andy bareback! So exciting. Three years ago I could not canter LB without stirrups. Now I can canter on Andy bareback. We've come a long way baby.
I realized on Sunday that I had brought Andy home exactly a year ago. To celebrate, I brought him a delicious, expensive honeycrisp apple. Apparently, he does not like that particular type of apple, and he spit it out. What a diva. I guess his name is Prince Hellstrom, so he's pretty stuck up. I fed the rest to LB, who was sort of on the fence about it, but she is a food vacuum, so she ended up eating it all.
When I went out I was going to long-line him and work on some softening from the ground, as stirrups + my purple foot = ouch. When I got to the barn one of the little girls, Grace, was riding her pony in the arena, so I decided not to. Sometimes he does buck and screw around on the long line, so I figured I wouldn't. Mel told me how Grace wanted to fall off of her horse so she wouldn't have to canter on her lesson on Friday. Poor girl! I've been there before, when I wanted to fall off and get hurt to get out of playing in a polo match that was totally above my head. I did end up falling off, but not getting hurt enough to get out of playing. But good for Grace, she got the rhythm of cantering during her lesson and I saw her canter when I was riding in there. Hahah, ponies. She rides the cutest little black pony, jazz, and she had to kick it so hard to get it to trot. That makes me appreciate having a really forward, sensitive horse. If I kicked Andy like that he would be in the next county over before I could blink.
So I wound up riding with my newly acquired bareback pad. I love it! It made his narrow back so much more comfortable, and the oh-shit handle made me much less worried about rough stops. I am happy to report that I have now cantered Andy bareback! So exciting. Three years ago I could not canter LB without stirrups. Now I can canter on Andy bareback. We've come a long way baby.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
This just in- I have bones of steel! My foot is not broken, thank God, because the doctor would have put it in a cast for weeks if it was! I was pretty worried, as it was an ugly shade of purple and huge this morning. My mom, dad, and the doctor I saw at Urgent Care thought that there was a fracture, seeing how ugly it looked, but the doctor didn't see anything on the X-ray, so I am good to go! Well, unless the radiologist sees something, but cross my fingers that won't happen. As it is, I'm suppose to be on crutches til Saturday, but I hate crutches and the only ones I have are way too big for me and hurt my arm pits, so I am just hobbling along. I'm probably not suppose to ride for a while, but I have a ton of homework for Kandice and Sara, so I think I'll get back on Saturday with my stiff calf boots. I recited the whole RICE acronym to the doctor (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) and told her that I am rider, so I have plenty of experience. She got a kick out of that.
On the subject of my bones made of steel, I seriously think that they are infused with adamantium, a la Wolverine. This is like the third time when I've gotten hurt and the doctors told me they thought I had a fracture, but I X-rayed clear. Most curious, especially seeing as how I don't drink milk unless it's in coffee, and my vitamin D levels are always low. I must just have a great skeletal system. Not to worry, my crappy tendons make up for it!
On the subject of my bones made of steel, I seriously think that they are infused with adamantium, a la Wolverine. This is like the third time when I've gotten hurt and the doctors told me they thought I had a fracture, but I X-rayed clear. Most curious, especially seeing as how I don't drink milk unless it's in coffee, and my vitamin D levels are always low. I must just have a great skeletal system. Not to worry, my crappy tendons make up for it!
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