4 November
After catching covid at the end of July - which left me exhausted, experiencing a really slow recovery - and Freddie's blip whatever it was - hard to call it lameness, since no leg was ever lame, he just had funky movement. September was spent doing short 1-2mile hacks in walk.
I suspect now that he had just lost muscle tone, saddle needed correcting and/or possibly had tweaked something from his little escapade breaking out into the greener grassed area of his field. With the farrier saying nothing in the feet and the physio saying nothing in the muscles but both agreeing the movement was weird, I sent the video to Tim and we booked him in.
The new kit to check for the smallest millimetre of lameness was fascinating but also funny. A block on the bottom, ankle bracelets and what looked like a swimming hat with holes for ears was placed on his head. Fred having such a full forelock has never looked more daft beach donkey in his life. Sadly my phone was not to hand so I didn't capture his face :D
We did a thorough work through, flexion tests on the hind legs - and he trotted away cleanly - you'd have been proud to see that in a vetting! Trotted up and back in hand countless times for the various apps, lunged and finally ridden, where he was feeling nice and spooky. It was nice, 6.5 years on from the vetting, to think how far we have come. Now his spooking is funny and I stop it before it starts, back when he was vetted, I was nervous that he might spook and ditch me as it was January and he was feeling fresh.
Anyhoo, Fred seemed to have recovered. No sign of lameness, the machines which track to 1mm out all said sound and so uncle Tim suggested 10 days off on bute, 10 days ridden on bute and really build the work up and see where we are. I got the saddle corrected ready to start work and 20 days later, Fred was fine, just fatter with a lot of top line muscle tone diminished.
This was my first ever Vet visit (other than Ginger's and Fred's vetting) where I've come away with out disastrous news. We've spent the month building up the hacking - now back at 5.5-6miles quite happily. The arena work started 30mins walk and trot. Now up to 40 mins, but we puff a lot if I do canter and jumping. But I'm doing both to build it up. In fact whilst helping out last Wednesday for day time half term Halloween jumping, we even had a spin in the 70cm class (as much as I felt his belly was up to!) and came home with 3rd.
And so the weird funky movement which goodness knows what it was, or what the cause was never reappeared and never caused any further trouble. If anything though Fred feels even better for his short holiday.
Since I don't have any photographs of Freddie - I'm going to use this one that I put together to promote the RC Xmas Dressage - a fat ginger pony in a santa suit.. :D
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