Hey,
Just thought Id let you all know how Bob is. I would have written sooner but been swamped at work and don't feel like I've had a spare minute!
On Saturday my friend came and rode him and I rode a pony who I am helping out with. Friend has not seen Bob for a while so I thought it was a good indicator to have her come out. We went out hacking and Bob seemed much perkier; still footsore on the stones but not quite as lethargic as he had been. She thought he was less footsore than careful and checked him over (she trained as a vet) and her verdict - he is too hot. Even after a gentle walk round the block he was really puffing (something someone else mentioned to me after riding him the week before). She suggested clipping him as he is very hairy and thought that was all that was wrong with him.
Vet came on Tuesday and gave him vaccination and a check up. He had perked up a fair bit by the time she came (he trotted across the field to me and jogged up to the yard alongside, just to show me how much money I was about to waste - after me having to drag him in the last couple of weeks) and she doesn't believe there is anything viral/internal wrong with him. I walked and trotted him up and she checked for lameness, pulse, heat, and checked his feet. He was completely sound. Her feeling was that he was too hot and that he is possibly feeling fat and full with the haylage. She thinks if he has any laminitis it is so low grade that she couldn't find it, and that any foot soreness was just as likely from the wet ground etc. She did say he could do with not getting any fatter before going into spring though.
So that made me feel a bit better. I decided if the weather didn't change I would borrow friend's clippers and try and convince Bob that they weren't a pony mincer (unlikely).
I rode him after his vet check and he was footsore again, very lazy and lethargic even out in the open fields. That day the weather had changed and we had a heavy frost and everything was frozen - not good for sore footed ponies.
Due to rubbish work stuff I wasn't able to ride again until today - it has been much colder here this week; icy rain, frost and even an unexpected snowfall (didn't settle :-( - think I must be the only person praying for colder weather!).
Today was cold and incredibly windy (nearly got blown off a few times). Bob was good as gold - forward going, not footsore at all really (crunching along the rocks no problem) and chirpy. He was back to the no-leg ride I'm used to and we had a good time. I took him in the school after and he was trying very hard in walk and enthusiastic in trot.
I also got his saddle back today after sending it away last weekend - fully reflocked, lovely and smooth and squidgy
.
So I wonder if having a few days of frozen ground gave his feet chance to harden up again, and the cold weather has been making him feel less uncomfortable? Sadly we are due milder weather again next week :-( and the ground is back to being a bog again today after all the rain. Boo.
xxx
