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[RC] FW: Gimpy Ponies - Juli Bechard

Ok...I need ideas.

Alpine has been coming along GREAT in his conditioning....even in this horrible heat.  About three weeks ago, we went out for about a 10 mile ride.  we did it in about 2.5 hours.  This is not fast for him, nor is it far...kind of a medium ride.  It was hot, we kept it pretty slow.  A lot of slow trotting/gaiting (he interchanges the gaits at a slow speed).  He came in just fine.  I stalled him overnight because we had just sprayed some weeds in the pasture, and i didn't want him out there until I got them pulled, and he stocked up on the front legs, which is not uncommon.  After 12 hours of turnout, the right leg was fine, and the left leg had a little bit of filling left.  No heat, no lameness.  Two days later, no filling, no heat, no lameness.  About three days post ride, Alpine was off on his right front (which is the opposite of the leg that had the persistent filling).  I wouldn't call it lame.  If you don't know him, you might not even see it, but just a little off.  The farrier came out and redid his shoes at this point, and noticed a bruise on his sole, so I thought maybe he was sporting an abscess. It's been a little over three weeks now, and he is still VERY slightly off.  He seems to work out of it...I tried just taking him for a 10 minute walk to see if he would.   I had the farrier out to check him again, and he can't find anything there...no soreness on palpation or anything.


I have made an appointment with the vet, she'll be out Tuesday, but I'm baffled.  I would think if he'd pulled a suspensory, there would be heat and swelling somewhere, but his legs are cold and hard.  He was in a stall overnight a couple of days ago, and he didn't even stock up.  His energy level seems fine, the only thing I've noticed is that if I lunge him to the right (bad foot...), he brings himself back into a walk, which I kind of expect if he's gimpy.  His back seems fine, he has no sensitivity there, the shoulders don't look like they have a problem, I just can pinpoint anything.  

I really, really want to take Alpine to South Carolina and do our first REAL endurance ride, but will scrub that if I have too.  What's truly annoying is that Al is my only riding horse.  Merlin is just a hair under two, and I firmly believe that two year olds shouldn't be ridden...I'm planning on waiting until he's between three and four before starting him.  So if Alpine goes out of commission, I have no riding horse.  I might go into withdrawal.  My husband will disown me!  I can't afford three horses!

Juli (who is wishing that Alpine would pretend to Mr. Ed for just a minute and tell her exactly where it hurts) and the Herd
Alpine (I'm on vacation...mom just keeps obsessively feeling my legs)
Merlin (who doesn't know what a vacation is since he has never really worked in his life)





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