Muscle Takes Time

Quizzical horse is quizzical.

Pig and I are two weeks in to our experiment with hock injections and weekly estrone shots. We have two shots left. I'm getting impatient.

Mainly, worry drives my impatience. On the last day before a new estrone injection is due, Pig exhibits hoppy-stifle issues again. His straightness takes a nose dive, and collection becomes nearly impossible.

Applz? You shouldn't should have!

Did I do the right thing? Should I have insisted we inject the stifles? It's impossible to know, so these questions torment me.

Of course the possibility exists that we still may need to pursue stifle injections. But, I am confident the hock injections were necessary. The first ride back I noticed Pig more willing to travel straighter. By the end of two rides, he was no longer winging out his hind right, instead traveling evenly with both. I can't describe how amazing that felt.

But now, I want even more. However, I'm reminded that building muscles takes a lot of time. The estrone shots aren't a cure, they are simply a method to help Pig and I build him enough support to avoid the issue. The fact that our rides between shots are getting better and better should lead me to be more confident in the treatment.

Empty moments in indoors are to be treasured, even if your horse spent the whole ride convinced the corner was full of tigers.

But it's hard for a crappy ride just before or just after a shot not to bring me down. I'm trying my best to stay positive, and not push Pig too hard when he tells me he can't. I'm also trying my best to keep up on the maintenance that helps him continue to improve...

1. Keeping his toes as short as possible, which is hard to do in this increasingly damp winter.

2. Building strength with lots of hill repeats, even though we both find them boring and hard.

On the days this horse feels good, though? Wow. All the worry, impatience, boredom, and work is 100% worth it. He's amazing.