Ok. So, I might have panicked more than a little on Saturday. I'm sure none of you fault me for it. And, to be honest, I am still feeling more than a little overwhelmed by life.
On Monday, I added a new supplement to Promise's SmartPak called SmartTendon. If you click, you can read the details...I got her the powder form, as she's not picky, and it's a few dollars cheaper. I even found a free shipping coupon, so the initial addition only cost me about $10 more than last month. Sweet! The ingredients are natural, and vet-recommended for joint, tendon and ligament health. She really should be on MSM anyway, as maintenance for her hocks. But, with the extra turnout, and prior to this barn, the hind shoes, she hasn't needed it, so she went without.
Also, there is not a single negative review of the product to be found anywhere. I especially loved the one that said the horse's windpuffs were noticeably reduced after 9 days on the supplement. Wow. I figured, absolute worst case, it can't hurt her. It may or may not help strengthen the healing ligament in the stifle, and/or tighten up those windpuffs and make them disappear, or at least be smaller.
Here's to hoping it works as well for Promise as it does for the horses described in the reviews.
I sent the barn owner an email to give her a heads up about the new pak, and to see how Promise was doing. She replied yesterday and said she looks fine at the walk, and is doing great in her day to day routine. I felt relief wash over me...but also had a hard time believing she was fully sound. Not that I don't trust the barn owner's judgment, mind you...just that I know how lame she was on Saturday. And the part of me that was hoping against all hope that she hadn't done further damage to her stifle, was also the part of me thinking she couldn't possibly be sound after the performance I saw in that paddock!
Anyway. I went to the barn after work last night to see how she was doing. Promise is lame. She is not, however, anywhere near as lame as she was on Saturday evening.
The therapy riding instructor was there cuddling with her gelding, who is stalled across from Promise (her boyfriend Rapkyn) when I came in and after a couple minute of chatting, and her offering to trot Promise out for me, we walked to the arena. Her right hind is definitely stepping short at the walk and trot. She is not doing the hip-hiking thing she did last fall after the initial strain.
This is great news.
And, the fact that she's improved so much in 5 days, is even better. I feel pretty confident in saying that she didn't re-pull or re-strain it. It seems more likely that she took a wrong step and tweaked it and is sore. The barn owner says she is being fine in turnout, so she'll continue going out. I don't believe she's been on the herbal pain/inflammatory stuff since Sunday morning.
The better news for Promise is, due to life, she is getting the next 4 weeks off. I am away to see my boyfriend this weekend, then the following two weekends, I have family/friends in town from Boston, and the 4th weekend, I will be away to see my boyfriend again.
It is going to be a crazy month. She should start the new supplement on or around June 3, so I will be dragging my friend (not really, she loves Promise) to the barn couple of times that weekend to see if there's an immediate improvement.
In the mean time...I will do my best to not feel like a terrible horse mom while I try to convince myself that she really needs the time off to heal, AND, she won't miss me...and, I will continue to work on my New Year's resolution to try not to wish my life away!
Have a great weekend, everybody!
I won't say she won't miss you cuz it seems mine are always happy to see me after I've been absent, but she most likley won't mind the time off at all ;)
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