Waiting

I complain every year about winter. And here I go again.

I'm sick of it already and it's just February. Here in Northeast Ohio we can have snow in April. So I still have months of this crap left.

Yes I know we're having a winter storm, and it's nasty out, etc. It's not the driving on the roads that I don't like. It's being cold at the barn. I just get tired of bundling up to groom horses, then taking off the jacket to ride, taking off another layer when I get sweaty, then back on with the jacket when I'm done so I don't get chilled, and then switching the helmet for the winter hat. Put that horse away and get out the next one. Repeat the clothing shuffle.

I will say that I'm loving my Under Armour cold gear mock turtleneck. It's fantastic. The first time I rode in it it felt really weird, because I could feel air circulation but I didn't feel chilled or cold. Then after the ride it kept me warm until I was ready to get on another horse. And I had something weird happen last night. I rode two horses and then headed home from the barn. When I got home I took off my sweatshirt and it was wet on the back and I couldn't figure out how that happened. Then I figured out that the Under Armour shirt had wicked the sweat away and the moisture had ended up on my sweatshirt, keeping the Under Armour shirt and me dry. Yay for technology!

Also I have two samples from Absorbine to try out but it's too cold! They sent me Showsheen and HoofFlex, both with a new delivery system. I can't wait to try them but I think that they might not work so well at 20 degree temperatures. So once it warms up, finally, I'll be able to give them a try.

The cold hasn't kept me from riding. I ride two horses a night usually, sometimes 3 or 4 depending on what's going on. Sadly, none of theses horses is Kaswyn. His wound is really healing up now, but he still has sensitivity behind the pastern and is still just a bit off because of it. And I can't blame it on the inflammation, because that is completely gone. I can feel the bones and everything back there.

I'm trying not to get too upset about it but I fear that my time of riding my horse is over. My plan is to wait until the leg is totally and completely healed - like the scab has fallen off and hair starts to grow, and there is no inflammation when I stop wrapping him. When we get to that point I will re-evaluate. If he still has pain behind the pastern, with no inflammation and no open wound, then I will take him to Dr. G one last time and get his opinion on what's going on in there, and find out of there is anything he can do. I'm done cutting my horse open, so surgery is out.

I am interested in trying to find a horse massotherapist that has experience with nerve pain and possibly adhesions in the leg. I have a feeling that those nerves behind the pastern are inflamed or there are adhesions that are causing pain. Perhaps breaking those adhesions up will make a difference. But I'm confident right now that he doesn't have an injury there, because he's had so much time off that anything he could have pulled or strained would have healed by now.

So right now I'm waiting. Waiting for winter to end, waiting for show season to start, and waiting for Kaswyn to finish healing. And I want it all to hurry up, already!