Butterflies

Many people get butterflies when they are about to compete in a show. I don't get nervous, but I get the "really excited" kind of butterflies. Today I wasn't at a show but I got really excited.

The instructions from Dr. Chiro were that I was to warm Kaswyn up before I started the stretching exercises. So I lunged Kaswyn instead of riding him so that I could see him move. He was totally sound and even at the trot going to the left. He looked as good as he did after those neuroma injections last year. The canter looked a little weird, so I stopped him from doing that. He was just a tiny bit uneven at the trot to the right. I didn't even canter him right.

After the lunging I did the stretching. First was neck stretches, where I take a treat and stand at his side and get him to stretch his neck around his body as far as he can towards his tail. Well, he has full range of motion back in his neck. His nose was almost at his stifle, he was folding his neck so much. Loved it!

Next I did the leg stretch where I pull each front leg out straight forward, then onto the shoulder exercises. I'm not totally sure that I'm doing these properly, but I know that each side feels different. I tried to watch the shoulder blade as I lifted the leg up, and I think he's still tighter on the left. But it's hard for me to see when I'm jammed up against his shoulder.

I know we have just started this different kind of rehab and treatment, and that we have a long way to go. But when I saw my horse trot strong, sound, and even on the end of a lunge line, knowing that he was completely drug free, I got show butterflies. The excited kind. And it was GOOD.

~Also, Happy Mother's Day to all you horsie moms out there. And human moms too. :)