Bummed out

This morning I went out the barn for a last conditioning ride this week before we head to Montana on Thursday. I had planned to work in the round pen for about 10 minutes before the ride but because it took me so long to get my saddlebags back on and the HR monitor on, etc, well - time got away from me and we just headed out for our usual 6 mi ride on the roadside. I wanted to be back before it got too hot.

I started working with him right off the bat as we headed down the drive, asking him to bend and soften and I did feel a little progress already, he was very willing and wanting to please me today. It was easy to ride out on a loose rein.

I had brought out my GPS and was wearing it so I know that not even a mile in, 0.89 mi to be exact, Sinwaan tripped, slipped, scrambled and completely fell down, in a section that I would consider easy. I don't know what happened but it was not good. I was trying to decide if I needed to bail off or stay on, well I ended up staying on him and he got back up to his feet quickly but then he was holding his left fore off the ground and not wanting to put weight on it. I dismounted immediately to look him over and he still was just hanging his foot out in front of him. I was pretty worried about him now. We were close enough to home to walk back, but would he do it?

I waited for a car to pass and then turned him back and started off on foot, leading him. He came along willingly and started putting weight on his leg. I was relieved by that. After a couple steps he seemed pretty sound at the walk. His knees were banged up pretty bad, and he had a spot on his fetlock (on the hurt leg) that was bleeding - I suspected he clipped it with a hind when he fell down and that is what was causing him the pain.

On the walk home I realized my heel was hurting pretty bad, I guess after 4 years it's time to replace my ride shoes!

When I got him back to the barn I hosed off his legs and he looked ok. I trotted him out and he was favoring the left fore still. Cindy came out and I showed her his wounds and she had a better ointment then I did for them so we doctored him up and she promised to keep me updated. She noticed some swelling on his knee.

At this point I am so discouraged. He could be sound by Wednesday, but then will the long trailer ride to Montana make him lame again? It is a lot of money to spend on gas to haul him there only to have there be a question of if I get to ride. I was so looking forward to this ride!

The day started off so well. His HR was 37 when I tacked him up. I have been working on getting everything together. I had Matt help me with his electric fence charger last night and got that working again. I replaced the worn out shoelace on my boots and washed out my buckets. So much prep and so little time.

Now we wait and see...