22/2/16 The improvements continue

I am so, so, so pleased to be able to write again about how well Jack is doing!  The change in him for the better since before Christmas is immense! 
Basically before Christmas I felt like he just didn't like me much anymore!  He wouldn't come to me when I called him in the field and generally just didn't seem as friendly towards me.  It sounds silly I know but he has always been quite a affectionate horse and now he was pretty much ignoring me.
Maybe he just needed a bit of a break as since he was left in the field for a few weeks over New Year while I was too ill to go down he has been back to his friendly and affectionate self that I love!  He comes cantering over to the gate when I call him and grooms me back when I'm brushing him etc.  He seems so much happier and happy to see me too everyday which is lovely :) There has only been 1 day where he was difficult to bring in from the field and I do think it has to do with when the mares are in season, they get split up from them in the Spring so it shouldn't be a problem, I'm hoping anyway!

His ridden work continues to impress me and we have just started cantering out on hacks, we can't do that much as the ground is too deep and sticky in a lot of places but we have managed a little canter along the edge of a field which is drier, Jack was very well behaved and calm the first time which surprised me!  We are mostly hacking and increasing the distance as well as the amount of trotting plus adding canter where possible.  He is really behaving well out hacking and his nappy behaviour from pre op has completely disappeared, we can now pass other horses out hacking without a battle, this is a major improvement!  We also do a couple of lunging sessions a week in the pessoa over poles and 1 schooling session a week too, this really seems to suit Jack, he is feeling fitter and stronger and when I do school him he feels fantastic!  I still carry a whip but I never have to use it now as he is foward and responsive to my aids.  The biggest difference is in the trot to canter transitions, he used to find these a real struggle and would often go crooked and hollow in the transition taking a good 3/4 strides before actually making the transition.  That was an improvement on pre op where he would not canter at all and if asked would just stop and rear however it still needed a lot of work.  Now I just have to sit and move my leg back ever so slightly and he bounces instantly into a lovely energetic canter :)

I was pushed for time one day last week so I decided to see how Jack felt about loose jumping, I popped up a little cross pole and warmed him up on the lunge then let him go and he flew round leaping about and enjoying himself, he was doing a wonderful extended trot down the long side of the ménage!  He jumped beautifully and actually ended up jumping about 1m, he was enthusiastic taking out strides and going for long ones,I got some stills from the videos I took when the jumps were a bit smaller :)

I might even try jumping with me on this week!

We still have nothing definite in the pipe line but will hopefully take part in some pairs hunter trials over the summer to get back into the swing of things and maybe even get some ODE's in before the end of the season if all goes well but I'm not setting my sights too high and just want to enjoy having a fit, healthy and happy horse again :)

17/2/16 Beginning to get fitter

When I wrote my last post I had just got back in the saddle but stormy weather was making conditions less than desirable!  Well, thanks to storm Imogen, following that first windy little hack Jack ended up having a couple of days off and was even treated to a night in the stable, a rare luxury for him!   This actually coincided with hospital and Dr appointments for me so it would have been difficult to fit in riding anyway so as timing goes it was actually good for once!
By Wednesday the storm had passed and calm resumed so we headed out for another slightly longer hack, the plan is to go slightly further each day, we were alone again but Jack behaved beautifully and was much more forward and working well over his back into a nice long, low and soft contact.  His back felt great and I could feel him swinging through which I don't usually feel, even out hacking he usually needs some encouragement to step through and not just dawdle along as a leisurely pace but I wasn't having to use any leg at all and he was nice and soft into the contact too. His back muscles will be building up nicely working like that!  As he was going so nicely I wanted to keep up with the hacking, straight lines are best at this stage to build his muscle evenly so we ventured out again on Thursday and again increased the length of the route we took also including a couple of short bursts of trot.  Jack felt so good, he had a real spring in his step, lots of energy and enthusiasm but no silliness or spookiness and we had a really nice ride.  He found coming back down the bridle path very exciting but he managed to keep a lid on it. I let him have a trot on the slightly uphill bit and he was very keen indeed, the grass verge was very soft and deep so I stayed on the path as the last thing I want to do is have him slip or pull something in deep going when he's not fully fit.  I was really pleased with him again and he seems to have just the right amounts of energy without so much he's naughty or spooky, he is also looking nice and trim now too which is great as its always a struggle keeping his weight down.  I'm glad he isn't carrying any excess weight coming out of winter, I don't have to worry quite so much about the spring grass!!
I couldn't ride Friday due to childcare issues and appointments so Jack got another day off!  Not ideal but nothing I could do about it and in the long run its probably good for him, there is no rush to get him fit at this stage, we have no date we have to work to, no pressure on us and one of the things I learnt while rehabbing after his surgery is to take your time.
We managed to get out again on Saturday and enjoyed another nice hack with lots to like about Jacks way of going and attitude, he has just the right amount of energy to work to the best of his ability without being silly.  It's a good job he will hack alone as we've not seen anyone to ride with all week!
Sunday was a busy day with family so I just lunged in the pessoa but again I was impressed with Jacks attitude and way of going, much more forward and enthusiastic :)
On Monday I didn't get to the yard in time to go for a hack so decided to take him in the school instead, he had been less than enthusiastic the last time we had been in there so I got my spurs on ready.  I also borrowed a friends magnetic rug to pop on him for half and hour before I rode.
Now at the moment I can't say what's making the difference but WOW he felt amazing!!  I honestly don't think he has ever felt so light, forward, responsive, adjustable and soft!  I could have ridden all night he just felt so wonderful but I kept to a steady 30mins with several breaks for stretching so not to over do it.
So what is it that's making the difference, is it the food now I've changed him onto the higher energy mix, the magnetic boots, magnetic rug or combination of all 3?  I'm really not sure at this stage but I'm just absolutely thrilled that he is feeling so good.  I have never got that feeling from him before and I'm really excited by it, if we can keep that as he gets back to full fitness I will have got my horse back better than ever!  I'm thrilled for him too as he is getting his confidence back 😀
So I will be continuing with using the magnetic rug and boots before and after exercising him as well as  doing carrot stretches before every ride.  I will be hacking again this week and building up the amount of trot work each day, if the weather allows as forecast is heavy rain and snow!!

8/2/16 - Back in the saddle

Finally this week, after what feels like forever, I was able to get back in the saddle!
I've been lunging Jack everyday to build up his muscle, we've been doing a variety of different pole work exercises to really get him lifting his back, engaging his core and hind quarters and flexing his hocks all of which he really needs to do to support his spine and the poles make it really easy to achieve.  He seems to enjoy doing the poles and it certainly makes going in endless circles a bit more interesting!  There are so many different ways to set the poles out too so it doesn't become boring and repetitive.
I'd not ridden yet as I really wanted his saddle checked first just to make sure I wasn't going to create anymore issues by riding in a saddle that wasnt quite right.
Friday came and the saddler was booked for 12.30pm to check his saddle fit for me, she was running very late due to an accident but fortunately I wasn't in too much of a rush and spent the time giving Jack a good groom, not that you would know it, he still looks very mud coloured!  I did manage to get a brush through his tail for the first time since before I was ill thanks to a big helping of nettex mane and tail detangler!
When the saddler finally made it I tacked him up and she checked the saddle surprisingly finding it still a good fit, she then checked it with me mounted and after a few minutes of riding and again it was still sitting perfectly so no work required :) I just rode in the school for 15minutes in walk and a little trot to finish.  Jack felt lazy but very relaxed!  Probably should have put my spurs on!
It also made me think about his food, he's only been getting a small amount of healthy tummy and safe and sound chaffs which are both low energy.  I have to be careful with his weight and through summer this is usually plenty alongside the grass but I do normally add a higher energy mix in winter and fibrebeet to give him a bit more enthusiasm, again that's not happened due to my illness this winter and for almost 6weeks he pretty much lived on just grass.  How lucky are we to have enough good winter grazing to do that!!  He looks in very good condition and has not lost weight from it but I felt that now he's in regular work again he needs a bit more so as I needed some more gastro-kalm anyway for his tummy when I went to the shop I got a bag of spillars response slow release energy too.

The awful weather put paid to any riding on Saturday, it was howling winds and throwing it down by the time I got to the yard to meet my friend Jo for a ride, we both decided to wimp out and leave it for another day!
I also didn't ride out with the other liveries on their regular Sunday morning hack, I would have loved to but they go for a good hour with lots of trotting and cantering so we will have to wait a good few weeks before we are ready for that!  I rode in the afternoon instead, I wanted to go for a little hack but the wind was still very strong and I wasn't too sure if taking Jack out for the first time in months on my own in high wind was a good idea!  After a good talking to myself I decided to just get on with it and I was really glad I did, he was on his toes but never put a foot wrong and had a lovely ride.  Hopefully the wind drops off a bit but the forecast is for storm imogen to bring more high winds and heavy rain the next few days, maybe Jack will get another day or 2 off!

I also received some magnetic hock boots from Equine Magnetix this week and was keen to give them a try so I've started putting them on a couple of hours at a time. Too early to tell if they have any effect yet but looking forward to seeing some positive results on his arthritic and slightly stiff hocks as he gets used to them.  Hopefully they help keep him comfortable, they have lots of positive feedback from owners of horses with conditions similar to Jacks so fingers crossed they can work for him.  I'm also considering getting him a back on track rug but would like to see some results from the boots before I spend that sort of money.  I may also treat Jack to an equiami lunging aid rather than the pessoa as they have such a positive following amongst other kissing spines horse owners.

You can see in the below picture where the river has burst its banks and flooded the bottom part of our field, fortunately most of the field is on higher ground and well draining so other then the bottom part getting flooded and the gateway being a mud bath the rest of the field is pretty good, Jack decided to photobomb my attempt at photographing the flood water!

1 year post op 2/2/16

It was 1 year ago that Jack had his Kissing Spine surgery by the wonderful team headed by Neil Ashton at Oakham Equine Vet Hospital. 
Its been hard and emotional, at times I doubted I'd made the right decision, a year of real lows and massive highs and I'm thrilled to say it ended having far more ups than downs, the surgery was a complete success and I definitely did the right thing for my horse, he is happy, pain free and enjoying life again.

On our way to Oakham

We have been very, very fortunate to have had a great team of people helping to get Jack better from the team at Oakham to the amazing staff and facilities at Bennett Equine sport rehabilitation centre and our brilliant physio Tamsyn all of whom have been an endless source of expertise and advice.  I don't think I could have got through the box rest, rehab and set backs without their help. 
Not forgetting my beautiful boy who has been through so much and still keeps trying for me, he's been an absolute trooper through it all and in a year has gone from being in so much pain he was unrideable, had major surgery, box rest, rehab and SI problems to jumping double clear in our first competition in nearly 2 years and completing a 12 mile charity ride complete with xc jumps.
Its been a tough year for us both but it ended on a high!









As regular readers will know since our successful return to competition in December Jack has had an enforced 6 week holiday as I managed to get Pneumonia and end up in hospital!
Just over a week ago I started working him again after he had a visit from Tamsyn our physio to check all was ok.  She found that due to lack of work he was a bit tight and sore in his back and hips but she was able to loosen this off easily and he was soon nice and soft and relaxed again and as expected he has lost some condition and muscle but nothing to worry about.  The plan to bring him back into work was a week or so of lunging introducing poles to help him to step through and use his back and quarters correctly to build up the important supporting back muscles.  I can then begin some light hacking for a few weeks building it up slowly.
I have the saddler booked for the end of this week so I don't plan to get on board until then, just to be sure the saddle is not going to cause him any discomfort.  I will just lunge until then.
I have been doing a variety of pole work exercises with him in walk and trot since his physio visit starting with just a single pole and building up daily, Jack has been working beautifully so we have been able to progress quite quickly and by the end of the week we progressed to slightly raised poles.  I have been delighted with Jacks attitude and ability to his work, in the past he has struggled with stepping through with his near hind over poles due to SI issues but he is not showing any signs of any discomfort and is stepping through and over tracking on both reins no problem.  Its the best I've seen him since before his diagnosis.  In trot he is elevated and has a real spring in his step which is lovely to see.  He seems to have a smile on his face and be enjoying his work.  I actually think he might have missed me a bit, when I was ill I didn't go down for about a month, he comes cantering over to be when I get to the gate everyday and has a lot more enthusiasm for his work.  Its so much nicer than feeling like I'm having to force him to work properly.  Here are some pictures showing him working over some poles