LAME LAME LAME

*headdesk*

Just weeks ago we were cleared to begin dressage again.  Jetta had a pretty significant soft-tissue shoulder injury over 2 years ago.  3 months of rehabbing brought her back but after she re-injured it for the second and third times, my vet, chiropractor AND farrier all said to stop dressage.  "She can't handle it."  "Her body isn't made for it."  "The collection is too much." 

I can't help it.  I have fallen head over heels in love with this crazy thing called dressage.  My heart was broken.  Not just for the orders to stop what I have fallen in love with, but more for my beautiful mare who was injured. 

Fast forward a year from that dire warning against dressage to our annual spring vet check a couple of weeks ago.  My vet's jaw dropped when she saw Jetta.  When she was filling out her Coggins paperwork and asked for her age, she simply did not believe me when I told her 15.  She was actually about to write 7 - she said there's no way Jetta can be 15 - she looks 5!  I was already on a "high" from those kind words when she asked me THE question, "have you been doing dressage with her?"  I didn't want to tell her, but I couldn't lie.  Yes.  Yes, I have.  Nothing too taxing on her, not asking for a lot of collection, not doing anything on any smaller circle than 20m.  Etc, etc, etc.  Dr. M stepped back from probing all over Jetta, looked over at me, and says..."You've done a great job with her.  As long as you keep her limitations in mind, she is cleared to do anything.  Including dressage." 

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

About a week and a half ago, my friend called me and told me she thought Jetta looked "off" when being turned out.  GREAT.  I was out the next day, longed her, and yep...there it was.  Definitely off, but didn't look like the shoulder.  Brought the vet back out yesterday....the bad news is that she is indeed lame...but the GREAT news is that it's not her shoulder, and it's not laminitis.  She believes it's nothing more than bruised feet from all the running the mares have been doing on the uneven ground to get out to the grassy fields when the gates are opened.  I concur with her opinion.  So, now we are soaking the foot once a day and giving bute twice a day to take the edge off.  My farrier was scheduled to come out on May 17 to do shoes, but he has moved that up to next Tuesday. 

The best news is that we are moving facilities TOMORROW and Jetta will no longer be 30 - 40 minutes one way from my house...she will be 3 minutes away instead.  Can't wait to get her moved and settled!