Visit to Paddy

I went to see Paddy at Rockley this weekend and on the way I was listening to Simon Mayo & sent in a text - they actually mentioned it!!
Arrived in Devon Friday evening, so went to see him on Saturday and he was looking very chilled out - he is starting to put on some weight but I don't think I will see much change until I can get his back sorted out.
The options are leaving it as it is & just do hacking & low level dressage on him, or get him operated on which will mean a lengthy period of rehab, but the potential to be able to do more as he will have a flexible back again and will be able to build up muscle properly......lots to think about!!

Anyhow, Nic let me ride on of their horses and lead paddy, which was a first for me as I had never led paddy off another horse & the last time I rode & led was when my brother was still on the lead rein, which was a LONG time ago!!

They were all as good as gold & paddy behaved as if he had been doing this all his life - think it helped that the weather was lovely!

After riding I spent some time grooming him and generally cosseting him so he remembered who I am, then returned to the B&B, got changed and headed out for some dinner. 

On the Sunday I went back again to see him and again gave him a groom and lots of cuddles and then turned him out with the others, where he was very happy to munch haylage with Beanie, Julie's horse.

After this I headed home to Cambridge, very sad to leave him & wondering what the future holds for him, knowing that I have some research on kissing spines to do and some big decisions to make!!

More bad news...

I have been discussing the issue of Paddy's weight with Nic, because despite being fed lots of muscle building food, he is not putting on much weight and muscle - now he's never been a fat horse, and has never been particularly well muscled over his back, although when he was in consistent work before he went lame he did have a reasonable amount of topline. We decided that it would be a good idea to get the vet out with a view to scoping him for ulcers, although he has never shown any symptoms of ulcers up to now.

Any way, the vet cam out with her senior partner & they took one look at Paddy and said that they did not think that he had ulcers, and that it was his back that was the problem, so arranged to come back and x-ray his back, which they have now done and here are the results;

Basically they show that he has severe kissing spines and is totally inflexible along the part of the spine that runs underneath the saddle. The vet said that the fact that he does not currently appear to be in much pain suggests that he has had this injury for some time, but he would have been in quite alot of pain in the past.

The vet said that she didn't think it would be worth operating on him, and that he would not be able to jump again, he might be able to do some low level dressage, or just be a hack.

This is devastating news, after all the problems with his feet, to find out that things are even worse than I thought they were. I am going to have to find out about kissing spines and look at what the options are before I make any decisions.

For the time being Nic is going to continue exercising him by leading him off another horse.

Enjoying life at Rockley

Here's my boy, patiently waiting for his tea!!

Obviously enjoying life at Rockley!!

Paddy has attachment issues!!!

After a good nights sleep, we went back to Rockley to see Paddy, do the photos of his feet and to lunge him......well that was the plan anyway!!

Paddy was a good boy for his foot filming and photograph session, however when we took him out to the arena to be lunged he was a complete idiot - not helped by the weather, which was bitterly cold and howling a gale!!

He did his usual wall of death, the took a flying kick at Nic, then reared up - it was at this point that Nic decided that it probably wasn't the best time to be trying this, so took him in again and put his rug on to be turned out into the yard with Felix and Charlie, who are her horses and help to calm new horses.

Their calming influence did not work on Paddy at all and all he wanted was to be with his new best friend Rollo, and basically careered around until Rollo was fetched from the field to be with Paddy. As soon as Rollo was put in with Paddy he settled down - talk about making quick attachments!!

Unhappy Paddy!!

Paddy with his new best friend - happy now!!

Once Paddy had settled down, we said our goodbyes and set off again for home.....It will probably be a few weeks before I can get down to Devon to see him again - I will miss my boy, but am hopeful that this rehab will help his feet so that I will be able to ride him again.

Paddy goes to Rockley...

Well the time for Paddy's trip to Devon arrived, of course the weather in Cambridge & half way across the country was awful - snowing and really bad road conditions & I looked at the forecast for Devon & it was meant to torrential rain - can honestly say I was not looking forward to the drive at all.

I hired a horse box as I was worried that mine would not get us there without breaking down - a nifty little number that was pretty much brand spanking new....Paddy took one look at it and decided that he didn't like it!, after a little persuasion from Nicky (our yard owner) he went on & off we set.

I have to say that he travelled like a dream and the box was like a car to drive. Eventually arrived at Rockley in the afternoon having had to negotiate the smallest roads (not much more than a track) in the lorry - I'm just grateful we did not meet anything coming the other way!!

Once we had arrived, we popped Paddy into his stable and he very quickly settled down to eat, after making friends with his next door neighbour Rollo.

Once we had made sure that Paddy was settled, Gillian and I went off to our B&B to get changed & headed to the pub for a meal and a well deserved glass of wine!!

5 week update

Paddy has now been barefoot for five weeks now & if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would not have believed the changes a hoof can make all on their own!!

The caudal area of his feet has already beefed up a bit and you can see the new angle of hoof growth just below the coronet & this is with only walking round his field for 5 weeks.

Paddy is off to Rockley in a weeks time and whilst I am so glad he's going, I am dreading the drive and will miss him loads. Gillian is coming with me so at least I won't have to drive all that way on my own.

Paddy's feet 5 weeks into barefoot.

Shoes off!!!!

The farrier came to take Paddy's shoes off today in preparation for going to Rockley in a few weeks time. The farrier did not do anything other than removing his shoes and filing round the edge to neaten them a little, he did not take anything off the feet as they will wear down when he starts moving on them.

Paddy's feet just after having his shoes removed.

Paddy's keeping an eye on what the farrier is up to!!!!