Our farrier met me in a bitterly cold wind this afternoon and pulled Encore's shoes; the final touch ending my desperate attempt at a fall season. At least I won't have to get all crabby about riding in the dark all winter.
It's not all bad -- Encore no longer shows any pain in his hip or hindquarter from his ligament injury, which is great. Now we just need to work on loosening up the tight tendons and ligaments in the area and make sure to keep them moving throughout the winter. The Majykal Hotwalker (my new best friend) will help keep his muscles toned and hopefully, the round pen and a lovely rider of a friend can keep a hint of topline on him.
In addition, there is Amber. Delightful, thoughtful, enthusiastic Amber who showed up out of nowhere and brightened my life really at its darkest moment. She will be helping me keep Solo in shape and showering him with the attention he has been craving. I laughed out loud on Sunday as I glanced at him: Amber was brushing him and his bright eyes and pricked ears were locked on me, saying, "FINALLY! Thank you for this most excellent minion!" He was in heaven. At least until he found out there would be SOME work involved. But he was quickly bribed back to joy with a giant peppermint stick.
My surgery comes next Friday and this week is a crazy one at work, so the clock is ticking. I will be stockpiling feed and digging out my old crutches and relishing my last moments with my legs wrapped around a warm, wonderful horse. I lean against their necks and breathe deeply, hoping I can save up their essence to get me through to the other side.
It's not all bad -- Encore no longer shows any pain in his hip or hindquarter from his ligament injury, which is great. Now we just need to work on loosening up the tight tendons and ligaments in the area and make sure to keep them moving throughout the winter. The Majykal Hotwalker (my new best friend) will help keep his muscles toned and hopefully, the round pen and a lovely rider of a friend can keep a hint of topline on him.
In addition, there is Amber. Delightful, thoughtful, enthusiastic Amber who showed up out of nowhere and brightened my life really at its darkest moment. She will be helping me keep Solo in shape and showering him with the attention he has been craving. I laughed out loud on Sunday as I glanced at him: Amber was brushing him and his bright eyes and pricked ears were locked on me, saying, "FINALLY! Thank you for this most excellent minion!" He was in heaven. At least until he found out there would be SOME work involved. But he was quickly bribed back to joy with a giant peppermint stick.
My surgery comes next Friday and this week is a crazy one at work, so the clock is ticking. I will be stockpiling feed and digging out my old crutches and relishing my last moments with my legs wrapped around a warm, wonderful horse. I lean against their necks and breathe deeply, hoping I can save up their essence to get me through to the other side.