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We Are Flying Solo

June 23, 2011

I'm Not The Only One Held Together With Tape And Velcro

Well, the MRI verdict is in for my knee as of an hour ago!  The good news:  soft tissue looks good.  The bad news:  both the tibia and fibula have fractured ends.  But they are healing and in another month of wearing the brace, should be set.  I am supposed to do only necessary activities but frankly, I can't see the point of that after I've been walking around on it for the last month while they took their sweet time imaging it.  But I will do my best to avoid super high impact, I suppose.  No falling allowed.  No problem, it's not like I am clumsy or anything. 

On the other hand, as anyone who's ever had one will attest, soft tissue injuries are a bitch.  I've been dutifully massaging Solo's back and stretchy-trotting till he sighs with boredom, but he's still definitely sore in his lumbar area.  So while PT was working on MY back, I hit him up for massage tips.

"You know what," he says, "I'll just come out and tape him!"

OMG, really???!!! Ok, since I know you are thinking, what, are you going to scotch tape your horse back together?, let me clear things up. We are talking about kinesiotape, magical stuff that has been stuck to my back more than once. If you want to read the gory details of how it works, you can do that too. But basically, it lifts the skin and fascia, allowing increased flow of blood and lymph fluid, ostensibly speeding healing and reducing pain in muscles. It has been used on racehorses, but I have not heard much about it's application to sporthorses.

So yeah, I was psyched to hear PT volunteer for this. We gave it a first shot last night, but I discovered in about two minutes that sweaty horse hair is not very sticky. I set out tonight to remove said hair for optimal stickability.

The initial haircut.  SOMEone had his hip cocked when I was cutting around the spine...

Now perhaps I have not mentioned this before, but PT has magical hands. And it's not always good magic. He manages to always poke right onto some spot where you didn't even know you hurt. Well, he had printed out a diagram of equine musculature (that's how awesome he is, because he doesn't usually work on animals) and examined it and then he walks up to Solo and says, "Hey, I bet he's sore right here too," and pokes his finger into the muscle posterior to his flank. Solo's hip dropped like a rock. How does the man do that???

Time to expand the clip job.

Then you just sit back and watch the magic happen.

First, you measure the tape out.
Then you peel it...
Stick it...
And voila!  You are magically taped with magic tape!

I eyed the edges of the tape suspiciously. They were pulling up on the stubby hairs -- my clipper blades would not allow me to cut as close as I had hoped. I could at least nail down the front pieces.

Solo's marvelous vetwrap girdle.

As of the time of my departure tonight, it was still on there, but I suspect it will be gone by the time I get there tomorrow, sigh. Next plan: shave the hair down shorter somehow and give Solo a bath to get rid of ALL the fuzz and dirt! The tape WILL stick, dammit!!

22 comments:

  1. Awesome!! I swear that tape works wonders. I have had it applied to my wrist a few times and the pain goes away within about 12 hours. Magic!

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  2. 1. You win the award for Most Creative Attempt at Pony Healing
    2. You also win an award for Most Creative Clipping Job
    3. Maybe buy a surgical blade?
    4. Omg, that PT is either a REALLY nice guy, or he's interested in crossing over to equine PT, or he wants to get in your pants! ;-)

    By the way, I tried to comment on your kitty post, but the internets ate it. So just to sum it up: until you get yourself tuned with a special tuning fork, you will emit a high-pitched sound that only animals in distress can hear. And really, you KNOW that Cute Orange Kitty has already found his home. ;-) He may not be a pony, but he IS orange, so he already matches Solo.

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  3. OMG I totally laughed out loud at the last picture. That's awesome!

    Just, um, don't let the other horses see Solo or they might laugh at him, OK?

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  4. That is so freaking cool.

    Makes me wish I had a PT, almost.

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  5. OMG, Frizz, now I REALLY hope that PT does not read this or I will die of embarrassment. Since he has a wife and four children, I think it's all a moot point, ack! He is simply a very, very nice guy -- I have him to thank for my mobility, most days!

    Jenj, Solo does not mind the girdle, because it's blue!

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  6. Why do I get the feeling that you will ultimately go all Sweeney Todd on Solo? GingerPony had better watch his orange, girdled back...

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  7. Wow, are you lucky to have PT! I can't believe he was willing to work on Solo and even studied up on equine musculature. Hope the tape helps...

    I do not have a PT, but I do have an Olav. He is a Very Wonderful Massage Therapist. I just wish I could afford to pay an extended visit to him, instead of attempting to monopolize his time when he visits my office for complimentary 10-minute massages (Yes, my co. does a few nice things for us employees. Just don't ask me about the health insurance.). He has given me many pointers and stretching exercises that have really helped with my chronic boo-boos. Good thing there ARE nice people in the "fixing humans" business!

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  8. Y_E, you will have to enlighten me, I didn't watch the movie...

    Yep, RW, PT specializes in sports massage therapy and it is absolutely worth every penny. It's not a relaxing kind of massage, more of an OMG OW kind of massage, but it makes a big difference for my messed up back.

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  9. Originally ST was a play depicting a fictional barber who first appeared in the British? play titled "A String of Pearls" as a minor character. In order to avenge the death (as far as Todd knows) of his beloved wife, Todd pretty much kills people by luring them into his barber shop for a shave. So, he slits their throats with a straight razor (which was a very popular barber's tool at the time due to its accuracy, but was also quite dangerous in the wrong hands) and disposes of the bodies by giving them to his acquaintance, Mrs. Lovett, to bake into tasty, tasty meat pies.Thus, the play relates to solo because you are on a mission to give him as close a "shave" as possible (in case the humor was lost in the synopsis, it was a joke. I don't actually think you want to kill your pony and bake him into pies).

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  10. omg Iaughed so hard at the "get in our pants" comment.

    as for the tibia fracture, that exact injury happened to me last december and it wasnt fun. Along with that I tore my miniscus (maybe thats why t hurt so much) but the healing seemed to take ages (in horse time ages is like a few months).

    Good luck with speed healing! Loved the pics of Solo's tape, never heard f it, seems neat!

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  11. ROFL, YE, thanks for the summary!

    Check, yowch! Months IS ages in horse time. I haven't jumped in long enough to make me very twitchy...

    Frizz, I'm still looking for an appropriate shelf to place my awards on, I hope they won't blind me with their shininess!

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  12. Ah hahahahahahahaha!!! Poor Solo!! But that does probably feel good to his poor little sore muscles! I tried to recomment on the kitty post to say the same thing Frizz said. Mr Orange and Stripey has found his home. Admit it :)
    Oh, and btw, evidently my signal had not been reset that I was available for the next critter. A super sweet pit bull is joining the ranks of the one pitty and 2 hounds I already have. Posting on the internet alerts them. Hide!!!

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  13. Oh crap, Alana! If any more animals show up here, I'm sending them to you!!!!

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  14. Don't. You. Dare. Send. Me. Any. More. Animals! Don't you dare!!!!!!!!!!

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  15. Did you know you made Eventing Nation for "creative attempts at horse healing"?

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  16. I just saw that, LLR, and I hope we are able to be not only creative, but successful! Thanks for the FYI!!!

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  17. This is extremely cool! I've never heard of this before. I might want to try it myself.
    Michelle
    http://www.fromthehorsesback.com

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  18. hmph, your very dedicated photographer was not mentioned. Even after I asked the therapist to flex his muscles.

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  19. That is really cool. I just learned something new! That's a great doc who comes out to help you with your horse. <3

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