Some of you may remember Paddy, the ex-racehorse who was here earlier in the year. He came with a front limb palmar hoof lameness, diagnosed as navicular syndrome, but while he was here he had spinal x-rays which revealed severe kissing spine.
His back was so immobile that he was completely unable to build topline or hindquarter muscle and even though his feet improved steadily it was clear that he needed a lot more help before he would be able to go back into ridden work.
So no sooner did he go home from Rockley than he was booked in for surgery to try and give him back some movement in his back. That meant of course that he would be undergoing a double rehab, feet and back, over the following few months.
Fortunately the op was a success and I was thrilled to see these photos of Paddy 8 weeks later. Emma has been working him daily in hand which has kept his feet progressing very nicely and he is at last building muscle through his back.
I can't believe that it will have been a year that he won't have been ridden for - the judge said that once his back & bottom have muscled up to match his front end he will be a very powerful horse..... Mmmmm not sure I'm looking forward to that!!
ReplyDeleteIt's facsacinating how incredibly different Paddy's kissing spines are than Ace's, who has an operation in four days time.
ReplyDeletePaddy's are like little hammer heads or piano keys. Ace's don't have any of that, there just isn't any gap between them - at all. Stuck together from top to bottom.
Well done Paddy, I'm following your progress.
C
Yes Caroline, paddy's are like mushroom tops - you can see how it could easily have happened - soft cartilage/bone being squashed into that shape from sitting in him at a young age with a flat saddle and heavy rider!!
ReplyDeleteHis movement is loads better now & I am going to start lunging him this weekend, free to start with, then with a chambon, then will add a bungee round his bottom. I will build up to using poles to really get him using his back. 6 weeks of that, then hopefully get the all clear from the vets to get on him!
Emma, Ace is a good candidate for the new ligament cutting operation. You and I should both be getting back on board at roughly the same time, because his op is so much less invasive than what Paddy needed.
ReplyDeleteI'll be thinking of you as I get back on!
C
So thrilled to see Paddy looking so well, very well done all ! Such a beautiful boy, he has a very exciting future I'm sure.
ReplyDelete