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Re: [RC] prineville-injured riders and horses - agilbxrI went out riding with a friend last Thursday, and was kind of in a hurry. I got up on Alpine without doing my normal cinch tightening (you have to do it at least three times...my paso knows how to look like a halter quarter horse when you first put the cinch on), and discovered my stirrups were too short. Oops, had kids on him last. So I asked Amy, the resident barn owner, to lenthen my stirrups, and while she was at it, would she tighten my girth.
We head out on the trail, and Alpine was not walking out like he normally does, so I ask him to pick up a gait, and he was lame on his left front foot...so I thought. Got down, trotted him in hand, definatly off on that left foot. So, I promptly loosened his girth and headed towards home. He took a big breath, and informed me that he felt better now by spinning loops around me trying to go back out on the trail. So, I trotted him again, dead sound. Then I got back on, and he was fine. I as assuming that Amy cranked that girth down tighter than I normally do, and added to the fact that I was in the saddle when she did it, it made for an ouchie horse. And he told me in the only way he could that it was hurting him.
We rode for 2 hours without another lame step....
Juli and Alpine (snug is fine, but I do need to be able to breathe)
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