We brought Alpine out to where Spot is currently living for a trail ride today. It was gorgeous, cool, overcast. The horses were quite frisky today! However, they were both on pretty good behavior for the vast majority of the ride.
We got to a creek crossing, fairly small (they could have stepped over it) but there was a log in the middle of it. Alpine apparently decided that it was not a log, but in fact an Alligator. A big yellow horse eating Alligator. So, he decided he was NOT going through that creek. He started trying to do a 180 and leave, and my friend Nancy, who was riding him, was trying to keep him moving through the creek. Anyway, he ended up spinning himself into a hole and falling, landing with his left hind leg under himself, bending at the stifle. He (of course...) came up lame on that leg.
As far as we can tell, he has a muscle pull (you can see the knot and swelling towards the back of the leg, and he is NOT happy about it being touched). His tendon on his hind leg is a little swollen, but we think that's because he kicked himself pretty good (took all the hair off). What we aren't sure is if the stifle is actually injured. We walked out of the forest (2.5 miles...had our exercise for the day). Once back at the barn, we gave him some bute, cold hosed for awhile, DMSO'd the swelling, wrapped the heck out of his legs, and trailered him back home. Needless to say, Alpine really is on vacation now! The only question is for how long....
Luckily the vet is coming out tomorrow to do vaccines, so he can check things over too. How do you tell if a stifle is injured? I've never had that problem before! And how do you treat a stifle injury. For tonight, until the vet says otherwise anyway, he's on opposite turnout from the rest of the crew. Stalled during the day, and out so he can move some at night.
On the bright side, Spot was very well behaved. He led some, followed a lot, and watched Alpine's temper tantrum with kind of a detached, "glad that's not me" kind of attitude. Then followed me walking home with his nose touching me. It was kind of funny...
Juli and Spot (I was a good boy, and got goodies for it)
