Pics and vids for those who asked...

[kerilli]

Originally Posted by vallin

Nothing constructive to add, was just wondering how you other (patient) horses were doing?

Ellie's turned out (finally) and improving, just finishing second course of steroids. At this rate I hope she'll at least stay good enough to hack and maybe do some dressage, the odd thing is she looks 100% in herself (no atrophy anywhere etc) apart from wobblyness of hindend... but she's now cantering around and not looking as if she'll fall over, so, huge improvement.
Jinni (the yearling) is now turned out again, on vet's advice; she's coping, but her neck looks pretty awful. muscle really atrophied, equally both sides. vets say 'wait and see'... but i am heartbroken, she looked so promising before and now she looks like two different animals shoved together. her neck looks very stiff, she isn't bending it well but doesn't seem to be in any pain, just doesn't want to bend it.
thanks for asking, much appreciated.
dafthoss, he spat a bit of his suet bird pellet into my mouth, i just couldn't cope with that! only time he's done it too, typical.

[Goldenstar]

I think the bird is the coolest thing ever.

[Puppy]

Originally Posted by kerilli

Jinni (the yearling) is now turned out again, on vet's advice; she's coping, but her neck looks pretty awful. muscle really atrophied, equally both sides. vets say 'wait and see'... but i am heartbroken, she looked so promising before and now she looks like two different animals shoved together. her neck looks very stiff, she isn't bending it well but doesn't seem to be in any pain, just doesn't want to bend it.

This makes me so sad for you I really hope you and your girls have a change of luck very soon. For what it's worth, as a person with an injured neck whose problem stems from muscle wastage, stretches, religiously, are slowly making improvements for me that I never thought possible before they diagnosed the reason behind my pain, so do keep persevering. Give me a shout if you want to know more, as what the hospital have taught me about my condition may well apply to Jinni. x

[Festive_Felicitations]

Caz is cool! Thank you for sharing the video of him.

Glad to hear that Ellie is improving. Sorry to hear that Jinni is still stiff, but Dr Green is a wonderful healer so will keep things crossed that Dr Green and some stretching help everything recover.

[TarrSteps]

Re Jinny agree with Puppy, physio (especially every day stuff, rather than just having intense sessions) is the way forward for things you can't "fix". It may not make it so it never happened but at this point I think it makes sense to help her as much as possible, in order to optimise her growth.

I think I mentioned before that a breeder I work for had a similar-ish thing happen to their absolute star, all the hopes pinned on three year old. They turned him away for the summer, in the field with the other colts, with the idea of likely putting him down in the winter. He was better enough by fall so they left him and by the next summer he was okay enough to back. I'll admit he wasn't the horse he was - he even looked different in some undefinable way - and he'd lost some of his movement but he went on to event for a good few years, up to the equivalent of Novice. Given how many fabulous three year olds don't fulfil early promise, for all I know he never was going to be a star anyway. They had time and space.

I know you don't have that sort of challenging turn out but you do have your own time and enthusiasm. There are lots of interesting rehab ideas for horses. Look into T-Touch and the relatively recent "Masterson Method" book. There is also a very interesting French book (some of which will make you cringe but skip those bits!) which I will find a link for. What they heck, it's worth a shot.

Heck, my mother designed a successful rehab program for my pet rat after he had a stroke!

It is true, she might never now be the horse you've dreamed of but maybe the grey horse is here to show you that proactive measures at the first sign of trouble are the way to go, not just trusting to luck time and the same old, same old will fix things? (Although I'm a big fan of time and tradition, too!)

[TarrSteps]

This one, I think, although I remember a different cover: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Physical-The...6524030&sr=1-3

[kerilli]

great, thanks.
am doing daily stretches and massaging on her, physio booked, thermal imaging booked, chiro booked, not sure what else i can do now...
trouble is i don't want to risk making it worse, and it clunks and grinds when she turns it, argh. a little bit of me thinks 'nature's way is to lock it straight for a while to let things heal as they are'... you know?
Puppy, I'll ask you on fb, thankyou so much.

[TarrSteps]

Oh, completely agree, you have to get a diagnosis and know you're not making anything worse before you start any kind of program! Just to the idea that there are lots of helpful options out there if and when you get the all clear.

[vallin]

Originally Posted by kerilli

Ellie's turned out (finally) and improving, just finishing second course of steroids. At this rate I hope she'll at least stay good enough to hack and maybe do some dressage, the odd thing is she looks 100% in herself (no atrophy anywhere etc) apart from wobblyness of hindend... but she's now cantering around and not looking as if she'll fall over, so, huge improvement.
Jinni (the yearling) is now turned out again, on vet's advice; she's coping, but her neck looks pretty awful. muscle really atrophied, equally both sides. vets say 'wait and see'... but i am heartbroken, she looked so promising before and now she looks like two different animals shoved together. her neck looks very stiff, she isn't bending it well but doesn't seem to be in any pain, just doesn't want to bend it.
thanks for asking, much appreciated.
dafthoss, he spat a bit of his suet bird pellet into my mouth, i just couldn't cope with that! only time he's done it too, typical.

Best of luck with them, time and patients is a great healer I managed to pop a few (albeit very small!) jumps on my mare this weekend who I never thought would be able to do more than really hack (and she doesn't do that very well! ) so there is hope

[Goldenstar]

Oh you are having a bad time at the minute it's the horsey doldrums that hits every so often keep smiling and you will come though.
And I so want a Caz I am going to check from lost chicks under the crows nests in our woods and then I'll be pming you for advice.