I RODE DANI YESTERDAY!!!

Dani has been ridden for weeks by our trainers and I finally decided it was time someone else rode her. We don't have a saddle that fits her really well, so I rode her bareback. She did great. Not the best at steering, but she is easy to ride and didn't spook and get silly. We went for an easy mile or a little more at Horse Butte. She was getting tired near the end, but never got stumbly or off.

I am so excited about her!

Broke, not broken

Our trainer has been riding Dani for about a month, after groundwork and some conditioning from the ground, to make sure her leg would hold up. Kali (trainer) says Dani is as close to "deadbroke" as a young horse can get. Obviously, we're not throwing kids up on her, but her personality and willingness to please make her very easy to handle and ride. I haven't ridden her yet, but she has gone on trail rides, done lots of arena and lunge line work is a great horse to have around.

She hasn't had a wrap on her leg for a few weeks now and the swelling is absent except after a long workout. It's always getting better, and is fine during work, but when she stops, it swells a bit.

It was super nice out today and all the horses were frisky.

Her toe is still a little long. Our farrier works with it every time to take it back a little more. Getting closer to correct.

Photos from February 2009

I opened the pasture gate for them to run back and forth. That's why she looks a little sweaty. This was the final "big wrap" before switching only to polo wraps, then nothing.

Wrap off

Dani's leg hasn't been wrapped in days and days. After the vet check over a month ago to see if she was ready to start some real work, I have slowly wrapped it looser and looser, ending with a polo wrap for a few days.

In the end, I think she worries for it a bit and I have seen some small amounts of swelling, but I think it has more to do with exercise and general lymphatic drainage rather than long term swelling issues.

Personally suffering from gross cold/illness. Haven't spent much time out there recently, but she looks good and frisky.

Candy cane...or injured leg?

New photos of Dani's leg. I was out of vetrap and had to buy a couple of rolls from a local ranch supply store, so of course, bought red and white. It was, after all, Christmas eve.

Looking good. Feeling good.

Leg looked amazing last bandage change. No photos, but it looks great.

Dani has a winter coat and is kind of the odd girl out right now. The other four horses have "coupled up" and she eats by herself. :-(

Lucky she's so adorable. She's the one who ends up getting the most attention I think, because she seeks human contact and affection.

Love her!

Ick.

Swelling is all down from the leg debacle last week (week before?), but the gooey is back. Blech!

Changed bandage and opted against taking a picture as it is just stinky and sticky again. Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back. But, it doesn't bother her at all and it's not painfully sensitive when I wipe it off.

All horses were de-wormed today. Dani is about as good as it gets with accepting that. They almost all do the Flehmen response thing after the paste (curling upper lip) and Dani is no exception.

"Wait! I want another turn!"