I am relaxed because of the amazing hot stone massage I had earlier - in the barn aisle, starting in light and ending in the dark - but boy, what a day we have had.
The first half of the day was very calm and peaceful, and I suppose, in hindsight, that was the calm before the storm.
Rafer Johnson's gelding went fine and he is doing very well tonight.
Salina was nerve blocked from the fetlock down to help dx the problem. She was NOT happy with needle sticks today, and she was MOST unhappy with Rafer Johnson's gelding. She worked herself into a near-frenzy and when it was decided to do joint injections to help her knee, it took 3 doses of sedative to settle her down. Even then, she literally jumped OVER the top of me when the needle went in the joint, knocking me down, and leaving two huge lumps on my forehead, a lead line abrasion on one arm, and a big bruise on the other. She got a 4th dose of sedative and my husband held her up while the vet injected the joint. I was sitting in a chair with ice on my head and my daughter beside me holding Rafer Johnson.
We are hopeful the joint injections will address the issue and give her relief.
Our massage therapist saved the day with hot stone massage for both Salina and me. Salina got hers in the paddock with Rafer close by, and at one point her eye was soft and closed out of sheer relief to get those tight muscles relaxed.
I then got a long and amazing massage and am going to float off to bed very shortly.
Thanks to all for the good thoughts. I am happy to be dealing with "aftercare" now!
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
8 comments:
Sweet dreams - you deserve them!
Harmony,
Janet Roper
I hope that Salina and Rafer are feeling better today - and you too, of course! I've never heard of a hot stone massage for a horse. Let's hope that you'll have a quiet, relaxing week-end to recover.
Thanks, Janet. I slept well, don't recall any of the dreams, and have a slight headache, but am otherwise okay!
Victoria, thank you. The hot stones are used the same way for horses as for humans. The heat carries the massage deeper into the muscle without increased pressure. This was our first equine one and Salina was visibly better after getting it. Her entire left shoulder and neck were very tight but so relaxed afterwards. Harriet allowed Salina to direct where she massaged and how long she worked on each area - Salina communicated much like Keil Bay does using her head to say yes or no.
This morning she is looking good, as is Rafer Johnson. Our goal for the weekend is quiet and keeping them both peaceful. Salina has to stay confined to the smaller paddock and barnyards for 2 weeks when we should see the maximum benefit from these joint injections.
If she isn't "normal" or close to by that time, we'll do films to see what we can see.
Our regular vet who was here yesterday knows Salina and how sound she was right up to this episode, and she feels that if we get the results we want from these joint injections Salina should be able to back off the Bute and Surpass completely and return to regular turn-out, which would be fabulous. I hope that's the case!
You had quite a day yesterday, but things worked out in the end with the hot stone massage. Which sounds wonderful. I'm happy to hear Rafer did well, it was probably more traumatic for everyone else but him. Salina will most likely benefit from the injections, we have had them done on some of our horses and it does seem to help.I hope the weather is warm and sunny down there and you can all relax and enjoy the weekend.
Thanks, Arlene! I figured we would be heading toward joint injections when the more conservative treatment didn't work. My main concern is that if we don't address this quickly, she'll start to have issues in the other knee b/c it's bearing the burden of holding her up almost continuously and it too is arthritic.
Another good thing - her teeth are perfect and she doesn't need floating - so all she has left for maintenance care this spring are her shots and Coggins. We won't do shots until she's stabilized with the knee.
Keil Bay doesn't need floating either, so it's just two flotations to get through in 2 weeks and Rafer and Salina's shots/Coggins.
Whew.
It is interesting to hear someone else talk about having sympathy pain - everyone thinks I am crazy, so I don't talk about it anymore. I think it just means that you are so in tune to the horse that you feel what she feels. That can be good and bad - you were getting the bad part. Now maybe you both will start feeling better. I wonder if she feels your pain?
Linda, that's something I hadn't thought about. Her feeling mine right now. My arms are completely sore from the shoulder to the wrist, and the elbows are achy. When she leapt up and over me, it must have jerked my arms up and over my head at the same time as her knee conked me on the forehead.
This mare is so sensitive to the people around her, and I tend to be that way too, so perhaps we're in a little vicious cycle here. Today did feel different though - like we are both sore together and just taking it easy. Maybe now we will just recuperate together and get back to our normal track.
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