A tough week

This week has been a tough one. Just one of those weeks that seems to drag on without much fun stuff.

Conquering apex's!

Monday I had a show jumping lesson which was great. It was super humid but we got a good idea of where we are at at the start of this season. Our rhythm is a lot better but I have to work hard on the right rein because this is what he really struggles with. We also have to do more grid work to build him up some more. It was a hard lesson but it is nice to know we start this season better than ever. Also, sticky bum jods work the best when they are wet through with sweat!

Not sucking too much

We got the final verdict on Dakota on Wednesday. Waiting for Wednesday to come around was really horrible. As much as I had hoped the joint fluid had worked I see her everyday and I just had a really negative feeling.

Down at the vet I trotted her out on a straight line, the vet thought she was moving more freely than she had previously but she has always trotted out well on a straight line.

We then popped her on the lunge and you could see straight away that she was still lame. Her near fore was shuffly, but she is lame on the off fore. We lunged her on the grass and if you weren't looking for it, it was very hard to spot anything amiss. On an arena it was less sever but still apparent.

At least she is cute and cuddly

So we have run out of options. The vet mentioned de-nerving but that is not a practice I would want for my horse. The vet acknowledged it was a big ethical and moral concern and supported my decision to not go down that path. So instead she is officially retired. I will take her shoes off and she will be a companion for Coolie. I will lunge her in August to see where she is with it all. We suspect arthritis and degeneration of the coffin joint but it is hard to confirm.

This guy is looking for a new riding buddy!

It has been really tough going through this process and I have to admit that it has drained me. We were at such a high point and it all seems to have come crashing down around out ears. I have shed a fair few tears over the last few months. It also makes me quite nervous about getting a new horse and having something similar happen. I am also finding the prospect of starting with another green horse very daunting having so recently been through the process with Dakota. I guess this is just one of life's obstacles that I will just have to kick on for, like a true event rider.

Bonus puppy picture after all the sad stuff