Darcy's lameness update

So nosy!
Last Monday, I had the vet out to Darcy as he hasn't been responding to any of the other treatments he'd been receiving for his lameness. After trotting him out, lunging him and a good feel, the vet gave me the news that Darcy had a degenerative bone disease in his knee, and would - if given monthly injections - have a working life of around 12 months. I was completely devastated, and as soon as I got the chance to be alone, had a good old sob into poor Darcy's mane. The vet recommended light work, if I was keen to keep him - although the message was clear: put him down or get rid of him. I was told that, as I'd only had him a short time, I couldn't be attached enough to want to keep a horse I can't ride, but I was adamant I would never be parted from him. (Darcy, I mean, not the vet).

After ride cuddles <3

I spent a few days mulling over options with Cameron, and left it a few days before I saw him again to see what dramatic improvement Darcy had made from the medication he received. When I saw him yesterday, he was the worst I'd seen him - proppy, and practically limping as he came up from the paddock. I'd been vaguely expecting some sort of miracle, like the vet had implied the drugs would be, and was shocked to see him looking so sore. I put him in cross ties, and gave him a thorough grooming and lots of cuddles before I walked him around to see how he was. As I walked him out, he looked slightly better, and soon Matt, the guy who keeps two horses he's training at the property and is the dressage riding instructor who works there, came up for a chat. He'd heard from Gemma, the girl who works where Darcy lives, what the vet had said, and he suggested getting a second opinion as the vet is known for being somewhat fatalistic.

Getting his teeth done - he was such a good boy!

He was the 3rd person in the past week who mentioned something similar, and as I chatted to him, Matt got me to trot out Darcy - who was almost completely sound. After an hour of being up at the cross ties, fidgetting and moving around trying to play with his pal Lorenzo, and having me stretch out his legs and apply pressue to his back, he was a different horse. Matt went on to say he's seen Darcy look stiff before, and I mentioned some days he appears completely sound, happy in his work and practically bolting towards jumps, whilst other days he's sore, lazy and unappy. We talked some more, and Matt pointed out Darcy is the laziest horse on the property; never tearing around the paddock or acting up. He spends his time standing still and daydreaming, or moving very slightly whislt grazing. So while I get a vet check done on a horse I've been trialling, I'm going to work Darcy slowly at a trot and work with some trot poles to strengthen his back, and see how he responds.

Teaching Cam to free-lunge.

And his future home of 2000 acres in the country is looking like it will be put off even longer; whether I buy another horse to compete with eventually or not, I'm going to move Darcy to a new home (which will be cheaper by $75 a week) where he can play with other horses, swim in the dam and work in the floodlit arena year round, until he either gets better from his stiffness, I locate the actual problem, or he gets progressively too bad to ride any more. If that's the case, he will go into semi retirement close by so Cam and I can go for gentle hacks out together, and I can still go and play with him every day. The future's actually not looking as bad as I once thought.

Cam's first lesson!

In other news, I've been getting Cam up on D-Boy and giving him lessons on the weekends. He's getting more and more relaxed, and better and better each time, and Darcy couldn't be a better horse to teach someone on - he's like a little lamb. He's by no means lazy, he just refuses to do anything Cam asks for unless he really asks him - trotting, for example. As soon as I hopped on Darcy to show Cam what I meant by keeping leg on, his ears go up, his hocks come under him and I can practically hear him say 'To the jumping paddock!' and gets somewhat annoyed that I don't take him from the round yard. He pretended to be scared by Hal, another girls horse, leaning over the fence pulling faces at him when Cam was riding, and did a lovely bouncey jump to the left, which Cam wasn't expecting. As soon as he realized Cam was a little unbalanced, he calmly stopped and waited for him to give him directions.

Lunging is made somwhat difficult by the fact he constantly wants pats!

Also, when I took off his rugs yesterday, Gemma said how lovely he was looking - I'm far too critical and think he looks too much like a common garden pony rugged up, with his shaggy mane flapping in the wind and his legs and head covered in mud, so to hear someone say he looks nice puts the biggest grin on my face. I've been using show-shine on his mane and tail, which looks lovely, and now his paddock's not as muddy he's not constantly hiding under 2 inches of bog. I've been told he's not only the nicest horse people have met, but also the cleanest (they clearly haven't looked under his mane/back fetlocks when I run out of time to groom AND ride) and he keeps his paddock spotless. When Matt, who I have a bit of a crush on professionally as he's the best rider I've ever seen, said that Darcy was well put together and a lovely boy, I had to wipe away a single tear of happiness. When he's standing next to a 16.3hh, $50,000 Warmblood with the prettiest face I've ever seen, and someone says he's not bad, it makes me all warm and fuzzy. I know he's not exactly a show horse, or worth more than the entire contents of my house, but to me he's absolutely beautiful.

Smooches!