Tuesday, September 7, 2010

09/04/10 Chiropractor Ransom

Ransom, and Alduca went to see Dr. Robin Robinett Saturday morning. We were greeted by their very cheerful staff upon arrival, and the boys were settled into stalls with hay & water. Wow! Red Carpet treatment for two normal senior horses! Wow! Alduca was loving his stall. Ransom? Not so much. Even in luxury, it still felt like a jailcell, and he let everyone know how he felt with pinned ears, and shaking head.

Duca went first, and got a good report. He is going to get a month more of solid groceries, then another month of lunging, followed up by another exam. He popped & massaged like a champ, a well behaved gentleman. Jen got a good report on Duca's progress, and can rest knowing he's now "all lined up".

Ransom at first, seemed a little troubled by all the personal attention. With a vet tech at his head, me at his shoulder, Dr Robin by his side, poking & proding, it took some effort to relax him. Dr Robin found a pressure point, a "snuggle me spot", and after nuzzling on Ransom a few minutes, he finally relaxed, and was "ready for work."

What she found ..
Pelvis on right side, waaay out! Neck out in a few spots. Left withers, right about where the saddle front sits, out too, and sensitive.
With his joints all back in spots, and his pelvis back like it should be, he'll no longer muscle irregularly, and should be able to leg yield @ trot heading right-to-left.

I'm insanely hopeful. I mean, ridiculously optimistic. Dr Robin explained to me after the full chiro workup that, in Ransom's case, with his age, and activity level, owners can expect to see an 85% improvement overall. She prescribed some anti-inflammatory herbs, and recommended two to three days off.

Jen and I carefully loaded the boys back up in the trailer, and drove cautiously home. When we unloaded Ransom back to his own trailer, and arrived at the dirt road to my house, I handed R the keys. "Take the truck back home. I'm handwalking him to the house." I wasn't risking the bumpy dirt road messing up the good that was just done.

Currently, we're battling the eastern side of Hurricane Hermine. Due to all the heavy rains, Ransom's getting himself some extra time off. He hasn't seemed super stiff, or super lazy. I'm anxious to get him back on the end of a lunge line, and underneath me, to see how he goes. I really hope this eased his masked discomfort, and we can complete some of the lateral movements I thought he couldn't do.

2 comments:

JennyB said...

I'll have all my fingers crossed for you!!

~~ JennyB, Horsefeathers

Jennifer said...

For now, I pray that he's still "in".

Hurricane Hermine brought more rain than I know what to do with...