Or is it one step forward, two steps back? Frappe has been on the "DL" with a sacroiliac injury for the past 11 months. Anne Reynolds, my trainer, has been doing all of the rehab work with him from hand walking in the beginning to gradually adding walk, trot and canter under saddle. He sees Dr. Carol Gillis every eight weeks for an ultrasound check-up to monitor his progress.
He is going so well, Anne thought I should try and get qualified for Championships with my first level freestyle. We only needed two scores. Three are required to qualify for the CDS HOY Freestyle class but we had one score from last September that would count. We decided that I should "go for it" on August 1. We had until August 31 to get our two scores. The only challenge was that I had not really been riding in over ten months. I have walked Frappe under saddle a few times and I have ridden Tyler, my sister's horse, about three times. That is the extent of my horseback riding activities since last September. My friend Kerry said "It must feel like you are going from 0 to 80 mph." It did. I sent off entries to two shows. I was excited and nauseous at the same time.
On Monday, August 7 I had my first real ride. We walked, trotted and cantered. Katie had ridden him earlier in the day so I didn't do too much with him. It went pretty well. I had a big smile on my face after cantering my boy for the first time in a long, long time.
Tuesday night I had my first lesson with Anne on Frappe since last September. Anne warmed him up for me. I was having a very hard time sitting straight on him. I was twisting my body to the outside which was really hindering his balance. Anne had me work on pushing my right hip forward. It felt very uncomfrotable to me. I felt this pull in my right hip. Frappe was very strong during my lesson. Anne was surprised he was so strong. She said he has been feeling so good. I said "Great, I've ruined him already."
Wednesday I took the night off to go to the Faith Hill/Tim McGraw concert with my friend from work, Sandi. Thursday we had another lesson with Anne. Everything was a little easier. I am so out of riding shape. I should have listened to everyone who told me to keep riding during Frappe's rehab.
Saturday I rode by myself. We had a really good ride. We schooled some of the different movements of our freestyle. The canter loop with the trot changes, the ten meter circles in trot and the leg yields. I was really happy with our work and thinking we might be able to pull this off. We had one week until the first show.
After I dismounted, I walked Frappe back to the barn and began to have quite a bit of pain in my back. It wasn't my usual lower back pain, rather it was on the right side and radiated down my right leg. I decided to go home, take a Motrin and rest for a little while before returning to the barn to do my chores. I was in so much pain driving home, I wasn't sure I would make it. I tried to lie down but there really wasn't any postion where I could get comfortable. I called my sister, Cat, and she went to the barn to put away my things and feed the boys their grain. Sunday I spent all day trying to get comfortable to no avail. Monday I went to see my doctor. He gave me a pain shot and a couple of prescriptions. My hope of showing and getting the two scores we needed were dashed. Our first show was in five days and I wasn't even able to get on and ride at a walk.
I had a hard time making the decision to put my dream on hold once again. In the end I know it was the right thing to do. Even if we got our two scores, I don't think we would really be at our best by October. And I want us to be the best we can when we do go to Championships.
On August 14 Anne took Frappe to see Dr. Gillis to assess his healing. The news was pretty good. The right tuber sacrum is .41 cm lower than the left on ultrasound but the unevenness appears to be due to soft tissue (fat) over the tuber sacrale rather than sacroiliac subluxation. Both the right and left tuber sacral short dorsal ligaments are within normal limits for size, echogenicity and fiber pattern. Healing is 85% complete. We can add lateral work gradually as well as extensions. She wants to see him again in eight weeks to assess for final healing. Frappe's back is much better, now I just need to get my back feeling better.
This past week I decided I was feeling pretty good and I was ready to ride again and this time I would take things a bit slower. Friday rolled around and I headed out to the barn after work as I do almost every night. My plans for the weekend included riding my horse Saturday and Sunday. As I pulled into the driveway at the ranch, Katie, Anne's working student, and my long time friend was pulling out. I stopped and rolled down my window to say hello. She told me I needed to go talk to Anne. Frappe had done something to himself and he was a little "off". They think he just tweaked something and probably just needs a couple of days off. I drove in and found Anne. She said to go ahead and walk him under saddle this weekend. If he seemed OK I could try a little trot but she thought I should take it pretty easy.
Saturday I rode him for about 30 minutes at the walk. Sunday Katie was out riding Diva. I asked her to watch him trot to see if he looked sound. She thought he looked pretty good, much better than on Friday so we did a little trot and canter work. I tried a little shoulder in and renvers too. Janet helped me with the half turn on the haunches. I am having a really hard time putting my body in the correct position to get him to do the movement correctly. After schooling, Katie and I went on a "trail ride" around the track on the property. It was a pretty good day. Anne will be back Tuesday so hopefully I can start with lessons again this week and we will be back on track once again.
