Ride #10 & Ouchie

On Wednesday I happened to be at the barn when another boarder was there and so was able to get on Hola briefly while she was lunging her horse (I don't wan to ride Hola while alone on the farm). I decided to try this old light (not high quality) saddle L. has had hanging around the barn forever. I got on her just inside the round pen and the second I sat down in that saddle I wanted to get right back off. It SUCKED! I felt like I was sitting three inches off her back, my feet were behind my hips, the stirrups were slippery and I was being pitched forward. It was awful. I didn't get off. I instead asked her to step forward and out of the round pen. We walked two large circles of the small field outside the round pen (short grass). I didn't guide her a lot as was pretty impressed that she was walking forward so freely and felt so balanced. It was our first alone ride outside the round pen. The saddle sucked. My horse rocked!

On Thursday night I took Abby out to work the flag. My horse rocked! She is super cowy. More on that another day. That night we got home late and so I barely spared a glace at Hola when I brought her in from the field. On Friday afternoon I grabbed her from the field again and brought her in to tack. When I went to pick her back left I noticed her leg was swollen from fetlock to hock. I took her out and cold hosed it for ten minutes and found that what I thought was mud on the inside of her fetlock was a crusty wound. I wrapped it with a wet warm pad and left it for ten minutes then gave it a wash and found an 2" cut that was clearly a day or so old and clearly infected. She was sound but in no shape to ride. The next morning I picked up some antibiotics from the vet. This evening the swelling is almost entirely subsided. I am hoping that by Wednesday I will be able to get back in the saddle.