Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
Posts: 3,866
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Post by Amanda Seater on Dec 4, 2012 14:51:25 GMT 1
already looking at that one Bertie! Lots of stuff Jan can be getting on with in hand when she feels well enough. I think she wants to do that more than anything for a while
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Post by madhatter on Dec 4, 2012 15:39:42 GMT 1
Wishing you a quick and speedy recovery.
If there is anything you want doing, give the surgeon a list of optional extras - in case he should wish to spread Christmas joy ;D
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Post by jennyg on Dec 4, 2012 19:40:56 GMT 1
Hi Jan, was just about to send you a personal message to see how your were getting on with the Epics but decided to take a look on the General board first - so glad I did. What a totally awful experience - I really feel for you. Really reminds you of what horses have the capacity to do, even though they don't mean to. I don't think you have gone back to square one with Lucas though. It seems that the boots were the reason for this & not just that he decided to have a major fit just because he felt like. I hope you are feeling better very, very soon and are able to start making progress with Lucas again. Maybe some long lining with the boots on? For now I've had it with flipping hoof boots!! I trialled the Gloves in a size too small to try to stop the twisting on her right fore and they still twisted! I've spent about £130 on hiring different boots plus a fit kit plus the cost of the return postage! Chin up & keep us posted on your op. xx
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Post by janwilky on Dec 4, 2012 19:46:43 GMT 1
Yes Jennyb he is maxfac. He rang and spoke to Ru this morning, said he'd been thinking about me overnight ( ;D) and please can I come in to see him again today. He took imprints of my upper and lower jaw - thank goodness he used plenty of local anaesthetic, but YEOUCH when he put the needle in right near the fracture that goes down between two teeth . But worth it as they will enable the hospital's lab to make customised plates for my jaw so my bite should be restored fully - apparently it's not guaranteed using the standard theatre supplies. He also looked at the deep cut that A&E glued and said, quite tactfully I thought, that he will make a better job of it while I'm under. He's decided, thank goodness, to make a few incisions in my face rather than peel my whole scalp off ear to ear which was the other option . He said he can hide most of the scars in 'creases'. You mean wrinkles! says I. No, creases, says he . So not only does he seem to be a first class surgeon but he went to charm school too. He's booked the whole afternoon in theatre for me, he's off at the weekend but will come in to check on me on Saturday. Can't ask for better than that. I've also smashed the base of my eye socket, so I have an eye appointment tomorrow to test there's no soft tissue damage to the eye before they go in there to mend it. Very luckily my eyesight is fine, especially as it's my good eye. It appears I've been very lucky and had a VERY narrow escape. Ru found my riding hat, which I remember pulling off as I came round. It has what looks like hoof skid marks on the side. Please everyone, NEVER ride without a hat. I didn't even have a headache, and there is no apparent damage to the hat (though of course it will be replaced). It doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened to my head if I hadn't been wearing it. Lol madhatter, I thought of asking him to improve a few things buy, hey, I'll be glad just to be me again . I look very odd in the mirror, even ignoring the cuts and bruises and swelling - my face is definitely not the shape it normally is Yes Bertie, Amanda has kindly offered to take the horses to her place for a bit, while I recover, and I think I'm going to take her up on it. It's tough on Ru looking after them as well as me and he needs to go back to work next week. He's enjoyed it though, and it's helped to keep a semblance of normality. I'll miss them, but as long as I have my little cocker spaniel for company next week I'll hopefully be OK. Scamp has been amazing actually, he really seems to understand that I'm a bit delicate and is being very loving, gentle and a bit quieter than his usual bouncy self.
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Post by janwilky on Dec 4, 2012 19:56:36 GMT 1
Hi JennyG ;D. You're right, it's not square one. At square one, which I'd equate to the first time Amanda saw him, he was pretty aggressive and I couldn't even lead him across the field. We've made a huge amount of progress, both of us, and most of the time he's a pretty normal horse now, even a rather sweet and charming one most of the time though always with at least a hint of obstreperous, opinionated cob!
Sorry you've had no luck with the boots, has her footiness improved at all? As for me, I'm not sure I'd ever be brave enough to put boots on him again, so the Epics are going back and we'll reconsider all that further down the line.
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Post by bertie666 on Dec 4, 2012 21:05:27 GMT 1
I think im a bit gross but i kinda want to see the before pics Jan Yay for Amanda At least your mind will be at ease he will be in good hands.
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Post by janwilky on Dec 4, 2012 23:43:03 GMT 1
Okay okay Bertie I'll get them off Ru's phone tomorrow, but I promise they're not pretty!
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Post by jennyg on Dec 4, 2012 23:51:15 GMT 1
Totally agree, send the boots back and start work with something you feel comfortable with. I'm not really sure if Stella's footiness has improved as I've been trialling boots so much, I've not ridden her without boots for a few weekends now. Blooming hoof boots, what a pain in the rear end they can be - and it seems after your experience for more reasons than just falling off or twisting! In the meantime, enjoy cuddling up to your little dog (dogs always make you feel better!) & try to stay positive - although it sounds like you're in pretty good spirits, all things considered.
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Post by spanisheyes on Dec 5, 2012 12:44:45 GMT 1
I think you are being incredibly brave and positive, I hope your op goes well it sounds as though you are in the best hands
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Post by janwilky on Dec 6, 2012 0:47:15 GMT 1
Some good news today, I had an appointment to check my eye is OK and it's fine ;D. Because the eye socket is shattered there was a risk of soft tissue/muscle damage in the eye but all is fine. I must have been picking up lots of healing vibes because I'm feeling much, much better. I'm hoping that going into the op feeling well and strong will help speed up my recovery afterwards. I made it down to the field to see the boys this morning, but stayed the other side of the gate just in case. Poor Lucas was very hesitant to come over to me at first, he seemed very uncharacteristically diffident. But then he came over and let me scratch his neck for ages, whickering softly. I hope he felt reassured, I think he did. It was lovely to see him and Coco too. So here we are, swelling much reduced (you really don't want to see what I looked like last Friday, even Bertie666 ;D ). I hasten to add I'm not normally greenish-yellow!
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Post by jill on Dec 6, 2012 9:28:02 GMT 1
Doesn't look as bad as I feared Jan, but it must be very painful. What is the timescale for the treatment/recovery period? Bruising is often almost the most painful part and that looks as though it is receding now. Heavy duty pain relief - through a straw! Can I suggest you forget about Lucas being "poor"? He overstepped the mark, big time, don't offer him your sympathy, offer him some coping strategies. I allow lead ropes to trail sometimes for example, so that if they tread on them my lot learn panicking achieves nothing, learning does - simply lift your foot dummy!! That sort of learning generalises quite well and is something you could be doing while out of the saddle - allow him to get in a pickle and learn how to get himself out of it?
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
Posts: 3,866
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Post by Amanda Seater on Dec 6, 2012 9:48:22 GMT 1
That face is huge improvement from Sunday even! iguess bruising goes down during a week it is what we can't see underneath - Ughhh You must have a strong constitution. see you Sunday after your op when you will no doubt look like a puffa fish again!
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Post by taklishim on Dec 6, 2012 9:51:12 GMT 1
I allow lead ropes to trail sometimes for example, so that if they tread on them my lot learn panicking achieves nothing, learning does - simply lift your foot dummy!! That sort of learning generalises quite well and is something you could be doing while out of the saddle - allow him to get in a pickle and learn how to get himself out of it? good luck for Friday Jan, I hope it goes well. Just wanted to agree on Jill's points. I know it is too late now for Lucas but for other people booting horses for the first time I always teach ours what happens if the boots were to come off. I start with a gaiter around the pastern and lead/lunge them then I move onto putting an old boot around the pastern as if it had come off. They learn not to panic and their reaction is to stop. When it happened for real the horse stopped from a canter and refused to move. I do the same with a dummy so they know what happens when someone falls off them.
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Post by bertie666 on Dec 6, 2012 9:53:51 GMT 1
ooo ouch Jan! Bet it did your soul good to see Lucas though = )
Got everything crossed for you for tomorrow.
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
Posts: 3,866
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Post by Amanda Seater on Dec 6, 2012 10:28:19 GMT 1
re Lucas getting in a pickle. I think having seen the boots the fact that they didn't hug the heal bulb and stuck out allowed him to be able to actually tread on them - over reach style. Not the same as them flying off.
He has been lead with rope round the pastern etc I do that with all horses that come through the gate. I will do some more and different feet in a tangle situations with him again.
What is more tricky is the OVER reactions he seems to exhibit a bit like PTSD flash backs or somesuch. How do you counsel a horse that he can react breifly but doesn't need to do the all out loss of mind and panic. He is ok with treading on ropes etc - go figure. I once trained a horse to stop if I lost a stirrup, which turned out to be not particularly convienient if I'm honest. I believe Lucas would easily do the same but it could well go out the window when that internal switch he has flips for what ever reason.
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