So we had good news and bad news from the vet today. The good news is that Curly's hooves, often the source of his problems, appear to be in good shape and are not the cause of his current lameness. The bad news is that there is some inflammation in both of his shoulders which is causing him to short-stride in both front legs and putting him in constant pain. Another side for the good news, however, is that this is a fixable/manageable problem. On the negative side, though, is that healing could take months - even a year.
Consequently, Curly will receive several steroid shots over the next week and then is to be placed on "bed rest" until all is well. I'm sure he won't mind the lack of exercise too much as he is essentially a lazy animal. :-) (Our friend A, and owner of Q, has given E permission to ride Q until Curly is deemed road-worthy once again, by the way. "But I thought you guys were already leasing Q?" you ask...ironically, our lease had just ended, so we are/were down to one animal again.)
E was sad to learn that her horse is not feeling so great. She has missed riding him - although not as much as I had thought she would...I wonder, is her horse-loving phase coming to an end??? Banish the thought! Actually, I think she is just very disillusioned with the show ring and is trying to find some other outlet for her horse riding desire.
Which brings me to the next bit of information I gathered today. While asking around I learned of a riding group that meets to do orienteering on horseback. It's a very family-friendly bunch, and they would be happy to welcome some new members. When I approached E about trying out this new activity she was ecstatic. Now I just have to find a horse I can ride....
