In which the barn roof is on at long last, and Fiddle sees the (bright) light

Whew! The guys worked hard all morning yesterday (while I was at work) and the barn roof is finished!

Mimsy plays hostess, showing off the spacious 12' aisleway and skylights above the stalls. The view outside

shows what we lack: walls. As soon as I can get my tax refund, I'll be buying the materials for that--stay tuned!

Hana (above) was nervous about the whole "rain making sound on the roof" thing. Actually, Hana is very proud of her prettiness when she is spooking. Her nervousness was 90% prettiness and 10% actual nervousness.

Fiddle (below) was just glad to get groomed out of the rain!

The reason Fee was getting groomed and booted: We had an appointment with The Light.

Let me 'splain:

It's not very often that your vet knows EXACTLY why your horse's gait is a little "glitchy," you know, not lame, exactly, but not quite right.

However, last Thursday, I was riding with the vet (center, with the pink helmet on the dark bay gelding). Fee and I were in the front of the group, and part of the road fell out from under Fiddle's foot as we were trotting. Specifically, part of the shoulder of the road--because she is tenderfooted, she tries to be on the shoulder as much as possible--which was saturated with water, gave way under the weight and impulsion of Fee's stride.

Patty said that the road--and Fee's foot--suddenly zigged about two feet further out to the left than normal trotting would dictate. She didn't seem lame, but I walked her for a while, and she was sound but not as eager to trot during the rest of the ride.

When we got to the trailer, Patty said that she could see a little bit of "glitchy gait" due to the incident.

Fee had the rest of the week off, with small doses of Bute to help with any inflamation. On Friday, she seemed more glitchy--the muscles had tightened up--and she was even less enthused about trotting.

Today, it was time for Fiddle to see The Light: a veterinary therapeutic laser. Here's a link to a page about Cold Laser Therapy. Fidle is not really keen to have "strangers" touch her, especially in places that hurt. Patty could easily have pursueded Fee to accept her doing the treatment, but there was no need: with some basic instruction and carefuly vet supervision, even a (blonde) owner can make it work. Keep the laser moving, don't look into the beam, wear the protective glasses, keep the laser moving, keep the laser moving, keep the laser moving.

I was told that (years ago) when Fiddle was (briefly) in training at the racetrack, she sustained a (not-serious) injury to a hind leg. The injury required daily application of some medicine, but nobody wanted to be the one to do the applying, and the groom who lost the straw-drawing would don a helmet to do the task because she kicked like a fiend! I just want to say that it has been four years of continual practice in the skills of patience and trust....but I spent more than twenty minutes this afternoon underneath my mare without a single moment of concern.

Yes, it was a long road. No, she isn't a completely reformed character (she did try to kick Patty!). She is a good girl...at least, she's good for her Mama.

Let's just say that I don't lay awake at night in fear that someone will successfully steal Fiddle.

After I did the underside of the muscle, Patty moved me up top, and Fiddle mostly fell asleep, except when this innocent-looking angel decided to "help" just a little. Bad Sig!
After the laser, Fee got to "walk it out" for a while. Her post-treatment trot-out showed HUGE improvement, and post-treatment/post-walk trot showed even more.

Whew.

I guess now I should go down to the gelding pasture to meet Patty's up-'n-coming endurance horse: uh, Rocky? Put your face up for the camera, dude! Thanks, you big goofball.

Life is good!