This has been a difficult winter, to say the least. I had hoped there might be some Springlike days by now, but not really… So, what has happened here at Bronze Fox Farm during this shortest, but interminable and tedious month?
Well, the big news is that the horses have moved to Great Griffin Farm, a nearby luxury stable. Why? The horses wondered, too.
Unfortunately, I have lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as tennis elbow, and more accurately, shit shoveler elbow. It was the heavy January snow that did it, and I just haven’t been able to rest it. I went to a doctor, was told to use ice, rest and gentle exercises, and went home discouraged. Then, I thought about how we would treat a horse tendon injury. I scheduled a visit to the Bluetail Group, who had done a stem sell treatment on Harry’s wrist two years ago with great (albeit anecdotal) success. An ultrasound showed a significant lesion. Were I a horse, my career might be in jeopardy. To my shock, and delight, they fit me in for a treatment immediately. I had PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) and stem cell, exactly what we would do with a horse. And then, I was told I should rest the arm for two weeks. I imposed on Jane, of course, but couldn’t find regular help. As it happened, Griffin had open stalls – hooray for the horses that travel south to show in Gulfport for six weeks! Jane hauled our three horses over for me, and my holiday has begun…
Griffin is not far from here, and there is an indoor arena, so we have been able to ride. I use only my left hand, resting the injured arm as instructed. I’ve been riding Bart and Stone, and Jane is riding Oisin. Our moods have picked up noticeably since we have been back in the saddle.
Unfortunately, Derry has not moved to Griffin, so she has not really been ridden since January 8. Conditions are just awful, wet as we have ever seen it, and frozen half the time. We did get on Bart and Derry once, but the ring was so wet, and the base so soft from freezing and thawing, we had to give up after just a few minutes. It’s always something – last year it was too dry, but this year’s snow and rain has more than compensated.
Worst of all, Jane and I have had to cancel our showing plans for March and April because February has been so impossible. We cannot have horses ready to show in Ohio and Omaha, which had been our great ambition for this year. It was a bad day when I canceled my entries. There are going to be other horse shows, but as #oldladieshorseshowing we are not getting any younger, and this has seriously derailed us. Not much to blog about, for sure!
Jane and I walked dogs on the Katy Trail on one of the three warm days in February with our fearless Katy Trail leader, Sharon…
There are always birds to photograph… Read Headed Woodpeckers have been elusive until recently. Goldfinchs are still wearing drab winter feathers, but someday they will be gold again.
We had to turn off the stream water during the bitter cold. Roscoe enjoyed the dry creek bed. But much of this miserable month has been spent catnapping. I wish I could sleep like Roscoe, the Maltese cat…
Roscoe’s nemesis, Stockings, has had his comeuppance. He is recovering from a very foul abscess, poor guy. He’s been quite stoic about it, and good to medicate, a rare trait in a cat, especially one that was unapproachably wild a year ago.
And so, we are a little bit closer to better days, I trust. The horses are content at Griffin, the cats are ruling the empty barn, but lonely. The dogs enjoy every day, no matter the weather – we should all try to be more like them. In so many ways they are better creatures than we are.
And while dogs are dreaming, a varmint comes to visit. Look at those pink toes…
On to March, when Spring officially arrives. Big snowstorm in the forecast already.