And things go downill

On Tuesday I got Mia from the pasture.  She is "over the hill"  with an almost 3000ft walk down a good incline to get to it.  So, of course, I ride her up the hill whenever I can.  I rode her up the hill and into the barn for our trail ride prep.  I hop down and blink.  And blink again.  Her knee was HUGE.

Day one, after cleaning, bute, cold hosing, neosporin and swat

She was totally sound, though uncomfortable.  Wednesday it was big enough that she was now lame so out the vet came.

Day 2

The vet didn't think the joint capsule was involved, but we had to have uncomfortable discussion that she isn't insured and I wouldn't be able to afford the 5-8k surgery to flush her knee if it was.  Ugh.  Lots of drugs.  Lots and lots of drugs.

Day 2

Goodbye $$$$!!!!

Day 2

The very unfortunate fact is that I was traveling out of town on Friday and could not get out of it, so I couldn't even tend to her 6 bullet point list of things that needed to be done. Sweat wrapped and stalled until swelling gone.  The Tridex paste daily.  33ml of IV Gentamax daily.  Banamine on Thurs before bute 2x a day.  15 SMZ 2x a day.  Yikes.  Thankfully the barn was willing to help out (for a fee).

Lots of this.  Lots and lots of this

Thankfully by the time I returned on Monday, the knee was much better and the joint capsule was not affected.  The swelling was almost completely gone.

Day 6

Day 6

And then a small tornado hit within a mile from the barn making it EXTREMELY difficult to travel to the barn.  2 re-routes needed, drove under 2 trees over the road and through 2 flooded sections of road.Yikes

Extensive tree damage

Not even the worst, but the easiest take pics of

Driving around trees

Eh, just lines down...no biggie right?

Wednesday finally marked the 15 day mark and Mia finished her 2 weeks of drugs.  Thankfully her knee looks to be healing well, and without issue though I think it will scar.

Day 14

Day 14

She has several large scrapes and had 2 open wounds.  The biggest one (as seen above) is the one that is having a hard time closing but is finally doing so.  The smaller one (above) is the one the vet thought may have compromised joint space.  Thankfully she was wrong.  Despite many pasture walkings, no one could find what she got hurt on.  It obviously isn't a kick, not with the number of scrapes, but it is a mystery.  She is now staying in a different pasture.

She was very lethargic on the SMZs but is back to normal so I plan on riding this weekend.  There is a show on Aug 19 I wanted to go to but I don't think she will be ready for it so our tentative plan is Sep 3rd.  Fingers crossed we can keep her injury free!

**edited to add**  And then App got kicked in his good shoulder by a wench of a mare this past Saturday.  He seems to be okay, just tender.  Needless to say I had a LOT to say and got a heartfelt apology from the barn owner over it.  They had randomly decided to move pastures/herds around and set up for this bad situation due to an unnecessary overreaction.  He should NOT have been in that pasture and he should NOT have been with that horse.  I'll see him again tonight but aside from a good bit of hair loss, he seems no worse for wear.  Grrr!!!!