After the Fall

While I was on vacation two weeks ago, Champagne fell in the paddock and wouldn’t get up. He did eventually struggle to his feet when one person pulled on the lead, another kind of urged him from the side, and the barn manager showed him the lunge whip for the rear (didn’t hit him, of course, just showed it to him). Then he did get up, but limped all the way to his stall.

The vet came out and found nothing wrong, there was no swelling in any leg, but he was limping on his off hind. The next day he wasn’t limping any more. He also had a chiropractic treatment. The doctor said he had “lost his pelvis”, which means that she found lots of weak points in his butt, which she treated.

Thursday (after I was back) he had another chiropractic treatment. She said the places she treated earlier were almost all “holding”, but that there were other points she hadn’t fixed, so she did those Thursday. I noticed a tender spot on his off side just where his wheat ear is. He gets restive and even kicks if I touch it. So the speculation is that he hyperextended his stifle as he fell, and/or that he fell hard on a frozen clod and has a big bruise there.

In any case, I haven’t been cantering him while I’m mounted (he canters fine on the lunge) but have been focusing on trot and walk transitions, paying attention to my legs, some leg yields, some backing up, and carrot-facilitated neck stretches. Also we did some ground pole work to get him to pay more attention to where he puts his feet.

The more I work with Champagne, the more I appreciate his sweet, pleasant nature. He greeted me at his stall door with head and ears up when I first saw him after being away for a week, and bumps me softly with his nose. He helps put his halter on, and lowers his head for the bit. After the ride he again helps get his nose into the halter. He lifts his feet on command, and I’ve recently taught him to move over and square up when he is cross-tied. He’ll never be a forward moving dressage champion, but he’s my good boy.