Riding...sorta!

On a physical therapy bike...working towards the real thing.  Ankle is getting stronger and I am chomping at the bit, tho it is the thought of mounting, using that ankle which stills makes me gulp! Hopefully by Chistmas I can ride.  Thankgiving was lovely but quiet this year as all the kids were travelling.  Always lots to be thankful for, our health, kids and grandchildren, and orthopedic surgeons !!! Hope everyone has a great holiday season.
 

Hand walking ....

 I was fit enough to watch the grandkids for the weekend! These two little ones are a joy to have around and if I can't ride, then I'll happily be Grandma. Handwalking is going well. This is two months post injury and the ankle break seems stable enough to take steps even without the cane.  The doc says no boot by  December so I ordered a "big" mounting block. Shipper said they are having supply chain problems so ... fingers crossed, soon to be back in the saddle. Friends are keeping the horses fit and I, meanwhile, discovered Tik Tok!  There are some really hilarious, stupid ways to waste time on the internet and I found some very exotic horse breeds.

Stall rest....

I'm on stall rest. I have so much more empathy for my horses when they suffer an injury and need to heal. Pain sucks, it wears away at you. Resting is boring. I understand stall walking and cribbing, both take the mind off the tingling nerve pain. But I also acknowledge the wonder of modern medicine. The first picture is my leg at six weeks post -op. The compound fracture wound is healed and I can almost see both sides of my ankle bones. Amazing! Everything was broken and now it is put back together and I am so grateful to my ortho surgeon. It is really stiff and the pins and needles of nerve "regrowth" is pretty bad at night. I can get around on the crutches some, tho its tiring . I can start to use a cane in a couple weeks and hopefully by mid December be walking "normally".  I am hoping to ride mid January! I guess that will depend on weather.  I asked Mike to build me a bigger mounting platform because the idea of mounting and  dismounting is a little daunting. Though for inspiration I have a good friend who recovered from a similar injury to both legs and who is now riding and showing successfully! So I got this and I'm trying to appreciate that I can get away with basically doing nothing for a bit longer . Meanwhile Danny is enjoying hunting for me!

                                                                                                                   

 

Contemplation....

This is the view I am missing. Missing it in my bones, in my breath, in my soul. I know everyone who has ever been hurt feels the same hole. It is the tough part of healing. I can take pain pills, I can read, watch TV, ask Alexa to find music, but nothing really fills the empty space where my wild child played. 

I am lucky that I can watch my horses a little bit in the fields near the house. With the screen door open I can even yell their name and say " I'm still here". The ears prick for a moment, they look up at the door, then go back to munching hay in the feeder. Maybe they heard me, maybe...  

To while away the time I give them human characters as I watch. My only mare, Polly, is Angelina Jolie. Beautiful, difficult, finnicky, kinda likes to be alone but really wants to be appreciated. Don't push her too hard!  There are two geldings in the side field.  Bull, my daughter's horse, who is the "perfect horse", I call him George Clooney. A gentleman, he would hold the door, pull out your chair, wait patiently for you to be ready. He's perfect. My daughter loves him. His pasture mate, Beau, is young and eager. He reminds me of Kevin Hart, fast-talking, kinda loud and aggressive in a nice way. He wants to please but can't contain his enthusiasm sometimes. He bites everyone like a puppy except Bull, so they live together.  I have three OTTB geldings that are my main foxhunters. One, who I have earlier referred to as Brad Pitt, has gone to be a huntsman's horse in Virginia. He is doing great they say. The other two boys keep each other company close by. Frank is a plain brown package and I call him John Krasinzki. He is rugged handsome, strong and take care of business ( think Jack Ryan). I feel safe with him ( the horse), he never spooks or tries to be difficult. He enjoys his job. Then there is Punch, my tall, gangly goofball. He reminds me of Ryan Gosling, ( mainly in Remember the Titans). I worry he will tangle up his legs sometimes so I don't ask him to jump big fences.  He is honest and willing,  just a little off-balance.

Then there are two retirees in the back field who live with my husband's Quarter horse, Raider. Raider is like Dave Bautista. Big, solid, a guy of few words, a few tattoos and needs to be give directions. You want him on your side. Bob, the old chestnut was my husband's first horse, he is now almost 30, which is very old for a Quarter horse. And he seems alright. A Robert Duvall, been there, done that, a wise man. He is very cool. Last but not least is my retired foxhunter, Red.  I asked my vet if horses get dementia because Red seemed to lose his mind about two years ago. Trembling and spooking at ghosts, he seemed to forget how to be ridden. After being bucked off him when he spooked at a stick I decided he had earned a life of leisure with Bob. I would call him Mel Gibson! Very handsome but he lost his mind and got dangerous. I leave him alone now and am always careful around him!  

These are the things that take up the hours while the leg heals. Let me know who comes to mind when you  give your horse a character!  Watch the Maryland 5-star this weekend on MPT tv - should be awesome.
 

Danny Boy has a new job

I gave my lovely Thoroughbred, Danny Boy, to Tim at Bull Run to use as a huntsman's horse while I am recuperating. He is young and did not need to just sit around for months. He seems to enjoy his new job and I hope he takes care of Tim as he did me. ( not the one I came off). He had a good race career and has become a great hunter, with a powerful, nice jump. Likes to be in front which is why I let Tim use him this fall. I love him and call him, my "Brad Pitt" horse. The kind of chestnut every one wants. Thank you Laura Roadcap!

Apparently he does not like the hound trailer- probably says it smells like hounds! But he looks good and I know he will have fun in Virginia.

Tomorrow the TAR Field Hunter Championship starts, at Bull Run. I was going to be there on another TB, Frank, who is better in the field. Hard to ask whip horses to go in field but he was the easiest of mine to do that transition. Oh Well! Not this year. Good luck to everyone. It is the most fun and I am sorry to miss. I will be eagerly looking forward to the photos!  

The leg feels better elevated, so I am trying be a good patient. Rather be riding but watching football will work today. I have been enjoying listening to music ( Thank you Alexa), old songs I remember but never hear on the current kind of radio stations. I am fortunate to have a friend to keep riding all the other horses. Even Michael's Quarter horse will get to go occasionally. I watch as she goes by the window and it is fun to see what my horses look like! I actually never see them that way. And she keeps me up to date on all the news and stories. I love that my MD huntsman gives me a little comment about the day's hunting afterwards, so I can still feel connected. It all helps. Thanks guys!
 

 

Princess Blue Sparkles

 

This is my new "Princess  Blue Sparkle" cast! I thought my granddaughter would appreciate, hopefully she can sign it. So ten days after accident, they removed one cast to check out repair. If you don't like gruesome pictures don't look at next two. The one shows where the bone went thru skin, the nest shows the repair site. 15 screws and three plates! I'm officially bionic I think. The surgeon was great, said he was pleased and he recommended the Princess Blue color. Love it. This one stays on for 3 weeks then maybe a boot-type!  Yay. Still no weight-bearing, wants me to keep it elevated and just stay quiet.  The former Marine nurse who put on the cast was so funny. Tattooed arms, military haircut, gently forming the cast with blue bandages, he stood and said  'Oh, the sparkles", ran out, returned with a little bottle of sparkles to sprinkle. At this point I felt foolish, said that's OK, but he proceeded to gently sprinkle fairy dust on my cast and with a flourish swept back his hair - leaving a line of Princess Blue Sparkles along his head! He looked great. 

I am now set up with physical therapy appointments in a month  and was told to perhaps renew hydrocodone RX then! Yikes. Trying just Motrin now So I'm on the mend and grateful for visits and cards and food. Thanks so much. My horses seem happy and life goes on.                                                                                                                                                      

What you learn when life deals you a strange hand

Thanks for all the well-wishes and food. I have been hurt before and what I remember is that, after the first PISSED OFF emotions, you surrender.  Surrender to the fact you can not do what you did; you can't just fix the manure spreader, you have to tell your husband how to fix it, you can't just unhook the trailer , you have to tell your husband how to unhook. This is exhausting, the telling part. It requires logical mental steps that are so much easier to just jump over and do yourself. But you can't.

So I try to think about recuperation as a vacation! I don't have to cook 😀,  I don't have to vacuum or dust. I get to read books (good) and listen to stupid TV shows ad nauseaum (bad). My fingernails are clean and not broken, my callused fingers are not aching. Except that is about it. And I want to go see my horses now. 

The photo is the glass of wine I desperately wanted. It was great until The Washington Football Club sucked and lost badly. ( if the Redskins had to change their name why do the Buffalo Bill's not have to? Wild Bill Cody was a notorious Indian killer!) This is what creeps into my thoughts now.

Michael has been great. Even tho' we are not sleeping together ( I would kill him if he knocked my leg in the night), we are happy. He brought me flowers and even cleaned the outside of the windows! He has been telling the horses he did not kill me, that I will be back. He says they are kinda suspicious but will let him pick up feet to check shoes! He even bought a cribbage set so we could learn a new game. We both think it is too complicated! 

I am one week in and have a first doctor visit on Wednesday. I hope they rewrap my leg as the bandage is looking a little rough. Off the hydrocodone mostly and thinking maybe I'll finally finish my Mongolia book.