How about a Ruby update?

Ruby has been doing great.  She doesn't understand why we're not going places or why Vegas is getting so much attention (Ruby's favorite thing to do: make ugly faces at Vegas), but she's dealing and is being extra sweet to me...well, sweet for Ruby.  She hasn't been lame, other than the odd hock swelling she had a week or so ago.  She's at a good weight and is starting to shed her nearly non-existent winter coat.

Ruby, this morning, telling me that she doesn't care about the other horses - she wants to graze on the 'special' grass in the barnyard.  I totally caved; I'm such a sucker!  I just couldn't resist that face.

Last week, Jennie practically begged me to come on a trail ride with her and her mustangs-in-training.  She was hoping for as many steady-eddies as possible (I love that Ruby now has this reputation) to help get the baby mustangs through their spazzy moments.  I told her that I'd see how Ruby was the day before and the morning of, and let her know that I might have to walk Ruby out at some point during the trail ride.  She was fine with that so we made a date.

Before loading up yesterday, Heather trotted Ruby out for me.  She looked great so we loaded Ruby and Candy and made our way to Lower Green Swamp.  When Jennie arrived, she had four horses in tow: Koa, a cute little 3 yo bay pinto gelding; Riley, a bay sabino mare (an older, broke mare); Rango, 3 yo bay gelding; and Jennie's trusty old gelding Paco.  S, who rode Vegas a week ago or so, was to ride Rango who is usually the problem child.  Ruby and I led the way through the gate and to the mounting block. 

S was the last to mount up.  Jennie requested that the rest of us to start walking off.  I guess it is usual for Rango to act up right after mounting and she wanted us to be safe and out of the way.  While I appreciated this gesture, I was also worried how Rango would feel about being left.  Jennie insisted, so we headed off with Ruby and Candy in the lead, Riley and Koa following.  A few minutes later we heard a commotion behind us.  S ended up riding double with Jennie on Paco, ponying Rango.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful.  Ruby wanted to go through the creek but I didn't want her SMBs to get soaked so we took the bridge.  She pouted and tried to leave a few times while waiting for the other horses - she just wanted to go already.  When we started down the trail I noticed something odd...instead of avoiding puddles like they were gaping holes in the ground, Ruby seemed to be making beelines for them.  It took me a minute to realize that she was thirsty - she has never offered to drink from a puddle on trail, and generally won't drink from troughs or even water brought from home.  We stopped at a couple of larger puddles for her to drink while the other horses passed by.  Jennie and the other girls took their horses off trail a few times to walk over logs, etc. while Ruby and I continued on the trail.  I didn't want her to step in a hole, or hit a rock, or...I can say that while it was a fun ride, it wasn't a relaxing one - I was paying too much attention to how she was moving, waiting for any misstep.  But, there weren't any.  Ruby was happy and forward the entire time.

About halfway through the ride, Ruby noticed an armadillo ahead of us on the trail.  I pointed it out to Heather then watched it as we approached, expecting it to scurry off into the underbrush. I was beginning to think that it was sick, or deaf, but when we were 20 feet away it finally decided to move off the trail, though not in a hurry.  It sat next to the trail while we rode by, and probably went right back to the middle of it as soon as we were past.  We saw another one a little while later. I've never seen armadillos out like that before; honestly the only armadillos I've ever seen were dead.  Maybe it was the cooler weather.

Closer to the trailers she finally got to tank up at a water trough, and she peed as soon as she was tied at the trailer.  I wonder when she's going to figure out that she can pee on trail.  I do let her stop to poo hoping that she'll pee one of these days. 

And that was that.  First trail ride after her injury is in the books.  We went maybe three miles at a very slow pace.  No spooks and not one lame step.  Still, I had Heather trot her out for me again when we got home.  She moved out beautifully again, so I turned her out, did my chores, and went home.

This morning when I pulled Ruby out of her stall, her right fetlock was a little swollen and I started thinking the worst.  Heather trotted her out for me (again) and I could see nothing off in the way she was moving.  I sent the vet a text.  I never did call about an ultrasound because she was doing well, my car broke down, and the holidays were crazy (and various other lame excuses).  Her vet called me immediately and asked me what was going on.  I filled him in and asked how much he charged for an ultrasound.  He then asked me if she was sound.  I told him that she seems totally sound, so he instructed me to rub her fetlock down with liniment after our next ride and added that if she's moving sound there is no need for the ultrasound. 

So, here we are again.  Vet says no ultrasound is needed and has told me it's okay to ride at a walk, so he obviously believes it is a mild strain.  I would feel dumb if I paid for a second opinion and an ultrasound only to find out that he was 100% correct.  I feel that this vet is trustworthy and knowledgeable but I'll continue to play it safe by riding only occasionally on flat, solid ground and watching her like a hawk.

In the meantime, I need to do some tweaking on my new saddle pad.  Because it has a grippier bottom than my Equipedic, I didn't have to tighten the girth as much (greatly appreciated by Ruby).  But those straps across the spine...usually this saddle pad is velcro'd to the bottom of the saddle so those straps are stuffed into the gullet of the saddle. Mine does not have the velcro and rubbed the hair a bit on her back.  I'll be picking up some strong velcro in the next few days.  I've also ordered Ruby's Equiflexsleeves and am waiting eagerly for them to arrive.  For anyone who's been thinking about ordering them, Schneider's has them on sale right now for $40: Equiflexsleeves.