It’s Not The Ups & Downs

… It’s the sudden changes of direction, as my mother is fond of saying.

After a week of a punk, pouting mood [God Laughs], I ended up riding Milton more often than I would have otherwise.

 
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But first a veterinary update.

Milton will have his bumpectomy this Friday. It will be full-on surgery, not the local job we were hoping for. Consider my stress level maxed out for the week. Therefore, I have written and scheduled posts through the weekend. I plan to write a medical update post next Tuesday. For those who would like to stay current, I have set up Twitter at the top of the sidebar. —->

At least, this is how I plan to share progress, good news, and minor set-backs. I have no idea what I would do in the event of dire news. Along those lines, I have always wondered about flight trackers. You watch your loved one’s progress across a screen. What happens if the flight, um, fails to continue progressing? Do they put a big red X on the flight path? That’s not how one wants to receive such news. I guess there is really no way one wants to receive such news. But I digress. Everything will be fine. The surgery is as routine as surgery gets. Everything will be fine. Enjoy the posts. Keep up via Twitter if you are interested. Talk to you next week. Everything will be fine.
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Back to me.

My medical advisor decided that Milton was cleared for light work, i.e. pony rides for the old lady [I Ride Milton!], but not heavy work, i.e. hauling his ass around in a 400-pound carriage [First]. Win for me.

Over the two weekends, we took him to Stepping Stone Farm twice and I rode at home twice. Although trailering counts as work for a horse, SSF is so close and we have been so often that it barely counts as work for Milton. The ride at home was the first! ride! since! the! boom! [Did I Piss Off the Universe and Not Notice?].

During one of the SSF rides, Milton was awesome. Swinging forward walk. No corkscrewing at the trot. Coach Courtney called him joyous. He was on the tail end of his antibiotics [Laughs]. This leads us to think that his bump may have been bothering him lately. We all know how a low-grade infection can sour one’s outlook [Antibiotics as Mood Elevator]. This in turn makes the decision for surgery somewhat easier.

Riding at home is stressful for me because of our history. Riding at home is stressful for Milton because he is outside of a ring, having to handle the big, wide world of his home pasture.

Progress Made
Ride in the big ring.
Ride at home.
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Meaning no disrespect, but I have decided my Momma is wrong. Ups are great. Downs suck pond water. Sudden reversals downward carry their own special horror. Sudden pleasant surprises? Yes, please. One on Friday would be nice.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott