Chiropractic work...

I had another chiropractic session with Rosso a week ago. Not that I'm looking for a "cure-all" for his bad behavior; at the same time two different DVMs found him very painful over his loin and rump, so I do want to make him comfortable and find the source of his pain.

This chiropractor was SO incredibly COOL! She was incredibly thorough and Rosso - who can be "reactive" and "fizzy" was falling asleep and really relaxed through 99% of her exam and adjustments.

She thought his posture was asymmetrical and he walked asymmetrically behind. She examined him before adjusting him and found that one of his wither bones had been broken... probably from pulling back and flipping over.

His hips were uneven with one side obviously higher than the other side and she thinks he had a stress fracture in his pelvis from racing. She said 80% of race horses have stress fractures there.

As an aside, when he went in for his tooth floating on Friday, he is missing 2 of his upper front teeth which makes him look like a complete gomer. There are 2 tiny tooth nubs there and a large dip in his gums above the tooth nubs.

My vet thinks his 2 front teeth were crushed. Upon further exam, there is a definite line in his upper palate and those ridges we all have on the roof of our mouths?, Rosso's are out of line - like one side of his mouth shifted forward and the other shifted back. That makes her think he broke his upper jaw.

Sure would be interesting if they could tell us their stories doesn't it? He's obviously had an interesting past.

Anyway, the chiropractor suggested some alternative therapies. One was to put 2 strips of duct tape, each strip being 12 - 15 inches long on each side of his rump parallel to each other. She said he would feel the tape as he walked and he would feel his asymmetrical footfalls. This would result in him trying to even out his footsteps.

The second one was that when I work him, he should wear cat collars with bells on his hind fetlocks... again the idea being he would hear the irregularity in his footsteps and take efforts to become symmetrical.

I don't know if those therapies will work or not, but neither one costs me much and it can't hurt him to try it out.

I also had Anthony, the cowboy trainer, stop by the other day. He said in his thick Aussie accent, "I hear you've been having trouble with your horse."

I gave him a shortened version of what's been going on... he offered to come and ride Rosso at my house a few times free of charge. I told him I would pay him because I know he's busy and it's his time... but he won't hear of it. (what a NICE guy!)

He asked why I hadn't called him and y'know it's not that I was afraid to call him but I figure that it's Rosso disrespecting ME and I need to step up and make Rosso see that I am to be respected just like he respects Anthony or Rex or any other trainer or rider more experienced than me.

I will call Anthony to have him come out and ride since I am afraid to ride Rosso at home right now... will be good for both Rosso and me.

It's not that Rosso shies or bucks that bothers me - I can sit those on Sera - I don't like it but I can sit it, remain in balance, correct it and move on. For whatever reason, Rosso can pop me off his back easier than I can pop the top off a beer. It's only happened twice and both times I got right back on and rode him hard - walk, trot, canter... but after those two times, my confidence and trust in him is completely shattered. I stopped riding him without help because I don't need him to think the rider coming off his back is standard operating procedure.

My trainer, Rex, thinks Rosso dumps me so easily because he is narrow and it doesn't take much for narrow horses to step out from under their riders. She has complete faith I'll get through it. I wish I had her faith... in the meantime, Rosso has his duct taped ass, I bought cat collars yesterday and he's to be worked on a long line for a week before being ridden per the chiropractor's orders. I'll give Anthony a call and we'll see where that goes.

Since I have my mare, Sera, to ride and have fun with, I'm on no time line with Rosso.... I have the luxury (tho I dunno if the anxiety he gives me is really a "luxury"?!? heh, heh) to keep Rosso and take my own sweet time with him.