First, my apologies to my readers for not having a blog for a month.  These first three months of 2014 have been among the most challenging of my life and I have not been able to ride more than once a week, a BIG comedown from three times a week.  Amazingly I have made some progress with the horses with using the Back on Track stuff for just 30-45 minutes a week.

Fortunately, before my life fell apart, I ordered more Back on Track stuff for the horses, the poll cap and hock boots.  The hock boots are really made to be used in a stall with a standing bandage on the cannon, but I called Back on Track and described what I was doing and she said it would probably be safe for me to just walk and trot with the hock boots on without a standing bandage if I made the top strap a little tighter than they recommend for a horse in a stall.  I can’t really say if the poll cap helps at all, because of my MS exacerbation my hand tremor is worse and the horses really do not want to keep a steady contact with my hands.  I did get the impression though that the horses appreciate the poll cap in the bitter cold wind.  The hock boots, however, ARE making a noticeable difference.

The first time I put a hock boot on Mick he was nice and calm, until he moved that leg.  The he kicked and kicked and kicked.  After he got his kicking done with his left hind leg Debbie put the hock boot on his right hind leg.  He just kicked once or twice in the wash stall and when we led him out to the ring he would randomly kick out with either leg.  Fortunately by the time I mounted he had decided that the hock boots were not that horrible.  Mick DID NOT want to extend his stride at all at a walk with the hock boots on.  I had Debbie take them off before we trotted, since Mick had sort of accepted them I figured that was enough for the first time we used them.  I was pretty proud of Mick, usually a horse has to go through the whole gamut of acceptance from one side to the other side, most horses do not have the brain connections necessary to come to the conclusion that if something is all right on one side it probably is all right on the other side.  But Mick, smart Arab that he is, had little trouble concluding that a hock boot on his right hock was as harmless as a hock boot on his left hock.  I’ve noticed this on one other horse before this, an Arab stallion I had several decades ago who also could come to the correct conclusion without me having to go through the whole fear, protest, questioning, conniption fits, etc., when I went from his left side to his right side with something new.  Much to my surprise Mick also allowed me to take full contact with his mouth for a minute or two so maybe the poll cap did help some.

The next week we had no problems with Mick with the hock boots, he had digested his past experience with them and decided that they were harmless though slightly irritating.  This was a pretty good ride, for one I just had to use around a third of my normal leg pressure to get results.  I even got him to extend a little at a walk.  This time we trotted and he gave me a decent trot, but when I asked him to extend it just was not there.  No problem, he was still getting used to the hock boots and this was this first time I trotted him in them.  It was just nice that he was no longer trying to kick them off.  I also did not feel his usual “blockage” just behind the saddle so my hypothesis that his back pain also affected his hocks and that his hock pain affected his back seemed to hold up.  Now Mick has NEVER shown any evidence of pain in his hocks, but horses do seem to be skilled at hiding minor pain.  It is good for horse people to remember that if one joint of a horse hurts, that very soon other joints will start hurting as they try to take the strain off the joint that hurts.

The third lesson with the hock boots was even better though my physical abilities were worse, especially with my hands.  Mick strode forth confidently at the walk and Debbie was very happy that he was not dragging his right hind hoof.  Turning seemed easier for him too.  Then came the trot, and Mick confidently sprang into the trot.  When I asked him to extend his trot some Mick came up with a compromise, instead of elevating his forehand he ended up “elevating” both his forehand and hind-quarters, ending up in a wonderful springy trot that was full of impulse.  When I tried to take up contact at the trot Mick raised his head, my hands just were not good enough for him to reach out to the bit but he did not mind the contact too much as long as he could carry his head where he wanted it. 

Mick is now partially leased by a girl who takes lessons on him, and Debbie told me this week that she noticed that Mick is moving much better, especially with his hind legs, even though he was not wearing the hock boots or Back on Track saddle pad (the hock boots and saddle pad are mine and I’m not lending them out, they are too expensive to lose.)  Pretty good results for wearing the hock boots for maybe two hours over three weeks.

Yesterday I woke up to sporadic drizzles, though at least it was warm.  Since I am now riding only once a week and since it is my physical therapy for my MS I really cannot afford to miss riding.  So we loaded up all my stuff in our van and drove to the stable.  It was still drizzling, Debbie had already turned Mick out but luckily Mia was still in the stall where they feed her (otherwise she is outside 24/7/365.)  I had not ridden (or taken care of) Mia for eight weeks so I was really pleased that I could work on her hooves and coat.  I was surprised, her coat was not full of fungus, and she did not seem to have any thrush in her hooves.  Then we put on the left hock boot, and she kicked just like Mick had, kick, kick, kick.  When she stopped kicking out with her left hind Debbie put the hock boot on her right hock and there was a little more kicking.  Then Debbie led her up and down the aisle some.  I had not put the left hock boot on tight enough, it started slipping down and Mia proceeded to kick the hock boot off (it took her 2 minutes.)  After she kicked it off Debbie put it on tighter and Mia did not seem to mind at all.  In fact Mia proceeded as if she was not wearing the hock boots, she accepted them quicker that Mick did.

Debbie then put on her water-proof jacket because it was still raining lightly.  Debbie knows I NEED to ride, that it is my physical therapy, and she is willing to stand in the rain so I can do it.  I am very fortunate to have her as my riding teacher!  Mia seemed to have no problems with wearing the hock boots with me riding her.  At first she refused to extend her walk any, not any great surprise since she is normally reluctant to extend at the walk or trot anyway because of her occult spavin in her right hock.  So I walked her around, tried a turn on the haunches and a shoulder in, and I did not get her usual crisp response.  The hock boots are just too new for her.  Then, making sure to hold my RS-tor in my hand and just sitting the trot at first, we went into the trot.  No problems, Debbie said she was moving better than my last lesson on her two months ago.  Then we went back to walking and this time Mia started extending her walk a little, and the third time I asked her to extend she started doing that wonderful “rolling” extended walk for a few strides.  I backed off then, we went into the trot again, I started posting, and when I asked her to extend her trot she actually started elevating her forehand for the first time ever (well maybe she did it once before a few years ago.)  I was very pleased and stopped the lesson there, Mia had exceeded my expectations and it was time to stop!

If any of you decide to try the Back on Track hock boots be prepared for kicking!  Put one on, and move immediately to the front of the horse.  Both horses did emphatic kicks, reaching far forward and far back.  Do this only where you have plenty of space around the horse far away from walls.  These are serious kicks and you do not want the horse to hit you!  Do one leg, and wait out the kicks before you put the hock boot on the other leg.  When the kicks end lead the horse around some and watch out for more kicking.  It took both horses around 15 minutes until they realized that their hind legs were not trapped and they stopped kicking.  These horses are pretty smart Arabians, it may take horses of other breeds or less mental capacity longer to get used to them.  With a very reluctant horse I’d let him kick and when he stops I would take the hock boot off.  I’d wait a day before trying the hock boot on the other leg, following the same procedure of not taking the hock boot off until the horse stops kicking.  Sometimes horses have to think something through for a while so do not be in a hurry.  The next time you put them on the horses may have gotten over their initial fear, and if they haven‘t it might take one or two times more.  Remember, the quickest way to get a horse to accept something new is to go SLOW for as long as necessary.

So far the results from the hock boots are well worth the time I took to get the horses to accept them.

Have a great ride if the weather permits!

Jackie Cochran