My last post, The Not So Summer, I outlined the busy summer so far. I also left you with my finally getting seen for my foot injury incurred at the Schooling Horse Trials on June 18th (A Great Opportunity and A Great Lesson Learned).
It’s been a few weeks since my surgery. I’ve gotten my splint removed. Instead, I’m sporting a bright green hard cast to tip my hat to Stanley and our cross-country colors. It only seemed fitting.
The cast is getting annoying, but it could be the fact that I’ve been immobile for 4 weeks now. I have another 3 weeks to go before I can get this cast removed. By then, I will hopefully be walking in a boot.
At my recent appointment, I was told this injury gets missed often because it’s so subtle but can cause significant issues. It reconfirmed to me exactly why I trusted MY gut instinct and went to the people I did when I did. I’ve had a few people tell me their thoughts as if they knew my body better than I did…
I’m glad I got seen after my dad’s surgery….and I’m glad I skipped urgent care and went right to the specialist who saw what I’m sure the folks at the other center would have missed.
I also really enjoyed seeing the XRays. The screws are sizable! The way I understand it these 3 screws hold the bones in place while we give the tendon time to repair correctly. The screws keep the bones in correct alignment and I’m not to put weight on my foot. Otherwise, I’d be repeating the damage over and over. Cool Stuff!
While I’m laid up I’ve been working from home, reading, doing puzzles, and watching a lot of movies. Zac has been amazingly helpful; I honestly don’t think I could do it without him. A couple people have been thoughtful and checked in on me. A couple friends have brought lunch to give me company. I’ve gotten some flowers. Aside from these amazing couple of people, it’s been kind of lonely and isolating.
Being laid up has been a complete paradigm shift. I never gave enough credit to the power of a call/text from a friend asking “How are you?” I haven’t heard from some people who I thought were friends in over a month. It has certainly made me appreciate these simple acts that show people you’re thinking of them.
I’ve also recently embarked on a new project I hope to have finished before I am back on my feet. More details to follow!
I’m getting pretty good on my pegleg. Walking through grass and on terrain is still tough. I also don’t feel confident in dragging things around like a cart or wheelbarrow, but I can stand and walk and have some sort of independence. I’ve gone to the barn, groomed Stanley, and even did stalls with the help of Zac and Suzanne rolling the wheelbarrow. Occasionally I will grab a chair and make my way out to the barn to sit with Nahe and Reality. He loves to cuddle so I don’t get a lot of reading done.
This past weekend we had an ultimate adventure and a good test of my bum leg. Suzanne and Tiger were signed up to ride in a 2-day eventing clinic in Connecticut with Elisa Wallace! I was not about to let a cast get in the way and managed to tag along.
We left Saturday morning and I was ringside to watch the lesson at 1pm. The group of four ladies began riding. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear a thing, but I had the chance to chat with a mom/daughter pair who I saw at the Tik Maynard clinic earlier in the year.
Halfway through the session, it began to sprinkle. As it got steadily harder I put my camera away and tried to tough it out holding a folding chair over my cast. That didn’t work either. I strapped myself into my peg and hobbled as fast as I could back to the barn. I didn’t want to ruin my cast or my camera. I made it in time because the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. I enjoyed watching the lesson continue on proving that eventers are some of the most bad-ass equestrians out there.
The rain only lasted about 15-20 minutes and we were soon back out to watch the end of the lesson. After, we got to talking with the other ladies in the lesson. Two of the ladies were staying in the same hotel overnight so we all agreed to have dinner. It was a blast getting to know them and we marveled at how similar we were. One had a Mustang, the other a thoroughbred. When I met Suzanne she had a Mustang and you know I love my thoroughbreds. Other parallels between us made us fast friends. Working at a small animal vet, interests in photography, and more. We had so much fun and made plans to get together at our next event in a few weeks.
I LOVE the eventing community!
My leg was screaming by the end of the first day. My toes were swollen and my cast was very tight. It was a good day, though, and I was able to lie down in a real bed to rest.
The second day was another day of fun. We got to the farm and watched the first few lessons. I did my best to stay out of the sun and elevate my leg. During the lunch break, I tried to show Elisa a photo I thought was funny. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit…in fact, it was quite a cold reception…hard to take from one of your top three favorite equestrians in the books.
I put my pegleg on for Suzanne’s group. It had rained a lot during the night so despite the sunny day they had a big puddle giving the group an opportunity to school water. The group mainly worked on ditches and banks. The ditch caused some hesitation for several of the horses. Elisa ended up getting on one of the Mustangs. It was fun to see her method put to use. Watching her timing and excellent position it is no wonder she does so well with mustangs and thoroughbreds. The gelding was soon crossing the bigger ditch with no second thought. Tiger didn’t end up doing the big ditch but he was ok with the faux ditch.
It was a great time, Suzanne and Tiger made a great team. A different experience than any other clinic I’ve attended in the past, but we had great times. In the other clinics, lunch was provided…a dinner/meet and greet was scheduled, and we had a chance to talk to and get to know the clinician. This one was more of a “lesson and go.” Very impersonal. Nevertheless, we departed having made some great new friends. My leg was ready to be home in air-conditioning and elevated.
Up next I have another week and a half and I’ll be heading back to Connecticut to cheer my friend on and see our new friends at the Town Hill 3-Phase event. I’ll be in my cast still but I’ll have my pegleg in tow.
Until then I’ll be on the recliner resting my swollen toes in my pretty green cast…counting down the days until I can get it removed.
The Green Horseman 
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