Eianna has a scar that you can feel, but not see, that goes under the muscle on her rump. Since I've owned her most of her life, I can tell exactly how it happened.

She's gunshy as all get out, and not a big fan of loud, cracking noises. Nothing has ever changed that- she won't freak out under saddle or in hand, but when she's loose, she goes nuts. About ten years ago, there was alightning strike in the pasture she and the other horses were in. She flipped out, and in trying to escape tried to jump a gate. Why there was a railroad spike (one of those huge iron nails they use to attach railroad ties with) on top of the gate post I don't know, but she ran it straight through her thigh. it went under the muscle right at the curve of her butt, and out the other side, just like an arrow.

We pulled it out, got her tetanus, stitched up the ragged edges, and had to flush it out daily for a week. It healed clean and fast, and there's not a mark on her, but you can feel little ridges of scar tissue under the surface at the entry and exit points.

Rocky has a nasty, huge, thick fetlock on the near hind- an injury as a two year old. There are times I hate the UF- rather than exercising him at all while they treated him, they stalled him, and the hip atrophied from him favoring that leg and not using it at all. They were trying some sort of experimental surgery for bowed tendons if what I was told is true. His fetlock and leg are actually fine- loaded with scar tissue, but sound for walk/trot. It's the hip that's the problem. With massage and exercise he is slowly leveling up through the hips and rebuilding that muscle, but he is never going to be 100% sound- at best, he's only going to be sound enough for what I'm rehabbing him for- a leadline mount in a equine therapy program. He has the temperament and mind for it (loves people, especially children, very level-headed and steady, wants toplease, etc) and now it just remains to get him to a place where he is strong and healthy enough to pack around a kid for a few minutes at a time. He's already completely okay with the concept of someone on top of him, despite never being broken in, and actually looks forward to having someone up there to groom him. The only way my little ones can reach his back for grooming (he's somewhere between 16.2 and 17, I haven't gotten a stick on him) is to stand on the fence and lean on him to get to him- he aligns his body against the fence just so they can get all the itchy spots on his back. I've tried to convince them that I can do it, and they can groom the smaller horses, but they're adamant. "Rocky needs more love, Mom."

You know... for every bad horseperson out there, there's a kid or two, somewhere, who loves them, and will try to make up for it if they can.

 
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Horse and I, we're dancers in the Dark

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