Therapeutic Riding--Rehab for Brandy's Medial Patellar Ligament Splitting

Thanks to Jenny taking my camera outside on this nice, sunny day, we have lots of photos documenting our version of therapeutic riding--riding to rehab Brandy's stifles.  But you can see by our faces that this was therapy for our souls, too!

Herb warms up in the barnyard while I lunge Brandy in the round pen.

For something different, we head down our road at a walk to warm up, then gaiting all the way back.

In the Back Pasture, we go up the big hill fast, walk down, and gait fast across the flat . . .

. . . to head back up the big hill again.  Jenny caught the steepness very accurately!

Brandy's moving out nicely.

Herb is enjoying Angel's beautiful running walk.

Coming out of the Billy and Blaze Way (my Anne of Green Gables-style name for a favorite little ride) at a nice clip.

Angel's never far behind.

Time for the last big hill before we head back to the barn.

Herb enjoying Angel's delightful canter up the hill.

Angel is delighted to be heading for the barn.

"That was fun!" Herb exclaimed as he pulled Angel to a stop.  After just a couple rides he's caught on to what's different about riding a gaited horse, and he's loving it!  I always knew he would!  :)

Our therapeutic riding team after Day 10 of rehab.

Brandy's right stifle after hydrotherapy (a 5-minute jet of cold water)--lest we get too complacent enjoying our riding, I have this to remind me that it's serious business and we're not out of the woods yet.  I was able to clean off the purple crusts with a clean towel, apply triple antibiotic ointment in the open part of the incision, spray the wound with Blue Lotion, apply DMSO around the wound where it's swollen, and give her the evening antibiotic injections.  A lot of work and care is going into getting her well.  I'm so thankful for the help and support of my family and Brandy's barnyard buddies.