After the Trail Ride...

AN AzBCR MEMBER ASKED:

so all that walking doesn't hurt her leg?

LINDA'S RESPONSE AND EXPLANATION OF THE CONDITION:

Damage occurs when the leg is locked and remains locked. Damage does not occur as long as the leg unlocks and the injections to promote shrinkage of the tendons is being done.

This is why Madeline is in treatment, because it is not staying locked now since the iodine/oil injections. Now it has to be worked, and worked and worked - that means LOTS of exercise to use it. When she is at home she still has to wear her surcingle leg band contraption 10 to 11 hours a day while she moseys around at home. Including when we camp if in her stall camping or grazing out and about. Its purpose is to make her walk on the leg and bend it at the joint. Walking & trotting in deep sand or footing in an arena and up and down hills on trails is part of her treatment to encourage the tendons to shrink on the rear legs. She has to be walked daily when I come home from work and we walk/trot about 2 miles a day. We have about 8 months of that to do, or at least until the legs no longer stick or are stiff in movement as she CAN out grow this once the tendons shrink.

Her vet has wanted her to be ponied out on trail with us, but Madeline had a hard time understanding and would sit down, literally. It has taken several months and several tries for her to understand it's okay to pony along side another. She finally got it last Saturday in Sedona on April 24.......so once she got it and understood it was okay.......she went out on the 25th in Sedona for her first trail ride. It was 3 hours and 6.7 miles - and was all her Vet could be happy about after hearing the results.

Yes, she can start out with a stiff gait, but within 5 minutes she is walking just normal.........no stiff leg, no drag, no lock, just what you want and then the more work on it walking/trotting the better. She is to continue to go out on the trail as much as we can and for as long as we can with her, the more the better. The working the leg on the trail like this, works the muscles and builds the muscles and shrinks the tendons - which is what is wanted. It very well may keep her from having to have surgery if she continues in the pattern she is in progessive improvement.

Oh yes, she slept well when we came home this last weekend, after her first 3 hour ride in the terrain we covered, it was no cake walk, she was one tired little donkey. But you would not have known it the next morning as she was bright eyed and moving about as you came out to feed. She'll get another round of being ponied this Sunday coming up at Horse Lovers Park - as she'll be out riding the parks trails with her big brother mules for about 4 1/2 hours or so..... Nothing near as complicated a trail as she was on last Sunday. The more ups and downs the better, but at least Horse Lovers Park provides a trail to use close to home. Bottom line, it makes her have to work the rear legs, even if it's flat.

She will be in Prescott with the AZBCR group May 7th, 8th and 9th......she will be on the trail ponied with us on Saturday's ride - "Spruce Mountain" has all the terrain that is wanted for working her leg and her vet is very happy she will be going on the ride. Sunday's ride that weekend will be her day of rest in camp while we take the mules out for the short ride.

Hope the information provided helped to answer your question......She is one loved little donkey!!

David and Linda