Monday, August 18, 2008

Soft Tissue Damage around the Coccyx.....and it hurts!

Today I was looking up information on tail bone issues. I got to thinking that just maybe there is a quick fix out there I have not heard about. Well, there isn't. But I did learn a couple of things. One of them is this - there are some people who get really ticked off when people like me call it a bruised tail bone. No joke! I Googled it, and found a question/answer group, and one person got very testy about it! She said that "IT IS NOT A BRUISED TAIL BONE!!! IT IS SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE AROUND THE COCCYX!!!!"
Really! I call it a bruised tail bone because everyone knows what that is. If someone asked my why I just fell out of my chair while trying to stand up, because that is the worst part of all this, and I look at them and say "I have soft tissue damage around my coccyx and it really has me down!", what would you think they would think? How about "Sorry I asked!" ha ha!

The other thing I learned was if you take ibuprofen or any other anti-inflamatory, it can slow the healing by 30%! I don't mind sucking it up and dealing with the pain, I just thought it was good to keep the swelling down if I can.

All I know, is it is a big pain in the butt! HA! No pun intended! Oh yeah, Brian tells me I also need to get more sleep, and he is right. But I don't know when I am supposed to do that....It is almost 10:00 pm, and I still have things to get done. Goals are good.....find time to go to bed earlier.

I should have been a psychic! Okay, just for one day. I predicted that I would be cranky yesterday and I was! I almost went trail riding by myself again because I wanted to, and that should be reason enough. Then I got sidetracked.....then Brian talks me into laying on ice packs the rest of the day....yep, I was not a happy camper! I tried not to be growly....but I didn't succeed. Oh well, I am easy to get along with most of the time. Can't ask for more than that.

I was talking to Judy (and Bob) and I mentioned doing ground work all week and staying out of the saddle, and she mentioned horses that do tricks, but freak out from plastic bags. That reminded me, Tripp is still terrified of plastic bags! I can rub him all over with them as long as I don't go over the center line down his neck and back. He is so terrified he won't even listen to me. So what did we do tonite? You got it! Worked with the plastic bag. This time I took a light brown one out thinking maybe it was just the white ones. Nope, it is all plastic. We had a couple small blow ups, and he did look at me like I just let him down because he thought I was over the plastic bag thing, but all in all it went okay. We will be playing with bags all week long! And I did manage to get them over his center line several times. I took them away real quick, but he tolerated much better than last time.

We still can't trot on the lead unless something has him excited, so we are working on that too. I really don't know how to get him to do it...I am not graceful enough to reach back with the lunge whip to tap him while trotting at the same time. Yes, I trot. :-) We will keep trying, but if we don't get it, I am not going to sweat the small stuff. I will do as others before me, I will trot, Tripp will stretch his neck out, and we will give the whole place the illusion of speed. I have mentioned 'illusion of speed' several times in past blogs....it is still an illusion. Ha ha!

Feet...he is doing pretty darn good with feet! He did plant a back one tonite and didn't think he was going to lift it, but he did. :-) He didn't even try to take the backs away from me. His feet look pretty good - just need a little shaping up. Will get that done this week too.

Saturday evening after we got home, I came in the house to lay down on ice, and Brian took Tripp back to the pen. Brian walked him and backed him thru the 'L' and said he did great and he wanted to show me how he did it. Do you think Tripp would do it while I was watching? Nope! Probably didn't want me to think he was doing good with Brian and not with me...Tripp looks out for me that way. :-) They had to work at it quite a while, and finally got it. At one point Brian was going to give him back to me so I could play with him, but I told him he had to finish what he started and I was okay watching. This was the first time I watched while Brian did anything with Tripp. It has been all me up to this point. I don't like it because I am possessive, but in reality Tripp is far enough along to be exposed to the feel of other people. Brian just better not get to used to being around MY horse! ha ha!!! Just kidding!

That is all I know for now.
Until later....Karen and Tripp

3 comments:

Madeleine said...

To get him trotting behind you, try asking him (trot out in front of him and "cluck cluck, trot trot") as soon as he leans on the halter and pulls back against the pressure, turn back to his hip and make him lunge around you at the trot, then try it again. Some horses will pick up on the idea real quick, others need more time and several good smacks on the butt with the lead rope (The quickest one I had figure it out was about 10 minutes of repetition, the longest about an hour). Soon they learn that it is much easier just to trot behind you than to be chased around in a little circle.
The other thing you can try, which worked with Artista, but doesn't always work for every horse, is to have a buddy chase him along from behind while you ask him for trot on the lead. Some horses will learn quickly this way, while other will learn that they trot on the lead... but only when there is an instigator behind. :)
Let me know if that helps.
It looks like Tripp is doing great! Good luck over the next few weeks.

Karen C. said...

Thank you for the tips! Tonite I tried the small trotting circles. Holy cow, I burned a lot of calories, and he wasn't getting it. I finally would trot by him while he was still trotting, and then I stopped real quick before he did. I needed to rest....ha ha!
I am going to try the 'someone behind him' thing when my husband is home. I will let you know how it goes!

I am also going to share this idea with Kirstin, one of the yearling trainers! :-) She is having the same problem I am. :-)

Kirstin's Mustang Project 2011 said...

Hey Karen,
Thanks for the tips. I have tried the buddy thing and it is working great with Traveller. I was having the hardest time with him. Mia seems to have the concept(most of the time). Halona is still a part timer on the trot concept, but she tries. Robert had given me some advice that worked with Mia & Halona. This is what Robert had suggested: try to just trot off and start with the lead rope real close to the horse.Dont pull but squeeze the rope and let it move in your hand also. So that you are making a bumping action while it slides through your hand.
It took me a while with my horse as well. Just keep trying it. Then you can also make him do some circles if the horses doesnt want to trot behind you. You need to associate forward momentum. So trot off and if he doesn't then make him do some circles then while he is doing trot circles in hand then trot off again.
This worked with Mia & Halona, but not Traveller. My dad is helping me with him. Dad is my buddy chasing behind him & that seems to be working. Proves that every horse is different and there are many different ways to the means. Hope this helps. Good luck.