Broken Brego

As I suspected, Brego was broken. Although he was doing well on our rides, and eager to go, he just couldn't hold that left lead together. The chiropractor confirmed it today: left hip.

The good news is that she was able to get it mobile again and she flexed the hock and believes that it is clean and clear. She suspects that the hip was the result of his falls, and not necessarily favoring the hock. She did not seem to think there was any real muscle loss.

The bad news is that I dropped the ball. I should have gotten him to a chiropractor before the end of last season, certainly before he sat all winter. I am sad I let him down. I knew he was having trouble on that left lead and I let my finances dictate timing to get him looked at.

Never again. I will beg, borrow and/or steal to get the cash.

The chiro thinks there's no irreparable damage and Brego will be fine, but I still feel guilty. Any fall and he gets looked at, although hopefully we will not fall again. Additionally, I think I will get him looked at every 6 months until I am sure he stabilized.

Mystery Solved!!

Brego got a visit from the chiropractor today. I was excited to hear what she would find considering Brego's recent pronounced favoring of his right lead and his intermittent cross-firing at the canter.

After the obligatory comment that "That's a lot of weight to be jumping..." (see, Stacey? You are not alone) she got to work. I guess this vet of fifteen years has never seen a big jumping warmblood. Anyway... Brego's front end was fine. His knees and shoulders checked out. He was blocked on the right side of his neck on his C2 vertebrate and his pelvis was twisted to the right and rotated forward.

What tremendous news! It was exactly in line with what I was seeing and feeling. Brego was very stiff to the left, like he couldn't stretch the right side of his body. And his left lead was flat and labored, while his right was powerful and easy. So the diagnosis made perfect sense.

She was able to set him straight and then, because saving for my new house is so BORING, I sprung for the acupuncture treatment after the adjustment. Brego soaked it all up, yawning and chewing, enjoying his endorphin high. Even an hour afterward, the horse was relaxed. His whole energy was relaxed. It was very cool.

So Brego obviously got the day off and I will do some light stretching tomorrow. The chiropractor recommend lots of forward work and no collection. Easy enough! Then Wednesday is my house inspection, so another day off. I will probably not jump him again before the schooling show this weekend. I want to give his hind end enough time to settle into the adjustment and hopefully hold it.

So even after the initial comment about jumping Brego, the chiro found nothing wrong with him that screamed ABUSE! DRAFT HORSE JUMPING! ABUSE! She even checked out his puffy right hind, which is decidedly less puffy these days, and couldn't find anything. In fact, he was better off than my Thoroughbred. The chiro is a former vet, so that's reassuring.

Now I can't wait for the saddle fitter later this week. Losing 8 inches off his girth and getting fit has really changed Brego's back, making it much narrower at the withers. My two saddles sit too low in front and it is causing some, er, "uncomfortableness" in my girl parts (Sorry, TMI!). So a nice adjustment... properly fitting saddles... we'll be all good.