I almost forgot: HE'S HOME!!!

Actually he's been home since monday.

During the weekend I decided that I want him home. Period. I called the clinic in the morning telling them that I wanted to be present when they changed his dressing and that I was going to take Crispin home with me afterwards.

The leg looked pretty good. Much better than I had expected. The cut where the vet had opened the haematoma was tiny and basically healed and there was very little swelling. Still, the vet put on another dressing (Robert-Jones-Bandage is what this thing is called) to put pressure on the swelling and to keep fluid from running back into it.

After that we loaded Crispin and took him home.

Another thing I almost forgot: Another three months have gone by. Time for pictures!

These are sure going to be awful. Crispin's is still wearing the bandage and it has been on since monday. It sure sure looks worse for wear. The big bloodstain is from when we used the leeches for the first time on the other leg (on the small haematoma there,  which is looking pretty good after two treatments with the little bloodsuckers).

But here we go, Crispin at 3 and 1/2 years old:

...not home yet...

Almost a week has passed and Crispin is still at the clinic. The dressing was changed for the first time on tuesday. Unfortunately some of the fluid had come back so the vet had to open and rinse the wound once more. The dressing was changed again today (friday) with pretty much the same result.

Crispin is on stall rest and coping ok. He's relaxed enough but still I really want him home!

First BIG vet bill *sigh*

At least It took a little over a year before it came to this. Crispin's first big vet bill is coming my way.

I don't know If I have mentioned this on here before. A while ago Crispin started to get little swellings just above his knees on his front legs. Little bruises it looked like. I figured they were self-inflicted. He seems to hit his knees in the feeding stall. No other horse seems to have that issue, it's just him, he seems to be just the right size. It got worse with the flies over the summer. I guess every time he pulled up his front legs to shake off flies he hit his knees.

There was never lameness, heat or tenderness. I treated the bruises with Compagel without much success. 
One swelling stayed small and even went away over time the other became bigger and during the last 3-4 weeks really big. It looked like a big jucy orange all squishy and soft. Still no pain or lamness but of course I became worried and scheduled an appointment with the vet for x-rays and ultra sound.

Good news, it really is only a bruise just under the skin. The bad news, it won't just go away by itself.

So, two days ago I packed up Crispin and left for the Clinic next door. It almost broke my heart to leave him there. He looked so incredulous when I left him there in one of the tiny box stalls and didn't take him back home.

They cut open and drained the bruise. All went well so far and now Crispin is recovering. I was very glad to see that he seemed quite happy and contend when I went to visit yesterday. He's wrapped up to the chin and has to stay a few more days until he can come home. Hopefully he'll recover nice and quick without any complications so I can take im back home soon.

Hello Handsome

Guess what, it (almost) fits! I can not belive it but Amy's old jumping saddle almost fits Crispin. It is a little too wide, but that could mean he'll grow into it sometime. I would just love that since I really like that saddle.

With a little extra padding (and without the weight of a rider) the saddle will do just fine for now.

Like always Crispin was pretty unfazed by the idea of wearing a saddle. He was just a little tense when I first put it on but after a couple of tries (and cookies) he was fine. I took him for a walk with the saddle and he could not have cared less. Good Boy!

First year summary

How time flies when you're having fun! I can't belive it has been a whole year already since Crispin came into my life. Time for a quick review and summary of our first year together.

It was a great year. Crispin was the perfect little pony quite literally from the first second and has been ever since.We're a perfect match I think. He's curious, smart, people oriented and cuddlly. He's very food motivated (which, I think, is a good and very heplful thing) not very herdbound (another good thing). Easy to handle and eager to please. Just perfect!

The first year's training was basically basic stuff:

• Crispin now knows that haltering is a fun thing and is very easy to catch no matter if he's out on pasture or just in the paddock. (Something I couldn't dream of doing before he came to Münster.)
• He leads like a true gentleman (walk or trot, halt, over poles, little jumps, tarp, bridges, in the ring or on the trails). He stops and leg yields in hand too and will do a TOF and TOH.
• He loads (well, Christina achived that but I haven't undone the training ;-) )
• He lunges (walk and trot, canter on the lunge doesn't work as well yet).
• He knows bit and bridle, saddle pad and surcingle and blanketing.
• He ties well and stands very well when tied. 
• He stands for farrier and vet and for grooming (of course).

There are a million other little things he has learned this year and of course he has grown up a lot physically and mentally too. The next steps are more lunging and, finally, backing. And I'm sure the next year will be just as fun than the first! (Or even better!)

Action shots

Yesterday I made the effort to set up a paddock in the old outdoor ring behind the indoor to let Crispin play run out there and hopefully get some nice action shots of him.

Well, he did run and play but the sun wasn't on my side (quite literally) but against me. Unfortunately this resulted in some poor to mediocre pictures. But still, here they are:

Wheeeee:

 A couple of trot shots:

And the only shot that's a decent quality, tired and ready to call it a day:

Preliminary Decisions...

After two weeks of checking out barns, driving from one barn to the next, each one worse than the one before, I've made a decision for now. Until the Offenstall is finally gone, Crispin is going to stay where he is. I'm still hoping to find a decent Offenstall by then but chances are slim to none.

There were two barns that were sort of alright. At one of them the barn owner is going to build a second Offenstall till spring and another barn has some really big, BIG box stalls. Both barns aren't perfect but the only choices I have so far.

Of course all this too has consequences for Crispin's training. It means that I really need to start him under saddle until spring, before I might have to move him to another barn. I know, that was the plan anyways but now I feel a little pressured to stick with it too.

Like I said before: Damn! ;-)