Just wanted to update on Spankie! He had his first minute of trot and this is how it went! He feels SO different. I can feel the hind legs and it feels like he has springs! He just floats and has so much freedom. If this is our new baseline at zero fitness then imagine what he will look like 6 months from now! I think another 6 weeks for our next vet check. He is cleared for turn out when he is up to 10 minutes of trotting. 
Spankie Trot
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Great news!
Spankie went to his 10 week check up today. The vet totally cleared him of any SI and suspensory issues and said that’s in the rear view mirror.
He did develop some bony changes in his front left foot. He’s only been shod since November of 23, that was obviously for the suspensory shoes. He had a pretty significant medial lateral imbalance in his front left and we had been trying to encourage straightness with the bones in the foot. There haven’t been any positive changes with the shoeing and in fact it was all not so great changes. Not bad, we’re definitely catching it early and we injected both front coffin joints. We’re hypothesizing that this too could be a compensatory factor if we think about how the right hind was plaiting. Hopefully since we’ve eliminated all sources of potential compensation we might see some straightening of that foot in the long term. But in the short term we are going to shoe him balanced but without trying to correct the imbalance since it’s creating more trauma within the foot. I’m not sure if this is an angular deformation that’s normal for him, or some imbalance that really needs to be fixed in the future.
He was cleared for turn out in 3 days after his coffin bone joint injections. We are cleared to begin cantering, and when he is legged up enough we can start back with jumping. He is a totally different ride these days. He’s very workman like. The negative pain related behaviors have gone away. He has even offered me canter before it was time 
like he just wants to get back to work and he feels good. Even with a bum front left foot he was still happy to work.
Still going to take it slow and methodical and carefully for sure 
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So happy to hear that! Wow, It’s such an amazing turnaround of his story.
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This was Spankie’s first time out! He was cleared by the vet for high level shenanigans but I can’t say I predicted he would do this. I don’t usually anthropomorphize animals, so let me have it this one time please 🥲
I had 2 vets and several people tell me he just might not want to event without ever putting his hands on him. So this meant a lot even if his future isn’t in eventing. I haven’t ridden him yet because I’m waiting for my wife to reset him. He’s being slowly introduced to turn out since the grass is so rich right now.
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A little update for those following. As I’ve continued to rehab Spankie now on the lunge line, he has really developed some muscle. Muscle he never had before and I never noticed wasn’t there. The strength he is gaining he is keeping and it’s not just lost immediately as before. There have been zero behavioral issues with him under saddle. When he is weak that’s what he acts like, not violent and painful like before where he was experiencing dangerous behavior because of this.
Side bar. I purchased another horse to bring along in December to keep myself busy while Spankie was sidelined. While getting to know this mare I realized how much of a comfortable and safe feeling she gave me. It didn’t matter if she was jig jogging around, in a new place, if her head was up in the air… like just this trust that I knew she is not going to be dangerous or unsafe. Sorry I’m trying to explain a feeling here and it’s one after nearly 3 decades of riding I have yet to experience until I’m telling you right now. Spankie and I have gone through a lot together. All of this dangerous behavior, I was on his back and I stayed with him but that leaves anyone with a bit of ptsd. Why wouldn’t I naturally be tense on this horse with a history of unpredictable violence. It’s something subconscious that nobody really thinks about. When Spankie was strong on the lunge line doing multiple canter trot canter transitions without bucking or lead swapping I decided it would be time to ride him again. When I got on him I felt peace. Like with the mare I just bought that has never and probably will never give me the feeling that I need to worry and protect myself and ride defensively. So let me tell you I almost cried when Spankie gave me that feel. Like I could give him the buckle and step off and it would be just fine, and it was. I’ve owned him for 3 years but I’m finally being introduced to my horse for the first time. 🥲
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