November update - Disaster strikes (again!)

Well, I’ve been very busy over the last couple of months, that’s why it’s all been a bit quiet recently on my blog. And what’s been keeping me so busy – or should I say who? It could only be one thing – yup, you’ve guessed it – Zano!

We were just getting going with our schooling and he was starting to move awesomely. He was really relaxing in his jaw and swinging through his back. His canter was coming along beautifully, too – he’s like an armchair to sit on! In fact, Zano was going so well that me and Jo, my riding instructor, planned his first outing to a dressage competition. It was in 9 weeks time, which would give us plenty of time to get him up into the trailer and taken to a few shows just to soak up the atmosphere, and be led round. And he’d finally stopped dancing away from me when I got on. Normally, even if I was going for a hack, I’d have to get on in the school so I could move the mounting block round as he moved. But, for the first time ever, he’d stood still enough for me to get on him out the front of the yard, ready for our hack. I was so proud of him and so pleased with life in general – it felt like we were finally on our way!

Zano in his lesson - his neck's huge!

But then, on that hack, disaster struck! It had been a busy ride. Zano and Chico, his best buddie, had met ponies and traps and cyclists and lots of cars. When we were three quarters of the way home we headed down our usual lane. It’s a bit of a slope, but nothing too dramatic. Another cyclist was hovering behind us and I think that’s what distracted Zano. He turned his head just a bit and, in true Zano fashion, got a bit caught up with his hooves. He slipped and before I knew what was happening he went down on his knees, then fell right over onto his side!

It all happened so slowly I almost stepped off, but as Zano got back up to his hooves, I saw at once that he was injured, seriously. His near fore knee was glistening white – he’d taken all the skin off down to the bone. The hole was about 3cm in diameter and, as he stood there, it started to spurt blood. Blood started to trickle from his other knee, too, and from his near stifle and fetlock. Standing there, looking at my beautiful, stricken horse, it felt like the end of the world.