Sometimes I forget that my horse is really lucky to be alive. He was not supposed to be alive by March of 2008. Here it is August of 2009 and he is doing fantastic. And so is his left leg! I see my horse almost every day, so I don’t really notice the bad leg. Two times this year Gennyral over did it and his leg swelled up. So two times this year I had a heart attack. Which is a lot better then last year when I had tons of heart attacks. I know I did not start the blog until 9 months after my horse was injured, but even in the early days of the blog you can still read my frequent heart attacks about Gen. Moving to Hill Farm was a day that took many, many years off my life. I was so worried his leg would not survive the move.
As with all things time has healed a lot. At this time last year I don’t think I even knew the name of Gennyra’s problem. Disintegrating Tendon Syndrome is still not common, and I hope it never will be, but for some reason knowing the name gives me comfort. It shouldn’t, because it means that if his tendon is ever hurt again that will be it, but just knowing that it was something real made the difference. My horse is like my child so when he was sick I was having such a hard time with it. I also didn’t have a great support system in place at the time, which made everything tougher. Those were not fun days. That is what makes me even more grateful that my horse is alive and thriving today.
I know that some people accuse me of not moving on by celebrating aniversaries, but I think that they remind me of just how far we have come!
So now for the fun stuff…the pictures!
Gen’s Leg in August of 2009 (I know it is not the best picture, but it was HOT out!!)
Gen’s Leg in August of 2008
Gen’s Leg in August of 2007
So can you see the difference in his leg? I know I can.
There’s a definite difference in his leg. I’m so glad the treatment worked for him and he is a happy boy. You’re a great mom.
I still cannot believe how much his leg has gone down in 2 years. Not only is he doing great, but his leg almost looks normal! I remember after it happened you thought his leg would always stay that big. He truly is a miracle! And I definitely think all your love and care that you gave to him is why he survived and doing so well. I think he fought harder just for you!!
Looks awesome. Total progress!
Genny looks great!! I think you should be proud of all the determination you had through his treatments. Genny is a very lucky horse to have you!!
I can also understand being comforted by knowing the name of his condition. Knowing they have a name for it means that it is also very likely that there is ongoing research into that condition. If something were to ever happen again with him…or any horse — it is a possibility that there would be more effective, newer ways to deal with the problem — methods that could save a life. That would comfort me too.
Hopefully tho- Genny is past the worst. His leg looks awesome and I’m sure that is the best reassurance of all!
Huggs to you both!