Okay, so it's time for an update...finally! Amicus and I are still prepping for the competition. I can hardly believe that exactly two weeks from this very moment I'll be getting him situated in his stall in Tennessee! Let me be the first to tell you- 1oo days FLIES by!
I guess I also need to explain our (my) absence. Remember that little lameness issue I wrote about time and time again? Well, that little "issue" turned out to be a chronic, and possibly permanent, problem. Amicus has what's called "Shoulder Sweeney," also known as Neurogenic Atrophy of the Superscapular Muscles. Sounds daunting, huh? In layman's terms, the superspinatus nerve (which runs on the outside of the scapula) was damaged at some point before I got Amicus, causing the muscles above and below the scapula to atrophy severely, to the point that his movement has been affected.How do we fix this problem? Well, that's the million dollar question! Also the question that no one seems to know the answer to. I'll tell you what I do know- at the suggestion of various equine health professionals, I've been massaging, stretching, and stimulating that nerve every way I possibly can. Amicus is on herbal supplements (both topical and oral) that claim to increase circulation. We also do extensive warm-ups, consisting largely of cavaletti pole work. He also gets a chiropractic adjustment once every two weeks or so. Until about the last week and half, I'd say that all this extra work had been in vain...BUT guess what? He's really coming around! He's not 100% sound, but I'm confident that he's on his way. Will he be 100% by Tennessee? No...but we'll do our very best!
Again, I apologize for sliding under the radar, but I wanted to have a better handle on the situation before I started running my trap!
Now, want to hear about our weekend? I thought so! Amicus and I assisted in hosting the first annual Adopted Wild Mustang Festival here at the Bar T. Not only was it a great way to desensitize Amicus to the outside world, but it was great publicity for the BLM Mustangs we have all come to know and love! Of course, Chap and his 'stang, HOOAH, also represented the Bar T. Brock Griffith , a fellow NC EMM competitor, also came out to share in the fun. You've got to check out the website for this great event...it will, I'm sure, be the first of many! It was a great day. A big thanks goes out to everyone who attended, and helped out with the orchestration of the event. You made it a success!
