Marley came off the track in 2012 with a bowed left front tendon. Despite the fact that he rehabbed thoroughly with CARMA and CANTER, with his somewhat wonky conformation and a previous injury, that left front will always be weaker and more prone to injury than it would be otherwise.
Unfortunately in early December Marley tweaked something his left front leg. I got to the barn one evening to discover that it was a bit swollen and tender.
We embarked up on few intense days of cold hosing, hand walking, and sweat wrapping. The vet’s initial diagnosis was cellulitis, and we were hopeful that there was no tendon or ligament involvement. Unfortunately, a week later the swelling was down and ultrasounds revealed a possible soft tissue injury. I had more than one vet examine him and the diagnoses were somewhat different, but the core recommendation was pretty much the same: rest for a few weeks, then gradually come back into full work assuming he continues to look good.
Since winter at our “home” barn can be super muddy and it’s in a generally steep location, I made the decision to move him up to a friend’s private barn near Sonoma. He can hang out, get light work, and just be a little bit of a horse for a month or two. Once
Urban Thoroughbred 