Cracked in the Jaw, but a Good Day nonetheless

After making it through 13 months injury free with Mandi, we broke our streak today. As so often happens with horses, I took the hit in the most mundane way. When I arrived at the barn, she was lying down, taking a sun bath in the snow. When I approached, she peacefully turned her face to me and I stood near her for a moment. When Daisy, the pygmy goat, approached and reared up on Mandi's side, she decided it was time to rise. I rubbed her neck, put on her halter and stepped around in front of her to adjust the noseband a bit. She's been sensitive about having her cavesson tightened the past couple of weeks, and when I tugged on the halter, she flipped her nose up. I was too close and she smacked me, hard, under the chin. I saw lights and knew the impact caused some damage. I didn't feel much pain, though, so continued on with the daily routine.

The young woman whose folks own the barn where I board has hired a guy to start a filly, Dove, she was given last summer in lieu of a $$ debt. He was in the arena already so we rode together. I didn't lunge Mandi, and she never really settled under saddle. When the filly left the arena, Mandi became even more agitated, because Dove is her pasture mate. This was the first time since last spring Mandi has failed to settle under saddle, but I suspect the cold, snow and a grain too high in starch are making her higher this winter. Rather than keep trying to get her focus on me while riding, I dismounted, attached the side reins to her girth and put her on the lunge. She relaxed within 5 minutes and ended up with some good transitions on the line. I enjoy watching her find a sweet spot in rhythm and frame. Mandi's canter has always been balanced and her trot has been a struggle. I find it easier to influence the quality of a canter, so it's been quite an ongoing project to help Mandi develop a relaxed, round-ish trot.

When she was dry, I smeared Bag Balm on the points of her shoulders where her blanket is rubbing the hair short and took her back to her paddock. Jill's stall didn't take long -- I'm enjoying bedding with straw this winter, though in the past I've always preferred shavings. I think the straw creates a warmer, cozier bed in this deep chill weather that seems to be the status quo this winter. Finished the evening chores with feeding and then headed home.

I hadn't thought much about my jaw until I got home and realized my back teeth aren't meeting. If I try to close them together, the right side feels really odd and a bit painful. I chewed supper on the left side. This needs to go away soon, as I really, really don't want to go to the doctor. It's late...think I'll take some ibuprofen to stave off any inflammation and head for bed.