Suki's skin looked great, and the graft, of course, is fine. The shell (sheet) is really taking a beating, and now the rigid protective insert is softening, which is causing the shell to shift. I wish she didn't still need it and I could just let her wear a fly sheet to cover the skin without hair. I had thought about buying thick foam to put in the pocket of the shell and the Wunderwear fly sheet. I am thinking that with just that type of padding I probably wouldn't need the extra padding from the bandage....my husband suggested neoprene which has better memory and is water proof. Now that I think about it, the hard protective insert causes bruising without a bandage when Suki rolls, so the neoprene might serve as a better protector at this point. I found a source so I will order some and cut it to fit in the pocket....
Although I wasn't feeling very well, I desperately needed to see and ride Nikki! I positively tingled on my drive to the barn early Saturday morning. After being away it is always so nice to see the familiar sights of my beautiful Oley Valley! I jumped out of the car and called to Nikki. She immediately responded and was actually stomping her feet in her stall! My energy was pretty much zapped after grooming and tacking up, but my 20 minute ride was PURE HEAVEN! Nikki was willing to work, and even though it was just a basic ride, she seemed happy. I think that she missed me. Sunday I rode fo a little longer, and added some lateral work to the mix. It was already pretty warm by 7:30 AM, and the sun was bright so I rode inside. The large doors were open so it wasnt stifling, and it was certainly better than baking under the sun! At the end we were both tired and sweaty, but very content.
I had hoped to get to Gladstone to watch some of the Festival of Champions...maybe this weekend. The Olympic dressage team will be selected from the Grand Prix championships, and I would love to see Heather ride in the Intermediare I championships. I leave for another conference on the 22nd, so I may have to be content with live stream! I think that is my last conference until ESMO which is in Vienna in September.
The hot days have been keeping Suki in during the day and out at night. Today I noticed that some of the areas where I had applied sunscreen (the sun is usuallly still up when she goes out at night)was a little bumpy. It is darkly pigmented but I am concerned that it might be sunburn....She will be in tonight due to rain and storms, so I applied a different moisturizer containing aloe, I will see how it looks tomorrow. The Wunderwear covers all of the exposed skin, so Suki may have to start wearing that outside and naked in her stall. It probably seems that I worry excessively, but the skin care is important to her well-being, and it is a priority in her care. Some days it seems like a daunting task, but that time that we spend together has strengthened our bond.
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