He decided he was done with the therapeutic shoe phase of recovery...

Look at those pretty gold dapples!

Nox looks good, doesn't he?  He's healthy and happy, he hasn't had a nosebleed in a month (he had 3 total, still no idea why), and he's a pleasure to be around.

He's also torn off two of his four shoes in the past week.  Nox needed a lift pad on his right hind leg to ease the pressure on his torn suspensory ligament, and to make sure he was balanced, he had lift pads on both hind hooves.  He also had shoes on the front for support.  Well, he stepped on the right hind shoe and tore it off, along with most of the hoof wall.  My farrier couldn't put the shoe back on because there wasn't enough hoof wall to nail it to, so I had him take off the other hind shoe (no point wearing it if the injured leg doesn't have one).  Two days later he stepped on the left front shoe and tore that off, so I had the farrier remove the other front shoe.  Now he's barefoot.

Nox has his lameness evaluation next week Wednesday.  I've already told Dr. Meg that he's barefoot and she was a little concerned.  It's almost been a year since he was diagnosed with the injury, and when I walked him around the ring today (just a short slow walk), he was still limping.  I didn't even need to trot him to see that he is still off.  Dr. Meg is going to do an ultrasound this time and look at the ligament - is it healing?  Did it heal wrong?  What the heck is going on?!?  It can take a VERY long time for these types of injuries to heal - a year is typical and more than a year is not uncommon - but I'm not seeing any improvement.  It could be that the paddock, while good for Nox's mental health, is not good for his ligament tear.  I'm guessing... speculating... expecting... that the vet will want him back on stall rest.  I'm hoping that stall rest in his new stall won't be as dramatic as stall rest in the old place.  In this stall, Nox can hang his head out into the barn aisle and play with his neighbors and the various barn critters.  He can also hang his head out the other door and look outside.  Hopefully, if he must go back on strict rest, this stimulation will keep him from going crazy.

I'll keep everyone posted and wish us luck at our vet appointment!  For now, enjoy these lovely early fall pictures...

Seriously, how does he have this much muscle after 11 months of stall rest?

Nox has a pet cat named Hutch.  She hangs out on his paddock fence and stall door, and she likes it when he nibbles her neck and back.

 

They are adorable together.