I have had enough of this cold weather. I don’t mind winter, but this winter has been unusually cold, and Metro and I have been unable to do much painting. It is hard to paint when the paint is frozen. I have learned to move the paint out of Metro’s studio and into the heated tack room between each session, but still when we are painting, I am cleaning the brushes in water when it is 0 degrees out. Even though we get some painting done, my hands are usually frozen from dipping them in the water.

So every day when I go to the barn, I usually talk myself out of painting, but that doesn’t mean that Metro gets a day off. It has been so cold that the horses haven’t been able to get regular turnout in the pastures. So when we arrive at the barn, Metro is more than ready to come out of his stall to do anything. To keep him active, we have been doing a little light ground work and light riding. We are also letting them get out for a couple of hours to spend in the snow. He loves the snow. It brings out the 2-year-old in Metro.

What I am seeing in Metro’s health is giving me great hope for his future. A year ago we were just trying to find a way to keep him alive, to stay ahead of the bone growth that was rapidly closing the gaps in his knees and restricting his flexibility. With the regular Tildren treatments, we have seemed to accomplish that, and much more than we could have ever hoped for. We are not just managing to control the bone growth, but actually reversing it. it has shown in his x-rays, and the way he moves. He still has the bone chips and arthritis. His knees still look like sacks of marbles, but he is showing me more mobility than he ever has.

Past winters would show stiffness in Metro’s joints, but I have seen none of that this year, even with the coldest temperatures he has ever been in. Light trotting is showing no stiff joints or the slight limp that always seemed to be there. What is really impressing me is how quickly he stands up after he has rolled in the snow. Usually when he tries to stand up, he stretches his legs out, sits there for a minute contemplating the task before him, and struggles to get to his feet. Now he just pops up in one quick motion, and usually follows it up with a little kick out of the rear legs, of having accomplished this task so effortlessly.

We will soon get back to a regular painting schedule, but for now, I think I will just let him roll in the snow.

You can support racehorse adoption at New Vocations by purchase Metro Designed products at www.DreamGreenUSA.com.

Here is a short little video of Metro and Pork Chop having some fun in the snow. Metro’s blanket straps came undone pretty quickly, but with all the running and kicking, I waited for a little bit before I got underneath him to fasten them up again.