Seriously though, I showed up at the barn yesterday after leaving Gogo's wraps off the night before, and what did I find? This:
Mare, COME ON. WHY. What's up with the mystery swelling on the left hind? Does that HAVE to be there? Can't we, you know, banish it to Siberia or something? Or somewhere else equally as unpleasant so it can't ever come back and haunt your hind legs ever again?
She still doesn't appear to be lame on it, but again, it's hard to say for sure what is going on. She is SO absolutely dead hobbling lame on the right hind that there is no way to tell what is going on with the left - if there is pain there, it is obviously less than what is on the right and she is using it as she must in order to stay mobile. She did take some terrible steps on it while turning on a tight circle, but only once. It was enough to be completely alarming. Hopefully it's just a whack on the leg or a bandage bow and not something serious and structural. At this point, who knows.
Apparently, however, she's been a complete nuisance and a hellion in her new little tiny turnout. There is enough length to the corridor for her to engage in her new favorite game: run to one end, spin and run back to the other end. The run and spin game is amusing to everyone but me. Those who witness her little gallop fits think that she must not be feeling too bad if she has the gall to be galloping around. As for me, I think that whether or not she thinks she can run around right now, her legs are going to explode if she continues to do so.
She has also decided that her double-new favorite game is to climb into the giant water trough with both front feet and splash all the water out. She absolutely LOVED to do this as a baby - I never got photographic evidence of it aside from the moment right before she climbed in once - but this one is a metal trough and her only source of water in this pen so it was unappreciated all around. They removed the tub and she now has 3 buckets instead of a trough. I take this to mean that she must be either a) really bored or b) feeling good and playful enough to have a little fun in there. She actually has honestly visibly lost a few pounds - the giant lumps of fat over her tailhead are melting back into her butt! Baby steps.... baby steps..... baby steps.
She looks a smidgeon less fat.... what do you think? She's still about 150-200lbs overweight.... we have a long way to go!
Now if only the LH would stop looking so ugly and just go away! She is the queen of mystery non-lameness-inducing swellings after all, as those of you who have followed for a long time might remember. She does it all the time - random hot lumps and bumps on her legs that just go away after a few days and never make her lame. Here's hoping that this is just another one of those. Either way, it was big enough to warrant me digging around in my trailer and breaking out the good ol TUBBA again!
Here's hoping it vanishes magically in the next few days. Next week, I'll try some revised homeopathy and continued coldhosing/icing. I wish she'd stop moving around so much though. I mean, it's great in one sense because she will actually lose weight (a critical key in this last-ditch attempt to get her comfortable), but on the other hand, she's going to hurt herself if she runs around like an idiot. Aside from stalling her, however, there's just not anything else I can do. There is no smaller turnout to put her in, unless we move. And I'll be hard pressed to find one smaller than this one either way.
In other news, if you're going to Greenwood drop me a line! I'll be there braiding and hopefully spectating inbetween if I have time! Also if you need braiding, I do a mean set of buttons, and I'll cut you a deal ;)
PS: I should never go horse window shopping because I find critters like this who call out to me:
I LOVE a tight and compact build like that! Holsteiner/TB and reasonably priced to boot (under $10k). 9 years old, sound and uphill with a big jump, living in the rocky wilds of Montana and is barefoot with nary a bad step out on the trail... dream come true. As if I have $10k sitting around anywhere..... yeah right!
Proving her heart of gold and guts of steel at the 2009 American Eventing Championships
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69.7%, Reserve Champion first time at First Level!
Encore H.T. 2008 - Gogo's first real event!
11 comments:
Oh the stress she loves to cause you. That soaking picture is my all time favorite horse picture. If you crop just above her hocks to take out the soaking I think i would buy that poster...lol!
No doubt that her attitude is intact! Phew. The soaking pic is adorable.
You've probably already considered this - is there a *larger* dry lot that she could be turned out in? At this point she's gotten used to having lots of room to move, I wonder if she'd stop doing rollbacks if she had a larger space.
That Holsteiner/TB is gorgeous. Wow.
I'm not sure what normal practice in America is but have you considered taping her off with an electric fence and standards so she has a smaller turn out space? Everyone does it here, it works wonders to stop horses moving too much/eating too much.
I was about to suggest Katie's idea, with a slight difference - cut her area in 1/3 or 1/2 until she calms down and stops hooning, then extend the area slightly, maybe a meter a day, so long as she stays calm.
If the larger dry lot doesn't work, you may be able to make the one she is currently in smaller by tying some electric tape up across the paddock.
If she doesn't quit with the zooms, that will be the plan!
Cool, people beat me to the taping suggestion. I actually think she looks like she has dropped a fair bit of weight so far, good on you!!
My old gelding did the EXACT same thing with water troughs, he LOVED to climb in them and paw and paw and paw and paw and paw..... Oh boy, people loved everything about his personality, except that LOL.
My friend's horse likes his kiddie pool/trough too. He followed up his splashing with a mud bath. Part sea horse, I think.
I didn't get a chance to post about the gorgegous pictures - I think the fact that you had beautiful photos done on our one day of glorious rain is fitting.
Love the pic!
Just like Gogo, I too would like a leg transplant right about now. # and a half years ago, I broke both bones on my right leg on a trampoline. My tibia came out the side of my leg, and yes, I saw it. I was really close to needing it amputated. It never healed 100%, and I recently got diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in the entire leg. And two days ago, I dislocated and broke my kneecap in gym class. No riding for three months. I wish I could loan you out my horse for a few weeks because he needs to be worked and my friends don't like riding him because he is... special. I don't think he would enjoy Texas, either. He acts like he is going to melt everytime it gets above 80 degrees.
Best of luck with Gogo!
She's looking better, noticeable weight loss. Keep the positive thoughts on the swelling!
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