I'm really bummed I missed the Mustang Club meeting yet again. I had even made a huge stink about it earlier in the month because John and Katia have plans on the last Thursday of every month now too. I told them I was NOT going to let them keep me from my meeting, and they'd have to arrange a babysitter for Liam. Then I was sick. If it wasn't so long a drive I might have gone anyway, but then I might have made people sick, so it's probably better this way. Hopefully nothing weird will come up next month. It's been too long since I've been able to go. I miss you all, my Mustang Club buddies!
I think my gelding won't be getting here anytime soon. Someone at the BLM was sick and another horse's delivery was set back by a week, so I'm guessing it's all been pushed back. Not that I knew when he was coming anyway. But it's kind of just making me think twice, or three times, or more.
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| Beautiful Bella |
One of my thoughts is this: Bella saw a farrier the other day, and he is going to put shoes on her on Sunday. I don't know why he couldn't do it same day, I was kind of disappointed. Had to pay for two visits too, which I thought was weird. But anyway, in his assessment of her lameness he found calcification in a tendon on her right front, which is the more lame front leg. He got her to react to hoof testers on her left front, which isn't as lame. So the idea is that if we put her in shoes with special frog support pads, it will support her hoof and give some relief to the tendon, and she'll be in Natural Balance shoes, which will also relieve the tendon. hopefully it would allow things to heal and she wouldn't need shoes on a regular basis. You know I'm not big on shoeing. So - what if she was sound? I wouldn't need another horse. Then I got to thinking about her hind end problems. She's not really ever going to be 100% sound. But maybe good enough? Only two horses to feed through the winter when we're having a hay shortage sure sounds nice. I could get a new mustang later, after meeting him in person at an adoption, if I found Bella couldn't do the work I wanted of her.
And that mule keeps dancing through my head.
Back to calcification in a tendon (don't know which one, just that it's the back of the leg between knee and fetlock - I think it's the superficial flexor tendon, not the deep digital flexor tendon, but I'm not sure) does anyone know if that's something that ever gets better?
6 comments:
I don't know I'm afraid, but I had to comment on how soft and collected she looks in that picture! She is gorgeous!
You have to do what your heart is telling you not necessarily circumstances. Is not quite good enough. The Mustang Club misses you alot. ALOT. Next monthe, October 25th the meeting will be at my house, pot luck, nothing alot, just to keep us from starving (LOL) and the girls want to have a baby boy shower for Katie. She has essentials but fun baby cowboy things if you want to bring a gift. If you can't thats OK too, don't feel obligated. Our Christmas party will be December 8th. 6:00 PM at our house. Same kind of gift exchange as last year.
Great looking horse folks, and happy Fall to everyone. Richard
If you're having second thoughts on the big bay boy, here's a couple of mares I've fallen for on the BLM's internet adoption site. The first one was on the last adoption, and someone bid on her, but I noticed they also won the bid on two other horses too, so I don't know why they changed their mind on her, she looks very similar to the bay boy, but she has one blue eye, she's so GORGEOUS and I wish I could get her so badly, she's a 4 year old from Salt Wells Creek, WY and her hang tag # is 6450, it says she was captured 11-11 12, but that is wrong, from digging around, I found that she is more than likely from their 11-11-10 gather. The second one is just beautiful, she is also 4 years old, and has really big feet. She's a beautiful buckskin, with dapples. Her # is 6128. Wish I'd hurry and win the lottery, I'd get them both:)
Superficial digital flexor tendon injuries are one of the most common lameness issues in horses, both on front and hind legs. If you have to have one, it's best on the front, because although they're weight bearing, they don't provide propulsion like the hind legs do. So...anyhoo, if you know a vet who has a localized shockwave machiine, that is your absolute best bet for achieving long-term soundness after a SDF tendon injury. It's not cheap, but it offers THE best shot for a quality healing. Without it, you're looking at 8-12 months lay-off in a small, confined area where they can't run around or do any woo-hooing. The natural balance shoes will be of help, but make sure the farrier sets them back farther than a regular shoe and squares the toe shorter than normal. My horse has had the same injury on a front leg and a hind leg, and he's spot-on after having shockwave treatments on both. Slippery mud will not be your horse's friend, that's a very common cause of this injury. Your Bella mare is absolutely gorgeous, and she looks so, so soft in that picture!! Just beautiful...sure hope you can get her sound again.
C-ingspots - I haven't actually talked to a vet about it yet, but I think it might be too late for any major therapy, since the problem has been there for at least a year. I stupidly assumed it was a laminitis problem, so didn't catch it in the beginning. Maybe I'd better give my vet a call and see what he thinks...
On the plus side, she's not as lame at the trot in a small circle, but she is landing very significantly toe first on both fronts now, so I've got a call in to the farrier to see what he thinks. I'm guessing maybe relieving some of the pressure from the frog support pads will take care of that.
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