A Hitch In Our Giddey Up

    With the horse show looming, two weeks away, I woke up early Monday morning to practice with Autumn in the arena before work.  I got on her and walked her for a few laps before I asked her to pick up the trot.  She hesitated for a few strides before picking it up.  She felt a little springier then normal.  Then every few strides she would wince up her head and take a few short abrupt steps.  I kept her going but the little choppy steps kept on creeping in.  I decided to get off and watch her trot in some circles.  I could just barely see an occasional limp here and there.  I inspected her legs for heat or swelling.  Then I lifted up each hoof making sure there weren't any rocks wedged in there.  No evidence of the cause of this mysterious limp was found.  I ended our lesson and decided to let her rest in turnout for the rest of the day.
    Yesterday morning, I saddled her up and had my husband come watch her trot.  Sure enough, he was able to see her gimping along.  We looked her over together and still found nothing to unlock this puzzle.  So, now it was time to call in my number one job perk...free veterinary exams.  Sure, I don't get health care for myself but veterinary care for Autumn... now that's why I treasure my job.  After my childhood horse, Flicker, foundered (a condition where swelling inside of the hoof can cause the bone to sink towards and sometimes out of the hoof.  This is what Secretariat, the famous race horse, died from) I was left with giant veterinary bills and specialty shoeing bills.  Flicker pulled out of it but I promised that if I ever got another horse again, I would have to have enough money to cover emergency vet care. 
     The doctor met me at the ranch this morning and watched her trot and he agreed that she was lame on her right hind leg.  He used hoof testers to squeeze all around her hoof looking for tender points that may reveal a hidden abscess.  She didn't flinch once.  He palpated her leg but didn't find an irregularities. 
    Then he reluctantly decided that we should do some flexion tests.  Flexion tests are when the vet flexes the leg with the lameness, at each joint.  He holds the joint flexed at an exaggerated position for about a minute.  Then when he puts it down that's my cue to make her trot in a straight line.  The idea is that if the lameness was in that joint, it will sometimes magnify the lameness.  So why was the doctor reluctant to do flexion tests on Autumn?   He would have to jam himself under 1900 pounds of Autumn...that's what.  I asked him if he took his ibuprofen because Autumn is about as flexible as I am.  I once took a yoga class and when the instructor pushed my back down for some downward dog terrorist torture position, my unflexing reflex was to punch the namaste right out of her.  Luckily for her, I was too stiff and too slow to allow my reflexes to send her in to enlightenment.
     The doctor started the first flexion test on her fetlock joint, one of the more flexible joints.  Autumn complied but we didn't see any change.  Then the doctor rolled up his sleeves and went for the hock flexion.  He hiked it up and she snatched it back in a few seconds and gave him a hey watch it buddy look.  We decided that he would hold it up as long as he could and when she pulled away we would just Carpe Diem it and trot her off.  He grabbed her leg and had it up for about 30 seconds when I saw the I'm going to namaste your lights out look  storm across her face.  She slammed her leg down and off we trotted.  She looked a tiny bit worse that time but still not totally conclusive.  The doctor said to give her five days off, keep her in a smaller, flatter pen, and to give her some bute (horsey aspirin) for a few days.  So now we just have to wait and see.

Get your rest little Autumn.
She was 11 months old in this photo.  She was so little back then!

   After the veterinarian left, I settled Autumn in a small pen for the day and called my husband.  He immediately worried about me being bummed out that we may not be able to compete in the horse show.  The truth is I wasn't bummed out at all.  I hate having Autumn hurt but she's my baby girl horse that I love to death and I just want to take care of her and make her feel better.  For the next few days we can practice her picking up things and bringing them to me.  I can read my book with her and write some letters to friends. I'll take her for walks after work and let her graze while the sun sets.  Not riding, in a strange way, kind of takes the edge off of something.  I think lately, I get so preoccupied with riding that I forget how much fun it is just to hang out and be with her.  Besides, now that we can't practice for the show I do get to sleep in a little later. You have to find a silver lining somewhere.

Thanks a lot for reading!  It looks like some of you are starting to check out the Facebook page and posting up some of your own blogs and information.  Check it out at Jackson Hill Horsey Girl Blog.   If you would like to be added to my mailing list or to leave a comment please visit jacksonhillhorseygirl@aol.com. 
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Copyright (c) 2012 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com August 1, 2012