On Thursday Finn is headed to New England Equine Medical and Surgical Center. It's about 40 minutes from the barn and I'm prepared to do a bunch of diagnostics on him to figure out what is going on. While I do think some of his issues are behavioral, I know that he doesn't spend his days plotting to scare me. There's just been too much going on with him medically in these past two years for everything to be linked to behavior. Before the summer I was having a blast with my horse. Yes, he's a handful, always will be, but I have always had fun with him even when he was challenging. I can remember the summer before this one I took him out on the trails with a group and part of the trail was where he had to cross a beaver dam. The horses had to go down a steep incline, cross a little stream, and then it was an incline back up. Horses were either going down the hill, stepping into the dam and climbing back out, or jumping the whole thing and scrambling a bit on the way up. It was definitely scary. Finn was scared and kept trying to turn around to head back home. When he didn't get his way he would rear or cow kick at my leg. After 30 minutes of coaxing he ended up climbing a bit of the way down and jumping it. On the way home we had to cross it again and he didn't even bat an eye. Through his whole temper tantrum I was laughing at my baby. He wasn't being dangerous, just scared. Now, nothing he does is funny.
I also got in touch with the MSPCA. I told them that I was bringing him to New England, and if, after that, we still don't have a diagnosis, or if he has something wrong with him that makes him unrideable, he will be headed back to the MSPCA where he will find a home as a pasture pet. I DO want to find out what's wrong with him, especially after almost two years of wondering. I am excited and nervous and hope we get some answers. We will be leaving the barn early on Thursday morning and will most likely be at the hospital all day.
On Saturday the weather was practically summer like, 50 degrees and sunny. Finn got to be outside without his blanket for the first time in months.
Good luck getting a diagnosis!
ReplyDeleteI hope you find out whats wrong with finn!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear and sending good wishes your way. Are they doing a gut ultrasound for ulcers? I don't know all the history but before you got Finn did he have any of these issues? When a mare i owned had physical colicy-ulcer-behavioral issues for months I had her former owner come look at her. She brought a "knowledge horse friend." They watched her in the pasture and the friend said she seemed fine and just "needed a job." Grrrr. I hadn't even been riding the mare (She was only greenbroke and it was snowy and winter) but had her scoped and the vet out several times for bizarre colic behavior. Nobody could tell me she was just bored!! It was obvious that something physical was going on. was the most frustrating thing ever. I too didn't want to give up but looking out in the pasture each morning I'd have a nervous gut wondering will she be sick today? It was emotionally draining I felt so helpless!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear and sending good wishes your way. Are they doing a gut ultrasound for ulcers? I don't know all the history but before you got Finn did he have any of these issues? When a mare i owned had physical colicy-ulcer-behavioral issues for months I had her former owner come look at her. She brought a "knowledge horse friend." They watched her in the pasture and the friend said she seemed fine and just "needed a job." Grrrr. I hadn't even been riding the mare (She was only greenbroke and it was snowy and winter) but had her scoped and the vet out several times for bizarre colic behavior. Nobody could tell me she was just bored!! It was obvious that something physical was going on. was the most frustrating thing ever. I too didn't want to give up but looking out in the pasture each morning I'd have a nervous gut wondering will she be sick today? It was emotionally draining I felt so helpless!
ReplyDeleteInterested to hear how the appointment goes. I hope that you get answers.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with everything and please let us know about the diagnosis. I think that the change in his behavior must mean something since he didn't used to be this way, and I hope you can figure it out. It sounds like you know your horse well and are doing the best for him.
ReplyDeleteI think thats a great plan and i really hope that you find out whats going on with your boy~
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