End of Year Review

Instead of breaking down all of my goals and analyzing them I think I will just sum up 2010 as Major Fail. That will save us all time.

Yesterday I was cleaning out my e-mail account when I got back to November I got sick. Ugh. I want to pretend that November never happened, let alone 2010.

In other news, (sit down) I have a diagnosis!!!

Yes, you read that correct. After going to hell and back we finally have a working diagnosis!

Arthritis.

On our 4th set of x-rays the Radiologist finally saw it! Between the C4 and C5 (or C5 and C6, I was so excited that I couldn't quite listen) there is arthritis forming. There are small bony protrusions, and the vet said that would explain her pain and neurological problems. I wonder if it got worse because she was in a stall for 8 months (Don't you love all my theory's?) There could still be something else going on, but for now...arthritis! We'll re-do the EMP bloodwork in another month or two to be sure.

What next?

Do nothing for now. We are going to watch her, do neck stretches, acupuncture and massage to see if there is any change. The next step is to start her on Adequan to see if that helps. The final option to keep her comfortable is to inject the joint. That will require a visit to the Spa, a little nap, and they would need to ultrasound the area while they inject it. AKA-$$$. So, I am starting a little savings account for just the horse. At least I know that this is coming down the road and can start saving for it. At this point Denali will have more money in her savings account than I do in mine (Thanks Denali.)

Last night I went out to see the beast. I haven't seen her in over two weeks. She's was in the arena with the rest of the herd. She actually came up to see me which surprised me since the past few times I didn't exist. We shared an apple until her boyfriend came up and moved her. She walked to a corner and pouted while the vet got the lunge whip.

The round pen is in the arena, and the vet wanted to show me what she has been working on with Denali. Denali didn't want to show us anything and tried to hide in the corner again. She walked reluctantly to the arena and the vet took off her blanket.

Holy shit, she looks good! Dare I say, you can't see my TB's ribs (at all) and she is getting muscles back. She is also getting a very nice white stripe on her butt where she was bit by the herd leader. They told me a few weeks ago that she got bit, I just didn't realize that it was that bad. She's also scaring on her front right where she had cellulitus.



Denali's leg, post cellulitus. She also has a lot of scaring on the back of her leg.



The vet lunged Denali and she looked so good! Well, you have to understand that "good" for Denali is looking somewhat horselike and NOT falling. I don't require much to make me happy. At first she did her normal, "I don't see you or hear you and will look everywhere BUT at you." After a few minutes she stopped looking everywhere and focused on the vet. She is definitely stiff in her neck, but as she warmed up she started to use it more.

Then the vet got the saddle and my heart stopped.

1. Denali had been in her stall all morning (still recovering from pulled tendon and they didn't want her to be running around like crazy in the mud.)

2. The herd was in the arena.

She tacked her up and Denali just stood there like, "Yeah, this is what I do. Iz a riddin horse." She made a squeal at her boyfriend and the vet had to remind her the difference between acting like a horse with a horse and how to act around a person.

She hopped up and Denali walked off, so she did it again and Denali stood still. They did some walking and trotting until her suspensory started to act up and she started to limp. The vet (both of them at this point) said that it's not going to finish healing unless it's used.

During the ride, out of the scary, scary woods came the most horrible noise I have ever heard. It sounded like a bobcat killing something followed by an owl hooting. I jumped. Denali looked at the woods and stopped, but that was it. I think the best way to describe Denali would be confident. I think that she is developing confidence being out in the herd.

One problem Denali is having is treating horses like horses and then treating people like horses too. She is trying everything she is learning in the herd with people. It's sort of funny, she does things and looks at you like, "Is this okay?" No Denali, no it's not okay.

Thank you so much for following our blog, and our crazy horrible 2010 with us. I'm hoping that 2011 is our year!

Like our new white stripe on our butt? I hope it comes in black and not white, but at this point she can be covered in scars, as long as she's sound I don't care!