Why this Blog exists

I think I need to start keeping a journal again. There’s a lot going on in my life at the moment and it’s nice to be able to get it all out somehow.

First thing first. I’m really stressed about Tye (my horse) right now. I rode her on Sunday and she was totally fine. Then Monday night she was off when I took her out of her stall. So I lunged her and she was totally lame. The back right leg was all stiff and stabby. The light wasn’t that good, but I felt her leg and hoof and the bulbs and sole felt hot. So I figured she was getting an abscess because she has a history of them. So I soaked her foot in warm water and Epsom salt.

I happened to get out of class early on Tuesday so I went out to check on her. I took her out of her stall and her right rear leg was really stiff. I walked her a little and trotted her for Peter. She was even more lame then Monday. I put her in the cross ties and started checking her leg. That’s when I realized that the inside of her hock was very swollen. There was also swelling in her right pelvic area. Peter decided we should call the Vet. A lady vet from Dr. Kerr’s office came out. The first thing she said was “woooow”. That made me nervous. She poked and prodded and watched her walk. Finally she said she though it could be an infection that had localized to two locations. However, she had found no puncture wound or other point of entrance. And Tye’s temperature was totally normal. So she drew blood for a CBC and gave her 4 other shots, penicillin, banamine, and two others and put her on oral antibiotics.

Today the vet called and told me that Tye’s white blood cell count was not elevated (as is expected with infection) but that she looked slightly anemic. I told her Tye’s swelling had gotten more liquid feeling on Tuesday night and she was still very sensitive about either spot being touched. I told her that this morning the swelling was firm again, not super sensitive to touch but very warm, and more pronounced around the hock. She said to keep checking Tye’s temperature, keep giving her the antibiotics, and call if the swelling gets worse. I stopped by the barn to check on Tye on my way home. I took her temp and it was 99.1, totally normal. She was eating fine and looked bright eyed and bushy tailed. Her hock was just as swollen as this morning, but the swelling had started to travel down the leg onto the inside of her cannon bone. She pranced around so much when I tried to hand walk her that I just gave up so she wouldn’t hurt herself more.

I won’t be able to get out there before class tomorrow, so I’m sure I’m going to be in nervous suspense all day worrying about her. I’m going to just cross my fingers all day and think positive thoughts and hope that the swelling has greatly diminished when I see her tomorrow night. I need to stop thinking that it’s going to be something really bad and just hope for the best.

But since Tye is like my baby, I worry like a mom over her. I think about her constantly, wanting to check on her every few minutes. If she lived here at home I’d be sleeping outside her stall, looking in every half hour to make sure she’s ok.

I feel a little better now that I wrote it all down. I need to get to sleep because I have work at the gym tomorrow and it’s already 11 oclock right now. I need to get my rest and hope this cold decided to finally leave me alone. I’m sick of having a runny nose, cough, and barely a voice.