*Gulp*

After 2 days of steady rain, everything has been washed clean and more importantly--rock hard summer hooves have all been miraculously softened for a day or two! I seized the opportunity to trim Desire's hooves this morning and Ah, yes, despite her maniacal mare machinations--think constant lean, twist, turn torque--it was *much*easier to whip through all four hooves. I was pretty pleased with my trim so of course forgot to take photos! D'oh. She did have some stinky thrushy areas in each foot which is par for the course for her. Even without the damp factor she is constantly shitting like a brontosaurus and standing in it. I clean her hangout areas and feet as often as possible but she really is a piglet. Anyway I sprayed good ole Vetericyn in there which so far has made a difference quickly on the thrush.

If I close my eyes, maybe she'll disappear 

 After major mare spa time I called Loomis Basin Equine Clinic and got us an appointment for next Monday at 11 am. I told them I thought I needed ultrasounds on her left hind leg with a brief overview of the situation. Because really, I'm not totally sure what I need. I've detected that she is intermittently lame/short striding on her left hind, and after flexion tests it was clear to my vet as well. She seemingly has muscle wasting in her left flank but was negative for EPM. Her hind legs creak and crack and she seems to have some difficulty holding herself up for trims, or at least will teeter on the toe of one hind hoof when I work on fronts, and sort of fall out from under herself even when the hoof is let down very slowly. I have used various joint supplements on her in the couple of years I've owned her and she is currently on Smartpak Smartflex III.

Ugh, boring, feed me or point me down a trail

 So that's the lay of the land. I've never hauled a horse in to a vet for anything before, honestly. I've always had vets that came out to the barn, and have been really lucky on injuries/drama (knocking on all available wood). Desire and Blaze are my first horses that I've had at the time of aging into their late teens, and I have no experience with hind end/leg issues like Desire's. So as much as I am terrified to find out from ultrasounds or xrays that there is all sorts of Wrong in there, I am also incredibly ready for answers. The forecast for Monday calls for 102 degrees, so I may be breaking out the electrolytes as if going on an endurance ride, with the stress and heat!


Gawd, she still isn't gone is she, I'll just rub my leg and squint real hard and maybe then POOF! she'll turn into a big bucket of mash

Quick note, Blaze is looking and feeling great and is back bossing his mini, filly, and 2 goats around like that 55 miles never even happened. :-)