Seneca after getting a thorough grooming and having about six inches of main trimmed off.
The arrangements have been made with my fabulous friend Erin who has a gorgeous six stall barn so that the High Queen can have 5* accomodations after the vet comes out to do the deed. The appointment has been made with Dr. R for a couple of weeks from now. I wanted to do it sooner but my schedule wouldn't cooperate.
After I made the reservations and the appointment I almost felt like I was making a deal with the devil. Because I got to thinking about the past and the past's influence on the future. Basically the vet said that Seneca has what she would categorize as an OCD flap. Which is what has caused the on and off lameness. But thinking back to four or so years ago Seneca had the same symptoms, of course back then the vet I had at the time said the issue was in her hocks so that's what we xrayed. It never occured to me that we should also do the stifle. And then I had her on the oral joint supplement that seemed to take care of the issue until this fall where the problem came back. Supposedly OCD is a developmental thing that occurs during a horse's growing years so Seneca has probably had this OCD flap her whole life. Of course her previous owners either didn't know, or forgot to mention it.
So knowing that Seneca has had this issue all along, and she's very stoic, very British chin up, never show your weakness kind of girl Seneca has probably been dealing with the discomfort of this issue for the entire time I've had her. This past year Seneca and I have done more cantering and jumping than we had in the previous four, which is probably why the issue is cropping up. Not knowing the issue existed, all the things we did, and without treatment for it, probably exacerbated the OCD.
Which leads me to the ultimate question. If Seneca has had this issue all along then what kind of horse will she be when I've done the injection and it's possibly not hurting her anymore? Is this the reason she's had issues with her canter leads? Maybe. Could this give her a more free, more fluid movement? Wouldn't that be nice. Will this solve the jumping issues we've had over the past year? I'm not going to hold my breath on that one but man wouldn't it be grand?
Only time will tell what the injection will do for Seneca. But more than anything I want her to be comfortable, happy and healthy. I gave her a little bute in her dinner last night as I had noticed during the day that while Cowboy was running about she just stood there and watched him like he'd lost his mind when usually she would have been chasing him, or racing him. Then later on I saw how gingerly she was moving and wished that we were loading up to go to Erin's the next day. It will be here soon enough though. Can't wait.
Keep it between the flags everyone.
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