No Resolution Yet

Still Limping

Despite Caroline's good prediction, Tucker is still lame. After staying in his stall all day, he was "marginally" better than yesterday when he was really sore.

So, I called my vet's office when I came home from school. The next step was to take x rays to rule out anything more serious. Looks like Dr. Perez, Dr. Klayman's associate may be able to come on Thursday. The problem is that I have a doctor's appointment for my own knees that day at about the time she can come here for Tucker. Apparently she travels with an assistant, so it is possible they can take the x rays even if I am not here. I am, meanwhile, waiting for Dr. Klayman to call me so I can update him and ask if there is anything else I need to do.

Tuck is just a little depressed and definitely feeling sorry for himself, as I can well understand. But he is a really good boy about being in his stall while the other two are outside. They have access to his door too, so that might instigate him to be naughty, but he just doesn't seem to get upset. I think he understands he needs to stay in so he will get better.

I opted to ride just Chance tonight, and we had a really good school. He is still unsteady with his head as his balance keeps shifting. But he is offering to drop down onto the bit more and more each time I ride. I am fairly sure now he will be my lesson horse when Gabriel comes on Saturday. It isn't exactly what I had hoped, but I am sure it will be a good lesson. Patrice Edwards will be here on Thursday next week too, so Chance my have to fill in there too.

Meanwhile, unless I am missing something, Toby does not seem to be cribbing at all. He has always cribbed while he eats, often leaving his stall and food to go out to crib on the fence instead of the edge of his stall. He would also crib after having a treat and just about any time in between. Tonight, I did not see him crib at all.

He does not seem distressed or upset at all. He is eating well, and appears, overall to be quite content. If what I am seeing is true, this new contraption is truly amazing. I have tried everything I could think of to keep him from cribbing in the past. He wore a muzzle at the last boarding barn to protect their fences and I put chicken wire up in his stall to keep him from ruining the edges there. I tried various cribbing straps with no luck and also had another kind of electric collar that just would not trigger with his technique.

This one, called the Barclay's collar, from Australia triggers only when he expands his throat to swallow the air. Then it delivers a static shock. Though it may sound cruel, when it did click on, Toby just flinched a little bit. Then he started to crib again, thought better of it and, over time, seems to have given it up.

Since I am sure his colics--gas colics--have been caused by his cribbing, I think a little shock is far kinder than a bad tummy ache with potentially life threatening consequences.

So, the stories continue to intrigue at Follywoods. I don't know how any of them will end, but I surely would be pleased with some "Happily Ever Afters" about now.