So, I didn't drive as planned. Pepper did not seem right. I have always felt derision for people who found so many reasons for not riding that they never rode. One thing after another, they always had a reason. I had driven four times since Thanksgiving (3rd Thursday in November.) Is this me now?
But...
I have always felt disdain for people who worked their horse even if their horse was lame or injured or seemed under the weather. Was I going to go ahead and work Pepper anyway?
Who am I? What do I want to be? How would you feel?
What was wrong with Pepper?
I enjoyed my ponies in the cool morning. Almost needed a sweater! BUT...I did not drive. I planned to and was excited, but Pepper? She came out with a nose wrinkle. This has always meant discomfort. She had been eating so her appetite was good. She had gut sounds. I took her to the roundpen anyway and started her on her usual 20 minutes of walk. Would she walk out of it?
No. She didn't want to trot either. She isn't a very forward thinking pony, so this was not a terrible sign, but I was still concerned so I called her to the center. She was not lame. She loves head scratches. I scratched her all over. She had one spot that was either really itchy right off, or tender. I couldn't tell if her contortion was ooo or ahh.
I did some Masterson massage and had some pretty good tension releases behind her wither, both sides, and right stifle and left dock, lots of yawning and teeth purring, but I don't think that was it. I scratched her more, and found some scabbies between her jaw bones, tick or other arachnid. That might have made her feel funky, but probably not. They were most likely tick bites. We have brown recluse and black widow spiders here, but I don't think it was that.
I walked her another 20 minutes. she still did not walk out of it. I took her back and groomed her all over, a fresh coat of Pyranha and out to the meadow. she went straight to the trough and got a long drink. She always does that. This seemed especially long. Maybe. was she getting enough water in her annex at night?
I checked out the wall mount waterer in her stall. it was full of cool water. The inside felt a little slimy so I got a cloth and wiped it all around, then bailed til the water was super clean.
Then I took care of Yndi. She also loves scratches and grooming. She has developed an allergy to oak tanin so she is itchier than normal. My vet gave me some allergy medications and that helps her. She is shedding her linty summer coat. He forelock hasn'
t fallen out yet. It always falls out in the fall.
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