Keira’s story isn’t a short one and it took many steps to figure out how her injuries created more problems. In case you missed the beginning, I shared when I bought her and all about her a couple weeks ago. After that I shared my experience with colt starting aka ground work with Keira.
More Backstory
In the last post, I shared my experience with colt starting and ended it with a cliff hanger of Keira getting hurt. In case you missed it, she ran into the gate and the latch caused a large puncture wound in her shoulder. She was put on antibiotics then given the summer off.
Fast forward to fall and we started working on the barn. We started the process of opening up the area behind the stalls so that we can eventually remove the windows and add doors so the horses have 24/7 access to a small lot and their stalls. Well, as my luck goes, somehow Keira cuts the top of her hoof above the coronary band on the metal at the bottom of the outside wall. It’s a pretty deep cut in a bad place, so as a precaution I start cleaning it daily and give her a round of antibiotics. Not to mention, some days she acts lame on the foot and other days she’s fine. I should also mention this is the opposite side of the shoulder injury and the front foot.
With her seeming off, I decide it’s best to not push her too hard and just give this injury time to heal. However, I still am spending time grooming her and doing some of the groundwork basics. During this time, she’s still pissy when I’m grooming her or trying to trim her feet. It’s mainly when I brush her or am near her front end and sometimes when I brush over her flank area. She doesn’t act like she has ulcers. I can brush the girth area and I can even put a bareback pad on her and do up the girth. None of that causes a reaction. So I’m starting to think maybe it’s something internal.
Now, I forgot to mention, from the time I brought her home, I’ve have this nagging feeling something is off. I just couldn’t figure out what was causing that feeling. Part of me thought it might just be lack of training and the other part thought maybe she has some internal problem. I’ve brought up the bad attitude to the vet multiple times and 2 vets said it’s just her being young and possibly hormones. If I’m lucky she might grow out of it as hormones level out. So I continue to give it time.
1st Things First
Another couple months pass by and her attitude starts to get worse and the lameness is intermittent. I tried bute and it would get better but then return. So I thought, why not try the chiro. Donna has been my equine chiro for many years and is good at figuring out problems.
She comes out and starts adjusting Keira. All seems normal and fine until she gets to her neck. As soon as she starts trying to adjust Keira’s neck she starts rearing up. Now she’s done this to me in the past too and I chaulked it up to lack of training. However, Donna’s opinion is that there is something going on in her neck.
2nd Opinions
So I make an appointment to take her to Denali Equine to get looked over. Dr. Workman is one of the best sports vets I know and has tremendously helped Gracie and Freya, so I knew if something was wrong she would find it.
Now keep in mind, you have to trailer into her vet practice. She doesn’t come to you and Keira has only been on the trailer 1 time. That was the previous year when I brought her home. I know an hour long trailer ride plus going somewhere new was going to be tough and stressful but something she was going to have to do.
So we went and surprisingly, Keira did great in the trailer. Of course, we spent a couple weeks practicing loading and unloading at home until it was time to go. But the hour long trailer ride didn’t bother her at all. She didn’t seem nervous and displayed no bad behaviors. However, when we get to the clinic and unload, the new experience was a lot and she was a ball of nerves.
Despite her constanting looking all over and not wanting to listen very well. Dr. Workman was able to thoroughly look her over and take some x-rays of her neck. Other than some arthritis already, her neck looked good with no past injuries or problems. Nothing to explain why she gets angry when you touch her there or tries to rear. So the diagnosis was hyperesthesia which means sensitivity to touch. The solution is to give her a high dose of Vitamin E and magnesium and see if her attitude improves in a couple weeks.
Searching for More Answers
A couple weeks go by of being on both and there is slight change but nothing major. She’s still just as moody but now her coat is starting to look worse, her foot isn’t healing that well and I just have a sense of there’s still something wrong. I can’t put my finger on what it is so I start researching all the symptoms starting with the hyperesthesia.
The first thing that come up in a google search as possible things related to this symptom are Lymes disease and EPM. Both of which could be possible for our area. Not to mention, the ticks in the woods of my pasture are horrible! I’m constantly finding small ticks on the horses and pulling them off. It isn’t a stretch to think Lymes could be a real possibility since some of symptoms fit too. Such as these:
- Shifting lameness – yep I was seeing this
- Stiffness – she would not track up in her hind end and looked stiff
- Lethargy – she was tired all the time and constantly laying down
- Irritable mood – YES
- Difficulty swallowing – I thought so and actually had the vet come and check her teeth were ok.
- Head Tilt – when she is walking she tilts her head to the side
- Unable to hold her feet up – she acted like she couldn’t and would pull away or try to lay down
- Dull coat – her coat looked horrible and felt rough
Now keep in mind, some of these symptoms are the same for EPM too. Heck they are the same for vitamin and mineral deficiencies too. So, the only thing I knew to do was start the process of trial and error and see what would help.
Stay tuned for the next part of this story to hear what about the things I tried and what finally worked!
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