[janemcpeters]

I have a Morgan gelding with a fractured left front navicular bone from last February. He actually moves quite well, no overt lameness except with the abscess that came with the fracture. I worked him on the lunge today for the first time since the fracture just to see how he would go. I saw subtle behaviors, opening of the mouth, possibly the tail to one side, some tongue, breaking of gaits, mild hind toe dragging. His tempo is even. He is totally out of shape. He is in a bar shoe with a 3 degree angle pad. I am not asking for a cure or treatment advice. He is under vet supervision with ongoing x-rays. I choose to leave him in a huge pen with a buddy as I feel stall confinement and/or surgery would have been too much for him. I am just wondering how the ethograms apply when not under saddle. My vet has seen him running around and thinks we should treat him based on clinical assessment of lameness not based on the x-rays. I am planning to retire him. Just curious.

[janemcpeters]

I am curious how other people are responding as they work through this class. I find my view of horses and riding is changing in a big way. I pursuaded one friend to take the class and she lives some distance from me. I don’t really have people to talk to about the information I am learning. My biggest concern is seeing these behaviors and wondering how to go about alleviating the horse in pain. Believe me when I say that vets around here NEVER watch the horse being ridden, NEVER check saddle fit. They just start injecting joints and giving Adequan and Legend.

[janemcpeters]

I know the information and training you are providing is correct. And I also know that all this goes against the grain in my local horse world. And it is a lonely struggle to stand against the flow. I thank you all for doing this work! Keep going!
Thanks,

Jane McPeters

[Author]

Posts