Stoic

She certainly doesn't look like a horse with a whole host of issues.

Another visit with the vet uncovered more issues.  In the two weeks since her last visit, she has somehow added heel pain in the front feet to the mess and her back pain was upgraded from moderate to severe.  To which I say 'NOW WHAT?!?!'.

The front feet should be easily adjusted by my farrier tomorrow.  We may have to have her shod more frequently because she grows hoof just as fast as she grows hair and she's prone to low heels to begin with.  Of course the princess isn't content with a six week schedule, she requires extra special care. 

As to the back pain?  My only guess is that she hates the new pad I got her specifically to give her more wither relief.  Of course.  That's the only tack change she's had in the last two weeks.  So off with the new pad and back with the old sheepskin pad.  That'll teach me to mess with what's not broken.

Her joint injections were rescheduled while the new issues are dealt with.  This week is new shoes, Robaxin, and light work.  Assuming the new things are settled, the injections will go next and hopefully we'll make some headway into getting her comfortable.

Everyone just stares when Fiona is trotting around the ring.  She looks completely normal, sound as a bell.  Her expression is chill, her ears are floppy, and she's eager to get to work.  When I curry her along her back, where she's marked as being in severe pain, she leans into it and groans with her lip twitching.  She's going to fall down one day from the way that she enjoys currying along her back.  For all intents and purposes, she looks like a comfortable, happy little equine.  She's just that stoic.

A few weeks after I bought her and put her back into work, I found a splint on the inside of her right front.  A hot, obviously new splint.  She never took a bad step or acted like she was hurt in any way.  The vet and trainer ask me how she feels when I ride her and it's hard to answer.  She feels awesome.  It's very delicate work to pick out where she's sore or when she's less than eager. 

That's the confusion around her.  She looks completely normal, then refuses a fence.  People assume she's just 'being a mare', but it's not that.  It hurts enough that she doesn't want to do it.  Considering how stoic she is, she's clearly experiencing quite a bit of pain with jumping.  Of course, since she hides it, it's very hard to track down just what is going on.  We pulled a Lyme titter, just to be sure.  Nothing is making sense right now, so that makes everyone think of Lyme.

I just want her to feel better.  It's been a rough couple of months for both of us.  At least I still have a mare that loves her job and is comfortable doing it, so long as there's no jumping.