Diagnosis Odin

Just kidding, like anything is ever clear in horse world.

Last Friday Odin got the good drugs injected, a quick racing stripe clipped onto his leg, and we took a look inside his leg via ultrasound.

It is a special kind of torture watching grey on grey blobs float around the screen while waiting for your vet to examine each tendon and give you their opinion.

On the plus side, all of the tendons look clean and healthy.  On the negative side, there is obvious inflammation in the stifle joint. Best guess is he tweaked the tendon somehow, it got inflamed, and now it is catching because of the swelling. Probably related but somewhat peripheral to his overall stifle bugging him.

After much agonizing on my part - and snoring on Odin's part - we decided to throw a steroid injection in the joint.  I hate injecting young horses but both vets from my practice were there and were aligned on this as a treatment with the rationale that continued inflammation leads to degeneration and we do not want that.

So a million hours of scrubbing later, he got his steroids, antibiotics, and HA injected with a mandatory 3 day vacation.

It has been 70 degrees here, by the way.  I don't generally recommend having your horse be hurt and laid up when you are getting spring in winter.

On Monday, he had one hell of a snotty nose, but the injection site was cool and clean.  I assume the vets brought him a little bit of a bonus cold on Friday (sigh).

Tuesday his nose was better and he was allowed to go into turnout and have a light ride.  Trainer R reported he seemed to be feeling good.

Today is the day we find out for sure how his stifle is as he goes back into full work.  Vet said he should be feeling great.  I am withholding optimism.  I can't get to the barn until tomorrow but I am hoping for a trainer report.

Horse mysteries

Odin was doing really well with his Surpass.  Even before the Estrogen order came in, after a couple days on his magic lotion he was moving 100% better and felt great.  The estrogen finally came in on Friday and he got that shot and had a great weekend of riding and jumping.

7am work meetings suck but at least I saw this sunrise

The weather even finally gave us a smidge of a break and we were able to do a trail ride!  Hell, Monday we even did a quick hack in the outdoor arena - the first in months - and we were both a little giddy about it.

R said his training ride on Tuesday was probably the best ride she ever had on him.  I left a voicemail for the vet to discuss next steps to make sure he stays this sound.

And then yesterday happened.

I got there after work, got on, and could immediately tell he was unhappy.  Tail swishing, swinging his butt around, head flipping.  I asked for trot and he kind of blew up, kicked at the wall and half reared.  OK, I get it buddy.  Got off.

Trainer R said she rode him earlier and it was the same deal.  Of course colic was the first assumption, but he was eating, drinking, and pooping normally with good gut sounds.

Here is Aragorn helping himself to my sun chips

Maybe an allergic reaction?  Maybe he has been working hard and is having a teenager moment?  He has such a good work ethic I lean towards pain over attitude but so far can't rule out either.

Giving it a day or so and will call the vet out if he gets worse or doesn't improve.  But damn.  We were doing so well.

Think good thoughts for the Odin, please!