Weird Stuff I’ve Diagnosed Because, Horses
Is it just me or is horse ownership really just a crash course in survival?
Over the many years I’ve owned and cared for horses, I’ve learned how to do a number of amazing things. I’m not talking about counting beats-per-minute to determine a heart rate or identify worms in piles of poop…. I’m talking about all kinds of strange stuff. Do I now use these diagnostic skills to identify problems on myself and my human family? You betcha.
Full disclosure, don’t follow my medical advice. LOL.
Hot lumps. Hard lumps. Cold lumps.
My Thoroughbred gelding has a lifelong affinity for lumps. Hard ones that last months, their appearance popping up seemingly at random after a full night of turnout. We had one on a stifle that we nicknamed his “boobie,” which hung around for six months. Then there were the squishy ones under his belly, which came from good scratches on low brush along the fenceline. Some get slathered in poultice. Others in a good NSAID cream. They come but always go, but give me a mini heart attack every time. Luckily for my husband, I’ve accumulated all kinds of therapies to treat said lumps. From ceramic wraps (which he uses) to ice boots (he also borrows) to red-light therapy and list goes on. But the husband’s Thera-gun also sometimes somehow finds its way to the barn, so it all evens out.
Snot of any rainbow shade.
It’s a fun day when you arrive at the barn to find healthy sized globs of goo oozing from your horse’s nose. The vet always wants to know the color of it. Clear? All good. Milky white? Hmmm… Yellow? Not so good. Green? Big yikes. It’s best to learn all the shades of the rainbow, in case your hubby at home somehow contracts strangles.
Which limb is it?
Gotta love those mystery lamenesses where you’ve really gotta squint to figure out which limb is the limping one and then… where in the leg or foot it’s coming from. I like to think I’ve developed a pretty good eye for the classic “head bob.” But if you want to tune-up your skills, play a couple of rounds on the Lameness Trainer here. It’s even helped me identify lameness in our dogs at home, too.
Level up: Summer Sores
Living in the hot and humid south means I’m well-versed in treating wounds BEFORE they become summer sores. Because once a fly lays some eggs in that wound and it blows up into a summer sore, you’re in for it. It’s weeks or months worth of diligent care, keeping it clean, covered and hoping for it to dry out and heal. I refuse to touch or treat anything oozy on a human family member, but am happy to offer them some Wonder Dust if needed.