Daily Battles

Hi everyone.

I almost didn't update today, but since I hadn't posted all week, it was overdue.

So far, Lady is not doing any better. She's spending time with her buddies today - hopefully that relieves some of her stress.

Her feet are doing better - she is only a bit tender on her left front. 

Because I found a picture from the endurance ride.

I bought good hay for her, but even with that and her daily feed, she hasn't put on any weight in a week. If anything, she's lost even more. When she runs out of food, she paces, and when she's tired of pacing, she stands with her head in the corner of the paddock.

She's physically and mentally tired and stressed. She isn't a horse that does well without a herd, and her instincts convince her that grazing is the only way to survive.

I'm not sure if she's actually allergic to insects or if she is just super sensitive. Either way, she seems to attract wasps and gets all kinds of fluid-filled lumps from their stings. The horseflies and botflies make her legs bleed when they bite, and now that its been raining, she's losing hair on her back and rump (strange, but she really isn't feeling well).

Sorry for the downer post. It's been a difficult week. I have a hard time seeing the bigger hopeful picture, which makes the daily battles that much harder.

Monday I'm going back to the vet to discuss strategies, and my barefoot trimmer will be coming out next week as well. Until then, we'll continue to fight the small, daily battles.