Equine lameness can be discouraging and expensive to treat. I’ve been dealing with a less-than-sound horse for over a year. Several x-rays, ultrasounds, months on stall rest, shockwave treatments, two MRIs and a stay in the vet hospital later, as of Thanksgiving, she was still noticeably lame.
A sound horse? Priceless.
Two weeks ago, I started the mare on cold laser treatments and Cur-OST EQ Plus GTF, a nutraceutical supplement formula purported to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. (Read more about my mare and why I’m trying the product here.)
Since starting the laser therapy and the Cur-OST, I have ridden her mostly at the walk for 15-30 minutes daily. Last week’s snow kept the horses inside. I assumed I would arrive to find the puffy stocked up legs of a horse who hadn’t moved much in 48 hours. All four legs were clean and tight.
This weekend, I added a few straight line passes of trot. The mare felt more comfortable. By Sunday, she was offering trot without being asked. On Monday, the vet agreed the mare had improved significantly on a straight line, moderately to the left, and somewhat to the right.
Especially with the holidays, my wallet is feeling light lately. And the supplement is costly. The easy rides, the laser, the passage of time, the Cur-OST, or some combination seems to be helping my horse. I’m not a vet. I don’t claim to understand if, why, or how treatments succeed or fail. I’m just a girl who loves a horse. With that in mind, I ordered a new shipment.
Though the gift at the top of my list won’t come in a box, a happy healthy year for this special mare would be a Christmas miracle all the same. I’m choosing to believe this one will come true.
P.S. What’s on the top of your Christmas list?
Capital Cowgirl 
Oh Murmz… I hope she gets better soon. I know what a struggle it is having dealt with my own lameness issues. I always think about you guys and i hope that someday soon we can meet up at a horse park for rides together. You’re doing right by your pony, thats all you can do.
Thank you Lola!! Miss you also and would love to meet your newest addition.
http://thehorsesback.com/equine-arthritis/?goback=.gde_2870146_member_5815855353266450435#!
I ran across this article recently and it was quite a wake-up call for me. I hope it is helpful for everyone dealing with obscure unresponsive lamenesses.
Wow, that’s really interesting. I will have to watch my mare downhill. Thanks for sharing. Have you witnessed this in one of your own horses?
Since horses have no collarbone, they carry their own weight and ours in a sling of muscle and connective tissue hanging between their shoulder blades. Most of my mature rehab/rescue horses have ‘grown’ a full hand as they develop the muscles to carry themselves. So mostly I get into arguments over rehab where I insist that if a horse is ‘one-sided’ and/or can’t/wont canter on one lead (or at all) that it is not just being stubborn or lazy, there is a reason for it. I do a lot of groundwork to prepare the horse to carry weight already, but knowing this…. I have now evidence to back up my position that the horse needs time to heal and then time to build up enough muscle to carry themselves before any one gets on their back.
Very true. This mare will offer all gaits on both sides and is really quite symmetric and balanced, but seems to have residual inflammation from a soft tissue injury last August. But with the rescue horse I am rehabilitating, I work only on the ground until he develops better tone, flexibility, and relaxation. It’s a daily process.
Hi Capital Cowgirl…DC…really? I’ve never been farther east than Minnesota, and I was only 9 years old then! I can’t quite relate horses and DC…but the photos are proof it’s a very beautiful area you are in!
I truly hope you get your Christmas wish of a sound horse in the coming New Year. Lameness issues and saddle fitting run in the same black hole in my opinion…a struggle. Thanks for stopping by today; look forward to hearing more of your horse life in the east!
I should mention too that the blog you found me on is just my photo blog. I’ve actually been blogging since 2008. I’m trying to get back into the full swing of blogging again at my ranch blog: http://jksroughstring.blogspot.com I took a very long sabbatical…you might find that blog more interesting…sometimes my photo challenge photos can be boring 😉
Happy trails~
Sounds great! I will definitely check that out. I am new to blogging, but
I enjoy finding great content. Your photos are spectacular. My cell phone camera can’t keep up!
Would you believe it? Amongst the monuments and everything there’s quite a horse community. Thanks for the well-wishes.
Pingback: 4 Companies With Superior Customer Service | Capital Cowgirl
Pingback: One Month Cur-OST + Legend IM = Even Sounder Horse | Capital Cowgirl