Cherry's Lame Again.... pics!!!

[domane]

Hi guys... I may not be around so much for a while... stuff going on which I need to sort and it's mentally draining...

Cherry was sound Saturday, Sunday and Monday and then dropped lame again on Tuesday. She has some corking windgalls... I have NO idea where they came from... she definitely didn't overdo it at the show and has only been worked lightly, mostly in the sand school. Have had various people check her over for me, including her old owner and she is thankfully convinced it's not her bad tendon playing up. Her old owner is convinced that Chez has had a hooley in the field with galloping and bucking as she has been seen to do this in the past (Really? MY docile mare??? :p )

We think it might be these windgalls though causing her pain as they are a bit hot too. As the "walking off in the field" option hasn't worked I am currently keeping her on box rest so that she can't make things worse... and she is being "watering-canned" to cool them (no hoses at the yard :( )

She is absolutely fine in herself and at a walk... it only shows when she trots... in fact she is getting bored and bolshy now... demanding food at every opportunity and of course I am having to limit her intake now with no exercise!!!

Anyway, I thought you may like to see the offending articles.... they feel like squishy "flying saucers" - those sweeties we used to eat as kids (and I still do, given half the chance ;) ) She has them bilaterally on BOTH her back legs... they have just appeared in the last couple of days... or they may have been hiding on a smaller scale under all that feather.

You can see it protruding through her feather, above her fetlock....
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a179/domane/Image003-2.jpg

And here is a better illustration of the size of one of the beasts....
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a179/domane/Image002-2.jpg

Vet is coming out next Weds to give her jabs so if things are not settled I can get her assessed formally.... I will still tell him and get her checked over even if she is sound as these things seem particularly LARGE to me.....

My sharers have been really sweet, I feel awful so am offering them back their contribution this month as I have no idea how long she will be unsound and I don't want the guilt hanging over me.....

Bye for now
Jane x

[Little Dolphins]

Sorry to hear you're having a difficult time:(
Try not to get too stressed out, matey;)
and hope Life sorts itself out soon as.

Poor Chez!! They do look like whoppers.
I can't help saying what gorgeous feet she has, despite the lumps and bumps:D
So, box rest, huh? Hope it goesOK and that the vet has something helpful to offer on Wed.

Thinking of you
xxx

[Clare-22]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time :( Hope things start to look up soon {hugs}

Hope Cherry is feeling better soon, handy that the vet is out next week, but I am sure with some rest she will be as right as rain by then :)

[Sooty]

Oh no! Poor Cherry - and poor you :(
Did a quick google for treatments for windgalls and came across this:
http://www.globalherbs.co.uk/horse/diseases_windgalls.htm which you might want to take a look at - they have a free veterinary helpline number

[NoviceNic]

Hmm very odd. :confused: I hope whatever they are they dont take long to clear. Even if just for your sanity Jane. Does Cherry do a good impression of the Queen of Sheba when you are running around pampering her??:rolleyes: ;)

[Herbie's mummy]

omg they are huge!!
get some ice bandages on them? icetight?

[Guest]

Oh Jane, not having much luck.

Hope things improve soon:(

[Whatanejit]

Oh man - what woppers.

In my ignorance I didn't know what they were until I read a bit on the website offered by Sooty.

Touch wood with some supplement and a bit of rest they will have rested soon.

Take care hun - there is light at the end of the tunnel:)

xx

Dee

[Maddison's girl]

gosh I hope you get it sorted soon :(

[CurlyWurlyRach]

:eek:
Poor Cherry, she doesnt do things by halves does she? If shes gonna have windgalls they have to be the biggest and sorest :rolleyes:

Im sure your sharers will understand that these things happen.
Lovely feather by the way :D

[teabiscuit]

they are very odd aren't they?

thug's are quite small compared to that, i know what caused his-he kicks the stable wall if he's left in overnight.he's never been lame with them though.

The ground has been really hard this summer, but she's had summers like this before and not got windgalls, think you'll need your detective hat on for this one!

[Imp]

Oh no!

If your sharers 'do' for Cherry and ride her then I think it's quite appropriate that they continue to contribute and come in to care for her until she's fit. It's par for the course with horse ownership, either horse or owner can be lame and off ridden work for a period of time (I'm the lame party in our relationship at present :rolleyes: ). I suppose if it's just a pay to ride relationship then they may want their money back, they sound like nice folk though.

So, the Windgall itself is not the concerning thing, it's whether she has an underlying injury that's worrying?

Bless her fluffy feathers :p Can your vet change your appointment to see her sooner? Wednesday seems a long way off and you're obviously very concerned about her Jane.

Lynda x

[Sparklie]

Hope things start to get better for you Jane and that poor Cherry is on the road to recovary too. You are having a bad time at the moment...can't you both try and stay sound at the same time!?! :p

I bet they'd look even bigger without all that fluffy feather!!

Fingers crossed for your vet visit and don't spend too much time missing from NR!!!! I insist that you spend several hours a day on here to keep you sane :)

[domane]

Hi guys! Thank for your good wishes...

Cherry is proving to be a namby-pamby wussy-wimp when I pour water on her back legs! She lifts them and fidgets and squirms about... I reckon it's because it tickles as much as anything because she is so good when i shampoo them and chuck buckets over them to rinse, bless her. So by the time I have poured numerous watering cans and she has stomped around to avoid them, I'm not altogether sure she is any better off because of all the impact she will be putting on her back legs :confused: :rolleyes:

Tonight I thought I would give her a treat and take her along the lane to feast on some of the long grass.... well, she actually took ME along the lane... she dragged and barged and just wanted to go SOMEWHERE... anywhere would do.... :p We had a few minutes of frantic grass snatching then I took her to the indoor school to let her stretch her legs. She couldn't WAIT for the leadrope to be unclipped and trotted off, head low and tail swishing... still lame but not as bad as 48 hours ago.... her choice to trot, not mine!

We are not supposed to loose school but I had spied YO hacking away from yard so risked it. No-one really uses the indoor school as it's very dusty and especially not at this time of year. In fact I made the most of our couple of minutes in there... I had never had the opportunity to try this before but was itching to give it a go and see how she responded so I "sent" her away from me to see how she would respond... she instantly walked round me with her head down and licking and chewing so I dropped my shoulder and turned slightly away from her. She stopped at the entrance to the school and I remained slightly turned away from her with my eyes averted and just said her name and she marched right up to me! Blimey that was quick! Bless :D :D

When I put her away I had lobbed a couple of apples into one of her water trugs for the first time - WELL! How amusing was that? I have never heard such a racket whilst she tried to catch them without having to submerge her nose... but she did it! She managed to get those jaws open w-i-d-e enough to pick them up whole :eek: and then crushed them easily, dropping foamy apple juice into her bucket which then resembled something I would do the washing up in! Hmmmm... don't think I will leave them in there without being around though..

So it was good to leave the yard with a sense of achievement and a smile on my face tonight... :)

[Imp]

Ahh, bless you both :)

Sounds like she enjoyed stretching her legs and you enjoyed a new approach. Why aren't you supposed to loose school?

Lynda x

[domane]

Why aren't you supposed to loose school?
I think it's just because it's a large yard (68+) and if you are using one of the schools with your horse loose, it pretty much means no-one else could use it at the same time. So they make it a general rule (although to be honest, I would imagine they would turn a blind eye if you were only one on the yard at 6am in the morning....)

[Scarlett 001]

Oh dear. Gosh, it always seems it is one thing or another with horses. I am sorry to hear you girl is lame. As for me, you may have read that my custom saddle arrived, and the balance was not quite right - so I am only riding at walk, and waiting for the saddler's visit til next week to hopefully sort out the saddle. This horse ownership thing comes with a lot of stress at times. Good luck sorting it out, and sorting out whatever else you were alluding to that needed sorting out in your life. Sorry things are not smooth for you.

[horseaholic]

My horse also has windgalls on his back legs, but he's had them ever since I got him. They got worse when I went to pony club camp, I think due to the increased work? I was actually told to turn him out, because moving around helps the swelling go down. Could you maybe give your vet a call and ask them what to do until they come?

This might be a load of nonsense :o, but would it be easier to soak gamgee in cold water then bandage it in place for half an hour or so? It might save you the hassle of watering cans (very funny mental image btw :D), I think piccies are required!

[teabiscuit]

would an upside down overreach boot filled with ice work?
i've been told this one, never tried it myself but it sounds good in theory
looks a bit far up Cherrys leg for that to work from the pictures ?

[HairyCob]

How is madame doing Jane? Any improvement? Hope she's feeling better!

I'm guessing the vet is due this Wed, so will have fingers crossed for you both for then:D