Darn!!!

 Today is just not my day! I am tired, burnt out, hormonal, and cranky and pms-ing. Funny was in fight mode again and then Dan was good but fatigued. And it was getting hot, so Liz made a good call and suggested we don't do Lyric for our lesson. Which was good because I hadn't eaten anything and it was almost 2 pm and I was getting a migraine. So she left, I turned Dan out and then went inside and ate. Then I debated but decide that I did want to do a short ride on Lyric... I wanted to try the PH dressage on her again before the saddle fitter came to see if I liked it any better than the last ride. Because I do like it on Dan, so... presumably I should like it on her. But it was hard to feel balanced in it the other day. 

So I went out to catch her and she was up in the hay feeder. I caught her and we started walking down and I thought.... "are you lame?". She legit looked lame at the walk. Like... almost abscess lame. But... she's 4 weeks into her shoe cycle, so there's no real reason she should have an abscess. I tried to get her to walk and she was balky. So then I asked her to trot with me and she leapt into a canter. Um no... I got her back and then decided to just be smart and walk her to the arena and lunge her so I could watch better. She still looked short up front but I coudn't decide. Maybe left front? 

I put her on the lunge and watched her go. It wasn't 100% consistent but it was there, although definitely worse at times and better at times. I think it's worse tracking left and I think it's the left front based on the head bob and just... my gut. But then it's so hard to tell and I'm usually wrong. I sent it to Liz and she said she saw right hind. Which... makes sense with me thinking left front, although I still can't make myself see the hind end. So... who knows!?? I couldn't find anything to blame. Her shoes were all on good. Although I didn't pick them out... I probably should have in retrospect in case somethinig got wedged under her pad. I also didn't check for pulses or heat but...  I did check her tendons and no heat or swelling. But she was fussy and flinchy in the left front up high medially. So... suspensory? Check ligament? Ughhhhh. I just turned her back out and she sat at the edge of the arena for a good five minutes before she walked off. She yawned a few times too. Ugh... I'm sorry girly! 

But then.. she walked off and I caught her grazing... and she was grazing with her left front forward. WHAT?! She NEVER does that! I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing! Ha. Like yay.. maybe I finally fixed you enough posturally and fascially that you aren't so stuck in your pattern... OR.... are you so sore that you have changed your pattern because it hurts? Ugh... So I don't know. I called Dr. Barrow and we've got an appointment next Friday afternoon. She was like "you probably want something sooner, right?". I mean.. yeah, ideally, but honestly she's just rehabbing from her kissing spine and we're barely riding, so... it's not actually that big of a rush I guess. Especially since I don't want it to interfere with my XC schooling with Funny on Tuesday. So... next Friday it is. I should still be able to do my jump lesson with Jacel too between Patrick that morning and her vet appointment. And maybe Patrick will find something?? 

I did shockwave her tonight too, as she was due for her final round of the 3 for her back and stifles. And.. maybe it is her stifle... maybe Liz is right and its the right hind? Who knows. I did check her front legs with the magic stick and maybe found the right front medial suspensory/check ligament area... so I just went ahead and shockwaved that. I almost didn't, because... why waste the pulses if I'm not even on the right leg. And... I didn't want to cover anything up, but I'm also not going to ride her before my appt. And I wanted to start healing if I needed to. Although maybe I shouldn't have with the saddle fitter coming tomorrow. But oh well. I had the machine out already and set up, so I just did it. So... who knows?! We'll see what Kim thinks tomorrow. And then see what happens on Friday. Best case scenario she's sound and we feel better about continuing on with rehab. Or, even better, Patrick finds an abscess that opens up and then I have something to blame and won't spend as much money at the vet appointment. But.. I doubt that. ;) I'm not that lucky!