Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. I am a nervous wreck. I can't sit still, can't think straight, don't know what to do. But I know where I will be tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. SHARP!!! Getting Partee's hoof/leg x-rayed. Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated right now. She's a good horse and deserves only the best, which she will get. And after she is tested, at least then, I can ask for some pain relief medicine for her. They didn't want her to take any pain meds to stop her from limping before the x-rays, which made sense, because we want to figure it out. But as soon as she gets it x-rayed, pain medications will be requested and given. No more pain for my baby. I am still new to horses, even though I have been around them since I was little. It's just that they were always "healthy" horses. I feel so dumb. I thought that I was doing what everyone was telling me was best and now that I look back on it, I had that "gut feeling" and I just should have insisted sooner. A mom's "gut feeling" is always right. I'm ashamed and sick about the whole thing. I was at the wrong place and probably had the wrong vet. What have I done. I will update you tomorrow.

First of all, many thoughts and prayers that everything will be ok.

Second, DO NOT BE ASHAMED AT ALL! You put your trust in a vet, like we all do, and he didn't do the right thing for Partee. That's not your fault!

Don't worry, wait until you get the results. It's usually not as bad as your mind makes it out to be.

I have a very good vet, who works on numerous race thoroughbreds, and he is very reluctant to use pain meds. His feeling is that limping serves a purpose, it keeps the weight off a damaged hoof/leg. Pain meds allow the horse to keep using it and sometimes that impedes the healing. Just one point of view.

Good luck, I'll be sending good thoughts.

bob

Thank you.

oh hun! good vibes sent your way. i know the test will go fine. if something's found, then good! it can be fixed. don't worry, we love you and are all thinking of ya

I hope Partee's Xray went well/is going well! Let us know what the vet says.

Well, I'm going to sit here and type because I am an emotional mess and don't know what else to do. My Partee's appointment lasted 3 hours - very thorough! The vet was great, answered anything I wanted to know, was super kind to my mare and took the time it needed to get the appointment completed. No rushing. He was absolutely wonderful. However, during the exam, poor Partee fell from the pain when he touched her in one spot. Neither of us expected that! He had her leg up and she just collapsed. My heart just broke for her. He ended up blocking her hoof, which she took pretty well. By the way, she was really having a hard time walking today, worse than she's ever been. He explained everything so well. I know he did. But did I retain any of it? I felt like a deer in headlights I was so scared! Not of him, but of the outcome. Anyway, he numbed her hoof and we waited. If after the medicine took effect, and if she were able to walk noticibly different, then we would know that her problem lay in the hoof. We waitied and then he told me to start walking her. She had at least (in his words) a 90% change for the better. You could barely tell that she had a limp. So, now we know we have a hoof problem, maybe navicular? x-rays were next. We tried them without having to sedate her - no way. He gave her 1/4 of what he would normally give a mare and thank goodness he did because boy did it ever knock her for a loop! She was in la-la land right away. We got the best x-rays that he could for the best that she would co-operate. She is also very tender up her leg, so she may have secondary problems too. Now, I have about an hour to wait for the results. Oh, the waiting. My poor little girl. She was so cuddly when we were together. I zipped my coat up because it was cold out, she unzipped it. She is just that kind of horse. She'd never bite, but she will sure look in your pocket for a carrot!

awwww man, she sounds like such a sweetie. i'm glad the xrays went okay. i hope for helpful results. i really hope she feels better soon *hugs*

The vet called. I'm still not done crying, so when I am done, I will post more. She has navicular disease. He is going to send the x-rays off to WSU to be read for a second opinion, but he is pretty sure. He is bringing pain medication to me to give to her twice a day in the meantime. We will talk after he gets the second opinion to see what to do next.

Oh no! I was hoping and praying that it wasn't Navicular. I hope the second opinion thinks otherwise. I'm so sorry Charlene.

Oh, Rhonda, What am I going to do?

To be honest with you Charlene, navicular is one of the worst case scenarios that I was thinking of. I didn't want to say something earlier and make you worry even more needlessly. There's not a whole lot you can do. I know you can try different types of shoes or hoof trimming, along with pain meds. If she does get better that's great but most of the time they recommend that the horse be retired from riding and such. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that it's something else.

Oh, I 'm so sorry, I don't know much of anything about horses, but is this disease one of those that can be fatal. I was really hoping for the best. Can a horse live a normal life with this even though not a riding horse.

I am so sorry...the poor sweety...I will keep you and Partee in my thoughts and prayers...I am just so sorry