Behind the Bit

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Block party: Harv has a vet visit Part I Posted: 16 Mar 2010 01:52 PM PDT I took the photo left today. Harv is in the middle, thoughtfully licking the side of his stall. His neighbor, a normally jovial Irish sport horse,  is baring his teeth. Skippy is on the left, looking distracted. It's a restless photo. But then, I'm feeling restless... The vet came today (Monday) and did a lameness evaluation. Harvey was/is Really Lame.  They did a nerve block which told part of the story. Years ago, a Monty Python movie had a skit where the grim reaper visited a dinner party and told the guests "It was the Salmon Mousse."  I think of this line today -- except "It was the Left Front." Here is what was found...  Thickening of the LF pastern joint compared to RF. Lame on LF, 2/3 out of 5. No reaction to hoof testers. He resisted flexions on the  LF, leaning away and pulling back when the vet tried to curl his leg under him.  After a digital palmar nerve block (anesthetizes the rear 1/3 to 1/2 of the hoof), he's lame. After an abaxial sesamoid nerve block (anesthetizes  back portion of leg below the fetlock, he's sound. Cut to the chase... We can rule out an abscess, navicular, laminitis, and anything from the fetlock up. What's left? Soft tissue injury (he tweaked something) and  ringbone are the vet's two best guesses. He will be back on Wed. or Thurs. to do x-rays which will hopefully give a more complete picture. Retirement party? My preference is for Harv to have a tweak!  The prospect of ringbone is scary, not so much because it might curtail his riding career, but because it's a chronic pain. Cross your fingers for us. Think tweak!

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