Re: [RC] Tank's tests at Davis - TypeF \(Jackie Floyd\)
Saddle fit has been thought of. Same scenario as yours. Same saddle for all
my time with Tank ... either a new custom Boz or a used one, which I like
better. It has fairly new foams and seems to fit his back like a glove with no
saddle pad. I use a Skito under it, sometimes with a Dixie Midnight. I've also
used a CoolBack, although I haven't had that on for quite some time. In the
summer he gets heat bumps from it. And I will be trying a different one,
although I'll have to borrow one that belongs to someone else. I do have a
Thoroughgood dressage saddle, but it has a flexible tree and Equigel pads and my
experience with that is, although it fits well, it bears all my weight pretty
much in one spot. My Mustang used to get white hairs with it under my
thighs. But I will be trying it on short rides to see if it makes a
different.
I've gotten a lot of emails about whether he's been seen by a chiropractor.
Yes. Mike Gleason, who works closely with Kerry Ridgeway has been here several
times to work on a couple of my other horses. Before Tank's problems I had him
work on him and he wouldn't charge me anything because he couldn't find
anything. After Tank caught a shoe in the fence last June, I immediately made an
appt. He couldn't find anything then either. However, he made my cranky,
"sensitive" rescue mare into a completely different horse. That was a totally
amazing experience.
A lot of people have written asking me if I thought it might be behavioral.
I've thought of that, also. However, if I have a problem with Tank, it's on the
way back to the trailer more often than not. And his level of uncomfortableness
is very visible in his body stance and face when tied to the trailer post ride.
On the issue of saddle fit, one afternoon I decided that I would untack, walk
back down the hill from the trailer and repeat the hill back up. I got away from
the trailer, through a gate, a quarter of the way down the hill, looked back,
realized I'd left the rig open and unlocked and thought better of it. Turned
around, back up the hill through the gate and he froze. He'd been going back out
on the trail fine, even though I'd had to pull him up that hill 15 minutes ago.
I could hardly get him turned around to close the gate. The trailer was only 100
ft. away but he didn't want to move. In all this, I can't feel that his muscles
feel any different than just standing around the barn. His myoglobin test after
exercise came back normal and Davis didn't seem to be interested in exploring a
muscle issue because of that, I guess. He has never pee'd anything but normal
color.
Cancer has also entered my mind, although Davis never suggested it
yesterday and for some reason I totally forgot to mention it.
I am considering homeopathic options also.
The inconsistency of his problems is what has me totally perplexed. When I
get done with my catalog deadline, I'll post my journals to my site so that you
all can read them if you want. I've gotten a LOT of questions about his problems
that the journals can answer. I found myself answering a lot of email yesterday
afternoon when I should have been working LOL!!!
Hi Jackie, have you tried different saddles or pads? One of my mules was
acting similar last year, I couldn't figure it out, all the same tack as the
year before (when she was great), chiro visits with nothing major there, off
& on lameness in rt front with no findable cause. Anyhow, was sitting
around a ride camp after the other mule's 50 & got talking about
saddles/pads. I ride in a treeless & use a skito pad, well, long story
short, foam inserts were wore out--cut up a felt pad to make shims to add to
skito for Sun LD---new mule!!! She went like her old self again! I felt like
such an a%$ for putting her thru some really bad rides before figuring out
something so simple. Live & Learn
