[RC] Tank Update - looking for comments for 1/29 Davis appt. - TypeF \(Jackie Floyd\)
I've updated Tank's journal at www.typef.com/Tank for anyone who is
interested. Tank's condition continues to worsen. Tearing the Oleanders out was
a good thing, but not a cure. The last time out on a five-mile pleasure ride
ended in colic. Four of the miles were glorious and we went very slow and just
enjoyed the day and Tank seemed to be feeling pretty good. Kerry Ridgeway has
looked over Tank's journals and has suggested one interesting possibility of a
hole in the mesentery membrane covering the intestines and the possibility that
Tank is "fine" while a pasture ornament but when exercised, the intestines
strangulate and later work themselves back in place. The only way to explore
this possibility is with laproscopic surgery which Davis says is way too
invasive for his symptoms and it might never turn up anything anyway.
So next Monday we go back to re-do all the previous
tests, plus maybe a belly tap and this time, instead of a 15-minute lunge in the
round corral, I will be trying to duplicate the symptoms by riding him in the
outside arena for an hour or so. As much as it pains me to do that, they have
yet to see the symptoms, which, of course, I see every time I take him out.
Obviously, he has pretty much been a pasture ornament for a year and a half now.
Every once in awhile, I hope behind hope, that a little gentle outting will turn
out OK, but it never happens. I will probably have to give up after this visit
and it kills me to have to do that.
The last time I posted a lot of people asked many
of the questions that are posted in his journals, so I would appreciate it
if you read them first before commenting.
Between my Mom and the supplement to my guide, I
haven't done any riding to speak of and consequently, have no horses in
condition, but it is a mental goal of mine to at least get somebody back up and
running this year, although my heart is not in it without Tank.
I hope to see some of you at AERC convention. I'll
be in booth #226 with copies of the 2007 Supplement to my book and Angie will be
there with me signing copies of her book. The guide is on sale online now as
well as Lighter Side t-shirts. It's been a rather ironic last few months ... all
this work on endurance books and endurance
products and I don't have my horse anymore. I may have to live vicariously
through the rest of you for awhile until I can bring myself to replace Tank as
my ride.
