Nothing’s Worse Than Not Knowing

Uncertainty is the enemy of the control freak. And when it comes to my horses, I am a control freak. 


So, when Casady developed a snotty left nostril last week, I got that uneasy stomach, nervous twitch, lump in my throat that comes with knowing my girl isn’t 100 percent and that there’s nothing I can do to control the situation without calling a professional. 


Around the office, I’m always the one looking for new supplements, treatments, or tricks to keep her stomach ulcers at bay, so now I’m sure my co-workers aren’t thrilled that I have a new problem to worry about. 


If you remember reading this blog last week, you’ll know that we had some major wildfires out here, and that the smoke was very thick in the area around my barn. The snotty nose started during the fire, and at the time I just attributed it to the smoke, and I gave Casady time off. I was careful and soaked her hay to try and keep irritants away, and I didn’t ride her in the arena at all, as the dust (caused by weeks and weeks of no rain) in Colorado eclipses anything I’d seen in Ohio or Pennsylvania. 


But, a week and a half later, the snot hasn’t gone away. She has no other symptoms — no fever, no runny eyes, no coughing. I have exercised her twice now to get a feel for how she would work, and she’s been smooth and responsive and full of energy. 


Of course, being the horsey-hypercondriac that I am, I’ve already bugged my vet at home in Pennsylvania about this, called my trainer, my friends and my family. The vet’s answer — of course — is to call the local vet and have her looked at. “It could be a sinus infection that will just get worse unless you do something,” he said. He’s right. But then there are the voices of the friends who say, “Just keep doing what you’re doing, make sure her immune system is strong, and let her get over it on her own.” My pocketbook likes that answer, but my rational side knows that if I waste any more time just trying to let her get over it on her own, that could mean way more money I’ll have to spend in the long run. 


Teeth gritted, I called the vet this morning. They’ll call me back once they get into the office, and I’ll undoubtedly be loading my girl up and hauling her into Boulder to see the Doc. 


Yikes… if only money weren’t an object, right? I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that has to worry about money while also worrying about my horses’ health. I’d love to hear about a time when you had to weigh finances with horse health, and what criteria you use to know it’s time to throw financial caution to the wind and just take care of your horse. 

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