So... it was a short and very accomodating ride, but it was successful. She's been on ulcergard (omeprazole/cimetidine paste) for 4 days now and sucralfate as long. Although I've not been able to do the sucralfate 3 times a day. But I've done it before meals most days and then I did it before her ride today.
We tacked up and headed to the arena. She felt good and happy and was motoring and not chompy. We got in the arena and I was planning to take my time at the walk. We started out okay and did some nice leg yields at the walk. Then she got super spooky! It was a bit breezy and a cool draft blew in, and some rain sprinkles, but... she got super spooky! She was spooky at Lyric in the field.. the jumps stacked up outside the arena... And then she lost it. She exploded and blew up in place. I managed to rein her back in but decided I was getting off. It just wasn't worth it. Not because she scared me but because... I was frustrated and mad and knew that I would not react fairly. And... also, because at this point.. if she's naughty, it's going to be hard to not blame it on behavior and then I feel like I've got to "battle to the death" because I'm getting concerned that she's just smart and feels like she can intimidate me. But I know that's not the case. She's naughty but she's not like that. And, I don't want to have to "duke it out" if she's hurting, even only mildly, so... I figured I'd just get off.
I got the lunge and sent her out on the lunge. She was reactive and jumpy and squirted off. She did the whole did down and canter with both back legs together, like a jack rabbit. She leapt about a bit. But it didn't last too long and she settled into a nice trot fairly quickly. It was quick, but not terribly quick. She then settled into a nicer trot with a nice soft neck. So then I asked for a canter and she exploded into it but then settled into a nice canter. She did swap behind and kick out but then cantered normally. And then trotted normally. A little chompy but not terrible. We got a nice trot again and then changed directions. She was more sane the second way and trotted nicely. I did ask for a canter and she did explode into it a bit but then settled. She did swap behind or maybe just kick out and fell out of the canter, but then cantered again normally. So... ??? Maybe something behind? Maybe sore? Maybe just ulcer pain still, although improved? Then she trotted nicely again.
So... I got back on. We walked a good bit again and practiced our turn on the haunches, which were nice. Then I picked up the trot. And... she was good. She was quicker than I've been making her go, but not too quick. And she felt rather balanced. I decided not to push it and let her go slightly faster than ideal, but... she was soft in the bridle so... I let it go. Today, I'm picking my battles. We managed to do a fair amount of trot with some serpentines and changes of directions. She even let me ask for some bend without reacting. We did some very baby shallow leg yields. We took a walk break and picked the trot back up and still no reactions. So... I quit. I was so very tempted to canter and see what would happen. Partly because I wanted to investigate... did the canter make her worse again? BUT... she had cantered on the lunge and was trotting fine now, so... why did I feel the need to make her canter with me? And then I was tempted to do more trotting because it didn't feel like "enough", but... I am trying to be better, so.. I got out and let the ride end on a good note. This was the first ride that didn't involve escalating bucks/rears and she didn't seem upset. And, honestly, it was some nice trot work considering. So we hacked home and she was pleasant in the pasture.
So... maybe it is ulcers. Or maybe it was hormonal and those are abating. Or a combination of both. I do have an appointment next Tuesday in case, but hopefully I can cancel it. I figured that I would do another two days of treatment (hopefully my tubes of fake gastrogard will come in tomorrow but I doubt it. I can at least do the sucralfate still) and then see how she felt on Thursday. Maybe on Thursday I can push her a little bit more... make her be a bit more quiet and slower in her tempo and try a canter again. And that should help me decide about her appointment. If she's even better, than yay! If she's not, then I'll keep the appointment.
Lexi came this afternoon to work on horses and I had her do Funny after Lyric. I did warn her that Funny might be "in a mood". She was pretty good though. SOOOO itchy! She kept making us interupt and scratch her. Lexi was like "I've never seen a horse be so itchy before". And ugh... because this is on 20 zyrtec twice daily, fish oil, flax, smartpaks skin and coat supplement, year 2 of allergy meds, and fly spray and fly gear. Sigh. I may have to bite the bullet and do apoquel. Anyways, she was also super fussy and unwilling to let Lexi work on her poll and even neck base. Lexi didn't really find anything exciting though... a few spots in her back and pelvis... and then she tried to work on her neck and poll and was only able to do a tiny bit. But Funny did get some good releases! Lexi agreed that it felt more like ulcers than anything else, but...
I also realized that she's been eating her dinner better lately too. She's not leaving anything and is eating quicker. So that's another sign that maybe it is ulcers. But man... even after I sprayed her with the IBH spray and fly spray, and coated her belly with the salve... she was still out there rubbing on the tree and wouldn't even come in for dinner with the others until I called her after the others were already eating. Sigh..
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