Siera's Diagnosis.

Don't laugh!

She is fat. I wasn't paying attention. But Rich used to say that Siera could gain weight 

on

Hay Dust.

A couple of years of being idle haven't done her any favors. The nice lush grass in the pastures didn't help her either. She will be going to have to live in a dry lot. A grazing muzzle wouldn't work as she rubs her head against trees and walks through brush. I'd hate for her to get caught on something.

Sure. I take good care of the land and we have an amazing spring with grass and weed growth. Now I have to limit one good grazer.

My hope is to help her recover and gain strength. Her last lameness this week only lasted 3 days. So maybe on top of being Fat, she is a Drama Queen. Or she was lame from a tiny bit of exercise. 

There was the mention of possible beginning stages of laminitis but that is not a sure thing. We'll take all the precautions we can for her to live a good and health Senior Life [with exercise!!!].

We will see what happens. 

To me she looks pretty ordinary but a but chunky over her tail head. The red heads seem to be in much better physical shape than her. 

They are always on the move and doing things.

Chunky Monkey Siera [shhh, don't tell her that out loud]...

Maybe we need to go to the gym together.

The red headed girls below, Sunshine on the right. 

It will be an adjustment for Sundance on the left to adjust to her sister leaving the farm for a while.

Oh to be in charge of these three goofs. They are pretty sweet animals and I really do enjoy them. Feet trimmed, manes trimmed, and pastures mowed. Huh.

Siera just walked across the pasture out front of here with her long gaited strides just to thumb her nose at me.

Life in the slow lane.

Hah. Siera you fooled us!

Here are a few photos over the past years of Siera. Her mom was a Peruvian Paso, her father a 'gaited' donkey.

Below, Siera's first ride off the farm when she was still green. Sooooo smooth!

Siera with kids.

Siera last year with a 10 yr old. 

Siera gets a bath after their ride.

Siera with another novice rider, my neighbor. 

Siera when she first came home to us in 2007.

In mid April I had Danny out for trimming and he did his usual. Four weeks later, Siera was barely walking as if all of her feet hurt. She was laying on the ground for hours and didn't want to get up. I took her vitals and watched her eat and poop. Her gut sounds were normal.

Everything was normal but her walk and attitude.

So I texted Danny and sent him a video. He came that afternoon and was surprised at how her toes had 'grown' out. She is one of those mules who grow fast during the warm months. She really gets long toes if you don't watch her.

Which I didn't because I was busy with the scrappers and a new puppy. My bad!

Danny trimmed her and tested her hooves for pain. He felt that her muscles and tendons were sore from the length of her toes. He said to keep him updated and see how she was doing in a week. 

For 4 days she didn't seem to get better at all. I called a Vet who had seen her before and he was able to come out on Friday. I stewed and worried and worried and stewed. Thursday I had a choice. I could sit on the porch and watch her all day or go hiking. I choose to hike to ease my stress. My watching wouldn't make any difference.

Friday morning, she was in the front pasture sleeping with the red heads. When they got up to head to the meadow, she followed. She looked normal. She looked as if nothing had gone on this past week at all.

I followed her out and watched her off and on all day. I kept wringing my hands. Did she have Lyme Disease? Was she going to be okay? She looked okay. Her vitals were okay. She let me pick her feet up just fine ... not like last week where she wouldn't pick them up at all.

The Vet arrived as I was bringing her out of the pasture. He stood and watched her walk in grass, then on the driveway, and then asked me what I thought the issue was. We talked about it and he concluded that indeed she had gotten sore from her long toes [mind you, they were not hugely long we can't think of anything else]. 

He suggested that she'd gotten frisky in the pasture [she did one day the week before!] and strained her tendons. The trimming strained them more and she was getting better.  OR---> she was showing lameness from Lyme Disease. 

He asked me to keep an eye on her and call the office on Monday with her progress. If she didn't continue to improve, we'd treat her for Lyme Disease.

Well.
Saturday came along and there she was, moving like herself with no signs of any issues. I caught everyone up and groomed them and ate a ton of shedding mule hair.

They then walked off in a line. Sunshine first [she is 29], Sundance second [17 yrs old], and Siera who is 23. Siera is almost never in the lead. She likes to take her good ol' time.

What a week. Danny was right last Saturday. I worried and worried and fretted and fussed. The Vet gave me peace of mind and Siera healed up.

I'm glad she will be back at it. This summer I'm taking her to a friend's farm so we can ride her land together. Better than me riding alone.

I have done so much with this mule and my other two, that I am grateful to have more time with her to have cool adventures.

I'm so happy to have my Goofy Girl back to normal...

Happy Trails.