Sometimes Life just isn't fair....

Well....we had a new vet come out.  Recommended by the farrier.

Tim met the vet this afternoon, while I stayed at work.

Tonka has Laminitis/founder in both front feet.  Something that didn't show up when the last vet was out...and apparently...he's had this flair up for a while (I didn't even catch it....I really thought it was just him getting stuck in the fence...).  One hoof is worse than the other.  When I spoke to the vet tonight, he informed me that 4 horses in the area have also been diagnosed.  He also informed us that if the coffin bone in one foot has turned 18 (he said in the beginning of the conversation) in one foot 9 in the other....and then in a later part of the conversation...19 and 9.

He also stated that he has diagnosed 4 other horses in the area with the same condition.  Due to the heavy rains and rich grass.  Ugh.  One of them his own horses.  When I asked him how his horse was fairing...he didn't give me any information.

When I talked to Tim, he said that this coffin bone was 2cm from the base of his hoof wall.  If you've ever seen a horse hoof, 2cm's just aren't very large.

Several years ago...I had a horse, Peanut (her race name was Northern Delux).  What a cutie....she was only 15 hands high.  5 years old and so very loving.  She would lay in the stall and I would sit n her and she would stand up with me on her just as gental... (I once tried it with Frank....I was pretty lucky I didn't brake my arm when it got stuck behind me in the water bucket.  My elbow hurt for months....He really didn't mean to get up so fast...but....)

My mom and I would take her  and Frank to Cedarville and Patuxent Park  She loved it.  She would tease Frank and make him go further and further.  And she must have been super cute to him, cuz he'd follow her...and grumble a little.

Miss Peanut died about 2 years after this picture was taken from the same thing that Tonka has right now.

The thing that really bothers Tim and I right now is...the fact that Tonka (once a while mustang) is no longer able to eat grass...never again in his life.  No more treats, carrots, candy...no GRASS.  A horse is a natural forager...a horse can not leave on grain, he must have hay (hay is cut grass) and water.  Tonka will only be allowed to eat poor quality grass.

As I sit here and type this with tears in my eyes, what is life as a horse without the luscious green grass.  Isn't that what you think of as a horse...frolicking in the field with grass...lots of it?

Another informative site on Tonka's condition...http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/founder.html

The images in this site depict what is going on with Tonka...almost too well...http://www.naturalhorsetrim.com/  his feet do not look like this but the images where they explain where the bone is...really does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminitis

Well...there is so much information and most of it I've read.  Some of it...well, I just can't read.  There are some stories of long struggling recoveries...and then...well the horrible struggle that Peanut suffered.  Laminitis/founder is not curable....you can slow it down....but sadly...Tonka, Tim and I have been battling this for about 3 years.

As of Today, Tonka is medicated and he has his lily pads duck taped to his feet.   I tried to find some pictures of these, but couldn't.  Peanut had a green one and it kind of fit within the foot.  I'm sure Tonka's are the same.

Cut off from his brother....and looking pretty sad...

We have 2 choices for Tonka...both of them are hard.  Our biggest thing is, we don't want to see our boy suffer.  He has had this problem since before we got him.  Matter a fact...It's why we got him (long story).

I asked Tim to request the x-rays for me (they are digital and should be very easy to email).

This is just really hard to talk about right now and I still can't believe I'm writing about it...but I know I need to get it out.

Tim and I both talked to our mom's....and well, they both stressed to not let him suffer.

Sigh....

My friend Kimberly said today that sometimes life just ain't fair.  Boy isn't that the truth...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ6_3m-B94I