Okay, that settles it. I definitely need to keep better health records. Out of the blue this morning my in-box contained a message regarding a horse I used to ride. His new owners have started working toward getting him ready to compete in HA Sport Horse Class A shows. Their question: had he ever sustained a tendon injury or strain? He has a bump on the back of one front leg. He had it when they bought him, and they, and their trainer, are concerned. The vet says it's just scar tissue, but they don't want to push him too hard and possibly aggravate an old injury - if that's what it is.
Well, I had to sit and think for a bit. The bump I remembered. I also knew I'd never seen him lame or even slightly off other than a lengthy period while a truly nasty gash to his off hind healed. That injury - you can't miss the scar - was fully disclosed before they purchased him, and not the subject of their question. I handled this boy from long-yearling age on until he sold to them at 8 (he's now 10). I treated his various scrapes and bruises, all minor other than that sole bad one.... Something about that bump rang a bell, but what?
After pondering I finally remembered him coming in from the pasture with a puncture wound. He wasn't at all lame, and since it was in a good spot for drainage, we cleaned him up, dressed it with salve & wound powder, and let him be. It healed, but did leave a bump. I was able to clear up their concern - no old bow, just scar tissue. And they were in complete agreement with my thought that they might just need to give him enough time to develop the muscle for sustaining collection over longer periods. They were relieved, and I was glad my memory hadn't failed me.
It was a doh! moment: just how many similar nicks, cuts and scrapes have I doctored (and on which horses, when)? Scuffs and bumps not serious enough to have a vet out, but that might have scarred or be the sign of something recurrent. For the times requiring a vet visit, how good are my records? Only two of the (currently 9) horses on the farm are mine, so the decision as to who gets called in and when isn't always mine to make. And since I don't pay the bills, the receipts aren't handy, either. But I'm the one who handles them.... I track worming, vaccinations, farrier visits & other routine stuff, and I do have notes on vet visits and treatment required... why not the "minor" injuries?
Would it be so difficult to snap a quick digital pic (love that date stamp) and save it with the horse's name & stats? Probably not. I usually have the camera handy anyway, and it would be a good way to track how well things are healing, too. I did some hunting, and came across the following at Equisearch: Keeping Your Horse's Health Records, offering some pertinent and practical suggestions for maintaining routine health records. There seem to be a myriad of products sold to help one keep track, many of which provide the ever-nifty search feature -- or I can really go all out and just use the horse planner my loving husband bought me for Christmas. I hereby vow to do better!
So, how well do you document, and what? Do you find buyers are apt to ask in detail regarding old, but still visible injury marks? How often have you had to check back regarding a past treatment for a recurring problem?
3 comments:
Thanks for visiting me. Nice post. I keep a binder, but must admit I don't have the close calls that I managed written anywhere, for instance the recent stress colic. I guess it's a good idea, even if not selling, vets like to know that stuff if you have them out for something major. Good post!
Good point -- and I like the binder idea. It would simplify keeping track of each horse, and add or subtract as necessary. Thanks for the tip!
I think this is a great idea. I keep a folder and write down dates of worming, etc., I need to create a spreadsheet online though, my chicken scratch is okay but not very well-organized. I think the photo idea is great. Now that I blog, I take so many pictures, whether it be of a wound, the way my horse's hoof looks. I could refer back to those if something should come up.
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