Time Catches Up with Us

Time Catches Up with Us




Ranger has had 2 hoof abscesses causing off and on lameness and Cruiser has a cough. It was time to call the vet.



I couldn’t be there because of work, but Ellen was. The results of the examinations—we have old horses. It seems like just yesterday, they were young. How did this happen?



With Ranger, it wasn’t a case of hoof abscesses not healing well. They did heal. It was just coincidence. The vet feels he may have an age-related problem like ringbone, or possibly he hurt himself, and it is taking a while to heal. She said that nerve blocks could possibly give a clearer definition, but she knows Ranger well enough to know he wouldn’t tolerate the process. Ellen agreed. Light riding is fine, and that is what she will do.



Cruiser’s cough is due to dust, which I thought originally, but when I gave him a round of steroids, and they didn’t help, I got worried it was something worse. She gave me stronger steroids to try. He also has developed a heart murmur. She said that light riding is fine.



We have two old horses. We will be doing a lot of geriatric rides and make the best of it. Honestly, we are just happy to have them. They are both high-mileage horses. Cruiser is 25, and we just celebrated his 23rd anniversary. We don’t know how old Ranger is, but Ellen is going to celebrate his 17th anniversary, soon. Every day is a blessing, and if we can still ride them, it’s all the more a blessing.