So many unknowns yet and so much more time head of us to sort through them, so I’m working to focus on the small things that give me hope.

Over the month of July we had several HOT days, and a combination of beer and an essential oil mix got Sully to sweat again! That was “small thing” #1 – The first day I found sweat was the anniversary of his GOTCHA Day (July 13th) 🙂 4 years he’s been in my life now. So much has happened over those years and he is my buddy for sure. With the heat continuing, I changed around the shelter tarps a bit and went out and got 33 small square bales of brome hay (low NSC) to feed underneath to encourage them to stay in shade vs. standing at the round bale feeder during the day (thankfully my rounds are testing low NSC too but the feeder is in direct sun all the time). At night they get to go out on grass with the 2 in muzzles. I now have an idea for adding more shade around the round bale feeder I will pursue when the weather allows so I can go back to the rounds.

Small thing #2 was his farrier appointment. He is still barefoot, and the last 2 trims have gone better with his comfort level improving each time to have his hinds done. This is most likely due to the addition of the Equioxx shortly after the prior appointment (at which he was on Bute instead). So, while he still isn’t moving 100% like before, it is helping him. Another small thing, #3, noted by the farrier and I, a much more normal attitude from him vs. a dull quiet horse that slept through the trim and then didn’t move after the month before.

It was basically a month from our last ride when we finally got out for my birthday. With Sully not sweating it was too hot to ride most weekends or too muddy as have had a nice wet summer (yay grass recovering from last year!). Since he started to sweat I thought an early morning close ride at Preddy with Skyler would be a great way to start the day. This time I only put front boots on as I still needed to replace a toe-strap on the right hind from the last ride… I think he drug his foot, which isn’t surprising with how he moves now, and it tore a toe strap. He did well, not much falling out behind to note and not as “blah” about things. He is still way more of a “push ride” than I’m used to… we did have a few good trot points and his pad was dripping sweat down his sides, not just wet. So more small things to be encouraged with. I’m happy to see some of his spark 🎆 return, but still far from his normal self.

I made a decision about mid July to contact a vet practice north of here in hopes of straightening him out metabolically and then physically (if you have a metabolic or suspected metabolic horse, I rec watching this video). This vet works on the ‘whole horse’ using traditional and non-traditional methods, and has a team that includes a nutritionist. I had the consult with the nutritionist already, which as I expected we didn’t need huge tweaks because the horses have been grain free over a year now and on a relatively anti-inflammatory diet. Seems all of us are thinking more down the path of adrenal fatigue or crisis for Sully and supporting him for that, as the PPID remedies and medicines were not having an effect. Not such as small thing, as he had such appetite issues before when changing things – he began his new supplements without issue and is enjoying getting fed 2x a day as we work to bring the weight up. He also now is allowed to graze overnight without the muzzle, since he is not showing IR signs; I’ll of course be checking to make sure he isn’t have any issues with the grass daily and monitoring weight closely. He is currently taping at 953lb… 1020 – 1050lb is more his size when he looked his best while competing the last few years and built up nicely. He was ~50lbs “heavy” in March but I knew that would come off with returning to work. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me to see him drop nearly 150lbs of muscle mass in May mostly. He doesn’t look sickly right now at least; just I see more ribs than I like, his topline has shrunk, and his nice round butt is greatly diminished along with his previously impressive strong chest/pecks. Thankfully, I have also have a full gamut of balance padding so that his saddle still fits when we do we get out to ride.

He did attempt to give me a heart attack though – mildly colicking one night at dinner. He started to eat, then stopped and walked away and stood stoically. I was “late” that night for their dinner with a work function and Asher came out to help me feed. He stayed with Sully and I as I checked him over, verifying it was not a choke, then hosing him some to make sure he wasn’t overheated. I did find him to be slightly dehydrated based on skin-tenting, he also had quieter gut sounds, good though was his HR was normal, but respirations a little elevated (hence why I thought heat to start). Once he finally decided to move (about 20min later of just standing in place) we put him in our grass pen, and I kept him there alone monitoring the poop & drinking situation. He had some Coolstance and Salt soups and grass throughout the night, a dose of EZ Gel, with several checks by me every few hours and homeopathic remedies. He continued to poop, but I could tell he was uncomfortable on and off. The next morning he seemed to be back to his fairly usual self and was put back out with the other 2. Asher happened to be off of camp so he checked him for me every few hours while I was at work that morning and <knock on wood> since then, he has been holding hydration well 🙌.

That event unfortunately resulted in cancelling plans to ride on Saturday as I didn’t want to risk further stressing him too soon. So instead, I put up the 4th mesh shade tarp, fixed the other 3 tarps (2 needed patching to hang properly again), and mounted a solar flood light on the side of the lean-to for late night checks and when it gets dark earlier. Learned that night how bright a cheap $20 Solar Flood Light is as Skyler and I camped in the trailer for fun right by it and had to block the window 😆

Some more fun and not-so small things: 4th of July fireworks, my birthday celebrating, 2 company picnics, and Asher bought himself a Fancy Bear hamster 🙂 Unfortunately, Asher also managed to break his middle finger while away at his 2-week camp (right before coming home) and was sporting a split for a few weeks, but now it is completely healed!

So now I’m back to a waiting mode… Waiting on the results of his hair analysis to see if we are dealing with systemic inflammation or metal toxicity, and waiting for the next appointment at the end of August to evaluate his body/system as a whole. Until then, I will continue watch him like a hawk and worry when not here…