I try to keep my food blog about food, but had to make an exception this week.
My horse Barbie, has been diagnosed with a very large navicular cyst in her right front hoof. Long story short, this is not good. Navicular disease is rampant in Quarter horses and plenty of other breeds, and I have always considered myself lucky for never having owned a horse with it before.
It's basically a degenerative disease that breaks down the navicular bone in the hoof over time. And if and when the bone completely breaks down, you have no hoof. And with no hoof, you have no horse. To add insult to injury, you can't treat it or do anything to prevent the degeneration aside from special shoes that make them more comfortable (and make YOU poor:) as well as pain relieving supplements. The upside is that sometimes, it can 'plateau' for no reason at all, for months or even years at a time, giving you a glimpse of your old companion.
Barbie's cyst is such that I probably will never ride her again galloping through the fields like I used to. It's heartbreaking as she is the sweetest horse on the planet and an incredible mom. Even the vet coudn't help but say what a shame it is and what a beautiful, kind mare she is (I've receieved plenty of bad news from vets over the years and believe me - they are trained to remain professionally 'indifferent' during crisis.)
So, please keep my Barbie in your prayers. I promise that if she were a person, she'd do the same for you.
