Lame! (literally, lame)

WAH.

So, I got up extra early since Prair had an Under Saddle first thing this morning.  All told I was sorta happy about it, I mean, there are worse things than leading off with a nice long hack in the spooky indoor before her over fences rounds, so that part was cool.

Prair had a pretty big day scheduled, Large Hunter U/S, all three rounds of the Large Hunters over fences, two rounds of her Pre-Green Division and a late Under Saddle for the PG's.

She looked great in warm up, definitely less tension in her eyeball, and N confirmed that she felt like (much like Thermal) Prair was much more settled to start week two and significantly less impressed with the atmosphere.

When the class started (pretty big, about 18 horses), Prair looked good and N was definitely able to float her reins a bit more without sacrificing her shape, but about half way through the first direction, I noticed that Prair wasn't really moving out like she normally does.  Less float, less toe flick, less of all of it.  Then, I thought I saw the slightest trace of a head bob.

When N trotted by she raised an eyebrow at me... I raised one back and kept watching.

The canter looked good, walk was nice and relaxed... but the second direction of trot was about the same.  Lackluster and borderline off.

Somehow she still pinned 5th.  Somewhat shocking, but whatever she's still pretty :)

We walked straight back to warm up to see what was what, but when N moved her back up to the trot she was seriously off - significantly more so than she had been in the class, so I went to the office to scratch the rest of the day, and N took the mare back to her stall.

N thought she could feel a bit more pulse in her LF, so we grabbed the farrier to use the hoof testers and see if maybe possibly (hopefully) she was blowing out an abscess.

I couldn't find any trace of heat or fill or anything suspicious on any of her legs, so when she was negative to the hoof testers we called the vet and now I'm in wait-and-see mode till she arrives later this afternoon.

Fingers crossed it's something super simple.  I'm worried it's something from her crash last Friday, but since she was totally sound and happy all weekend, I'm hoping that's not the case.

Bummer to miss out of so much of her showing, but hopefully we're back in business later this week. If not, I'll haul the mare home early and let her relax in the pastures.