Erään toisen hevosen tarina

Katsoin Youtubesta alunperin erään videon, jonka perusteella löysin tarinan eräästä PSSM-hevosesta. Minun huomioni kiinnitti videon kommenttikentässä oikeastaan yksi lause:

"However, the rider must be attuned to the horses capabilities during every ride, and adjust the workload accordingly so as not to hurt the horse."

Kyllä! Mikäli hevonen tuntuu huonolta, ei ole mitään järkeä lähteä vääntämään suunniteltuja harjoituksia väkisin kasaan. Erityisesti sairaan hevosen kanssa on supertärkeää olla herkin aistein liikenteessä, kuulostella hevostaan ja toimia sen mukaan. Hevonen ei todellakaan temppuile huvin vuoksi tai ilkeyttään. Johtuipa temppuilu mistä tahansa, hevosella on siihen syynsä. Syyn löytäminen jää ihmisen vastuulle.

"When my horse acts out, it is an excuse to get out of work. He knows what he is doing."

"REALLY?!?!

Statements like that just get under my skin. Unfortunately, I overhear them often in  my travels. I want to butt into the conversation and insert, "So, your horse just sits plotting and planning all day, waiting for you to show up so it can run through a series of behaviors that it knows will agitate you? It seeks to ruin your day?".

Horses do not make excuses. They are in the moment and behave accordingly. Either the horse has learned the undesireable behavior through association, or the horse is scared/confused/unable. Such comments appear to be an attempt to cover up the inability of the rider to empathize and focus on something other than their own needs in the relationship."

Lainaus on Tolaksen kotisivuilta. Tolaksen hevosen Eddien tarinan PSSM-taudista voi lukea kokonaisuudessaan täältä. Tässä vielä yksi lainaus kyseiseltä sivulta:

"He had a history of a right hind leg abnormality. Through veterinary examines and diagnostics, chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy, equine applied podiatry and careful training , we were unable to figure out the cause. It almost has a look of Shivers or maybe even Stringhalt-like. It only could be seen while turning in small areas and very infrequently at a walk.

...

Ed, a horse who loved being groomed, was becoming unhappy during grooming and girthing. I had owned him for over 8 years, and had purchased him as a 3 year old. What was going on with my horse?"

Väärin diagnosoitu ja väärinymmärretty

Löysin ainakin minun, PSSM-hevosen omistajan näkökannalta katsottuna, koskettavan artikkelin.

Misdiagnosed & Misunderstood - PSSM in Horses

"Your Horse May Be Willing But Unable

I've heard it all... "You've lost your place in the herd, she doesn't respect you. She looks fine. You need to ride her more. She's smart, but she's lazy. It's her hocks. It's her stifle. If I were you, I'd sell her and get a horse you can ride."

I heard all the above and much more over the years of trying to find a diagnosis for my 1999 Quarter Horse mare, purchased in 2001. Doc Bar, Three Bars, Poco Bueno, and more great horses all lined up in her pedigree, and all the potential in the world, but I could barely get one good day of riding out of her. It took me ten years, but I recently figured out that she has been afflicted all this time with something called Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy or PSSM (referred to as EPSM in draft horse breeds).

I and my horse are not alone: the horse world is slowly learning that this is a fairly common disease in certain breeds that very often goes undiagnosed.

...

This disease most likely covers a broad range of symptoms and severity. This means that there are probably many more horses out there like my own that are living undiagnosed or misdiagnosed -- and thus, misunderstood."

Artikkelin voi lukea kokonaisuudessaan HorseCityn sivuilta täältä. Mikäli kiinnostus heräsi, suosittelen myös tutustumaan artikkelin kirjoittajan omaan sivustoon "Sage By Nature". Hän kirjoittaa hevosestaan ja sen tarinasta kauniisti, mutta realistisesti.

When life puts you in tough situations
Don't say "why me"
Just say "try me"