Pondering about cause and effect.

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

This is going to ramble a bit but I think it could provoke a bit of thought
about how we think of our horses welfare.

I use the subject cause and effect for a particular reason. For every cause
or result, there is some predetermining thing that effected the outcome. But
in thinking this over the past troublesome time I have been experiencing, it
has appeared the cause and effect is almost like the chicken and the egg.
They are many times difficult to differentiate.

History: About two months ago started to notice my horse, when trotting down
a straight road would start to "crab" to the right a bit. On a narrow trail
or twisting road things were fine but on the straight the crabbing to the
right would persist. I would correct by using leg and or reins but soon back
into the offset action. What was causing this effect? I checked saddle,
legs, feet, shoes and every thing I could think of and could find nothing
out of the ordinary.

Then when riding about a month ago after five or six miles I was in pain,
left hip. Well it got worse and in a few days I could hardly walk. I knew
what the effect was but what was the cause? Old age and needing a new hip?
So off to the Dr. X-rays and no hip problems. By this time I was in total
agony writhing on the floor at times. Checked with neurosurgeon and after
MRI mad Myliogram with dye in spine found the nerve to the leg being
severely pinched. So my session in the hospital this week for spinal
surgery. Now I can walk again.

Related to our horses: Our horse shows signs of lameness, I showed signs of
lameness. We look at the effect, lameness, but how often do we REALLY look
at the ultimate cause. My horse was not traveling correctly but I never
continued my search, totally, for the cause. I never looked at the
possibility that I might be the cause.

Now, the horse is lame but, is the lameness, the effect, caused by an
immediate local cause or by some remote under lying cause? In my case the
cause was something that did not hurt, directly, in the actual trauma
location. At this moment, I have a swollen, sore knee, with no trauma
directly to the knee. It is from the damaged nerves in the spinal area. It
will take some time for the results of the damage to heal. The cause was
found but the effect lingers.

I have pondered these thoughts lately, how often do we just treat our horses
effect with out ever finding the cause. And how often do we get impatient
with the healing process when we think we have solved the cause therefore
the effect should be resolved. Is our rush to alleviate our horses symptoms
leading us astray? We go to a Vet and he says, clinically this effect is
caused by ...(hip pain, bad hip)....  So do this. When the cause might be a
bad saddle fit or a bad rider position or many other causes.

Should we start to question our Vets (Doctors as well). Are you positive
this is the cause? Are there other possibilities. Now, cause and effect. The
one part of veterinary science where I see considerable study in this is
equine nutrition. This is not said to please SUG or Sarah, but they do have
a finger on cause and effect in their field. The field of lameness and other
physiological problems, I am beginning to feel, is lacking in depth. I
believe it is lacking in depth because we, as concerned horse owners and
users, while knowing our own horses much better than any vet could ever know
them, are satisfied by a direct positive answer based on a ten minute exam.
I believe we need to say "are you sure and could there be alternative causes
we have not looked at?" This is not a criticism of our vets. They are what
we have made them. Traci and Barney I ask you comments, am I off base on
this? I feel we need to have more open dialogue with our vets at all times,
not just when there are problems but to explore cause and effect with out
horses. I believe it could make us better caretakers of our animals and at
the same time enlarge the knowledge of out vet requirements.

To summarize, I did not listen to my horse. He was telling me, albeit in a
subtle manner, that I was hurting. I hurt, but was not satisfied until I
knew the ultimate cause of the hurt effect.. I also learned the relief of
the cause does not always alleviate the effect, tincture of time is
ultimately necessary. We tend to forget this with our horses all to often.
Then we need to communicate more amongst our selves and more importantly
with our vets and farriers. Much more.

Yes, this has been a ramble but I hope it provokes some thought. And please,
our vets, chime in. do you appreciate the owner interaction or would you be
annoyed by it.

Bob Morris
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID