USDF Interview: Richard D. Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, Diplomate ACVSMR

May 2016 cov

“Behind The Scenes: Richard D. Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, Diplomate ACVSMR”
USDF Connection
May 2016
United States Dressage Federation

A short interview with a veterinarian. Fairfield Equine

May 2016 text

©2016 United States Dressage Federation. Used by permission. Reproduction prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher.

[Previous Behind The Scenes]

Foto Friday: The Daily Object April 2016

Instagram header August 2015

Photo project from my Instagram feed, @rodneyssaga.
[Previous February & March]

April 2016

Specific: 23 photos
14 horse-related
10 food-related, human or equine
4 miscellaneous

General: Started Instagram as a blog tie-in [Rodney’s Instagram]. Did this instead. A single object each day. Nothing to do with the blog. Occasionally to do with horses. Published here for archival purposes.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Happy Health News

I need glasses.

That’s not the good bit. Since I have maxed out the number on my OTC readers, I was not surprised to hear that I need a prescription.

I sadly say goodbye to cheap glasses.
I sadly say goodbye to cheap glasses.

The welcome news is that the doctor predicts new glasses will make me feel better. Apparently compensating for imperfect vision leaves one with feelings of tiredness and general malaise.

Exactly!

This would explain why I have been drinking my bodyweight in soda, but still slugging around the house. Why I have had to dig deep to achieve the slightest amount of exercise. And why I have felt compelled to hit myself over the head with the biggest hammer available [Inside My Head]. WHAM!

I have been blaming my tooth. That has been the answer often enough in the past [Today, 2nd paragraph]. My medical advisor said no. We hit it hard enough last fall that it should not be giving me problems. Since then, I have been blaming my tooth and my medical advisor. Mea culpa.

I did not mention any of this to the doctor. Why would I? She’s an eye doctor. To a GP, maybe, but why would you talk moods to your eye doc? So, the advice was unprompted. Unless my crows feet were wearing galoshes.

I feel better already. I feel better knowing there is a reason. I feel better knowing there is a reason that makes theoretical sense and fits the data. I feel better knowing that I am not – completely – a useless puddle of sloth (the deadly sin, not the cuddly critter [The Bloggess: The man deserves a damn medal]).

How does this affect you, Gentle Reader? By and large, y’all stop by for amusing horse shenanigans, not for my latest medical report. In my life, everything eventually ends up at the barn. Hope requires energy. I have not had a surplus of either lately. As my zest for life increases, my enthusiasm to work with Rodney & Milton will increase. If I am at least attempting progress at home, I predict more faith in myself with the Saddlebreds [Nerves Update]. Result, more adventures, less whinging, more entertaining posts. Win, win, win.

Finally, this fuels to my long-held belief that the mind-body duality is a myth.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Remnant of Rodney’s Past

Rodney sideview May 2016

I’ve talked a lot about Rodney’s back injury [Daddy Dearest, Piling on the Therapy]. I haven’t mentioned the scar on his other side, pictured here. It is from, we were told, an altercation with a doorlatch. The entire scar is 10″ long. The section with underlying muscle damage is 5″ long. The deep divot that reaches down to his ribs is about 1 1/2″ long. I’ve worked on it over the years: massaging it, applying whatever unguents we are putting on his back [Australian Dream Cream, Zheng Gu Shui]. No change. Although it lies under the saddle flap, it doesn’t seem to bother him. Not that I’ve had much chance to test that premise.

When Rodney goes into panic mode, he completely loses his proprioception [Reference Photos].

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott