Dazed and Confused

I think I've been a little bit dazed and confused since the knee-meets-head incident. 

Last Wednesday, during our ride, Cartman was coughing, a lot.  Every time we'd do some trotting or loping he'd cough like he had something stuck in his throat.  It got progressively worse throughout the ride so we took it easy and did mostly walking for the last half.

I worried he'd got something stuck in his throat because that is what it sounded like, like he was trying to clear his throat.

Thursday I was really not on top of my game.  I put C on the lunge line for a minute before feeding that evening to see if he would display the coughing.  He did not.  I then head d up to the house and proceeded to leave the water on filling a trough and completely draining our 1000 gallon holding tank and sucking the spring dry over night. 

Friday Todd spent several hours fixing my mess with the water system.  I didn't hear Cartman doing any coughing but really wasn't home much.  Did I mention I just worked a 60 hour week?  It sucked.

So, finally getting to my point here....

Today Michelle and I did a ride on the trails, in preparation for the Seneca Stampede next weekend.  We took advantage of the Telegraph Run trail to get in  some good hill climbs at the trot and canter.  After our first canter set C started coughing again.  He was almost panting and that is not normal for him at all.  I've never really gotten this horse truly winded like this.

We walked for a while.  C's ears were up, he was forward.  We then did some jogging and he seemed just fine.  We pulled some really steep hills and after these he would do one or two small coughs.

At the end of our ride we were untacking at the trailer and I turned around and spotted the tiniest little bit of yellow mucus in his left nostril! 

Crap!  How could I be so stupid not to think the coughing just might be a little cold???? That would explain the coughing.  But, he has never acted "sick" at all.  So tomorrow I will put in a call to Doc and see what he has to say about this.  Unfortunately my thermometer fell out of the medicine cabinet and exploded on the tack room floor, so I can't take a temp tonight.  Tomorrow I'll pick up a new one.

Crossing fingers that we get to go!