10/23/2026
Day 577:
Today was rainy and gross, and Easy and the others decided it was a perfectly good day to stay indoors. Honestly, I don’t blame them one bit. Some days are just made for staying somewhere dry and cozy!
Easy did have an appointment with Dr. Kayte today, though. I wanted to have her soft tissue assessed and treated following the inflammation she experienced with her Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis diagnoses. After everything her body has been dealing with, I wanted to check in on how she was feeling physically and make sure there weren’t any lingering issues that needed attention.
Tick-borne diseases can affect more than just how a horse feels on the surface. Lyme disease can cause inflammation and pain involving the muscles, joints and other tissues, while Anaplasmosis can cause a more widespread inflammatory response throughout the body. Depending on the individual horse and the severity of the illness, this can contribute to muscle soreness, stiffness, sensitivity to touch and changes in how they move or carry themselves. When a horse is uncomfortable, they may also develop compensatory movement patterns as they try to avoid putting stress on sore areas.
Even after the initial illness has improved, it can take time for the body to settle back into its normal patterns. That’s why I wanted to give Easy a chance to be assessed and see how everything was feeling.
Thankfully, the news was really encouraging!
Easy seems to be recovering well and felt really good overall. There were no major areas of restriction or misalignment, and she wasn’t showing any significant twists or compensations that needed addressing. Considering what her body has been through recently, that was wonderful news.
But honestly, one of the biggest things I noticed today wasn’t even physical. It was how much Easy has improved in the way she handled her treatment.
Easy has always been incredibly sensitive to touch and stimulation. In the past, bodywork could be a bit of an adventure because she would get overstimulated, fuss, fidget and constantly feel the need to move her feet and her mouth. And by constantly, I mean she would try to chew on Me, Dr. Kayte, the lead rope, the wall… basically anything within reach.
It could be difficult for her to stand quietly and settle into the process because she seemed to have so much going on that she struggled to just switch off and relax.
Today was different.
She stood there and accepted her treatment. Her eyes started to get sleepy, her feet became still, and her mouth was finally quiet (aside from some lovely licking and chewing). She wasn’t constantly looking for something to do or needing to redirect all that energy somewhere else. She seemed much more comfortable just standing there and processing what was happening.
And that made me so happy to see.
Licking and chewing can sometimes accompany relaxation during bodywork, although they aren’t a definitive measure of how a horse is feeling. What really stood out to me was the overall change in Easy’s behaviour and her ability to remain settled and comfortable throughout the session.
For a filly who has had a pretty eventful start to life, and who can sometimes struggle with sensory input, seeing her stand quietly and work through the experience like that feels like a big step forward.
It’s easy to focus on the big milestones when you’re watching a horse recover. We look for improvements in movement, changes in physical comfort and the return to normal routines. But sometimes, progress shows up in these smaller moments, too. In the ability to relax, to accept something that once felt overwhelming, and to simply stand there without feeling like you have to be busy every second.
Today, Easy gave us a little glimpse of that progress, and I couldn’t be happier with how she did.
Between recovering from her tick-borne illnesses and continuing to grow into the horse she’s meant to be, she’s been working hard. I’m so proud of this girl. Here’s to continued healing, more comfortable days and lots of little wins along the way.
