Conservative update: We need a full diagnosis to be sure
15 Dec 2022
We have a vet coming into the yard later this week to do a full clinical diagnosis on Conservative. This will involve a camera going up his nose and down into his windpipe, and I just want to do this so we can rule out any problems with his breathing. It’s a perfectly normal procedure for a horse, and won’t cause them anything more than maybe some minor discomfort at the time. Normally you would do that with a horse who is making a noise, whether that be a whistle, gargling or choking, but that is not the case with Conservative. However, there is something not quite right. I just can’t seem to diagnose what it is, so we need to get this extra veterinary help.
When his work rider Dale Swift rode him in a piece of work last week, he said he was reaching forward with his head, and making what he could only describe as a sort of grunting noise. I’ve never had this before in my time as a trainer. Once we get the full results of the clinical diagnosis, I will report them back to you. In a way, you want them to find something which isn’t serious, as then you know what the problem is and it can be treated. If the results come back all clear, I will be left scratching my head.
All we have been doing with him at home in the meantime is working him at a steady pace to keep up his basic fitness levels. We don’t want to be pushing him hard until we find out what the problem is.
The weather has taken a real turn over the last few days, as I am sure you will have seen with all the racing which has been abandoned, particularly over the jumps. We are used to temperatures dropping below freezing point. Fortunately, the all-weather gallops help during this time of the year. Hopefully, temperatures will start climbing again soon as we don’t want to miss out on too much racing.
Scott Dixon
When his work rider Dale Swift rode him in a piece of work last week, he said he was reaching forward with his head, and making what he could only describe as a sort of grunting noise. I’ve never had this before in my time as a trainer. Once we get the full results of the clinical diagnosis, I will report them back to you. In a way, you want them to find something which isn’t serious, as then you know what the problem is and it can be treated. If the results come back all clear, I will be left scratching my head.
All we have been doing with him at home in the meantime is working him at a steady pace to keep up his basic fitness levels. We don’t want to be pushing him hard until we find out what the problem is.
The weather has taken a real turn over the last few days, as I am sure you will have seen with all the racing which has been abandoned, particularly over the jumps. We are used to temperatures dropping below freezing point. Fortunately, the all-weather gallops help during this time of the year. Hopefully, temperatures will start climbing again soon as we don’t want to miss out on too much racing.
Scott Dixon
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