The treatment crisis terrified me.  I decided to try to get Chance to the hospital.

Tried I did.  For a total of 8 hours over the course of two days.

WE TRIED EVERYTHING!

Treats, grain, Quietex, walking, crossing lead ropes, talking, begging, pleading, more treats, another horse, a different loading angle, backing the trailer up to the barn doors, and 100000 other things.  I even rubbed lavender oil on his face.  After about 5 hours of trying calmly to coax him, I stopped.

The next day I decided to try it alone…just me and Chance….maybe the group of people was too scary?  I noticed his ataxia was worse and remembered that stress can increase the symptoms.  So, he and I walked and talked and I let him smell the trailer. Very low key.  After 3 hours of walking and talking, he finally walked up the ramp…and decided, nope!  That is when I knew that this wasn’t worth it.

He was scared and confused and that was okay.  We will figure out what to do from here, like we have with every other obstacle over the last 6 months.