In January of this year, I had that awful flu that most of California had… for me, it was the worst cold/flu that I had ever experienced.
And now, my sense of smell is very dulled. It hasn’t come back.
Some of that is a blessing~ because I had a too powerful sense of smell. I think I irritated Hubby often with my, “What’s that smell?” or “What did you have for lunch?”…
But now, that SpideySense nasal prowess is – GONE.
And, I’m sad about it. Mostly because of my animals.
This is Gwen with the farrier last week. She is the MOST fragrant horse I own. I sunk my nose into her neck – nothing. I had been holding out hope that my sense of smell would come back. Not yet.
I’M MOST SAD ABOUT THE OLDSTERS
I feel really badly that I cannot sniff test my older ones, Dodger and Norma Jean. Besides loving to bury my face into Dodger’s little neck and smelling his musty ponyfragrance; I cannot smell his breath as he blows into my nose – like he has done since the day I met him, 24 years ago.
This makes me very sad. I miss the bond of that pony breath.
Also, I used my nose to make sure that they were healthy. I always keep an eye on their breath so I know if they have teeth issues or a sinus thing… or ulcers/stomach issues.
It feels as if I have lost a very familiar diagnostic tool.
Norma Jean and Dodger, my oldsters, with the farrier last week.
THEIR NATURAL SCENT WAS A BIG PART OF MY EXPERIENCE.
As I groom my horses, I have always breathed deeply and wallowed in their natural scents. I loved the way all of my animals smell, and I could tell one from another by scent. In fact, I wrote about. You can read that blogpost here.
Now that I cannot smell them – at all – it has broken my heart. Hugging and grooming them is not the same without that horsey smell.
And… I cannot smell when things are off. I cannot smell my tack room either, which is scary. Makes me want to keep it all really clean.
But what I really mean to say is that I MISS their natural scent desperately. I had no idea how much ‘breathing in’ the horse scent is part of the whole. I had no idea that the nose knows – so much.
I’m actually very sad and almost desperate for a cure. But I have been told that if my sense of smell hasn’t come back by now – it won’t.
If anyone knows of a cure, please, please email me.
In the meantime – GO HUG YOUR HORSE AND BREATH IN. You will miss it when it is gone.
BG waiting to have her teeth floated. I cannot smell her or even the fly spray I put on her.
MAY BUCKET FUND EMERGENCY SEIZURE! 53 HORSES! STARVING, PREGNANT MARES, TINY WEANLINGS AND YEARLINGS… click here to read their story. Click here to Donate! Thank you!
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–We are 2/3 the way there to helping ALL of these horses have a better life! (THIS MARE IN PARTICULAR JUST BREAKS MY HEART!! She is 22, starved and pregnant.)
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So sorry to hear this Dawn. I hope it comes back soon! Like you I’m a ‘super-smeller’ and taster, and it does have its drawbacks, but the smell of horses is so wonderful, and its very useful for telling if the dog’s ears are healthy too!