It's always something, isn't it? Again, I lament, even if we wrapped them up in bubble wrap and locked them snugly away in a padded stall they'd still manage to find some insane way to injure themselves.
Ugh.
I was sitting in my intellectual property law class at 8:30 p.m. when the first ominous text came through: "Call as soon as you can." Oh, that can't be good.
Then the second came through shortly later, this one from my daughter: "Gabe was very bad! He broke through the fence at the top paddock! A lot of poles are bent, two lost the caps, almost all of them have a torn down wire."
Oh. Crap. I'm an hour away from home, it's dark out and I'm in the middle of a lecture I can't just get up and sneak out of. So of course, I'm freaking out and mentally trying to urge the professor to talk faster and get us out early.
He did. I called home immediately to find out what was going on and if I should start panicking or if the vet needed to be called out again. I just had him out a few weeks ago because the big gray guy was colicking. Always something!
I learned that yes, he had gone through the fence, and yes, he did have some injuries. But, my boyfriend is still learning about horse first aid and couldn't tell me how bad the wounds were. "Well, they are bleeding but they aren't gushing blood." he relayed. He is very observant about the horses' behavior and noticed that Gabe just didn't seem to be his typical self: He wouldn't eat and seemed depressed but did have good gut sounds and wasn't acting like he was colicking, just not himself.
Still an hour away from home all I could do was drive (while keeping it at a safe, mostly legal speed!) and imagine the absolute worst.
When I got home I immediately pulled on the headlamp and went out to check out my guy. Yup, he was definitely cut up, but nothing to call the vet over. He has some cuts on his left stifle and cuts on his right forearm. He wasn't lame, but that rear leg was swollen and sore. I'm guessing he tried to go OVER the fence at a post and failed to clear it. All I have to say is thank GOODNESS I have every single post capped. The injuries would have been much more severe, perhaps even fatal, if he'd tried to go over a capless post and hung up on the top electric rope. And thank goodness I use electric rope with insulators that will break under pressure...if the fence hadn't given and the insulators broke to drop the fence to the ground, the injuries could have very well been significantly worse.
I scrubbed him up good with Betadine, sprayed the cuts with an antibiotic and dosed him with some bute to alleviate some of that soreness.
He was eating fine (had to soak a bit of grain to mix with the bute) and seemed to be himself again, so colic wasn't a worry any longer.
This morning he was still sore, but not lame, and the wounds look good and clean. Chief, however, also appears sore but he didn't go through the fence so I'm wondering what happened to my horses up in the pasture while no one was home.
What could have made Gabe go through the fence? He typically respects the fence and doesn't test it or push on it or even go near it unless he's face-fighting with Chief. He knows it bites hard and he tends to avoid that bite. What could have not only made Gabe freak out enough to go through the fence, but also apparently freak Chief out enough that he ran until he was sore?
I don't know, but I have a couple of guesses. The neighbor's peacocks are in super-roam mode again and my horses DO NOT LIKE the peacocks at all. My best guess is the peacocks paid the horses a visit and freaked them out, add to that the fact that the farmers were out in the field next to the pasture yesterday, which usually doesn't bother the horses but if you combine a couple of big tractors, dust and peacocks, it may have been enough to send them all into a tizzy. Ugh.
I hate mysteries like this, not knowing what caused the issue in the first place so I can try to prevent it from happening again.
And now I have a damn fence to fix.
Horses...it's a damn good thing I love 'em as much as I do.
Showing posts with label health and vet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health and vet. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Colic is a four-letter word
Sometimes it seems that no matter what precautions you take, how hard you work to keep your horses' living space as safe as possible or the efforts you make to keep them as healthy and happy as possible, something is bound to go wrong.
That's why it's a common theory that even wrapping our equine friends up in bubble wrap and keeping them in a padded stall wouldn't make a difference. They'd still manage to find a way to injure or sicken themselves. I'm pretty sure most of them are subconsciously suicidal.
Gabe colicked last weekend.
Colic is a horse owner's worst nightmare, in my opinion. I've lost two wonderful horses to colic and it's not something I ever take lightly. You never know whether your colicking horse simply has a little painful gas or something far worse, like a twisted gut or perforated intestine.
You just never know. And often you just never know what causes it. For such powerful, beautiful, wonderful animals, horses sure are delicate creatures.
I knew instantly when I saw him Saturday morning that things were not right in Gabe's world. One more advantage to having them at home: I know them, I know how they typically behave and I know something is wrong where someone else might not immediately recognize subtle signs and changes.
Gabe had all the classic colic symptoms: He was biting at his side, anxious, throwing himself to the ground, laying out flat then getting up to throw himself down again, walking in circles, pawing, sweating, breathing hard and obviously in pain.
He had almost no gut sounds on one side and very weak gut sounds on the other. He passed a few very hard, dry poop balls and it took him some effort to do even that.
There was no question in my mind that he was colicking and also no question that the vet would be called.
But I always wonder whether or not I should dose a colicking horse with Banamine before I call the vet. Will the Banamine mask symptoms? Am I doing additional harm to a horse who may already be dehydrated?
My mom is a vet, but unfortunately lives all the way on the other side of the country, so having her come out to treat my horses is kind of out of the question.
But I can call for advice and call I did. I guess it was about 5 a.m. her time and I woke her up, but thankfully, hearing her voice on the other end calmed me down and helped me think more clearly.
No Banamine, she advised, unless my vet gave the okay.
Thankfully my vet is only 15 minutes away from my farm, so he was there pretty quickly. By that time Gabe was feeling a bit better, but still, I don't mess around with colic and I take no chances.
Poor guy was subjected to the indignity of a rectal exam and a tube up his nose for a good dose of oil. He got a sedative and a pain reliever and was pretty out of it but started to really feel better a couple of hours later.
The vet found no distended intestine indicating gas, nor could he find any twisted gut. So, who knows what caused Gabe so much pain.
But what if he HAD had a twisted gut and needed surgery to fix it? Would I put him through a major surgery?
This is something all horse owners should ask themselves before it happens and really think about what it logically and honestly before faced with it emotionally.
My answer is no, I wouldn't. For all of my horses. The answer to colic surgery will always be no in my book. And it's not because I don't love my horses and not because I wouldn't be heartbroken to have to make that decision, but considering it now, before I have to make that kind of decision, I know it would be the wisest and best one to make.
Not only do I not have the facilities to keep a horse on stall rest for months, but I also know any one of mine would be absolutely miserable locked up for months and the possibility of developing other post-surgical complications is likely.
Colic surgery is not only incredibly expensive, it is also incredibly risky and there is no guarantee that the horse won't colic again and no guarantee that he will survive the surgery and healing process either.
I hope I never, ever have to make that decision, but at least I know what that decision would be if it came down to it.
What would you do if faced with that decision?
That's why it's a common theory that even wrapping our equine friends up in bubble wrap and keeping them in a padded stall wouldn't make a difference. They'd still manage to find a way to injure or sicken themselves. I'm pretty sure most of them are subconsciously suicidal.
Gabe colicked last weekend.
Colic is a horse owner's worst nightmare, in my opinion. I've lost two wonderful horses to colic and it's not something I ever take lightly. You never know whether your colicking horse simply has a little painful gas or something far worse, like a twisted gut or perforated intestine.
You just never know. And often you just never know what causes it. For such powerful, beautiful, wonderful animals, horses sure are delicate creatures.
I knew instantly when I saw him Saturday morning that things were not right in Gabe's world. One more advantage to having them at home: I know them, I know how they typically behave and I know something is wrong where someone else might not immediately recognize subtle signs and changes.
Gabe had all the classic colic symptoms: He was biting at his side, anxious, throwing himself to the ground, laying out flat then getting up to throw himself down again, walking in circles, pawing, sweating, breathing hard and obviously in pain.
He had almost no gut sounds on one side and very weak gut sounds on the other. He passed a few very hard, dry poop balls and it took him some effort to do even that.
There was no question in my mind that he was colicking and also no question that the vet would be called.
But I always wonder whether or not I should dose a colicking horse with Banamine before I call the vet. Will the Banamine mask symptoms? Am I doing additional harm to a horse who may already be dehydrated?
My mom is a vet, but unfortunately lives all the way on the other side of the country, so having her come out to treat my horses is kind of out of the question.
But I can call for advice and call I did. I guess it was about 5 a.m. her time and I woke her up, but thankfully, hearing her voice on the other end calmed me down and helped me think more clearly.
No Banamine, she advised, unless my vet gave the okay.
Thankfully my vet is only 15 minutes away from my farm, so he was there pretty quickly. By that time Gabe was feeling a bit better, but still, I don't mess around with colic and I take no chances.
Poor guy was subjected to the indignity of a rectal exam and a tube up his nose for a good dose of oil. He got a sedative and a pain reliever and was pretty out of it but started to really feel better a couple of hours later.
The vet found no distended intestine indicating gas, nor could he find any twisted gut. So, who knows what caused Gabe so much pain.
But what if he HAD had a twisted gut and needed surgery to fix it? Would I put him through a major surgery?
This is something all horse owners should ask themselves before it happens and really think about what it logically and honestly before faced with it emotionally.
My answer is no, I wouldn't. For all of my horses. The answer to colic surgery will always be no in my book. And it's not because I don't love my horses and not because I wouldn't be heartbroken to have to make that decision, but considering it now, before I have to make that kind of decision, I know it would be the wisest and best one to make.
Not only do I not have the facilities to keep a horse on stall rest for months, but I also know any one of mine would be absolutely miserable locked up for months and the possibility of developing other post-surgical complications is likely.
Colic surgery is not only incredibly expensive, it is also incredibly risky and there is no guarantee that the horse won't colic again and no guarantee that he will survive the surgery and healing process either.
I hope I never, ever have to make that decision, but at least I know what that decision would be if it came down to it.
What would you do if faced with that decision?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Keepin' 'em healthy
Apparently I spoke too soon about having unseasonably warm weather.
It got cold and dumped ice and snow on us. Fun! Thank goodness the water tank heaters are working. I can deal with just about any aspect of winter that comes with having horses, but breaking ice I absolutely ABHOR.
Actually, instead of getting cold and staying cold, Mother Nature has been at the roulette table again. A day before the ice and cold it was 60+ degrees out. It got so damn cold and windy and snowy Thursday and Friday I ended up calling the farrier and giving him the option to reschedule. I don't have a proper barn so standing out there in the wind and cold and snow makes farrier work absolutely miserable. He rescheduled and I am glad he did! I don't like standing out there any more than he does! Their hooves actually look really, really good at the moment and it won't hurt hurt them one bit to wait a couple of weeks. Calypso has a touch of thrush in her front feet, but she always seems to have a touch of thrush, no matter how often I treat it.
Monday this week it was again 60+ degrees. Then it rained and rained and thunderstormed and hailed and the wind gusted like no one's business. Think Midwestern spring weather.
That evening, it turned frigid and cold again.
Weather like this is a horse owner's nightmare.
Colic is always a worry when the weather won't settle into something stable for a while. The constant change from warm to cold to warm to cold wreaks havoc on our poor beasts. And there's not a whole lot you can do to prevent it but keep them as hydrated, moving and as full of hay as they want to be. That's why I absolutely love my tank heaters and will never go through a winter without them. I know that my horses always have unfrozen, slightly warm water to keep their finicky digestive tracts moving like they are supposed to. And the extra helps too, not only to keep them toasty warm even on the most frigid nights, but to keep something in those guts. I'm a HUGE advocate of feeding well-soaked beet pulp during the winter, too, anything to help get as much water into them as possible, especially when it's cold and I know they tend to decrease their water intake. I think the horses really enjoy their morning and evening meals of steaming beet pulp, especially when sometimes I'm feeling extra generous and hide a couple of peppermints in the mix. They dig in and slurp away!
On the bright side, I've already noticed the daylight sticking around a little bit longer every day and poor Gabe is already starting to shed out some of his winter coat. The shedding seems a bit early to me, but who am I to argue with his internal clock? And it means spring is getting closer and closer, always a welcome time of year.
I have big plans for the spring, not only for riding and trail riding trips, but also plans to make some fairly significant lay-out changes to the farm to make things more user and horse friendly and make a little more room for a friend's horse I expect to move to my place this spring. We're moving paddocks, moving and rebuilding run-in sheds, increasing the size of the arena and adding a few more trails through the woods with cross country-style jump options. Actually, I need to get busy on clearing trails now, when all the foliage is gone and it's easy to get through the underbrush when I can see where my paths are going!
It got cold and dumped ice and snow on us. Fun! Thank goodness the water tank heaters are working. I can deal with just about any aspect of winter that comes with having horses, but breaking ice I absolutely ABHOR.
Actually, instead of getting cold and staying cold, Mother Nature has been at the roulette table again. A day before the ice and cold it was 60+ degrees out. It got so damn cold and windy and snowy Thursday and Friday I ended up calling the farrier and giving him the option to reschedule. I don't have a proper barn so standing out there in the wind and cold and snow makes farrier work absolutely miserable. He rescheduled and I am glad he did! I don't like standing out there any more than he does! Their hooves actually look really, really good at the moment and it won't hurt hurt them one bit to wait a couple of weeks. Calypso has a touch of thrush in her front feet, but she always seems to have a touch of thrush, no matter how often I treat it.
Monday this week it was again 60+ degrees. Then it rained and rained and thunderstormed and hailed and the wind gusted like no one's business. Think Midwestern spring weather.
That evening, it turned frigid and cold again.
Weather like this is a horse owner's nightmare.
Colic is always a worry when the weather won't settle into something stable for a while. The constant change from warm to cold to warm to cold wreaks havoc on our poor beasts. And there's not a whole lot you can do to prevent it but keep them as hydrated, moving and as full of hay as they want to be. That's why I absolutely love my tank heaters and will never go through a winter without them. I know that my horses always have unfrozen, slightly warm water to keep their finicky digestive tracts moving like they are supposed to. And the extra helps too, not only to keep them toasty warm even on the most frigid nights, but to keep something in those guts. I'm a HUGE advocate of feeding well-soaked beet pulp during the winter, too, anything to help get as much water into them as possible, especially when it's cold and I know they tend to decrease their water intake. I think the horses really enjoy their morning and evening meals of steaming beet pulp, especially when sometimes I'm feeling extra generous and hide a couple of peppermints in the mix. They dig in and slurp away!
On the bright side, I've already noticed the daylight sticking around a little bit longer every day and poor Gabe is already starting to shed out some of his winter coat. The shedding seems a bit early to me, but who am I to argue with his internal clock? And it means spring is getting closer and closer, always a welcome time of year.
I have big plans for the spring, not only for riding and trail riding trips, but also plans to make some fairly significant lay-out changes to the farm to make things more user and horse friendly and make a little more room for a friend's horse I expect to move to my place this spring. We're moving paddocks, moving and rebuilding run-in sheds, increasing the size of the arena and adding a few more trails through the woods with cross country-style jump options. Actually, I need to get busy on clearing trails now, when all the foliage is gone and it's easy to get through the underbrush when I can see where my paths are going!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Momma, I got the itchies
Gabe bit me on the leg this weekend.
Hard, right on the shin. And I reacted fast and popped him in the nose with my crop. How the heck did he get my shin, you may ask. Well, simple, actually. He reached his head around during our ride and bit me.
But I don't think he actually meant to bite me, I think he meant to bite himself. Strange? Maybe. We were out on a trail ride for about an hour, he was hot and sweaty and once he started getting sweaty he started reaching his head around to bite/itch his side right where the girth sits. It was really, really agitating him and was very distracting for him. I imagine it was driving him a little bit crazy which is why he got me instead of himself.
I don't know what is causing the itchiness, but I think I might have an idea. I use a fleece girth cover because his skin is so sensitive that if I don't the leather rubs him the wrong way and he hates it. I had JUST washed the fleece cover and for the first time ever used bleach on it. It was NASTY, it had to be done! Bleach is the only difference so I'm thinking his ultra-sensitive skin + freshly washed with bleach fleece cover + sweat = MISERABLE HORSE.
I'll be washing that cover again, without bleach this time and maybe even send it through the rinse cycle twice. Poor guy. It's got to be tough being such a sensitive guy!
Well, Chief is officially retired (semi-retired any way). We rode last night and Kayleigh got on Chief for the first time in over a month. He refused to trot and when he did trot he laid his ears flat back and bucked. He refused to step over a 12" jump and refused and refused and bucked until he was permitted to just slowly walk over it. He's NEVER bucked and never reacted like that to a request to trot or go over a small jump. I think he's really feeling that arthritis and it's time to retire him to just long, slow trail rides. No more trotting, no more jumping. Just slow, easy stuff to keep him moving. He does need to lose some weight and get more fit, and I told Kayleigh that will be her job, to get him fit with long, slow, easy rides because his joints will be much, much more comfortable if he uses them and is carrying less weight on them.
It sucks when your horses start to get old and creaky. Chief is 25 now, he'll be 26 in January. He deserves his retirement and has definitely earned it. I'll be keeping a close, close eye on him this winter. If the cold and the ice and the mud prove to be too much for him and he's in pain we can't control with Bute, we may have to make a tough, tough decision that I don't even want to have to think about.
Hard, right on the shin. And I reacted fast and popped him in the nose with my crop. How the heck did he get my shin, you may ask. Well, simple, actually. He reached his head around during our ride and bit me.
But I don't think he actually meant to bite me, I think he meant to bite himself. Strange? Maybe. We were out on a trail ride for about an hour, he was hot and sweaty and once he started getting sweaty he started reaching his head around to bite/itch his side right where the girth sits. It was really, really agitating him and was very distracting for him. I imagine it was driving him a little bit crazy which is why he got me instead of himself.
I don't know what is causing the itchiness, but I think I might have an idea. I use a fleece girth cover because his skin is so sensitive that if I don't the leather rubs him the wrong way and he hates it. I had JUST washed the fleece cover and for the first time ever used bleach on it. It was NASTY, it had to be done! Bleach is the only difference so I'm thinking his ultra-sensitive skin + freshly washed with bleach fleece cover + sweat = MISERABLE HORSE.
I'll be washing that cover again, without bleach this time and maybe even send it through the rinse cycle twice. Poor guy. It's got to be tough being such a sensitive guy!
Well, Chief is officially retired (semi-retired any way). We rode last night and Kayleigh got on Chief for the first time in over a month. He refused to trot and when he did trot he laid his ears flat back and bucked. He refused to step over a 12" jump and refused and refused and bucked until he was permitted to just slowly walk over it. He's NEVER bucked and never reacted like that to a request to trot or go over a small jump. I think he's really feeling that arthritis and it's time to retire him to just long, slow trail rides. No more trotting, no more jumping. Just slow, easy stuff to keep him moving. He does need to lose some weight and get more fit, and I told Kayleigh that will be her job, to get him fit with long, slow, easy rides because his joints will be much, much more comfortable if he uses them and is carrying less weight on them.
It sucks when your horses start to get old and creaky. Chief is 25 now, he'll be 26 in January. He deserves his retirement and has definitely earned it. I'll be keeping a close, close eye on him this winter. If the cold and the ice and the mud prove to be too much for him and he's in pain we can't control with Bute, we may have to make a tough, tough decision that I don't even want to have to think about.
Monday, June 20, 2011
On beatings, bruises and blackwater blues
Funny how sometimes it seems the world conspires against you when all you want to do is ride.
I didn't get to take Gabe out this weekend: Torrential downpours have most of the region under water and Gabe, unfortunately, was in no condition for any kind of riding.
Calypso went on a tear...again...and beat the holy hell out of him. She did this around this time last year too — gets him cornered and just lays into him without mercy. He was body sore, big time, cuts and abrasions on both sides of his body, bumps and contusions from neck to rump. I couldn't run my hand over him without him flinching. Everything got checked, cleaned and medicated and he spent the next couple of days on bute to alleviate some of the pain and inflammation.
That mare, while sweet and loveable to people, can be such a bitch to the geldings. She beats Chief up from time to time, but never as badly as she pounds on Gabe. I think it's probably because while Chief will take a bit of it, he does fight back when she crosses his line. Gabe does not, ever. Instead of raising a hoof to her he tries to get away. He does not like conflict, period, and is perfectly content with just staying out of her way to avoid her wrath, but when she corners him and he can't get away, she is heartless.
Again, as I did last year, I am considering separating the geldings from the mare during turnout and see how those two do together. Every time Chief lays into Gabe it seems that Calypso was the cause, one way or another...two boys fighting over a girl is basically what it amounts to. High school drama drama drama.
So, no riding Gabe this weekend. Some of the contusions were situated right where the saddle would be or where my legs would bump his sides.
Sunday rolls around and I thought, well, I'll just take Calypso out instead, apparently she needs a few soaking wet saddle pads any way. Nothing like a good workout for a solid attitude adjustment.
Again, torrential downpours over night which added to an already saturated and flooded region. It poured enough that my basement flooded and muddy water overflowed into the sparkling clean swimming pool. That's a lot of freaking rain. *sigh* Once again, no riding for me. The day was spent cleaning the basement then mowing the yard that had, in a week's time, grown at least 8 inches. Welcome to the jungle, baby! The hot, humid, wet, everything-is-molding or mildewed jungle. My poor, poor tack is growing green fuzz and I can't keep up with the growth rate! Is there anything out there that inhibits mold/mildew growth on leather? I can use some suggestions!
On the bright side the pastures are verdant and thick and absolutely beautiful...too bad the horses can't enjoy the lushness because the fields are FREAKING SWAMPS!!!! I'm thinking rice paddies might be a good investment.
I didn't get to take Gabe out this weekend: Torrential downpours have most of the region under water and Gabe, unfortunately, was in no condition for any kind of riding.
Calypso went on a tear...again...and beat the holy hell out of him. She did this around this time last year too — gets him cornered and just lays into him without mercy. He was body sore, big time, cuts and abrasions on both sides of his body, bumps and contusions from neck to rump. I couldn't run my hand over him without him flinching. Everything got checked, cleaned and medicated and he spent the next couple of days on bute to alleviate some of the pain and inflammation.
That mare, while sweet and loveable to people, can be such a bitch to the geldings. She beats Chief up from time to time, but never as badly as she pounds on Gabe. I think it's probably because while Chief will take a bit of it, he does fight back when she crosses his line. Gabe does not, ever. Instead of raising a hoof to her he tries to get away. He does not like conflict, period, and is perfectly content with just staying out of her way to avoid her wrath, but when she corners him and he can't get away, she is heartless.
Again, as I did last year, I am considering separating the geldings from the mare during turnout and see how those two do together. Every time Chief lays into Gabe it seems that Calypso was the cause, one way or another...two boys fighting over a girl is basically what it amounts to. High school drama drama drama.
So, no riding Gabe this weekend. Some of the contusions were situated right where the saddle would be or where my legs would bump his sides.
Sunday rolls around and I thought, well, I'll just take Calypso out instead, apparently she needs a few soaking wet saddle pads any way. Nothing like a good workout for a solid attitude adjustment.
Again, torrential downpours over night which added to an already saturated and flooded region. It poured enough that my basement flooded and muddy water overflowed into the sparkling clean swimming pool. That's a lot of freaking rain. *sigh* Once again, no riding for me. The day was spent cleaning the basement then mowing the yard that had, in a week's time, grown at least 8 inches. Welcome to the jungle, baby! The hot, humid, wet, everything-is-molding or mildewed jungle. My poor, poor tack is growing green fuzz and I can't keep up with the growth rate! Is there anything out there that inhibits mold/mildew growth on leather? I can use some suggestions!
On the bright side the pastures are verdant and thick and absolutely beautiful...too bad the horses can't enjoy the lushness because the fields are FREAKING SWAMPS!!!! I'm thinking rice paddies might be a good investment.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Stand there and take it, you big chicken
After last week's peacock incident with the Big Man I decided a bit of peacock de-sensitizing was in order.
Gabe was none to pleased with me at first. He was pretty darn sure I was the one who had lost my ever-loving mind when I forced him to stand nicely while Mr. 1,000 Eyes Horse-Eater was in full strut and screaming for his girlfriends less than 20 feet away.
At first I was horrible and terrible and wicked mean for making him stand and just watch that peacock get closer and closer. I was even more horrible when I encouraged him to take a few steps towards the peacock as Mr. Peacock has his back towards us and was strutting away. He jumped sideways, blew hard at him, showed him the whites of his eyes the tried to climb into my pocket.
I told him what a nut he is for being terrified of a stinkin' BIRD. A BIRD! He didn't believe me and tried to push me to the front so I'd be the first one devoured and he'd have time to haul ass away.
So we stood and watched the peacock strut around and scream and I fed Gabe treats every time he'd stand nicely without wiggle-worming around trying to make the mind-blowing experience as pleasant as possible. Of course, I talked to him and called him many names: Moron, Goof-ball, Chickenshit, Pansy, Nutcase, Half-Wit, Goober and Peabrain...all in my sweetest most comforting voice possible.
Half an hour or so later the peacock was No Big Thing any more. Gabe gave him a bit of an OH MY GOD! glance when the bird lowered his massive plumage and jumped up onto the fence fairly close to him, but he didn't move, just looked.
Progress! Yay!
I groomed him, tacked him and took him out for a ride. And the poor guy is SORE. Not dead limping lame, but sore enough that I just walked him around for about 15 mins., worked on leg yielding a bit and called it done. The only thing I can imagine that would have made him sore was his ill-conceived leap sideways over the fence. He may have pulled or twisted something just enough to be ouchie. I could find no heat, no swelling, I palpated and got no OUCH! reactions, so, who knows.
Two bute and call me in the morning. I'll give him a couple of days to rest up and see if he's still sore. If he is, guess there will be a vet bill in my future.
The personality differences and braveness levels in my horses constantly amuse me.
Calypso, that fiesty little mare, has no fear of the peacock. Actually, I think she's pretty fed up with that bird roosting on HER run-in and violating her sensitive ears with his high-pitched screams.
So, what's a good lead mare do?
Attack the peacock of course and run him off. She has gone after my chickens from time to time when she decides she's had enough of their food-stealing ways. She's kicked a couple of them. Last night she went after that peacock, neck snaked, ears flat, teeth bared and tried to stomp him. She chased him through two paddocks and wasn't happy until he was well out of her paddock and on his merry way. I'm not quite sure what she would have done if the peacock had turned around and popped that plumage on her. Run the other way most likely!
Gabe was none to pleased with me at first. He was pretty darn sure I was the one who had lost my ever-loving mind when I forced him to stand nicely while Mr. 1,000 Eyes Horse-Eater was in full strut and screaming for his girlfriends less than 20 feet away.
At first I was horrible and terrible and wicked mean for making him stand and just watch that peacock get closer and closer. I was even more horrible when I encouraged him to take a few steps towards the peacock as Mr. Peacock has his back towards us and was strutting away. He jumped sideways, blew hard at him, showed him the whites of his eyes the tried to climb into my pocket.
I told him what a nut he is for being terrified of a stinkin' BIRD. A BIRD! He didn't believe me and tried to push me to the front so I'd be the first one devoured and he'd have time to haul ass away.
So we stood and watched the peacock strut around and scream and I fed Gabe treats every time he'd stand nicely without wiggle-worming around trying to make the mind-blowing experience as pleasant as possible. Of course, I talked to him and called him many names: Moron, Goof-ball, Chickenshit, Pansy, Nutcase, Half-Wit, Goober and Peabrain...all in my sweetest most comforting voice possible.
Half an hour or so later the peacock was No Big Thing any more. Gabe gave him a bit of an OH MY GOD! glance when the bird lowered his massive plumage and jumped up onto the fence fairly close to him, but he didn't move, just looked.
Progress! Yay!
I groomed him, tacked him and took him out for a ride. And the poor guy is SORE. Not dead limping lame, but sore enough that I just walked him around for about 15 mins., worked on leg yielding a bit and called it done. The only thing I can imagine that would have made him sore was his ill-conceived leap sideways over the fence. He may have pulled or twisted something just enough to be ouchie. I could find no heat, no swelling, I palpated and got no OUCH! reactions, so, who knows.
Two bute and call me in the morning. I'll give him a couple of days to rest up and see if he's still sore. If he is, guess there will be a vet bill in my future.
The personality differences and braveness levels in my horses constantly amuse me.
Calypso, that fiesty little mare, has no fear of the peacock. Actually, I think she's pretty fed up with that bird roosting on HER run-in and violating her sensitive ears with his high-pitched screams.
So, what's a good lead mare do?
Attack the peacock of course and run him off. She has gone after my chickens from time to time when she decides she's had enough of their food-stealing ways. She's kicked a couple of them. Last night she went after that peacock, neck snaked, ears flat, teeth bared and tried to stomp him. She chased him through two paddocks and wasn't happy until he was well out of her paddock and on his merry way. I'm not quite sure what she would have done if the peacock had turned around and popped that plumage on her. Run the other way most likely!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
To shoe, or not to shoe?
I have never had shoes on Gabe. I know he wore shoes at the track, but when he came to me, he was barefoot and has the most beautiful feet I think I've ever seen, especially for a Thoroughbred.
His hooves are big, well-shaped and hard as rocks. He is not tenderfooted and does very well barefoot.
Lately I've been thinking about whether I should have him shod this summer or not. A lot of the trails/roads I ride near my farm are gravel. He does get "ouchy" on the gravel, which I'm sure makes the ride not so much fun for him. Then, I think about the damage that shoeing does to an otherwise healthy, hard hoof. I'm not so willing to start doing that and possibly weaken his feet too much, plus, it's an added expense every six weeks that I just can't really justify right now, especially since it's not a necessary expense.
But I need to do something so we can go riding even on the rockiest roads. I've been bouncing the idea of hoof boots around in my head and done a little bit of research on different styles of boots, but can't figure out what I need to look for. I've heard stories about hoof boots just not lasting long enough to justify the cost, boots that won't stay on, boots that rub pasterns raw or allow sand/dirt/rocks down into them and rub/bruise the pastern/hoof.
I've never used hoof boots on my horses before, so I'm a newbie.
Any suggestions as far as style/brand I should be looking for? What should I absolutely avoid? We don't do slow trail rides as often as we do plenty of trotting, cantering and a wee bit of galloping during our rides. The last thing I need is a hoof boot flying off during a gallop and having it whack him in the belly or get tangled up in his legs.
His hooves are big, well-shaped and hard as rocks. He is not tenderfooted and does very well barefoot.
Lately I've been thinking about whether I should have him shod this summer or not. A lot of the trails/roads I ride near my farm are gravel. He does get "ouchy" on the gravel, which I'm sure makes the ride not so much fun for him. Then, I think about the damage that shoeing does to an otherwise healthy, hard hoof. I'm not so willing to start doing that and possibly weaken his feet too much, plus, it's an added expense every six weeks that I just can't really justify right now, especially since it's not a necessary expense.
But I need to do something so we can go riding even on the rockiest roads. I've been bouncing the idea of hoof boots around in my head and done a little bit of research on different styles of boots, but can't figure out what I need to look for. I've heard stories about hoof boots just not lasting long enough to justify the cost, boots that won't stay on, boots that rub pasterns raw or allow sand/dirt/rocks down into them and rub/bruise the pastern/hoof.
I've never used hoof boots on my horses before, so I'm a newbie.
Any suggestions as far as style/brand I should be looking for? What should I absolutely avoid? We don't do slow trail rides as often as we do plenty of trotting, cantering and a wee bit of galloping during our rides. The last thing I need is a hoof boot flying off during a gallop and having it whack him in the belly or get tangled up in his legs.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Mmm....farrier! Tastes like peppermint
My farrier has been out for about three months with a broken arm. Not just any old broken arm either. He got nailed by an exploding fuel cell to a nail gun while he was burning a pile of construction trash. It not only broke his arm, it tore his arm open to the bone and did some nerve damage. Ewwww!!!
So, my ponies have been farrier-less all summer. Surprisingly though, their feet looked pretty darn good considered. They all "self-trimmed" and when he was finally able to get out and get them done Monday, he really didn't have to do much but trim back a flare and run a rasp over them. Nothing major at all. I blame it on the pastures and the fact that I don't keep them stalled.
Gabe loves the farrier.
Seriously.
Well, he loves to try to chew on him any way. Nom nom nom! I spend the entire trim keeping Gabe's lips and teeth off Don's hat, chaps, shirt and butt. He is one mouthy little turd, that's for sure.
I have decided that I need to find someone who will teach me basic farrier skills. I don't want to learn to shoe (mine go barefoot any way) or learn how to do any kind of major foot work. I just want to learn how to maintain those hooves between trims so maybe I can stretch out the time between trims a bit and be knowledgeable enough to be able to care for those feet when things happen that prevent the farrier from coming out on a regular schedule.
I did buy a rasp to have on hand, just in case, but so far I've been a little hesitant to apply rasp to hoof. My luck I'd rasp it all the way down to a nub.
So, that's my next goal (a non-riding goal!) learn how to do minor maintenance on my horse's hooves.
So, my ponies have been farrier-less all summer. Surprisingly though, their feet looked pretty darn good considered. They all "self-trimmed" and when he was finally able to get out and get them done Monday, he really didn't have to do much but trim back a flare and run a rasp over them. Nothing major at all. I blame it on the pastures and the fact that I don't keep them stalled.
Gabe loves the farrier.
Seriously.
Well, he loves to try to chew on him any way. Nom nom nom! I spend the entire trim keeping Gabe's lips and teeth off Don's hat, chaps, shirt and butt. He is one mouthy little turd, that's for sure.I have decided that I need to find someone who will teach me basic farrier skills. I don't want to learn to shoe (mine go barefoot any way) or learn how to do any kind of major foot work. I just want to learn how to maintain those hooves between trims so maybe I can stretch out the time between trims a bit and be knowledgeable enough to be able to care for those feet when things happen that prevent the farrier from coming out on a regular schedule.
I did buy a rasp to have on hand, just in case, but so far I've been a little hesitant to apply rasp to hoof. My luck I'd rasp it all the way down to a nub.
So, that's my next goal (a non-riding goal!) learn how to do minor maintenance on my horse's hooves.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
This makes me so ANGRY!
Most of the time I'm a pretty laid back person and can take things in stride. But, there are a few things I get really, really angry about. Animal abuse and child abuse top my list.
For the past few years I've been trying to get something done about my neighbor's horses. I've reported them and I've provided hay for them (at no charge) when they were out. I've written about them previously here. This spring one of the three starving horses died after she got caught in their barbed wire fence and no one noticed she was missing for days.
This morning, the two remaining animals showed up on my farm and of course sent MY horses into a tizzy.
This is what I saw walking down my driveway:
This is Snickers, he is an Arabian cross and not older than 15. The POA in the background is Arrow, he doesn't look nearly as bad as Snickers.
There is absolutely no excuse, ever, for any animal to ever, ever look like this. None. People who are less informed may chalk this kind of condition up to age.
I've heard it more than once "You can't keep weight on old horses. They are just skinny."
Bullshit.
This isn't age. This is purely neglect and starvation and it doesn't happen over night. A body condition like this does not happen because you ran out of good hay for a week or two. This happens when you consistently don't feed quality feed or, heck, even bother to feed them at all.
Yes, older horses take more care, more calories, more hands-on maintenance and regular vet/dental care to keep them from getting to this point. Chief is 25. He looks fabulous, and is perhaps a bit on the too fat side. It takes a careful eye and adjusting of his diet to keep him healthy, but I do it because that's my responsibility. Period. I took on an aged horse knowing full well he could become expensive to maintain as he grew older.
I have dealt with horses who have a hard time holding weight. Star was one of those. I had to constantly pack the calories in her and keep the fat and protein in her diet fairly high, just to prevent her from becoming a walking rack of bones. Was it cheap? Hell no. Was it easy? Not a bit. Did I get to the point where she held her weight and looked GOOD? You betcha.
I have filed a report about these horses with the Sheriff's department and animal control. I can only hope they will do something to get these horses out of this situation. They deserve better.
For the past few years I've been trying to get something done about my neighbor's horses. I've reported them and I've provided hay for them (at no charge) when they were out. I've written about them previously here. This spring one of the three starving horses died after she got caught in their barbed wire fence and no one noticed she was missing for days.
This morning, the two remaining animals showed up on my farm and of course sent MY horses into a tizzy.
This is what I saw walking down my driveway:
This is Snickers, he is an Arabian cross and not older than 15. The POA in the background is Arrow, he doesn't look nearly as bad as Snickers. 
There is absolutely no excuse, ever, for any animal to ever, ever look like this. None. People who are less informed may chalk this kind of condition up to age. 
I've heard it more than once "You can't keep weight on old horses. They are just skinny."Bullshit.
This isn't age. This is purely neglect and starvation and it doesn't happen over night. A body condition like this does not happen because you ran out of good hay for a week or two. This happens when you consistently don't feed quality feed or, heck, even bother to feed them at all.
Yes, older horses take more care, more calories, more hands-on maintenance and regular vet/dental care to keep them from getting to this point. Chief is 25. He looks fabulous, and is perhaps a bit on the too fat side. It takes a careful eye and adjusting of his diet to keep him healthy, but I do it because that's my responsibility. Period. I took on an aged horse knowing full well he could become expensive to maintain as he grew older.I have dealt with horses who have a hard time holding weight. Star was one of those. I had to constantly pack the calories in her and keep the fat and protein in her diet fairly high, just to prevent her from becoming a walking rack of bones. Was it cheap? Hell no. Was it easy? Not a bit. Did I get to the point where she held her weight and looked GOOD? You betcha.
I have filed a report about these horses with the Sheriff's department and animal control. I can only hope they will do something to get these horses out of this situation. They deserve better.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
To boot....or not to boot?
Gabe's little pasture mishap got me thinking about protecting those beasts from themselves and making their self-destruct button a little harder for them to find.
I've worked for stables that all had very different methods of turnout for the horses. They all had very different philosophies about booting and wrapping for rides, too.
One barn required every horse to be booted or wrapped all around with bells on for turnout. Each horse was turned out alone for an hour a day in a small paddock that was not large enough to allow any kind of all-out cantering/galloping. Most went out in stable sheets and if they were likely to be bucking, farting, leaping silly first, longeing was required before turn-out. These horses were ridden by a trainer or an owner daily, booted and wrapped to the nines for the ride and often wrapped again in standing wraps and poultice after a workout.
It always seemed to me that about 1/4 of those horses spent a significant amount of time on stall rest recovering from some leg/joint injury or another.
At another barn, once the morning feed was done and everyone cleaned up their hay, stall doors were slid open and 35 horses released to race down the aisle into the connecting field. No boots, no wraps. Evening meal was the same routine reversed - the field gate opened and everyone raced in to find their stalls and dig in to dinner. Two horses trying to occupy one stall was not uncommon.
If injuries were going to happen at that barn, it was usually out in the field and usually caused by a tussle between horses. From time to time we'd have one go down in the aisle during the madcap race to get in or out of the barn. This was definitely NOT my favorite method of turnout, but I wasn't the barn owner, only the help.
A smaller show barn I managed for a time had several sizable pastures where horses were turned out in pairs or threes all day long. Herd partners were carefully selected and bells only went on those who were apt to pull a shoe or catch a heel. It was thoughtful booting instead of just booting everyone for the heck of it.
Injuries here were rare. We had one older show horse go through the board fence and sink a rather large splinter of shattered wood into his chest about 7 inches deep. I could fit my fist in the wound, had to clean and pack it twice a day and it took forever to heal. He also developed an allergy to no-see-ums, lost all his hair due to the allergy and eventually was retired to a home in a colder, northern clime due to the bizarre allergy.
But leg/joint injuries were rare. It was here the horses seemed most content and none had neurotic stall behavior.
My horses live outside 24/7: Gabe in his own paddock with a run-in shed, Chief and Calypso in another paddock with a run-in shed. Gabe would be a rack of bones if he lived with the other two...all they have to do is give him a dirty look and he moves away from his feed/hay and lets them have it.
They don't live in boots or wraps. When the big pastures are dry or frozen hard, they all get turned out together from sun up to sun down.
I don't always boot or wrap when I ride. When I worked at the big show barn where horses were wrapped all the time, I booted and wrapped my horse for every ride.
Then, I started thinking about it: Am I really doing my horses a favor by wrapping them for EVERY ride? If they are interfering, how can they feel it and adjust their movement to stop or lessen the interference? Was I enabling them to be lazy by protecting them from themselves? Was I making them dependent on the padding on their legs instead of trusting themselves and self-correcting?
So I stopped wrapping and booting for each ride and I haven't had a single workout-induced leg injury. (Knock on wood!) Now, I only wrap or boot if I know I'm going to be jumping, riding harder than usual (galloping, long, hard trails, etc.) or seriously concentrating on lateral work.
Then Gabe goes and breaks himself playing in the pasture and now I'm wondering if I should rethink my booting philosophy. Should I just go ahead and boot/wrap him if he's going out to play in the big field? But he's out there for hours at time...sometimes 12 hours or more, and again I'm having a conundrum. I risk damaging those tendons from heat held in by the boots and I could make him dependent on them, which I don't want to do. I like to have thinking horses who think about where they put their legs instead of just going around with those legs all akimbo.
But I also really want to protect them from themselves!
Ugh.
I've worked for stables that all had very different methods of turnout for the horses. They all had very different philosophies about booting and wrapping for rides, too.
One barn required every horse to be booted or wrapped all around with bells on for turnout. Each horse was turned out alone for an hour a day in a small paddock that was not large enough to allow any kind of all-out cantering/galloping. Most went out in stable sheets and if they were likely to be bucking, farting, leaping silly first, longeing was required before turn-out. These horses were ridden by a trainer or an owner daily, booted and wrapped to the nines for the ride and often wrapped again in standing wraps and poultice after a workout.
It always seemed to me that about 1/4 of those horses spent a significant amount of time on stall rest recovering from some leg/joint injury or another.
At another barn, once the morning feed was done and everyone cleaned up their hay, stall doors were slid open and 35 horses released to race down the aisle into the connecting field. No boots, no wraps. Evening meal was the same routine reversed - the field gate opened and everyone raced in to find their stalls and dig in to dinner. Two horses trying to occupy one stall was not uncommon.
If injuries were going to happen at that barn, it was usually out in the field and usually caused by a tussle between horses. From time to time we'd have one go down in the aisle during the madcap race to get in or out of the barn. This was definitely NOT my favorite method of turnout, but I wasn't the barn owner, only the help.
A smaller show barn I managed for a time had several sizable pastures where horses were turned out in pairs or threes all day long. Herd partners were carefully selected and bells only went on those who were apt to pull a shoe or catch a heel. It was thoughtful booting instead of just booting everyone for the heck of it.
Injuries here were rare. We had one older show horse go through the board fence and sink a rather large splinter of shattered wood into his chest about 7 inches deep. I could fit my fist in the wound, had to clean and pack it twice a day and it took forever to heal. He also developed an allergy to no-see-ums, lost all his hair due to the allergy and eventually was retired to a home in a colder, northern clime due to the bizarre allergy.
But leg/joint injuries were rare. It was here the horses seemed most content and none had neurotic stall behavior.
My horses live outside 24/7: Gabe in his own paddock with a run-in shed, Chief and Calypso in another paddock with a run-in shed. Gabe would be a rack of bones if he lived with the other two...all they have to do is give him a dirty look and he moves away from his feed/hay and lets them have it.
They don't live in boots or wraps. When the big pastures are dry or frozen hard, they all get turned out together from sun up to sun down.
I don't always boot or wrap when I ride. When I worked at the big show barn where horses were wrapped all the time, I booted and wrapped my horse for every ride.
Then, I started thinking about it: Am I really doing my horses a favor by wrapping them for EVERY ride? If they are interfering, how can they feel it and adjust their movement to stop or lessen the interference? Was I enabling them to be lazy by protecting them from themselves? Was I making them dependent on the padding on their legs instead of trusting themselves and self-correcting?
So I stopped wrapping and booting for each ride and I haven't had a single workout-induced leg injury. (Knock on wood!) Now, I only wrap or boot if I know I'm going to be jumping, riding harder than usual (galloping, long, hard trails, etc.) or seriously concentrating on lateral work.
Then Gabe goes and breaks himself playing in the pasture and now I'm wondering if I should rethink my booting philosophy. Should I just go ahead and boot/wrap him if he's going out to play in the big field? But he's out there for hours at time...sometimes 12 hours or more, and again I'm having a conundrum. I risk damaging those tendons from heat held in by the boots and I could make him dependent on them, which I don't want to do. I like to have thinking horses who think about where they put their legs instead of just going around with those legs all akimbo.
But I also really want to protect them from themselves!
Ugh.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Bubble wrap and boo-boos
Some days I truly believe we should just wrap all the horses in bubble wrap and keep them closed up tightly in padded stalls.
They do manage to break themselves, don't they? How they managed to survive saber-tooth tigers and an ice age I'll never know.
So, we've had insane amounts of mud since September. It has not been dry at all for about six months. Ugh. My pasture (the nice, big 10-acre one) has been far too soggy to let the horses out on for a couple of months. When it freezes good and hard, I can let them out for awhile without worrying they'll destroy all the grass out there. On Tuesday it was frozen enough to grant them their freedom for the day.
They all acted like they have been cooped up in little 12X12 stalls for months. The bucking, farting, rearing, racing, skidding, rolling, biting, kicking and all-around craziness was incredible to watch. These horses aren't kept cooped up. During the winter they live in paddocks that are just over an acre each. But as soon as you turn them out, they go nutso.
And Gabe managed to twist an ankle during his shenanigans. Silly boy. It didn't blow up like a ripe cantelope until the morning after the big play day. His front ankle (fetlock) is hot, swollen and a touch tender.
Thank goodness I'm fastidious about giving all the horses a once over every morning and evening. I check eyes, noses, gums (for capillary refill and color), legs, joints, body and attitude twice a day. It's a habit I picked up a long, long time ago when I worked at a barn that required me to take twice daily temps and do complete body checks of 20 horses. It's a habit that has served me well for catching injuries and illness quickly. I know my horses. I know when they are feeling crappy, depressed or have little injuries that need tending.
And I knew immediately he had pushed himself a bit too far the day before and was paying the price for it. So, I wrapped him up in a standing wrap, tossed a bute tab in his feed and left for work.
I also know how to wrap a standing wrap. I'm dang good at it and have wrapped THOUSANDS of legs without any problems.
But apparently I've never wrapped a horse quite as inquisitive and determined as good ole Gabe.
He managed to completed remove the quilt and shred it. The standing wrap was still intact, perfectly wrapped exactly as I had left it. I know he stood there all day long with his teeth on the quilt, tugging and working that sucker loose. I can just imagine the joy that raced through his silly little mind when he was finally able to yank it free and play with it.
Last night he got re-wrapped with vet wrap and NO quilt! The booger. He still had it on this morning but I could see where he'd been working at it with his teeth and lips. I swear...that horse...
The ankle looks much, much better this morning. The swelling and heat is almost completely gone and it's looking less like a cantelope and more like a fetlock. I don't like keeping them on bute for very long, so I switched him to aspirin for today and tomorrow. After that, he should be just fine.
It's always something, isn't it?
They do manage to break themselves, don't they? How they managed to survive saber-tooth tigers and an ice age I'll never know.
So, we've had insane amounts of mud since September. It has not been dry at all for about six months. Ugh. My pasture (the nice, big 10-acre one) has been far too soggy to let the horses out on for a couple of months. When it freezes good and hard, I can let them out for awhile without worrying they'll destroy all the grass out there. On Tuesday it was frozen enough to grant them their freedom for the day.
They all acted like they have been cooped up in little 12X12 stalls for months. The bucking, farting, rearing, racing, skidding, rolling, biting, kicking and all-around craziness was incredible to watch. These horses aren't kept cooped up. During the winter they live in paddocks that are just over an acre each. But as soon as you turn them out, they go nutso.
And Gabe managed to twist an ankle during his shenanigans. Silly boy. It didn't blow up like a ripe cantelope until the morning after the big play day. His front ankle (fetlock) is hot, swollen and a touch tender.
Thank goodness I'm fastidious about giving all the horses a once over every morning and evening. I check eyes, noses, gums (for capillary refill and color), legs, joints, body and attitude twice a day. It's a habit I picked up a long, long time ago when I worked at a barn that required me to take twice daily temps and do complete body checks of 20 horses. It's a habit that has served me well for catching injuries and illness quickly. I know my horses. I know when they are feeling crappy, depressed or have little injuries that need tending.
And I knew immediately he had pushed himself a bit too far the day before and was paying the price for it. So, I wrapped him up in a standing wrap, tossed a bute tab in his feed and left for work.
I also know how to wrap a standing wrap. I'm dang good at it and have wrapped THOUSANDS of legs without any problems.
But apparently I've never wrapped a horse quite as inquisitive and determined as good ole Gabe.
He managed to completed remove the quilt and shred it. The standing wrap was still intact, perfectly wrapped exactly as I had left it. I know he stood there all day long with his teeth on the quilt, tugging and working that sucker loose. I can just imagine the joy that raced through his silly little mind when he was finally able to yank it free and play with it.
Last night he got re-wrapped with vet wrap and NO quilt! The booger. He still had it on this morning but I could see where he'd been working at it with his teeth and lips. I swear...that horse...
The ankle looks much, much better this morning. The swelling and heat is almost completely gone and it's looking less like a cantelope and more like a fetlock. I don't like keeping them on bute for very long, so I switched him to aspirin for today and tomorrow. After that, he should be just fine.
It's always something, isn't it?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Who's on Ark duty?
Gabe is back to his old tricks so I'm assuming he's feeling 100 percent once again, thank goodness! I've decided to make all of the horse's morning and evening meals much soupier than I have been and I'm adding about a tablespoon of salt to each feeding to encourage the drinking. They are all gobbling it up and the level of the water tanks seem to be continuously falling, so that's a good thing.
I knew Gabe was definitely feeling better when he kept tipping over the wheel barrow, trying to steal the pitchfork out of my hands and hanging his head over my shoulder while I was cleaning his run-in Sunday. That horse knows exactly where to put his body so he's right where I want to clean! Then, he has to be right at my back, resting his chin on my shoulder, sighing into my ear and nuzzling at my hair. A year ago, he would have been biting chunks out of me, now, he just makes a pest of himself and begs for face and ear scratching.
It rained yet again and the weather forecasters are calling for MORE rain. The mud that was drying out a tad bit (still sticky and nasty, but a little firmer and some of the puddles had diminished in size a tad) is again thick, sticky and disgusting.
My husband and I spent part of the day Saturday removing a cross fence. We had the fence up back when Chief and Calypso couldn't play nice with Gabe so they were kept separated when turned out in the pastures. They all get along very well now so we decided to go ahead and take down the cross fence. The pasture is a bog. Both of us kept punching through the grassy sod into goopy, nasty mud below and making rather obscene squishing noises wherever we walked. I could pull the T-posts out of the soupy ground with ONE HAND, and those suckers were set deep. Our fences are capped T-posts with three strands of ElectroBraid. The corner posts are round 6-inch diameter wood posts set at least three feet into concrete. The freaking corner posts are LOOSE due to the bog-like conditions, the T-posts are loose and because we keep having freezing, thawing, freezing, thawing conditions, the ground has heaved some of them up and others out of the nice, neat, straight line they were set in. GAH! We have our work cut out for us when it finally does dry out enough to re-set and straighten some of those posts.
So, I've tried to think of a few positive things about all this rain and wet. I couldn't come up with many, not this time of year.
1. Our well is most certainly full!
2. Spring flowers and grass are getting a nice, long pre-season drink.
3. The water table is sufficiently high to deal with the summer dry season.
4. The waterfowl are happy.
5. The pond and creek are full, full, full!
6. We drained our 12-foot deep swimming pool this fall and it's almost FULL again! Guess we won't have to order a water truck in to refill it this spring.
I don't think I have enough blog space to list all the negative things about the rain and wet this time of year!
I'm a whole lot worried about what spring will bring as that is typically our "wet season." The road we live off has been flooded more often than not this year and the road itself is starting to crumble and sink. It's next to a deep, deep creek with very, very high banks. The creek has been creeping closer and closer and closer to the road and I have a feeling we may lose sections of the road entirely this spring if it's as wet and rainy as I expect it will be.
I knew Gabe was definitely feeling better when he kept tipping over the wheel barrow, trying to steal the pitchfork out of my hands and hanging his head over my shoulder while I was cleaning his run-in Sunday. That horse knows exactly where to put his body so he's right where I want to clean! Then, he has to be right at my back, resting his chin on my shoulder, sighing into my ear and nuzzling at my hair. A year ago, he would have been biting chunks out of me, now, he just makes a pest of himself and begs for face and ear scratching.
It rained yet again and the weather forecasters are calling for MORE rain. The mud that was drying out a tad bit (still sticky and nasty, but a little firmer and some of the puddles had diminished in size a tad) is again thick, sticky and disgusting.
My husband and I spent part of the day Saturday removing a cross fence. We had the fence up back when Chief and Calypso couldn't play nice with Gabe so they were kept separated when turned out in the pastures. They all get along very well now so we decided to go ahead and take down the cross fence. The pasture is a bog. Both of us kept punching through the grassy sod into goopy, nasty mud below and making rather obscene squishing noises wherever we walked. I could pull the T-posts out of the soupy ground with ONE HAND, and those suckers were set deep. Our fences are capped T-posts with three strands of ElectroBraid. The corner posts are round 6-inch diameter wood posts set at least three feet into concrete. The freaking corner posts are LOOSE due to the bog-like conditions, the T-posts are loose and because we keep having freezing, thawing, freezing, thawing conditions, the ground has heaved some of them up and others out of the nice, neat, straight line they were set in. GAH! We have our work cut out for us when it finally does dry out enough to re-set and straighten some of those posts.
So, I've tried to think of a few positive things about all this rain and wet. I couldn't come up with many, not this time of year.
1. Our well is most certainly full!
2. Spring flowers and grass are getting a nice, long pre-season drink.
3. The water table is sufficiently high to deal with the summer dry season.
4. The waterfowl are happy.
5. The pond and creek are full, full, full!
6. We drained our 12-foot deep swimming pool this fall and it's almost FULL again! Guess we won't have to order a water truck in to refill it this spring.
I don't think I have enough blog space to list all the negative things about the rain and wet this time of year!
I'm a whole lot worried about what spring will bring as that is typically our "wet season." The road we live off has been flooded more often than not this year and the road itself is starting to crumble and sink. It's next to a deep, deep creek with very, very high banks. The creek has been creeping closer and closer and closer to the road and I have a feeling we may lose sections of the road entirely this spring if it's as wet and rainy as I expect it will be.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ugh, not again!
So, it was Jan. 17 last year when I went out to feed at 6 a.m. and found Gabe colicking. Panic central. I've lost two horses to the dreaded "C" word and was terrified to lose my big baby.
Guess what I found when I went out to feed this morning? Yup. Gabe was colicking again, almost exactly one year later. Makes you really wonder how many colics are caused by weather/barometer changes. It was just about the same weather change last year when he colicked, but last year, the colic was MUCH worse, vet came out, muscle relaxers administered, the whole shebang.
This morning his discomfort was evident, but didn't seem nearly as painful as last time but he was definitely not interested in breakfast at all. This is a horse who lives to eat and eats with gusto. He didn't even flick an ear in my direction or greet me with a nicker, as he usually does.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Listened for gut sounds, yes, there were gut sounds. Checked temp and respiration...all normal. Capillary refill was a little bit slow and his gums a tad bit on the pale side. The newest poo pile I found in his run in was hard and dry and his hooves and legs were dry. Obviously the beast had decided not to venture out of his run-in to drink all night. It rained most of the night, so I don't blame him.
A quick call to the vet and a trip to the clinic for a couple of tubes of Bananime. I try to keep it on hand, but that stuff expires so fast (6 month shelf life) that I didn't have any good Banamine on hand. Thank goodness the vet is a quick 15 minute drive away! Dosed him up with the stuff and about an hour later, he was apparently feeling much better and started nibbling on his hay and eating his breakfast. Lots of farting, but no poo as of 10:30 a.m. I'm still keeping an eye on him. I still haven't seen him drink but I filled a bucket with warm water and left it in his run-in for him, so he doesn't have to venture out into the chilly rain if he doesn't want to. I'm getting ready to head up to the grocery store for a bag of apples so I can chop one up and float it in the water to try to encourage the drinking.
After I dosed him I spent a hour out there with him, not only to keep a close eye on him, but also to try to get some of that mud off. In an hour I managed to get him about half clean before he started getting extremely irritated with me. Those long hairs on his flanks and around his sheath apparently hurt A LOT when pulled! Poor guy. He rattles when he walks, the mud clods hanging off his hairs banging to together.
So, I'm staying home from work today to keep an eye on him. He's probably fine at this point, but you just never know. I wouldn't get a dang thing done today any way because I'd just be worried about him all day and unable to concentrate! At least I'll be able to get some things done around the place that I haven't been able to because I don't get home until dark. Those ponies need BRUSHING and run-ins need stripped. Of course, it's raining, such is my luck. Thank goodness for muck boots!
Guess what I found when I went out to feed this morning? Yup. Gabe was colicking again, almost exactly one year later. Makes you really wonder how many colics are caused by weather/barometer changes. It was just about the same weather change last year when he colicked, but last year, the colic was MUCH worse, vet came out, muscle relaxers administered, the whole shebang.
This morning his discomfort was evident, but didn't seem nearly as painful as last time but he was definitely not interested in breakfast at all. This is a horse who lives to eat and eats with gusto. He didn't even flick an ear in my direction or greet me with a nicker, as he usually does.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Listened for gut sounds, yes, there were gut sounds. Checked temp and respiration...all normal. Capillary refill was a little bit slow and his gums a tad bit on the pale side. The newest poo pile I found in his run in was hard and dry and his hooves and legs were dry. Obviously the beast had decided not to venture out of his run-in to drink all night. It rained most of the night, so I don't blame him.
A quick call to the vet and a trip to the clinic for a couple of tubes of Bananime. I try to keep it on hand, but that stuff expires so fast (6 month shelf life) that I didn't have any good Banamine on hand. Thank goodness the vet is a quick 15 minute drive away! Dosed him up with the stuff and about an hour later, he was apparently feeling much better and started nibbling on his hay and eating his breakfast. Lots of farting, but no poo as of 10:30 a.m. I'm still keeping an eye on him. I still haven't seen him drink but I filled a bucket with warm water and left it in his run-in for him, so he doesn't have to venture out into the chilly rain if he doesn't want to. I'm getting ready to head up to the grocery store for a bag of apples so I can chop one up and float it in the water to try to encourage the drinking.
After I dosed him I spent a hour out there with him, not only to keep a close eye on him, but also to try to get some of that mud off. In an hour I managed to get him about half clean before he started getting extremely irritated with me. Those long hairs on his flanks and around his sheath apparently hurt A LOT when pulled! Poor guy. He rattles when he walks, the mud clods hanging off his hairs banging to together.
So, I'm staying home from work today to keep an eye on him. He's probably fine at this point, but you just never know. I wouldn't get a dang thing done today any way because I'd just be worried about him all day and unable to concentrate! At least I'll be able to get some things done around the place that I haven't been able to because I don't get home until dark. Those ponies need BRUSHING and run-ins need stripped. Of course, it's raining, such is my luck. Thank goodness for muck boots!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Ribs? What ribs?
Calypso is fat and she keeps getting fatter. She's our one air fern and I can't seem to get her feed adjusted right! The mare is getting almost nothing in feed. She gets a large handful of oats and pelleted feed just to keep her busy while Chief is eating. She has put on mucho poundage since they have been out on pasture eating the lush grass they eat all day long! Her neck is getting cresty, you almost can't find her spine and there is definitely no feeling any ribs at all on her. She is definitely our one air fern. The other two look great.
Calypso just can't be fat. She has the typical tiny quarter horse feet on a really straight shoulder and upright pastern: Her fatness is laminitis waiting to happen.
I keep trying to convince Robert that he needs to ride her more and work some of the excess flesh off her, but it's looking more and more like her exercise program is going to fall to me. Which I really just don't have time for, between riding Gabe and keeping up on all the farm and garden work that needs to be done. He rides, but he is very much a weekend pleasure rider...and would really prefer just to have his horse fit and ready to go every time he rode. I guess I'm going to have to find time to git 'er done, even if it's just a 20 min. ride every other day in the beginning. I would put her on the longe line, but, in her current state of fatness, I'm afraid the confinement of circles on the longe would do her legs more harm than good. She needs lots of straight, easy lines to begin with until she's fitter and less fat. Ugh. I need to go from a full-time job to a part-time job just so I can get and keep these horses fit!
I'm considering a grazing muzzle for her just to see how that works out. Does any one have any experience with a grazing muzzle? Brand/style recommendations? How do you fit them? Any advice on how well they actually work and if they are worth the expense? I need her to eat less grass, but I also don't want to starve her to death or confine her away from the other two during the day.
Calypso just can't be fat. She has the typical tiny quarter horse feet on a really straight shoulder and upright pastern: Her fatness is laminitis waiting to happen.
I keep trying to convince Robert that he needs to ride her more and work some of the excess flesh off her, but it's looking more and more like her exercise program is going to fall to me. Which I really just don't have time for, between riding Gabe and keeping up on all the farm and garden work that needs to be done. He rides, but he is very much a weekend pleasure rider...and would really prefer just to have his horse fit and ready to go every time he rode. I guess I'm going to have to find time to git 'er done, even if it's just a 20 min. ride every other day in the beginning. I would put her on the longe line, but, in her current state of fatness, I'm afraid the confinement of circles on the longe would do her legs more harm than good. She needs lots of straight, easy lines to begin with until she's fitter and less fat. Ugh. I need to go from a full-time job to a part-time job just so I can get and keep these horses fit!
I'm considering a grazing muzzle for her just to see how that works out. Does any one have any experience with a grazing muzzle? Brand/style recommendations? How do you fit them? Any advice on how well they actually work and if they are worth the expense? I need her to eat less grass, but I also don't want to starve her to death or confine her away from the other two during the day.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My poor baby!
Leave it to the Thoroughbred. If it can go wrong, it will with them.
My poor Gabester had a reaction to his rabies shot. The injection site swelled up pretty nicely and he was very painful to the touch. In fact, he wouldn't let me touch it and didn't want to bend his neck in that direction. He was "not himself."
When I looked out the dining room window and saw him standing out there, head down, I knew immediately he wasn't feeling good. You know how you can just tell when they don't feel 100%? Poor guy was lethargic and looked depressed. I mentioned to Robert that he looked depressed and he kind of chuckled at me a bit, like I was being overprotective of my big guy.
He was eating just fine, and drinking, but not wanting to do much more than that. Usually he's much more animated. So, I called my extra special vet, who also happens to be my mom, and got some advice. I've never, ever had a horse react to a vaccination, so I wasn't really sure what to do to help him feel better, or even if I should be panicking about it.
She advised that abscesses can be a concern at injection sites. Hot compresses on the swelling and banamine to take the edge off was the over-the-phone prescription. Checking his temp was also on the list of to-dos. So, out I went with the thermometer to put him through that particular indignity. 100.2, perfectly normal. My wonderful husband applied the hot compress while I squished banamine into him and took the temperature. Gabe seemed to like the attention and really seemed to get some relief from the compresses.
By morning he was definitely feeling better. His neck was still sore, but the "funk" he was in had lifted. He was more like his usual silly, animated self at feeding time. By the evening, the swelling was gone, still a little sore, and he let me know he was DEFINITELY feeling better when he kicked up his his, lifted his tail high and went squealing around the pasture when I turned him out onto the grass. Yay!
I hate it when they feel like crap, especially when it's because of something I did ie: Give him the rabies vaccine. I know rabies itself is FAR worse than the reaction he had to the shot, but I still feel bad. I've read some info that some horse people are declining to vaccinate their horses against rabies and some other disease, but I don't think I'd take it that far. The diseases they are vaccinated against are far worse than the vaccinations. I do wonder, though, if we tend to over-vaccinate a bit. Are all those shots really necessary every year? I only get a tetanus shot every five years or so and haven't had any other vaccinations since college. Couldn't our horses get their shots every other year and still be protected? Especially those that are in pretty much a closed herd like mine are. If I was actively showing or mingling among other horses more frequently, there would be no question at all about vaccination, they'd get 'em every year. Period.
Something to think about, and ask questions about.
My poor Gabester had a reaction to his rabies shot. The injection site swelled up pretty nicely and he was very painful to the touch. In fact, he wouldn't let me touch it and didn't want to bend his neck in that direction. He was "not himself."
When I looked out the dining room window and saw him standing out there, head down, I knew immediately he wasn't feeling good. You know how you can just tell when they don't feel 100%? Poor guy was lethargic and looked depressed. I mentioned to Robert that he looked depressed and he kind of chuckled at me a bit, like I was being overprotective of my big guy.
He was eating just fine, and drinking, but not wanting to do much more than that. Usually he's much more animated. So, I called my extra special vet, who also happens to be my mom, and got some advice. I've never, ever had a horse react to a vaccination, so I wasn't really sure what to do to help him feel better, or even if I should be panicking about it.
She advised that abscesses can be a concern at injection sites. Hot compresses on the swelling and banamine to take the edge off was the over-the-phone prescription. Checking his temp was also on the list of to-dos. So, out I went with the thermometer to put him through that particular indignity. 100.2, perfectly normal. My wonderful husband applied the hot compress while I squished banamine into him and took the temperature. Gabe seemed to like the attention and really seemed to get some relief from the compresses.
By morning he was definitely feeling better. His neck was still sore, but the "funk" he was in had lifted. He was more like his usual silly, animated self at feeding time. By the evening, the swelling was gone, still a little sore, and he let me know he was DEFINITELY feeling better when he kicked up his his, lifted his tail high and went squealing around the pasture when I turned him out onto the grass. Yay!
I hate it when they feel like crap, especially when it's because of something I did ie: Give him the rabies vaccine. I know rabies itself is FAR worse than the reaction he had to the shot, but I still feel bad. I've read some info that some horse people are declining to vaccinate their horses against rabies and some other disease, but I don't think I'd take it that far. The diseases they are vaccinated against are far worse than the vaccinations. I do wonder, though, if we tend to over-vaccinate a bit. Are all those shots really necessary every year? I only get a tetanus shot every five years or so and haven't had any other vaccinations since college. Couldn't our horses get their shots every other year and still be protected? Especially those that are in pretty much a closed herd like mine are. If I was actively showing or mingling among other horses more frequently, there would be no question at all about vaccination, they'd get 'em every year. Period.
Something to think about, and ask questions about.
Friday, May 1, 2009
One teefs, two teefs
The ponies had their annual check-up and dental work done today. Everybody looks good! I do my own vaccinations, but the vet has to administer the rabies shot, so today Gabe, Chief and Calypso got rabies shots, blood drawn for Coggins and a visit with the tooth file.
Aside from some sharp teeth and a couple of hooks, everyone's mouth looked good. Gabe had his canines clipped and filed and his teeth were sharper than the other two, as I suspected. Chief, surprisingly for such an old dude (25!) had a really good mouth. He had one hook and three sharp points. That's it. He didn't even have any tartar buildup on his clipped canines.
Of all three, Gabe was the worst brat. Surprise, surprise. He had to have three sedation shots (0.5 cc Dormosedan and 1 cc Xylazine) before he was drowsy enough to cooperate with having his teeth done. What a snot. He wasn't even really that drowsy after all that, not even wobbly! He wasn't even out enough for me to be able to clean his boy bits very well and I wasn't going to ask for another hit just so I could clean the weenie. I did what I could but he was really threatening me and trying to hit me with that back hoof. I didn't feel a bean on him so I'm not going to worry about it too much.
Chief and Calypso were both wonderful and Chief was the drowsiest. He let all his boy bits hang right on out there for the world to see and I gave him a good cleaning. Poor old guy had a HUGE bean that I was able to pop right out. He should be a bit more comfortable with that nasty thing gone.
I just realized I'm blogging about washing horse penises/sheaths like it's no stranger than clipping dog toenails. Wow. Us horse folks are a strange lot I tell ya. Strange!
I talked to the vet a bit about Gabe's habit of grinding his teeth in some situations. He seems to do it when he's the most stressed or just really thinking hard ie. When I'm asking him to do something new/hard or when the farrier is out. He also does it when I brush him a bit too hard with the curry. She found nothing odd in his mouth that might be contributing to the grinding except for the sharp points. He does have a bit of cap left near his incisors but she believes it will fall out without help. She said if it's there in couple of months to call her and she'll come back out to check it again and possibly pull it if needed. For the moment, she is inclined to leave it as is. We talked about the grinding for awhile and she suggested he might have ulcers that act up when he's feeling stressed, which makes sense. I've never seen him grinding while he's just out in the pasture doing nothing, he only does it when I ask him to work or if he's tolerating something he doesn't really like. He is in good weight, eats well and doesn't crib, so if he DOES have ulcers that can't be terribly bad.
I opted not to have him scoped for ulcers right now because the teeth grinding is the only sign pointing to the possibility. I'm going to wait and see if the floating helps, and really pay attention to when he does it. We may also have to consider changing up the living arrangements if it's a stress thing causing him to grind. Right now he's by himself because Chief is quite aggressive towards him, not a normal "I'm the boss" aggressive but really, really aggressive, an "I'll KILL you!" aggressive. He's aggressive enough that I think he'd run Gabe through the fence or kick him hard enough to really hurt him. He actively goes after him, even when Gabe is WAY on the other side of the pasture minding his own beeswax, Chief charges him and chases, chases, chases Gabe although Gave is obviously trying to be the bottom horse and move out of his way.
Chief and Calypso share a paddock, but we might put Calypso in with Gabe and see how that goes. Chief doesn't really give a crap if he's alone or not, but it might make a difference for Gabe. OR, it could end up being a really bad idea and I wind up with a horse I can't take out alone because he's so attached to Calypso. See the conundrum? I keep trying to convince Robert that Gabe needs a little donkey, pony or sedate old retiree as a pasture buddy, but so far, he's not buying it!
Still too muddy to right..and it's cold and spitting rain. Ick. Come on, what the heck happened to spring! I guess I'll get the family room painted instead. I'm tired of looking at the half-finished walls!
Aside from some sharp teeth and a couple of hooks, everyone's mouth looked good. Gabe had his canines clipped and filed and his teeth were sharper than the other two, as I suspected. Chief, surprisingly for such an old dude (25!) had a really good mouth. He had one hook and three sharp points. That's it. He didn't even have any tartar buildup on his clipped canines.
Of all three, Gabe was the worst brat. Surprise, surprise. He had to have three sedation shots (0.5 cc Dormosedan and 1 cc Xylazine) before he was drowsy enough to cooperate with having his teeth done. What a snot. He wasn't even really that drowsy after all that, not even wobbly! He wasn't even out enough for me to be able to clean his boy bits very well and I wasn't going to ask for another hit just so I could clean the weenie. I did what I could but he was really threatening me and trying to hit me with that back hoof. I didn't feel a bean on him so I'm not going to worry about it too much.
Chief and Calypso were both wonderful and Chief was the drowsiest. He let all his boy bits hang right on out there for the world to see and I gave him a good cleaning. Poor old guy had a HUGE bean that I was able to pop right out. He should be a bit more comfortable with that nasty thing gone.
I just realized I'm blogging about washing horse penises/sheaths like it's no stranger than clipping dog toenails. Wow. Us horse folks are a strange lot I tell ya. Strange!
I talked to the vet a bit about Gabe's habit of grinding his teeth in some situations. He seems to do it when he's the most stressed or just really thinking hard ie. When I'm asking him to do something new/hard or when the farrier is out. He also does it when I brush him a bit too hard with the curry. She found nothing odd in his mouth that might be contributing to the grinding except for the sharp points. He does have a bit of cap left near his incisors but she believes it will fall out without help. She said if it's there in couple of months to call her and she'll come back out to check it again and possibly pull it if needed. For the moment, she is inclined to leave it as is. We talked about the grinding for awhile and she suggested he might have ulcers that act up when he's feeling stressed, which makes sense. I've never seen him grinding while he's just out in the pasture doing nothing, he only does it when I ask him to work or if he's tolerating something he doesn't really like. He is in good weight, eats well and doesn't crib, so if he DOES have ulcers that can't be terribly bad.
I opted not to have him scoped for ulcers right now because the teeth grinding is the only sign pointing to the possibility. I'm going to wait and see if the floating helps, and really pay attention to when he does it. We may also have to consider changing up the living arrangements if it's a stress thing causing him to grind. Right now he's by himself because Chief is quite aggressive towards him, not a normal "I'm the boss" aggressive but really, really aggressive, an "I'll KILL you!" aggressive. He's aggressive enough that I think he'd run Gabe through the fence or kick him hard enough to really hurt him. He actively goes after him, even when Gabe is WAY on the other side of the pasture minding his own beeswax, Chief charges him and chases, chases, chases Gabe although Gave is obviously trying to be the bottom horse and move out of his way.
Chief and Calypso share a paddock, but we might put Calypso in with Gabe and see how that goes. Chief doesn't really give a crap if he's alone or not, but it might make a difference for Gabe. OR, it could end up being a really bad idea and I wind up with a horse I can't take out alone because he's so attached to Calypso. See the conundrum? I keep trying to convince Robert that Gabe needs a little donkey, pony or sedate old retiree as a pasture buddy, but so far, he's not buying it!
Still too muddy to right..and it's cold and spitting rain. Ick. Come on, what the heck happened to spring! I guess I'll get the family room painted instead. I'm tired of looking at the half-finished walls!
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