I recently attended the horse show in the Hitchcock woods this Saturday. I went with my friend Mary. I wanted to get some black and white photographs of the event. It is a memorable experience because only once a year you are allowed to drive a vehicle into the "woods." That alone is GREAT! But, I do think that part of the show in the woods called the "costume" show is the best. Here below you can see "MISS BEE" on her horse covered in flowers. I did take some black and white of this, and hope they come out. Is she not a doll? Then, my parents arrive this coming week and I am preparing meals for them to take back with them! TWO huge casseroles of homemade lasagna. I think they will be happy. One of the casseroles is in the oven right now. Tomorrow, I will cook the other then into the freezer.
Had a FANTATSTIC lesson with Instructor Julie Robins today. What a great group we had and I hope that we can all be together again (a lot!) in the future! So many things to learn - read about them on the www.thenoblesteed.com Probably won't get to update it yet tonight, but will try! Have a great evening! Here are the photo's! Hope you enjoy! An update on Gator. Gator came down with laminitis on January 22, 2010. It has now been two months of 24/hour care for him. He has now been turned out in a small paddock area for the second day in a row! This is great news. He has been on a pain reliever and several other meds for these two months. We are now weaning him off of all of it. Air pockets formed in one of his front hooves, so surgery to his hoof was necessary in case of an internal abscess. He has been a trouper through all of this. Ice soaking in 22 degree weather two times day, legs wrapped, 3 inch needles daily, terrible paste to prevent ulcers, and stall confinement. Here are a few progressive photographs. Gator down for the count and pinning my legs after receiving medicine. Icing Gator's front hooves twice a day for over a month and a half. Gator standing in pain with wrapped legs Specialty Farrier preparing heart bar shoes that put pressure on the frog of the foot to give more blood flow Hoof surgery The opening of his hoof to prevent an internal abscess. This way, it can drain if it does abscess. The red area is a soft bad spot. This has now hardened. This was taken this morning. Sound, safe, trotting, and above all - out of pain! He is in this small paddock but he still can see the other horses. I LOVE HAPPY HORSES!!! WHEW! My parent's and I have decided that there are only a few sentences in the English language that need to be learned while in a conversation.
If you get into a habit of saying the following - you will continue the habit... We laughed, and hope you do too! "That's amazing!" "It is, what it is!" "Right, right, right!" I had a great lesson with Julie Robins today with Jester. I will write more on the Noble Steed. Hot and almost 70 degrees here today! Almost below freezing this a.m. Wild weather! All four horses in the barn this p.m. and happy about that!
A cold rain isn't a good thing for a horse. Soaks through their body like it would you and me. Glad they are dry and safe inside! Read more on the Noble Steed. Woke up in the a.m. to bound out the door and I happened to glance out the window next to the back door. "Voila!" "Here I am!" "A tame beautiful red fox dancing sideways just for you!"
Well, something just didn't seem quite right. A sweet innocent fox dancing sideways, then laying on the ground as content as could be. (Not to mention he talked) -> oh, that was in my imagination! :O Yes, yes, a tame wild animal that isn't suppose to be tame. First sign of trouble. My vet said he definitely had rabies "for the wild are not wild when they are afflicted with it!" Animal control came asap (thank goodness) and had a long broom stick handle with a metal "gotchya" ring at the end to loop around its neck. It didn't give up any kind of fight at all. I felt a bit sorry for it. You can't really tell how big he is in the photo, but he was the size of a medium dog. Yes, huge! I at first thought he was a coyote. I alerted the neighbors only to find out that later that day a bobcat was also spotted next door to me. Momentous day. I had a fantastic lesson with Julie Robins here at the farm and learned so much, again. I was telling her how I felt frustrated about the training and she said it is a learning curve. It is never "perfect." Horses, just like people, have good days and not so good ones. I will write more on this, but the great news is that I rode Jester again today.
I am learning more about his personality and realizing - he isn't exactly an "I will do what ever you want horse!" I am finding out that when he has a "choice" (which he has never had before) to work with me (while in saddle and on the ground) he challenges me. Tests me. Just like GATOR! OH! OH!~ OH! Jester does have a voice - he is thanking me for taking away his curb bit! Now, he gets to have an opinion. Is this a good thing? It will be! Workshop at Julie Robins tonight. 9 year old Lusitano (spelling?) beautiful light grey in color mare. Learned so much tonight I need to gather my thoughts and write more later. GREAT HORSE DAY!!!!! Natural Horsemanship training- workshops, classes, etc. Tonight, I had a short time with the horses before they entered the barn. I have not had much time to school them because of Gator and his laminitis.
Jester - I had a good riding lesson with him Friday, except for his right side. He didn't want to flex to the HQ (Hind Quarter) in the saddle. Tonight, he was tough again on the right side with HQ and FQ (front quarters). I found my emotional side getting involved while working with him. He tested me almost from the start. Of course, he knew his food was waiting in the barn. But... I then asked for Guinness. He wouldn't come to me after seeing how Jester reacted. Beau on the other hand came at a fast walk and went between me and Guinness and wanted to be next. He did great, but I didn't have his full attention. HQ, FQ, then look into the barn. hmm.... Then, Guinness. He HQ'd. Then said, "ok?" I sent him again and he flat lined. What is "flat lined?" Flat lined (I just learned this) is when you send you horse out around you and they get to the end of the slack rope and "flat line" it. Not exactly a good thing. FQ - do not have them with Guinness. This means - when I think I have the HQ, I really don't. Need to go back. With the weather improving - hopefully school is now in FULL SESSION!! Look out guys! :) Gator has been stricken with laminitis. I have kept the other horses in their stalls at night most of the time to keep him company while he is stall bound. I then cut back and kept one horse next to him while I let the other two horses on pasture at night to cut back on the work.
Then, yesterday I left him alone at night in his stall without a companion. I noticed in the a.m. that he had sweat marks but I wasn't comprehending it. Tonight, however, I did the same and left him alone. I checked on him around 8 p.m. to find that he was sweating profusely. Beads of sweat along his neck line. At first I worried, colic. I checked vitals, temperature, and gurgle sounds in the gut. All OK. I then started thinking. It then popped into my mind he was having an anxiety attack and rightfully so. His friends were not there for the evening. I then gathered everyone up and took them to their stalls. I then went to Gator. I said, "are you OK now?" He blew out air into my hand and said "YES!" I believe this was the problem. OH MY GOSH. I need to be more sensitive. Laurie |
Jester being a bit NOSY
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