What a gorgeous morning here in Texas! And I finally felt well enough to ride. I have had a head cold for over a week now, and there's no sense riding if you don't feel balanced yourself - it's just not safe. So for the past few days, I had been grooming Arthur just for the pleasure of it.
After feeding the horses this morning, I put my riding britches on and headed back out to the barn. As I walked out of the tack room with my saddle, both Sweetie and Rocky had their ears perked up and eyes wide open requesting, "Pick me!" But I already knew I would ride Rocky - it has been a few weeks and I really missed riding my giant red chestnut.
He loved the grooming, and the treats, of course. We tacked up and went in the ring, and I mounted up without any trouble. Rocky was a little excited and walked off as I mounted up. We started out with a relaxed walk on a long rein, and then went up into a trot. We did bunches of circles and serpentines to keep his mind busy, and then I wanted to practice some trot-halt-trot transitions. I have never done those on Rocky before, but thought it would be a good experience for him. I guess I goosed him a little too much and he bucked a little like I was asking him to canter. Now, I knew not to do that today since it has been a while since I have ridden him, but he assumed as much. So instead, we practiced walk-trot-walk transitions until he was calm and understood what I was asking. I also practiced using the smallest signal possible to get him to move forward. Rocky has a very strong personality and he gets mad if you asked for something too firmly and don't give him a chance to move out without goosing him. He much prefers me to ask verbally "trot on" or even just cluck a little and lean forward rather than squeeze with my legs too much. I'll always remember when he was super green and I would squeeze with both legs, and he would stand there at the halt, turn his nose around and look at me. Now I know he was probably just saying I had to ask politely, but I would continue squeezing more firmly, and was even known to kick a little to ask. And Rocky stood there, hooves firmly planted on the ground, and turned and looked at me again... It seems like our relationship has evolved to a much more "polite" friendship - where I ask gently and he responds in kind. MUCH better. :)
More later - after I rode Rocky, I gave Sammie a pony ride on Arthur - and a Jack Rabbit graced us with his presence not 20 yards away from us as he hopped through the ring! :)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Training Barn Cats
What is that saying about herding cats again?
We adopted a cat from the local shelter a few months ago to help with the mouse population that showed up in our new barn this winter. He lived in the tack room until he was fixed and had all of his shots, and then we let him in the barn aisleway (with stall doors closed) so that he could figure out the barn. Our first time letting him out of the barn he fearlessly went up to our barking/growling dogs (on the other side of a fence) and walked right through them - for some reason not understanding that yes, they would very much like to eat him given the chance. I have introduced all the dogs separately and on their own, they behave. But I had been nervous about letting the cat out into the world until I was convinced he had some dog common sense.
My dad visited a few weeks ago and installed a series of shelves for the cat to climb up and get up on top of the tack room to get away from the dogs if he needed to. And since then, I have found the cat up there almost every morning. He has started climbing the rafters, and yesterday, he had finally figured a way out of the barn on his own.
So I have left the stall doors open (inside the barn) - as he can effortlessly clear the 4' walls at each window. And although I haven't seen him, he has been back to eat. I put his food up on one of the ledges my Dad built (about 4' off the ground) and the food was nearly gone this morning. So, that's good news! And it appears he learned his lesson about the dogs - whew!
Okay, I'll stop worrying now! :)
We adopted a cat from the local shelter a few months ago to help with the mouse population that showed up in our new barn this winter. He lived in the tack room until he was fixed and had all of his shots, and then we let him in the barn aisleway (with stall doors closed) so that he could figure out the barn. Our first time letting him out of the barn he fearlessly went up to our barking/growling dogs (on the other side of a fence) and walked right through them - for some reason not understanding that yes, they would very much like to eat him given the chance. I have introduced all the dogs separately and on their own, they behave. But I had been nervous about letting the cat out into the world until I was convinced he had some dog common sense.
My dad visited a few weeks ago and installed a series of shelves for the cat to climb up and get up on top of the tack room to get away from the dogs if he needed to. And since then, I have found the cat up there almost every morning. He has started climbing the rafters, and yesterday, he had finally figured a way out of the barn on his own.
So I have left the stall doors open (inside the barn) - as he can effortlessly clear the 4' walls at each window. And although I haven't seen him, he has been back to eat. I put his food up on one of the ledges my Dad built (about 4' off the ground) and the food was nearly gone this morning. So, that's good news! And it appears he learned his lesson about the dogs - whew!
Okay, I'll stop worrying now! :)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Darn Horses! :)
I went out this morning to feed as usual, and saw most of the horses out in the field - and I knew once they heard me rummaging around, they'd be up at the barn in no time. I put all the feed out, opened the barn doors, to see 4 out of 6 horses moseying up to the barn, taking their time. But I couldn't see Arwen or Sweetie (my 22yo TB mare, my first horse). After I got the first 4 up and hollered some more, Arwen, lazily made her way up - but she had been way down in the field. But where was Sweetie? I called some more - nothing - and then I heard my son who had just woke up and had to run in to tend to him for a moment. Came back out - and Sweetie still wasn't anywhere to be seen. What's worse is that the horses were eerily silent. The lead mare isn't around and no one is fussing or worried? Not even her son? That's not normal around here.
I'm worried now, and hastily grabbed a halter and lead - worse case scenarios going through my head. After a 3-4 minute (brisk) walk, I walk up to the top of the tank to get a better look at the back pasture where Arwen had came from. And then I see some movement through the trees - and for a moment I wonder if Sweetie somehow got out in the neighbor's cow field. She must've heard the halter jingling. Filled with relief, I see her take off towards the barn, galloping, like "where'd everybody go?"
Man! First time that has happened - and thank goodness it was nothing serious. I thought colic, injury, wild dogs, I've heard stories about horses staying back with another injured horse - like I thought Arwen had done. Anyways, I'm so relieved and happy to begin my day again knowing all the horses are well & happy! Darn Horses! They can throw your heart for a loop!
I'm worried now, and hastily grabbed a halter and lead - worse case scenarios going through my head. After a 3-4 minute (brisk) walk, I walk up to the top of the tank to get a better look at the back pasture where Arwen had came from. And then I see some movement through the trees - and for a moment I wonder if Sweetie somehow got out in the neighbor's cow field. She must've heard the halter jingling. Filled with relief, I see her take off towards the barn, galloping, like "where'd everybody go?"
Man! First time that has happened - and thank goodness it was nothing serious. I thought colic, injury, wild dogs, I've heard stories about horses staying back with another injured horse - like I thought Arwen had done. Anyways, I'm so relieved and happy to begin my day again knowing all the horses are well & happy! Darn Horses! They can throw your heart for a loop!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day Rides!
This morning my wonderful husband gave me the gift of time with the horses, and so I spent the morning out at the barn! I pulled out Rocky first, hoping to ride him, but he was squinting his right eye - so I put ointment in it and groomed him really well, and put him back in his stall.
Next was Sweetie, of course. I really wanted to ride, so I took her out, groomed all of her itchy spots and otherwise, and saddled up for a nice ride. We did more trotting that we had last week, worked on bending on our turns, and cantered each direction briefly. Sweetie is always such a pleasure!
I promised Harlan I would work with Charlie, too. It has been about 6 months (or more) since she's been ridden, so he recommended I not ride her, but I took her bridle out with me just in case. I went ahead and put the saddle on for her groundwork - it's always a good experience just to have the saddle on.
When we got to the ring, we started out with some groundwork games, rubbing her with the carrot stick, asking her to move away from it, etc. But it was not long before Charlie decided she really wanted to move, so I sent her out and let her trot. Man, this mare is so big and powerful! She did a beautiful trot about 3 times around me then came in and calmed down. So I sent her out the other direction, and she again took off at the trot, went about 3 times around and came back to me. Now, both times I had not asked her to trot - I was only asking her to make a circle around me, did not give her any other cues at all. But Charlie felt it necessary to trot. I wondered if she was having a flashback to her training before we adopted her - they would take her out and lunge her at the trot both directions almost immediately - or at least, that's how they showed her to us the day we took her home. She finally calmed down enough so that she just walked each direction, and then I *asked* for the trot, which she willingly did. Now that she was listening to me more clearly, I decided to practice mounting.
Charlie, in the past, has not stood well when Harlan has gone to mount the first time. So I put her bridle on and took her over to the mounting block, gave her a firm "ho" and leaned on her a bit. I just took my time, making sure she would keep her feet still, which she did. She seemed to understand me clearly, so I went ahead and mounted up. She continued to stand very well, until she couldn't resist the grass blades coming up in front of her and stepped forward. So I asked her to move forward and we started walking. Charlie is a 17hh Belgian/TB mare, and very strong and stubborn through her neck. My goal was to get her to be more responsive to my rein cues. Sometimes, I had to pull very firmly until I got a response from her, but as soon as she turned her head the way I wanted to go, I released. We practiced turning, circles, figure eights, going straight, etc. A couple of times she wanted to move up into the trot without me asking, but I was quick to say ho and ask her to come back to the walk - she needs to learn to trot only when she is asked. Towards the end of the ride, she was becoming more responsive to my rein cues, I was able to make circles both directions easily, and so we quit on the good note.
Next, I played with Arwen again - she loved her grooming, and I took her to the ring without a saddle again. We played the games again, and she improved on all areas - including making a circle around me both directions. I even got her to go around me to the right twice around (an improvement from yesterday!). Again, my goal with Arwen is just to have her calm and not worry about anything. So I took her over to the mounting block and practiced me stepping up onto it until she stood still. She reminds me of my TB mare, Sweetie, who didn't want to stand still while mounting, either at first. I brought her closer to the block and climbed up. About half the time she would take a step back or forward to not be in the "mounting position" so to speak. But eventually, I got her to stand in the right place and leaned over her a few times. When she stood well for that, we quit for the day and she enjoyed another healthy grooming.
After that, I let everyone out and came inside to find the house sparkling, the kids eating their lunches, my lunch waiting for me, next to beautiful flowers on the table. :) Thank you, Sweetheart!
Next was Sweetie, of course. I really wanted to ride, so I took her out, groomed all of her itchy spots and otherwise, and saddled up for a nice ride. We did more trotting that we had last week, worked on bending on our turns, and cantered each direction briefly. Sweetie is always such a pleasure!
I promised Harlan I would work with Charlie, too. It has been about 6 months (or more) since she's been ridden, so he recommended I not ride her, but I took her bridle out with me just in case. I went ahead and put the saddle on for her groundwork - it's always a good experience just to have the saddle on.
When we got to the ring, we started out with some groundwork games, rubbing her with the carrot stick, asking her to move away from it, etc. But it was not long before Charlie decided she really wanted to move, so I sent her out and let her trot. Man, this mare is so big and powerful! She did a beautiful trot about 3 times around me then came in and calmed down. So I sent her out the other direction, and she again took off at the trot, went about 3 times around and came back to me. Now, both times I had not asked her to trot - I was only asking her to make a circle around me, did not give her any other cues at all. But Charlie felt it necessary to trot. I wondered if she was having a flashback to her training before we adopted her - they would take her out and lunge her at the trot both directions almost immediately - or at least, that's how they showed her to us the day we took her home. She finally calmed down enough so that she just walked each direction, and then I *asked* for the trot, which she willingly did. Now that she was listening to me more clearly, I decided to practice mounting.
Charlie, in the past, has not stood well when Harlan has gone to mount the first time. So I put her bridle on and took her over to the mounting block, gave her a firm "ho" and leaned on her a bit. I just took my time, making sure she would keep her feet still, which she did. She seemed to understand me clearly, so I went ahead and mounted up. She continued to stand very well, until she couldn't resist the grass blades coming up in front of her and stepped forward. So I asked her to move forward and we started walking. Charlie is a 17hh Belgian/TB mare, and very strong and stubborn through her neck. My goal was to get her to be more responsive to my rein cues. Sometimes, I had to pull very firmly until I got a response from her, but as soon as she turned her head the way I wanted to go, I released. We practiced turning, circles, figure eights, going straight, etc. A couple of times she wanted to move up into the trot without me asking, but I was quick to say ho and ask her to come back to the walk - she needs to learn to trot only when she is asked. Towards the end of the ride, she was becoming more responsive to my rein cues, I was able to make circles both directions easily, and so we quit on the good note.
Next, I played with Arwen again - she loved her grooming, and I took her to the ring without a saddle again. We played the games again, and she improved on all areas - including making a circle around me both directions. I even got her to go around me to the right twice around (an improvement from yesterday!). Again, my goal with Arwen is just to have her calm and not worry about anything. So I took her over to the mounting block and practiced me stepping up onto it until she stood still. She reminds me of my TB mare, Sweetie, who didn't want to stand still while mounting, either at first. I brought her closer to the block and climbed up. About half the time she would take a step back or forward to not be in the "mounting position" so to speak. But eventually, I got her to stand in the right place and leaned over her a few times. When she stood well for that, we quit for the day and she enjoyed another healthy grooming.
After that, I let everyone out and came inside to find the house sparkling, the kids eating their lunches, my lunch waiting for me, next to beautiful flowers on the table. :) Thank you, Sweetheart!
Arwen & Arthur
Today I just wanted to do some groundwork with her. No saddle, no bridle, just get our communication down. As much as I sometimes get frustrated with the merchandising of the Parelli system, the games really are a great method of communicating with a horse - especially one you don't know well yet.
So I pulled out my rope halter & lead and after a nice grooming, took Arwen into the ring to play with her. We started with the friendly game, and Arwen had no trouble at all with me rubbing her all over with the carrot stick. So we moved on to the "porcupine" game, and she was slow to pick up moving backwards, but very quick with moving her haunches around, and medium about moving her front end away from the stick. Ditto with the driving game - backwards just hasn't been in her vocabulary yet. :)
We moved on to the yo-yo and it took to stage 3/4 to get her to move backwards. I'll have to say that although I don't like the way a horse lifts their head up high to go back wards when you are first teaching them (having to use the bigger phases), in the long run, being able to wiggle a lead back and forth gently and have your horse move backwards can be very handy, if not lifesaving. She finally started to pick it up, and we moved on to the circle game (our disconnect from yesterday while lunging).
Low and behold, she picked it up pretty dang fast. Even to the right! And after several (once around) circles each direction, we quit with that and I brushed her down and took pictures for everyone to see. :)
The best part of today was that without the saddle, she was VERY calm compared to yesterday's going into the ring. She was just as peaceful as she normally is while grooming her and was not worried about anything. And she seems very smart, and was doing a lot of chewing/thinking the whole time.
Afterwards, Sammie and I got Arthur out for a ride - our first in a few weeks since he developed some facial paralysis. She had a wonderful time - Sammie really wanted to be more involved in steering today (she is only 3, so some days she just prefers a pony ride), and Arthur was the perfect 25yo pony. :) I'm so thankful for him - he has been such a godsend. We also dealt with a small bout of laminitis when the grass came in, so he has been up in a mostly dirt paddock until this last week - he was going out for a few hours, and now he gets to go out at night, and he has perked up a bunch! He really doesn't like being kept away from the herd!
Overall, a very wonderful horsey day so far.
So I pulled out my rope halter & lead and after a nice grooming, took Arwen into the ring to play with her. We started with the friendly game, and Arwen had no trouble at all with me rubbing her all over with the carrot stick. So we moved on to the "porcupine" game, and she was slow to pick up moving backwards, but very quick with moving her haunches around, and medium about moving her front end away from the stick. Ditto with the driving game - backwards just hasn't been in her vocabulary yet. :)
We moved on to the yo-yo and it took to stage 3/4 to get her to move backwards. I'll have to say that although I don't like the way a horse lifts their head up high to go back wards when you are first teaching them (having to use the bigger phases), in the long run, being able to wiggle a lead back and forth gently and have your horse move backwards can be very handy, if not lifesaving. She finally started to pick it up, and we moved on to the circle game (our disconnect from yesterday while lunging).
Low and behold, she picked it up pretty dang fast. Even to the right! And after several (once around) circles each direction, we quit with that and I brushed her down and took pictures for everyone to see. :)
The best part of today was that without the saddle, she was VERY calm compared to yesterday's going into the ring. She was just as peaceful as she normally is while grooming her and was not worried about anything. And she seems very smart, and was doing a lot of chewing/thinking the whole time.
Afterwards, Sammie and I got Arthur out for a ride - our first in a few weeks since he developed some facial paralysis. She had a wonderful time - Sammie really wanted to be more involved in steering today (she is only 3, so some days she just prefers a pony ride), and Arthur was the perfect 25yo pony. :) I'm so thankful for him - he has been such a godsend. We also dealt with a small bout of laminitis when the grass came in, so he has been up in a mostly dirt paddock until this last week - he was going out for a few hours, and now he gets to go out at night, and he has perked up a bunch! He really doesn't like being kept away from the herd!
Overall, a very wonderful horsey day so far.
Arwen Update
Arwen is my foster horse with Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society.
I finally got a good read on her tattoo confirmed with my vet, and found Arwen to be: D35990, Lady Carlina, a 2000 TB mare, who had 17 starts, raced as a 2 and 3 year old, and won over $67,000. (Her tattoo did not show the "D", but the numbers were clear, and based upon her age and markings sent in to the Jockey Club and they confirmed her ID). Oh, and she is only 14.2, instead of the 15.2 that is on her webpage.
Arwen is nearly up to weight - just a shadow of ribs showing occasionally. Her back has filled in nicely, and I expect her rump will muscle up a bit more, too, over the next couple of months. I decided to play with her a bit this morning.
She has been soooo good in the cross ties, and stands very well, even for Sammie (my 3yo) who likes to help groom. I got out the saddle just to see, let her sniff it, and then put it on her back - she seemed familiar with it, but was curious/anxious to find out what I was going to do with it. No trouble putting the girth on and tightening it (loosely). I went ahead and got out a bridle with a plain snaffle just to see. She knew what it was, knew to open her mouth, but simply didn't like the bit at all. Her tongue was constantly moving the bit around, playing with it rather firmly, even after properly adjusting it, she was still moving her tongue over and under the bit, constantly mouthing it. I will try a different kind of bit next time - maybe one that has 3 pieces to it instead of the two, so that it might be more comfortable in her mouth. But today, I took the bridle off, and put the halter back on to go out to the ring and play a bit with the longe line.
Arwen was very anxious - no doubt due to her race training. The normally peaceful, calm mare on the ground lifted her head up and was very excited to be going to the ring. I started to play some friendly game with her, but she needed to move her feet, so I let her move out on the lunge line. She did a nice trot (to the left of course), and excitedly took off into the canter a few times, came back to the trot, and I kept her at the trot for a few minutes until she calmed down and halted on her own. My cues no longer held any persuasion with her (and I certainly didn't want her to be too excited about the whip) so I instead brought her in and rubbed her forehead, and started working with her to the right. Any racehorse will look at you like you're crazy going to the right. :) She didn't understand, and we just walked to the right, eventually making a small circle instead of just following me (even though I had my arm out to hold her head as far away from me as I could). We went back to the left, and it seemed as though the longing she had done at the beginning was more of a fluke than actual understanding of cues, and after a circle to the left again at the walk, we quit with lots of pats and treats back in the barn. Oh, that is, after I took her to the mounting block and stood up on it. She knew what I was doing and looked at me like "you can't be serious" but stood still while I rubbed her neck and shoulders, but did not even attempt to mount, of course.
So... her behaviour today suggests that she definitely was race trained (and fits what her Tattoo says she is). My goal is to make her feel relaxed in the ring and with the saddle on, but now that I know where we stand I can take smaller steps and just go slow to get everything right.
Does anyone out there have any experience retraining TB's and have any hints/suggestions? My first horse was a 3yo TB mare, but she was unraced. She definitely had been ridden, just never raced, so didn't have the speed issue that I suspect Arwen will have at the beginning. I'm sure there is plenty of info on the net about it, but just looking for some firsthand experience for a horse that definitely spent some time on the track.
I finally got a good read on her tattoo confirmed with my vet, and found Arwen to be: D35990, Lady Carlina, a 2000 TB mare, who had 17 starts, raced as a 2 and 3 year old, and won over $67,000. (Her tattoo did not show the "D", but the numbers were clear, and based upon her age and markings sent in to the Jockey Club and they confirmed her ID). Oh, and she is only 14.2, instead of the 15.2 that is on her webpage.
Arwen is nearly up to weight - just a shadow of ribs showing occasionally. Her back has filled in nicely, and I expect her rump will muscle up a bit more, too, over the next couple of months. I decided to play with her a bit this morning.
She has been soooo good in the cross ties, and stands very well, even for Sammie (my 3yo) who likes to help groom. I got out the saddle just to see, let her sniff it, and then put it on her back - she seemed familiar with it, but was curious/anxious to find out what I was going to do with it. No trouble putting the girth on and tightening it (loosely). I went ahead and got out a bridle with a plain snaffle just to see. She knew what it was, knew to open her mouth, but simply didn't like the bit at all. Her tongue was constantly moving the bit around, playing with it rather firmly, even after properly adjusting it, she was still moving her tongue over and under the bit, constantly mouthing it. I will try a different kind of bit next time - maybe one that has 3 pieces to it instead of the two, so that it might be more comfortable in her mouth. But today, I took the bridle off, and put the halter back on to go out to the ring and play a bit with the longe line.
Arwen was very anxious - no doubt due to her race training. The normally peaceful, calm mare on the ground lifted her head up and was very excited to be going to the ring. I started to play some friendly game with her, but she needed to move her feet, so I let her move out on the lunge line. She did a nice trot (to the left of course), and excitedly took off into the canter a few times, came back to the trot, and I kept her at the trot for a few minutes until she calmed down and halted on her own. My cues no longer held any persuasion with her (and I certainly didn't want her to be too excited about the whip) so I instead brought her in and rubbed her forehead, and started working with her to the right. Any racehorse will look at you like you're crazy going to the right. :) She didn't understand, and we just walked to the right, eventually making a small circle instead of just following me (even though I had my arm out to hold her head as far away from me as I could). We went back to the left, and it seemed as though the longing she had done at the beginning was more of a fluke than actual understanding of cues, and after a circle to the left again at the walk, we quit with lots of pats and treats back in the barn. Oh, that is, after I took her to the mounting block and stood up on it. She knew what I was doing and looked at me like "you can't be serious" but stood still while I rubbed her neck and shoulders, but did not even attempt to mount, of course.
So... her behaviour today suggests that she definitely was race trained (and fits what her Tattoo says she is). My goal is to make her feel relaxed in the ring and with the saddle on, but now that I know where we stand I can take smaller steps and just go slow to get everything right.
Does anyone out there have any experience retraining TB's and have any hints/suggestions? My first horse was a 3yo TB mare, but she was unraced. She definitely had been ridden, just never raced, so didn't have the speed issue that I suspect Arwen will have at the beginning. I'm sure there is plenty of info on the net about it, but just looking for some firsthand experience for a horse that definitely spent some time on the track.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Horse Tails...
I had hoped to ride Rocky Sunday morning, but as I started grooming him, I noticed a 2' long mesquite branch wrapped up in his tail. For those of you that don't know, mesquite might make your burgers taste good, but it is covered with sharp 2" spikes all over. So imagine that... wrapped up in horse tail, with the top poking at the horse's ... well, private areas... So after 30-40 minutes of tail detangling (amazing what can happen overnight!) I finally freed the mesquite branch and Rocky was thankful. I know he probably would have been fine to ride, but I value my life and didn't want to take any chances. Especially not when my safe, dependable 22yo TB mare was there batting her eyes at me. (Okay, not literally, but she definitely was watching me groom Rocky, hoping for some treats and attention).
So I ended up riding Sweetie. It was a short ride, but a very relaxing one. We trotted (more than Sweetie really wanted to) and cantered around the ring once each direction. It just felt so GOOD to be riding her. I know she's not in show shape, so we took it easy.
Afterwards, I gave Arwen a good grooming. She really loved it. Was a little nervous about the fly spray, but still stood well for it. My favorite thing is that she's learned to accept treats from me. She had no idea what they were when she first got here. I need to take some more pictures to show how much she has filled out! I'd say she's just about up to weight!
The vet was out on Tues. and gave everybody their annual vaccines and coggins tests, and looked at Arthur and Penny. Penny has been moving a little strange in her hind end - for a month or so. She looks very deliberate in the way she "places" her hind feet, and it almost looks like she doesn't know where they are going to land. It's not a specific lameness, per say, and she looks normal out in the field. The only time I obviously see it is when she has to lift her feet up to get in/out of the barn and her stall. So, at my request, we are doing a blood test to see if the EPM organism is in her bloodstream. The antibody titer will tell us if she has been exposed to EPM - and if it's on the high end, combined with her symptoms, we can assume that she has it and treat her. On the other hand, if it is negative or low, it might just mean she has been exposed to it and built antibodies.
For Arthur, about 2 weeks ago, he suddenly had a facial paralysis in the right side of his face. His lip is drooping on that side, his blinking response is diminished (although somewhat there) and it goes all the way up to his ear that is now limp and really only moves in response to gravity. He is eating fine, but I noticed that he is drooling a little (saw that today when the farrier was here). The vet's diagnosis was a possible stroke. But after he left, I received a newsletter that described "temporohyooid osteoarthropathy" which has the exact symptoms that Arthur is experiencing. Apparently, there is a surgery that can correct it, but it's not yet clear to me whether it would require general anesthesia or could be done while standing. I don't feel comfortable putting a 25yo pony under anesthesia, not to mention the expense. But, we don't know for sure what it is, although diagnosis is relatively cheap in comparison (use an endoscope to look in the gutteral pouch on that side). So, more investigation is in order. I just thought that article was mighty timely.
So I ended up riding Sweetie. It was a short ride, but a very relaxing one. We trotted (more than Sweetie really wanted to) and cantered around the ring once each direction. It just felt so GOOD to be riding her. I know she's not in show shape, so we took it easy.
Afterwards, I gave Arwen a good grooming. She really loved it. Was a little nervous about the fly spray, but still stood well for it. My favorite thing is that she's learned to accept treats from me. She had no idea what they were when she first got here. I need to take some more pictures to show how much she has filled out! I'd say she's just about up to weight!
The vet was out on Tues. and gave everybody their annual vaccines and coggins tests, and looked at Arthur and Penny. Penny has been moving a little strange in her hind end - for a month or so. She looks very deliberate in the way she "places" her hind feet, and it almost looks like she doesn't know where they are going to land. It's not a specific lameness, per say, and she looks normal out in the field. The only time I obviously see it is when she has to lift her feet up to get in/out of the barn and her stall. So, at my request, we are doing a blood test to see if the EPM organism is in her bloodstream. The antibody titer will tell us if she has been exposed to EPM - and if it's on the high end, combined with her symptoms, we can assume that she has it and treat her. On the other hand, if it is negative or low, it might just mean she has been exposed to it and built antibodies.
For Arthur, about 2 weeks ago, he suddenly had a facial paralysis in the right side of his face. His lip is drooping on that side, his blinking response is diminished (although somewhat there) and it goes all the way up to his ear that is now limp and really only moves in response to gravity. He is eating fine, but I noticed that he is drooling a little (saw that today when the farrier was here). The vet's diagnosis was a possible stroke. But after he left, I received a newsletter that described "temporohyooid osteoarthropathy" which has the exact symptoms that Arthur is experiencing. Apparently, there is a surgery that can correct it, but it's not yet clear to me whether it would require general anesthesia or could be done while standing. I don't feel comfortable putting a 25yo pony under anesthesia, not to mention the expense. But, we don't know for sure what it is, although diagnosis is relatively cheap in comparison (use an endoscope to look in the gutteral pouch on that side). So, more investigation is in order. I just thought that article was mighty timely.
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