Cold and Windy

This morning the horses were huddled in the pasture sunshine when we went down to feed.  It was cold with gusts of icy wind.  The low last night was 28F.  That's pretty darn cold for spring time in Southern California. 

After breakfast, I rode Winston.  Dr. Thacher was due at 10:30 to give the horses their vaccinations and I wanted to ride before she arrived.  I wore my jacket down to the barn and kept it on while I rode.  Winston was good despite the wind and tried to pay attention.  It wasn't easy for me to stay focused either.  I try to ride every step and not get sloppy in the corners or do a meandering walk.  Every minute I'm riding, I'm training.  Today we worked on prompt responses to my leg, transitions from walk to trot without losing connection and leg yield. 

Vaccinations went well.  Winston has had huge issues in the past with vets and dentists.  When they approached his side or neck, he would lose his mind.  Something about it scared him to death.  Last time Dr. Thacher was up we put Winston in the wash rack where he couldn't jump sideways on top of us and she gave him a handful of cookies after each shot.  When she finished, he wanted more.  We tried that again.  I led him into the wash rack and then she said "give him the mother lode treatment" -- all the cookies he could eat while she gave the injections.  Oh man.  He is loving vaccinations now!  She is his new best friend and I think he cried when she got in her truck and drove off to her next client.  The rest of the horses and the donkeys were easy.  They are all excellent about getting shots.

At lunch time, their were no horses in the pasture. 

That cold wind was still blowing.  The horses were all in the barn.

My garden tells me that it is spring.  I have rhubarb and artichokes and my first strawberries.

But it sure doesn't feel like spring.  I'll have the wood stove going again tonight.

A Different Side of Winston

This morning dawned clear and dry after our rain non-event yesterday afternoon and last night.  We only got a few light sprinkles of rain; barely enough to record.  We are far below normal amounts and there is particular concern about the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  It isn't as deep as it should be and the snow is very dry.  Most of our water comes from that snow pack so it isn't a good situation.

We went down to the barn early so Winston could finish his breakfast before the equine dentist arrived.  Brett had groomed the arena in advance of the rain.  He takes great pride in his arena grooming, leaving artistic marks with the harrow when he finishes. 

He completed the new fencing around the horse pond.  The horses and donkeys shouldn't be able to destroy this:

Back at the barn, the rabbits were anxiously waiting for their breakfast. 

...the horses were waiting too.  We bring them in to eat their buckets of vitamins and carrots and then turn them back out for their hay.  We try to have the horses outside 24/7 whenever possible.  In the summer, we bring them in during the heat of the day and in the winter during rain or windy weather. 

The equine vet pulled up right at 8:00 and I pulled Winston from the pasture.  The vet tech was setting up the equipment and Winston was not happy.  I led Winston over to the open area near the arena so he could watch from a distance.  He was very looky and when the vet came over to do a brief physical, he started hopping all over the place.  The vet who did the prepurchase exam told me that Winston was pretty wild at first - kicking out even- but had settled down by the end.  Everytime this vet put his stethoscope on Winston, Winston jumped and scooted.  He even managed to bonk me in the face once.  Giving him the sedation shot was also difficult.  Our equine dentist is a very kind and calm vet so this caught me by surprise.  Flash and Jackson are pretty ho-hum about vets.  Dr. Kelly said he sees this behavior in horses who have had a bad experience with a vet -- who knows.  Hopefully, he will get over it with time and experience.  He certainly isn't a spooky, wild, hot-head normally.

Winston's mouth was full of points on his teeth and ulcers on his cheeks and tongue (from the points).  Otherwise, his mouth was in good shape.  He has some fairly significant TMJ but that should resolve now that his mouth will be more comfortable.

The only other thing that Dr. Kelly suggested was using a bit that gives Winston's tongue clearance.  He pushed against Dr. Kelly with his tongue the entire time and so needs a bit that doesn't restrict his tongue.  My current bit is a double jointed snaffle and that would wrap and lay heavy on his tongue.  He thinks Winston would be more comfortable in a solid bit with a high port.  I put the Happy Mouth bit that came with him-- and which is solid -- on my bridle.  Hopefully, he will be happier with the contact.

Not a good configuration for Winston's mouth

I looked through my Dover catalog and didn't see any snaffle bits that are solid.  ...I think by definition they have a joint?  I am so uneducated about bits.  It looks like I'll be making a visit to the tack store soon.  Can I use the Happy Mouth bit for USDF competition?  Have any of you had a horse with a busy/sensitive tongue that can share their solution?

Pearly Whites

This morning the equine dentist came to work on Jackson and Flash.  We have this done annually.  We had cold, foggy weather with heavy drizzle yesterday and it was forecast to continue this morning.  Fortunately, we woke to clear skies and sweatshirt temperatures.  ...a perfect fall day.

Jackson was up first.  Last year, he quite a bit of work done since it was his first visit with the equine dentist.  At that time, the two main things I took away from the visit were that (1) Jackson is very crooked in his mouth and his body and (2) that he had a pretty severe case of sugar mouth. -- Picture teeth that are brown at the gum line and look yuccy.  This time, Jackson had no sugar mouth at all.  The vet (in California, you must be a vet to practice equine dentistry) said he has noticed that horses on diets with no sugar are experiencing sugar mouth.  He has started tracking it and talking to colleagues and is formulating a theory that it has to do with the water -- maybe flouride -- and not sugar.  Our water treatment was changed a year or two ago so that could explain why Jackson didn't have any sugar mouth this time.  Of course, I've also drastically reduced his carrot intake because of his ulcers/tummy issues.

He also said that while Jackson will never be a straight horse, he is definitely straighter than he was a year ago.  We attributed this to all the dressage work.  Yes! 

Jackson watched the treatment room being set up.  Not too sure...

When the tech led him in, Jackson had to check for hay.  You never know where there might be food.

First, Dr. Kelly did a visual exam and took pictures. 

I love how he shows us everything he finds and explains it all.

Jackson was done pretty quickly.  He got a shot of bute and was put in his stall to rest while the sedative wore off.  Dr. Kelly also recommended giving him GastroGuard to counteract any stress he might have from the dental work.

Next up was Flash.  He didn't have any sugar mouth at all -- and Brett is very liberal with carrots and cookies and sugar cubes.  Hmmmmm.  The water theory sounds plausible.  Flash's teeth were also in good shape with minimal work needed.

Good for another year!

Jackson Goes on a Trail Ride

This morning, Brett and I took the horses on a trail ride.  We rode on the ridge trail, which starts at the end of one of the roads in our community and climbs along a ridge.  The views are great and its nice on days that aren't too warm.  It's also not a long trail -- about an hour from the time we leave our barn to when we get back.  I thought it would be a good first trail ride for Jackson.  He did great.  Just before we got to the trail, we met a new trail buddy.  She was trying to shush her dogs and we started chatting.  We ended up asking her to join us and she jumped on her beautiful mustang, Bella, bareback and off we went. 

Shortly after we returned, our vet arrived to vaccinate the horses and dogs.  Brett wanted her to check out Flash as he's starting to show some joint soreness from time to time.  He is 15 and Brett wants to make sure his joints are supported appropriately.  She did some flexion tests and watched Brett trot him out.  She said he was doing pretty well but recommended Adequan as a preventative measure.

Discussing Flash, who looks a tad concerned.

All the horses and donkeys were measured for weight.  Flash and Jackson each weighed 1100 lbs. 

Flash did great.  Brett... a bit of a struggle with his bad knee. 

The Vet Visits Jackson

Jackson had a very special visitor today.  Dr. Thacher came by to evaluate his concussion laminitis and his hocks.

First she had me walk him on the hard pack dirt driveway.  Then we trotted. 

Then she flexed his hocks, held it, then had me trot him off.  Both sides.

The verdict:  definitely sore in the hocks. 

Then she tested the front to see if he had soreness there, in the name of being thorough.  Jackson thought they were doing yoga.

Forward bend

Shavasana

Verdict:  no more concussion laminitis.  Yes!!!!!!

Treatment:  hock injections.

She gave him a sedative and did the first side.

And then the other.

After she finished, he got a shot of bute.  I'll give him more tonight and over the next three days.  Monday he'll be ready to go back to work.

Prognosis: Excellent

Owner: Broke but very happy and optimistic.

I'm celebrating by making a big pot of marinara sauce with all my tomatoes.  Eggplant parmigiana tonight for dinner.  I think I'll dig a nice bottle of wine out of the cellar too.

 

Excellent Ride

Brett and I rode this morning before the vet was due to arrive with needles, vaccines, and other fun stuff.  One of the things I have as homework from my last lesson is to keep Jackson in front of my leg.  He is naturally sensitive and I need to encourage that trait so once he is soft, I ask him to go forward.  If there isn't a response,  I tap him.  I only need a light tap with Jackson.  Soooo nice.  We did our warm-up on the buckle going around the block on the bridle trails.  We worked on forward.  Instead of our usual walk of one. two. three. four., I had a very nice 1-2-3-4 walk.  He was perfect except for the three spooks - from the usually unflappable Jackson.  The first spook was at a parked car.  Maybe because it was in a driveway instead of inside the gate?  The second spook was when two pit bulls charged their fence, barking.  Totally justified.  The third was at three mourning doves who flew up from the other side of the road, in plain view.  Stupid spook!  Once in the arena, I had very good work from my boy.  He continued to be nicely in front of my leg.  He was soft and round for the trot work while keeping the forward energy.  His transitions into left lead canter were along the lines of buck and charge -- but he got the correct lead.  We'll get there.  I'm feeling VERY optimistic today.

Who, me?

The vet arrived around noon.  All the horses received their shots and she did a ulcer test (fecal blood) on Jackson.  It came back negative.  She suggested that I do daily fecal checks on Jackson for 8 days so we can get a feel for his parasite rhythm.  She suspects that he has a sensitive stomach and is more bothered by worms than the average equine.  She said she had been trying to figure out why I was finding any parasites since we muck twice a day and the pasture is dry.  She figured it must be the donkeys.  They typically carry a heavier load than horses and commonly tote around tapeworms.  Ewwww.