Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Doesn't Look Too Promising

A Horsey Morning, Nonetheless

It has been raining off and on all day. It is also chilly...cold....not at all nice out there.

The first event of the morning was the arrival of the chimney sweeps. Fine, except that, according to them, my chimney, which is over 60 years old, needed a new liner. OK, fine, except that I had to borrow the money from my home equity line to pay for it. That's OK, except it messed up some other plans, so now I have to modify again. Until I retire and settle into my new income format, things are tight. Once I retire, they will actually be a bit better and then get even better as time goes on. For now, I am in a hole I would prefer not to be in. But I guess the chimney will be OK.

Then, five minutes before the scheduled 10:30 AM appointment, my veterinarian showed up. I have never had a horse vet so prompt about regular appointments. Except in the rare case of an emergency which holds him up, he is here at the appointed time.

Three horses. Teeth floating, inoculations, sheath cleaning, and, coggins test. Don't know if the coggins is in Europe too, but here, horses must be tested for Equine Infectious Anemia before it can be transported across state lines, and before it can compete. This year they have added a photograph to the test for better identification. So each horse had to pose for three photos as well as have blood drawn for the test.

I will admit, that for nearly every procedure, all three boys were just fine. Of course, they were tranquilized to take the edge off. For two of his back teeth, Tucker needed another dose as he started to fight the vet when the file was far back into his mouth. Dr. Klayman said that is very common and just worked through it. Since Tucker is SO tall, fighting with him was just too hard so the extra tranquilizer helped a lot.

Chance was a good boy, which is quite a change from the first time he was floated when he needed several doses of tranquilizer just so we could handle him. This time, he was actually cooperative. Our only problem with him was the strangles vaccine. By then, the tranquilizer had started to wear off. The vaccine is administered in the horse's nose. Chance wanted none of that. Both Dr. Klayman and I were tossed around the stall a bit before he managed to wrestle Chance's nose and get the medication in. He said later he has complained to the company that the tubes are too skinny and fatter ones would bother the horses a lot less, but his suggestions have fallen on deaf ears.

I'm glad we saved Toby for last because he was an absolute star for everything. Dr. Klayman calls him "The Prince," and once more he showed his royalty with impeccable behavior. Experience and a truly accepting dispostition make him the perfect patient.

It was well after noon time, going on one, by the time we'd finished. After the doctor left, I waiting until I was sure the tranquilizers had worn off, put the sheets back on the horses, and just turned them out.

I doubt, considering the weather, that I will do much more with the Boys today. For April, it feels more like March. *shiver*

A note about Stacie: Stacie is a good friend who lost the use of her sweet warmblood, Lucky, due to arthritic changes in his ankle. She spent a fortune, both emotionally and financially, trying to get him sound after a bone bruise to his foreleg had caused some bone to die. Lucky had surgery and a super long recovery only to end up permanently lame from his ankle issues--perhaps somehow accelerated by the surgery. Regardless, she retired Lucky on her farm, keeping a close eye on him to see how comfortable and happy he can be, and then began a quest for a new horse. The search has had its ups and downs, but more downs than ups, so the possible purchase of Sedona will be a really special event.

Stacie truly loves her horses and loves the challenge of riding and learning. I am hoping she has a last found a new partner to join her on her adventures into the world of dressage.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:27 PM

    It's always wonderful to hear about people like Stacie, who care enough about their horses to keep them, and care for them, after their abilities become limited or they cannot be ridden due to age or injury. I hope the horse she is trying works out for her.

    Our vet is an absolute ace with vaccinations and particularly the strangles - she manages to quietly move in next to a horse and slip it in before they hardly notice! Then they look very surprised!

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  2. All of ours have been vaccinated in the past two weeks or so. Our vet breaks all the spring shots in half so as not to give them all the doses at once. The only ones we've had floated were the two rescued Arabians and that was in the summer so I guess they'll all be due again. We use an equine dentist, it's just easier that way for us to schedule one day for floating. Glad everyone is okay in your barn. That stinks about the chimney though.
    Hope your friend Stacie has found her next horse. It's so good to see someone who keeps their horses even if they are injured and unridable. We have quite a collection ourselves of these types of horses.

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  3. we don't have coggins test over here, no need (although i imagine if we were to take a horse to the states we would have to) and i don't know many that do strangles vaccination......

    sounds like you're like to have to go back get your neck done again if you were being thrown round the stable!

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  4. Wow they've certainly had a good going over!
    Polo's only ever had tetanus vaccine's.AliG had flu jabs so ive continued these on as if I ever compete they have to have them.
    Im quite cynical on vaccinations or should I say the practice of over vaccinating.

    Fingers crossed for Stacie she deserve a bit of luck!

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  5. Oh UK Girls I cannot believe it, The Brit ALWAYS take the piss of European regulation.
    Cogins test is COMPULSORY for horses travelling. All our horses are tested every year.
    And the microship as well and the vaccinations.

    The only case for a horse not to be microshipped, it is when it is going for slaughter within his first year.

    Honestly (I am looking for the stick to be beaten with) you Brit are always so slacked with regulations (vaccination, Cogins etc..) that you end with BSA or foot and mouth disease. I am glad you are on an island, so disease is easier to contain.

    Yes British husband got on my worng side this am.

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