Moses the Conehead

There’s a “new dog” in town that is sending the horses into a tizzy.  Actually, its just Moses the Conehead.   Moses got into a scrap with Dip over some dead something, Dip took a chunk out of Moses’ side and it got badly infected (like the deadly komono dragon saliva!!).  So, he’s sporting a “conehead” to keep from chewing off the stitches on his side.  Some of the horses (Flash & Zim in particular) just can’t seem to believe he’s the same dog they’ve known all along…snorting and prancing, and just about falling over themselves to get away.  It amazes me that they can’t figure out who he is, by smell or something.  This conehead thing really throws them off.

 

Just Another Day…

Busy day today.  Start off with Connor flat on the ground, back legs flailing.  Holly called me up to check him, and when he saw me he stood up, on wobbly legs.  He’s not really improving on his left front abscessed hoof, either.  He doesn’t want to walk, but he is still always interested in eating.  We hand walked him a few yards to the tack house, where Jessika and I changed his bandage.  The three of us stood around this poor old horse, trying to decide whether we should call the vet; was he in pain; was it his time?  I came so close to calling the vet, and as I rehearsed in my mind what I would say to him, I had to choke back the tears…just thinking the thoughts that needed to be said were painful.  We walked him to the arena and turned him out…more like placed him in it…he never moved.  When we walked him back to his paddock, he seemed improved, and the call to the vet never was placed. 

Holly worked “the boys” (the Welsh boys, Flash and Zim) on lunge line with side reins.  She also attempted some desensitization to the measuring stick – well, the two of them jump right out of their skins when you start walking towards them with it!  We’ve all worked hard trying to desensitize these two ponies but they remain very spooky and skittish – at the most mundane things – even after repeated exposures!  (I read somewhere that a deficiency in magnesium can cause spookiness, but they have a mineral salt block in their paddock, so that’s not it!)  Holly works diligently, but it often seems like we’re back to square one every time!

Jessika took out Jack and lunge him, and he was off a bit today.  Not wanting to stay out on the circle, but is beginning to stretch down. Although, as Jessika puts it, every time he stretches down he trips over his feet.  Rather a clumsy, young horse…

Star got a bath today from Jessika.  Found out Jessiak does a really thorough job washing horses when Max came up so clean the other day.  Star is loosing patches of hair and its not rain rot – maybe a medicated bath will help.

While Jesskia gave Star a bath, Steven went to town digging out the muck and mud that had built up in her paddock through the rainy season.  Star not only has poor hooves prone to bad thrush, but she also pees like crazy and then stands in the muddiest part of her stall all day – she’s a real challenge!!  I talked with our farrier and we’ve got a plan of attack.  Of course it starts with the environment – clean the stall and keep it dry!!  (oh, brother!)  Well, Steven did a great job removing 2 tons of muddy pee/poop, and now we’ll lay down a layer of gravel, then sand, sloped 1 degree away, covered by rubber mats, then wood shavings.  The fun has just begun.  Then, we begin treating the thrush.  Stay tuned for that experimental treatment which we’ll be chronicling.

 

Of Snowboarding & Dressage

This weekend family and friends went up to Big Bear Lake, California to ski/board Snow Summit.  We went with three other couples, lot’s of teenage boys and 3 pre-teen girls.  I brought my MacBook so I could keep up with all internet connections.  As soon as I pulled out the old “Apple” I was informed that this was a vacation and no working allow – put the computer away!!  Aughhhh!  I tried getting an internet connection anyway – but nothing.  Front desk tells me WiFi only works in the lobby, and with so much working against me, I reluctantly put anyway my laptop.

 

Sunday morning 6 AM – everybody still asleep, zonked out from hard skiing (old age, out of shape skiing kinda hang over).  I’m up and sneaking down to the lobby, laptop tucked under my arm – I will connect!!  Guy at the front desk sees the “Apple” and says “Macs don‘t work here” – sounds a little like discrimination – don’t quite believe it but I leave anyway with just a coffee in hand for my efforts.  Get back to the room and decide to write and then just copy to blogs when I get home…

 

On the slopes, the majority of people are snowboarding.  I’ve skied all my life, growing up in New Hampshire that’s what we did all winter long.  I practically skied before I could walk, and way before I rode my first horse.  Once I tried to snowboard thinking it couldn’t be that hard if all those people were doing it.  I failed miserably at it…slide six feet, down on my butt, slide six feet, down on my butt…and down the slope I went spending most of the time on my butt!!  I just couldn’t get it!! 

 

Still, I look at those snowboarders with such envy – they look so graceful, so fluid as they slide down the mountain, shifting balance to maneuver a turn, they look like dressage riders – they are “one with their boards” – communicating with a miniscule shift in balance, a slight twist of the body – they glide beautifully; then the burst of energy as they explode off a rail, method grab, then land, to continue their smooth glide down the slope. 

Method Grab

 

 

 

Skiers don’t look as graceful, (in my opinion) nor as balanced, they look…gawky next to boarders.  (Now remember – I am a skier!!).  I think if I could learn to snowboard, it would help my horseback riding because of the tremendous amount of precision timing and balance required - shouldn’t this translate over to potentially improved riding ability? Of course, any cross training will help an athlete perform better, but I think snowboarding looks particularly beneficial because of the importance it puts on balance, timing and core strength - all particularly important in riding well.

 

I tried it once, I think I’ll try it again – for the sake of improving my riding. 

 

Plus it looks like a heck of a lot fun!!!

 

Max’s Baby Pix!

Just for fun, I dug up Max’s baby picture; here he is…….!!

"Color to the Max" foaled Feb. 24, 1989

And look at that!!!!  I just missed his birthday!!  My fellow Blogger and Facebook Friend just posted a comment saying all horses deserve a carrot cake on their birthday.  I’m so sorry I missed your birthday, Max!!!

(It’s the same birthday as my mother-in-laws and my niece’s!)

 

Max: Yesterday and Today!

Here’s a photo of Max (Color to the Max) the day I bought him…

Max - July 2003

Max - Feb 2009

 And today… 

A little hairier, a little heavier, a little older (but just as clean, thanks to Jessika!)He still takes my breathe away!  He is such a beautiful horse!

 

Radiograph update

Got a call from Dr. Bender this morning; Connor’s radiograph looks good i.e. coffin bone is in perfect alignment with the hoof wall.  No rotation.  He did see signs of perhaps earlier problems; the tip of the coffin bone has some remodeling/re-leveling.

 

From Laminitis to Abscess

Connor has not been getting any better; still not putting weight on his left front foot, so I called the doctor out to have another look.  And here’s a look at his hoof for you, too…

Connor's left hoof gets the squeeze

Farrier, Rob Greenwood had been by last week, pulled of his front shoes and rounded the toe.  Connor winced, quite a bit, evidence of pain in the hoof.  Frog had a lot of thrush, too!  (This was a new development for him!)  But the oddest symptom was, when the doctor pressed on the center of the hoof, liquid oozed out at the point of the frog, suggesting an abscess.  Odd, because abscesses generally erupt at the bars of the frog.  Dr. Bender (Creekside Veterinary Services), cut away more of the thrushy frog to release more of the abscessing liquid.

We decided to take a radiograph, just to see if there was any bone rotation in his foot causing the pain.  Now, I know this horse looks pretty bad, but he’s an old (30+ yrs) ex-race horse, grey with melanomas, and been rolling in the mud!

 

He’s actually in pretty good shape and up until this hoof thing hit him, he was doing leadline with the little kids and lovin’ it!  He’s one of the “people horses” that I have.  (The other is Jack, also an OTTB – they both prefer the company of people over horses.)

After the x-rays, Dr. Bender slathers on the ichthammol to pull out the rest of the abscess, then wrapped the hoof securely in bandages and duct tape!

Connor gets radiograph

 Then a shot of bute to help with the pain and inflammation.  Hopefully, Connor will be good as new in a few weeks!  I know several young children waiting for a ride…

 

Zoonoses – Does your Horse Share More Than Good Times With You?

If you’re like most horse people I know (us “equasians”), when your horse gets sick, you’re much more worried about the horse’s well-being, than your own health when caring for your horse.  After all, who gets sick from a horse?  There are, however, some disease you can catch from a sick horse; some even fatal.

Zoonotic diseases are those that are transmitted between animals and people.  Here are a few that can be caught either directly or indirectly from your horse…

Rabies – about 40 – 50 equine rabies cases are documented in the  United Sates and Puerto Rico annually.  Not alot, you say, but here’s the catch: The disease is virtually 100% fatal in animals and people.  Right now, there is a case reported in Kentucky.  Bottom line – make sure your horse is vaccinated for rabies.

Salmonellosis – diarrhea, septicemia and localized infections are all symptoms in the horse.  You catch is by fecal-oral contact (generally due to ineffective hand washing) or oral contact with contaminated materials.  Keep your hands out of your mouth!

Anthrax – rapidly fatal in horses and you can become ill from dermal exposure – you’ll live if you catch the disease early enough.  Some areas where this disease is prevalent (North Dakota, Texas, Utah & Nevada) regularly vaccinate against anthrax.

Brucellosis – this disease has nearly been eliminated from U.S. livestock, but it still exists in wildlife which can infect horses.  Can cause fistulous wither and poll evil in horses.  The former is an inflammation and infection of a bursa (fluid-filled sac) over the withers; poll evil is an inflammation and infection of the bursa over the first and second cervical vertebra, close to the horse’s poll.  Other bacteria can cause these symptoms, but Brucella has the zoonotic potential.

These are some of the major zoonotic diseases you can catch from your horse.  And there are others; ringworm and other fungal skin diseases, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus* (MRSA), to name a few.

A few simple guidelines can reduce the risk of obtaining an infection from your horse:

• Obtain appropriate vaccinations for your horse and yourself!
• Isolate horses with neurologic signs, avoid contact with the horse’s siliva and have a veterinarian out to check.
• Use protective clothing and gloves when handling horses with diarrhea. 
• Use mosquito and insect control to reduce vector-borne diseases.
• And, wash your hands before eating or drinking or after any contact with horses.  (Your mother was right!)

I always keep the pump bottles of waterless hand sanitizer around the barn for myself and guests who love to pet the horses. 

For more information see Zoonotic Diseases and the Horse Owner. 

Good articles abound on The Horse, see What Can You Catch From Your Horse?

*Methicillin-resistant or Multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus i.e what we call “staff (staph) infections”.   This is practicularly troublesome because it has developed a resistance to typical treatments.

 

Connor’s Laminitis

Doctor showed up right on time and, quite honestly, I had been preparing myself for the worst.  I had given Connor 2 grams of Bute last night around 10 pm and blanketed him to keep him comfortable over night.

After evaluation of hooves and walking gait, the doctor diagnosis mild/beginning laminitis in left front hoof, and prescribes:

Previcox- an anti-inflammatory drug; used instead of the usual “Bute” (phenylbutazone) because it has less long term side effects.  And, yes, the horse med is really Equiox ($$$$). 1 pill/day

Pentoxifylline- a red blood cell modulator; thinking is, one of the contributing factors to  laminitis is constricted blood flow to hoof, due to smaller blood vessels.  This drug helps the blood reach into the smaller blood vessels in the hoof.  7 pills/day

Aspirin- helps prevent clotting that can occur with the Pentoxifylline.  2 scoops (2 grams)/twice a day.

He also noted “seedy” toe which is beginnings of bacterial infection in the white line of the hoof.

Also said to call back the farrier and get the toe rounded for easier breakover.  (Yesterday, we just pulled off his front shoes and left it like that.)

All-in-all, prognosis is good!!

Connor

 

The Death of an Equine Friend

I recently read a timely piece on one of my favorite blogs, “Behind the Bit”.  It was about a subject that most pet owners fear to tread, and certainly, horse owners have an even “bigger” fear – the death of a horse and what to do about the body.  The author addresses this issue with her usual aplomb (which I love) as she doles out her pragmatic musings over cremation for our dearly depart equines.

I felt compelled to add an element of sentimentality to the subject on another issue horse people would often rather not face (here again, this applies to many pet owners)…that of being physically present with your horse when the lethal injection (or bullet, or whatever…) is given and he passes over that “rainbow bridge” to the vast eternity beyond…let’s face it, this is just too painful for many of us!  To watch the last dying breathe of our faithful companion, the life fading out of their eyes…this is hard!!!  and very, very painful and most of us would rather not be there.  It is much easier to turn our backs and walk away and let the vet do the deed alone.

And, honestly, I would rather not have to suffer such pain, and could easily justify my selfish self-protection by saying, the horse really doesn’t care if I’m there or not.  That theory all came crashing down on me and the ensuing epiphany left me forever changed with the understanding that when my horses pass over the bridge, I need to be there with them…

…I had hired a pair of groomers to body clip my Amercian Saddlebred, Max (“Color to the Max”).  He’s one of those “grumpy” horses who really doesn’t like people and can barely tolerate being around them; ears pinned back whenever you walk by his paddock.  We’ve been together a long time (he still pins his ears at me) and I love him for what he is (a beautiful, forward trail horse) and expect nothing but a good ride in return.  I kept checking back on his clipping progress, when finally, the groomers asked me to please stay, because Max was so much calmer and relaxed (and easier to clip) when I was there!  Well, I was blown away!  It never occurred to me that my comings and goings made one bit of difference in this horse’s life, (unless I had hay in my hands) and for whatever reason, my presence gave comfort to him at a stressful time.  That completely and irrevocably changed my perspective on being around my horses when they need to pass on.  As painful as it will be to me, (and I cry just thinking about it!) I will be there to comfort them as best I can.  Let my smell and touch be the last sense they feel when life slips from their bodies.  I owe it to them.

This is timely, as I mentioned in my opening remarks because my old  (30+)grey Thoroughbred is probably not just arthritic, but, as my farrier informed me today, he may have laminitis and could be in a lot of pain.  I have the vet coming tomorrow morning at 8am to check him out.  And  my heart is heavy with what tomorrow may bring.