July 2012

WHOOPS Ark ... was afraid maybe you weren't at home!!!! Prayers going up for quick recovery. The gowns/masks, etc. would put me in a tailspin!!!!!! Hope they figure it out PDQ. Keep us posted.

Do you have somebody that will help Donnie with the barn chores while you are so out of the loop? (((( ))))

Just occurred to me .... where is CB???? hope she is OK.....

Carol, I is fine...well almost fine....I had company for several days and wasn't on much, and then I broke my molar that I had filled before when they wanted to yank it or root canal it....I had it filled....so now it is sharp and cutting my tongue all up and I can't even get into the dentist until the 10th for pitys' sake. ahhhh welll....such is life! It will be yanked now...ouchy! Am going to oral surgeon as they have to cut it out now, too much has broken off of the tooth when the filling fled the scene.... did I mention it hurts to talk...and eat...ugh...guess I will get myself mentaly ready for the job that needs to be done....

ARK, wishing you a speedy recovery...what did you eat? do you have an ulcer? whatever I hope its better soon!

RICK, only a short time...keep telling yourself that, K?

Another HOT tamale day here in Idaho...hotter tomorrow forecasted....

CB .. glad you checked in and are sort of OK .... sounds pretty nasty. I am surprised they don't have any emergency spots saved on their appt. calendar. I might check with a different dentist!!! Good luck with it.

Our weather is suppose to break starting tomorrow. Not a minute too soon either. This has been awful.

Carol, my regular dentist is sending me to an oral surgeon in the big city who accepts my dental insurance...insurance is a nasty word anymore....many dentists/doctors won't take my insurance TriCare. So will have to just wait it out...part of me wishes it could be sooner, part of me wishes for NEVER....

My baby doxies are growing and playing and getting really cute! They are black and white and four have long hair like Daddy Beans and two have short hair like Mommy Bluey, but they all are vying for attention already, typical dachshund!

Good morning all. We are awaiting the thunder storms that are headed our way any minute now. I walked Ace at 6 AM, and the minute we returned, George & I dashed to the garden to pick corn. It's thundering like crazy now. We need the rain but I am a storm hater. I must have been a horse in a previous life, the storms just freak me out and I dash about the house looking out the windows. Here comes the RAIN...

JULIE: When my old Paint horse foundered my farrier (who turned out to be my vet when she finished school) did a crazy thing for him. She put his shoes on backward. He looked silly but it sure helped him. Then we went to a completely oval aluminum shoe for support for his navicular, when he went into full blown Cushings things got even trickery, abscesses out the wahzoo. George & I became really good at using duct tape to make pads for Maxx's sore feet. Too bad we didn't have stock in that company, we would be rich now. Soaking and painting with 10% iodine. The life we live for our buddies sounds insane to non horse people, drove our kids nuts. I hate when the farrier refuses to listen to us and keep trimming those heels and toes down to nothing. I fired many farriers who refused to listen and made my horses sore with their obsession with tiny feet and no heels. Big horses need big feet not those tiny geisha feet that are so popular.

ARK: OMG that is horrible. I am praying for you this morning. Hope you get outta the hospital soon. Keep us posted on your progress.

CB: You too girlfriend...nothing like pain in the mouth. OUCH

I think I shall get started on blanching the corn and get it into the freezer. Maybe I'll get the pickle slices done up today too while it raining and I won't be getting back outside to do anything. I don't mind the canning stuff, it's actually kinda fun and knowing there will be "fresh" veggies in winter makes it all worthwhile. I'm not really hot packing much, just blanching and freezing.

Have a wonderful day.

Love & prayers to all.

FINALLY!!!! We have a break in our hot/humid weather. Windows open this morning for some REAL air. It is just great. Midge headed for the deck to sit out as soon as she ate her breakfast. We really appreciate this. whewwwww it will come back, but liking this break.

Ark .... hope to hear good news. You gals canning... I admire you. I don't have a garden any more, but used to do the tomatoes, etc. and they sure taste better in winter than store stuff. Worth it. And, I used to love listening to the lids pop as they sealed. LOL

Have a good day!!

I sure wish we would hear something from Ark soon.

Agreed Ellen!!!! I keep checking in to see if there is any news!!! (((ARK)))

Ark, I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. and they find out what caused the infection keep us informed when you can and get better real soon

I am feeling a bit better. The cultures have not come back yet. They still do not know what has caused this. I hope to go home tomorrow.

Annie and Donnie have worked hard all week taking care of our place.

Thanks for your kind thoughts!

Ark, it sure is good to hear from you. I do hope you do get to go home tomorrow, with a resolution for the problem.

Ark, sorry to hear that you are still fighting a health battle...they are never fun.
CB ouch! those molars can sure give us pain at times. I have had my share of fillings, pullings, and root canals. I still have a lot of trouble with tarter build up...get the teeth cleaned three times a year...always looking for something to take that tarter out of my life.
Sunny.,hope that you and Kent are hanging in there, don't give up yet.
I don't get the chance to do the computer thing every day anymore...got to go somewhere to get it to work. Not sure what to do yet but my IP is not working as all I have for service is dial up and my gizmo that does the dial up thing is toast, (lightning) I really don't like the dial up anyway (does anyone) there is no cable out here, very little options especially when I move around and never in the same spot. I am still looking, which is a waste of time when you are computer challenged.

EILEEN: You may be "computer challenged"... I am COMPUTER STOOPID!!

Still in hospital but much better. Hope to go home today.

ARK, what did they say you have? I hope you are all better soon! It's not giardia is it? You can pick that up just by sponging your horse or using the water on trails to wash your hands etc...it is a nasty bug...hope they know what is causing you to be so darn sick! Not fun!

I posted last night, but it disappeared just as I was geting ready to hit the post button! When we came home on the interstate there was a wreck A pickup with a horse trailer flipped on top of the truck. It jackknifed just like ours did in WY that time, only this time it went all the way over on its side on top of the truck. The people and two horses were standing outside the truck seemed okay. thank goodness. I called dispatch to see if they needed a trailer as they were only a few miles from us, but they had one coming already. A few hours before there was a wreck there at same spot, between a pick up and a truck carrying diesel, and the interstate was shut down for several hours cleaning the spilled fuel.

I saw the oral surgeon yesterday and he was able to work on my tooth a bit to get some of the sharp edges off that was tearing up my tongue...thank goodness for that. Feels lots better now I can talk without slicing my tongue all up. I get it out on Wednesday when hubby comes home again...he will use IV sedation...yesssssss.

69 days and counting.....double YESSSSSSSSSSS

Oh, ARK, I am so glad to hear that you're on the mend! You need to get back in the saddle here -- at the very least to change my avatar for me. If I could, I'd send you a fresh, hot, curative, homemade pie made from the blueberries I've been picking. Get well, get well, get well!!

glad that you are getting better it is no fun in the hospital and you will feel better faster at home, Is anyone watching the olympics, I am only interested in the equestrian events which started today but won't be televised until Monday morning c.s.n.b.c sports on cable at least in my area, it is staying in the 90's here but not as humid as we hav not had much rain lately, other than that nothing else going on boring as usual, stay cool everyone and have a plesent weekend

Beech ... pleeeeease don't waste that pie!!!! Send it to me. I would enjoy it ever so much and smack my lips loud enough for Ark to hear me!!!!!

Went for a great ride this morning. Pat had a lesson at 11, so I got out there early enough to ride and be ready to unsaddle at the same time Pat got on ... worked pretty good .... It was a pretty morning and a very nice ride on a good horse .... nice view between the ears .... just doesn't get any better than that.... LOLOL

ARK - really sorry to hear you're not well, that sounds like a really horrible bug. Hope you're feeling a bit better today- I'd drop in and visit you with some grapes or flowers, only it's a little bit far! Wonder where you picked it up? I'm sure you're longing to get home, but they may not let you out until they're certain you're OK and on the mend, in case it comes back.

TWH - welcome! You've found a great group of horsy people here. I met a few of them on another website, many years ago and also just found them again on this website - they haven't changed a bit in all those years!!! Friendly and great advice and support for each other.
A little about me - I live in Ireland but have a son and 2 grandchildren in Texas who I visit a couple of times a year. My horse is a thoroughbred/Warmblood cross, bred for dressage which we compete at, but I also do TREC here, which reading about ARK's stories, seems a lot like your Trailriding.
Don't know if I mentioned this before, I also have a cat adopted a few years ago, almost deaf now and a bit stiff, but very loving.

I'm not long back from my last trip to TX. Had a great time, took the kiddies riding, as I posted here a while back, that was fun for all of us. But I REALLY liked our visit to the Space Centre at Houston. Boy, that was wonderful. It was amazing to actually go inside the nosecone of a real space ship and imagine what it was like to fire up into space. And hearing and seeing the story in the big iMax cinema about the start and development of the space programme was incredibly emotional, these astronauts were SO brave. It was all so unknown and as we know, all the time, anything could happen. I must say, although I'm not American, I felt as proud as if I was!!!
I know times have changed and it cost a lot of money, and came to an end, but some great technology discoveries also came out of the programme that we use today too.

So.. back to horses and us all... TWH, I read about your horse's feet and the farrier problems trimming them too short. The idea of putting shoes on backwards that Manygatess said, I've also seen farriers do here too and it can make a huge difference in some cases. Seems to take the pressure off the sole and spread it around more. Also alters the balance of the foot in some way too by lifting the heel a bit. We are not allowed to trim horses feet ourselves, so we rely on the farriers - like you've found, there's good and bad.

CB - your description of the horse trailer accident gave me a flashback I didn;t really want to recall. Saw a picture in newpaper once here of a similar story, a mare and foal, but not so good an ending. Those folks you saw may not have felt lucky, but they and their horses were OK, I call that lucky.

Sunny - I've started watching the Olympics too. Because I get British channels here, and it's taking place in London, I can watch it live and have spent (wasted?) a lot of today doing just that. Saw the US get its first Gold medal for the swimming, silver for the shooting. No doubt many more to come. I love watching and admire athletes at the top of their sport, so for the next 2 weeks, I'll be a TV addict. Particularly love the gymnastics and the high diving - don't ask me why! And the equestrian events of course... please give the Irish a cheer when they come on, we're only a little nation but we have some great horses.

Carol, get behind me for that pie! LOL

SilverD...yes those folks and horses were lucky! When ours jackknifed in WY on ice, we lost several goats, we think the cows may have slammed them and broke their necks....it was daughters herd sire one we lost too, a costly Boer goat that insurance does't cover!....so unless you have your animals covered your insurance will not pay for them y'all.

Why are you not allowed to do your own horses feet? How can someone stop you? I'm very nosey as you'll find out!

ARK, how r u feeling?

Good Sunday Morning! Stay off the Internet for a few days and look at everything I've missed

Ark, it's great to see you posting and I hope you get home when you think you will. I am also curious what "they" think is wrong. I don't like it when one spends time in the hospital, a million tests are run and all someone can say is "inconclusive but we think----"

Silverdancer, thank you for the welcome! Is TREC a competitive/obstacle trail riding sport? My lifelong friend and trail riding bud just sent me some pics of a "JRT" event she participated in; it was trail riding and an obstacle course. We live 11 hours apart since I decided to retire to the southeast U.S. where the winters are milder. I wasn't planning on these on-going brutal hot/humid days that even the locals are fed up with - lol

You and Paint have both brought up the reverse shoes. Here's the thing: I was trying to do right by this horse and also save my back, which literally has no discs; I have Level III Spondolotheses and also so much arthritis in my right hand that I have to use the horses' clay poultice and wrap my hand to trim them.

In my magnamonious effort to do all that, I have done nothing more than cause this sweet horse to be horribly lamed and most likely permanently crippled with arthritis as I am seeing wind puffs pop up everywhere.

Thanks to two qualifed farriers laming him up, it takes me well over an hour every day to take care of just him and there's three others that need cared for. I've got a video of him in April that would jerk your heart strings, while he's not as bad this time he groans when he first starts walking.

I will, never again, let someone come in this driveway to work on my horses. I've lived in this area nine years and now know there isn't anyone qualified because they don't listen.

Right, wrong, or in the middle, I am better off trimming this guy myself; at least I didn't sore him up, I am with him every day, I can see if something needs immediate attention and take care of it. He has to have his rear heels a certain height due to his fractured sacrum (he needs bubble-wrapped, that's a whole 'nuther story

Trying to care for him in this heat, with all the bending that's involved, while he's recovering from this last crime against his hooves has been brutal to say the least. Even with three tub fans trying to blow both of us into the next county - lol

The longer this goes on, the madder I get. This horse's tendons can't afford to have one more person mess up his hooves. I told my husband Joker's life span has been shortened by these "Legends in their own Minds" because of the damage they've done to his tendons that will result in un-needed arthritis; couple that with the arthritis in the sacrum from his self-inducted 2007 accident and I've got a 17 yr old that will lucky to be walking when he's 20.

My close-up vision has tanked so I can't get him perfect but I can keep him from soring because I will keep his hooves where they are comfortable for him, not where the spec sheet says he should be.

Whew! Got that off my chest - lol lol lol

Dewpoints are "only" 70 this morning, the air is actually pleasant. Kenny's going to bush hog one section of pasture and he asked me to pick which one -lollol I picked the one the horses have been hanging out in the most. He will cut that and watch, the horses will move somewhere else

Silverdancer, I am also curious why you aren't allowed to trim your own horses?

Still in hospital. Hope to go home today. White blood cells are finally dropping.

Wow Ark .... that has been quite a long stay!!!! Did they figure out what was wrong???? Hope so ... sure don't want it to show up again.

TWH ... you sure have a rough time with that horse. Seems like where you live, there should be some great farriers. Bummer that there isn't. I would never be able to do it myself. NEVER!!!!

LOL at your 70 dewpoint being nice ..... ickkkkk .... that is bad to me. When it hits 70 I am pretty much out of business to breath and do anything else at the same time.

Selverdancer .. great to see you again. Wish we could do it in person again.

Ark, I am sooo sorry you have been so sick. Keep us up to date when you can. Sure hope to hear from you later today - from HOME.

Good day all...we had some dandy rainfall lately so the happy farmers are all out standing in their fields. Everything that like water looks happy today.
Silver dancer...I too am curious how anyone can stop you from trimming your own horse if you so desire...strange rules, and who makes them, ??
Ark glad to hear that you are on the mend,
Take care all.