July 2012

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.

Eileen, you got rain! Whoo Hoo! We've got some cloud cover; it's helped keep the temps down but nothing's going to fall out of those pretty white fluffy things.

Ark, hope your next update is from home

Carol, at last check the dewpoint is "only" 69.9 and the feels like is only three degrees above the actual temp. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that would sound welcoming but, the even the deeply rooted folks around here have had it with the recent humidity levels. Some have commented they might as well be living in Louisiana -lol

I started breaking horses for my grandpap when I was 12 and also got my own first horse at 12. I've only been one year in my adult life without a horse. Never have I seen a horse that needs bubble-wrapped like this precious fella does.

If it's something odd that you can't think up, pick him. He goes out every day in a grazing muzzle and now boots. If I could fit him for body armor, I might do that - lol

Living virtually in "The Cradle of Walking Horse Country", we aren't short of good farriers. They seem to be an arrogant lot that just do the Bobbing-Dog head when you make a request and do what they want anyway.

Things were going so well on the first two trims this last farrier did. The third trim he whacked those toes off and lowered the heels way down to where Joker still can't walk very well. My wanting to run him off the road in my old GMC is borne out of frustration/anger that he saw this horse's X-rays, talked to the vet and was fully aware of why I let his predecessor go. Yet he went right ahead on the third trim and did what the other guy did.

If I couldn't do my own trimming, I don't know what I would do because he is the third trimmer to sore this horse, all for the same reasons. The first trimmer at least, didn't cripple Joker like these last two have.

They all did fantastic balancing my horse with the minor club hoof. No toe cracks or anything and that can be hard to alleviate when dealing with even a slight club hoof. He is the one that will suffer at my hands as I have a hard time understanding the math & physics that go into keeping him standing square. He's a TWH and I always know when I've messed him up because he will trot in the pasture instead of gait

This Joker, the foundered horse, in better days. He is the sweetest, most in-your-pocket and compliant horse of anyone.


It had been nearly fours since he'd been ridden. I didn't lunge him or anything. Just threw the bridle on and he went down the road and thru the hayfield like he'd been doing it every day.

ACCCKKKK......I am still in same place. Sick jail. My white count is slowly coming down but so is my anemia levels. I walked in with 14.8 hemoglobin, but today they are down to 9. Until they figure that out, I am stuck here. Stuck is the key word. I look like a junky with needle marks.

CB
They are calling it colitis. I actually feel much better now. Cancer is not the problem. Thank God....

TWH
Love the pix!!!! I have a horse who needs bubble wrap also. My Arab mare Kazi. If anyone gets in a mess, it is her. I have had her for half her 20 years and she has been severely laminetic for six of those years. She is doing great now after going to Va Tech's veterinary hospital equine service for the past two years. They are miracle workers. Kazi would be long dead if we had continued with the local legends in their own minds.

Kazi is always the one stuck in a gate or banged in some other manner. She colicked two years in a row on Christmas Eve. She has had one seizure, cutting her knee on her then backwards shoes nearly to the bone. that took six months to heal. She is a pill....but we love her and she never gave up even when three legged lame. She is sound and happy now.

Well darn, Ark! I was hoping to hear from you from your home tonight. Sure hope they get you figured out fast!

ARK, all I can say is get a second opinion! I've not heard of clitis doing that....and you want to make sure they arn't missing anything! they shouldn't! Hope you get out of there soon, but do go see another doc when you are feeling better...just to be safe.

I have Jasper, my wonder horse! He came to me with spurs on his molars that had grown down thru his tongue, very skinny, and lame.....my husband thought me to be totally insane...but what else is new? First to the equine dental school where he got his teeth all worked on and then he could chew normally once again....then the lameness.....aha....an abcess broke thru the coronet band and we could see the hole in his sole where it popped also....aha we thought....soaks and packing it and soaks....and he was finally not limping! YES! Farrier came out and trimmed him and he went into "sole shock" says the bigwig vet at the equine center....say what? never heard of it....so now he needs special wider and thicker shoes to keep his soles from coming into contact with ANY thing...so now he is sportin' his new shoes and so far so good, no signs of lameness....ride will come on Thursday to see how he does on the trail...IF he lames up again...I'm at the end of my rope and have done everything and spent way too much money on him...but he is a nice boy....but hubby says no more if he is lame this time. I dry lot, no pasture here, so I pay dearly for the hay...and since hubby has been patient, I will have to see how it goes and abide with his decision if he lames up again and that is all that is written on this saga, more to come later this week...and I hope it is good news....so y'all say a lil "HUM" for Jasper, please!

HOT here today....whew....tired of this HEAT! The swamp cooler quits after about 85...it just doesn't throw any cool air at all...so its sit under the fan and swelter for a few hours...I'm always putting cold water in the tubs/tanks for the horses and dogs..and spraying them down...they seem to enjoy that. I'm ready for a nice long warm fall, but lets get over this heat wave!

Thinking GOOD POSITIVE things for Ark today!!!!! Sure hope they get your numbers all where they should be!!!! Hugs headed your way .... also HUGE hugs for Annie and Donnie trying to fill in for you at home. Bet the animals are wonder what is going on!!!!

ARK, I would never even have said that nasty C word. not even think about it! i had giardia once and I was all out of whack like that...rbc's and wbc's dancing around and sick...oh wow...both ends....and cramps too....its soooo easy to get too. but I'm sure they have done all tests for it. Have they done a coloscopy? I don't like thinking about that test, but don't remember it at all...so isn't too bad. If they havn't done enuf testing, get doc to order more. You have to have certain illnesses to have your blood be that messed with....gotta get Graymare on here maybe she could tell ya better than I am. Calling Graymare...come in come in wherever you are!

Another HOT day...whewwwww.... end of week spose to be in the mid 90's and I'll take it....anything to get under 100 or 100 plus...ugh...I'm getting drained...

Graymare is in the mountains and has spotty internet access. Hopefully she will get access soon.

CB .. are you having any luck selling your puppies?? Those little cuties must be about ready to go soon .... hope the bad weather, etc. isn't causing any trouble for those puppies to find they new homes.

I have the wildboar male left from first litter, I'm always ahead of the others in this area with my colors and people just don't know what they are yet, ....in a few years everyone will be trying for this color...and he may always be with me....he's fitting right in and he listens pretty good already too. The new litter won't be ready to go for another two weeks...theya re ute lil butter balls! All black and white, and I have one of the males sold already...so 5 to go. I have one that is marked like a blue tick hound dog....unique...and I have 4 long hairs and 2 shorthairs in this litter. they keep me hoppin! They are inside puppies still....altho this week if it cools down a bit, they will start getting some time outside in the sunshine/shade a few hours a day when its the coolest out there. I hope they will sell quickly to good homes...but I'll keep them first if I have to...before I'll sell to someone that I get bad vibes from ifn ya know what I mean...most of the time my snap judgement is pretty much on...so I trust myself. they are wiggly lil bundles of love right now! Flessa was my picture sender to person, and she up and left us again....I miss hearing from her! I'll snail mail a pic to ARK when she is up and about! which I hope is soon, being sick is NO fun at all. HUMMMMMMMMMMMMM for ARk.

Hi all - ARK, I am really dismayed to read that you are not home yet as hoped, but it's better they won't let you out of hospital till they identify that bug or whatever is making your readings out of norm. But I bet you're hating it and fretting and wondering how everyone is getting on at home. You don't say, though, how you FEEL - still ill or getting better enough to fret!

CB and others - you were asking about how come we are not allowed to trim our horses over here. I should have added - 'for shoeing' - because in Ireland and in the UK there are strict Welfare Laws (maybe some other European countries too) and it's illegal for anyone who's not a qualified and registered farrier to shoe a horse. And I would say that most horses here are shod, due to the huge sport and leisure industry that involved horses. That means we all call the farrier for everything, pretty much, even a horse that is resting and off work and unshod - people will get the farrier to come, check and trim if necessary. If a farrier suspected someone had been trimming their own horse, he might refuse to shoe it, on the grounds that if something went wrong after shoeing, he might get the blame for something not his doing.
However, just in the last couple of years or so, there is interest in 'barefoot riding' as people call it, and some farriers have trained to qualify for that and are known as 'trimmers'. And I think that there is not actually any law against a private individual Trimming their own horse, but because no one here really has much experience in it, most will call a qualified trimmer.
Even Stud Farms with lots of young horses will use a farrier to start the trimming, to get the animal used to the handling and to make sure the balance of the foot is correct from the beginning.
Hope all this has not been too long-winded for an explanation, but you got me thinking. And realising how the different approaches and attitudes came about.
Now I have my own question(s)!
When you all talk about trimming your own horses feet, is that for barefoot riding or is for shoeing? And do you also shoe them your self, or do you only use a farrier for that?

Today was spent in front of the TV (again), watching the Olympics - 3 day Event cross country section, went on for about 5 hours but was VERY exciting, lots of twists and challenges, up and down hill, round corners, through water, all along the course. I felt exhausted afterwards, having ridden every round with the riders in my head!!!

Carol - we had some great times when I visited MN, my, that was a few years ago now... by the way, do you remember the cowboy hat you and Marilyn persuaded me to get at the EXPO? I still have it! And I think about you and the ride we had and the fun, whenever I pick it up. That trip was the first (and only) time I saw an Armadillo, I couldn't believe it was for real. I remember stopping the car, looking at it, and thinking ' Is that really what I think I'm looking at?' LOL.

Big procedure tonight in Roanoke hospital. Iffy.
Please hum. Thanks.

Love to you all.....

(((ARK))) Hope it all goes well.

Big and on-going prayers for you, Ark.

ARK .... prayers and good positive thoughts going up. This is not what was suppose to be happening!!!!! Please know that we are all holding you up through this. Please let us know as soon as possible that you are OK!!!!! Will be waiting for good news!!!! ((( ))))

my hubby will do ours when he has time to shoe/trim....otherwise I call the farrier...hubby is pretty good, learned at the hip of a really good farrier. He only does our own horses, once in awhile an outside horse that is really in need and someone can't afford a farrier...or one who loses a shoe on a campout he'll put it back on....
Lots of folks are going for the barefoot trims here too.but I would rather have shoes on to help protect the soles of my horse. We have some sharp lava rock out here in places.

ARK, you know you have all of our HUMS! and good vibes.....wishing you the best...whatever is going on.

Wow, the heat just won't go away...its 9:30 and still so dang hot out there...no breeze either...I'm ready for a break and I know the animals are too...poor babies.

well, hubby is taking his vacation the 19th and we or he will be driving our fifth wheel camper down with our Dodge pickup and leaving the truck there for the kids to be able to get hay since my turck will pull more than their truck. Hubby will spend his last month working and living in our truck camper...it won't be too bad, I've lived in it several times and its alright. I am not sure if I will be going along or not, it depends on the weather ....if it cools down a bit. I am of course prejudiced, but I think I am the bestest mommy to the animules and to have someone else take care of them in the heat, altho I trust them to do a good job, can anyone do it like their Mommy....and the fact the return trip will be made by bus...been there and done that...and if we hadn't missed connections and had to sit forever (12) hours at one terminal, I may be more inclined to go with hubby when he drives down....but I'm still thinking and pondering this....would love to go and meet the grand kids in person...they will all be there that week...but it may just have to wait another month or so....decisions decisions...

ARK< hope whatever it is going on that it went smoothly tonight....we are all a bit worried about you!

well, its finally cool enuf to think about going to get some shut eye....I dranke a beer that my company left behind...a Bud Light, and it actually did quench the thirst a bit more than ice tea or lemonade....and not being use to drinking that much....I think sleep will come easy tonight Sweet Dreams y'all.

ARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just opened my mail and there was a prayer circle being formed for you. Holy cow, what is happeningÉ I, of course, have not been in here for a while so this is all news to me. I am dashing out the door right now but will read posts when I get home. In the meantime, please hope that they find out what your problem is.

HUGS

Donna

ARK: Lots of prayers going up for you this morning. Didn't read the forum until now. I pray all went well and the docs can find out what the heck is going on with you. (((((DIANE))))

I met my new boss yesterday, she is a nice girl, I'm sure we will get along well and I'll stay part time at the PO. She wants me to work every Weds so she can go and work at her old PO and give her old boss a day off. So I'll be working 12 hours a week. Now that is a work schedule I can live it.

Today is my boss's last day at the PO. I decorated the PO on Saturday and she was surprised when she went into work yesterday. tee hee George & I took her out to dinner on Saturday and I had a T-shirt mounted and framed that said "Retired Postal worker, rain, sleet or snow I'm staying home." She loved it.

It's been hot here and we have been building a small building next to the garden for the garden equipment. We should be finished with it today (I hope).

Love & prayes to all...especially for you Diane...

I hope all goes well with the test they are doing and get down to what's wrong and you can get better soon, prayers from me and the ladies here that have a prayer group so lots and lots of prayers comming your way get well soon

Big Hugs (((((ARK)))) Don't know what else to say. It's all so sudden. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Looking (HOPING) to hear some good news soon Ark!!!!!

Trudy .. glad you got your PO hours worked out.

CB pretty soon you will be on your way to your new digs!!!!! sounds pretty darn hot there. And, making sure all the animals have plenty of fresh cool water is sooooo important for them.

Pretty nice summer day here today. I am off in a few to go for a ride.

Ark, (((hugs))) and hums to you during your stay at the hospital, no one really likes to stay there, but sometimes it is best while the DRs figure you out.
Silver dancer...in my area, (Canada) one can trim or shoe their own horses if they so desire. I have trimmed mine many times and shod a few as well, but would not attempt it anymore, I am too old for that sort of abuse on my body, not to mention the horses body. lol
I prefer to let the professionals do it all, I only trim when it is necessary at the time either because I am somewhere between here and nowhere, or timing is not right for the farrier and trimming needs to be done right now. I am pretty sure it is the same in the USA as I have ridden there in many different areas and never heard of any such rule that we could not trim if we wanted to.
Have a good day all

((((((Diane))))) I'd better be hearing/reading some good news right away! Prayers going up and prayers to guide the doctors! Please get Donnie to update if he has time and thank God you have him and Annie to care for the home and fur babies, even though I know you are so concerned, Don't you worry about anything but your healing. Prayers continuing!

praying and waiting...

Svet posted this note from Ark over on ammi this morning at 10:30

from Ark:

Thank you Svet! I got thru first procedure this morning and have another this afternoon. I am more optimistic that I will live now!

Please pass the word of my gratitude for prayers! I know they are hugely helpful.

Oh, thank you, Carol! I've been thinking and praying about her all day. I'm so glad to hear that.