Sometimes surprises are fun - and this surprised me! I am not going to tell you what it is...you have to watch! :-) Enjoy!
Until later, Karen and Tripp
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Video - Wyoming's First Trail Ride
Wyoming has been taken on walks at the wildlife area, but we have never ridden out there. Actually one night we walked to the lake and on the way back we put Brian's daughter, Madison on him (will do a picture blog later) so he technically was ridden on the trail.
Yesterday evening I took him out there and it was just he and I .... and we went for a ride. Anybody who follows the blog knows I ride in the halter then move to my bitless bridle. Right now I am sticking to the halter until I know what his adopter is going to do. It also lets me know what I need to work on without a bit being accidentally yanked around in his mouth if I lose my balance during a spook, etc. Also, if I need a bit for 'control'...I need to go back and do more work. I do realize some shows require a bit - I have signed petitions trying to change that.
Here is a 3 1/2 minute video of our trail ride. The only music is the sound of his hooves on the gravel trail, and me talking once in a while (but not much). We rode all the way to the lake! He did get a little ouchy so I walked him back. I need the exercise anyways. Wish we had more rocks on our place to condition the horses feet - but we don't.
I almost slipped right over his head about 15 seconds into the ride because he made a dead stop to check out the mystery manure. I think he surprised himself as much as it did me! We were right over it and I was thinking how impressed I was that he was not going to try to smell it, then all of a sudden he realized it was there. His front legs were sprawled out in front, and his nose was under his belly...that is how far over the manure he was. So when he stopped and I went forward, there was no neck to push myself back up! Thank goodness my lack of balance did not startle him! :-)
Everything else was great...only a couple little spooks that warranted a couple quick steps and him listening to the scary things (think I startled him once with my quick movement), then we went on our way. I was very proud of him!
Enjoy!
Until later...Karen and Tripp who is ticked that Wy went to the trail without him!
Yesterday evening I took him out there and it was just he and I .... and we went for a ride. Anybody who follows the blog knows I ride in the halter then move to my bitless bridle. Right now I am sticking to the halter until I know what his adopter is going to do. It also lets me know what I need to work on without a bit being accidentally yanked around in his mouth if I lose my balance during a spook, etc. Also, if I need a bit for 'control'...I need to go back and do more work. I do realize some shows require a bit - I have signed petitions trying to change that.
Here is a 3 1/2 minute video of our trail ride. The only music is the sound of his hooves on the gravel trail, and me talking once in a while (but not much). We rode all the way to the lake! He did get a little ouchy so I walked him back. I need the exercise anyways. Wish we had more rocks on our place to condition the horses feet - but we don't.
I almost slipped right over his head about 15 seconds into the ride because he made a dead stop to check out the mystery manure. I think he surprised himself as much as it did me! We were right over it and I was thinking how impressed I was that he was not going to try to smell it, then all of a sudden he realized it was there. His front legs were sprawled out in front, and his nose was under his belly...that is how far over the manure he was. So when he stopped and I went forward, there was no neck to push myself back up! Thank goodness my lack of balance did not startle him! :-)
Everything else was great...only a couple little spooks that warranted a couple quick steps and him listening to the scary things (think I startled him once with my quick movement), then we went on our way. I was very proud of him!
Enjoy!
Until later...Karen and Tripp who is ticked that Wy went to the trail without him!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Video - Batman meets Copper...
Batman is almost 2 1/2 months old and quite independent. He is almost fearless, and another 'big' added to the group was nothing for Batman. For those who cannot load the video, Batman meets Cooper and actually squeals at him! Enjoy!
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Copper's First Video... for real this time!
I finally got a few snippets of video put together...these are Copper's first two days here. Hope you like it.
Of course I am showing the good parts. Actually he has not totally freaked out after settling in. He jumps straight up in the air with all fours when he gets spooked, but lands and looks at it. When rolling the balls at him he is curious and will sniff them, but if they 'accidentally' (hee hee) touch those back feet, he doesn't like it. One point I thought he was going to pop one of them. He turned and started pounding those front hooves at it until it moved out of his way. It really was funny because after he does something, he always looks at me with those ears up like he is smiling.
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Of course I am showing the good parts. Actually he has not totally freaked out after settling in. He jumps straight up in the air with all fours when he gets spooked, but lands and looks at it. When rolling the balls at him he is curious and will sniff them, but if they 'accidentally' (hee hee) touch those back feet, he doesn't like it. One point I thought he was going to pop one of them. He turned and started pounding those front hooves at it until it moved out of his way. It really was funny because after he does something, he always looks at me with those ears up like he is smiling.
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Second post of two....it was operator error. :-)
Millie was taking siesta on the pond bank...
Copper thought fly spray smelled funny!
Copper still was not very comfortable with me using both hands by his head, but we worked it out and got that halter off. After getting the halter off I wiped fly spray on his face...
Rubbing his forehead with the friendly pink stick. He changed his mind about it being a bad thing once he realized that the stick and string both helped to make flies go away. His poor face was just covered in flies and it was driving both of us crazy!
Found an itchy spot!
Today was fantastic! If you would have asked me on Friday how long I thought it would take to touch him, I would have said about a week based on how he loaded and unloaded. He has totally wowed me!
I can throw the string over him, tangle it around his ears, flip it around his legs, and he doesn't care.
We did have a freak out moment this morning. I noticed him rolling, then went back to what I was doing, then I heard this awful racket! I looked over and saw two panels and the gate in the air, still attached in spots. He had got his legs in the panels and was fighting it. He got unstuck and there was a big opening in the panels where they landed! I found out I can run when I need to! Thankfully I got to the opening before he got his wits about him and realized he could easily join the other group in the yard with lots of grass! I was a little freaked out....but it turned out okay. I went in the pen and stayed until he settled down and ate some hay from my hand. Whew!
Okay, time for bed.
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Copper thought fly spray smelled funny!
Copper still was not very comfortable with me using both hands by his head, but we worked it out and got that halter off. After getting the halter off I wiped fly spray on his face...
Rubbing his forehead with the friendly pink stick. He changed his mind about it being a bad thing once he realized that the stick and string both helped to make flies go away. His poor face was just covered in flies and it was driving both of us crazy!
Found an itchy spot!
Today was fantastic! If you would have asked me on Friday how long I thought it would take to touch him, I would have said about a week based on how he loaded and unloaded. He has totally wowed me!
I can throw the string over him, tangle it around his ears, flip it around his legs, and he doesn't care.
We did have a freak out moment this morning. I noticed him rolling, then went back to what I was doing, then I heard this awful racket! I looked over and saw two panels and the gate in the air, still attached in spots. He had got his legs in the panels and was fighting it. He got unstuck and there was a big opening in the panels where they landed! I found out I can run when I need to! Thankfully I got to the opening before he got his wits about him and realized he could easily join the other group in the yard with lots of grass! I was a little freaked out....but it turned out okay. I went in the pen and stayed until he settled down and ate some hay from my hand. Whew!
Okay, time for bed.
Until later...Karen and Tripp
One post of two tonite...not in order...
I am having problems posting on the blog tonite...it won't bring in more photos so I could not add more and then organize them...darn it! Kinda hard to tell a story out of order. :-)
Wyoming was a good boy today while being doctored by Brian. He has that special touch when it comes to things like this. I was so grateful he was here. Wy's drain hole is still open, but it is getting smaller and the swelling is going down. There is still the hard small knot, but we are not worried about that. Wy is still full of it and has been running the fence line in between eating grass.
Today was a great day with Copper. You know what it is like to start a new job? You have a great day, you feel like you are understanding, then you go back the next day and you feel like you are starting from scratch? That is what today was like. I walked into the pen and he skedaddled himself away from me like I was going to eat him. It did not take long to get his attention. Before I looped the long line around his neck I tried to get close with the whip and rub his back. He let me...I was excited!
My goal today was to get the halter off. It was adjusted too tight and it was rubbing his cheek bones. I spent a lot of time working my way around the halter...I left my stick leaning against him and he did not care. It did fall down and he did not flinch...woo hoo!
I blow in his nose...
Finally! The halter is off and he is happy. I put goopy stuff on the rubs to keep the flies off.
BORING!!!!!
I will be posting again.....
Karen and Tripp
Wyoming was a good boy today while being doctored by Brian. He has that special touch when it comes to things like this. I was so grateful he was here. Wy's drain hole is still open, but it is getting smaller and the swelling is going down. There is still the hard small knot, but we are not worried about that. Wy is still full of it and has been running the fence line in between eating grass.
Today was a great day with Copper. You know what it is like to start a new job? You have a great day, you feel like you are understanding, then you go back the next day and you feel like you are starting from scratch? That is what today was like. I walked into the pen and he skedaddled himself away from me like I was going to eat him. It did not take long to get his attention. Before I looped the long line around his neck I tried to get close with the whip and rub his back. He let me...I was excited!
My goal today was to get the halter off. It was adjusted too tight and it was rubbing his cheek bones. I spent a lot of time working my way around the halter...I left my stick leaning against him and he did not care. It did fall down and he did not flinch...woo hoo!
I blow in his nose...
Finally! The halter is off and he is happy. I put goopy stuff on the rubs to keep the flies off.
BORING!!!!!
I will be posting again.....
Karen and Tripp
EMM mustang has a name...
....and he shall be called Copper. I was sitting out there watching him eat and the sun was shining. His coat threw off this coppery glimmer in the sunlight, so I asked Brian what he thought. He liked it, so Copper it is.
Today I also noticed that he has some roaning around his flanks and the top of his withers.
We started working today and I got my soft cotton lunge line looped around his neck. I opted not to have a lead rope put on him so I am improvising until he realizes I am friend, not foe.
I have no idea how long I was out there with him - don't wear a watch and don't care what time it is unless I need to be somewhere.
He was letting me rub him with my stick on his left side, but he was much better on his right, which made me say "Hmmmmmmm...."
The rope slipped and was around his legs. He walked around the pen a couple times with me moving the rope around his legs, and I am happy to say that he did not go any faster than a walk, and he did not seem too worried about it. Don't get me wrong, he is still jumpy about things, but he did not feel the need to escape or fight the rope...
I even lifted the back foot with the rope and he did not strike out.
I did get to touch his right side a few times, but he only stood for a short time before he walked away. No worries...he will work it out.
Notice the rope still around his rear leg.
Brian brings me some 'treat hay' for him, and he gives Copper a hand full. Copper is being exposed to more than one person in the pen, which doesn't bother him as long as food is involved. We will need to try it without food to see how he handles that.
Brian was doing some mowing and Wyoming jumped a little bit, but just as quick started walking towards the fence to check out the loud contraption...he was very curious.
I hopped on Tiger bareback and we mozey'd around the barn lot for a while. He really has a great temperament. We are still working on our 'go' and the 'stop' is better, but still needs work.
A reminder that Batman is still a baby and needs Mom. Sometimes I forget because he is so full of himself and he hangs out with the big boys a lot. His face is shedding and it is the same buttermilk color as his fuzzy foal hair.
Batman and Tiger hanging out.
It has been a very exciting weekend so far...I really can't believe I am doing the EMM again! :-)
That is all for now...it is 2:13 a.m. and I really need to wind down!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Today I also noticed that he has some roaning around his flanks and the top of his withers.
We started working today and I got my soft cotton lunge line looped around his neck. I opted not to have a lead rope put on him so I am improvising until he realizes I am friend, not foe.
I have no idea how long I was out there with him - don't wear a watch and don't care what time it is unless I need to be somewhere.
He was letting me rub him with my stick on his left side, but he was much better on his right, which made me say "Hmmmmmmm...."
The rope slipped and was around his legs. He walked around the pen a couple times with me moving the rope around his legs, and I am happy to say that he did not go any faster than a walk, and he did not seem too worried about it. Don't get me wrong, he is still jumpy about things, but he did not feel the need to escape or fight the rope...
I even lifted the back foot with the rope and he did not strike out.
I did get to touch his right side a few times, but he only stood for a short time before he walked away. No worries...he will work it out.
Notice the rope still around his rear leg.
Brian brings me some 'treat hay' for him, and he gives Copper a hand full. Copper is being exposed to more than one person in the pen, which doesn't bother him as long as food is involved. We will need to try it without food to see how he handles that.
Brian was doing some mowing and Wyoming jumped a little bit, but just as quick started walking towards the fence to check out the loud contraption...he was very curious.
I hopped on Tiger bareback and we mozey'd around the barn lot for a while. He really has a great temperament. We are still working on our 'go' and the 'stop' is better, but still needs work.
A reminder that Batman is still a baby and needs Mom. Sometimes I forget because he is so full of himself and he hangs out with the big boys a lot. His face is shedding and it is the same buttermilk color as his fuzzy foal hair.
Batman and Tiger hanging out.
It has been a very exciting weekend so far...I really can't believe I am doing the EMM again! :-)
That is all for now...it is 2:13 a.m. and I really need to wind down!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Until later...Karen and Tripp
Eastern Stampede EMM Pickup Day! Woo hoo!
Pick up day has finally arrived! Woo hoo! A friend of mine from work who used to ride as a kid went with us, along with Jessi, the daughter of Angela. Angela and Jessi went with us last year. Angela is with a friend in Wyoming for Cheyenne Frontier Days. So Angela missed out on visiting mustangs...lots and lots of mustangs! :-) (I am still heckling!)
Here is the group: Left to right...Jessi, Brian, Karen and Betty.
What is a trip without a self portrait?
Jessi and I mugging it up for the camera...
Here is how it worked this year - we show up, Walt, who works at the corrals is the lottery...the horse he has lined up behind the chute is the one you get. I go inside with the number he gives me and they give me my paperwork. I come back out, they double check brand and paperwork, we load up and go.
I ended up with a big bay, almost 16 hands worth of bay, with three white socks, a star and a snip, who is a 4 yr old gelding from Roberts Mountain, NV. He was captured January 21, 2008.
Since we ran inside to do the paperwork, I missed them putting the horse in the haltering chute - Jessi and Betty said that he was rearing up and was not going to have any of it. He had settled down by the time I got there, altho he gave Andy a run for his money when it came to haltering. Andy would just about have it buckled, and the horse would nod his head up and down real big. Andy dropped the halter I don't know how many times...I got the other one out of the truck and ended up leaving my purple one there - AGAIN! I left it last time after Walt forgot to put it on Tiger the TIP horse.
When the horse loaded, he blasted out of the chute and into the trailer...he stopped because he hit the front wall! He flew out of that chute like a torpedo! You all know the custom cars that have hydraulic shocks, and when they drive down the road they are bouncing all over the road? That is what the little trailer looked like when he was trying to get out! So not only was he big, he wanted OUT! At this point I was not worried about me being able to gentle him, I was worried about the pen at home being strong enough for him.
Here he is in the trailer.
He was shaking like a leaf when too many of us were standing close to the trailer, but he was curious enough to sniff hands as they came in. Here he is checking out Jessi.
Can't go to the BLM facility and not check out the other horses...took several pictures! There was one big gray mare who was a powerhouse! She was beautiful! Seeing as Ewing, IL is one of the last big stops, they get a lot of browns and sorrels. There was a little bit of color, but not much. The pen of EMM horses really stood out because they were all in very good shape - they have been fed differently. I would not say the others looked bad except for one (there could be many reasons for that), but you could see the difference. All the EMM horses were big and stocky - my guy is big but more lean built compared to a bunch of the others.
Jessi the Horse Whisperer...
Jessi feeding Greg's horse...did I mention that Greg Reynolds, EMM trainer many times, drove up to visit us? He lives a couple hours away...worked all night, took a quick nap, headed out, picked up his parents, and here they are. He did not have a trailer with him, but I have a feeling if he did, this one would have gone home with him! He was really scoping this one out! If I remember correctly, the number of the horse was 1992...is that right Greg? Hee hee! I was just trying to help him figure out what one it was...you know, helping to enable...I should have written the number down. :-)
Here is Greg checking them out...if you were closer, you would notice drool! Okay, maybe not drool, but he did appreciate that little horse! :-)
On the way thru St. Louis, Brian got this shot with the sign...he said it was an accident, but was glad it turned out! So am I! :-)
When he unloaded, he shot out of that trailer and I was soooooooo glad when he did not decide to challenge the corral panels. Height was not a problem, but I have seen a small 2 yr old filly tear up the good Priefert panels, and I have the cheaper ones! Yes, I was worried. He ran back and forth a couple times, I silently appreciated his power, then he stopped. Whew! It was only a couple of minutes before he was eating hay out of my hands. He snorted a bit, but not bad. That is when I realized that he was a lot bigger than Tripp was! We knew when he was loaded in the trailer, but I had not seen his whole body out in the open yet.
After giving him a few handfuls of hay, I gave him his flake and while he was taking small bites, I was touching his nose. His color and build remind me so much of Wyoming - Wyoming is just smaller.
He is getting the hang of this self portrait thing...
Mouth full of hay...
Batman meets the new mustang...
Batman just could not stay away from him! I got some video of Batman stomping and squeeling at the new guy! Batman was full of himself, and Tiger was always close by just in case. Tiger is Batman's protector. They are quite a pair...
We had a couple of ideas for names that just did not fit this horse's personality. So on the way back we went thru a lot of big strong names, but still, nothing stood out. There were some great names, but not for him. So as of arrival day, he is unnamed.
First impressions - "Wow! He is big!" I really like him, and once he settles down, he will do great. I just know it. He is curious about things and watches everything that goes on. I was very pleased with how he settled down.
Have to go thru another batch of pictures now....
Until later, Karen and Tripp who has reminded me that I can't keep this guy too. :-)
Here is the group: Left to right...Jessi, Brian, Karen and Betty.
What is a trip without a self portrait?
Jessi and I mugging it up for the camera...
Here is how it worked this year - we show up, Walt, who works at the corrals is the lottery...the horse he has lined up behind the chute is the one you get. I go inside with the number he gives me and they give me my paperwork. I come back out, they double check brand and paperwork, we load up and go.
I ended up with a big bay, almost 16 hands worth of bay, with three white socks, a star and a snip, who is a 4 yr old gelding from Roberts Mountain, NV. He was captured January 21, 2008.
Since we ran inside to do the paperwork, I missed them putting the horse in the haltering chute - Jessi and Betty said that he was rearing up and was not going to have any of it. He had settled down by the time I got there, altho he gave Andy a run for his money when it came to haltering. Andy would just about have it buckled, and the horse would nod his head up and down real big. Andy dropped the halter I don't know how many times...I got the other one out of the truck and ended up leaving my purple one there - AGAIN! I left it last time after Walt forgot to put it on Tiger the TIP horse.
When the horse loaded, he blasted out of the chute and into the trailer...he stopped because he hit the front wall! He flew out of that chute like a torpedo! You all know the custom cars that have hydraulic shocks, and when they drive down the road they are bouncing all over the road? That is what the little trailer looked like when he was trying to get out! So not only was he big, he wanted OUT! At this point I was not worried about me being able to gentle him, I was worried about the pen at home being strong enough for him.
Here he is in the trailer.
He was shaking like a leaf when too many of us were standing close to the trailer, but he was curious enough to sniff hands as they came in. Here he is checking out Jessi.
Can't go to the BLM facility and not check out the other horses...took several pictures! There was one big gray mare who was a powerhouse! She was beautiful! Seeing as Ewing, IL is one of the last big stops, they get a lot of browns and sorrels. There was a little bit of color, but not much. The pen of EMM horses really stood out because they were all in very good shape - they have been fed differently. I would not say the others looked bad except for one (there could be many reasons for that), but you could see the difference. All the EMM horses were big and stocky - my guy is big but more lean built compared to a bunch of the others.
Jessi the Horse Whisperer...
Jessi feeding Greg's horse...did I mention that Greg Reynolds, EMM trainer many times, drove up to visit us? He lives a couple hours away...worked all night, took a quick nap, headed out, picked up his parents, and here they are. He did not have a trailer with him, but I have a feeling if he did, this one would have gone home with him! He was really scoping this one out! If I remember correctly, the number of the horse was 1992...is that right Greg? Hee hee! I was just trying to help him figure out what one it was...you know, helping to enable...I should have written the number down. :-)
Here is Greg checking them out...if you were closer, you would notice drool! Okay, maybe not drool, but he did appreciate that little horse! :-)
On the way thru St. Louis, Brian got this shot with the sign...he said it was an accident, but was glad it turned out! So am I! :-)
When he unloaded, he shot out of that trailer and I was soooooooo glad when he did not decide to challenge the corral panels. Height was not a problem, but I have seen a small 2 yr old filly tear up the good Priefert panels, and I have the cheaper ones! Yes, I was worried. He ran back and forth a couple times, I silently appreciated his power, then he stopped. Whew! It was only a couple of minutes before he was eating hay out of my hands. He snorted a bit, but not bad. That is when I realized that he was a lot bigger than Tripp was! We knew when he was loaded in the trailer, but I had not seen his whole body out in the open yet.
After giving him a few handfuls of hay, I gave him his flake and while he was taking small bites, I was touching his nose. His color and build remind me so much of Wyoming - Wyoming is just smaller.
He is getting the hang of this self portrait thing...
Mouth full of hay...
Batman meets the new mustang...
Batman just could not stay away from him! I got some video of Batman stomping and squeeling at the new guy! Batman was full of himself, and Tiger was always close by just in case. Tiger is Batman's protector. They are quite a pair...
We had a couple of ideas for names that just did not fit this horse's personality. So on the way back we went thru a lot of big strong names, but still, nothing stood out. There were some great names, but not for him. So as of arrival day, he is unnamed.
First impressions - "Wow! He is big!" I really like him, and once he settles down, he will do great. I just know it. He is curious about things and watches everything that goes on. I was very pleased with how he settled down.
Have to go thru another batch of pictures now....
Until later, Karen and Tripp who has reminded me that I can't keep this guy too. :-)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Wyoming's Vet Check...
We had already planned on taking a walk at the wildlife area, so we did. It was a week day so nobody was there. We walked the parking lot, checked out the hitching post, and walked quite a ways down one of the trails and back. It was his first real outing and he did great!
He just knows he can untie himself if I would just turn around long enough. :-)
Wy checks out the sign.
I was really looking forward to getting to ride out here very soon....until he got a lump under his jaw. We paid the vet a visit and wouldn't you know it...he has strangles! WHAT? I have NEVER had a horse with strangles but I knew it was contagious and quarantine was in the very near future. Ugh!
His small lump turned into a big swollen lump, then it blew out and was oozing. It happened quickly too! DARN DARN DARN!!!!! The vet did not even unload him - she just looked at it, gave me one of those "I am sorry smiles" and said it was a classic case of strangles. She said we could do a culture to make sure, but she was positive. CRUD! Okay, I am hormonal anyways, am very excited about putting some riding time on Wy and taking him to his adopter, who has been patiently waiting, and I am told he has a very contagious thing going on and will need to be isolated. I was fine while I was there....but had a frustrated cry later.
One of my main questions was "Why now?" They are the newest ones here, so it isn't the classic case of 2-3 weeks after introducing someone new. No other horses have been around, we have not been anywhere except the adoption in March (I think it was March), so why now?
Answer - this stuff can lie dormant for a while. Many horses might be carriers and never do anything about it, others just might. One thing that can trigger it is stress. On top of being hauled around, he was gelded, and he has been in training...not that I would call it hard training, but to him it might be more stressful than I thought.
Here is his 'isolation field', and let me tell you what, he is not happy about being by himself even tho he can see the others, and the others are not happy about him getting to be on the grass! They are all saying "Yeah right, sick, whatever!"
There is a good distance between him and the others. We spent a lot of time cleaning what we could think of, the halter I am using on him is just his now, his feed pan is just his now...it is amazing what things you don't think about. Now I just hope that nobody else gets it, especially Batman.
This stuff just has to run it's course, and it is our job to keep the wound flushed. I tried to do it myself the day we got home, and holy toledo, it was work! I had to stick the end of a syringe into the hole and flush it. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! I got it as good as I could but took a beating. Brian will be helping me from now on. He is so good at that kind of stuff and it is less stressful on Wy. Thank you baby!!! :-)
The swelling is going down quickly, altho there is still a hard knot.
Takes 2-3 weeks for the wound/jaw to heal, then the 'stuff' can hang around in little pockets, so we are looking at 2 months of isolation. Luckily he has not shown any signs of fatigue, etc.....he is just his normal self. The vet said to give him about a week off since that thing blew, and then I can start messing with him again. So we will still get riding time in, just not where I wanted for a while.
So there you have it...
Until later...Karen and Tripp who hopes he did not get any 'stuff' on him. :-)
He just knows he can untie himself if I would just turn around long enough. :-)
Wy checks out the sign.
I was really looking forward to getting to ride out here very soon....until he got a lump under his jaw. We paid the vet a visit and wouldn't you know it...he has strangles! WHAT? I have NEVER had a horse with strangles but I knew it was contagious and quarantine was in the very near future. Ugh!
His small lump turned into a big swollen lump, then it blew out and was oozing. It happened quickly too! DARN DARN DARN!!!!! The vet did not even unload him - she just looked at it, gave me one of those "I am sorry smiles" and said it was a classic case of strangles. She said we could do a culture to make sure, but she was positive. CRUD! Okay, I am hormonal anyways, am very excited about putting some riding time on Wy and taking him to his adopter, who has been patiently waiting, and I am told he has a very contagious thing going on and will need to be isolated. I was fine while I was there....but had a frustrated cry later.
One of my main questions was "Why now?" They are the newest ones here, so it isn't the classic case of 2-3 weeks after introducing someone new. No other horses have been around, we have not been anywhere except the adoption in March (I think it was March), so why now?
Answer - this stuff can lie dormant for a while. Many horses might be carriers and never do anything about it, others just might. One thing that can trigger it is stress. On top of being hauled around, he was gelded, and he has been in training...not that I would call it hard training, but to him it might be more stressful than I thought.
Here is his 'isolation field', and let me tell you what, he is not happy about being by himself even tho he can see the others, and the others are not happy about him getting to be on the grass! They are all saying "Yeah right, sick, whatever!"
There is a good distance between him and the others. We spent a lot of time cleaning what we could think of, the halter I am using on him is just his now, his feed pan is just his now...it is amazing what things you don't think about. Now I just hope that nobody else gets it, especially Batman.
This stuff just has to run it's course, and it is our job to keep the wound flushed. I tried to do it myself the day we got home, and holy toledo, it was work! I had to stick the end of a syringe into the hole and flush it. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! I got it as good as I could but took a beating. Brian will be helping me from now on. He is so good at that kind of stuff and it is less stressful on Wy. Thank you baby!!! :-)
The swelling is going down quickly, altho there is still a hard knot.
Takes 2-3 weeks for the wound/jaw to heal, then the 'stuff' can hang around in little pockets, so we are looking at 2 months of isolation. Luckily he has not shown any signs of fatigue, etc.....he is just his normal self. The vet said to give him about a week off since that thing blew, and then I can start messing with him again. So we will still get riding time in, just not where I wanted for a while.
So there you have it...
Until later...Karen and Tripp who hopes he did not get any 'stuff' on him. :-)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Never eat watermelon after 10:00 p.m. on a work night.....
.....sometimes there just isn't anything else to say.... :-)
Oh where to begin...we have been so busy (like most people this time of year). Saturday the plan was to ride a couple of the horses a couple of times. Late morning I get a call that we can pick up hay out of the field. Can't pass up the non-muddy weather to get hay - so away we went. Made 3 trips that took most of the day. The first trip we had a visitor. This little guy came out from under the windshield wiper while we were driving down the road. When we got home we took him off the truck and put him under the deck.
We picked up round bales! Here are my personal pro's and con's to round bales. Pro's: EASY EASY EASY! Con's: Missing that one on one time of taking out square bales every morning and night and visiting with each horse. But with so many horses, gotta go with EASY!
That night I started tearing down the pen and got the ground cleaned off as much as we could before the new mustang comes in on Friday. Sunday morning we got the pen put back up...just a little smaller. We still have two panels to put an extension on so they are 6 ft tall or more.
Last night we took the other panels and made a bigger pen behind the barn. Of course it rained - wait, it did not just rain, it poured, again yesterday starting mid morning and again today. When I was out of town I tried to promise I would not complain about the mud. I am not complaining yet, but it sure is getting close!
Here are a few pictures in random order...sort of.
Wyoming's adopter, Carol, is ready to have him home. I would like to get a good couple weeks put on him and I am hoping it dries out enough to do that. Her daughter also adopted a mustang and she got a call from her horses trainer to come ride him and make sure all is good. They would like to get both boys home close to the same time. This is all so exciting for me, and I will admit I am very nervous. I want this to be a great experience for everyone. I know Wyoming is very very green and will be for a few years, but I still am nervous. He will be the first horse I have trained for someone else. I will take him to his new home and we will work together and I will show Carol how I did things. We will see how it goes, see how the comfort zones are, and then go from there. One of my goals was to make sure that he is safe for Carol, and I believe he is safe for her and anybody else who hangs out with him. He is quite the teenager tho and has his little 'catch me if you can' fits, but once he realizes running from me makes him have to run more, he usually turns and looks at me with that "WHAT?" look on his face. Then I walk up to him and all is well in Wy land.
He is taking a trip to the vet tomorrow. He has a big knot under his jaw that started oozing, and it is touchy. The other night I did not ride him in the big open area (gut told me to wait) but I saddled him and we did quite a bit of ground work. He listened to me and we had a great time. When I let him loose he took off running with Tiger, so his energy level is where it normally is, and his appetite is normal. I am wondering if he scratched his jaw on the barbed wire (I know - barbed wire bad! One of the many goals is to get rid of it and get something barbless) and it got infected. So, a visit to the vet for that and update his shots and get a coggins. He will be all ready to go to his new home then.
I like all trainers and clinicians. If five of them are lined up saying something that means the same exact thing, I might understand it from two of them - so for me, the more trainers/clinicians the better. I have recently started watching a lot of Parelli on RFD, and I really like a lot of what they do. I started playing with their way of backing the horse up, and Wy did very good at it. The first few times when I shook my finger at him, he just looked at me 'waiting for me to tell him what to do'. He makes me smile because sometimes he has that little kid look on his face just waiting to do something good. Anyways, we worked on that, and here he is backing up....good boy Wy!
This was tonite's sky. This was after me telling myself I was not going to complain about the mud, and it was like God gave me this beautiful picture to take my mind off the promise. He is smart...did not want to hear me bellyache about it, so he gave me something else to think about. :-)
This is the smallest mushroom I have ever seen! You can tell by the size of my fingers that this thing is tiny! I thought it was cute! How did I find it? I saw this cute piece of wood that reminded me of drift wood. I picked it up and was brushing it off and there it was.
Rain showers off and on all evening, so I was wandering around with the horses. Here we have Rico (QH/Crop out paint baby), Ace (mustang rescue) and Joker (last years EMM yearling that my husband adopted).
Here is good 'ol Tripp and myself!
Chase the llama...with is piece of hay. He lays down a lot and eats, and he even lays down by the water tank to take a drink. I was worried at first, but he seems happy so who am I to say what is weird or not...he still has not spit on me so he can do what he wants!
Sunday the sky got so neat! The picture just doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea. It was heavy, it was smooth, and the rain that came was one of the hardest we have ever had here! Water was gushing over both hillsides and into the barn! Sometimes it will come in the doorway, but not roll into the whole barn.
Batman has teeth - and here they are! I love baby horse teeth because they are so big and just plain ol' cute!
Batman was smelling a spot where someone had pooped. He kept digging at it, smelling it and making faces. Cracked me up!
Check out the bangs!
Batman has advanced to hanging out with the big boys and girls. Here he is at one of the round bales. Yep, he wants to be a mustang when he grows up. I told him he can be anything he wants! :-)
Batman got his hooves trimmed last weekend - Brian kept part of the trimmed off hoof for the scrap book. He really did good considering he is full of nothing but energy. On the last foot he finally had enough, then layed down. He just stayed there and I trimmed him up. They are easier to maneuver than the bigs, but those little hooves are tough to do! I am big and clumsy, and they are so tiny and dainty. He is standing much better tho. He also got a small lesson in leading. We did not have anything small enough so Brian made a rope halter out of a lead rope.
I am going to lay on ice now....
Last night when we were taking 4 panels apart, we thought that two of them were attached at the corner, and we were wrong. One was a 6 ft corral panel with a gate opening attached. I was leaning over by Brian's feet picking weeds and I heard the metal panels move but did not think anything about it, then it came down on my lower back. Knocked me down! Yes, it hurt, Yes, I can walk, and Yes, today it hurts a lot more than it did last night. Poor Brian was freaked and a little worried about me, and when I finally convinced him I was okay I told him it could have been a whole lot worse and he says "Yeah, it could have been me!" I looked up at him and laughed out loud! Then I told him that "Yeah, it could have been you and that would be a lot worse because then I would have to listen to him whine...." HA HA HA!!! We play like that a lot, and he really does whine when he hurts. I just grit my teeth and go on. You all know how it is! ;-) (hee hee!)
Hey Jessi, only two more days!!! Hey Betty, only two more days!!! Betty is a gal I work with who used to have horses when she was younger, and she loves reading about the escapades out here. I invited her to go along and check out the mustangs and she is taking off work and going with us! Yay! Jessi is the daughter of Angela, and both of them went with us last year. Poor Angela is going to be leaving for Wyoming on the 16th, so she is going to miss out on the mustang fun. :-( I am so glad they are letting Jessi come with us and yes, we will be checking in with Angela on a regular basis and maybe even tormenting her a little. :-) It will be a fun trip!
Okay, going to get that ice pack now...
Until later, Karen and Tripp
Oh where to begin...we have been so busy (like most people this time of year). Saturday the plan was to ride a couple of the horses a couple of times. Late morning I get a call that we can pick up hay out of the field. Can't pass up the non-muddy weather to get hay - so away we went. Made 3 trips that took most of the day. The first trip we had a visitor. This little guy came out from under the windshield wiper while we were driving down the road. When we got home we took him off the truck and put him under the deck.
We picked up round bales! Here are my personal pro's and con's to round bales. Pro's: EASY EASY EASY! Con's: Missing that one on one time of taking out square bales every morning and night and visiting with each horse. But with so many horses, gotta go with EASY!
That night I started tearing down the pen and got the ground cleaned off as much as we could before the new mustang comes in on Friday. Sunday morning we got the pen put back up...just a little smaller. We still have two panels to put an extension on so they are 6 ft tall or more.
Last night we took the other panels and made a bigger pen behind the barn. Of course it rained - wait, it did not just rain, it poured, again yesterday starting mid morning and again today. When I was out of town I tried to promise I would not complain about the mud. I am not complaining yet, but it sure is getting close!
Here are a few pictures in random order...sort of.
Wyoming's adopter, Carol, is ready to have him home. I would like to get a good couple weeks put on him and I am hoping it dries out enough to do that. Her daughter also adopted a mustang and she got a call from her horses trainer to come ride him and make sure all is good. They would like to get both boys home close to the same time. This is all so exciting for me, and I will admit I am very nervous. I want this to be a great experience for everyone. I know Wyoming is very very green and will be for a few years, but I still am nervous. He will be the first horse I have trained for someone else. I will take him to his new home and we will work together and I will show Carol how I did things. We will see how it goes, see how the comfort zones are, and then go from there. One of my goals was to make sure that he is safe for Carol, and I believe he is safe for her and anybody else who hangs out with him. He is quite the teenager tho and has his little 'catch me if you can' fits, but once he realizes running from me makes him have to run more, he usually turns and looks at me with that "WHAT?" look on his face. Then I walk up to him and all is well in Wy land.
He is taking a trip to the vet tomorrow. He has a big knot under his jaw that started oozing, and it is touchy. The other night I did not ride him in the big open area (gut told me to wait) but I saddled him and we did quite a bit of ground work. He listened to me and we had a great time. When I let him loose he took off running with Tiger, so his energy level is where it normally is, and his appetite is normal. I am wondering if he scratched his jaw on the barbed wire (I know - barbed wire bad! One of the many goals is to get rid of it and get something barbless) and it got infected. So, a visit to the vet for that and update his shots and get a coggins. He will be all ready to go to his new home then.
I like all trainers and clinicians. If five of them are lined up saying something that means the same exact thing, I might understand it from two of them - so for me, the more trainers/clinicians the better. I have recently started watching a lot of Parelli on RFD, and I really like a lot of what they do. I started playing with their way of backing the horse up, and Wy did very good at it. The first few times when I shook my finger at him, he just looked at me 'waiting for me to tell him what to do'. He makes me smile because sometimes he has that little kid look on his face just waiting to do something good. Anyways, we worked on that, and here he is backing up....good boy Wy!
This was tonite's sky. This was after me telling myself I was not going to complain about the mud, and it was like God gave me this beautiful picture to take my mind off the promise. He is smart...did not want to hear me bellyache about it, so he gave me something else to think about. :-)
This is the smallest mushroom I have ever seen! You can tell by the size of my fingers that this thing is tiny! I thought it was cute! How did I find it? I saw this cute piece of wood that reminded me of drift wood. I picked it up and was brushing it off and there it was.
Rain showers off and on all evening, so I was wandering around with the horses. Here we have Rico (QH/Crop out paint baby), Ace (mustang rescue) and Joker (last years EMM yearling that my husband adopted).
Here is good 'ol Tripp and myself!
Chase the llama...with is piece of hay. He lays down a lot and eats, and he even lays down by the water tank to take a drink. I was worried at first, but he seems happy so who am I to say what is weird or not...he still has not spit on me so he can do what he wants!
Sunday the sky got so neat! The picture just doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea. It was heavy, it was smooth, and the rain that came was one of the hardest we have ever had here! Water was gushing over both hillsides and into the barn! Sometimes it will come in the doorway, but not roll into the whole barn.
Batman has teeth - and here they are! I love baby horse teeth because they are so big and just plain ol' cute!
Batman was smelling a spot where someone had pooped. He kept digging at it, smelling it and making faces. Cracked me up!
Check out the bangs!
Batman has advanced to hanging out with the big boys and girls. Here he is at one of the round bales. Yep, he wants to be a mustang when he grows up. I told him he can be anything he wants! :-)
Batman got his hooves trimmed last weekend - Brian kept part of the trimmed off hoof for the scrap book. He really did good considering he is full of nothing but energy. On the last foot he finally had enough, then layed down. He just stayed there and I trimmed him up. They are easier to maneuver than the bigs, but those little hooves are tough to do! I am big and clumsy, and they are so tiny and dainty. He is standing much better tho. He also got a small lesson in leading. We did not have anything small enough so Brian made a rope halter out of a lead rope.
I am going to lay on ice now....
Last night when we were taking 4 panels apart, we thought that two of them were attached at the corner, and we were wrong. One was a 6 ft corral panel with a gate opening attached. I was leaning over by Brian's feet picking weeds and I heard the metal panels move but did not think anything about it, then it came down on my lower back. Knocked me down! Yes, it hurt, Yes, I can walk, and Yes, today it hurts a lot more than it did last night. Poor Brian was freaked and a little worried about me, and when I finally convinced him I was okay I told him it could have been a whole lot worse and he says "Yeah, it could have been me!" I looked up at him and laughed out loud! Then I told him that "Yeah, it could have been you and that would be a lot worse because then I would have to listen to him whine...." HA HA HA!!! We play like that a lot, and he really does whine when he hurts. I just grit my teeth and go on. You all know how it is! ;-) (hee hee!)
Hey Jessi, only two more days!!! Hey Betty, only two more days!!! Betty is a gal I work with who used to have horses when she was younger, and she loves reading about the escapades out here. I invited her to go along and check out the mustangs and she is taking off work and going with us! Yay! Jessi is the daughter of Angela, and both of them went with us last year. Poor Angela is going to be leaving for Wyoming on the 16th, so she is going to miss out on the mustang fun. :-( I am so glad they are letting Jessi come with us and yes, we will be checking in with Angela on a regular basis and maybe even tormenting her a little. :-) It will be a fun trip!
Okay, going to get that ice pack now...
Until later, Karen and Tripp
Friday, July 10, 2009
Beat the rain! Woo hoo!
We had crazy storms this morning, but it was dried out this evening. YES!
Tonite I decided to work with Wyoming. The other night I got so hot lugging that big heavy saddle around, I decided it is going to be a bareback night. I was flying solo, so no pictures of the ride. I tried hanging the camera on the fence and shooting video - don't know if that worked yet.
We worked a lot on flexing. This boy is really stiff! He finally gave me a little bit on the left side, and it was like a light bulb went off. He was flexing and giving very nicely on the left. The right was another story - he just would not give. I stood there braced prepared to take as long as I need, and I noticed the pressure pulling on me harder. I looked at him, and he was falling asleep! Literally! So then I started moving him around a little bit to wake him up. He never got to where I would say he gave to me. I did feel a couple of gives, but I am not convinced that is what they were. We did what we could with that, then I hopped on him bareback and rode him around the pen. We did a lot of direction changes, and even tho he is stiff on the right, he was doing okay, and maybe even better by the time we were done. It will just take some time. Other than his stiffness on the right, he did great. After we were done I massaged his head, and he about fell asleep again. I also used my Nurtural Bitless bridle on him tonite. I did not have it adjusted at the time of this picture - had to go shut the water hose off.
Here is Wy having a chat with Tiger about this newfangled contraption on his head.
Batman is here for moral support..."What are these, and will they help the big guy?"
Notice his beard! :-)
After Wy's massage I let him out. He and Tiger are relaxing. I really love Wy's tri-color. His legs are thick and strong too.
Batman wants to be a mustang when he grows up, and he just knows he will be wearing this soon. :-)
Batman and I had some one on one time tonite. I have been so busy, we have not got to play like we usually do. We played tonite tho, then when it was time for bed I sat in the barn with him and we talked.
A little kissy face time...have to watch those new teeth tho!
Batman was yawning, and I tried so hard to get the picture just right because it showed his front teeth! They are hilarous! This is as close as I could get...I won't give up tho...I will eventually get the mini-yawn.
By the way, Batman is 25 1/2 inches tall now!
Aaaahhhh, the llama. Here is Chase and I doing a self portrait.
Before I left town for work we were sitting outside watching everyone before we headed inside...Chase was by the donkeys and everybody looked like they were getting along just fine. Then all of a sudden we heard a funky sound that we had heard before but did not have a clue what it was - but this time we saw it....Chase spit at the donk! You all know the picture in the encyclopedia of the person sneezing? We all thought it was the grossest picture when we were kids - okay, it is still pretty gross....that is what his spitting action looked like! The scary part is he did not look mad, he looked just fine then Ptooey! Nailed a donk. Brian said he was doing it on a regular basis while I was gone. So now I know if he looks mad at me, no worries. If he looks happy, look out!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Until later....Karen and Tripp who loves fly spray!
Tonite I decided to work with Wyoming. The other night I got so hot lugging that big heavy saddle around, I decided it is going to be a bareback night. I was flying solo, so no pictures of the ride. I tried hanging the camera on the fence and shooting video - don't know if that worked yet.
We worked a lot on flexing. This boy is really stiff! He finally gave me a little bit on the left side, and it was like a light bulb went off. He was flexing and giving very nicely on the left. The right was another story - he just would not give. I stood there braced prepared to take as long as I need, and I noticed the pressure pulling on me harder. I looked at him, and he was falling asleep! Literally! So then I started moving him around a little bit to wake him up. He never got to where I would say he gave to me. I did feel a couple of gives, but I am not convinced that is what they were. We did what we could with that, then I hopped on him bareback and rode him around the pen. We did a lot of direction changes, and even tho he is stiff on the right, he was doing okay, and maybe even better by the time we were done. It will just take some time. Other than his stiffness on the right, he did great. After we were done I massaged his head, and he about fell asleep again. I also used my Nurtural Bitless bridle on him tonite. I did not have it adjusted at the time of this picture - had to go shut the water hose off.
Here is Wy having a chat with Tiger about this newfangled contraption on his head.
Batman is here for moral support..."What are these, and will they help the big guy?"
Notice his beard! :-)
After Wy's massage I let him out. He and Tiger are relaxing. I really love Wy's tri-color. His legs are thick and strong too.
Batman wants to be a mustang when he grows up, and he just knows he will be wearing this soon. :-)
Batman and I had some one on one time tonite. I have been so busy, we have not got to play like we usually do. We played tonite tho, then when it was time for bed I sat in the barn with him and we talked.
A little kissy face time...have to watch those new teeth tho!
Batman was yawning, and I tried so hard to get the picture just right because it showed his front teeth! They are hilarous! This is as close as I could get...I won't give up tho...I will eventually get the mini-yawn.
By the way, Batman is 25 1/2 inches tall now!
Aaaahhhh, the llama. Here is Chase and I doing a self portrait.
Before I left town for work we were sitting outside watching everyone before we headed inside...Chase was by the donkeys and everybody looked like they were getting along just fine. Then all of a sudden we heard a funky sound that we had heard before but did not have a clue what it was - but this time we saw it....Chase spit at the donk! You all know the picture in the encyclopedia of the person sneezing? We all thought it was the grossest picture when we were kids - okay, it is still pretty gross....that is what his spitting action looked like! The scary part is he did not look mad, he looked just fine then Ptooey! Nailed a donk. Brian said he was doing it on a regular basis while I was gone. So now I know if he looks mad at me, no worries. If he looks happy, look out!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Until later....Karen and Tripp who loves fly spray!
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