Sound! Riding again!

My silly old horse continues to amaze me. He's now been out with Granit, the grey Oldenberg mare, for over a week now. I think the old boy's smitten. I went over Wednesday night and took him out of the field to groom him. He was fine when he could see her... when I took him in the barn to work on hooves, he was calling nonstop for her! I'm so not used to him getting this attached to another horse! It was hysterical. Granit's owner told me that he paces nonstop when she takes Granit out (and the barn owner said he gets his exercise that way!)

He had been sound for over a week now, almost two, so I hopped on him for about 10 minutes to see how he was going and he was FINE! Yay! He kept trying to eat grass, so that's something we need to work on now. I haven't ridden him in almost 2 months, so this could be something as a result of the grazing muzzle? Who knows, but I have to get on him because with that strong neck, if anyone else is riding, he can damned near pull them off when he drops that head to graze...

As for him being off, and laminitis, not laminitis, messed up feet, not messed up feet... I hope we've turned the corner with this! I'll mention it to the vet when they come out for check-ups and spring shots on May 7th.

He's doing well with the grazing muzzle. He loves dandelions, so I went after work earlier in the week, picked a bunch and fed them to him through the hole in the grazing muzzle. He was working it pretty well on his own, so I think he's "got it" with that now.

Funnier still is that there are three ponds in his new field... and there's evidence that he's wading out into them. Jill said they're only up to his knees or so, and that's about where the "waterline" is on him... and Granit has a similar "waterline" on her... I guess the oldies are splashing in the swimming hole together :-) It beats the younger geldings beating up on him!

Adjusting well to the new field

I went to see Daniel after the long road trip, and he was (touch wood) fine! No limping, happy to be out with Granit, happy to see me, just happy! I'm going to take a rasp to him tomorrow or Friday... cautiously after the last few weeks we've had!

Grazing Muzzle

He's not digging it, but Granit's not taking it off him because she's wearing one too! :-)

The oldies

Daniel (black Percheron gelding) and Granit (not Granite, grey Oldenberg mare) in the back part of their field. Only day two, but he seems perkier and there's no trace of a limp (showing off for the mare, perhaps?)

New field, new buddy...

When I was leaving the barn on Monday, I was talking to Mrs. W about Daniel, and how the other, younger horses take his grazing muzzle off him (I guess that's the equine version of I'll tell my mom I'm at your house, and your tell your mom you're at my house, and we'll go to a concert we've been forbidden to go to!) She thought she might put a grazing muzzle on Cayuga to keep him from pulling off Daniel's.

I suggested that maybe that's not fair to Cayuga, and since Granit has to wear a grazing muzzle, and since she's all alone since Tessa left, maybe we should turn Daniel out with Granit (the only mare, a gorgeous 21 year old Oldenberg). If they both have grazing muzzles, they can't possibly grab each other's muzzle and pull them off, right? Mrs W. adds,"and they're both fat. And old." I reply, "Right!" and I think, they're both old, fat, substantial, and have similar temperaments, and deserve some peace and quiet in their old age, not to get picked on by younger horses. Mrs. W asked,"Should we try them tonight?" I suggested that maybe we should wait until the next day, when there's people around to keep an eye on them.

Margaux, Granit's "Mom" liked the idea. Granit's been lonely for about a month now and needs a friend. She called me yesterday and told me that the two of them were in the front field together and doing OK. Great! I had to go to a workshop then out to dinner with friends last night, so I didn't go check him.

Today, Margaux called again. Granit and Daniel are the cute little old couple. She said that when Granit's been out alone, she'd fly to the gate when Margaux arrived. Now that she has a buddy, she's a bit reluctant to leave him. She also said that when she took Granit out of the field, Daniel paced (at a good clip and with NO sign of lameness!) back and forth. Then, when she put Granit back out in the field, Granit RACED back to Daniel, only to apply the brakes when she got back to him. Let's hope the novelty doesn't wear off! :-)

now I don't want to jinx myself,

Yep, that's Rumor on the left, and Daniel on the right, in the same picture! I'm guessing that they're about 8 feet apart, which is the closest they've ever been together. She's petrified of him.

But last night, Daniel was better. Yesterday in the morning, he was on 3 legs. The last time I saw him like that was a few days before an abscess blew out through his coronary band in November of 2008. Yesterday, Dawn wasn't there, but I looked at it with Jill, and his sole was all uneven... we took a knife to even it up. Dawn looked at him for me on Wednesday and mentioned Laminitis - UGH... if it was laminitis, she said it was way early on. She suggested a grazing muzzle and more exercise, and to call her if he's ever rocked back on his rears. Great... my horse has the same problem as me - needs to eat less and exercise more!!

I was sick over him yesterday, especially when Jill told me that there are lots of other cart horses that need a good home... OMG!!!!!!!! WTF???? I was beside myself, but I couldn't stay at the barn - I had to take my mom into the city because we were meeting my cousin. After I got home and fed the dogs, I went back to the farm to check on Daniel. and... he was walking fine! Not holding up a foot, not gimping. YAY! I walked him in the outdoor for 20 minutes (we both need it, and Sara and Rick taught me that you CAN walk your horse like a dog!) We both need the exercise :-)

Today, I had to leave work early to take Rumor to the vet and we went to check Daniel after. I hope he's turning the corner, because again, he was fine. We walked for 20 minutes again - Rumor the dog, on my left, and Daniel on my right. I was amazed that the 75 pound Rumor pulled more than 2200 pound Daniel!! Rumie's petrified of him, and the old stinker knows it. Everytime she'd get out in front of me and cross in front, he'd drop his head to sniff her. She'd freak and get back to my left side. After I thought about it, it was was a pretty good way to get her back into heel position at my left! :-)

I am hoping beyond hope that he's turned the corner and is going to be OK. Fingers and toes crossed that my old horse continues to improve as we get into the nicer weather. I told him that school's done, so I can spend lots more time with him, even if it's just walking him like a big dog.

Laminitis?

Daniel's been ouchy so Dawn had a look. First, she thought he might need body work, and it's not his feet, but after looking at him, she's afraid he's got very early stages of laminitis. She said the good news is that since I've been keeping up on his trims, nothing is pulling away yet, and we can get things under control.

The other good news is Mrs W said he's too fat, and I ordered a draft sized grazing muzzle earlier this week... I checked and it's due to be delivered tomorrow. YAY! I'll drop it off after work.

So, we need to cut his grass, and get him more exercise (We walked around the outdoor for a half hour, like me walking a big dog.) I guess this will be a good thing to get some weight off both of us...

All day barn day!

Daniel's still off. I'm sick over the old guy not being sound. Mrs W worked with me on the hooves - I hoped Dawn would be there today, but she wasn't. I'm going to have to reach out to her to see if she can look at him this week for me. UGH! My poor boy, gotta get him better!

Rick and Sara came to visit, and I was hoping they'd get to ride D, but all we did was have Sara hop up on him just to get the view :-( I owe them a raincheck when he's feeling better.

Then, I went with them to visit their boys at Fair Hill! I got to see Peanut and Gene after about a year! The boys looked GREAT! I have to hope some of Gene's old horse but feeling good will rub off on Daniel.

Mrs W said D needs to lose weight, and suggested a grazing muzzle for him. She's afraid he's going to founder. Grazing muzzle should be here mid-week and I'll hustle it over there when it arrives.

Before I forget, here are some pics of Peanut and Gene -

Much better today!!!

Mrs. W thought his heels were too high and took them down a bit yesterday. I went after work tonight (my Mom went along) to check him and he was much, much better! I took a little off his heels and felt SO much better about him!!!

Off, not three legged lame, just off...

My buddy was lame last night. Not three-legged lame, but gimpy, off. It was the foot with the ringbone, that stays sound as long as he gets lots of turn-out, his MSM and glucosamine... I must admit I was bummed. Margaux, Carol and I were going out with Ashley, who was taking Runner on his first hack.

Daniel seemed off when I was leading him out of the pasture - just in how he lifted his head with his steps. I showed him to Ashley, and she thought that he looked off, but might walk out of it. I brought him up the the barn, picked his hooves, hoping it was a stone or something, and groomed him. I tacked him up and got on him. He seemed fine walking to the outdoor, and he seemed fine in the outdoor, happy to be walking around with Cayuga, Runner and Granit, but as soon as we started going uphill, he was off again!

I told everyone, "Sorry, go on without me, I'm taking him back." I went back to the outdoor, hopped off him, took his saddle off and walked him (carrying the saddle, aren't I a sucker!) back to the barn.

I hosed his leg off, even though there was no heat, and turned him back out.

I think I need to go back to weekly trims, I think hoofwall growth may be throwing that foot off.

April 2010

Master's capstone project is DONE! I can have barn time again!

Was there a few hours Saturday - groomed (he shed out enough hair to make a pony out of!), trimmed hooves, tacked up and rode a whole 15 minutes. I didn't want to push either of us too much after 6 weeks off...

Now, to get back into a more regular routine!