Updates

Thank you everyone for your comments. Though I have not blogged long, I have found it a very good way to release and share emotions. Which in turn helps keep my stress level down.
And in the vein of support, please keep fingers crossed for Cuna over at SprinklerBandit as they try to figure out his lamness. Barry was 23 when he had to be retired due to a tendon injury, so I really hope Cuna's is fixable. I love to read about his adventures and admire Aimee for taking on an older horse. They are special.

Okay now for updates from my barn:

Roscoe, due to the holiday missed another chance at breeding. Although ERC could collect, FedEx would not pick up and the other options were too pricey. Oh well, there is always next month. I did get a surprise call at 9am from ERC asking if Roscoe would be at his 10am appointment. Turns out they tentatively put him on the books for collection when the breeder called asking if they did collections on the holiday. Unfortunately, I did not know and did not call to cancel. ERC is very good about being flexible, so no hard feelings.

Winston, is off of heavey pain medicine and only getting BL twice a day. His walking has improved and his turns are almost sound. He still has a slight hesitation especially turning right. We decided to pay the money and have our farrier do his trim. I have trimmed his feet myself for 7 yrs, but I really wanted his opinion and he is faster. Winston got a bute the night before, which made him feel too good, and stood great for our farrier. I am now armed with how to trim him and the knowledge that his right is his sore foot. Our farrier will check on him too when he does the other horses.
Since he is feeling better, stall rest is not sitting so well with him. To help we let him stall hop and play "Merry Maid" by cleaning up the fallen hay the others leave behind. Even with that his new thing is to unclip and take down his hay bag. So now we have "C" clips, that screw down, on his bag. Plus today I let him walk around the sacrifice area with the boys. I think he enjoyed squealing at Roscoe. He tends to enlist DaVinci into grooming with him. The good news is he is losing weight. He has withers for the first time. The bad news is he is still so hungry and it makes him grumpy. Diets are no good.

Winston way laid DaVinci even before his bridle was off.

And speaking of diets, Comrade and his barn budding Sonny have a new hay feeder. It soaks the hay, then can be drained so the horses can eat the hay. Both horses had no problems with the wet hay or the holders. Wish I could use it for Winston, but at $300 a piece, that is not happening.

Porta Grazer

Inside piece that slows eating.

Rosemary is still a drama queen, but she is a queen with a shrinking sarcoid. We are at just over 6 months of treatment and are really happy with the results. Here is a short photo progression.

Jan 2012: this was the beginning and was removed. The rough area above had been there since we bought her.

Jan 2013: Sarcoid at its worst after reappearing in late 2012

April 2013: After the tip fell off, notice hair growth above

Not the best picture, 5-28-13 much smaller and hair is completely grown in over the sarcoid

Joyce Harman told us she would regrow the hair on what we thought was a scar, but here is the proof she was right.

Dottie and DaVinci continue to be their awesome selves. I did have to have a conversation with DaVinci that if he wanted grass he had to wear his muzzle. Eventually after conferring with Winston he began to see my way. These older ponies think they rule the barn. Dottie is in season again and talking to Roscoe. It is all good as long as it is just talking. With our wacky weather I had to blanket Winston two nights and all one night. This meant an impromtu blanket repair for Dottie's sheet. She tore off her surcingle clip. I found another one and then realized the thread must be at home. So I improvised with baling twine. Love that stuff.

My quick fix

So overall things are good at the barn. Now if we could just figure out why our Corgi Kayla is not feeling so hot. Animals always keep you on your toes.