Just a quick post. I worked with Rosie more on lunging last evening. Previously it's been walk only. Last evening I increased the speed to trotting with a little cantering worked in. Not very long, because I don't want her legs to be stressed on small circles, but long enough so that she understood the concept and it wasn't just accidental speeding up like I see some horses do on the lunge line.
That little girl tried so hard to get things right and did better than any other horse I've worked with at this stage of her training. I'm always so happy and impressed with her work ethic. She has a pony-tude when just hanging out, but she is all business when it's time to learn something new.
Love my little girl!!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Happy Birthday Rosie!!!
June 9th was Rosie's 2nd birthday! My little girl is growing up!
I technically don't know the exact date of her birthday, since I know nothing about her past before she was dumped at the auction a year and a half ago. I'm just going by the age my vet thought she was and then picked a day in that month.
I chose the 9th because that is my neighbor's birthday. This neighbor, Evelyn, is the epitome of graciousness and kindness--and she is also 91 years old!!! I want Rosie to have those qualities, as well as a long life, so I hope that giving her that birthday might bring them out ... somehow I don't think Rosie is on the same page with that--she is definitely her own pony. Oh well, I've tried, right? I also hope Evelyn thinks of it as a compliment that I have chosen that day to be Rosie's day. After all, Rosie is my special little heart horse and nothing but the best will do for my little girl!
I had an idea to decorate Rosie with balloons, jewels, streamers, and a birthday hat and take a picture. Well, the weather forgot to cooperate with my plan. It was SOOOO windy that day. Nothing stayed in place. The hat kept flipping to the side, the streamers kept flipping every which way and wouldn't stay flat, and the worst of the worst----my three big birthday balloons flew away!!! They were going to be the centerpiece of my birthday display.
I had everything on Rosie and was leading her around trying to choose the best place to take the picture. I had decided to make a loop in the ribbons dangling from the balloons and attach them to the overcheck hook of her harness saddle, rather than tie them hard and fast. She was handling them well even though the three large balloons were whipping around and crashing over her back and head, but I didn't want to risk the chance of a meltdown considering the wind. If something were to happen and I couldn't get the balloons off her quickly it wouldn't be pretty. I thought they were safe from the wind the way I had them hooked to the harness, but the wind was no match for balloons already wanting to go north and must have just sucked them right through the little opening at the bottom of the hook. I turned around ready to take the picture, and ... and ... no more balloons!
I was so disappointed! But then I thought about how impressive that she had allowed me to dress her up in this get-up with balloons crashing over her back and head (really, they were making so much noise and flying every which way they were even annoying me standing next to her) and decided a picture wasn't such a big deal. I would have to just go with my memory in my head, rather than in photo form.
Here are some pictures I did get of her with the remainder of her dollar store birthday decorations.
I technically don't know the exact date of her birthday, since I know nothing about her past before she was dumped at the auction a year and a half ago. I'm just going by the age my vet thought she was and then picked a day in that month.
I chose the 9th because that is my neighbor's birthday. This neighbor, Evelyn, is the epitome of graciousness and kindness--and she is also 91 years old!!! I want Rosie to have those qualities, as well as a long life, so I hope that giving her that birthday might bring them out ... somehow I don't think Rosie is on the same page with that--she is definitely her own pony. Oh well, I've tried, right? I also hope Evelyn thinks of it as a compliment that I have chosen that day to be Rosie's day. After all, Rosie is my special little heart horse and nothing but the best will do for my little girl!
I had an idea to decorate Rosie with balloons, jewels, streamers, and a birthday hat and take a picture. Well, the weather forgot to cooperate with my plan. It was SOOOO windy that day. Nothing stayed in place. The hat kept flipping to the side, the streamers kept flipping every which way and wouldn't stay flat, and the worst of the worst----my three big birthday balloons flew away!!! They were going to be the centerpiece of my birthday display.
I had everything on Rosie and was leading her around trying to choose the best place to take the picture. I had decided to make a loop in the ribbons dangling from the balloons and attach them to the overcheck hook of her harness saddle, rather than tie them hard and fast. She was handling them well even though the three large balloons were whipping around and crashing over her back and head, but I didn't want to risk the chance of a meltdown considering the wind. If something were to happen and I couldn't get the balloons off her quickly it wouldn't be pretty. I thought they were safe from the wind the way I had them hooked to the harness, but the wind was no match for balloons already wanting to go north and must have just sucked them right through the little opening at the bottom of the hook. I turned around ready to take the picture, and ... and ... no more balloons!
I was so disappointed! But then I thought about how impressive that she had allowed me to dress her up in this get-up with balloons crashing over her back and head (really, they were making so much noise and flying every which way they were even annoying me standing next to her) and decided a picture wasn't such a big deal. I would have to just go with my memory in my head, rather than in photo form.
Here are some pictures I did get of her with the remainder of her dollar store birthday decorations.
The banner below was supposed to lie flat--I had it tied to her halter and looped around her tail, back to her halter--instead, it just blew all over the place. She was a saint to even tolerate that. But, wouldn't a balloon bouquet have just completed the picture?? Spilled milk ... only up in the sky with the airplanes by the time I took this pic. If someone finds a flowery happy birthday balloon, a mini-mouse happy birthday balloon, and a large Princess balloon--all pink--land in their yard un-poofed, give me a yell.
And, proof of how windy it was
Monday, May 30, 2016
I made a mistake!
Rosie has been hanging out at home in the back paddock for most of the time since last fall. I decided that I'd take her for a walk in my town, along my busy state highway today. Looking back ... not the best decision. SOOOO much traffic--as I thought--lots of boats and trucks pulling huge 5th wheel campers. Lots of motorcycles, some very loud and sounded like they had jake brakes on them.
In my defense, I honestly didn't think she would have a problem with things, since she was doing so well with traffic last fall. But, it's been a long time since she's been out there, and today really was a crazy day here. She started out fairly well but then kept getting more and more scared and wound up. She did a few airs above the ground and bigger spooks than she's ever done. OMG!!! Where did my solid, confident pony go???? She was shaking a couple of times--just so overwhelmed. They may be little horses, but they are still HORSES and get spooked.
There was constant traffic, dogs barking, and someone using a nail gun --way too much and not the right day for a "remember this Rosie??" walk. I'm SOOOO tired. Was out a lot longer than I expected to be and had to use more muscle than I usually do. If she had been a big horse, I'm sure she would have gotten away from me. One spook body slammed me and knocked me good--she is a massive little beast.
I didn't want to just turn around and return to the barn while she was scared and have that be her last memory, so I found a place back off the road about 50 feet where she could graze and settle down. My neighbor also brought her some carrots to help her get her mind off her problems--that was great because my pocket treat stash was getting low. I give her treats here and there on our walks when she is calm and when a particularly scary vehicle is headed towards us--"tractor trailers taste yummy!"--again, only when she is behaving so I don't reward crazy behavior.
She calmed down some while we were back from the road, and I felt it was an OK time to bring her back to my house where we hung out in front of the house for a while longer continuing to watch the activity, walking back and forth, and grazing here and there--reinforcing "being out by the road and campers/motorcycles taste good." She was pretty much back to normal by the time we headed back to the barn. It reminded me of our first highway walk last spring when she became very overwhelmed. She is an sensitive, emotional little pony. Everything she does is with her whole heart. I guess I forgot about that when I came up with this crazy walk plan for today.
I learned my lesson. It was not the best day to do this. Next time I'll choose a quieter time, like a Sunday morning. After she has a couple of good experiences again with quieter traffic days, then we can tackle the tougher stuff. Live and learn, right?
In my defense, I honestly didn't think she would have a problem with things, since she was doing so well with traffic last fall. But, it's been a long time since she's been out there, and today really was a crazy day here. She started out fairly well but then kept getting more and more scared and wound up. She did a few airs above the ground and bigger spooks than she's ever done. OMG!!! Where did my solid, confident pony go???? She was shaking a couple of times--just so overwhelmed. They may be little horses, but they are still HORSES and get spooked.
There was constant traffic, dogs barking, and someone using a nail gun --way too much and not the right day for a "remember this Rosie??" walk. I'm SOOOO tired. Was out a lot longer than I expected to be and had to use more muscle than I usually do. If she had been a big horse, I'm sure she would have gotten away from me. One spook body slammed me and knocked me good--she is a massive little beast.
I didn't want to just turn around and return to the barn while she was scared and have that be her last memory, so I found a place back off the road about 50 feet where she could graze and settle down. My neighbor also brought her some carrots to help her get her mind off her problems--that was great because my pocket treat stash was getting low. I give her treats here and there on our walks when she is calm and when a particularly scary vehicle is headed towards us--"tractor trailers taste yummy!"--again, only when she is behaving so I don't reward crazy behavior.
She calmed down some while we were back from the road, and I felt it was an OK time to bring her back to my house where we hung out in front of the house for a while longer continuing to watch the activity, walking back and forth, and grazing here and there--reinforcing "being out by the road and campers/motorcycles taste good." She was pretty much back to normal by the time we headed back to the barn. It reminded me of our first highway walk last spring when she became very overwhelmed. She is an sensitive, emotional little pony. Everything she does is with her whole heart. I guess I forgot about that when I came up with this crazy walk plan for today.
I learned my lesson. It was not the best day to do this. Next time I'll choose a quieter time, like a Sunday morning. After she has a couple of good experiences again with quieter traffic days, then we can tackle the tougher stuff. Live and learn, right?
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Trust is everything, and the green, green grass of home
I decided today was a good day to put some of the harness on Rosie. She has never had a girth on her and tends to be very opinionated and demonstrative about anything she deems uncomfortable. I knew she wouldn't like a snug girth ... but I also knew she trusted me and would accept it.
I have spent a lot of time flopping the saddle without the girth all over her body and legs for a few short sessions. She has been fine with that. Rosie trusts me a lot. That said, Rosie has a big attitude and doesn't hesitate to tell me when she doesn't like something. It's never a dramatic response, but there is often some nipping at me or the offending piece of equipment involved. Many people would say "You must stop her from nipping!!! That is completely unacceptable!!" Well, in a perfect world that is true. In Rosie's world, it's her way of getting the frustration out of her system and working her way towards acceptance. It's part of the Rosie process with certain things that either frustrate her, make her feel uncomfortable, and sometimes even things that mildly scare her. She is not the shy little wall flower pony who "sucks it up" like Jerry is--Jerry wouldn't bite anyone even if he were being strangled and someone stuck their hand in his mouth. Rosie ... she must "voice" her objections. It's part of who she is.
I don't "let her get away with" biting or nipping, but I don't get super dramatic with my response to it either. I do a finger poke to her jaw with a firm "No" or "Rose, stop it." but that's it. Yelling at her, slapping her, making her move her feet at break neck speed, and all of the typical ways people handle a bite won't get me anywhere with Rosie. It's much simpler to let Rosie be Rosie--she always ends up voicing her objections a couple of times and then settling down, and then all is well. No fuss, no muss. That is just Rosie. And, I guess, it's part of understanding each other and accepting Rosie for who she is--work with her, rather than against her. It works for us. I wouldn't want her to be a child's pony because of this quirk of hers, but she's NOT a child's pony--trust me, I'm far from a child ... FAR from it, lol.
So, I placed the saddle on her back, attached the girth, and gently tightened it. She wasn't pleased, complained a little, but still stood for it. Snugged it a little more so it wouldn't slide and started walking her around. She thought it was all pretty odd ... for about one minute. And, then it was "OK, I got this--you are boring me." I snugged it up almost as much as I would if I were hitching her to a cart ... just a little nip of objection. Led her around some more--no big deal. Tugged on it, rocked it from side to side. No reaction more than a flick of an ear and "What in the world are you doing? Mom, you are so weird." Took her picture and called it a day. The whole process took about 10 minutes (including posing for the picture!). She never jumped around, never freaked out or anything even remotely close to that. She just accepted her new equipment and announced that she was now bored. I didn't have time to add more parts today, but the crupper will be next. I have had a lead rope under her tail and she was fine with that (again, after a minute of "What is this crap??"--As I said, the girl has 'tude). I don't expect the actual crupper will be a big deal either.
Rosie firmly believes I won't hurt her or let bad things happen to her. I drove by with my new riding mower/tractor and lawn cart banging as she was standing by the fence yesterday. She started to back away to leave the scene--"That new thing Mom has is noisy and scary!" I called to her and told her things were OK. She stopped and held still as I drove past her a few times. Last fall, I wanted to get her used to the driving cart. We worked slowly through stages to prepare her. I felt she was at the point where we could bring the shafts of the cart into position while I was leading her and Mike was handling the cart. Even though she likes Mike, she was uneasy when he tried to bring the cart up and kept side stepping and pivoting out of the way. We switched, with him leading her and my operating the cart. When I brought the shafts up she initially raised her head with an "I don't like this" look, but I told her it was OK and then she settled right down, accepted it, and we walked around the paddock with the cart in driving position. No fuss, no muss. I feel honored that she trusts me so much.
Spring in upstate NY is so GREEN!!! So gorgeous! Seems like such a shame that I have fatty horses that can't have full access to all that green. Sigh ... But, Jerry seems to be my only horse with appetite control. Rosie has her muzzle back on--she started putting on weight even with her short pasture grazing time. I switched her over to a Breathe Easy muzzle with the larger nose holes and she seems like that better ... well "like" is a strong word. Let's just say she isn't flipping out any more and has figured out how to graze with it without getting so frustrated. Jerry is much better about gluttony, but he was getting a bit of a belly. I started putting a muzzle on him too. He does fine with it. Babe still wears hers. She is getting VERY good at grazing with it--that girl lets nothing stand between her and her grass. I may need to shorten her time or switch to every other day of the good stuff. She still has her diet pasture to nibble on, so I don't feel she is as deprived as the minis who have pretty much a stubble/dirt lot. They do make the best of it and find every last blade of grass to be had.
Everything is so green and beautiful. I have a lot of buttercups in the pasture this time of year (I know they are toxic to horses, but mine never touch them.)
I have spent a lot of time flopping the saddle without the girth all over her body and legs for a few short sessions. She has been fine with that. Rosie trusts me a lot. That said, Rosie has a big attitude and doesn't hesitate to tell me when she doesn't like something. It's never a dramatic response, but there is often some nipping at me or the offending piece of equipment involved. Many people would say "You must stop her from nipping!!! That is completely unacceptable!!" Well, in a perfect world that is true. In Rosie's world, it's her way of getting the frustration out of her system and working her way towards acceptance. It's part of the Rosie process with certain things that either frustrate her, make her feel uncomfortable, and sometimes even things that mildly scare her. She is not the shy little wall flower pony who "sucks it up" like Jerry is--Jerry wouldn't bite anyone even if he were being strangled and someone stuck their hand in his mouth. Rosie ... she must "voice" her objections. It's part of who she is.
I don't "let her get away with" biting or nipping, but I don't get super dramatic with my response to it either. I do a finger poke to her jaw with a firm "No" or "Rose, stop it." but that's it. Yelling at her, slapping her, making her move her feet at break neck speed, and all of the typical ways people handle a bite won't get me anywhere with Rosie. It's much simpler to let Rosie be Rosie--she always ends up voicing her objections a couple of times and then settling down, and then all is well. No fuss, no muss. That is just Rosie. And, I guess, it's part of understanding each other and accepting Rosie for who she is--work with her, rather than against her. It works for us. I wouldn't want her to be a child's pony because of this quirk of hers, but she's NOT a child's pony--trust me, I'm far from a child ... FAR from it, lol.
So, I placed the saddle on her back, attached the girth, and gently tightened it. She wasn't pleased, complained a little, but still stood for it. Snugged it a little more so it wouldn't slide and started walking her around. She thought it was all pretty odd ... for about one minute. And, then it was "OK, I got this--you are boring me." I snugged it up almost as much as I would if I were hitching her to a cart ... just a little nip of objection. Led her around some more--no big deal. Tugged on it, rocked it from side to side. No reaction more than a flick of an ear and "What in the world are you doing? Mom, you are so weird." Took her picture and called it a day. The whole process took about 10 minutes (including posing for the picture!). She never jumped around, never freaked out or anything even remotely close to that. She just accepted her new equipment and announced that she was now bored. I didn't have time to add more parts today, but the crupper will be next. I have had a lead rope under her tail and she was fine with that (again, after a minute of "What is this crap??"--As I said, the girl has 'tude). I don't expect the actual crupper will be a big deal either.
Rosie firmly believes I won't hurt her or let bad things happen to her. I drove by with my new riding mower/tractor and lawn cart banging as she was standing by the fence yesterday. She started to back away to leave the scene--"That new thing Mom has is noisy and scary!" I called to her and told her things were OK. She stopped and held still as I drove past her a few times. Last fall, I wanted to get her used to the driving cart. We worked slowly through stages to prepare her. I felt she was at the point where we could bring the shafts of the cart into position while I was leading her and Mike was handling the cart. Even though she likes Mike, she was uneasy when he tried to bring the cart up and kept side stepping and pivoting out of the way. We switched, with him leading her and my operating the cart. When I brought the shafts up she initially raised her head with an "I don't like this" look, but I told her it was OK and then she settled right down, accepted it, and we walked around the paddock with the cart in driving position. No fuss, no muss. I feel honored that she trusts me so much.
"I'm a big girl now!"
Spring in upstate NY is so GREEN!!! So gorgeous! Seems like such a shame that I have fatty horses that can't have full access to all that green. Sigh ... But, Jerry seems to be my only horse with appetite control. Rosie has her muzzle back on--she started putting on weight even with her short pasture grazing time. I switched her over to a Breathe Easy muzzle with the larger nose holes and she seems like that better ... well "like" is a strong word. Let's just say she isn't flipping out any more and has figured out how to graze with it without getting so frustrated. Jerry is much better about gluttony, but he was getting a bit of a belly. I started putting a muzzle on him too. He does fine with it. Babe still wears hers. She is getting VERY good at grazing with it--that girl lets nothing stand between her and her grass. I may need to shorten her time or switch to every other day of the good stuff. She still has her diet pasture to nibble on, so I don't feel she is as deprived as the minis who have pretty much a stubble/dirt lot. They do make the best of it and find every last blade of grass to be had.
Rosie with her "starvation torture device" back on--Sorry Rose, but I love you too much to let you get sick and have sore feet
Jerry back in Pony Paddock after grazing for a while-"I'm full--Rosie is still out there. She's a pig."
Babe says "I'm full now too. It's hot and I want to just veg out in my stall for the rest of the day. Take this thing off"
Ponies back in Pony Paddock, fly sprayed, masked, and ready for another rough afternoon of doing ... umm ... Nothing!
Everything is so green and beautiful. I have a lot of buttercups in the pasture this time of year (I know they are toxic to horses, but mine never touch them.)
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Always remember, plans CAN (and maybe SHOULD) change
It's important to be flexible, especially where horses are concerned. It can mean the difference between training successes and failures, getting injured and staying safe while handling our horses, happy horses vs. stressed horses, happy horse handlers vs. stressed horse handlers ... I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture.
Our weather has been very strange today--sunny for a bit, then dark and cloudy, then cold/windy with spits of rain--or even little ice balls (WHAAATTT??!!), then back to sunny and not so cold. Welcome to upstate New York in mid May! The horses are feeling frisky. I'm thinking about whether to get my winter barn coat back out. Nah--think positive!
I'll start off with a Rosie update: Thankfully, she is my most frisky horse!! It's great to see her running, bucking, and shaking her head at the dogs and Jerry because she spent most of last week standing around with her head hanging, depressed and painful after her vaccination reaction. I'm VERY happy to report that today she is completely back to normal except for still having a knot on her neck. It's small--probably an inch or so--and it doesn't seem as tender when I press on it as it was a couple of days ago. She is taking her antibiotic pills like a pro. I went from breaking them in half and just putting them in her grain, which she wised up to and started eating around, to dissolving them in a little bit of water and pouring it over her grain. She munches it right down. Three more days of this and she is back to normal tasting grain--hang in there Rose, we are almost there!
I had planned to put part of the harness on Rosie today for the first time, post a picture of her new feat, and write about it here. I haltered Rosie, got the harness out and could see the weather had made her more spooky and tense than usual. I started to proceed with my original plan of putting the saddle/girth/crupper on her ... but then I paused, listened to my gut (always listen to your gut!), and decided today wasn't the best day to introduce her to all of that. Instead, I just placed the saddle on/off her back and rubbed it all over her body repeatedly. I could tell by her reaction that was plenty for the circumstances. She's usually Miss Cool about new things, but she flinched a few times, raised her head, and got a little buggy eyed with just doing this. That told me she wasn't ready for more. After messing with her and that part of the harness until she was comfortable with it, which really wasn't more than 5-10 minutes, I gave her a treat and called it a successful training experience--which it truly was.
I believe I made the right decision to hold off on harnessing her. There is no reason to rush--heck, she's not even two years old. I'll choose a day when the weather is warm and she is calmer. That might be some evening this week ... that might be in a month. I'll let her guide me about when is the right time. Always remember plans CAN (and maybe SHOULD) change.
I wrote in an earlier post (Equine Battle of the Bulge) that I was going to put a grazing muzzle on Rosie and Babe. Well, my plan changed there too. After a couple more grazing muzzle sessions with Rosie I decided it just wasn't worth the stress she was feeling while wearing it. Her stress level increased the more times she wore it. Rosie is a very sensitive, emotional horse. The last time she wore the muzzle she was so upset that she was wild eyed, obviously frustrated, mean to Jerry while she was wearing it, and attacked her hay like she was starving the minute I took it off. It took her over an hour to calm herself back down to normal. That degree of stress response is not healthy for us; it's not healthy for horses either. I thought about it and compared it to the times I've turned her out onto Pony Paddock Annex (PPA) for a short period of time not muzzled, called her back in, and then she just took a nap or hung out happy as a clam. From that day, I decided the grazing muzzle just wasn't going to work for Rosie and I would just limit her grazing time instead.
Since Pony Paddock (PP) has a little bit of grass (more like stubble--but mini's are so good at getting every last little stubble), Rosie and Jerry are already used to eating some grass. Going out to PPA is not a huge shock to their systems. I said before that I do like my horses getting some grass. I decided to leave them on PPA for 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day max. That's been working out well. They graze for a while, and they come in when I call them with a rattle of the grain scoop. They are calm and satisfied with that grazing time. So far no noticeable weight gain or problems handling that much grass, but I'll adjust the time if needed. Again, plans CAN (and maybe SHOULD) change.
Rosie says she's much happier and calmer not wearing her "starvation torture device":
Now Babe, on the other hand, doesn't get upset about wearing her grazing muzzle. She's not pleased about it, but she's not upset or stressed. She will continue to wear hers when she is out of her small "diet" pasture. I can leave her in the bigger and grassier section of the pasture for a few hours and not worry. She wanders around picking the tastiest grasses here and there. It works for her. Here she is grazing contentedly:
And, another picture of Babe an hour later still happily grazing with her muzzle:
And, after:
Now, doesn't that make you smile too? :-) :-) :-)
Our weather has been very strange today--sunny for a bit, then dark and cloudy, then cold/windy with spits of rain--or even little ice balls (WHAAATTT??!!), then back to sunny and not so cold. Welcome to upstate New York in mid May! The horses are feeling frisky. I'm thinking about whether to get my winter barn coat back out. Nah--think positive!
I'll start off with a Rosie update: Thankfully, she is my most frisky horse!! It's great to see her running, bucking, and shaking her head at the dogs and Jerry because she spent most of last week standing around with her head hanging, depressed and painful after her vaccination reaction. I'm VERY happy to report that today she is completely back to normal except for still having a knot on her neck. It's small--probably an inch or so--and it doesn't seem as tender when I press on it as it was a couple of days ago. She is taking her antibiotic pills like a pro. I went from breaking them in half and just putting them in her grain, which she wised up to and started eating around, to dissolving them in a little bit of water and pouring it over her grain. She munches it right down. Three more days of this and she is back to normal tasting grain--hang in there Rose, we are almost there!
I had planned to put part of the harness on Rosie today for the first time, post a picture of her new feat, and write about it here. I haltered Rosie, got the harness out and could see the weather had made her more spooky and tense than usual. I started to proceed with my original plan of putting the saddle/girth/crupper on her ... but then I paused, listened to my gut (always listen to your gut!), and decided today wasn't the best day to introduce her to all of that. Instead, I just placed the saddle on/off her back and rubbed it all over her body repeatedly. I could tell by her reaction that was plenty for the circumstances. She's usually Miss Cool about new things, but she flinched a few times, raised her head, and got a little buggy eyed with just doing this. That told me she wasn't ready for more. After messing with her and that part of the harness until she was comfortable with it, which really wasn't more than 5-10 minutes, I gave her a treat and called it a successful training experience--which it truly was.
I believe I made the right decision to hold off on harnessing her. There is no reason to rush--heck, she's not even two years old. I'll choose a day when the weather is warm and she is calmer. That might be some evening this week ... that might be in a month. I'll let her guide me about when is the right time. Always remember plans CAN (and maybe SHOULD) change.
I wrote in an earlier post (Equine Battle of the Bulge) that I was going to put a grazing muzzle on Rosie and Babe. Well, my plan changed there too. After a couple more grazing muzzle sessions with Rosie I decided it just wasn't worth the stress she was feeling while wearing it. Her stress level increased the more times she wore it. Rosie is a very sensitive, emotional horse. The last time she wore the muzzle she was so upset that she was wild eyed, obviously frustrated, mean to Jerry while she was wearing it, and attacked her hay like she was starving the minute I took it off. It took her over an hour to calm herself back down to normal. That degree of stress response is not healthy for us; it's not healthy for horses either. I thought about it and compared it to the times I've turned her out onto Pony Paddock Annex (PPA) for a short period of time not muzzled, called her back in, and then she just took a nap or hung out happy as a clam. From that day, I decided the grazing muzzle just wasn't going to work for Rosie and I would just limit her grazing time instead.
Since Pony Paddock (PP) has a little bit of grass (more like stubble--but mini's are so good at getting every last little stubble), Rosie and Jerry are already used to eating some grass. Going out to PPA is not a huge shock to their systems. I said before that I do like my horses getting some grass. I decided to leave them on PPA for 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day max. That's been working out well. They graze for a while, and they come in when I call them with a rattle of the grain scoop. They are calm and satisfied with that grazing time. So far no noticeable weight gain or problems handling that much grass, but I'll adjust the time if needed. Again, plans CAN (and maybe SHOULD) change.
Rosie says she's much happier and calmer not wearing her "starvation torture device":
And, another picture of Babe an hour later still happily grazing with her muzzle:
Another, less important, plan change involves my manure cart. I use a large yard cart for picking the manure out of PP. In an attempt to keep things easy, I decided to leave it in Babe's pasture near PP (but not IN PP--Rosie's curiosity would wreck it and she'd probably hurt herself) covered with a tarp weighted down by bricks. Well, that lasted one night. This is what I came out to this morning:
I guess it doesn't want to be covered, you think?? So, I'll put it back in the shed, which is a little farther for me to pull it to PP when it's time to clean. But it will work out OK. Plans change, right?
Ever since Michaela worked her magic removing that big pile of old hay that was in PP, I just smile every time I look at it--I know I'm weird, but it doesn't take much to make me happy.
Before:
And, after:
Now, doesn't that make you smile too? :-) :-) :-)
Friday, May 13, 2016
Rosie, the drama queen in every way
Vaccination day was Monday, May 9. Babe and Jerry were very well behaved, as usual. Rosie is a drama queen in every way--even physically. She has absolutely NO pain tolerance and pretty much exploded when the needles were put in. I felt horrible because she kept looking at me like "Why are you letting them do this to me??!!!" But, she got through it and I breathed a sigh of relief. Her reaction really didn't surprise me because she freaked out last year, partly from fear and partly from "needles hurt!"
Babe and Jerry didn't have any physical reaction to vaccinations. But Rosie had a reaction to the 3-way combo with West Nile. By the next morning, she had a bump on her neck where the combo was given and a very sore neck. Actually, her whole body looked stiff and sore. She hung her head and looked so sad. She was very reluctant to move and took very short steps with the leg on the vaccination side, almost dragging it along as she walked at a snails pace.
This little one is my baby, my "golden ray of sunshine" girl, and my horsie soul mate. As much as we are told we shouldn't play favorites with our "children," I admit she is mine. I love this little horse like crazy. It was awful watching her struggle. I contacted my vet and started her on 1/4 gram of flavored bute powder that I already had for Babe's arthritis twice a day. Luckily, my little princess still had a voracious appetite and didn't even blink at the addition of the bute to her mini-sized portion of grain, which Babe will tell you smells nice and fruity but still tastes a little nasty.
The bute helped some but she was still very uncomfortable. Rosie was especially needy and cuddly during this time--very much like a sick child. I pulled up a chair in her paddock and sat with her for an hour or more at a time. I gave her lots of scratches and massage, as well as holding her head and telling her everything would be OK. This may sound a little crazy, but she's quite different than the average horse about things like this--she LOVES having her head held and cuddled. Even when she was still overcoming her fear of me when I first brought her home, she loved having her head held. She found it comforting. This quality of hers is especially endearing.
I kept in close contact with my vet and also discussed it with friends. Along with the wonderful support from friends that I appreciated so much, I also heard about horror stories of the minority of vaccination reactions that resulted in death or serious illness. There were a lot of mini owners telling me their minis experienced similar reactions like Rosie was having and it passed within a few days to a week. Being so emotionally invested, I couldn't help but worry that Rosie would be one of the horror stories. It took everything I had to control those worries and tell myself over and over that she would get better and everything would be fine.
Interestingly, my vet told me that she had discovered other clinicians reporting the same reaction from vaccine from the same lot in four other horses that week. They have informed the manufacturer. I doubt I'll ever know if there was something wrong with the batch. I guess it doesn't really matter.
I finally saw real improvement last evening, Thursday, May 12. She was moving more freely--pretty much normally. She still didn't move her head side to side much but she was raising it higher than she had been and looked comfortable grazing, raising her head to look at something, and then lowering it again to continue grazing. The swelling had gone down. She was much brighter looking. I felt so much better.
This morning (Friday, May 13), she is about 90% back to normal. Still not wanting to move her head side to side very much, still not quite as cocky and as bossy with Jerry as she usually is ... but definitely headed in the right direction. The bump on her neck is now a small hard knot about the size of a dime. I am finally breathing regular breaths and believing she will be OK with no lasting effects.
I talked with my vet and we will work on a plan for next year--maybe splitting up the vaccines on different days? Maybe pre-medicating her? Something, anything, to try to prevent this from happening again. Even if the vaccine lot did have a problem and next years batch is perfectly fine, minis do seem to be more prone to vaccine reactions than big horses, and I want to do whatever possible to prevent it from happening again.
UPDATE evening 5/13:
Rosie has had a minor set back. She is still acting pretty well and bright eyed, but the bump on her neck at the injection site is larger this evening and she didn't want me to mess with it. I called the on-call vet who said "Oh, we've been talking about Rosie a lot this week, so I'm familiar with her case." We talked some more about the larger bump and decided to put her on an antibiotic and give her Banamine for a couple more days. Met him between his other farm visits earlier this evening and picked up the medicine. Rosie ate everything in some grain--it helps to have a piggy pony! I'm hoping things will be back to absolute normal in a few more days and we can put all this behind us. Stressful!!
Babe and Jerry didn't have any physical reaction to vaccinations. But Rosie had a reaction to the 3-way combo with West Nile. By the next morning, she had a bump on her neck where the combo was given and a very sore neck. Actually, her whole body looked stiff and sore. She hung her head and looked so sad. She was very reluctant to move and took very short steps with the leg on the vaccination side, almost dragging it along as she walked at a snails pace.
This little one is my baby, my "golden ray of sunshine" girl, and my horsie soul mate. As much as we are told we shouldn't play favorites with our "children," I admit she is mine. I love this little horse like crazy. It was awful watching her struggle. I contacted my vet and started her on 1/4 gram of flavored bute powder that I already had for Babe's arthritis twice a day. Luckily, my little princess still had a voracious appetite and didn't even blink at the addition of the bute to her mini-sized portion of grain, which Babe will tell you smells nice and fruity but still tastes a little nasty.
The bute helped some but she was still very uncomfortable. Rosie was especially needy and cuddly during this time--very much like a sick child. I pulled up a chair in her paddock and sat with her for an hour or more at a time. I gave her lots of scratches and massage, as well as holding her head and telling her everything would be OK. This may sound a little crazy, but she's quite different than the average horse about things like this--she LOVES having her head held and cuddled. Even when she was still overcoming her fear of me when I first brought her home, she loved having her head held. She found it comforting. This quality of hers is especially endearing.
I kept in close contact with my vet and also discussed it with friends. Along with the wonderful support from friends that I appreciated so much, I also heard about horror stories of the minority of vaccination reactions that resulted in death or serious illness. There were a lot of mini owners telling me their minis experienced similar reactions like Rosie was having and it passed within a few days to a week. Being so emotionally invested, I couldn't help but worry that Rosie would be one of the horror stories. It took everything I had to control those worries and tell myself over and over that she would get better and everything would be fine.
Interestingly, my vet told me that she had discovered other clinicians reporting the same reaction from vaccine from the same lot in four other horses that week. They have informed the manufacturer. I doubt I'll ever know if there was something wrong with the batch. I guess it doesn't really matter.
I finally saw real improvement last evening, Thursday, May 12. She was moving more freely--pretty much normally. She still didn't move her head side to side much but she was raising it higher than she had been and looked comfortable grazing, raising her head to look at something, and then lowering it again to continue grazing. The swelling had gone down. She was much brighter looking. I felt so much better.
This morning (Friday, May 13), she is about 90% back to normal. Still not wanting to move her head side to side very much, still not quite as cocky and as bossy with Jerry as she usually is ... but definitely headed in the right direction. The bump on her neck is now a small hard knot about the size of a dime. I am finally breathing regular breaths and believing she will be OK with no lasting effects.
I talked with my vet and we will work on a plan for next year--maybe splitting up the vaccines on different days? Maybe pre-medicating her? Something, anything, to try to prevent this from happening again. Even if the vaccine lot did have a problem and next years batch is perfectly fine, minis do seem to be more prone to vaccine reactions than big horses, and I want to do whatever possible to prevent it from happening again.
UPDATE evening 5/13:
Rosie has had a minor set back. She is still acting pretty well and bright eyed, but the bump on her neck at the injection site is larger this evening and she didn't want me to mess with it. I called the on-call vet who said "Oh, we've been talking about Rosie a lot this week, so I'm familiar with her case." We talked some more about the larger bump and decided to put her on an antibiotic and give her Banamine for a couple more days. Met him between his other farm visits earlier this evening and picked up the medicine. Rosie ate everything in some grain--it helps to have a piggy pony! I'm hoping things will be back to absolute normal in a few more days and we can put all this behind us. Stressful!!
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Will the hair ever end????
One thing I have learned about minis is they get a LOT of winter hair and shedding season goes on and on ... and on. It also varies in degree from mini to mini. I remember my big horses having a moderate winter coat and just quietly shedding with a little grooming here and there, and before I knew it they were slick and shiny without all that much effort from me. Babe, who is still here, is like that. But with the minis, it's like the invasion of little yaks and it's curry, curry, curry ... and then curry some more. And, they are STILL hairy!!
Here are some tools I use in my fight against the fur:
Left to right: mane/tail comb. I love this one because it is easy to grip and does a great job going through thick tails. I use a silicone based detangler as needed. I've heard about it drying out horse's hair, but I haven't experienced that myself. This stuff makes manes/tails easier to comb without ripping the hair. It also repels dirt in between treatments. I just bought a Sleek EZ yesterday (5" size). This works great on Jerry (AKA Hairy Jerry!). I didn't like it as much for Rosie, and she didn't seem to like it much either. I find it more tiring to grip, but some of that could be my grip strength is still not 100% from the nerve damage affecting my hands from my cervical spine problem still healing after surgery. I didn't try the Sleek EZ on Babe because I was worn out by the time I got done with the minis and just ran a quick metal curry over her--Sorry Babe, you'll get the royal treatment tomorrow. The little pink brush with black bristles is a face brush. I never used a little brush until I got the minis--their faces are so small, I have to use a small brush so I don't take out an eye with a swipe from a regular sized brush. The yellow tool is my Furminator knock-off. I LOVE this. This works the best on Rosie, who has soft hair and she seems to like the feel of it better than the Sleek EZ. The old reliable round metal curry comb with the handle works pretty well for everyone, especially on dried mud and I find it the easiest one to use while I'm healing from my neck surgery. I don't think it removes the amount of hair that the Furminator and the Sleek EZ do though. And, last but not least, a good body type brush for giving them a final brushing to make them a little sleeker.
Jerry walks around looking like either he is ready to go out dancing ... or, he's homeless and lives in a ditch. Not really any in between for Jerry.
Jerry as the "homeless hobo":
And Jerry after his beauty treatment:
Big difference, huh?! And, in case you want to see the full extent of the Jerry hair removed today, mostly by the Sleek EZ with a little help from the metal curry. It's like a pony died there!
Rosie was locked in her stall while I was grooming Jerry because she will never leave us alone. She was extra quiet and I peeked in to see her lying down sleeping. It was really cute. She got up when I told her she looked cute and then it was her turn for grooming.
Rosie looks pretty much the same all the time. Usually clean and pretty despite whatever yuck the weather man throws our way. As I said before, she is a true Princess!
Here is her before grooming pic:
And here is her after grooming pic. A little sleeker, a little neater, but really not much difference.
I think grooming took 30 pounds off her! I wonder if the Furminator will do that for me??
I love grooming the minis much more than I ever liked grooming the big horses. For one thing, it goes faster. I can do two minis in the time it takes to do one side of a big horse. The minis also seem to LOVE grooming. Sometimes I bring a chair out and sit with Rosie just loose in the paddock and she will practically climb on my lap to get just the right places scrubbed and scratched by the combs and brushes. Jerry just plain appreciates grooming. I can see him saying "Thank you Mom" while I'm doing it, and when I halter and tie him for grooming, which seems to make him feel safer, I think it's one of the few times he forgets he's a nervous little guy who worries too much. It's a great way to bond with my little friends.
Here are some tools I use in my fight against the fur:
Left to right: mane/tail comb. I love this one because it is easy to grip and does a great job going through thick tails. I use a silicone based detangler as needed. I've heard about it drying out horse's hair, but I haven't experienced that myself. This stuff makes manes/tails easier to comb without ripping the hair. It also repels dirt in between treatments. I just bought a Sleek EZ yesterday (5" size). This works great on Jerry (AKA Hairy Jerry!). I didn't like it as much for Rosie, and she didn't seem to like it much either. I find it more tiring to grip, but some of that could be my grip strength is still not 100% from the nerve damage affecting my hands from my cervical spine problem still healing after surgery. I didn't try the Sleek EZ on Babe because I was worn out by the time I got done with the minis and just ran a quick metal curry over her--Sorry Babe, you'll get the royal treatment tomorrow. The little pink brush with black bristles is a face brush. I never used a little brush until I got the minis--their faces are so small, I have to use a small brush so I don't take out an eye with a swipe from a regular sized brush. The yellow tool is my Furminator knock-off. I LOVE this. This works the best on Rosie, who has soft hair and she seems to like the feel of it better than the Sleek EZ. The old reliable round metal curry comb with the handle works pretty well for everyone, especially on dried mud and I find it the easiest one to use while I'm healing from my neck surgery. I don't think it removes the amount of hair that the Furminator and the Sleek EZ do though. And, last but not least, a good body type brush for giving them a final brushing to make them a little sleeker.
Jerry walks around looking like either he is ready to go out dancing ... or, he's homeless and lives in a ditch. Not really any in between for Jerry.
Jerry as the "homeless hobo":
And Jerry after his beauty treatment:
Big difference, huh?! And, in case you want to see the full extent of the Jerry hair removed today, mostly by the Sleek EZ with a little help from the metal curry. It's like a pony died there!
There was plenty left that wanted to come off his body if my body would have held up.
Rosie was locked in her stall while I was grooming Jerry because she will never leave us alone. She was extra quiet and I peeked in to see her lying down sleeping. It was really cute. She got up when I told her she looked cute and then it was her turn for grooming.
Rosie looks pretty much the same all the time. Usually clean and pretty despite whatever yuck the weather man throws our way. As I said before, she is a true Princess!
Here is her before grooming pic:
And here is her after grooming pic. A little sleeker, a little neater, but really not much difference.
I think grooming took 30 pounds off her! I wonder if the Furminator will do that for me??
I love grooming the minis much more than I ever liked grooming the big horses. For one thing, it goes faster. I can do two minis in the time it takes to do one side of a big horse. The minis also seem to LOVE grooming. Sometimes I bring a chair out and sit with Rosie just loose in the paddock and she will practically climb on my lap to get just the right places scrubbed and scratched by the combs and brushes. Jerry just plain appreciates grooming. I can see him saying "Thank you Mom" while I'm doing it, and when I halter and tie him for grooming, which seems to make him feel safer, I think it's one of the few times he forgets he's a nervous little guy who worries too much. It's a great way to bond with my little friends.
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