New Feets!

It was that time again for Lester to get some new shoes! And he got a "smiley" from his farrier, Ronnie, see! Gosh that is an ugly smiley face, but he was perfect as always. Held his feet nicely, picked them up before Ronnie got to them, stood like a statue while all the forging and grinding was going on (he gets special shoes- beveled and rolled toes!) I even pulled his mane while all this was going on.
I didn't learn any new words from Ronnie today, but he did say he likes that green stuff, guacamole, though he said it like "gackamalee"
Oh and every time I said "You're so handsome" to Lester, Ronnie would thank me and say, "I know, I hear that a lot":-)

Walk this way...

Feel free to critique in the comments section below. I need all the help I can get as I don't have an instructor. But please note I am aware of my hideous hands and arms :-x, that I'm leaning back too much sometimes, that I lean awkwardly at times. Be sure to watch or skip to the end for the half decent shoulder in :-)

Well after reading the lyrics for that Aerosmith Song (Walk this way) I guess it really isn't fitting for a post title, but it still sounds good:-) Less has been under saddle for a month and a half now! Still just walking, but he's really built up a lot of muscle again with just walking and the lateral work we have been doing. I think he feels better about his stifle as well because he's not spooky nor tripping! I've been having a blast with him lately! There is SO much you can do and accomplish at the walk for both you and your horse.

Got UlcerGard?

Lester sporting an UlcerGard mustache :-) I never fail to give him one!

UlcerGard does the equine body good! ;-)

I keep the UG in the fridge and let him chase it down with a carrot which is also in the fridge. Gosh, it really looks like I'm jamming the tube in there doesn't it?

Note: No one was harmed during this UG administering session

Win photo misprint...

This "real" win photo shows who actually came in second to Lester:-) Thanks to a tip in my email this morning...






(this photo has not been tampered with! Right Bob?)


Note to Bob: While you were at it couldn't you have at least made the purse size a lot bigger;-)

What do John Henry and Lester have in common?

Lester

(John in 1985)

John Henry

• Both Thoroughbreds
• Both geldings
• Both have had colic surgery w/ resections done
• Both have a blog! -->JH's blog http://johnhenryhorse.blogspot.com/

But that is basically where the similarities end. John Henry is a famous racehorse with winnings of over $6 million that is known to be ornery and "mean"(though I have seen lots of sweet pics of John). Lester aka Little Bit Wet only won one of his 7 races for a total winnings of a little over $4k:-) and he is VERY sweet and easy going. Lester also takes any medicines I have to give him like a real champ where as there our stories of having to trick, lasso and flat out give up on some days when it comes to giving John his meds.

I enjoyed this article from 2003 about John Henry recovering from his colic- http://www.bloodhorse.com/articleindex/article.asp?id=17141

Raspilla...10 year reunion

Raspilla was my sister, Jen's first (technically 2nd) horse. Our dad bought her from an auction in 1989 for just a little over $1000. Jen and Raspilla did hunter/ jumpers and then moved to dressage shortly before we moved to Georgia. Raspilla was diagnosed with navicular disease shortly after we moved to GA in 1993 and the decision was made to retire her, she was about 9 or 10 years old. To make a LONG story short she was given to our vet's wife, then was sold without her knowledge, then was sold 1 or 2 more times after that. Jen lost track of her and hadn't seen her in over 10 years. But due to the power of the Internet she tracked her down in Kentucky! We recently made a trip to see her...

The "Jenbot 1000" (Matt came up with that one ;-) rarely shows emotion, but when she saw Raspilla, now known as Penny, she must have had a malfunction because she actually teared up...

It was good to see Raspberry Pillow (what I always called her) again and in such good condition. She looked very happy and is very much loved by her new family.
Not all "older" horses get to live out their lives like this, too often they are just sent from home to home and usually end up at an auction where they are bought buy a kill buyer.

Turn on the haunches...

One small sideways step for Lester, one giant supple horse for me:-) Gosh its amazing what a little lateral work will do. Lester has been under saddle again for about a month now. We still only walk, but I'm starting to ask a little more out of him with going on the bit and adding a small hill here and there. He felt so wonderful last night! Don't worry, I won't over do it. Less is more, right?

Worming Device...from anonymous

Worming Device...hmmm, looks more like a torture device! But one of our readers sent me the following link to this contraption.
http://www.horse.com/products/sku-BCA62.html
While I appreciate the gesture I don't think I'll be forking over the $14 for this thing. First of all, Lester IS not the problem. I'm the spastic one. He doesn't like it but, aside from hitting me in the head that one day he is very good about being wormed, buted or getting his UlcerGard. Secondly he is VERY willing to accept a bit in his mouth. I don't even have to put my finger in his mouth to get him to take it. I just hold up the bridle for him. If I bought the worming device I think that would change very quickly!
I must admit however it is a very clever looking device. And if you can easily get it on the horse each time I bet it's worth the money!
Thanks for the tip anonymous reader!

What does UlcerGard taste like?

Believe it or not I do have the answer to that. You would have thought I had learned my lesson with the GastroGard. Even though it SMELLS like cinnamon, it does not taste as yummy like a cinnamon roll or coffee cake would. Now if you were to pop open a jar of straight cinnamon and lick some then that is what UG tastes like, it is an awful, bitter taste and I feel guilty for making Lester consume it daily.


Why did I taste it again you ask Well it was indirectly. I swear I get worse and worse at administering this stuff . Yesterday I ended up missing Less' mouth entirely and squirting the whole daily dose on the ground.


There it sat, all $7.50 worth of UG, I tried scraping it up with a cookie, but he just looked at me funny.


So I gave Less another dose, this time getting most of it IN him. Then for some reason I licked my finger and that is how I know that UG tastes as awful as GG. It is the same stuff after all, just packaged differently- one is for treatment and the other is maintenance/ preventative.
Moral of this story is things don't always taste as good as they smell...

The Daily Whatever...

Click on paper to enlargeMake your own Daily Whatever: http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Proof that Lester doesn't need a cookie to look cute!

Mo' Carrots Please...

I never get tired of that face:-) Do you? I must have a hundred pictures of him in these poses, but they all look different and cute in their own way! Lester has settled into his new shoes and I have been able to get on him several times this week. Monday was good, pretty laid back. Tuesday he was a fast paced walker and I felt like he was going to break into a trot a few times. He was a bit hyper and came on the bit several times. Yesterday's ride was good also. He was more settled and he was stretching down and rounding some on his own. I'm starting to "sit" more on his back and get deeper each time- this is why he's now going on the bit some. At first I tried to stay off his back as much as I could.

Paul the Mule...RIP Sweet Boy

I am so saddened and shocked to hear about the passing of my friend's mule, Paul:-( Especially the way he went. It was a severe colic, an obstruction in the small intestines, much like Lester's. Surgery just wasn't an option for the 20 year old mule.

I had mentioned Paul earlier in this blog and Paul's blog was truly a driving force for me to create a blog for Lester. Like many others, I so enjoyed reading Paul's posts about his musings and other topics. I never met Paul in person, nor his editor/ owner, but I just feel like I "knew" him. It just isn't fair...you will be surely missed Dear Paul.

http://geehawpaul.blogspot.com/2007/07/paul-1987-july-30-2007.html