Thursday, April 24, 2008
Meet Polo Man
PLo has issues to say the least. He's cranky, back sore, gets a weird fungus on his head every spring/summer, nervous, has really bad scars and terrible about his hind feet being picked up. His attitude and body show what kind of life he has lead. He has a lip tattoo, but no one can read it.
I picked him out :-x (the farm owner and I went in together to buy him as a "guest" horse) He must have felt me coming miles away because he didn't show ANY of the above when I tried him out 3 times. I liked him cuz he was smallish, SMOOTH gaited, seemingly*bombproof* and seemed friendly enough.
The ponies got sha-oozs today:-) I was worried PLo wasn't going to be able to stand for new shoes today, but he did fine. He was actually better than usual, maybe it's cuz I let him go first :-) I pulled his mane a bit and made him look purty. My farrier, Ronnie, agrees with me that he thinks Polo is sore up high and not in the foot. I massaged his glutes a bit with Absorbine Liniment Gel. (Polo's not Ronnie's) He's really tight there and just sore through his whole backend. I gave him some bute too because I think the whole shoeing process can make them sore (it's like having flextion tests done IMO).
I had to return to work with a big green *lipstick* stain on my shirt, courtesy of Mr. Lester:-x Right on my left boob too, but no one has noticed thankfully. Less got the usual treatment: carrots, peppermints, sugar cubes, a brushing, hugs, kisses, bute, Ichon injection (it's marketed as "wound" care, I found the thread on COTH to have the best explanations for it) and I even de-wormed him this time. And of course Lester earned another smiley face.
Well I don't think injecting Lester's fetlock was the end of his right front lameness. I'm sure he feels better in there, but there's probably something going on in his knee as well. BUT since my vet bill is at $508 now and the state of GA says I owe them over $500 as well, I think I will wait on anymore joint injections:-x I lunged him a little last night and he was a lazy butt. It is so hard to lunge or walk him on grass, every few steps there is a *tug* on the leadrope, "Now, can I take a bite, now?" he asks. I can crack the whip right behind his bum and he finally will move forward, but not before taking a huge bite of grass. So it's been a week now since the injection and I haven't ridden him or done anything *work* wise in close to 2 weeks and it does show. He gets a weeee bit obnoxious and mouthy when he's out of work and he trips so much more on the lunge when he's plodding around and not asked to *use* himself. I am fully convinced that Lester has to stay in work in order to be*sound* in both body and mind. To make a long story short (too late) I'd like to try out his *working self* with the injection before injecting anything else.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Alpha bitch...
The GrimLim was actually pretty nice to her guests. She only had 1 or 2 outbursts for which she was put in time out for. I think my sis just oozes "I am ALPHA" so Lim felt like she could give up the role a bit. I was surprised there wasn't more growling and snapping going on. Is this pic not hilarious?? :-D Check out the front legs,
Now some Lester news. I usually leave out a lot of important details because I have a hard time understanding what vets are telling me :-p I get the general picture and I leave it at that. The big words go in one ear and get lost.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Spur be gone.
He has to stay in his stall today so hopefully he's not too upset. I asked that another horse stay in with him at all times and maybe the other horses could rotate babysitting him:-) I can take him out and let him graze later so I know he will enjoy that. He can be turned back out tomorrow and maybe Sunday I can hop on him.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Right front
We did get his right front xrayed though and it shows a spur in the fetlock joint. So we will inject that joint.
Dr. Reynolds also said he didn't like Less' reaction to his right knee flection so we may inject that too.
This week sucks. I'm ready to snap. From having to deal with state tax crap, crying at the sight of Spooky's pics, finding out my horse may have neuro problems, not knowing what's gonna happen when the *new* company takes us over...blah blah blah blah so yeah, when I see my lunge line left out yet AGAIN and introductions are being done at inappropriate times, yeah I'm gonna snap. Oh and I feel fat, don't fit in my clothes and hate my hair right now too :-)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Is He Lame or Is He Neurologic?
- Back withdrawal: Pressure is placed over the back and pelvis to determine if the patient resents the pressure. Less didn't give into the pressure or act painful.
- Mobility of the neck: The horse is quietly and gently encouraged to bend their neck so that the nostrils reach behind the shoulder.
- Placement tests: The front legs are taken one at a time and crossed over the front of the other leg or placed in a wide stance. Normal horses should instantly replace their legs to the proper position while horses with spinal cord problems can take a long time to recognize their awkward stance. The test should be repeated on the opposite side and can also be done on the hind legs on subtle cases. This is probably the most alarming of all the tests. While he will right or replace his front legs quite normally he does not do so on his hind legs. He will hold the position as long as you let him and ask him to move forward. This means he doesn't know where his back legs are.
- Tail sway: The tail is pulled to each side by the examiner while an experienced handler is walking the patient. Normal horses resent the tail pull, but "wobblers" are easily pulled to the side while walking and when the pressure is released, they over correct or sway to the side. Vet was able to pull Less off balance with the strength of one arm, he said normally he has to use both arms just to have a normal horse budge.
- Tight circles: The patient is walked in a very tight circle pattern. A normal horse has the outside front foot placed in the front of the inside front foot and the inside hind foot placed in front of the outside hind foot. Horses with spinal cord problems will be confused and often reverse this order or pivot on the inside foot instead of lifting the leg. They will also swing the hind leg very wide (circumduction). Not sure how he scored here.
- Hills: The patient is led up and down an incline with the head in a normal position and then again with the head elevated. Normal horses place their hind feet flat on the ground and do not elevate the front feet (hypermetria) when going down hill. When coming up hill, the normal horse should also walk with flat rear feet. Abnormal horses walk downhill as though they have been tranquilized (truncal ataxia) and will knuckle over on the hind fetlocks. The patient will walk on their toes coming up the hill and swivel the toes and hocks laterally trying to get enough strength to get up the hill. Walk the patient with the head elevated and if the horse is affected, the signs should be even easier to see. Less drags his toes and "bobbles" (noticeable lateral movement in hocks and feet.)
He watched him on the lunge line and straightways and saw what I feel and see- sound on the straight-a-ways and lame on a right circle. Less tripped, knuckled over behind twice, that's what happens when he "loses" his back in. I described to him that I find that he trips and stumbles more when he's not on the bit or round and that his whole body just feels stiff. In this position trying to turn him right is a chore to say the least. BUT if I have him flexed and round then I can bend him left or right with my legs and just my fingertips. He will watch me ride him in the next week or so to show him. I told him I felt like when he was flexed that he was more "aware" of his body, mostly the hind legs. He found this a bit weird sense the cases he's seen horses react the complete opposite, but when has Lester ever been an easy, textbook case?
So what does all this mean? Dunno yet. We also have to figure out what is going on with his right foreleg. I've always thought it was compensation for the back end problems, but I think it's too prominent for that to be the case anymore. His flections weren't good on it.
and I had him check Lester's teeth and the good news is his teeth are in great shape :-p
Monday, April 14, 2008
I didn't know Matt had a son :-o
I forgot to mention in my last post ANOTHER reason I love Less so much is he is the sweetest and most gentle horse I have ever seen around kids -as long as they stay on the ground:-) A kid can lead him, hug him, feed him, brush him, anything. And he never disappoints with his tongue trick :-p
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Why I love Lester!
I couldn't have scripted this scene any better:-) Notice the brown dot in the middle of the video, to the right of the middle, green tree, see it, well I should say him cuz it's Lester the PonyMan. I called for him once and he didn't hear me, but my second call you can see some brown dot movement, that's his head shooting up from the grass- "MOM!!?" gosh it's enough to melt your heart isn't it?
The weather was horrible ALL weekend so I didn't ride him until Monday. Sunday was sunny, but the flies were just awful and all the horses were pretty crazed from trying to kick, swish and bite at flies. Poor ponies:-( Even after we doused the boys in vinegar and flyspray the flies were still attacking and I didn't want our first ride back (it had been over a week) to be miserable so I didn't get on him Sunday. I lunged him straight up (no bitting up) in his halter and let him WTC and he looked great both directions. He had his nose to the ground at the trot though because he really wanted to roll and knock off some flies. I even used the lunge whip and drug it along his back to get some of the flies off, he knew exactly what I was doing.
I got on him again last night too and he was good again, but more stiff. We walked for a good 30 minutes, I tried to flex him without asking too much and he wasn't giving me much other than a level head and braced neck. He was more stumbly too in the hindend. So we went to the riding ring and we trail pony opened the gate and walked over some poles. He immediately went round and soft and just marched over the poles. I think he enjoyed something different. After that we trotted a little. He stumbles much less with he's "working" and flexed.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Spooky's Memory Page
Monday, April 7, 2008
Mamma's got a brand new bag!
I purchased it at The Animal Rescue Site where you can buy such cute, cute, cute items and the purchases all go to feeding shelter animals. Each item has a "bowl amount" and tells you how many bowls of food the item is worth.
My Wubba, My Wubba, ...My Wubba and Meeeee!
Limo meet Wubba
The destuffation