Horse Sense....

 

                             

 

Today was a Good News - Seriously Bad News - Better News Day.

Almost killed a dog when she did a suicide run in front of my truck and I screetched to a stop...and still almost ran her over.

Honestly, I missed her by a millimetre.

She was actually shaking when I got out of the car and picked her up.

Called the owner (good owner - she had a collar and not just one phone number, but TWO) and while I was talking, another guy came out an took her inside. 

Apparently there was a hole in the gate and something had scared her.

Anyway, she's home all safe and well and not squished.

That was the good news.

New new farrier turned up (don't ask), came to do Chew, took one look at Az and said, We have a major fucking problem.

Works out 5 months ago, Az got rotation of the Pedal bone.

How do we know it was 5 months ago? 

Apparently, the hoof tells you.

And the bloody x-rays the Vet is doing tomorrow will back that up.  In fact, we're going to almost be able to track it down to the day.

Now, I hear you ask, How, if I have been having the same farrier every 4 to 5 weeks for Chew and Az, for well over a year, could this possibly not have been picked up?

Good question, 99!

And the answer just goes from bad to worse.

From what I can gather, and as I have more information, I will share it, when he realized that we had a problem, he just kept on trying to correct it.  

And it took him about 4 months after that to realize that he had completely fucked up.

Then he let his asshole ego get in the way, and just couldn't admit to  making a mistake.

He'd been well recommended by awesome friends of mine, who obviously recommended him based on who he had been, not who he currently is.

I have no problem with my friends, they couldn't have known, and I know them so well, that they would never allow this to happen to a horse. 

Any horse.

And he worked at professional stables, so I thought I had covered all my bases.

Not to mention that all of us had asked the same question, Does he need shoes on?  Is he ok?  Are we on the right path?

100% of the time we were told, No.  It's just going to take time, he's fine.

In fact, even the last time I saw him I had asked that exact question....and got the same answer.

I now believe that he knew at Christmas that we had a problem that was almost non-fixable, and that he thought Az would have to be euthanized.

So he ran away like a girl instead of manning up, admitting his mistake, and allowing us to get a new Plan A and fix it.

I called the Vets while new new farrier was here and we've got x-rays booked for tomorrow and we'll be back on track within days.

With Az with shoes on, and a plan of how to cut, when, what shape etc.

Do you want to know the funny thing?

It is only the food, and how I work, that allowed us to just keep on top of this.

You know, because I bang on about it all the time, that the horses have a phenomenal ability to heal themselves.  Which is true, they do.

However, as much as I love herbs, I am also 100% against quick fixes in herbs/liquids etc.

And the reason for that is when you use too many herbs together they react against each other.  So first off, I believe because peeps don't really understand how important non-soy feed is, and how much it negatively impacts the horses ability to be strong, well and heal.  Because of this you're already on the losing side of things, then peeps just bang in all the herbs together and pray.

To be fair, it's not the worst thing you could do, but it certainly isn't perfect and you and I know this, because of how many horses die from Cushings and Foundering, and just break down in racing.

However, when I heard about a OMG Fantastic New Product, I would try it.  But 100% of the time it only worked with the symptoms, not the original sin.  And you and I know this because sooner or later you are told that your horse isn't getting better, doesn't ever get better and then you either on sell your horse or it dies.

And I feel very judgey writing about this because Az (and possibly Chew) have Laminitis/Cushings.  

So I'm about as far away from perfect as it is possible to be as I'm writing this.

However, our basic core philosophy has kept us safe, on the right side (just) of Laminitis/Cushings and because of that we will get an excellent result.

Az won't die and he won't be on sold.

I also spoke to our Vet about, How do you know when a professional person is not doing the right thing?  Because they're professionals, and if I knew what they did, then I would do it myself, and there's no answer to that question.

I also asked her if Az needed Bute (of which we have never, ever used here).

Her answer, No!!

And for future reference, bare foot trimming re mini's and ponies is $50 every 6 to 8 weeks NOT $65 every 2 to 4 weeks.

I'm not going to shame the farrier by using his name or saying anything which would make him recognizable, as I just can't imagine the trouble in his life, that to do what he did to us, was even a choice for him.

****

Ok, food wasn't ordered so none when I went to pick up.

Lovely lady behind the counter was like, Oh, you know... and gave a cute shrug.

I went, I hear you.  You keep looking on your computer to see what might have happened to my order and I'll just zip out to my car and get my phone.

Which I did.

Then stood in the shop by the counter and called the rep and asked him where he thought my order would be since we had discussed today as being new pick up day.

Rep said he'd call me back.

Sales girl went over to the Manager who just put up her hand and said, Don't.  I heard the whole conversation, he'll be calling me in about....

Ring ring....ring ring...

I love that bloody rep.

Do not give me that look, I am not a Karen, however, I will get my feed.

****

And this is why I love our Vet:

She turns up and we start talking immediately about food, herbs, vitamins, minerals, supplements and exercise, and I explain what I'm using, why (and I normally have either packets or a food bucket ready, often both) so that she knows exactly what I'm doing.

Our talks are so specific we are on brands, why I'm doing something a particular way, I talk about decluttering the food, then putting it back together, making it better, stronger, smarter.

I de-clutter 2, 3 sometimes 10 times until I get it right.

Then it's dosages.

As we were talking we also saw how I had been able to contain it, and why.   We talked about why I had let Az do certain things and how that had saved us.

It was a lively, intelligent, and comprehensive conversation.

End result:

We think Az has Cushings.

Chew has old age laminitis.

Suz has arthritis and possibly laminitis.

Ralphy poo is fat.

Cappy, Mumma and Belle are all too juicy and are to be put on diets immediately.

New Plan A:

Az is to get Soft-Ride boots immediately.

Possibly Chew and Suz next.

Keep the food.

Keep the exercise.

Add in another herb.

Cappy, Mumma and Belles are now on a diet.

Back next week for x-rays and then start with new trims.

We have a plan.

****

Oh wait...this is too funny not to share.

So I get a text from a friend, about a friend of hers who had asked if I would like 14 bales of hay.

Yes please!  How much?

I'll give you her phone number, call and ask her.

Which I promptly did, and the conversation went like this:

We're nice people, so no charge for the grass.

Wait...What?

Silence while I wondered whether I was in the wrong conversation.  So I back tracked.

I thought we were talking about hay?  I would like to buy your hay.  Not grass.

Yes.

The grass is free.

Silence.

More silence, because I had not the foggiest idea as to what she was talking about.

You just have to pay for the man to come and cut it.

Silence.

And bale it.

More silence.

Oh...and you'll most probably want to talk to him about getting it to you, we're not quite on flat land.

Not quite on flat land?  You mean you're on a hill?

Yes.

Wait...so currently, as I am talking with you right now, there is wet grass in the paddocks trying to dry out from the flooding we had a few days ago, and in the next 48 hours I have to orgaize a man to come in, cut it, bale it, and then hoof it down a hill, round the corner, and up the drive way to my house.

Silence.

Yes.

But the grass is free.

If I've learnt anything in the last 48 hours, it's that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

****

Oh wait...Did you know that hay, if not baled with the right condensation level, it catches on fire?

No.  Just no.

****

I didn't like the boots when I went to see them - not anything about them.   

We have a new Plan A.

****

Extremely experienced farrier coming out tomorrow, and we're looking at glue on plastic shoes.  Which to be fair, I like a whole heap better.  And when I spoke to Az, he was keen.  We like the ones coming in 6 weeks more, as Az and I think they would  be absolutely perfect, but we can't wait 6 weeks.

So what we can get, is what we will be using. 

Funniest thing though is when I spoke to our Vet about things and I was like, Hey, this is really interesting and I'm really excited, do you want to come watch?

The only thing she said was, Yes!!

Also, added two new herbs.  One herb I was already using, but I'm now using another part of the plant, in a different way. 

And if you could see Chew booting it round the paddock today you would think that there is not one thing old age-y about him.

Bring it on, ding dong.

****

And I really, really do not want a peacock living here now.

Apparently it works out that we used to...up at the house behind us, on the hill.

And for 3 minutes a day, Patrick the Peacock (not to be confused with Pat the Rooster here at home), would stand on their deck, do his Peacock call and ruffle his tail feathers looking, and everyone would admit this, fucking fantastic.

Then do a shite the size of a human on the deck.

Then move to the roof where he would sit, shite and call, the rest of the day and night.

He then found another Miss Peacock to do the horizontal mamba with and then had another 6 little p's throwing themselves round the place.

Apparently, it was a nightmare of  mammoth proportions, had a massively bad end result for the peacocks, and I am not, under any circumstances to invite one here to stay.

Well, that answers that question of why, when I was calling one, I heard one call back, but he never came.

****

Az Day 1 - look how much hoof we took off!

That thing I am holding is the frog that we took off.

Already just by changing the herbs and cutting the hooves, his hoof is noticeably better, so we've decided no shoes.  In fact, since everyone has been cut right back, everyone is noticeably happier.  

Chew - no wonder he was walking funny.

I will not be putting these photo's on Social Media for the pure and simple reason that a lot of farriers know fuck all about what they should be doing, and the last thing I want is to have an inexperienced, or just fucking useless, farrier, go in and cut all the hoof off.

You have to be very, very careful and know your shite.

If you don't, then your horse will need to be put down.

However, with a decent trim, everything changed and nothing is looking as serious.

Still waiting for a dry day to x-ray as we need to run power from the house.

****

Kissy hugs

Caps, me (T - she/her), Spirit, Az, Ralph, Chew, Suz, and of course, my beautiful Mumma Bear, Belle and Boo-ba-licious, Pat, Chuck, Rose, Pepper, Shelley, Marmite, Geraldine, Milli, Bessie, Raz, Sugar, Butter, Cookie and Cinammon, and the cows, Mickey, Mikey and Moose.

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