Horses, Life, A Touch of Geek

Archive for the ‘Horse Care’ Category

Rodney’s Feet

Right hind – still has remnants of puffiness above his fetlock from the trailer kerfuffle two weeks ago [Dubious Future]. Rodney’s tell for pain is acting scared of people, for example getting more headshy. In this case, the front end never registered a problem in the back end. So, I never worried unduly. (Worrying about getting him on a trailer again, that’s a whole different anxiety attack. But I digress.)

Left front – Lost shoe Friday. Shod Monday. Barefoot for Three. Whole. Days. Oh noes! Soaking foot, coating sole with turpentine, and crossing fingers against an abscess. In the photo, the schmutz on his leg is sweat from a hard day’s grazing. After this, I rinsed him off & hosed his other leg.

BTW, Milton lost the same shoe for the same time frame. He’s fine. He also ships.

I am hereby changing Rodney’s name to Precious Prince Snowflake Cupcake.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Horse Care, Horses, Photography

Cindy Sez

… that I am done with my computer work for the evening.
… that I should have finished my post before the storm blew in.
… that it’s a good thing I have a wireless iPad.

But seriously folks, tropical storm Cindy is headed our way. We’ve been having rain for daaaaays. Fortunately, we had enough break in the rain that I could pick up feed (yay!) and Greg’s driving apron from the dry cleaners (the apron, not the feed) this morning. As soon as I got home, boom. Given the rate that trees drop onto power lines around here, I’m staying off my desktop, which is where my images are, where my drafts are, and where I upload from. But enough about me.

To those suffering bad weather &/or flash floods, stay safe.

BTW, horses fine. Pasture a soupy mess. Barn not as bad as it could be. Cross fingers.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Blogging, Horse Care, Pasture, Weather

Time Out for Routine Maintenance

Last week was weirdly full of appointments for horse & human. All routine. Dentist. Farrier. Eye doc. Vet. Everyone’s fine. Between house rules (day off for shoes), travel time (dentist & eye doc) and recovery time (eye doc & vet), not much got done.

That’s okay.

Rodney’s one tiny jump [!] will carry me for a while. The Coggins tests [Names] means that now, finally, we have all the pieces to move forward with Milton.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Horse Care, Horses

Show Names

Vet has come. Blood has been drawn. Names have been chosen.

Registered Name: Major Conn [Real Name]
Stable Name: Milton
Show Name: Monochrome Rainbow

Registered Name: none
Stable Name: Rodney
Show Name: Double Solitaire

Despite my love of data, I am not doing a retrospective of Rodney’s aborted show names over the years. I am looking forward. This is will be the one that matters, the one that gets used. Onwards.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Horse Care, Horse Shows, Horses

Sand Colic?

We continue to pursue the shadowy NQR in Milton.

Our latest effort is a week-long treatment for sand colic. We don’t have sand or even sandy soil. OTOH, Milton is big on picking up every last iota of feed. I have no doubt he ingests a lot of dirt. Perhaps there is a component that he did not meet in Canada. Maybe he is allergic to Alabama.

How’s it going? Over the weekend he had a subdued hissy fit while lunging. He carried on bucking and hopping and cantering, yet stayed on the circle. The lunge line has a 25-lb breakaway. Better to have them run around the pasture than tangle their legs, we figure. He never came close to challenging it.

It was one of the odder things I’ve seen a horse do. He was clearly in PAIN, or UPSET, or SOMETHING, but the cause was not at all obvious. Perhaps the psyllium husks were doing their job and the gunk was shifting around in his gut. (We checked for colic, etc.)

Or he could have been reacting to the weather …

… or a different bit, or Swat on his zipper (although that usually makes them feel better), or the newest batch of hay…

… or he had a Thoroughbred moment and the rest of it is on our heads.

That’s the problem with NQR. It’s only obvious in retrospect.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Groundwork, Horse Behavior, Horse Care, Horses

Life Choices

Spotted in the sleet. Note ice-encased leaf in the bottom right corner.

Spotted in the sleet. Note ice-encased leaf in the bottom right corner.

Last Saturday, we went to Stepping Stone Farm to feed breakfast after the ice storm. We live close by and the Fiat [Stocking] is a reliable, front-wheel-drive star in bad conditions [On Account of Snow, Snow Day Montage]. Laugh at the South for freaking out at a snowflake, but ice-coated roads are a nightmare anywhere.

As I have said before [Motivating], my stint as a working student was not the most fun I’ve ever had with my clothes on. However, one positive thing came from the experience. I realized that I had no interest in being a professional. I have never had cause to regret that decision.

Feed and care for my own horses? Fine. Feed and care for other people’s horses once in a blue moon (every 32 months (derivation, blue moon calculator)) as an adventure? Sure thing. Feed and care for other people’s horses twice a day, every day? No, thank you. Be responsible for ensuring that someone else feeds and cares for other people’s horses twice a day, every day? Not that either.

I did enjoy the sound of a barn full of horses contentedly chewing their hay. Peaceful.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Spotted on the windshield.

Spotted on the windshield.

Category:

Horse Care, Horses, Saddle Seat

Looking Back, Rodney 2016

Sigh. What can I say that I didn’t say 3 years ago [Zeno’s Horse Training]? Rodney makes progress, but gets nowhere.

As I said earlier this month [Meanwhile], Rodney has been working on long-lining and field walks. Both slowly improve. He’s stands quietly, playing couch, while Milton works. He’s wearing a bit instead of a hackamore [Or Not]. I can use the reins without having him curl his neck up like a shrimp, at least at the walk.

And yet.

We not an inch closer to any of my competition goals than we were at the beginning of the year.

On The Upside
It’s not all bad news. As pasture decoration, Rodney is outstanding (not just out. standing.). He’s pretty to look at. He’s gorgeous when he moves. He’s low maintenance: lives out, doesn’t wear a blanket, gets 2 front keg shoes. For a 17-hand horse with Thoroughbred feet, two simple front shoes count as low maintenance.

He’s a kind horse. He likes to be with his people, and appreciates when we minister to his various – thankfully minor – ailments.

He has a huge personality. He provides us with endless amusement. I often sit at the barn simply to watch and listen.

Plus, the feed change has been good for Rodney as well as for Milton [Feed Adventures]. Rodney has always been good about putting on weight. Now he’s filling out over the ribs as well. He has abundant energy without having it bubble out his ears.

So that was 2016. As far as Rodney Progess goes, not much different from 2015, or 2014, or … nevermind. Onwards!

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Category:

Horse Care, Horses