Virtual Brush Box

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin, Phase IV]

Third month post surgery
Week 3 of four weeks pasture rest

Milton’s incision is still not closed completely. 😦

He’s fine. Bright-eyed & bushy tailed.

Incision is mostly healed over. Belly has a sliiiight bit of swelling that has not changed in weeks. No egregious swelling. No heat. No signs of infection. He tolerates the daily cleaning as well as he ever tolerates his belly being touched.

However, in a three places there are small, gnarly, pink, fleshy – in contrast to scabby – outgrowths with leaky bits of this and that. On-site medical staff says it’s fine, possibly a reaction to the internal sutures. Skin staples were taken out weeks ago back at the clinic. Vet continues to say photos look fine.

On site med staff/Milton’s head minion says the wound is closed and the skin is 90% closed. “There is a complete layer of tissue between his innards and the outside world. All the muscle and fascia are closed (fascia is a fancy word for connective tissue).”

No one is worried. I think we’d all like to see the grot go away. For the most recent belly shot, [click here]

Side note. Thank you for your responses to my questions about the weekly medical photos. The pile has gotten away from me. At some point, I will process and post them, probably behind a jump, as this week. [Stall Rest Chronicles 15 Feb, with Photo Poll]

Onwards!
Katherine

Thinking about what comes next.

One side of a Venn diagram: What you want to do.
Other side of a Venn diagram: What is available.

If they overlap, awesome. Rock on.
If they don’t, time to get creative.

Let’s say you want to learn combat flower arranging.

A practitioner at the Iron Blossom level has a dojo in your town. Off you go.

Or.

Flower what? So you arrange with an noted Iron Blossom who gives virtual lessons, you look into starting a start a club in your town, you go to workshops at the national convention, and so on. Meanwhile, you sign up with a local karate dojo. At least you will be out there moving around, working on your muscular control, developing your proprioception. Okay, maybe you will pick up some conflicting movement patterns, but better than couch surfing.

I’m sure you see where this is going.

I have yet to find a jumping barn that likes the color of my money. My Venn diagram does not overlap.

One half of my plan would be to capitalize on what is available.

Take lessons at the barn that has welcomed me. Absorb all I can about saddle seat. Ride a variety of horses. Practice with a double bridle. Maybe, finally, for the love of all things equitation, learn to sit up when I ride.

This plan would make sense.

This plan is also in direct opposition to my stated preference for a soft, simple, comfort ride on the easiest horse in the barn.

I’m working on that.

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin, Phase IV]

Third month post surgery
Week 3 of four weeks pasture rest

As we creep closer to our normal routine, what will be different?

The joy of 💩. Horse poops in an inconvenient place, such a clean stall when he could have pooped 30 seconds earlier in the field. Brief annoyance immediately gives way to one of the humans saying, “Poop is good.” Or, “We approve of poop.” For those who don’t follow equine gastrointestinal tracts quite as closely, lack of manure is a bad sign. A pile of manure is a sign that the gut is behaving itself. [When The Poop Emoji Is Your Favorite]

Water, water everywhere. We have always soaked their feed when they are on pellets. Now, we soak, let sit, add more water, maybe soak more, maybe more water. Milton is currently getting soup. Possibly we will unclench out keisters enough to drop him back to stew. Some days he gets consomme.

Further hydrodynamics. In the past, we have served warm – not hot! – water during really cold weather. Now, out of an abundance of caution, we have kept up the habit even in mildly cold weather. We have discover that Milton quite enjoys his long drink of warm water of an evening. As Spring rolls in, we – the barn we – are still carrying a bucket from the house. There is some thought that when truly hot weather gets here, we can stop with all the water-toting. I dunno. I drink cold soda in the middle of winter. I don’t see Milton giving up his tea.

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin, Phase IV]

Third month post surgery
Week 3 of four weeks pasture rest

Competitors #50 & #51 ready to go! RunSignup: 2023 Virtual Tevis Cup – Western States Trail – 100 Miles in 100 Miles in 100 Days, Wed April 19 – Sun July 30, 2023.

Starts 6 days after Milton should be cleared for light work. Walking a mile a day will be a great way to get everyone – horses and riders – back in the game.

They do, as promised, have medals this year. Entry includes choice of finisher’s shirt OR medal. I got excited, began clicking buttons, thought they were charging extra for medals, and inadvertently signed up for shirt AND medal. Oh well, there are worse things.

Virtual Tevis
Tevis Cup: Virtual Tevis 2023, January 25, 2023
Posts [Archives]

Onwards!
Katherine

Explanation. We have a horse on stall rest following colic surgery. This has taken over the blog. Mostly. [Begin, Phase IV]

Third month post surgery
Two weeks at clinic DONE
Four weeks of at-home stall rest DONE
Four weeks of paddock rest DONE
Starting week 3 of four weeks pasture rest

Aaaaaaand they’re out.

As of Wednesday evening, Milton and Rodney are living the pasture life.

They were out together Wednesday during the day, as they have been. After dinner, we – once again – put on our big people’s panties and turned them out for the night.

No problem.

Two tired ponies the next day. All night partying can take it out of you.

As of Sunday, they have been out four nights, including one storm.

So, they live out. Except for stall separation at breakfast and dinner. And lunch maybe. And if they want to come into the run-in for shade. Or shelter. Or a nap.

But hardy pasture potatoes the rest of the time.

Onwards!
Katherine

Rodney is fine. Popped it out with a hoofpick. I was checking them often that day, so it wasn’t in for very long.

He was able to stand on it. He looked like he was wearing a high-heeled shoe. Didn’t see him walk with it, as they were standing in the barn. When I saw Rodney, I first thought he was pointing his foot, the way they do when a hoof hurts. Then I got closer. Dang!

Thought about treating the sole &/or soaking the foot. Decided to let it alone and see if Rodney wanted to make a production out of it.

Forgive the photo quality. Clearly, I wanted to be quick. Equally clearly, it wasn’t too much of a crisis if I could pause to take photos.

Onwards!
Katherine

Back in 1995, I contributed a sidebar, “A Moment In Paris,” to Travelers’ Tales France, O’Reilly et al. eds., page 17. The chapter is “River of Light” by Mort Rosenblum, an excerpt from The Secret Life of the Seine, 1995, MR: Books.

In 2002, the book was been reissued (reprinted? updated?) with a new cover, Travelers’ Tales: France.

The Google Books preview of the 2002 edition includes page 19, which is where my sidebar relocated after the redesign. Screenshot taken 22 March 2023.

The book was published 28 years ago. ?!?

The trip was … pauses to think … before I got married .. so, mid-80s … I’m gonna go with 1985.

Yeesh.

Onwards!
Katherine