Virtual Brush Box

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have horses

 
Awareness of the outside world. Follow-up to yesterday. I am not a fan of Fox News. Often just reading the headlines on the News Mix channel will cause me to rant and gibber. However, in a detached, intellectual, evil-empire fashion, I have to admire their way with words. No matter the situation, they are always able to find one small corner that they can turn to their advantage. Their spinmasters may be soulless cretins, but they are good at their job.
~~~

 
During the most recent cold snap, Rodney decided to give a turn-out blanket another try. I believe his exact words were, ‘If you let me wear a blanket, I think I can hold my shit together this time.’

It worked. He’s been wearing the larger, blue, lightweight, 3-season turnout rug that we bought for him years ago. Milton has the smaller, green, heavyweight winter rug that used to belong to Mathilda.

In an ideal world, the blankets would be reversed. Rodney is a lizard. He never overheats. He could wear a heavyweight Rambo in 50o weather. If the trend continues, we will undoubtedly be updating their wardrobes.

Years ago, we had to stop blanketing because Rodney would shock himself. Milton has always wondered why *he* didn’t get a blanket just because the other horse had a problem. Rodney could wear a day rug, but the slick, rain-proof, turnout would cause him distress. [Zap!]

What changed? Different food? Change in body chemistry? More eventempered? Better tolerance of small inconveniences? No idea. Before he couldn’t; now he can.

I can feel the eyerolls from my Northern neighbors. No, it’s not that cold down here. No, they don’t need blankets. Why not? They seem to enjoy them.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Fit To Ride

 
Awareness of the outside world. When I’m deep in news overconsumption, I leave the TV muted on the News Mix channel, which shows quarter-frame views of CNN, MSNBC, Fox, & BBC America. It’s a fascinating exercise in story selection. The four stations cover a majority of the same issues. When they diverge, CNN & MSNBC track together. Fox goes right. BBCAm goes global. You know we are in a crisis when all four channels are showing the same image.
~~~

Bling from the Virtual Savannah Bridge Run 5k last month. [Strolling In Another Park Another Day, Walk Report, Savannah Bridge Run, Virtual 5K, December 2020]

Requisite race shirt, bib, and medal, plus …

… drumroll …

An award! 5k Age Group Winner! My first running walking award! My only award from 2020!

Reality Check. Given my time of almost 1:20, I suspect the contestant pool was small to non-existent. I may have been alone. No 2020 results posted, so I can’t tell, SBR: Results.

That’s okay. I’ve done single classes, particularly in driving. I have no qualms about them. I came. I met the requirements. I accept the results. Gimme my loot.

Also, I made sure this was not one of the walks where the GPS went wonky and gave me a false, fast time. The result was real. I also checked that my age was correct. Otherwise, I would have said something.

It is, Sir, as I have said, a small award. And yet there are those who love it!

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Riding Journal

 
Awareness of the outside world. Blue dot in a red state. I have not inquired into what my deeply red neighbors think of current events. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer. Do you live among like-minded souls or are you a vox clamantis?
~~~

Back in March, I said that Rodney has to reinvent the wheel at every property.

We go through the same process at each new place. [Peeling The Emotional Onion]

Remember that?

I forgot it.

Good work at Stepping Stone Farm. [Update]

Nice outings at Falcon Hill Farm. [Check-in]

Headed back to Full Circle Horse Park.

I made the mistake of thinking that Rodney would act in a similar fashion at FCHP as he had been at FHF. I was thinking that he was doing well at new places.

Nope.

Not new places, plural. Each new place, singular.

He was fine at FCHP. Just three steps further back along the adjustment process that I had been expecting. He was still at the walk and look and stare stage. No trotting. No tiny cross rails.

He does not generalize. He has to wind down at each new place. I have no idea why.

On a side note, he kept staring at the cross-country course.

‘What’s that? Over there? Cross-country? I’d be great at that. Dunno what it is, but I’d be great at it.’

He walked around the tiny little logs like a kid in a candy store. One has to pay extra for XC schooling, so we didn’t walk over any jumps. Trotting was out. Way too much pressure in the tea kettle. Still, he seemed to be having a grand time.

Maybe he knows something. That would be nice.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have horses

Awareness of the outside world. It’s hard not to be aware of the outside world right now.
~~~
Well, that was a weekend. Political turmoil. Way too much news. Rising Covid numbers.

… and then …

Both horses chose to have issues. Small, well-managed issues, but issues none the less.

Rodney

He’s been doing the on-again-off-again-does-your-foot-hurt-or-are-you-in-a-mood-? dance for a while. Blacksmith couldn’t find anything. Finally displayed a diagnostically useful wobble. Soaked foot for suspected abscess. No noticeable change. Clearly, it was in the foot. Maybe a bruise? New theory.

Daytime, turnout with booties over shoes to cushion his flat feet. Night, put up in heavily-bedded stall with salt poultice. Second night, both feet. [Treatment]

Rodney thought this was the bee’s knees.

Milton
So there’s Rodney. Happily tucked into a fluffy stall.

Milton decides, ‘Dinner? No thanks. I’ll pass.’

Shit.

‘Cookie? I’ll nibble at it ineffectually.’

Double shit. Break out the Banamine.

Turned out to be a mild case. Good gut sounds. Regular temp. Responded well to the shot in the neck. Removed food. Walk. Check. Wait for poop. Lather, rinse, repeat. You know the drill. Mild or not, one always gets alarmed when the c-word is involved.

In fact, he had pooped as we were standing there watching him not eat. Either the poop was already on the launchpad or he was almost over it anyway. Half an hour later, we might never have noticed. Who knows what they get up to the other 20+ hours in the day.

Speaking of hours, why do they always do this at night? On the weekend? Why can’t they chose to raise our blood pressure at 10 in the morning, on a weekday, while the vet is down the street doing an unexciting wellness check on a broodmare? In truth, a horse crisis never comes at a good time. At least at 10 am, we wouldn’t be dragging a horse around the field by flashlight.

No vet visits, this time. Pain behavior was mild in both cases. One upside to having fragile cupcakes is that they do not lie to you about their pain levels. Treatment was obvious. We did call the vet for Milton. Put this on the radar instead of coming as a complete surprise at 2 am. Fortunately, not needed.

Milton is fine. Rodney is still on foot rest protocol. I’m exhausted. The world is still a mess.

How was your weekend?

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott