Plans for 2023- Horse

 Back to the old drawing board.

SO I am NOT planning on getting a horse with one eye this time. I want to avoid that pitfall. I am also seriously re-thinking getting an Appaloosa because of the congenital late-life eye issues thay often have. 

I would like to do a rescue/rescue-ish again.

So I'm thinking maybe another Off-Track Thoroughbred (OTTB), maybe a Mustang, maybe a local rescue horse of another breed. 

Do I want a finished horse, maybe older but a known history? Do I want a youngster to train up my own way? Am I too old and un-bouncy to saddle-train a baby again? I haven't decided.

I want to walk, trot, and canter. Jump a few small jumps, maybe go to a schooling show. Trail ride.

RESCUES

There is an excellent rescue here in Longmont called Colorado Horse Rescue, so I am stalking their page. There is also Colorado Horse Rescue Network, whose facility is farther away but they go to the local horse auctions.

There are the local horse auctions. There is a low-end auction every week in close by in Loveland. There are higher-end auctions all over Colorado and Wyoming for ranch horses and sport horses. There are online auctions. I so far like thehorsebay.com, they have several local CO sellers, so if I liked a horse I could go meet them before bidding. 

There is a pre-slaughter feedlot very close by where horses are gathered for a few days to a few weeks before shipping to slaughter. They have a Facebook page I can't seem to stay away from. Low-end auctions and feedlots are of course very high-risk. No history and no pedigree, possibly unsound physically or abused, etc. And lots of pressure to save a horse from a terrible fate.

But this is the kind of video that you get to look at, if you're lucky. Some lots just have still photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoVruwbGKuY

MUSTANGS

Mustangs in our area usually come from the Canon City Wild Horse Inmate system. Inmates train the horses - either just haltered or under saddle- and they auction them to qualified adopters. There are often two adoptions a month. The facility had an outbreak of Strangles and many horses died. They plan to start adopting out again in Spring 2023.

I could try to adopt from a Mustang event or direct from a trainer. The events are very cool and there are several really really talented trainers I've started following on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXYoZnIsZQk

Honestly, since I would have to board, I'm not sure I could qualify to adopt a newly-trained Mustang. I could look for one that's titled (owned by an adopter for 1 year). 

OTTBS

OTTBs are plentiful close to major racetracks. We do not have a major racetrack in Colorado. There are small tracks in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas,Wyoming, etc. So I have been watching the CANTER site for horses in the western states, including California! I shipped Sherlock all the way from WV, but gas prices are very different now.

Here's what CANTER's videos are like of horses that are still on the track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg1qEfAJFZo&t=2s

LOCAL SELLERS/BREEDERS

OK. So if I don't want to rescue I can purchase a horse from a high-end auction, or from a local seller ot breeder. 

I have spoken to a Wyoming QH breeder who has 3 fillies ready to start to saddle. Of course I like the most colorful palomino one.

My riding acquaintances are watching out at their stables for sale horses as well. No news thus far but I see them for lunch every month now!

Another riding acquaintance moved her horse here locally but I haven't been able to connect and see the facility. I was hoping to get some lessons at that place but nothing has come together yet.

I have taken a temp job making cookies until mid-December so I do not have time to shop for horses yet, or even to care for one if I went crazy and got a feedlot horse. I'm doing my freelance Sounds True proofreading when there's work and making cookies Thursday-Sunday. 

These are fantastic cookies. Big chewy, nutty, filling cookies. The kind of cookie you need after you've been hauling firewood in the snow.

https://leckerlee.com/

More news as news becomes available. Love all of you who actually read these!

Plans for 2023- cats

 So, in April we got a new kitten to keep Kaylee company. I don't know how I'd have survived the latter half of this year without Boogiepop Phantom to make me laugh.

Anyway, she is a bit much for 9yo Kaylee sometimes, especially as she is now bigger than Kaylee.

So we will be looking for an older kitten to play with Boogiepop. This SHOULD be a much simpler affair, emotionally and monetarily, than looking for a new horse.

2022- End of an Era

OK. It's been a while again.

This year Grayson and I had to say goodbye to our two elderly black cats and the horse.

Dante we knew had cancer (throat or sinus) and passed peacefully at home 5 minutes before the vet arrived. Sneaky, canny old dude. He hated vets.

 

Ezio I took in for possible urinary tract issues and half his intestine was cancerous. What a lousy day.

 

Sherlock had some vision issues early in the year. His good eye got cloudier again and he cut himself on the fence. He bounced back and we had a few lessons with the local trainers trying to find a good match, but didn't really hit it off with anyone. I didn't really know what to do. Then in July his eye went cloudy again. He got a bad abscess under his jaw - likely from running into something. He hit his head a few times, got more spooky and worried about things he couldn't see anymore. 

We tried to keep him in the corrals while the others went to pasture, so he'd go slower and be more predictable. He freaked out. I started going every day to walk him out to the pasture safely in the morning and get him in at night. He just loved running with the other horses and would get so excited and lose track of the fence- or of the people. It was starting to be an accident waiting to happen. 

I thought about moving him to another facility where he could be in a small paddock all day while we saw if the eye would recover again. But time was already up, as he couldn't see well enough to get into a trailer.

So before we had a bad accident that hurt him and possibly someone else, we euthanized Sherlock in late July. It was a very sad day but I know it was the right thing. 

 

June 20, 2021-Down TIme

OK, I'm trying this again. It's been a while. Sherlock and I are at Eden's Aspens Horsemanship North of Longmont. It's a great place-- pasture, trainers, agility course. But no indoor, which makes winter (and sometimes spring )riding difficult.

But we were doing pretty well. Sherlock started having some headshaking issues that I expected might be photic, since he has so much vision damage. He had a bad summer of bucking and resistance just when my trainer Amy couldn't come very often. Then COVID-19 happened.

I basically have ridden 3-4 times a year, last year and this year. We have been doing some agility but we've both had a lot of time off. 

Amy is moving to Austria, so I am starting some lessons with Autumn. I have liked her agility lessons but want to get riding again, and I am much more likely to ride when someone is expecting me. If I can get trail-ready that would be great!

May 31- Rides # 105,106,107

On 5/4 Sherlock came in from the pasture cut. Again. Inner LF, just below the knee. Shallow, swollen only in inside of cannon bone. Bute in grain tonight. Asked them to keep in for me tomorow morning.

5/5 Leg still swollen a bit but not lame. Grain, turnout.

5/7 Leg still swollen but walking perfectly sound. Grain with BL solution.

5/8 ride #105. Grain, rode 30 minutes, walk/trot. Nice quiet ride, poles, turns, contact. Practiced emergency dismount.

5/9 ride #106. AM fed grain, no pasture turnout due to rain. PM rode 20  minutes bareback, walk, turns, whoa, back. Sherlock especially enoyed biting my foot today.


5/10. farrier AM. I was running late and din't stretch him first and he was pretty stiff. Geldings galloping out to pasture very distracting. Not good. Got through it but had some arguments.Wear patterns uneven- growth on RF and LH, the others didn't grow. She couldn't take mush off and he was sore afterwards. Put sole toughener on. Grain w/ Cosequin/ BL solution. Cut looking good, no swelling. Called Dr. Deb for chiro work.


5/13 1PM Dr. Deb Chiro appointment. Neck OK, hips needed work,  SI, T1, R hock. Well-behaved and quiet for adjustments. I told her the farrier admitted she thought I was crazy the first time she saw Sherlock (and the second and third as well) and Dr. Deb said she also thought I might have gone round the bend, but that I had ended up with a really nice horse once he relaxed and didn't have pain.

Preparing for lesson

5PM Ride #107 walk only lesson with Amy. Contact, 20m circle around x, wide hands, bending/counterbending, spiral in/out. Sherlock did very well- after  learning to counterbend he promptly used it against me to avoid going nto the corner. Now that I've taught him this I have to remember how to reverse it.  Archery work at halt and walk. Need guideline for distance, like a ground pole, he kept getting too close. Arrow bounced off edge of target and hit his shoulder- he didn't care. Good boy! No spookiness with new quiver.


Lots of rain and tender feet this week. Hand-grazing along our little road for calories and desensitizing. Be sure to check my next blog post about the Samurai exhibition- lots of horsey stuff there!

5/20 Rode in from pasture in the PM. Bareback with rope halter. Other geldings decided to come in too and galloped by, but Sherlock held up well. Some racehorse jig but settled nicely.

Yummy tall grass.

Muddy. Sherlock's R hip looked sore and stiff when turning.

5/25 Ears itchy, esp. Left. No unusual dirt, looked down in w/ flashlight...

5/26 Rode in from pasture. A little spooky at muskrat swimming in pond but handled it well.

5/28 So rainy lately, it looks like Sherlock has lost weight. Might just be that he's getting unfit again.  weight tape #874

5/29 weight tape #902. Rode in from pasture. Used emergency dismount due to Remington crowding the gate area. Sherlock was very good. Groomed, fed grain, found 4 tick bites on tail bone. Brushed out and applied scarlet oil to all. Ointment on leg, that cut is almost gone.


5/31 Good deep grooming and grain PM. Tickbites medicated and we grazed on the roadside again.

April 30-Bath day, rides #102-104

4/18 Grain/Cosequin/Cool Calories/Flaxseed. Ate well, I groomed him and changed from heavy blanket to rainsheet. No preciptation but it's still muddy- maybe he will stay a little cleaner with the sheet on.

4/19 Ride #102. 45 minutes outdoor arena. Nice ride with trot poles and some strong trots, with Luna following. Sidepass around cone. Was quite scared of Dusty lurking by the arena fence! Grazed 10 minutes and gave Grain/Cosequin/Cool Calories/Flaxseed combo. Pasture all ahoo due to Lady living in round pen today. Dusty and Brownie aggressive at gate when I took Sherlock out, better when we came back in.

4/20 Came in nicely from pasture for grain and grazing in in-between zone. I think the little clover like plants that are his favorite are alfalfa coming up. Yum yum. Saw fox crossing the driveway today!

4/21 2pm came in from pasture well, Grain/Cosequin/Cool Calories/Flaxseed plus some grazing time. Flies were bad so I went back for fly mask and caught him again for mask. He was great. Flyover of 4 military helicopters didn't interest him very much. 3 single-rotors and a big 2-rotor. Saw the big one landed at Longmont Airport! Saw the whole crew again heading South when I was in Louisville.

Before bath.

4/22 Ride #103 BATH! Bucket bath with minimal soap while he ate his grain. Took him and grain outdoors for to dry, while I shortened his mane and cleaned it up. When dry enough I rode 10 minjutes bareback, working on bending w/t. Then let him roll in the arena. Looking skinny after a couple big storms and paddockmate changes.

After bath! 

4/23 Grain/Cosequin/Cool Calories/Flaxseed plus some extra hay in paddock.
4/24 added Ulcergard to grain today- no CoolCal. Grazed.
4/25 Ulcergard grain day 2/4. Grazed
4/26 Grain/cosequin with added alfalfa pellets. Increased grain. Good manners. Rainy and cold again.

4/27 Ride #104 30 min indoors. Sherlock jumped something in the paddock running to me when I called- Ditch? Log? He looked good! Grain, hay. Sherlock was a bit grumpy about girth but we went slow. Bending lines, trot 10 steps, trot 20 steps, trot once around. Several reps. Practiced drifting hind end out on turns, turn on haunhes from a backup. Stand on one side of barrel, sidepass and turn on forehand until on other side of barrel facing the same direction as before. After ride practiced "touch" command with hand, pole, barrel, ball and mounting block. Getting very smart!

4/28 Snowing AM. Got him blanketed before he got wet. Not really that cold so did rain sheet. Very grouchy about blanket- biting and bucking- but after Banamine was his old self.

4/29 Snowing AM.  When I got there Sherlock was soaked through his rain sheet! Shaking cold - got him in and pulled rainsheet off in indoor arena through threats to kick and nasty faces. Left him there while I got the grain out and soaked. Watched him pacing, pawing and rearing up while I got ready. Took him a handful of hay and he walked politely with me to his grain with day 3/4 Ulcergard. put backup blanket on and towel-dried him off, then put heavy blanket on.  H arrived and asked me to put him back with Joe, Tashi, and Scout instead. Grey and Brownie don't let anyone else in the shelter. Happy to do that!

4/30 Light snow AM. Back in top next-to-arena paddock but has Joe, Tashi, Perry, and Scout with him! Yay! Much more peaceful group. Groomed, cleaned muddy feet, trimmed mane and bridle path. Thinning shears worked great on bridle path! Looks very nice and he tolerates the lighter sound better than a normal scissor. Day 4/4 of my Ulcergard supply. Hard to tell if it helped with such a small sample that I was not able to give 4 days in a row, in such a high-stress time with bad housemates and bad weather.
Enjoying watching some Rolex eventing  and cleaning house in prep for Second Thanksgiving this weekend!

April 17- ride #100, 101

Heading back out to pasture

3/21 ride #100- hooray a milestone! Sherlock was very fussy for cinching up, worked indoors on fitness. Trotting 3x around arena then a minute to catch his breath playing with the tarp, cones, ball, hula hoops, whatever he could grab and fling.

3/22 Groomed, grain with Banamine as snow is coming again. Talked to another boarder who I hadn't really met before about TBs. She follows the current racers. Cool.

3/24 Grain, Snow. Sherlock was eating the snow so I hiked/slid down to check the water tank. It was fine. ?

3/25 Grain. Still very muddy and slick. Groundwork day, leading over pole, then did a teensy crossrail, dragging stuff, turning around barrels, mounting block.



3/27 Ride #101. Grain, groomed. Rode 20 min indoor bareback. Walking, stretching my sore back. Good for mounting, played with tarp with anxious horse watching him. Very good boy.

3/28 Grain, grooming. Moved to Eagles paddock. New eldery horses arrive tomorrow.

3/29 Grain w/Banamine. Groomed, very sore belly but improved. Great for farrier! Really perfect. LF angle has turned a bit negative to where it usually is. She worked on fixing that.

3/30 Muddy, rain/snow mix. New pair hogging shelter. Sherlock wore rain sheet but seemed fine

4/1 Grain. Out in East Pasture, called him in easily though he missed me at the middle gate and went to the one they use to go in at night, then had to come back. Everyone enjoying first turnout in a while!
PM Barn called- Sherlock resting LH and walking very stiff. I got there and checked, Walking wobbly/stiff downhill (remember he was just trimmed). No obvious sore spots, wounds, swelling. Didn't want to take weight on LH for hoof cleaning but once he did he was fine. Grain with 1g Bute.


4/2 AM came early for grain with Bute. Sherlock did his stretches, back up, haunches yield. Swollen L side neck just at shoulder. Walk and trot on longe very stiff, twisting L hock and making it pop every step. Reduced forward range of motion. No turnout for you today.
Came at Lunchtime for Barn meeting. Grain with Buteless, Cosequin and wormer! Walked better, walked over poles and turned. Less stiff more willing. Sore walking uphill to paddock.

All my attempts came out like this.

4/3 Grain with Bute, cosequin. Walking better, not as unbalanced-looking. Hand-stretched all legs, did very well.

4/4 AM Grain with Bute, cosequin. Walk/Trot sound, if a bit stiff. Downhuill well, turned out to pasture!

4/5 Vaccination clinic. Rabies, 4-way, West Nile. Well-behaved, barely noticed vet as he had some extra hay. Stiff turning but otherwise sound. Grain w/ Cosequin.

4/9 Grain w/Cosequin all week. Doing well. New bite mark not breaking the skin L back right close to the spine.

4/10 Grain between the East and Meadow Pastures, some grass there now. Galloping the pasture looks great.
4/11 Exactly the same but now when I leave sherlock hangs around the middle gate trying to figure out how to get to that grass. Sorry, my boy.


4/12 Grooming, grain/cosequin. Light w/t free longe over poles. Dr Deb came and adjusted Sherlock, he was great for her. A few faces when she was working on the R side. T1 bilat, also withers bilat, low back, SI joint. Walked well after, kicking out with LH after adjustment but settled.

4/15 Grain/Bananine. We did stretches, walk over poles and coached "touch" with both ball and mounting block.
English saddle fitter Bev came today!  Sherlock was still sore ribs on R side. But he is very even bilaterally with good even mucle development. Long withers dropping slowly down his back.Wide shoulders but not as wide in the back. Change to MED gullet using my good sheepskin pad and recheck in 3 months. He was excellent for her and she loved him. Blanketed for storm coming

4/16 Sherlock was the only one still eating in the snowstorm. Everyone else in shelter. Gave Grain. Added Cool Calories and some Ground Flaxseed to convince him to eat the CoolCal. Blanket looked soaked through but he was not wet. Dried his neck and face while in barn. Nicely behaved. Got partway into shelter as I left.

But I LIKE my food on the floor!