Friday, October 2, 2009
Another One!
As a follow up to my last entry...Buddy was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is easily treatable with LOTS of antibiotics and some good old fashioned down time, as long as the fevers stay at bay. I could handle this. I mean, yeah, its disappointing when his 2nd level work was turning out to be really good but what can you do at this point? Well, on Monday I got a call from the vet. I had forgotten that we had done a tick tighter on Jo as a precautionary since DJ had already gotten one earlier this year and we were waiting for Buddy's to come back from Texas. Anyways, the results were in. Jono has Lymes! Can you believe it? I was shocked! I mean this is also a very treatable diagnosis but still! So, now I have 1 with Cushings, 1 with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the newest one is Lymes. Gotta love horses!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Sick Pony
So, three weeks ago I took Buddy to a horse show in Lexington. Granted he did extremely well in his debut at Second Level (64% & 66%!!!) but that is not the point. At the show, he was very quiet and just picked around at his food, highly unusual for this horse. We kept an eye on him but he ate his grain, drank water and had normal stool so we figured he just wanted to go home. Anyways, we get him home and I give him 4 days off for being such a star that weekend. Time for his ride on Friday...what a grouch!!! He was pissy, agitated, harsh in his mouth, tight in his back and overall unpleasant to ride. Needless to say, I was a little agitated myself. I got off and did some ground work which wasn't much better. He just had no intentions of working. I figured, mentally maybe he needed a little longer break so I gave him the weekend off. All the fun stuff started on Monday....
Monday's ride was at least more pleasant than Friday's. I had a horse with a much better frame of mind and willingness to try anything but something was still off. It was very similar to riding a horse with a giant neck brace on. His circles were piecey, his laterals were super flat and simple changes were virtually impossible. This wasn't like him either. I got off cleaned him up and turned him out but a little voice kept saying something was not right. Later that night, I spoke with my trainer and she suggested that he was sore from the two needles he got on Monday. (Oh yeah! Buddy also had a break out on his face of some sort so the vet came and gave him an antihistamine as well as a steroid in order to help the healing process.) I decided to give him some more time off and went down Tuesday to rub him down with lineament and give him some Bute. When I got there on Tuesday, he looked very lethargic but still tried to eat and be himself. I gave him the rub down and proceeded to go on with my normal activities and went to go ride another horse. Something just kept nagging at me while I was riding, so just for preventative measures I got off the horse I was riding and went to take Buddy's temperature. I took it three times because I thought I was pushing the wrong buttons or was reading it incorrectly...i wasn't...it was 105.6!!!! I rushed him into the wash stall and called the vet....
To make this a little shorter, the vet came out, Banamine was administered, a large dose of antibiotics were taken, another bath was had and many minutes were spent under three very large fans. His temp finally settled at 100.8...whew! A CBC was done and a tick panel was sent out to Texas. The next morning (Wednesday), the vet visited us again to check on the poor boy. His temp was much better but now he had diarrhea. his blood work came back with elevated rates meaning he had somthing tick related...oh joy! His back legs were swollen as well so now those had to be tended too! More antibiotics were given and then the vet gave her probable diagnosis...PHF...Potomas Horse Fever! Oi! Great...that's what the breakout on his face was, a tick bite!
Well, yesterday he looked good but not much improvement from the day before. He will still be on antibiotics until Saturday so he just has to stay calm, quiet and relaxed so as not to trigger any laminitis or bring back his fever. So, keep your fingers crossed for this poor pony! But I will say that Buddy has really enjoyed his one-on-one attention from me and all the extra lovings he's been getting from people at the barn too!
Monday's ride was at least more pleasant than Friday's. I had a horse with a much better frame of mind and willingness to try anything but something was still off. It was very similar to riding a horse with a giant neck brace on. His circles were piecey, his laterals were super flat and simple changes were virtually impossible. This wasn't like him either. I got off cleaned him up and turned him out but a little voice kept saying something was not right. Later that night, I spoke with my trainer and she suggested that he was sore from the two needles he got on Monday. (Oh yeah! Buddy also had a break out on his face of some sort so the vet came and gave him an antihistamine as well as a steroid in order to help the healing process.) I decided to give him some more time off and went down Tuesday to rub him down with lineament and give him some Bute. When I got there on Tuesday, he looked very lethargic but still tried to eat and be himself. I gave him the rub down and proceeded to go on with my normal activities and went to go ride another horse. Something just kept nagging at me while I was riding, so just for preventative measures I got off the horse I was riding and went to take Buddy's temperature. I took it three times because I thought I was pushing the wrong buttons or was reading it incorrectly...i wasn't...it was 105.6!!!! I rushed him into the wash stall and called the vet....
To make this a little shorter, the vet came out, Banamine was administered, a large dose of antibiotics were taken, another bath was had and many minutes were spent under three very large fans. His temp finally settled at 100.8...whew! A CBC was done and a tick panel was sent out to Texas. The next morning (Wednesday), the vet visited us again to check on the poor boy. His temp was much better but now he had diarrhea. his blood work came back with elevated rates meaning he had somthing tick related...oh joy! His back legs were swollen as well so now those had to be tended too! More antibiotics were given and then the vet gave her probable diagnosis...PHF...Potomas Horse Fever! Oi! Great...that's what the breakout on his face was, a tick bite!
Well, yesterday he looked good but not much improvement from the day before. He will still be on antibiotics until Saturday so he just has to stay calm, quiet and relaxed so as not to trigger any laminitis or bring back his fever. So, keep your fingers crossed for this poor pony! But I will say that Buddy has really enjoyed his one-on-one attention from me and all the extra lovings he's been getting from people at the barn too!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
1st Blog!!!
Hello Everyone!
Well since this is the first blog for CBC Sporthorses I figure for now I'll just give you guys a preview at what my kids are doing as well as some other lucky ponies that I've been given the opportunity ride and enjoy!
DJ - my little Arabian with a total Napoleon complex...oh how I love him! He is a total alpha male so things have to be done on his terms. His third level work is coming along so well I just wish his darn flying changes weren't so lethal! We had a lesson with my trainer today (Cindy Hutchison of Locust Grove, VA) and she adores him almost as much as I do. He was so stellar in his lesson we were able to get amazing collected canter work with no explosions and some really nice canter half-pass without the over exuberant flying at the end. Goodness, we are just going to work our butts off over the winter and that Bronze Medal will be ours next year, I can feel it!
Buddy - the goofball...my poor black horse is so lovely to look at yet so aggravating to ride! I took him to a show last weekend in Lexington and it was his debut at second level. The first test of the weekend was a little rough. Needless to say, his mother was a little nervous and the scored reflected it. After some recollection of the nerves and repeatedly reviewing the first test on the camcorder, the second test was a 64%! Not bad, seeing as how he really started working on second level movements a couple weeks before the show. The last test was by far the best with a 66%!! I was elated! I come home and give him a couple days off to reward him for his stellar performance at the show. When I went back to ride him again, it was as if I had brought an entirely different horse home from Lexington. We had forgetten how to circle let alone bend or have flexion in any direction and god-forbid I ask for a walk-canter transition, that was just speaking Greek! This really is frustrating seeing as how he was so good the previous weekend, but I guess I just chalk it up to a bad day and keep on plugging along so next season he will knock every one's socks off!
Jo - my over sized teddy bear...the horse that holds such a special place in my heart because everyone said he couldn't do it! But after a GAIG/USDF Region 1 Reserve Championship and a CBLM Reserve Championship, I guess they believe in him now! With such a powerful presence he demands the attention of everyone around him. He is showing 2nd level now and working on his third. After a couple schooling shows this year, I know next year is going to be his year! It will be our first outing together as an Adult Amateur pair but I have a good feeling about it. We're also going to try our hand again at the musical freestyles without Jono's personal additions to the program...I'm thinking something with heavy drums :) Keep your fingers crossed!
And now for a bit on the one's that aren't mine but I get to play with them anyways!
Raad - the little stallion that could...when you hear the words Arabian stallion in the same sentence, high strung, hot and flighty come to mind. Well, this anything but what this guy is. He is by far one of the sweetest, calmest and most intelligent horses I have had the pleasure to work with. Although his start has been a rocky one, he definitely knows the basics. Between me and his owner we will have him going in the show ring confident and correctly in no time! I think big things are in store for this handsome man for 2010!
Tessa - slightly out-of-shape...I have known this mare since she was bought by her owner as a 3yr old. Now she is 10 and has been a mother, a trail horse, and the bang around. It is time for her to come back and the show the world just how wonderful she really is. Coming from the noble Andalusians and athletic Thoroughbreds, she was born to be in the show ring. After a couple months of conditioning we should have her back and running in tip top shape in no time! Look out show ring, here she comes!!!
Well since this is the first blog for CBC Sporthorses I figure for now I'll just give you guys a preview at what my kids are doing as well as some other lucky ponies that I've been given the opportunity ride and enjoy!
DJ - my little Arabian with a total Napoleon complex...oh how I love him! He is a total alpha male so things have to be done on his terms. His third level work is coming along so well I just wish his darn flying changes weren't so lethal! We had a lesson with my trainer today (Cindy Hutchison of Locust Grove, VA) and she adores him almost as much as I do. He was so stellar in his lesson we were able to get amazing collected canter work with no explosions and some really nice canter half-pass without the over exuberant flying at the end. Goodness, we are just going to work our butts off over the winter and that Bronze Medal will be ours next year, I can feel it!
Buddy - the goofball...my poor black horse is so lovely to look at yet so aggravating to ride! I took him to a show last weekend in Lexington and it was his debut at second level. The first test of the weekend was a little rough. Needless to say, his mother was a little nervous and the scored reflected it. After some recollection of the nerves and repeatedly reviewing the first test on the camcorder, the second test was a 64%! Not bad, seeing as how he really started working on second level movements a couple weeks before the show. The last test was by far the best with a 66%!! I was elated! I come home and give him a couple days off to reward him for his stellar performance at the show. When I went back to ride him again, it was as if I had brought an entirely different horse home from Lexington. We had forgetten how to circle let alone bend or have flexion in any direction and god-forbid I ask for a walk-canter transition, that was just speaking Greek! This really is frustrating seeing as how he was so good the previous weekend, but I guess I just chalk it up to a bad day and keep on plugging along so next season he will knock every one's socks off!
Jo - my over sized teddy bear...the horse that holds such a special place in my heart because everyone said he couldn't do it! But after a GAIG/USDF Region 1 Reserve Championship and a CBLM Reserve Championship, I guess they believe in him now! With such a powerful presence he demands the attention of everyone around him. He is showing 2nd level now and working on his third. After a couple schooling shows this year, I know next year is going to be his year! It will be our first outing together as an Adult Amateur pair but I have a good feeling about it. We're also going to try our hand again at the musical freestyles without Jono's personal additions to the program...I'm thinking something with heavy drums :) Keep your fingers crossed!
And now for a bit on the one's that aren't mine but I get to play with them anyways!
Raad - the little stallion that could...when you hear the words Arabian stallion in the same sentence, high strung, hot and flighty come to mind. Well, this anything but what this guy is. He is by far one of the sweetest, calmest and most intelligent horses I have had the pleasure to work with. Although his start has been a rocky one, he definitely knows the basics. Between me and his owner we will have him going in the show ring confident and correctly in no time! I think big things are in store for this handsome man for 2010!
Tessa - slightly out-of-shape...I have known this mare since she was bought by her owner as a 3yr old. Now she is 10 and has been a mother, a trail horse, and the bang around. It is time for her to come back and the show the world just how wonderful she really is. Coming from the noble Andalusians and athletic Thoroughbreds, she was born to be in the show ring. After a couple months of conditioning we should have her back and running in tip top shape in no time! Look out show ring, here she comes!!!
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