Here I was so pleased that all the ponies were good for their shots and nobody tipped over twitching (a fear that lives in the back of my mind whenever I stick them), and when I went out to feed the morning after I noticed Amyra was pan surfing. She couldn't seem to find one that she liked, which since everybody gets exactly the same amount and mix, was a little odd.
I checked necks for bumps and heat with no surprises, haltered and headed up the hill. Turned them loose and three heads went down to eat. And one did not. She could turn her head/neck a limited amount in both directions, but she couldn't or wouldn't lower it enough to graze.
I've never had a horse have that particular reaction before, but apparently it's fairly common. No heat or swelling. She could reach the water, and didn't seem otherwise distressed so I let her be.
After work she was still stiff, but when I put hay in the feeder she could reach it well enough and ate with a good appetite. She was gradually better yesterday, but still reluctant to lower her head all the way to the ground so I gave her a gram of bute last night - anti-inflammatory - and she was back to normal this morning. Chalk it up to good luck and being wiser for the experience!
I did a single 5-way with West Nile this year for the first time, thinking it would be less poking for them and less stress for me. Always before I've done the West Nile separately. Did some reading, and Amyra's reaction isn't uncommon with multiway/multiple shots given all at once. I think next year I'll go back to multiple shots spread out over a longer period of time, which is what I've always done before with no problems.
On the family front, my niece R is having a grand time "riding" - she's thrilled to be led around, clutching a bit handful of mane tightly in both hands and grinning fit to split her face. (With an adult right next to her holding on so she doesn't slide off.) So far Sunny, Amyra and Rufus have all been very accommodating. Thunder was not so keen on the idea. He's not entirely sure people that short won't bite.
Several of the cats had similar concerns, but the indoor cats have all come around. Rattle is still in OMG, hide! mode whenever she appears. She isn't trying to chase or be rough, but she moves fast and she's excited. Like the indoor critters, he'll figure out she's not interested in picking him up or chasing eventually.
And that's the news from here... OH! And we had nearly an inch of rain over the last three days. Hooray!!!!
Showing posts with label shots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shots. Show all posts
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Shots... DONE.
Folks are still here, and mom had her camera out so there are probably pictures. Not that it was a particularly exciting event. The only one that even remotely worries about a needle is Thunder and he was a VERY good boy this year. The other three go, "Eh? That was it? Huh. Okay, back to eating."
With helpers back and forth to pasture, I've been riding up and back - feeling kind of guilty about it, but I can't talk anybody else into getting on board. I've been sticking to Sunny and Rufus, but last night I thought I'd brave Thunder at least for the trip back across the pasture.
It was a very abbreviated ride. We were fine for the flat part, but when we hit the first downhill it dawned on both of us at the same moment that we'd never done a hill bareback. He was okay with my wriggling on and walked off just fine, but getting squeezed when I started to slide forward - not to mention the sliding - was a bit too much. Since I've been on him a sum total of twice since November, I chickened out and slid off. Not that he did anything bad, but I could tell he was getting anxious. No sense pushing my luck - we'll have a few refreshers on the flat and then tackle some hills.
So I swapped horses and hopped on Sunny instead with renewed appreciation for the time we've spent learning each others quirks - realizing just how much I wiggle around, bump him, squeeze him just hanging on.... and he still listens and determines what is random noise and what is an actual cue. Pretty darn smart.
The horses and I are on our own up the hill again this morning - my folks are headed to the airport in KC to pick up my sister and niece. They'll be here for a week :) Vacation for them scheduled pre-new job for me, so I won't get to see them quite as much as I'd planned on, but at least it looks like the weather will be decent and they'll all keep one another entertained.
Other than that, not much new on the horse front. So many excuses not to spend time riding, darn it!
With helpers back and forth to pasture, I've been riding up and back - feeling kind of guilty about it, but I can't talk anybody else into getting on board. I've been sticking to Sunny and Rufus, but last night I thought I'd brave Thunder at least for the trip back across the pasture.
It was a very abbreviated ride. We were fine for the flat part, but when we hit the first downhill it dawned on both of us at the same moment that we'd never done a hill bareback. He was okay with my wriggling on and walked off just fine, but getting squeezed when I started to slide forward - not to mention the sliding - was a bit too much. Since I've been on him a sum total of twice since November, I chickened out and slid off. Not that he did anything bad, but I could tell he was getting anxious. No sense pushing my luck - we'll have a few refreshers on the flat and then tackle some hills.
So I swapped horses and hopped on Sunny instead with renewed appreciation for the time we've spent learning each others quirks - realizing just how much I wiggle around, bump him, squeeze him just hanging on.... and he still listens and determines what is random noise and what is an actual cue. Pretty darn smart.
The horses and I are on our own up the hill again this morning - my folks are headed to the airport in KC to pick up my sister and niece. They'll be here for a week :) Vacation for them scheduled pre-new job for me, so I won't get to see them quite as much as I'd planned on, but at least it looks like the weather will be decent and they'll all keep one another entertained.
Other than that, not much new on the horse front. So many excuses not to spend time riding, darn it!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Diagnosis
Hot, sticky and windy - but at least the thunder, lightening and downpour held off until I got the horses unloaded, the trailer unhooked, and myself home.
So... the boys were stellar for their rabies shots - both of them. Probably because the Dr. J that stuck them was of the female persuasion. Sunny wouldn't have cared - and didn't twitch a muscle, but Thunder still hasn't come to terms with strange men. He snorted and danced and curled his neck and just generally acted suspicious all over the place when Dr. D came out to admire him.
In the meantime, the other Dr. J finished up with his previous patient and came out to watch Sunny move. He had me lead him down the drive to watch him walk, then he had me turn him both directions first on his hindquarters, then on his front end. Sunny would step across himself nicely going to the right, but left was much stiffer and he was really reluctant to pivot rather than stepping away when I asked him.
Then it was on to the longe line. No sign of anything in particular at the trot, so we moved on to canter. Sunny was okay picking up the left lead as long as I let him have lots of line and didn't make him do a small circle. But as soon as Dr. J asked me to slow him down and make him lope a small circle on a tighter line, he broke. I pushed him back up, and he'd take the right (wrong) lead and then do a flying change to left, hold it for three or for strides, then break again.
Changing directions to circle clockwise, he took and held the right (correct) lead on both a large and small circle without any problems.
Dr. J had me stop him. While Sunny puffed, he probed for soreness along his topline, finding ouchy spots along both sides of his spine, slightly more pronounced on the left, but visibly there on the right, as well. But he had to press fairly firmly to get Sunny to react at all.
Then he had me saddle him - he wanted to see Sunny in my English saddle and check the fit in comparison to the sore spots, but wouldn't you know, that's the one that wasn't in the trailer. Dr. J checked the fit of my western saddle, informing me it sits too high and the bars should come down further, but that it shouldn't be cause soreness where Sunny's sore - which I could have told him, since I haven't ridden Sunny western in... at least two or three months. Moving on, he examined legs, then got out the hoof testers. But although he thought there might be a touch of sensitivity in the front left, once he dug around for a bit with the hoof knife and then reapplied the testers, he got no reaction whatsoever from that foot. Or any of the others.
With the saddle snugged, he had me ask Sunny to flex through his neck by running the leadrope around the opposite side of the saddle and then encouraging Sunny to unwind himself. Sunny was not enthused. It's an exercise he's done, and usually will do without any problems, but although he was otherwise cooperative, Sunny obviously didn't want to bend his neck. He'd turn, he just wouldn't bend.
After more probing and poking, none of which Sunny appeared to mind in the slightest, Dr. J said he recommends Sunny see the equine chiropractor. He thinks Sunny's out in his neck. His back is slightly sore, but the soreness isn't located where it should be causing difficulty with the left lead. His reluctance to bend through the neck means he isn't able to free up his left shoulder, which is showing up as an inability to pick up the left lead....
Dr, J made me an appointment with the chiro for next Monday. In the meantime, I'm to not ride, but I am to work on encouraging Sunny to flex his neck in both directions to see if his range of motion will improve. And he said that after Sunny's been adjusted, I'm to continue working on flexing and on making sure Sunny will turn equally well on the hind and forehand, stepping across evenly with the outside foot in each direction.
We have our homework, and a not-too-serious diagnosis which, given Sunny's lack of other symptoms, I was sort of expecting. Hopefully the chiropractor will put him right - I think, and Dr. J concurred, that since I haven't been riding him as much lately it's most likely that Sunny threw something out fooling around in the lot. It's showing up when most visibly when I ride because I'm asking him to use himself in a way that otherwise he'd just avoid.
Back at the farm, he and Thunder both rolled to get the sweaty, itchies from the muggy trailer taken care of, then set off and a high trot for the pasture where they could catch a breeze and escape the bugs. I headed for home and managed to get the back yard mostly mowed before the skies opened up.
So... the boys were stellar for their rabies shots - both of them. Probably because the Dr. J that stuck them was of the female persuasion. Sunny wouldn't have cared - and didn't twitch a muscle, but Thunder still hasn't come to terms with strange men. He snorted and danced and curled his neck and just generally acted suspicious all over the place when Dr. D came out to admire him.
In the meantime, the other Dr. J finished up with his previous patient and came out to watch Sunny move. He had me lead him down the drive to watch him walk, then he had me turn him both directions first on his hindquarters, then on his front end. Sunny would step across himself nicely going to the right, but left was much stiffer and he was really reluctant to pivot rather than stepping away when I asked him.
Then it was on to the longe line. No sign of anything in particular at the trot, so we moved on to canter. Sunny was okay picking up the left lead as long as I let him have lots of line and didn't make him do a small circle. But as soon as Dr. J asked me to slow him down and make him lope a small circle on a tighter line, he broke. I pushed him back up, and he'd take the right (wrong) lead and then do a flying change to left, hold it for three or for strides, then break again.
Changing directions to circle clockwise, he took and held the right (correct) lead on both a large and small circle without any problems.
Dr. J had me stop him. While Sunny puffed, he probed for soreness along his topline, finding ouchy spots along both sides of his spine, slightly more pronounced on the left, but visibly there on the right, as well. But he had to press fairly firmly to get Sunny to react at all.
Then he had me saddle him - he wanted to see Sunny in my English saddle and check the fit in comparison to the sore spots, but wouldn't you know, that's the one that wasn't in the trailer. Dr. J checked the fit of my western saddle, informing me it sits too high and the bars should come down further, but that it shouldn't be cause soreness where Sunny's sore - which I could have told him, since I haven't ridden Sunny western in... at least two or three months. Moving on, he examined legs, then got out the hoof testers. But although he thought there might be a touch of sensitivity in the front left, once he dug around for a bit with the hoof knife and then reapplied the testers, he got no reaction whatsoever from that foot. Or any of the others.
With the saddle snugged, he had me ask Sunny to flex through his neck by running the leadrope around the opposite side of the saddle and then encouraging Sunny to unwind himself. Sunny was not enthused. It's an exercise he's done, and usually will do without any problems, but although he was otherwise cooperative, Sunny obviously didn't want to bend his neck. He'd turn, he just wouldn't bend.
After more probing and poking, none of which Sunny appeared to mind in the slightest, Dr. J said he recommends Sunny see the equine chiropractor. He thinks Sunny's out in his neck. His back is slightly sore, but the soreness isn't located where it should be causing difficulty with the left lead. His reluctance to bend through the neck means he isn't able to free up his left shoulder, which is showing up as an inability to pick up the left lead....
Dr, J made me an appointment with the chiro for next Monday. In the meantime, I'm to not ride, but I am to work on encouraging Sunny to flex his neck in both directions to see if his range of motion will improve. And he said that after Sunny's been adjusted, I'm to continue working on flexing and on making sure Sunny will turn equally well on the hind and forehand, stepping across evenly with the outside foot in each direction.
We have our homework, and a not-too-serious diagnosis which, given Sunny's lack of other symptoms, I was sort of expecting. Hopefully the chiropractor will put him right - I think, and Dr. J concurred, that since I haven't been riding him as much lately it's most likely that Sunny threw something out fooling around in the lot. It's showing up when most visibly when I ride because I'm asking him to use himself in a way that otherwise he'd just avoid.
Back at the farm, he and Thunder both rolled to get the sweaty, itchies from the muggy trailer taken care of, then set off and a high trot for the pasture where they could catch a breeze and escape the bugs. I headed for home and managed to get the back yard mostly mowed before the skies opened up.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Rain
The road we took last night
where we drove through the water
CLOSED
As well as three others we tried this morning.
It made getting back and forth between horse-locations
a bit more challenging than usual.
where we drove through the water
CLOSED
As well as three others we tried this morning.
It made getting back and forth between horse-locations
a bit more challenging than usual.
After a rather long night of keeping up with the incoming water in the basement, in the grand scheme of things, we don't have it all that bad. It does give me a new appreciation for the amount of work happening in basements locally and across the nation after the massive rainfall amounts we've been seeing lately, though.
And on the bright side,
I don't think I've ever seen
quite so much of the basement floor -
nor seen it quite so shiny!
I don't think I've ever seen
quite so much of the basement floor -
nor seen it quite so shiny!
Belly rubs are always welcome!The rest of the ponies at the farm got their shots this morning. (Late, I know, but for whatever reason finding 6 doses of 4-way in one spot was a problem. Next year I'm just going to order it first thing and pay the shipping.) Sunny and Amyra & Rufus already had theirs a while back, but the other six don't get the West-Nile combo, so...
Feeding the cats at the farm this a.m. - there are, at last count, 19 of them, I think. None of which are reproduction-capable, thank goodness! All friendly, too - in fact it's a good idea to check the back of the truck and roll up the windows, as a couple of them have tried to go home with us more than once.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weekend - rain & shots
Saturday it rained, so nothing much got accomplished. Today it looked like rain all morning and was blustery & on the chilly side. About 2 PM the sun popped out and it started to warm up and dry the puddles. Even so, the ground was still pretty greasy when we got to the farm.
T moved in a round bale, and we wormed them all but Sahara (I thought I had four Ivermectin left, so I only picked four up - turns out I only had three and one Strongid... drat!) and vaccinated Sunny and Amyra for West Nile. The vet clinic didn't have the 4-way I wanted, and the tractor supply store was out, so I have a raincheck in for that.
Amazingly, everyone was good. Shots were a complete non-issue for the two that got them - they both had their heads in their grain buckets, and I don't think the pricks even registered.
Sunny's never been a problem to give shots to, other than one memorable occasion right after I bought him. He was a long yearling, and the first thing on my agenda was to have him gelded. The day or so following he had some swelling - only on one side - which was a bit concerning, so I called to see what the vet wanted me to do.
It was, of course, a cold, blustery spring day. Sunny really hadn't been handled all that much at that point, and he wasn't real thrilled to be snubbed to a post away from his friends. He was even less thrilled when I turned the hose on him. But he was fairly good for that portion of the day's agenda.
The shot, however, he was having nothing to do with. After being squashed into the sucker bars repeatedly, stepped on, dropping the needle multiple times, both of us sliding around in the mud, I stood back, looked him over, and told him, "Fine! You win. Just see if I care when you drop dead!" I was just a touch annoyed....
Of course he was fine. Vaccinations (small gauge needle) were no problem. And when he stepped on a nail and developed an abscess as a three-year-old, by that point he'd decided penicillin shots, large needle & all, were no big deal - especially when accompanied by his morning grain ration - LOL!
Other than that, a quiet weekend
T moved in a round bale, and we wormed them all but Sahara (I thought I had four Ivermectin left, so I only picked four up - turns out I only had three and one Strongid... drat!) and vaccinated Sunny and Amyra for West Nile. The vet clinic didn't have the 4-way I wanted, and the tractor supply store was out, so I have a raincheck in for that.
Amazingly, everyone was good. Shots were a complete non-issue for the two that got them - they both had their heads in their grain buckets, and I don't think the pricks even registered.
Sunny's never been a problem to give shots to, other than one memorable occasion right after I bought him. He was a long yearling, and the first thing on my agenda was to have him gelded. The day or so following he had some swelling - only on one side - which was a bit concerning, so I called to see what the vet wanted me to do.
"Hose him down with cold water, and give him some penicillin."
It was, of course, a cold, blustery spring day. Sunny really hadn't been handled all that much at that point, and he wasn't real thrilled to be snubbed to a post away from his friends. He was even less thrilled when I turned the hose on him. But he was fairly good for that portion of the day's agenda.
The shot, however, he was having nothing to do with. After being squashed into the sucker bars repeatedly, stepped on, dropping the needle multiple times, both of us sliding around in the mud, I stood back, looked him over, and told him, "Fine! You win. Just see if I care when you drop dead!" I was just a touch annoyed....
Of course he was fine. Vaccinations (small gauge needle) were no problem. And when he stepped on a nail and developed an abscess as a three-year-old, by that point he'd decided penicillin shots, large needle & all, were no big deal - especially when accompanied by his morning grain ration - LOL!
Other than that, a quiet weekend
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
What one shot can tell you
Yearly vaccination time has rolled around again, and I won't say I haven't been dreading it. Over the last few years I've gotten pretty good at giving shots. I've dealt with fence climbers, sqaushers, lungers, and all types of evaders. Other than one particularly bad moment when I informed Sunny that if he was that intent on not getting a penicillin shot, he could just die - he got better - I haven't had too many failures. (in my defense, it wasn't actually a life-death situation: Sunny was newly gelded and had some swelling. He was at the time basically unhandled, and very, very uncooperative. I was armed with a too short needle, and not enough patience. He won-I lost.)
At present, in addition to the two who own me, there are seven more large, and potentially uncooperative equines to get through, I keep having visions of shot reactions.... Basically, giving shots is not one of my favorite things.
Since I can't do anything much to prevent a shot reaction, but I can (maybe) do something about the squashing, evading and lunging, I've been working on shot-etiquette for the last couple of years. We, thankfully, haven't had to give too many shots other than the yearly ones, but horses do get into things, and among other freak incidents, in one year we had two horses with abscessed hooves: Sunny, foodie that he is, decided penicillin shots weren't so bad... as long as he got some grain to go with them we could stick him with all the needles we wanted. What's more, he'd happily soak his foot in that warm bucket even in the -5'F winter weather. That's my boy!
Then there's Pinto Boy....
Pinto-Boy (AKA Thunder or P-B), is a 3 year old half-Arabian gelding and my current project. He was a weanling at the time. Poor boy -- he was so small even alternating sides of his neck with hindquarter shots, he was so sore. He didn't mind the bucket part, but just try to stand by his neck! For the last two years just scratching his neck has resulted in a sudden scoot away, (and he's only slowly getting over being totally convinced the vet will kill him). Well, thanks to some sound advice from the kind posters on another blog, I collected an ink pen and my trusty clicker and spent a couple of evenings just clicking and giving him "shots." Tonight, although he was my worst-behaved patient, his "evasion" consisted of one whole step to the side. Wow. What a complete and utter difference. It's funny how the little things can make you feel really good. We have West Nile yet to do (yes, I know - it's late) and if he's as good then, I think I can say he's turned a big corner.
Tomorrow we'll see how he does with strange men -- the farrier is coming to do feet, and last time P-B was not fully convinced the poor man didn't have a needle in his pocket. Thankfully he (farrier) was very patient and was willing to walk up to him bent over so as to appear less threatening. Maybe P-B'll do better this time (I hope!).
At present, in addition to the two who own me, there are seven more large, and potentially uncooperative equines to get through, I keep having visions of shot reactions.... Basically, giving shots is not one of my favorite things.
Since I can't do anything much to prevent a shot reaction, but I can (maybe) do something about the squashing, evading and lunging, I've been working on shot-etiquette for the last couple of years. We, thankfully, haven't had to give too many shots other than the yearly ones, but horses do get into things, and among other freak incidents, in one year we had two horses with abscessed hooves: Sunny, foodie that he is, decided penicillin shots weren't so bad... as long as he got some grain to go with them we could stick him with all the needles we wanted. What's more, he'd happily soak his foot in that warm bucket even in the -5'F winter weather. That's my boy!
Then there's Pinto Boy....
Pinto-Boy (AKA Thunder or P-B), is a 3 year old half-Arabian gelding and my current project. He was a weanling at the time. Poor boy -- he was so small even alternating sides of his neck with hindquarter shots, he was so sore. He didn't mind the bucket part, but just try to stand by his neck! For the last two years just scratching his neck has resulted in a sudden scoot away, (and he's only slowly getting over being totally convinced the vet will kill him). Well, thanks to some sound advice from the kind posters on another blog, I collected an ink pen and my trusty clicker and spent a couple of evenings just clicking and giving him "shots." Tonight, although he was my worst-behaved patient, his "evasion" consisted of one whole step to the side. Wow. What a complete and utter difference. It's funny how the little things can make you feel really good. We have West Nile yet to do (yes, I know - it's late) and if he's as good then, I think I can say he's turned a big corner.
Tomorrow we'll see how he does with strange men -- the farrier is coming to do feet, and last time P-B was not fully convinced the poor man didn't have a needle in his pocket. Thankfully he (farrier) was very patient and was willing to walk up to him bent over so as to appear less threatening. Maybe P-B'll do better this time (I hope!).
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