Trial By Fire

I have so much to catch up on!  But instead of trying to recap the last six months or so, I figure I'll just post as things happen and catch up a little here and there as I go...

One highlight of this summer was a beach trip we took to Destin, Florida a few weeks ago.  We definitely will be returning there soon - lots of fun!  Here's one picture to tease you with...

On the way home, Jason was getting tired and we realized its silly to have him do all the driving when there are two drivers in this family!  So, I had him slap the "Student Driver" sticker on the back of the motorhome and I drove this 45 foot bad boy for a few hours from south of Dallas all the way to Denton!

The only unexpected challenge was that after I got going, we realized a little too late that we were heading into Dallas traffic...and Dallas CONSTRUCTION!  Anyone reading this who lives in North Texas right now understands the mess that almost every freeway is in the metroplex at the moment as the state has decided to upgrade and reconfigure almost everything!  I am happy to report that we made it through unscathed!  Despite narrow lanes, many LARGE trucks passing in the next narrow lane, detours, heavy traffic, potholes and many orange cones and barrels scattered throughout the roadways!

We're taking another road trip soon and I plan to log some more miles...so watch out fellow drivers! ;-)

Until next time...

Magic's Prognosis

I've been trying to post this update for well over a week now! I sit down to type some out, get a few sentences written, and then something interrupts or my day gets going and this is put on the back burner! Ack! So, back to May 30th, Thursday afternoon, the day before I was scheduled to take Magic to get her x-rays...

I decided I should practice trailer loading her as last time we loaded, she did fairly well, but it had been a few years. With plenty of room to ride on my property and a vet, farrier, and trainer that come to me, there isn't much occasion to go anywhere. So, while Ava was taking her lesson, I pulled Magic out of the barn, opened up the trailer, and quickly discovered a wasp nest in the ceiling! Glad I checked before I was about to leave the next morning! I got rid of the nest and then proceeded to load Magic. And that's where it started to fall apart.

I was shocked to learn that apparently, Magic and Tommy have swapped brains at some point since our last trailer loading adventure. Magic did NOT want to get in that trailer! She would paw at the entrance, look inside, crane her neck as far forward as possible to sniff the grain in the feeder ahead, but did not want to get in. I did get in her a few times in the 20-30 minutes we were out there but all four legs were shaking like leaves on a Fall day. I didn't push it too much with her since all the in and out, trying, lifting to load, was most likely aggravating her injury. Normally, I would use techniques like making it her idea to load by working her whenever she was outside the trailer (circles, side passing around the trailer, etc.) and letting her rest whenever she would go inside the trailer. But again, all that work would only aggravate that injury. This is why it is best to practice trailer loading THROUGHOUT the year, my fellow horse lovers! While I didn't wait until 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave, waiting until the night before when she has an injury wasn't the best idea either!

I decided to keep the session short since she did get in for me a few times. We ended on a good note, then I put her back in her stall for the evening, not sure if she would load for me in the morning!

Bright and early the next morning, I took the girls to school and found these ominous guys waiting for me on my roof as I drove up the driveway...

These buzzards were just taking a load off, I'm sure, but I didn't like them staring me down as I drove up to the barn and started to get things ready to go! I spent a good hour getting things ready, turning other horses out, mucking stalls, etc. I called ahead to the imaging center to make sure they had an extra stall available; I decided I would take Aeriel along for comfort, support and encouragement for Magic to get in the trailer!

It was time to get ready! Aeriel jumped right in and loaded like a pro, standing still and waiting. Magic loaded easily enough (yay!) but turned around and wanted to come out right away. And quickly. And in a right-brained, sort of panicking sort of way. I let her do this for quite awhile - in, then turn around and come out right away, because at least she was getting in for me without hesitating! I sort of laughed to myself that my focus and worry had so quickly turned from getting answers about Magic's injury to just getting Magic in the trailer and would she load again when it was time to come home? The main anxiety inducing element of the trip was not what would the x-rays reveal, but would Magic load? Would she freak out in the trailer? Rear? Kick? Injure herself more? Would she load again? Would we be stuck at the imaging center overnight!?

Because I was now taking two horses, and not knowing what this place was like, I called my wonderful neighbor who luckily, was available to watch Audrey for me while I took the horses to the appointment! While Magic was getting in, I still hadn't been able to close the divider but I felt optimistic I would be successful getting her in. So I put her back in her stall, ran down to the house, finished getting ready, printed out directions to the facility, got Audrey situated in the house with my neighbor, then went up to the barn one last time. I prayed Magic would just load easily for me if I was supposed to go. We had about 5 minutes and if she didn't load within that time, I was going to cancel the appointment.

Lo and behold...she loaded! First time out of her stall, straight into the trailer and for the first time, she didn't even turn around and look behind her, but put her head out the window and nuzzled with Aeriel whose head was also out the window next to her! Hallelujiah!! I slowly closed the divider, tied up her lead rope, closed the trailer doors and waited a bit to see what Magic would do. She was whinnying and pawing a bit but no kicking or bucking. This behavior is what she exhibits at feeding time or when a buddy leaves the barn so I felt better knowing this was her "normal anxious" behavior. Without more hesitation, I was off! I wanted to snap a picture of them in the trailer but I just wanted to get GOING! So I did.

I allowed plenty of time to get to my destination (total drive time was about an hour) as we were going through major construction on the 114 (local peeps will know what a nightmare that is near the airport right now) and I was planning on going about 60 mph the entire way. The drive was uneventful and despite the distance, the directions were simple and direct. Thankfully, my goose neck trailer is super easy to drive and manuever. You barely feel like you're pulling anything!

We arrived about 20 min before our appointment and I was able to park quickly and easily. With a tech to help me, we unloaded the horses and put them in their stalls to unwind and get acclimated a bit before they took Magic away.

Here are Magic and Aeriel in their stalls. I thought it was kind of cute because while they knew Magic's name and had her stall labeled appropriately, I never told them Aeriel's name so this was how they labeled her stall:

They were late getting Magic in (but there was a lot going on - seemed they were having a specialist in equine ultrasound visiting so they were conducting a seminar with about 20-30 people there. They were also conducting classes on dental floating too. We got there right around lunch - a catered lunch of beef brisket, ribs, etc. YUMMY! They were kind enough to offer me some but my stomach was too wound up. I passed ;-)

So, anyhooo (I know this is turning into a novel...) they took Magic across the facility to the main exam room. Here she is standing in the "stocks". She looks drugged but she's not - just licking and chewing (a great sign of relaxing) after braving that roll up door in the background and loading into the confined space of the stocks. You'll also notice how she's standing with her back right leg sort of rotated to the outside. This has been her normal stance of late - but is not "normal" ;-)

They took vitals, a short history, and then the vet came in. They took her back out, trotted her around, did a few flexion tests (she was only showing up as grade 2 lameness). We discussed the areas of concern when there is a kick in the top of the hip, where they would shoot for xrays, then they sedated her and took her back for xrays! Normally they allow the owner in the room when they shoot, but because they needed lots of "juice" to shoot that deep into her tissue, I had to wait in the waiting room. I was praying they would be able to get a good shot because if not, they would have to do a bone scan or competely knock her out so they could lay her down on the xray plates!

After 20 minutes or so, the vet came back in and ushered me to his office to go over the xrays as they were able to get some good shots!! The news was good and bad. Bad news was that yes, she fractured the point of her hip. Here is what her hip should look like:

 

See how the outer edge is nice and smooth? Flat as it curves down?

This is how Magic's bone looks:

It's jagged, broken, rough. And yes, that little white triangle near the top? It's a bone chip. What we were afraid of.

 

So what is the good news? The good news is that the joint below this point, in between her hip and her hock (can't remember the technical name of the joint) looked fine. That joint can sometimes be a more critical junction and injury. The other good news is that stall rest is the treatment. No expensive procedures or treatments. Just rest. For 3-4 months. Sigh. I've been through a lengthy stall rest with Belle before. Twice. Good thing here is, Magic doesn't have to be attached to a zip line in a halter the whole time. She can move about her stall and connected run at will. The vet thought it was a great sign that she was moving so well at this point and that she had a great chance of full recovery. The only other little problem might be those bone chips. There is a chance they will need to be surgically removed. I'm hoping we don't get to that point!

 

Now that the xrays were over, we gave Magic some time to wake up from her sedation, then we loaded Aeriel back in, and thankfullly, feeling a little drunk still, Magic didn't put up much of a fight loading back in the trailer. And we were back on the road to home!

 

The ride home was also uneventful and both horses were glad to return to the barn! I felt like I had run a marathon when I got back. I was so happy things went smoothly and it was a big accomplishment for me to do this on my own considering a few months ago I had never even hauled my trailer before! But I knew it was time to put on my big girl panties and do this, despite my nerves. I do have ELEVEN horses at this point and I should know how to trailer on my own!! I do want to make it to some schooling shows this summer so this was good practice. I'll get a chance to repeat this adventure too since they want to repeat xrays in six to eight weeks ;-)

 

Update on Magic

Dr. Lampe came out on Wednesday and discussed some treatments we could do to help Magic heal. Then he saw her move in the round pen and said she absolutely needs to get it x-rayed. The concern now is that she might have fractured the hip or somewhere in the hip joint. There may be bone chips, etc. and the treatments involve procedures that might make that worse. Dr. Lampe wants to see exactly what is going on in there before we proceed. The complication is that this injury is potentially deep inside her hip - too deep for his portable x-ray machine. I need to take her to the Animal Imaging Center in Las Colinas. They have the most powerful x-ray machine in the metroplex and thus the best chance of getting a workable image. If that doesn't work, she will need a bone scan which is lots of $$!

Between my schedule and the Imaging Center's schedule, I couldn't get her in until this Friday, the 30th. In the meantime, she is in her stall, on 2 grams of Bute a day, and perhaps this extended rest period will allow her to heal properly and we can avoid the trip to the Imaging Center all together - which will be an adventure for me with Audrey along and driving the trailer about an hour away into city traffic and streets! At least Magic loads easily...still, say a prayer for me!

And on this relaxing Memorial Day, I will leave you with this cute baby bird we saw on our front porch. Looks like today is the day he learns to fly! He looked rather perturbed with this adventure. Momma was nearby, flittting in and out, cheeping at him constantly...too cute! (Sorry for the graininess - I took this through the leaded glass on our front door with my iphone, zoomed in.)

 

Magic

My fabulous vet, Dr. Lampe, is coming this morning to re-examine Magic, one of my OTTB (Off Track Thoroughbred). Several weeks ago, I found her and Tommy standing in the north pasture like this (Magic is the dappled grey):

 

I thought it a little strange. It was a glorious day and they weren't grazing - just standing. But still, the do take little naps from time to time. An hour later, I noticed that while Tommy had moved on, Magic was still standing in the same spot. I went out to investigate and discovered she did not want to move or put weight on her right hind leg. At all. I examined her - no swelling or obvious injury on her legs or body other than this seemingly innocent scrape on her right hip:

It took me quite awhile to get her out of the pasture and up to the barn. My vet came out and determined she had been kicked right on the point of the right hip. We were afraid of a break or fracture but it seemed, as the hours passed, that it was unlikely. Most likely, some soft tissue damage. Antibiotics, anti inflammatories on board and 2 weeks off were hopefully going to give her the time to heal.

So now we are almost a month (I think) from the injury and she's still not 100%. She looks mildly lame at walk and trot but when she canters, after a few strides, she runs 3-legged, holding that right rear leg up. I'm concerned that it's not healing. Hopefully today will reveal some reasons and a new path to full recovery!

It's frustrating because she was making such good progress under saddle! I was getting ready (hopefully by the end of the summer) to put her up for sale.

I'll try to post here when I have more news.

Just Another Day?

When events like the Oklahoma tornadoes happen, I often think of the people (and in this case, children - I can barely type that as I think of my own children) who perished. Did they wake up thinking, "Okay, I have this and this planned for today. I have to get to work, take the dog to the vet, swing by the grocery store. And oh yes, there may be some severe weather this afternoon. Hopefully if we get hail, it won't damage the roof again.", etc.

Little did they know their life would be required of them that day.

I think about myself. Are those the same thoughts I'm having today? Will my life be required of me today?

If it is, I have the security of knowing where I am going when I die.

What about you? Do you know where you're going when you die?

"Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:5-6

"...let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Have you repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ? If not, don't delay. Your life might be required of you today.

I'm in so much trouble...

...because I agreed to have two thoroughbreds brought to my barn for me to "try out".  And oh my.  I like them MUCH more than I thought I would.

This is Brego.  He is 3 years old.  Fresh off the track.  He's 17.2 hands.  And he's a love.  I'm in love.  And I haven't even tried him out under saddle yet.

He's gorgeous.  And flashy.  And I can't stop looking at him.  His registered name is Despicable.  But he's oh so not despicable.  

This is Willow.  She's 4 years old and after she was retired from the track, she spent a year hanging out in her vet's pasture.  She had a baby.  And now she's ready to get back to working.

She's 16.2 and it's difficult to get a good picture of her because as soon as she sees you, she's over in your face wanting to nuzzle.  She's a love too.



In fact, these two are arguably the best behaved horses in my barn.



I said I would try them out but if I was interested, I could only keep one.  Well, they're both so fabulous I'm keeping both.  I can't wait to see how they develop...

And I just have to add that this picture (found on Pinterest and here on the web), pretty much describes my husband.  It doesn't describe the horses (other than being OTTB) but it does my husband.  He didn't blink an eye and in fact, helped coordinate the opportunity to try these to out and eventually buy them.




He's the best.