So Sudi is now on antibiotics for four-six (most likely six) days. We had another “Wham-ing” episode last evening though. Apparently the drug he’s on curdled or went bad or something, but I don’t think we caught it in time for his morning shot. It had obviously curdled by the afternoon though and changed to a gross milky color.
When I brought him inside the barn yesterday evening, he was markedly lethargic and his eyes looked completely downcast. It was at this time that I noticed his antibiotics had gone bad. We ended up giving him a dose of good antibiotics as well as Banamine, and a bran-mash to help him keep hydrated.
His neck had a HUGE lump on the left side (most likely from the bad dosage), and it was obvious that it was painful. I took his temp, and he was running a slight fever too. I tried to put in him outside in the ring so that he could keep moving and help his neck recover. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stand the pain to even put his head down to graze. I stood in the rain watching as he would reach down, pull his head back up, and then paw in frustration. I know that about him; he paws when he is indignant, saying no or just plain frustrated. He ended up just standing there, head hanging.
Due to the cool temps with the rain and his fever on top of that, I decided to leave him in his stall over night. I’m not sure whether he was just ok with coming in or the banamine was kicking in, but when we fixed him a hay net that he could actually reach, his eyes lit up, and I saw a brief sparkle of the Sudi I know.
It’s so heartbreaking to see the “light” gone from my baby. He is SUCH a good patient and stands so amazingly well for his shots. His attitude is also so great and forgiving – even after these many weeks. I feel like he will still do anything I ask. I just hope he returns to his normal self after all this is over…whenever that may be. *huge sigh*
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The One with My Musings
When it comes down to it, there are just no guarantees in the horse world. I read a quote the other day that exemplifies this thought: “Horses are just a form of white collar gambling.” How true!! We spend our time, physical energy, emotions, and money on these creatures, and we’re not even guaranteed that our hearts won’t be broken along the way. In fact, we are pretty much guaranteed that our lives will be filled with turmoil, disappointment, discouragement, heartbreak, and misfortune.
As we are only days away from the ’08 Olympics in Hong Kong, I cannot help but feel the disappointment of those that have come so close to the end of their goal, but not entirely made it. Perhaps the most emotionally charged story for me is the loss of the super pony Theodore O’Connor (ironically ridden by Karen O’Connor – no relation of course!). Lost not because he didn’t qualify, or didn’t win over the hearts of every horseman (eventer and non), but because of a freak accident at home. An accident that could have happened to any horse – but of all horses (!), it happened to him. I know I am not alone in saying that Karen’s loss is incredibly palpable; I feel it almost as my own. (Perhaps it’s because I see so much of Teddy in my own three year old – Sudi.)
But Karen’s story doesn’t end there. She’s working on her own happy ending, albeit slightly altered. She has made it to her fourth Olympic Team. Perhaps not on the horse she first dreamed, but she made it on a horse very special in his own right: Mandiba. Karen and her fantastic groom Max have worked with Mandiba from the very beginning, and in the span of three - four years of riding, he has made it to the Olympics - and safely. WOW! – How utterly amazing! These victories and moments are, what I believe, what we LIVE for in the horse world.
Not all victories and moments are the type of the colossal achievement of being named to an Olympic Team though. Some moments come from the joy gleaned by your horse galloping up to you in sheer excitement to see you. Others come from the first time you get on a horse, or the first time you canter, to completing your first horse show, your first jump, your first cross country course, your first dressage test, your first hunter course, your first hunt, watching your child ride for the first time, or your green horse finally grasp a concept, or a foal being born. I, personally, find watching my horse happily graze or go on walks brings me much joy and is a great stress relief at the end of a long day.
This is why we’re here in the horse world: because horses have an intrinsic magnetic quality that refuses to let us go. These moments, and most likely the small ones which sustain us, are worth EVERY bit of heartache and pain that may come along the way.
I am SO blessed to have the horses in my life that I do. It is by God’s grace that these remarkable animals grace me with their presence. They are God’s gifts – that He gave, and He can, of course, take away. While I may never know His reasons for allowing disappointment, I can rest assured in the knowledge that He allows EVERYTHING for a reason. There was a reason He decided to take Teddy, there is a reason we don’t achieve the goals for which we’re striving, there is a reason my horse got his abscess. No matter what, though, God is in control, and He is working everything out for the good of those that love Him (and their horses, of course *grin*).
As we are only days away from the ’08 Olympics in Hong Kong, I cannot help but feel the disappointment of those that have come so close to the end of their goal, but not entirely made it. Perhaps the most emotionally charged story for me is the loss of the super pony Theodore O’Connor (ironically ridden by Karen O’Connor – no relation of course!). Lost not because he didn’t qualify, or didn’t win over the hearts of every horseman (eventer and non), but because of a freak accident at home. An accident that could have happened to any horse – but of all horses (!), it happened to him. I know I am not alone in saying that Karen’s loss is incredibly palpable; I feel it almost as my own. (Perhaps it’s because I see so much of Teddy in my own three year old – Sudi.)
But Karen’s story doesn’t end there. She’s working on her own happy ending, albeit slightly altered. She has made it to her fourth Olympic Team. Perhaps not on the horse she first dreamed, but she made it on a horse very special in his own right: Mandiba. Karen and her fantastic groom Max have worked with Mandiba from the very beginning, and in the span of three - four years of riding, he has made it to the Olympics - and safely. WOW! – How utterly amazing! These victories and moments are, what I believe, what we LIVE for in the horse world.
Not all victories and moments are the type of the colossal achievement of being named to an Olympic Team though. Some moments come from the joy gleaned by your horse galloping up to you in sheer excitement to see you. Others come from the first time you get on a horse, or the first time you canter, to completing your first horse show, your first jump, your first cross country course, your first dressage test, your first hunter course, your first hunt, watching your child ride for the first time, or your green horse finally grasp a concept, or a foal being born. I, personally, find watching my horse happily graze or go on walks brings me much joy and is a great stress relief at the end of a long day.
This is why we’re here in the horse world: because horses have an intrinsic magnetic quality that refuses to let us go. These moments, and most likely the small ones which sustain us, are worth EVERY bit of heartache and pain that may come along the way.
I am SO blessed to have the horses in my life that I do. It is by God’s grace that these remarkable animals grace me with their presence. They are God’s gifts – that He gave, and He can, of course, take away. While I may never know His reasons for allowing disappointment, I can rest assured in the knowledge that He allows EVERYTHING for a reason. There was a reason He decided to take Teddy, there is a reason we don’t achieve the goals for which we’re striving, there is a reason my horse got his abscess. No matter what, though, God is in control, and He is working everything out for the good of those that love Him (and their horses, of course *grin*).
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Exciting One about Karen and Mandiba, but SAD News for Heidi and Northern Spy
NEWS FLASH: Karen and Mandiba are now on the 2008 Olympic Eventing Team!!!! What a fantastic accomplishment for Mandiba and Karen. I am just super happy for Karen. Go Team USA!!!
Click here for a current list of the US Eventing Team for '08!
(I would like to express my sympathies to Heidi White on losing her spot on the team due to a minor injury that Northern Spy sustained. I cannot begin to imagine her dissapointment.)
Friday, July 18, 2008
The One Where I'm Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired
So I suppose you may be wondering why it's been about a MONTH since my last posting. Well. Where do I begin? (First off, everyone is alive and kicking still...although healthy is another question).
So, it all started pretty much a month ago. I was coming off my great spring show season, a great lesson, a great Parelli Clinic and then WHAM: Sudi rolled into a fence and chopped up all four of his legs. His legs pretty much looked like they'd been attacked by a werewolf with long scratches from stifle to fetlock. *sigh* Thankfully he didn't break or sprain anything though, so there was no need to call then vet. He seemed a little stiff, so I gave him some time off and Horsey - Aspirin "Bute" in the hopes that he'd get over this in a few days to a week.
Then WHAM: I come out to the barn and Sudi's hooves are crumbling to pieces. All of a sudden too. No warning - nothing. I opened his stall door, and there he stood: hooves with huge chunks missing. So Sud became a captive (and not a happy one, let me say) in his stall for a few days. I made many (probably too many) frantic calls to my farrier - who by the way was sick and dying. I think he thought I was totally over-reacting until he came out and saw how atrocious Sudi's hooves looked. He said they got so bad because they grew at an amazing rate. He said he'd never seen that type of hoof growth in an Arabian. (Maybe too much Fish Oil? That's one supplement I can cut back on then hehe :) ) At any rate, he trimmed Sudi's hooves way back to avoid any further cracking damage, and guess what? He was short/halfway lame. *sigh* More time off.
Then Wham: Sudi runs into a fence. He had just gotten back into work, and I was lunging him at liberty when he felt a bit too frisky and took off. Well he came up to a corner and was in a full out gallop. I saw the look in his eye like he thought about jumping it, but then got too close. Brakes were slammed on, his body careened into the corner, and boards were snapping and popping. Thankfully his shoulder landed on a post that held most of his weight and only the top board of the fence popped off. He was able to regain his balance, and of course then took off at a gallop again, tail flagging from his scare. So again, Sudi was all scratched up and stiff and had way too much energy. So now, more rest and a LOT less Fish Oil. *another HUGH sigh*
Then, just when I'd had a terrific ride bareback, I bring him in the following night and WHAM: he has a HUGE, hard, lump under his jaw and has a fever. Well, an emergency call was put into the vet on call, and it was determined that the vet needed to come out to test for a bacterial infection and the S word - Strangles. Well, the vet came out and said he was fairly certain it was Strangles. Sudi needed to be quarantined and watched very closely for any changing signs. He also took about $400 worth of lab tests to verify that it was/was not Strangles. Well then the waiting began. We had three days before we would know ANYTHING. Sudi's situation never changed, but he seemed content in his round pen (except for a thunderstorm I saved him from) and his attitude and appetite seemed OK. Finally we heard back from the vet - and we actually had GOOD news. Sudi did NOT have Strangles! YAY!!! Well my jubilation quickly ended. If he didn't have Strangles, what did he have??? All I know is that he has an abscess in his left lymph node. We've been giving him hot compresses and bute to try to reduce the abscess or get it to soften enough to either drain on it's own or be lanced. Jump to a week later.
I get a call from Tammy, my BO, and WHAM: Sudi has hives all over his body and seems to feel miserable. I rush out to the barn and verify that he does indeed have HUGE hives, so I dose him up with some Dex and Bute and then come to realize he has a fever again. ANOTHER emergency call to the vet. Well the vet didn't think it was necessary to come out, but said to watch him and keep giving him dex and bute. Well we think he might have gotten into some old/possibly moldy hay which caused the hives which caused the fever.
On a good note, Sudi is his same happy self, and is seeming to enjoy the hot compresses. This weekend will be lots more compresses and still no work. We're hoping with the intensive compresses, we can have something resolved by Monday. That's our prayer anyway. And, hopefully we'll be able to get back into the swing of riding.
In other news: My mom is riding Kehbir bareback! Yay! He is coming along so well. He's still such a child, but his gates are becoming way more consistent and the amount of bucking while be lunged is decreasing. YAY!!!
If all goes well, we'll be able to do some XC Schooling up in Aiken and head for a schooling HT up in Tryon the end of August.
Until then, hopefully you're getting in more riding than I am!
So, it all started pretty much a month ago. I was coming off my great spring show season, a great lesson, a great Parelli Clinic and then WHAM: Sudi rolled into a fence and chopped up all four of his legs. His legs pretty much looked like they'd been attacked by a werewolf with long scratches from stifle to fetlock. *sigh* Thankfully he didn't break or sprain anything though, so there was no need to call then vet. He seemed a little stiff, so I gave him some time off and Horsey - Aspirin "Bute" in the hopes that he'd get over this in a few days to a week.
Then WHAM: I come out to the barn and Sudi's hooves are crumbling to pieces. All of a sudden too. No warning - nothing. I opened his stall door, and there he stood: hooves with huge chunks missing. So Sud became a captive (and not a happy one, let me say) in his stall for a few days. I made many (probably too many) frantic calls to my farrier - who by the way was sick and dying. I think he thought I was totally over-reacting until he came out and saw how atrocious Sudi's hooves looked. He said they got so bad because they grew at an amazing rate. He said he'd never seen that type of hoof growth in an Arabian. (Maybe too much Fish Oil? That's one supplement I can cut back on then hehe :) ) At any rate, he trimmed Sudi's hooves way back to avoid any further cracking damage, and guess what? He was short/halfway lame. *sigh* More time off.
Then Wham: Sudi runs into a fence. He had just gotten back into work, and I was lunging him at liberty when he felt a bit too frisky and took off. Well he came up to a corner and was in a full out gallop. I saw the look in his eye like he thought about jumping it, but then got too close. Brakes were slammed on, his body careened into the corner, and boards were snapping and popping. Thankfully his shoulder landed on a post that held most of his weight and only the top board of the fence popped off. He was able to regain his balance, and of course then took off at a gallop again, tail flagging from his scare. So again, Sudi was all scratched up and stiff and had way too much energy. So now, more rest and a LOT less Fish Oil. *another HUGH sigh*
Then, just when I'd had a terrific ride bareback, I bring him in the following night and WHAM: he has a HUGE, hard, lump under his jaw and has a fever. Well, an emergency call was put into the vet on call, and it was determined that the vet needed to come out to test for a bacterial infection and the S word - Strangles. Well, the vet came out and said he was fairly certain it was Strangles. Sudi needed to be quarantined and watched very closely for any changing signs. He also took about $400 worth of lab tests to verify that it was/was not Strangles. Well then the waiting began. We had three days before we would know ANYTHING. Sudi's situation never changed, but he seemed content in his round pen (except for a thunderstorm I saved him from) and his attitude and appetite seemed OK. Finally we heard back from the vet - and we actually had GOOD news. Sudi did NOT have Strangles! YAY!!! Well my jubilation quickly ended. If he didn't have Strangles, what did he have??? All I know is that he has an abscess in his left lymph node. We've been giving him hot compresses and bute to try to reduce the abscess or get it to soften enough to either drain on it's own or be lanced. Jump to a week later.
I get a call from Tammy, my BO, and WHAM: Sudi has hives all over his body and seems to feel miserable. I rush out to the barn and verify that he does indeed have HUGE hives, so I dose him up with some Dex and Bute and then come to realize he has a fever again. ANOTHER emergency call to the vet. Well the vet didn't think it was necessary to come out, but said to watch him and keep giving him dex and bute. Well we think he might have gotten into some old/possibly moldy hay which caused the hives which caused the fever.
On a good note, Sudi is his same happy self, and is seeming to enjoy the hot compresses. This weekend will be lots more compresses and still no work. We're hoping with the intensive compresses, we can have something resolved by Monday. That's our prayer anyway. And, hopefully we'll be able to get back into the swing of riding.
In other news: My mom is riding Kehbir bareback! Yay! He is coming along so well. He's still such a child, but his gates are becoming way more consistent and the amount of bucking while be lunged is decreasing. YAY!!!
If all goes well, we'll be able to do some XC Schooling up in Aiken and head for a schooling HT up in Tryon the end of August.
Until then, hopefully you're getting in more riding than I am!
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