On the way to the barn, the vet called me back. Here is the surprising thing: the vet thinks that Isis might not have had another EPM episode/relapse. (Granted, she can’t say for sure since she hasn’t seen Isis.) She said that she thinks Isis might have had a head trauma. Blindness in horses can be caused by head trauma, and it usually resolves quickly. In June 2009, the blindness caused by Isis’...
Continue reading...Horses
EPM redux with Isis
Yesterday morning around 8:00, Chris, the barn owner, went out to give Isis her morning hay. Isis startled when Chris walked around the corner of Isis’ shelter. Isis was shaking and seemed to have trouble focusing her sight. She was anxious and would not lead unless Chris walked next to Isis. Isis would pull back on the halter when she was tugged on. Isis was also quiet and subdued instead of yellow and...
Continue reading...Memories of horses past
A dear friend of mine lost her mare, Cedars BlueMoon, today. Blue was 23 and, in her day, was a mischeivous, playful, smart little Arabian mare. She was also a 3/4 sister to Isis’ dam, Cedars del Taliah. Blue was a bay with four white socks and a pretty white marking on her head. I tried to explain to a friend what it is like to lose a horse. There is nothing that...
Continue reading...Horses in Santa hats!
I had to. I just had to. Okay, maybe I didn’t but it was too cute to pass up. What do you do when you find reindeer antlers and santa hats in the store? You take them out to the barn and put them on horses, of course! Only Kasane was brave enough to wear the evil antlers with bells. She was very good about it. Isis wanted nothing to do with them...
Continue reading...Barrel inspecting instead of barrel racing
Kasane is a curious mare. After an initial snort at a new thing/obstacle, she will walk right up to the the former scary thing and try to eat it, push it over, pull it down, or play with it. I try to encourage her to investigate by letting her explore anything that might be even slightly scary. Before we ride, Kasane is free lunged in the big arena. (Lunging means that I chase...
Continue reading...The adventure continues!
This coming weekend, Kasane will have her second show. Nope, not dressage or hunter or equitation. We’re going to do games: barrel racing, pole bending, and whatever else Horsemasters thinks up. The pictures from this should be like an outtake reel. I set up obstacles at the barn. Kasane is great at ground poles now. She’ll even jump a little cross rail. Barrel racing she isn’t too sure about. “Why do I have...
Continue reading...Kasane riding Intro Test A
The first weekend in October, Kasane had her first show. She did very well, considering a lot of things. It was her fourth time ever being ridden in a bit, there were Crazy! Things! at the dressage ring (plastic rails, retaining wall, geese, pond!), and she still was willing to try to complete the test with me. She was willing to try the test and ride to the end of the ring with...
Continue reading...Isis supplement update
Mom Mom sent me a link to a new product from Platinum Performance, called Platinum Metabolism Support. The ingredients, Magnesium and Chromium, are common in metabolic support supplements like Quiessence. Platinum has good research info available, including a study of Glucosamine in metabolically challenged horses. I didn’t know about the Glucosamine study, for example, showing that feeding metabolic syndrome horses glucosamine had no adverse effect. Isis is currently on Quiessence (for Mg and...
Continue reading...Saddle fitting suggestions, part 1
A friend of mine just bought her first Arabian mare. A fine bay Arabian mare with white socks and a star. She asked me to help her with choosing a saddle for her mare, Sarafina. Sarafina is currently ridden in an older Wintec dressage saddle (the type before the changeable gullet and CAIR system). Instead of writing my suggestions in a private email, I thought I would post most of the discussion here...
Continue reading...Kasane’s pre-show ride
She was fantastic even though we had a lot of crazy stuff going on. The neighbor (who lives in a rental trailer behind the two back pastures) decided to start shooting practice just when Kasane and I were starting ground work. We ended up doing a series of sessions: ground work first so she got used to the guy sporadically doing target practice. We also did some desensitization work with the big auto-pop-open...
Continue reading...I really meant to ride…
I had the best plans to do lots of riding this past weekend. Saturday I hung out with my sister (which was lots of fun). Sunday was planned for riding all three mares. Except I threw my back out and had done something to my knee. I did go out to the barn and check on the girls. Kasane finally lost one of her loose teeth. The swellings are all gone and she...
Continue reading...Nicks, bumps, and swollen glands
I went out to the barn to ride Kasane tonight. Got the saddle and tack to the ring and then went to the field to bring her in. She was happy to see me and met me at the gate. Her glands behind her jowls and up to her ears were very swollen. She pranced and trotted on the leadrope. No matter what her glands looked like, she obviously felt good and had...
Continue reading...Rides, saddles, reins
Tack shop sale was dangerous. Picked up some gorgeous, comfy Stubben reins. They are rubber reins but the rubber is soft like silk and no thicker than the half-inch reins. The ends of the reins have clips on them: perfect for training rides (but not something you’d want to show in). These reins had been marked down but were still pricey. Apparently, when I brought the reins to the check out counter, the...
Continue reading...oOoo a sale!
Triangle Horse Sports is having a sale this weekend. Not just any sale, but a Stubben bridle for $50 type of sale. (These bridles normally run $200-$500.) None of the bridles were the right size for my mares. I found one, but after careful thinking (and much “but it’s a Stubben!” reasoning), I ended up only buying things for other people at the barn. The bridle I almost got for my girls (and...
Continue reading...Good news from the farrier
Farrier came out today. The weather has been so dry all of the bits of foot crud (thrush) that the mares had were gone. Their feet looked great. Isis and Prize were very well mannered with the farrier. Isis rubbed his head with her lip, which the farrier thought was sweet. It’s okay when she does that until you hear the distinct sound of her mouth opening. She won’t bite but some times...
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