Horses

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Lameness, revisited

Poor mare. She is still lame. When the farrier came out today, I asked him to watch Isis move before trimming her. We brought her into the ring and asked her to trot and walk (briefly) both directions. Clockwise, she bobbed her head slightly and was obviously...

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Trooper saddle

Isis is not a dainty mare. She is built like a tank; something inherited from her Crabbet breeding. Her sire takes a regular tree, as did her mother. Isis has to do everything in a special manner, and that means she is difficult to fit with a...

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Spoke too soon…

I should have known better. Isis is lame again today. Again, seems impossible to tell exactly which leg or area is causing the lameness. No swelling. No heat in her legs or feet. Maybe just ouchiness? It’s been almost a week since the trail ride. I did...

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Soreness, part 2

Isis is still lame today. We’re going to give her a bute tonight and tomorrow and see how she does. The liniment seems to be helping. The lameness is very strange. It is worse going counterclockwise in the ring, and barely noticeable going the other way. Hard...

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Ouchy Kid

Isis was incredibly sore the day after the trail ride. We both were; although she certainly was worse off. My legs were sore, but not bad. Her entire body was sore. She carefully walked around, picking her way through the paddock to walk over to me. I...

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Trailers, loading, and tension — oh my!

Last night I was a little worried about riding Isis on the trail. Would she listen to me? Would she pay attention and not freak out? We’d never ridden in a wide open space or woods, much less with a horse she didn’t know. Trail worries were...

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Trail ride jitters

Isis will (eventually) start lessons just like Logan has. He’s been doing very well and has been a real champ about it. He’s so much more fun to ride now. Yesterday I lunged both Isis and Logan. Friday Isis had a full workout with a nice bath....

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Yeehaw!

This has been a mixed day with some excellent news! This morning the vet came out to examine Isis again to make sure she is sound. After the routine exam, the vet watched Isis trot in the ring. She’s sound alright. Only a sound horse would try...

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Back in the saddle…

Isis has been a real trouper this summer. And last summer too. She’s been recovering from laminitis and a tendon injury. Her feet have been looking better. Last time the vet was out, she gave me a regimen for Isis to gently ease her into riding again....

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Finally!

After ages and ages, I finally rode Isis! Not much because she is still recovering from her tendon problem. The vet asked me to ride her for four weeks on a slowly increasing work load. The first week we walked undersaddle 15 minutes. We’re slowly building up...

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Isis update

At least there is some good news: Isis is no longer lame! Her swollen tendon looks normal. The vet will be coming out on Tuesday to do a sonogram on her tendon to verify that it’s fully healed. If it is, then Isis will begin a light...

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Riding lessons

To be sore enough so you can’t walk, take riding lessons! Join the few, the proud, the walks-like-a-cowboy crew! And grin like a fool while you’re doing it! I’ve had my third lesson in as many months and it’s a blast! My friends look at me funny...

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Ah c’mon, Isis… just a little bute

Isis, like her sire, is very intelligent. She tasted the bute (horse aspirin) in her grain and refused to eat it. Even crumbling treats into the grain didn’t tempt her. She picked them out and left the grain. We had another trick up our sleeves! The barn...

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Laminitis and tendons, take 2

The farrier came out today and had some excellent news. Even after Isis had a mild case of laminitis, her feet are in excellent shape. The white-line growth is normal and she isn’t lame any more. As far as he was concerned, her feet were good enough...

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New pasture, new ‘tude

The first week Isis had her grazing muzzle on, she discovered how to take it off by rolling. A few minutes after she was turned out, she would roll and rub her head back and forth against the ground. The strap behind her ears slipped off, and...