I found a good article on colic. It is some hard reading, especially when you get to the mortality rate for horses who had similar cases to Isis (50-75% mortality in the worst cases). The article covers pre-op to post-op care. The good news was that 90% of the horses who survived the surger and fully recovered were able to return to the original occupations/use.
I never expected to be having great schooling rides bareback. We’re walking and trotting bareback and I’m not losing my seat any more. The differences in how Kasane responds to my aids are subtle but amazing. For a while, we had trouble free lunging. She’d race from one corner to the next and not pay…
I’ve been riding more. Not enough, but I’m averaging about twice per week, which is twice as much as before. I’m trying to work the kids on a more consistent basis. Isis is looking good and is back to actually doing collection work. She’s fun to ride. It’s like a light went on last summer…
Well it poured last night. As far as I know, the horse show (Fossils over Fences) has not been cancelled. This is Isis’ and my first combined training show: dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country. We’re showing in the lowest level class, which means the jumps are options, the stadium course can be more like…
On my way home tonight, the barn manager called and said Isis was lame today. Severely lame. She was not wanting to put any weight on her front right foot, had trouble turning that direction, and stood with her leg held up. He had examined her legs, shoulders, neck, cleaned her feet and found nothing….
This poem was written in 1994 at a point when I was going through a traumatic time: financial difficulties, 8 funerals in 18 months (including my Dad), and then the worst of all… Losing my horse. I felt your breath soft on my neck myriad memories tickling my mind like whiskers falling from clippers Luminous…
How many horses do you know who have a full staff of professionals? Isis does. I need to make t-shirts that say “Team Isis” for her farrier (podiatrist), chiropractor/massage therapist, veterinarian (doctor), trainer, and owner (me). Five people trying to make one mare sound. My friends think I’m a little nuts working so hard on…