Thursday, September 9, 2010
Finally, Some Good News
Ranger had another follow-up appointment today along with a new set of x-rays. Our vet says the x-rays showed significant improvement including good, new growth in the hoof wall, reduced inflammation in the coronary band area, and one better-feeling, more freely moving horse! He feels that if we continue as is, we should be able to get Ranger back to where he used to be. I am so relieved and after all the family drama going on lately, I am thankful for any kind of good news at this point. I wish I could see Ranger myself along with the x-rays, but I am still out of state with family since my grandmother passed a few weeks ago. Luckily, my boy is in good hands back home. Stay tuned...I will be blogging again very soon about an exciting new achievement I made with Miss Bailey as well as some new photos from our adventures in TX. Thank you to everyone who has been sending your positive thoughts, etc. Ranger's way. He must be feeling them!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Update on Ranger
Well, Ranger went back for another exam and a new set of x-rays last week. There's good news and bad news. I will go with the good news first...Ranger is not any worse, meaning there is, at this time, no further deterioration in his condition and no further rotation or sinking of the coffin bone in either front foot. So, he is basically stable and there are no changes to report. The bad news is that there is no improvement. I was hoping and praying for at least a tiny bit of improvement as he has been seemingly pain-free for over a month. I know this is, in part, due to the work of the farrier keeping Ranger's weight off the toe and in turn, the point of the coffin bone. However, I was still hopeful. The vet and farrier worked together to determine Ranger needed a his heels dropped a bit more and we kept the same type of gel pads we used last time. I have some photos of his feet I will post soon; and I will be posting about how we are trying to keep this pushy, confident horse from going stir-crazy and destroying everything horse-related we own....and don't own. Stay tuned for the funny photos and video. We go back in about 4 weeks from now for another set of x-rays before he gets new shoes. If no improvement we will likely consider a different type of gel pad, for starters. Please keep sending your positive thoughts and cross all your fingers, toes, hooves, and paws that next go 'round we will see improvement in both feet!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Antics of a Frustrated Pony
NOTE: I wrote this post almost 2 weeks ago, but had trouble uploading the video, so here we are in rewind again. I re-created the video in iMovie and added music, titles, credits-the whole 9 yards. I have yet to figure out how to get it to work on the blog, so for now, you will just have to imagine Ranger's antics accompanied by "Don't Fence Me In" as performed by Riders In The Sky.
With Ranger having to be confined so much due to his lovely case of laminitis, he has been expressing his frustrations in interesting ways. If you know this horse, you know how pushy, unafraid, dominant, and bull-headed he can be. He is also too smart for his own good...he is one of those Houdini horses. The other day, the other two horses were turned out and Ranger was sick and tired of being in his stall and his outdoor pen. He almost managed to carry out his well-devised prison escape...he pushed on the right side of the pen until the panels were on top of his trough where he could stick his head under and eat grass. Then he kept pushing until the water trough was outside his pen. Crazy caballo!...sorry for the lack of photo quality, they were taken with my phone's camera.
Also, a few weeks ago, we had a couple of intermittent days when Ranger came up pretty sore (lame). He had a little bit of swelling in his pasterns along with the lameness. My vet advised Bute and periodic soaking in cold water. Ranger...stand still long enough for a soaking?...yeah, right! But, he actually was a perfect gentleman about it and stood in the water for 20 minutes at a time. I did have a hay bag at the perfect distance away from him on the fence to keep him occupied. I was still impressed. I strongly believe that horses KNOW when you are trying to help them. I had a similar experience with one of my first horses when he nearly cut one of his front feet off on a strand of barbed wire. He was a little bit unpredictable and once a farrier (while I was not present) had to sedate him to trim his feet. However, when treating him month after month with multiple daily hydro-therapy sessions and medications, he would stand perfectly still for me to do all of his treatments...without being haltered!! I think it is the same for Ranger. He knows when he is in pain, that I am there to help alleviate it. Here he is being a good boy for mama.
With Ranger having to be confined so much due to his lovely case of laminitis, he has been expressing his frustrations in interesting ways. If you know this horse, you know how pushy, unafraid, dominant, and bull-headed he can be. He is also too smart for his own good...he is one of those Houdini horses. The other day, the other two horses were turned out and Ranger was sick and tired of being in his stall and his outdoor pen. He almost managed to carry out his well-devised prison escape...he pushed on the right side of the pen until the panels were on top of his trough where he could stick his head under and eat grass. Then he kept pushing until the water trough was outside his pen. Crazy caballo!...sorry for the lack of photo quality, they were taken with my phone's camera.
Also, a few weeks ago, we had a couple of intermittent days when Ranger came up pretty sore (lame). He had a little bit of swelling in his pasterns along with the lameness. My vet advised Bute and periodic soaking in cold water. Ranger...stand still long enough for a soaking?...yeah, right! But, he actually was a perfect gentleman about it and stood in the water for 20 minutes at a time. I did have a hay bag at the perfect distance away from him on the fence to keep him occupied. I was still impressed. I strongly believe that horses KNOW when you are trying to help them. I had a similar experience with one of my first horses when he nearly cut one of his front feet off on a strand of barbed wire. He was a little bit unpredictable and once a farrier (while I was not present) had to sedate him to trim his feet. However, when treating him month after month with multiple daily hydro-therapy sessions and medications, he would stand perfectly still for me to do all of his treatments...without being haltered!! I think it is the same for Ranger. He knows when he is in pain, that I am there to help alleviate it. Here he is being a good boy for mama.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Worst Thing Ever!
Well, there are worse things in this world, but I will spare you my "someone always has it worse than you" self-lecture...we all know its true. The not-so-magical one word is-----founder! Yep, founder. I have dealt with a million things related to horse health (and lack thereof) thanks to a few years running a camp horse program. My diary of horse ailments includes more than my fair share of colics, kidney failure, broken coffin bone, projectile diarrhea, lice, Potomac Horse Fever, tumors, and much more. You name it and I have probably seen it at some point. However, the one thing I have never had the un-pleasantry of dealing with is...you guessed it!...founder.
Well, on the evening of Friday, May 14, exactly 15 minutes after booking plane tickets to travel to TX the following weekend to deal with major family crises, I went out to check on the horses and discovered Ranger lame. I instantly knew it was founder. He had the typical founder stance, though only when trying to walk. He would shift his weight back then take a step. Hoping I caught it early, I immediately put him in his stall and called the vet. Isn't it lovely how these things always happen after hours or on weekends...or minutes after you book non-refundable plane tickets to go cross-country a week later??
The vet had me start him on Bute and Banamine. I put a ton of shavings for soft footing in his stall and tried to make him as comfy as possible for the night. The sweet husband even darted home from work to help me, as I was border-line panicked and psychotic from my mind reeling with thoughts of the plane tickets I just purchased, what to do with a foundered horse while trying to also deal with all our family issues back home, living over an hour from the vet, how was I possibly going to keep this horse up for months on end, and the worst...our best trail horse possibly having to be put down. That's how my mind works....I can think of a million things at once and instantly overwhelm myself. That's usually how I deal with bad situations. I have a tendency to over-think things and examine the situation from a thousand perspectives and play it out a thousand different ways in a manner of seconds. Its exhausting, really. Lucky me, the hubby was there just in the nick of time, to reassure me that everything would be fine and we would figure it all out as it came along. For those of you not well-versed in "horse" founder (lay term) or laminitis (more scientific term) is a condition of the horse in which endotoxins produced in the digestive system by, typically, an overload of carbohydrates cause inflammation of the soft tissue (laminae) inside the hoof and around the bottom bone in the foot (coffin bone) push on the coffin bone and force its rotation downward. The coffin bone is a triangular shaped bone (when looking at a posterior or anterior view of the foot) and rotation causes the point of the bone to press into the soft tissue underneath and the sole of the foot. It is extremely painful and the horse will try to shift its weight back onto its heel to alleviate the pressure and pain on its toe....creating the typical founder stance.
Ranger seemed better the next morning, but I knew we were far from being out of the woods. I was positive the laminitis was brought on by the spring grass and my horse's penchant for gobbling up everything with the biggest mouthful he can get. We went in the following Monday for x-rays and they showed a minor (approx. 3mm) rotation. His left foot was slightly worse than the right. Whew! We might just be able to make it out of this alive. I was relieved but still knew how unpredictable founder can be. We also learned that at some point in his past (before he came to us), Ranger had previously foundered. Had we known this, we would have been far more careful with his spring turn-out schedule. I feel partly to blame, but what's done is done, I guess. We were shocked, but the x-rays clearly show what is called a "flare". This is where the tip of the coffin bone flares out from bone disease attributed to the pressure put on the coffin bone during rotation. I will try to find some photos on the web and post them with permission. So, surprise!...could things get any better? We reluctantly, but with the blessing of our vet and the reassurance of a life-saving boarding facility owner, found a place to board Ranger while we were gone. All was well until I tried to contact a farrier, recommended by our vet to shoe Ranger. The guy was very knowledgeable, but was totally unwilling to really help us and work us into his schedule. Apparently, founder and the fact that my horse could die from this condition wasn't serious enough of a situation to warrant this guy's time....even after we offered extra money and to trailer our poor pony over to him!! Thanks for nothing! I even tried my regular farrier as I was getting to the point of desperation with it going on 2 1/2 weeks without Ranger being shod after founding, but he was out of town. I finally called a friend who gave me the name of another farrier who was super nice and ultra-accommodating and could deal with my horse's condition. Note: not every farrier is qualified to shoe a foundered horse....almost anyone can learn to tack on a shoe, but when real problems arise, a farrier with a good deal of successful experience with founder is worth his/her weight in gold. I talked with him on Monday or Tuesday of that week and by Friday, Ranger had pads and new shoes. The gentleman even went by our vet's office to look at the x-rays and speak to the vet in person! He was another life-saver.
The husband had already made it home from TX and took Ranger back to the vet for his second set of x-rays. It wasn't the report we were hoping for. Ranger was a little worse in both feet and the coffin bone in his left foot had actually sunken. This happens when the soft tissues in the foot remain inflamed and leave the coffin bone nowhere to go after it rotates, forcing it to drop further down in the hoof capsule. Not good. However, with continued stall rest and Bute (anti-inflammatory) as needed, Ranger has continued to improve with a only a couple of bad days in between. His last x-rays (3rd set) showed no change from the 2nd set! Hooray! We are still monitoring him closely as we are concerned with two times in the past month when he has come up dead lame. The lameness lasts for less than 24 hours, but is worrisome because each set-back lessens our chances for a full recovery. We are going on 2 weeks now with no lameness. I even got him a grazing muzzle and have been given the ok to take him out for short walks and let him nibble a little grass through the muzzle (which is near impossible, but frustrates him so that he stays busy trying to work the grass through the tiny hole at the muzzle's bottom). It is hilarious to watch him try to shake the muzzle off. Poor baby....he is so tired of being couped up. He has bent almost every one of my arena panels in frustration from being without his usual turn-out time. We go back to the vet in a couple weeks and get new shoes, possibly with different pads. Please pray we will have good news and Ranger's x-rays will not only show no further deterioration, but will show significant improvement! I will update as things progress.
"Mom, please take this thing off and give me some of that yummy hay!"
Trying to work the muzzle...
Well, on the evening of Friday, May 14, exactly 15 minutes after booking plane tickets to travel to TX the following weekend to deal with major family crises, I went out to check on the horses and discovered Ranger lame. I instantly knew it was founder. He had the typical founder stance, though only when trying to walk. He would shift his weight back then take a step. Hoping I caught it early, I immediately put him in his stall and called the vet. Isn't it lovely how these things always happen after hours or on weekends...or minutes after you book non-refundable plane tickets to go cross-country a week later??
The vet had me start him on Bute and Banamine. I put a ton of shavings for soft footing in his stall and tried to make him as comfy as possible for the night. The sweet husband even darted home from work to help me, as I was border-line panicked and psychotic from my mind reeling with thoughts of the plane tickets I just purchased, what to do with a foundered horse while trying to also deal with all our family issues back home, living over an hour from the vet, how was I possibly going to keep this horse up for months on end, and the worst...our best trail horse possibly having to be put down. That's how my mind works....I can think of a million things at once and instantly overwhelm myself. That's usually how I deal with bad situations. I have a tendency to over-think things and examine the situation from a thousand perspectives and play it out a thousand different ways in a manner of seconds. Its exhausting, really. Lucky me, the hubby was there just in the nick of time, to reassure me that everything would be fine and we would figure it all out as it came along. For those of you not well-versed in "horse" founder (lay term) or laminitis (more scientific term) is a condition of the horse in which endotoxins produced in the digestive system by, typically, an overload of carbohydrates cause inflammation of the soft tissue (laminae) inside the hoof and around the bottom bone in the foot (coffin bone) push on the coffin bone and force its rotation downward. The coffin bone is a triangular shaped bone (when looking at a posterior or anterior view of the foot) and rotation causes the point of the bone to press into the soft tissue underneath and the sole of the foot. It is extremely painful and the horse will try to shift its weight back onto its heel to alleviate the pressure and pain on its toe....creating the typical founder stance.
Ranger seemed better the next morning, but I knew we were far from being out of the woods. I was positive the laminitis was brought on by the spring grass and my horse's penchant for gobbling up everything with the biggest mouthful he can get. We went in the following Monday for x-rays and they showed a minor (approx. 3mm) rotation. His left foot was slightly worse than the right. Whew! We might just be able to make it out of this alive. I was relieved but still knew how unpredictable founder can be. We also learned that at some point in his past (before he came to us), Ranger had previously foundered. Had we known this, we would have been far more careful with his spring turn-out schedule. I feel partly to blame, but what's done is done, I guess. We were shocked, but the x-rays clearly show what is called a "flare". This is where the tip of the coffin bone flares out from bone disease attributed to the pressure put on the coffin bone during rotation. I will try to find some photos on the web and post them with permission. So, surprise!...could things get any better? We reluctantly, but with the blessing of our vet and the reassurance of a life-saving boarding facility owner, found a place to board Ranger while we were gone. All was well until I tried to contact a farrier, recommended by our vet to shoe Ranger. The guy was very knowledgeable, but was totally unwilling to really help us and work us into his schedule. Apparently, founder and the fact that my horse could die from this condition wasn't serious enough of a situation to warrant this guy's time....even after we offered extra money and to trailer our poor pony over to him!! Thanks for nothing! I even tried my regular farrier as I was getting to the point of desperation with it going on 2 1/2 weeks without Ranger being shod after founding, but he was out of town. I finally called a friend who gave me the name of another farrier who was super nice and ultra-accommodating and could deal with my horse's condition. Note: not every farrier is qualified to shoe a foundered horse....almost anyone can learn to tack on a shoe, but when real problems arise, a farrier with a good deal of successful experience with founder is worth his/her weight in gold. I talked with him on Monday or Tuesday of that week and by Friday, Ranger had pads and new shoes. The gentleman even went by our vet's office to look at the x-rays and speak to the vet in person! He was another life-saver.
The husband had already made it home from TX and took Ranger back to the vet for his second set of x-rays. It wasn't the report we were hoping for. Ranger was a little worse in both feet and the coffin bone in his left foot had actually sunken. This happens when the soft tissues in the foot remain inflamed and leave the coffin bone nowhere to go after it rotates, forcing it to drop further down in the hoof capsule. Not good. However, with continued stall rest and Bute (anti-inflammatory) as needed, Ranger has continued to improve with a only a couple of bad days in between. His last x-rays (3rd set) showed no change from the 2nd set! Hooray! We are still monitoring him closely as we are concerned with two times in the past month when he has come up dead lame. The lameness lasts for less than 24 hours, but is worrisome because each set-back lessens our chances for a full recovery. We are going on 2 weeks now with no lameness. I even got him a grazing muzzle and have been given the ok to take him out for short walks and let him nibble a little grass through the muzzle (which is near impossible, but frustrates him so that he stays busy trying to work the grass through the tiny hole at the muzzle's bottom). It is hilarious to watch him try to shake the muzzle off. Poor baby....he is so tired of being couped up. He has bent almost every one of my arena panels in frustration from being without his usual turn-out time. We go back to the vet in a couple weeks and get new shoes, possibly with different pads. Please pray we will have good news and Ranger's x-rays will not only show no further deterioration, but will show significant improvement! I will update as things progress.
"Mom, please take this thing off and give me some of that yummy hay!"
Trying to work the muzzle...
Yee-Haw
The spring weather has made all the horses feel frisky. Bailey has been especially prone to feeling good as of late. I turned them out in the front pasture and then strolled down in the evening with the camera, eager to get some fresh shots of my kids. The boys were eating grass through the fence, proving it true that "the grass is always greener". Bailey, on the other hand, was excited to see mom. She finished off her "kicking up dust" display with a lovely sliding stop. Sorry for the blurry photos...apparently I was having camera problems that day.
Silly boys
Mom, I'm coming!!
There's the dust...
The Grand Finale
Silly boys
Mom, I'm coming!!
There's the dust...
The Grand FinaleA Case of the Lazies
The horses have been enjoying the warmer weather and with the early morning sunshine (5am to be precise), there has been a lot of napping going on around here. Sleeping horses are one of my favorite things. I think it is because when sleeping they are the most vulnerable in their natural environments, yet they feel comfortable enough to lay full-out and snooze, letting their guards totally down. It is a marvelous sight and I never tire of capturing those moments.
Home Again
I couldn't wait too long after returning from Montana to get back on Miss Bailey. She was perfect and the hubby was so impressed, he actually considered letting me get another baby, momentarily. That thought was soon followed by thoughts of vet bills, feed bills, 2.5 more tons of hay, and a bigger trailer. So, I will be limited to 3 (+2 in TX) for a little while longer...not to mention that we are still renting and therefore have limited space for all these 4-legged children of ours. There is something to be said for getting a colt or filly and having them started the right way and/or starting them yourself. They have no baggage (problems created by their previous humans). I have 3 other horses who I love dearly, but who all came with a truck-load of baggage. One is dull, one is fractious at times and tries at every turn to outsmart his human to get out of doing any task asked of him, and the third is a former race horse who hates loping and is, to put it lightly, a nervous wreck in unfamiliar situations or on group trail rides (where he apparently feels the need to race the other horses). Bailey has been such a nice change of pace. I love all my kids, but it is sweet to not to have to spend all my time "fixing" Bailey. I am just having so much fun with her.
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