Saturday
Didn't really do much today. Just played a couple of Parelli games and then left because it was hot out. But there was a lot that went on this week. Earlier in the week, Samantha's mom noticed that Nina wasn't acting right and that she couldn't pick up her head to eat her hay from her hay basket. She called my mom who called the vet and the vet said that there was a large swollen lump at the injection site from last weekend and there were hives on Nina's neck. Definitely still a reaction from the shots. So the vet gave Nina some medicine to eat for the rest of the week and then up until tomorrow. The vet was back out to check on everyone who got shots every morning for the rest of the week up until yesterday morning. Poor Nina. First the stitches on her nose, now this! And the vet also mentioned that a couple of weeks ago, some minis colicked from the vaccines too. So it's definitely the manufacturer's fault and the vet will be taking that up with the company. I'm just so thankful that Samantha's mom was there to notice Nina! Who knows what might have happened if the vet didn't get out there. One thing's for sure -- Nina wouldn't have been able to eat for a while if she couldn't reach her food =[ But by the time we got out there today she was definitely better and the vet had cleared her this morning.
I'm proud to say that Harry and I are making progress with the tarp! He didn't want to step on it, but I did pick it up and drag it on the floor while he walked with me and then held it and walked around with it while I held him too. Then when we were all finished, I brought it into the aisle where he was cross-tied and folded it in front of him really small, then showed it to him and rubbed it on him and he was okay with it. Progress will continue!
Sunday
I'm getting really discouraged. After Harry was working well all this time, he's not doing so hot anymore. He's all loose and flying away from me now that he knows how to largo and I can't figure out how to get him to slow down and collect without tugging on the reins and it drives the both of us nuts. And it was so hot today and I felt bad for working him so hard, but the next show is in two or three weeks, and I won't be able to go out to ride this weekend, so we don't have that much time to get back to where we were a month ago. I really don't know what to do and it's frustrating. I know he's trying to figure out what I want too, I just know that he's trying, but I don't know a better way to communicate that I want him to just collect and corto instead of flying around now, and that I still DO want him to largo, but only when I ask him to, not just all of the time as a default speed. I was getting really frustrated, but then I had to remind myself that we didn't work yesterday and that he was really behaving like he was trying to give me what I wanted. He wasn't fighting at all and I appreciate that. I just need to figure out how to ask him for it better. Hopefully this week off will give me some sort of revelation!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Day 221
Happy Mother's Day! My mom got the great present of being able to come out to the barn today. It was nice having someone to watch and correct my riding from the ground.
Everyone is back to being okay. There weren't any after effects of the whole commotion with the vet yesterday, so that was insanely relieving. When we got there, we let them all out to play in the pastures. They ate for a little bit and then we chased them around and played. Harry is so cute to play with. He'd play when I'd chase him and then knew exactly when I wanted him to come back to come inside. His hair was a mess today, so that took forever for me to brush through it all. He was very calm when I went to longe him. I love this calm Harry. It's great being able to longe without him fishtailing or backing up or charging at me or anything. I love it!
We did a lot of circle work today and flexing, since he didn't ride yesterday. I mostly worked on trying to collect his corto better and my mom was helping me with that, telling me that I keep my hands a little too low and too close together on his neck to support him, so I had to change that. After his corto was where I wanted it to be, we worked on the largo. It was pace-y again, but we kept working at it. I had to keep checking him and flexing him with the outside rein. We eventually found out perfect speed and remained in gait, so I was happy with that.
Since he was such a good and patient boy, we wandered around outside by ourselves, since my brother and Nina were already done. I was so proud of Harry! He's scared of walking close to the pond that's in the back of Gary's place, but today we walked around it on our own! Not very close, but still, it's progress! He was such a doll outside and was absolutely calm. He likes to run up the little hill in back too =]
Afterwards, I showered him off and let him out in the paddocks with Nina and Brie, where Brie stayed the entire day today. I also found out that a horse will not see a carrot if you throw it at them and won't sniff it out like a dog and eat it from the ground. It has to be literally in front of their noses.
Everyone is back to being okay. There weren't any after effects of the whole commotion with the vet yesterday, so that was insanely relieving. When we got there, we let them all out to play in the pastures. They ate for a little bit and then we chased them around and played. Harry is so cute to play with. He'd play when I'd chase him and then knew exactly when I wanted him to come back to come inside. His hair was a mess today, so that took forever for me to brush through it all. He was very calm when I went to longe him. I love this calm Harry. It's great being able to longe without him fishtailing or backing up or charging at me or anything. I love it!
We did a lot of circle work today and flexing, since he didn't ride yesterday. I mostly worked on trying to collect his corto better and my mom was helping me with that, telling me that I keep my hands a little too low and too close together on his neck to support him, so I had to change that. After his corto was where I wanted it to be, we worked on the largo. It was pace-y again, but we kept working at it. I had to keep checking him and flexing him with the outside rein. We eventually found out perfect speed and remained in gait, so I was happy with that.
Since he was such a good and patient boy, we wandered around outside by ourselves, since my brother and Nina were already done. I was so proud of Harry! He's scared of walking close to the pond that's in the back of Gary's place, but today we walked around it on our own! Not very close, but still, it's progress! He was such a doll outside and was absolutely calm. He likes to run up the little hill in back too =]
Afterwards, I showered him off and let him out in the paddocks with Nina and Brie, where Brie stayed the entire day today. I also found out that a horse will not see a carrot if you throw it at them and won't sniff it out like a dog and eat it from the ground. It has to be literally in front of their noses.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Day 220
What a day. I left the house at 7 AM and came back at 745 PM. I drove there this morning with only my brother because my mom wasn't feeling to good.
The vet came out today for spring shots and to float teeth. By the time we got there, Jane's horses were already done and we were just in time for the vet to start Brie. I asked him about giving her an arthritis shot, but he didn't have any on hand so he'll have to come back for that. He also took a good look at her and said that she should gain weight. We keep her on the thin side because of her insulin resistance in order to prevent a spike in blood sugar and develop laminitis like she did when she was younger, but the vet recommended changing her from 1.5 lbs of grain and 2 flakes of hay twice a day to 2 lbs of grain and 3 flakes of hay twice a day. We might just do this to get her up to weight and then cut back to 2 flakes again, because every one else is on 2 flakes and it just seems like a lot for her to metabolize.
So everyone got their shots and teeth done. Nina was terrible for the vet. She had pinned my brother and the vet against the wall at one point and the vet had to give her the tranquilizer one handed. We had planned on the farrier showing up right in time to trim them while the tranquilizer was still in effect, but he was running late so I had to go pick up the tranq in the paste back at the vet's office since he didn't have any on hand. By the time we got back, the farrier was there and the vet's tranquilizer was wearing off, so we decided to do Nina first since she was the most recently tranquilized by the vet and gave her an extra dose of paste tranquilizer.
The farrier got her hooves done. I went to go get Harry out of his stall and noticed that he was shaking. I didn't really think much of it and tried to give him a bit of the paste tranquilizer while he was in the stall, but he wasn't having it, so I brought him out. There I really noticed how badly he was shaking and knew that something was wrong. I called the vet's office and they said not to give him any more tranquilizer and not to do his hooves until the vet got out here again, so I gave the farrier Brie to do. While he was doing Brie, he said that she was also shaking, but not as badly as Harry, so I called the vet's office back and reported that to them. They said that they were on their way.
A different vet came out than the one who gave the shots and looked at Harry and Brie and said it was probably a reaction to the vaccines and that next time we should make note of the amount of tranq and the brand of tranq plus split the vaccines up to prevent this from happening again. She gave them both banamine and gave Harry cortizone (cortisol?) as well because he was extra shaky. They both had some grass and we chatted, then she left and said to watch them for about a half hour and call her back if they did anything strange like roll around excessively or bite at their stomachs, all signs of colic. We decided that the farrier would have to come back for Harry probably next weekend because we didn't want to stress him out anymore for today.
About 15 minutes into watching them after the vet left, Harry started bucking and kicking in his stall, pawing the ground, and rolling around, so I got him up and walked him and called the vet back. She said to keep walking him for about 20 minutes, put him back in the stall, and if he hasn't relaxed to call back and let her know because she'd have to come out again.
I put him back and began to watch him when my brother went to pet Nina and noticed she was shaking too. At this point, I began to wonder if it was a bad batch of vaccines, so I went to look at Taco and Sadie. Taco was shaking a little too, but not Sadie, so I called Jane and told her and she said she would be back out. I called back the vet, told her Harry was looking okay, but reported on Nina and Taco and she said she'd be right out again and that it was probably a bad batch of vaccines.
My brother went to grab some Subways for dinner while I waited for the vet. Before he got back, the vet returned which left only her and I to handle giving banamine to Nina. Nina tried to run us both over in her stall, and then tried to pin the vet against the wall on the cross ties and tried to rear onto me. The vet told me to get a lead rope with a chain and then put the chain between her top gum and her lip and I held it there like a twitch while she gave Nina the banamine and cortizone (cortisol?). By the time we finished with that, my brother and Jane were back and the vet gave the meds to Taco and Sadie as well. No one got grain for dinner and Harry and Nina won't get grain for breakfast because they were the worst tremors out of the bunch.
Jane called a while ago and said that she checked on them and they all seemed fine, thankfully. We won't have to pay for these emergency calls, but I sure hope we never have to go through a bad batch of vaccines ever again!
The vet came out today for spring shots and to float teeth. By the time we got there, Jane's horses were already done and we were just in time for the vet to start Brie. I asked him about giving her an arthritis shot, but he didn't have any on hand so he'll have to come back for that. He also took a good look at her and said that she should gain weight. We keep her on the thin side because of her insulin resistance in order to prevent a spike in blood sugar and develop laminitis like she did when she was younger, but the vet recommended changing her from 1.5 lbs of grain and 2 flakes of hay twice a day to 2 lbs of grain and 3 flakes of hay twice a day. We might just do this to get her up to weight and then cut back to 2 flakes again, because every one else is on 2 flakes and it just seems like a lot for her to metabolize.
So everyone got their shots and teeth done. Nina was terrible for the vet. She had pinned my brother and the vet against the wall at one point and the vet had to give her the tranquilizer one handed. We had planned on the farrier showing up right in time to trim them while the tranquilizer was still in effect, but he was running late so I had to go pick up the tranq in the paste back at the vet's office since he didn't have any on hand. By the time we got back, the farrier was there and the vet's tranquilizer was wearing off, so we decided to do Nina first since she was the most recently tranquilized by the vet and gave her an extra dose of paste tranquilizer.
The farrier got her hooves done. I went to go get Harry out of his stall and noticed that he was shaking. I didn't really think much of it and tried to give him a bit of the paste tranquilizer while he was in the stall, but he wasn't having it, so I brought him out. There I really noticed how badly he was shaking and knew that something was wrong. I called the vet's office and they said not to give him any more tranquilizer and not to do his hooves until the vet got out here again, so I gave the farrier Brie to do. While he was doing Brie, he said that she was also shaking, but not as badly as Harry, so I called the vet's office back and reported that to them. They said that they were on their way.
A different vet came out than the one who gave the shots and looked at Harry and Brie and said it was probably a reaction to the vaccines and that next time we should make note of the amount of tranq and the brand of tranq plus split the vaccines up to prevent this from happening again. She gave them both banamine and gave Harry cortizone (cortisol?) as well because he was extra shaky. They both had some grass and we chatted, then she left and said to watch them for about a half hour and call her back if they did anything strange like roll around excessively or bite at their stomachs, all signs of colic. We decided that the farrier would have to come back for Harry probably next weekend because we didn't want to stress him out anymore for today.
About 15 minutes into watching them after the vet left, Harry started bucking and kicking in his stall, pawing the ground, and rolling around, so I got him up and walked him and called the vet back. She said to keep walking him for about 20 minutes, put him back in the stall, and if he hasn't relaxed to call back and let her know because she'd have to come out again.
I put him back and began to watch him when my brother went to pet Nina and noticed she was shaking too. At this point, I began to wonder if it was a bad batch of vaccines, so I went to look at Taco and Sadie. Taco was shaking a little too, but not Sadie, so I called Jane and told her and she said she would be back out. I called back the vet, told her Harry was looking okay, but reported on Nina and Taco and she said she'd be right out again and that it was probably a bad batch of vaccines.
My brother went to grab some Subways for dinner while I waited for the vet. Before he got back, the vet returned which left only her and I to handle giving banamine to Nina. Nina tried to run us both over in her stall, and then tried to pin the vet against the wall on the cross ties and tried to rear onto me. The vet told me to get a lead rope with a chain and then put the chain between her top gum and her lip and I held it there like a twitch while she gave Nina the banamine and cortizone (cortisol?). By the time we finished with that, my brother and Jane were back and the vet gave the meds to Taco and Sadie as well. No one got grain for dinner and Harry and Nina won't get grain for breakfast because they were the worst tremors out of the bunch.
Jane called a while ago and said that she checked on them and they all seemed fine, thankfully. We won't have to pay for these emergency calls, but I sure hope we never have to go through a bad batch of vaccines ever again!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Day 219
Today was the first day that I've ever driven out to the barn on my own. I drove out with my brother in the rain. My mom had her surgery on Thursday and everything went well, but she's really bummed that she won't be able to ride for a while. My dad stayed home with her today and my brother and I went out because we needed to deworm the horses. I don't know if we'll get to Midwest Classic this year because I don't know if my mom will be able to sit in the car for that long...it's in two weeks. I hope that she feels better, regardless of whether we can go or not.
We got out there and started playing with them first. Harry let me swing the rope by his neck today, so that's progress. He was trying to bite it a lot, but eventually relaxed. We had to take turns playing and handling Brie because, since there were only two of us, Brie was the odd ball out today. I'm sure she didn't mind. I brushed her up first and my brother did Harry and Nina because he's super speedy. Afterwards, I put Brie back in her stall and tacked up Harry to ride.
I'm kind of nervous about how we'll do at the show if we go...he wasn't very collected today or last weekend. He also felt kind of pace-y today too...I have to figure out how to get him back to how he was, and quick!
Nina's nose is all stitched up. The vet came out this past Monday and her stitches need to be taken out next weekend, I think. That's pretty convenient, as the vet is coming back out for spring shots and to float teeth, plus the farrier is supposed to be out. It's good to get it all done in one day!
Once I was satisfied with Harry, I took out Brie just to walk. By then everyone was done riding so Brie had the arena all to herself and she loved it. She's so good by herself or when it's just Harry and Nina. It's when other people come that she gets upset and I don't know what to do about that.
After a little bit of walking just to get her stretching, we put everyone back to deworm them. Brie got to enjoy a banana while Harry and Nina got carrots. Wednesday is Nina's birthday! She'll be 6 years old. We have to get her something extra fancy!
We got out there and started playing with them first. Harry let me swing the rope by his neck today, so that's progress. He was trying to bite it a lot, but eventually relaxed. We had to take turns playing and handling Brie because, since there were only two of us, Brie was the odd ball out today. I'm sure she didn't mind. I brushed her up first and my brother did Harry and Nina because he's super speedy. Afterwards, I put Brie back in her stall and tacked up Harry to ride.
I'm kind of nervous about how we'll do at the show if we go...he wasn't very collected today or last weekend. He also felt kind of pace-y today too...I have to figure out how to get him back to how he was, and quick!
Nina's nose is all stitched up. The vet came out this past Monday and her stitches need to be taken out next weekend, I think. That's pretty convenient, as the vet is coming back out for spring shots and to float teeth, plus the farrier is supposed to be out. It's good to get it all done in one day!
Once I was satisfied with Harry, I took out Brie just to walk. By then everyone was done riding so Brie had the arena all to herself and she loved it. She's so good by herself or when it's just Harry and Nina. It's when other people come that she gets upset and I don't know what to do about that.
After a little bit of walking just to get her stretching, we put everyone back to deworm them. Brie got to enjoy a banana while Harry and Nina got carrots. Wednesday is Nina's birthday! She'll be 6 years old. We have to get her something extra fancy!
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