Friday, February 1, 2008

Continuation of my COMH blog copied here

Feb 20-
Taco continues his strange path
Can't remember if I mentioned it before, but the wound on his leg is opening again- yup. Honestly. Horridly. Miserably. But, we are going to keep wrapping it, and I am taking him back to MSU on March 12th for a recheck. I guess it's a wait and see pattern until then. That's okay.

Reason and the Boa are seeming to work. Sadly, he is almost out of his head crazy being so cooped up, it's hard on him and he is a lunatic in his stall- did you know you could canter around a stall? And rear and buck at the same time? Well, you can. The hard part of that is the boa slips- no surprise there- so then i have to adjust which I think may hurt a bit, as he sure does not like me dealing with that! Again, no surprise there!

Chief and Doc are up at MSU for a teaching class on lameness. It's all good...! lucky actually-free xrays!

Feb 22
I did not say anything...e jacknifed the truck with trailer last Sunday. Art choose (unwisely it turns out..) to take the back roads. The back roads were all ice. Everything was okay in the end, but I laughed so hard my ribs hurt. There was no horse in it- we were on our way to pick up Reason- so it was okay to laugh. I was very hopeful I would get a new bed out of the deal- our truck bed is rusting at the wheel wells. Sucks. Anyway, We were across the entire road, in the middle of a hill, where no one could see us if they were going north. However, it was SO slippery I could not walk up the hill to attempt to stop traffic, and the state police were swamped. So, it was me, or no one. Art got the truck unhitched when the slippery nature of the road worked to our advantage. The truck just kept slipping down the hill-sadly none the worse for wear except the bumper. Not sure about the trailer- appears the hitch might be coming off the front of the trailer. Oh well, Featherlites are not solid trailers anyway! I have always hated this one, and use my Brenderup as often as I can. For hunting, however, the Featherlite holds Arts rather huge horse well, so-- it's his and her's trailers for us!

Horse update- Everyone seems okay. Taco's leg is not better- getting worse. But I guess that's par. So again, wating and seeing. I decided to turn him out because why keep him in? he is not getting better, so small turn out seemed to be a good idea. For his mental attitude if nothing else. And that he still has.

Reason is holding his own, too. I have turned him out in the indoor in order to let him have some movement. He is just too hyper to do anyone any good. the Boa continues to work.

When will I ride? I am itching to do road work even- yet it almost seems stupid to start just to have to stop right away. Something always seems to come up!
Feb 28th
Blogs must have their limits...as i have lost this very long post 2 times! I will not try again, my eyes are blurry... So to summerize:
HArd day here- Taco's leg continues to get worse- here are the pics warning a bit graphic.
I am tired of being the mom to sick horses- I want to ride and have fun with them, rather then worry every time I walk down to the barn about what might await me.
This may all be related to a popped ovarian cyst- OUCH! Hormones may be released perhaps???
Reason is good- and I told the story of Wrainthur and his name.
I will try again tomorrow!

How Wrainthur got his name...
Wrainthur is the lovely paint (or is it Pinto?? Shows what I know!) in my pics thats galloping thru the snow. Yes, a lot of white- and when he was born, that's all I could think, too! I bred to get some color, I got a lot of white. (While on that, for a moment, I shall comment on color- Skee, aka Reason Enough- another post coming on that name,, is out of a bright chestnut mare and a bright bay dad. One would think I would have a lightish horse, rather then dark, Oh well)

So, Ranger, yes, that's his real name until now, was born on Sept 26th, 2004. A late baby to be sure. His mom, Priss (Babamist, Kept Woman, Keelo) has a respiratory issue, so we bred her as she was out for the season at least. I bred her to Indian Art, a colorful, kind, quiet oldenburg hoping to temper her...chestnut babamist temper. Kevin, who owns Indy, said she was the bitchiest mare he had ever dealt with. Need I say more?

So, when my daughter and I was watching Fat Mare TV in the house after a PC meeting, we were talking about the latest Janet Evonovich Novel. Steph was going between Morelli and Ranger. We were talking about who we would choose in Stephanies shoes, and Jazz had said that she thought she was a Morelli kinda gal. She then said without missing a beat that she thought I was probably a Ranger kind of girl. Right then. Priss began the process. So, that is how Ranger got his name- for my Ranger tendencies.

The next days we found out that Ranger has a massive parrot mouth. I mean...MAJOR. HUGE. Largest I have ever seen and I never want to see any larger then that, anyway. UGLY. He has done better then fine, but of course, we cannot drop it- every animal has a voice in our house, and they are all just for that animal. The donk's voices are very close, but the others, well you know who is talking. The dogs all know their voices, So, Ranger of course has a lisp. Those teeth just don't stop that tongue.

We have always spoken his name as Wrainthur, but never thought of spelling it until now...we have to register him. Alice Stack, our vet for Reason up at MSU and adopted daughter extrordinare was at dinner when we were trying to figure out how to spell Ranger with a lisp. So, she came up with the spelling, and I will register him with that name.

Waiting for someone to comment on where he was imported from, who the stallion is, and what amazing blood lines the W's produce. I am SURE it will be pronounced correctly at shows, but who will actually "get it"? I can't wait!

For what its worth, I think I am a Ranger kinda gal. Shhhhhhh

March 1
I actually rode!
It's sunny, the barn was done, I was thinking that going upstairs to do some of my (watch out here- great over-exaggeration) art was a good idea- it hit me. (forgive me...that sentence probably could be taken 2 ways....) It's sunny- Not snowing- Art is whipping from the car, and...damn it, I am going to ride!
guess what! It happened!

I got on Doc, and he was great! I actually even-gasp!- jumped a few jumps! x's, which from a greenies back look like prelim tables sometimes. But we did it, he was happy, and he actually stood near the mounting block after only 2 attempts. I did have one bad moment when I thought getting my coat from the door when mounted was a good idea. It was a lovely time, and I feel great. Amazing what a ride can do!
March 2
The yellow brick road continues
hat I have been traveling with Taco continues. His leg continues to get worse, there is a sore above the surgery site, and we are heading back to MSU on Tuesday. Sure, it's just a leg (and I actually believe that) that has a sore on it, but it's been ...oh...close to 14 months now. I cannot really ride him, as it does make it worse, and it is hard to wrap in a correct manner to protect it. Today, the bone is visible. (SPECIAL) but I do know that eventually it will heal and then begin the process again. So, I guess it never really heals, just covers up again. And honestly I don't know what to do- because there is no clear answer. So, I guess that is why I titled it yellow Brick Road, as did Dorothy really know what the end of the road would bring? Much like her journey, I have met good and interesting people- and had some not great things happen, too. Those darn monkeys! I would like to know what happens at the end. But, I guess we're not there yet.

On a feline note, I have this cat, named Rocky, known as Brown Cat (we have White Cat, as well as Little Cat, their names are Lucas and Luna) who brings me things all the time. So, I will post on his bringings. It is usually something that I have used- so anything that is on my craft table will often end up near me. He brings them to me while we sleep, The strangest thing to date has been a box of staples. Last night, it was a lot of paper as I was trying to fix my printer- and he also brought the checkbook. Okay, why that? anyway, there is usually a path from where he decides things need to come from, right to our bedroom door. And, most of these things he brings have to go down a set of stairs. And it's full size paper- sheets at a time. I don't understand the why's at all. Art says that he adores me. I guess maybe he does and his version of gifts. But still- really weird!

In addition, I have not been feeling well. It's not "brain" related (I have a cyst that acts up on occasion, but that is not this...does that make sense?) I actually will call the Dr. which in itself is amazing. But, I do want to feel better. I am not a good lazy person. Not at all! I think it is the Marine Dad that makes me feel guilty when I get that way. Be STRONG! Don't give in to physical things! The ovarian thing just keeps getting painful, so maybe I actually did something to it. Ugh. Hate the MD.

March 7
TACO In sugery today at 3:00
o, that says it all. Have to meet the bandage lady about a wrap for Reason, but will write more today...poor horse...poor checkbook...but more, Poor Taco.
March 9
He did well after surgery, Thank God- for those that remember, his first surgery was very hard on him. they changed the protocol and things went better for surgery number two, and three was the same. So, we have THAT down at least.

They opened up his leg from above his hock to his fetlock. They found...and this is a quote"shit tissue" that they sent off for path. They cultured and got some staph, but no idea what it's sensitive to yet. Hope...Hope not MRSA. Oh please.

So, waiting for the news on the pathology, and hoping he tolerates his cast well. We shall see....

March 13
Catch ya? But it does- taco is doing well (Not MRSA- big huge sigh of relief!) and is home, in a cast, on stall rest, but being good. His eye looks fantastic, and he looks as good as can be expected. Cast comes off next Thursday, and that is good- he needs some non-cast, just be a horse time. IF he de-hisses, then we will put him down. It's a simple thing- and the right thing.

So, vet appts- Reason on the 18th for a U/S of his belly to decide how much longer for the belly band, and Taco the 20th.

I remain sick- just a miserable kind of sick- not TOO sick but just sick enough to feel crappy. Not strep, But perhaps Mono- how in God's name did I get THAT? Ugh. Early parts of the day are okay, the latter parts suck. So lazy and energy-less. Cannot wait for THAT to end!

March 20
Still in a cast....
Goodness me, still in a cast. What they did was remove it, look at it, decide to leave the stitches in and cast on. Up the bute, 2 more weeks (at least) of SMZ's, strict stall rest, remove cast NEXT Thursday. Take sutures out, put cast BACK on, and see him the following week. I had the nerve to think that I might be able to go out of town for a moment. Hmmm. No. No, not me. Still on horse watch and yes, I am tired of it.

Reason is out of the belly band (thankfully) and things look ok there.Chloramphenicol for another month or so, and then wait for a month THEN check at MSU THEN consider gelding him.

I am living in Grey. No here, nor there, just floating is...maybe land. That's my world, Maybeland.

So, here is what they and I saw upon the removal of said cast. There is pitting edema on the edges of the wound. Some moisture, redness and definite swelling. Last time, the swelling was not nearly as bad. This time, it does look worse. It's sad. I guess I have to consider where I live and think he has a 50% chance, but...I swear...damn it. its gettin' old!

No comments: