Originally, the only things on the schedule for today was a 10:00 AM (not too early) trip back to the vet to check on Kate's lingering swollen udder [abscess?], and a work session with Maddie. The weather promised to be perfect (and it was).
But....
Got a call Friday night from my farrier, and the only time before next week's show that she could come out and do everybody was this morning! She's not very much of a morning person, but could she make it by 7:30 (argh!)? I'll try to push the vet to 11:00.
She was here by 7:40 (that's pretty good for her), but the vet's booked solid for the morning. Okay, let's see if we can get the young ones done before 9:30 while I can be there to hold, and Mama Misty and old RT would both be fine standing tied.
Beth, who is usually a dancer, was on her best behavior, but little Amy not so much. Maddie stood like a pro, but now it was 9:15 and there's no way we have time for Kate. (I wish now we had done Kate, 'cause Maddie would probably have stood fine tied, as well as the oldsters.) Well, farrier's place is only about a half mile off the route home from the vets, how about we stop on the way back so she can knock her out, too? Sounds like a plan.
So young vet wants to sedate Kate a bit, and take a needle aspiration of the swelling on her udder. He pulls a syringe full of nasty putrid gunk out. He seems surprised it hasn't gone down any more than it has, so now let's shoot her full of local anesthetic and cut it open to drain. But by the third or fourth prick of the local needle, it's obvious that Kate's sedative has worn out...she's wide awake and, uncharacteristically, though understandably, starting to kick out. So she gets another dose of sleepy-time tea, but is still responding to the pressure of the needle (the area should have been plenty numb by now). A clinic assistant takes her head and I loop a length of cotton rope around her opposite fetlock and hold that leg up, forcing her to keep the other foot firmly on the ground. One pinky-finger sized hole and large puddle of blood and gore later, he flushes the abscess out and I take Kate out to the round pen to wake up, while I go inside for anti-biotics (again) and the bill (at which time I faint and have to be revived--it's a good thing I got my tax refund yesterday!). I decide Kate's had enough for today, and call and cancel the stop at the farrier's, and we head home.
I just get Kate comfortable and lunch fixed for Al and I, and I remember that I have to get my entry in the mail today for next weekend's show. I run up the driveway to put it in the box, and notice the neighbor ranch boys shooting the breeze in Hank's shop--AND Hank's oldest working on a mower deck with the arc welder! I had asked Hank back during spring break about bringing my trailer over to have the hinge on the tack room door re-welded where the bottom couple of tack welds had popped loose. In the meantime, at one of Maddie's little shows, the infamous Ellensburg wind had manged to catch the door and pop the welds 2/3 of the way to the top of the door! Well, they were welding, and the trailer was already hitched up....It was an opportunity not to be missed!
So back down the driveway and bring the trailer up. An hour later, not only was the door solid once more (if not purty), but the little crack at the corner of the ramp was not going to go any further either.
Thanks, Bentley!
The other thing that came up Friday was that a prospective buyer for Amy requested some current photos. I had been stalling until the little yak finished shedding (she still has more hair than most of the rest of them had in the dead of winter), but I couldn't put it off any longer. So, since it was nice, after a late (2:30) lunch I gave her a bath, trimmed up her jawline a little, and Al came out for a photo shoot.
I like her head and neck in this one, though she's a little camped out in back--she was reaching forward for a handful of grass I was offering--you can see her left fore just starting to step forward.
But....
Got a call Friday night from my farrier, and the only time before next week's show that she could come out and do everybody was this morning! She's not very much of a morning person, but could she make it by 7:30 (argh!)? I'll try to push the vet to 11:00.
She was here by 7:40 (that's pretty good for her), but the vet's booked solid for the morning. Okay, let's see if we can get the young ones done before 9:30 while I can be there to hold, and Mama Misty and old RT would both be fine standing tied.
Beth, who is usually a dancer, was on her best behavior, but little Amy not so much. Maddie stood like a pro, but now it was 9:15 and there's no way we have time for Kate. (I wish now we had done Kate, 'cause Maddie would probably have stood fine tied, as well as the oldsters.) Well, farrier's place is only about a half mile off the route home from the vets, how about we stop on the way back so she can knock her out, too? Sounds like a plan.
So young vet wants to sedate Kate a bit, and take a needle aspiration of the swelling on her udder. He pulls a syringe full of nasty putrid gunk out. He seems surprised it hasn't gone down any more than it has, so now let's shoot her full of local anesthetic and cut it open to drain. But by the third or fourth prick of the local needle, it's obvious that Kate's sedative has worn out...she's wide awake and, uncharacteristically, though understandably, starting to kick out. So she gets another dose of sleepy-time tea, but is still responding to the pressure of the needle (the area should have been plenty numb by now). A clinic assistant takes her head and I loop a length of cotton rope around her opposite fetlock and hold that leg up, forcing her to keep the other foot firmly on the ground. One pinky-finger sized hole and large puddle of blood and gore later, he flushes the abscess out and I take Kate out to the round pen to wake up, while I go inside for anti-biotics (again) and the bill (at which time I faint and have to be revived--it's a good thing I got my tax refund yesterday!). I decide Kate's had enough for today, and call and cancel the stop at the farrier's, and we head home.
I just get Kate comfortable and lunch fixed for Al and I, and I remember that I have to get my entry in the mail today for next weekend's show. I run up the driveway to put it in the box, and notice the neighbor ranch boys shooting the breeze in Hank's shop--AND Hank's oldest working on a mower deck with the arc welder! I had asked Hank back during spring break about bringing my trailer over to have the hinge on the tack room door re-welded where the bottom couple of tack welds had popped loose. In the meantime, at one of Maddie's little shows, the infamous Ellensburg wind had manged to catch the door and pop the welds 2/3 of the way to the top of the door! Well, they were welding, and the trailer was already hitched up....It was an opportunity not to be missed!So back down the driveway and bring the trailer up. An hour later, not only was the door solid once more (if not purty), but the little crack at the corner of the ramp was not going to go any further either.
Thanks, Bentley!
The other thing that came up Friday was that a prospective buyer for Amy requested some current photos. I had been stalling until the little yak finished shedding (she still has more hair than most of the rest of them had in the dead of winter), but I couldn't put it off any longer. So, since it was nice, after a late (2:30) lunch I gave her a bath, trimmed up her jawline a little, and Al came out for a photo shoot.I like her head and neck in this one, though she's a little camped out in back--she was reaching forward for a handful of grass I was offering--you can see her left fore just starting to step forward.
I should have worked her first, as she settled down after a few minutes, plus she was fully dry by the time we went back to the arena for this shot (and others). The dark shading on her chest and upper shoulder is remnants of her darker winter coat (champagnes are the opposite of most horses, who get lighter in winter), and, as near as we can figure, the spot on her hip is a Bend 'Or spot, though the gal at the International Champagne Horse Registry had never heard of one on a champagne before.
So now it's almost time for supper. Can I get in a quick ride on Maddie?
No. I've got to doctor Kate.
Hot soaks, flush the opening of the abscess, administer antibiotics and tetanus booster. Wash down her back legs and love on her a bit (she's feeling a little picked on).
Time to ride? Energy?
No. And no.
Give everybody their evening grain and turn them out for the night.
There's always tomorrow.
Mama Misty feeling a bit like a beached whale.
Poor Misty! Where is this baby already? And poor Kate too...yuck.
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