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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Took the horses to the vet today.


While I did take the horses to the Vet we also had a consult / appt with the Dentist.  While all animals should have their teeth cleaned, brushed etc... If you do not care for the teeth of a horse they can not eat. 

Due to the way they chew their food they chew side to side.  The best example is how when you see camel on TV it always looks funny when it chews, chewing from side to side instead of up and down like we do.

The teeth tend to get sharp edges on them, causing the horse to bite the inside of its jaw, tongue etc... We all know how painful that can be, so this pain makes the horse more timid to eat.  Eventually if the teeth are not cared for, the horse can not chew their food well enough to digest it correctly if able to swallow it at all, causing long term issues with the horse in every way.   SweetPea was getting sloppy with her food... I can always tell when she needs her teeth done.   She has not lost weight, if anything it is the first time I've not seen her ribs through her winter coat. 

I am very lucky as both of my horses have great teeth and I only have them barely shaped once a year.
While some horses (like humans needing braces) have more issues and need serious shaping every six months.  I hate having it done!  Can you imagine filling on a tooth the size of a womans thumb?

Navarre has one permanent tooth on each side but is expecting more any time.   I also have to start saving up to have his wolf teeth pulled.  I am not have it done any time soon as he has not shown any issues with the bit as of yet, but... if he starts to I will need to have the money saved for the surgery so we can get it done when necessary.  It is almost like pulling your wisdom teeth but they are much deeper and longer.  Some people have them cut off but I would prefer to have them pulled IF he starts to show issues with the bit. 


The Vet appointment went well. The horses got their shots, yearly check-up, basic blood work,  along with another EPM test on Navarre. ... he was 1:20 last test still with no signs of issues, but blood work is cheaper than not being able to get ahead of it later... so I'm going to watch his results each year and see if we need to treat him.  He was never exposed the vaccine like my other horse was.

SweetPea took the EPM Vac. when it was out, because I lost a horse I was carring for to EPM once upon a time; and I didn't want to see another animal go through that.  It is not a nice way to live or die.   She has an 80% chance of having it;  BUT it could be a false positive due to the vaccine.  I plan on testing her every two years if she has no signs of the disease.  So far ... we are good.  Her only sign is how crazy she is, but she was worse when I got her, before she had the vaccine.   So it may or may not be a sign with her.

MAJOR signs of EPM are not being able to control the hind end.  BOTH of my horses know exactly where their feet are, and do exactly what I ask.  SweetPea is the most sure footed horse I have ever had!  She is such a treat on a trail!

OH the days when I could ride the trails, the only care on my mind was the horse below me.  I normally love riding in cold weather, but this year it has been so bad I have not been able to.  Normally SweetPea and I ride in the first snow, this year she has on shoes and it is too dangerous with shoes.  The snow packs into them, making her work like a racking horse, and leaving her with no traction.    Navarre is still just too young to get out all the time, I need to build up his back muscles to carry me properly.

This opens the door to tell a STUPID story on myself!   I am normaly a pretty safe person, but with months of no riding, due to snow, rain, and now mud, tree, and rock slides I was ... as Jerry would say I was jonesin for a ride... I was!!!!!

I jumped on SweetPea ... down in the pasture, only to ride her up to the barn.  NO big deal! I do it all the time, except this day she took my knee off when she slipped and fell going through the first gate.  Only the exact thing, the ONE reason I had been telling Jerry, I can't go ride she will slip in all this mud and fall.  Sure enough!  Even on the gravel drive from the pasture to the barn she lost it, and I went into the post.  I was so high from the 20 second ride in full gallop; I didn't even notice till I got home and saw the egg shaped bruise on my knee.  All I could do was laugh and tell Jerry how stupid I was. 

Oh well at least my addiction is ... acceptable!  I am so addicted to riding... I'm dying to get out again regardless of the risk to me, but she could have hurt herself too. 

Friday, January 22, 2010

Why no post? Thank you for asking!

There have been no post this month, as the weather got worse, so did all the issues that came along with it.  The weather made everything next to impossible to deal with and while I kept my head above water my footing quickly disolved or the sand shifted below my feet and I was left treading water.  When treading water one can only think of what is necessary for survival and this was true during our month of below freezing weather in an area with the average should be in the 40's

Life at the barn got harder, the smell of failure profuse at the barn, Horses were not happy and time was short loving on them.  Expences Increased triple as the horses needed more in the cold, going through at least two bails of hay a day, adding more oil for heat, shavings to try to keep them dry.  It was never ending.

Life at work got harder with two computer failures, running a world wide business by hand, making us look and feel like were childish in the professional world.

All of this made everything hard, and writing this once is enough! I didn't want to share the darkness every day so I decided not to post till I could see the light again.

I have sense literally taken a pick and chipped away at the ice/ frozen poop / and shoveled the wet stuff out of the way!  I stocked over 50 bails of hay 10 bags of shavings, and 10 bags of pellets.  I have bought out the stores supply of corn oil and have it at my house due to the nature of liquids in such cold weather.

The computer is back up after HOURS and DAYS of being down although I expect it to crash again any minute....

no pictures as the camera didn't like the cold! 

Trees again block or lean over the road, on the way up to the barn, this time from the melting of all the ice and snow, and now the rain that has set in for days...  leaving their roots soggy and bare, as they lean with the slope of the mountain side, so delays are still ahead for the winter season but I am hoping I am more stocked for weather ahead!

Wow!  Done with the complaints... life is brighter from here out!  OR I will not post again till it is.  Sorry but there is only so much gloom one should share with the world and we all have harder times in the winter so I didn't want to add to anyone's issues.

Much love to you all and thank you all for asking what happened to my posting!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Almost there!


My life is still on hold, as I have a few things on my computer but am at this very minute on hold (trumpet elevator music) with yet another company to get more assistance with down loading programs I had on my computer and refuse to purchase again.  Life is a white water rafting event today... I am only hoping I make it to the end of the ride with out falling out of the raft.


The weather here is blistering cold again!  I need to be out getting more hay for the horses, and while I have said this almost every time I write you have to understand... I can't get my truck to the barn, so purchasing only 15 bails or so at a time is a lot of work and last only a few days in this type of weather.   8 days to be exact!


So as soon as I get my computer back and running, I will be able to get my animals settled again...

white water! COLD and lonely...
Amber

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Another day NO computer.

My computer is still dead.  While I have had HP help me clean it out, literally starting over as if I have just opened the box, life is no better.  Even without programs on the silly thing it is locking up.  I am not a happy camper! I am not a happy person... While a part of me LOVES not having a computer, my life revolves around it for making money, communicating with family and friends, so I am at a stand still.   I can only bother the husband so much to use his computer... having said as much my time is almost up in his chair ha ha... here he comes...

LIFE will go on when I get my computer back.... till then... I'll be around with snail mail or by land lines..
Amber!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

computer issues.


While I have lots to say... I have little time my computer will work.  I have tried a computer guy at my house, I have been on the phone with HP for hours... and still it locks up all the time.  i will post as soon as I get help!


ONE of the trees down on the road for the last few weeks... as  a TEST while working with HP.