Tag Team Trimming

What do you do when a horse in need of serious hoof rehab doesn't cooperate with said serious hoof rehab?  Unfortunately, somtimes, you resort to drugs.  (For the horse, not the rehabbers.)

You may remember Nate, who arrived last June, seriously underweight, suffering EPM and dealing with several very serious foot issues, including advanced infection and a maggot infestation.  Nate's EPM has been treated, but he still shows a weakness and some muscle atrophy on one side.  He's gained weight and of course the maggot issue is not an issue at this time. 

However......its going to take some time for his foot to "grow out" and return to normal, a process Nate himself is hindering because he is still quite insecure about standing on three legs and is extremely tired of having the bad foot poked and prodded and flushed.  His response to a request to lift that foot is to plant all 1200 pounds on it and challenge us to pick it up.  Understandable, under the circumstances, but not the most desirable behavior on trim day.

Is "laying him down" a good long-term solution?  Absolutely not.  Is it what we feel is best at this time?  Yes.  Retraining to stand for the farrier will likely be easier once the distraction of discomfort in the foot is gone and after Nate hopefully rebuilds a little more muscle to stabilize his balance..  So....for now.....this is Nate's Trim Tag Team.  Two people working to do the job as quickly as possible with as little sedation as possible.  Let's hope this technique becomes unnecessary soon!

Loose Teeth Be Gone!

Today was Dentist Day for a few of TREES' residents.  The team of Dr. Tracy Brown and Meredith Barlow, C/EqDT, paid a visit to Sherman, Mona, Nate, Delphi and Fitz.

Both Nate and Fitz need some attention, but will require a little advance planning.  More on them as we get them taken care of.

Delphi and Mona both had "routine" floats.  (In quotes because every horse is different, but meaning all they required was the removal of sharp points.)

Here, Mona is being "floated."  Note that the speculum is open only wide enough to allow Meredith to work.  It is not cranked all the way to its widest position.

Delphi had to give her opinion of the idea before even getting started.

But Sherman........Sherm needed a little extra attention.  Not surprisingly, Sherman had a few loose teeth.  We've heard from some owners of senior horses who were told to leave loose teeth in the mouth because the horse had so few to spare.  Aside from the discomfort that must cause, here is an excellent illustration of why that may not be a good idea.

These two teeth are shown exactly the way they came out of Sherman's mouth with little to no effort.  You can see no blood, no tissue, nothing that would indicate these teeth had any kind of physical attachment to the gum.  They were, more or less, just sitting in the socket.

The teeth are shown sitting on their chewing surfaces, roots pointing up.  Notice the green-ish material packed between what is left of the roots?  That is food that had worked its way under the tooth, between the tooth and gum.  This can cause irritation and enlargement of the pocket around the loose tooth.  If something as large as food particles can become lodged under the tooth, so can something as small as bacteria, leading to infection.  Untreated infection under and around a tooth can eventually lead or contribute to infection in the jaw bone itself, or even in the sinuses.

With all this in mind, our rule is "If its loose, its gone."

The Guardian Becomes theGuarded

When we first put Nathan in the same paddock as Butternut, he took his role as "Blind Pony Guardian" very seriously, never letting Butternut out of his sight.  Now, the relationship is maturing into more of a partnership.  Nate is more relaxed about Butternut's well-being and has resumed his morning naps while Butternut takes over patrol duty.

Does This Look Odd To You?

Yes, Nathan Fans, what you are looking at is a horse that is muddy on both sides of his body.  Why is that odd? Wellllllllll, if you recall, when Nate first arrived, he could only get to his feet if he slept or rested on his right side.  What you are seeing here is a horse who is able to roll around in the mud on BOTH sides and get up under his own power.   Bravo, Natey!

Baby steps for some, leaps of faith for Nate's supporters!  Thank you to everyone who encouraged us to not give up on this grand gentleman.

(Note:  Nate is "pointing," or standing with one foot in front of him, because that foot is still a work in progress.  Two days ago, Nate's heel was lowered a little more, and his sole and frog pared back as needed, so he may be feeling some tendon stretching and some "new" sensation on the bottom of that foot.)

Today's Anatomy Trivia

While Nate was anesthetized yesterday for his footwork, we took advantage of the situation to illustrate a problem that Sonny has endured for years.  (Sorry, Nate!)

Sonny's prior owners told us that, for years, Sonny suffered "blocked tear ducts," which caused the hair loss just below both eyes.  That diagnosis was confirmed by two veterinarians following Sonny's arrival at TREES.

When they hear the term "blocked tear ducts," many people believe that means that Sonny either does not produce tears or that the tears cannot get to his eyes to flush out irritants or to keep them lubricated.

That is not the case.  The tears get to Sonny's eyes as they should, but cannot drain away as they should.  Normally, tears would drain away from the eyes via the nasolacrimal ducts, and emerge in the nostrils.  Nate kindly shows the opening of his nasolacrimal duct here:

When that little duct is obstructed for any reason, the tears cannot drain normally, spill out over the lower eyelid and run down the face.  In some cases, the duct can be reopened, but Sonny's blockage appears to be a permanent condition and we don't want to put a 38 year old through any invasive procedures for something that causes no real discomfort or presents no health risk. 

Sonny wears a fly mask much of the time since the eye discharge attracts flies and because the hairless skin sunburns easily.  Other than that, Head King Alpha Dude only requires a little extra facial grooming to be kept comfortable.

TREES' Cushings Club

I just realized we frequently talk about our Cushings Club, but we've never really told you who the members are.  The official membership stands at six, but last summer's testing revealed two more may be at the jumping off point.  As we mentioned a few days ago, our new arrival, Sherman, looks pretty suspicious as well.  Not long ago, a diagnosis of "Cushings Disease," now known as PPID (Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction,) was viewed by many as a death sentence.  Not any more!

And so, without further ado...........The Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary Cushings Club:

Nate, mid 30's

Freddy, 26

Wade, 26

Sonny, 38

Josh, late 30's?

Henry, 25

Interestingly, all are geldings.  All are managed with pergolide and a carefully controlled diet (thank to all of our visitors for being very understanding about our "No Treats" policy,) and all are retested each year with pergolide dosages adjusted accordingly. 

Senior Spa Day!

Thank you to all the members of the University of Mary Washington Pre-Vet Club who spent the day grooming geezers. Other than a slight wind, the weather was perfect.  Most of the horses loved the attention, though a couple  of grumps would have been perfectly happy keeping their hard earned dirt.

Perhaps most importantly, our new resident, Sherman, was partially bathed to remove evidence of a light digestive upset from his hind legs.  The New Guy seemed completely relaxed during this procedure, a far cry from a few other residents who declare they've never seen anything resembling a water hose or sponge in all their 30+ years.

Here's Sonny, age 38, following his spa session:

And Rienzi, who is in his mid 30's:

Lizzie's (24) new coif:

Fitz, 26, absolutely ate up the extra attention, looking like he might take a nap during his grooming session:

Miss Mona, 30+, from neglect to diva in just 3 months:

Jubal, 29, also made some new friends:

And our last photo for this post............NATE!  (who was one of the grumps, but did a little of his signature "scampering" afterward, so the experience must not have been as tortorous as he let on in the beginning.)

Thank you, all!  Please come back any time.  We'd love to see you again.

Horses are only as dirty as you make them

Today, TREES was blessed to have a group of Shelter Animal Reiki Association volunteers working with several of the horses. We love having SARA volunteers here and can see changes in several of the residents as a result of the SARA program.

This morning, though, one volunteer asked a question that I responded to with a very clear “non-answer,” and for that, I would like to apologize. As we stood in Nathan’s shed talking, I scooted a manure pile against a nearby wall and threw on some uneaten hay that had been tromped into the mud. One volunteer asked why I did that, and I began to explain about Nate’s battle with foot infections and our efforts to keep his foot as clean as possible. Yes, the volunteer nodded, but how did I know he wouldn’t eat that hay? I replied “Oh, he won’t eat it.” That was not an answer and I apologize for so glibly glossing over a valid question.

Before I tackle an explanation, I must admit that I don’t “know” what any given horse may or may not do under any given circumstances. I can make some educated predictions, based on what I know about that horse and its past actions, but that doesn’t mean those predictions will pan out.

Hence I will try to explain why I assumed Nate would not eat the soiled hay.

I assumed Nate would leave the dirty hay right where it was because horses are, by nature, very clean animals if given a choice.

Will horses stand in a shed with a floor layer of solid manure? Yes they will, if that is the only shelter they have.

Do horses spend time loafing where they urinate? Not often unless they are confined to stalls with urine-soaked bedding.

Will a horse drink water so murky that the bottom of the tank cannot be seen? Yes they will, if that’s the only available water source.

Will a horse eat moldy or dirty hay? You bet, if that’s the only thing they are offered.

However….most horses, if given a choice, choose to be clean. Our residents, for the most part, choose certain areas of their fields, paddocks and shed in which they deposit the majority of their manure. They also select specific area for urination. Interestingly, manure areas are always farther from eating areas than are urination areas. Natural means of parasite control, perhaps? On the other hand, if the manure areas are not cleaned on a frequent basis, the horses begin to avoid those areas and drop manure over other sections of the field until few clean areas remain. A good number of our residents even go outside their loafing sheds to answer Nature’s call, and then go back in the shed to resume napping.

Horses will also, obviously, choose clean water over filthy water. Who wouldn’t? Have you ever smelled a stagnant hundred-gallon water tank that hasn’t been scrubbed for a week in the summer? It’s nauseating to many humans. Imagine what it smells like to a horse! We dump and clean our tanks every 2-3 days and, even under those circumstances, have some horses come running to get that first drink of clean water as it flows into the tank. So, are horses forced to drink dirty water really consuming the amounts they need? Maybe not.

The same principles seem to apply to hay and pasture. Horses will not normally graze where there is manure. They will graze those areas if they have no alternative, but given a choice will search out clean grass to eat. Nor will they eat dirty hay if clean hay is available. Do horses with only dirty hay available consume adequate amounts of roughage? Maybe not.

It goes against a horse’s nature to eat, drink, or live in filth if they have other choices. It is my personal theory that people who believe horses are dirty animals feel that way only because they have never observed horses living with the choice to be clean.

And so…..again with apologies for my non-answer of this morning….. having a choice is why I assumed Nate would not eat the soiled hay over the pile of manure before we could pick everything up. He, like the other horses here, has learned that there are always several piles of hay available at all times. He simply sought another, cleaner, area in which to eat.

The Guardian

Nate and Butternut. Its not a pair I could have foreseen, but its working. At first Nate, like most other sighted horses, was a little discombobulated by Butternut's behavior. She doesn't seem to read body language very well! He's getting used to her, but they still have a few things to work out.

For now, Nate watches over Butternut from a little distance, but rarely lets her out of his sight for longer than the time it takes to get a drink of water or munch on a senior meal. At night, when Butternut is stalled for some muzzle-free time, Nate hangs his head over the stall door, unless he is getting some sleep himself. He sleeps outside in the open, but resumes his post as Butternut's doorman as soon as he's rested. From Butternut's perspective, having a buddy tall enough to touch her over the stall door is taking some getting use to, but she seems to like knowing he's there. She's stopped pacing and calling and once again seems to feel secure in her surroundings.

Nate is scheduled for another combined vet/farrier visit this week. Its easy to forget, considering how well the rest of his rehab is going, that the big white horse is not entirely out of the woods, yet, as far as that right front foot is concerned. We're hoping for some good news this week but, at the same time, a little on edge.

The Odd Couple

Ori's departure over the weekend left Butternut, a small blind Shetland cross pony alone in her dry lot paddock. Who could we move in with her that would do well on a dry lot and be kind to a small blind pony?

Rienzi! Perfect. Except Rienzi didn't think so. He paced the fence, wanting more than anything to go back "home." Normally we would give a horse a little more time to adjust to new surroundings, but after only three days, Rienzi had visibly dropped weight. With winter fast approaching, we couldn't allow a hard keeper to remain in a situation that was causing him this much stress.

How would Butternut do alone for a day or two while we decided on a solution? Terribly! She panicked. A panicked blind pony is a pony at risk of injuring herself.

Think, think, think.

Wait!


This may be it. Nate needs more room to get a little more exercise, he can't be turned out on a lot of grass, he needs a buddy, he's a very kind gentleman..........

As of this morning, the two are studiously ignoring each other, but at least all is quiet. Its not the love at first sight we've seen following some other introductions, but it looks like it will work.

Stay tuned.

Helllloooooooooo, Idahooooo!!!

Remember this statement, posted on July 6, 2009:
"Today, Nate not only lifted his tail, but moved it noticeably to the right. To his stronger side. If we see that tail move to the left, you may hear us shouting from somewhere out in Idaho."

Hey Idaho! Can you hear me now?

Yes, sir, yesterday Nate swished his tail to the left! Miss George, one of our volunteer grooms, was fighting a good fight against the big man's faster than average hair growth. Specifically, she was trimming Nate's feathers, which have been trapping moisture around his fetlocks. Now, Nate has had more than enough of people examining, cleaning, medicating, packing, and wrapping his feet and got somewhat annoyed at Miss George. And, as many horses do, Nathan issued a warning by swishing his tail.

Our first reaction of course was to move out of the warning zone and give the big horse a little break. Then, the realization of what just happened set in.

Tail.

Swish.

To the left!

Waaahhhooooooo!!!!

Who knows what will happen next week!

(Hint: Team Foot Rehab will be back for the next phase of work on that right front foot.)

Look! One of them dancin' hosses!

WaaaaaaaaaHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Can you hear us in Idaho?

During today's thunderstorms, we confined Nate to his stall to keep his diapered foot dry. This was completely unacceptable to His Highness. As soon as the puddles dried, Nate was given his freedom. He pushed the door open and marched out, tossing his head indignantly.

Then......

Then.........Nathan collected himself into an absolutely gorgeous canter, flexed at the poll, feet placed just so, and going in a straight line. And he did it twice! Cantered out. Walked back. Threw his head at me and cantered out again. It was breathtaking.

OK, in a ring, next to a fit horse in regular training, maybe not so much. But performed by a horse who, less than two months ago, had to lean against a wall to remain upright, it was truly beautiful.

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Ahem.

Its been pointed out that Nate has been bumped off the front page long enough. So, for all his fans, here's an update.

Today ends the first week of Nathan's EPM treatment. We were warned that we might see a temporary worsening of symptoms several days into the Marquis regimen. So far so good, though we're not out of the woods yet. It seems some horses experience this side effect as long as 7-10 days into the treatment.

The big news, though, concerns Nate's foot. That right front foot that has been battling the most advanced case of thrush we've ever seen. The foot that was writhing with maggots when Nate arrived. Finally.........progress!

We'd like to thank Team Foot Rehab - farrier Ernie Haynes and Dr. Amanda Blanton - for the smooth teamwork employed yesterday to remove all the diseased tissue and start Nate's frog on the road to normalcy. It is still difficult for Nate to stand on three legs for the amount of time needed for a rehab of this type. Taking that into consideration, TFR gave him frequent breaks and showed considerable improvisational skills as they dealt with a frustrating situation.

In the end, the diseased tissue was pared away, then Nate's foot was packed with a metronidazole paste, followed by gauze, cotton, an infant diaper, all held in place with several layers of the ubiquitous horse farm duct tape.

Though he was a little miffed at the time of the foot work, Nate was motoring around last night in a very animated fashion. His foot is still far from normal, but at least now it feels better.

We've talked about "baby steps" until now, but this may be more of a giant leap.

Go, Nate!
Thank you, Team Foot Rehab!

Mona and Nate updates

Nate, Nate, Nate. The big man just doesn't believe we have any valid reason to limit his exercise. Or for us to keep fussing at his feet. During today's farrier visit, Nate stood quietly enough, but kept, very gently, nudging me with his nose as if to point out this is all unnecessary. Unfortunately, Nathan, yes it is necessary. However....after a quick exam of the right front foot -- the foot fighting advanced thrush -- the farrier decided he'd like to have a veterinary consult before moving further. Thus, Nate got a reprieve. His trim was rescheduled for next week. The moment his halter was removed, our clown-with-the ever-growing-'tude cantered to the far end of his small paddock and turned to stare at us as though daring us to try that again!

And so we enter the next stage of rehab. The "I Feel Tons Better So Now Let's See How Much I Can Get Away With" stage. This phase in the healing process is always interesting. Sometimes its funny, as seniors execute (or attempt to execute) maneuvers not performed in many years. Sometimes its frustrating as they tell us they don't know how to do something we know they can do with their eyes closed. Always, though, it triggers a few "discussions" on what constitutes acceptable behavior. Always remember......an "old" horse still weighs half a ton, more or less, still has four hooves and teeth. And there is no such thing as "bombproof."

Mona
In a hearing yesterday, the Orange County Sheriff's Department was granted permanent custody of all horses, including Mona, seized in a cruelty case last week. The Sheriff's Dept, in turn, is turning permanent custody of Mona over to Traveller's Rest. Mona and her surviving friends are safe. May their 18 companions Rest in Grace.

As for Miss Mona, she had her first turnout at liberty today, and was quite unhappy at the short time span. Mona was confined to a small dirt lot for an unknown period of time, so will be introduced to grass slowly. She is starting with only 15 minutes of grazing, twice a day. The time will be gradually increased over several weeks. Eventually, she will be turned out in a private paddock 24 hours a day, where she will continue to gain strength before being introduced to a herd.

If today's performance upon being returned to her stall was any indication, we're going to see Stage 2 early in this one.

Nathan - The Saga Continues

As we continue to evaluate Nate's wide range of problems, we're beginning to narrow down some causes. In addition to Cushings, badly neglected feet and malnourishment, it seems that our stalwart gray gelding most likely also has Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (more commonly called "EPM.")

A diagnosis of EPM is often difficult to confirm. It can be ruled out when a test of either blood serum or cerebrospinal fluid shows a negative result. A positive result using CSF is "highly suggestive" of the disease, while a positive result in a serum sample only proves that a horse has been exposed to the protozoa (Sarcocystis neurona) that cause the disease. In Nate's case, we tested serum. Based on the result and clinical symptoms, it was determined that there is a 90% chance he has the disease. Reason enough to start treatment ASAP.

We've opted to use a product called Marquis, hoping for quicker results than some other treatments offer. Marquis should kill any protozoa present, but it will not repair existing damage to Nate's nervous system. Unfortunately, at this point, there is no way to know how extensive that damage may be.

EPM, like Cushings, affects each horse in a different way, depending in part on where the lesions are and how long the disease went untreated. We also don't know how Cushings may complicate treatment or how EPM may complicate Cushings.

In other words, for every answer we get regarding Nate's case, we get five or ten new questions.

The good news is, for now Nate is doing very well. He's eating well, gaining weight, and his spirit is bright. Last night, in a little burst of energy after hand-grazing, he tried a little lope after being turned back into his small paddock. OK, so it wouldn't have been considered "pretty" to most horse folk, but to us it was a gorgeous sight to see. Nate felt "kick-up-your-heels" good. Even if it turns out he only has a short time left in this life, we know he had that.

One Step Forward, One Step Back

Nate had his first real pedicure last week, but not without some setbacks at the same time. Progress came to a halt when real summer temperatures arrived. As anyone who has cared for a Cushings patient knows, heat is the enemy. One of Cushings' common symptoms is impaired ability to maintain a normal body temperature in either extreme cold or heat, though in our experience, Cushings horses have more trouble dealing with heat than with cold.

To try and combat this new complication, Nate was started on pergolide last Friday and today we will tackle his "Cushing's Coat" with our new Clipmasters. His clip will likely be more than a one-day job, but hopefully will make him more comfortable and remove one more physical stress. Nathan's new coif will not be "pretty" but we're going for function rather than style, so when you visit, try not to snicker and remember this is meant to help keep his body temperature down, not prepare him for EQ magazine.

We're still here! (Nate too!)

Slight pause! Has it been two weeks since the last post? Time really got away from us this time.

Nate is still with us and still improving, although we had a week or so of "two steps forward, one step back." The first step back was two weekends ago. Friday night (July 11,) Nate decided he felt well enough to lay down and rest. The trouble was, he chose his nap location very poorly. When we looked out the window first thing Saturday morning, there was Nate, laying frighteningly still, next to the barn with his feet pointed toward the wall. Let's just say, some normally unacceptable language spewed forth as we ran for the quiet shape on the ground.

As we approached, we could see that Nate was breathing, and that there were no signs of a struggle. The ground around his feet was not churned up, indicating he had not been struggling to get his feet under him in an effort to rise. Just as we got to him, the big goof raised his head and very clearly said "OK, I'm done napping, but need a little help here.............where have you BEEN?" Nate then demonstrated his predicament. His proximity to the barn wall meant he could not position his feet properly to get up. In addition, he was laying on his weaker side.

The best option seemed to be to "flip" Nate over onto his right side, so #1, his feet would be pointed away from the wall and #2, he would have his stronger side under him, allowing him to push off the ground more easily. The big man's behavior during the next few minutes makes me wonder if he hasn't cast himself before. As we put ropes around his legs, he laid perfectly still. As we began to pull him over, he resisted only a moment just as he came "up and over" his withers. (Bless him for that, since his two helpers were average-size, middle-aged, people armed only with adrenaline. Whew. OK.......now breathe. )

After his "flip," Nate lay sternal and began nibbling on some handy grass. Thinking he would need a few minutes to rest before we asked him to stand, I went to the house to grab the cup of tea I had been sipping earlier and by the time I returned, there was Nate, on his feet, looking like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. This incredible horse continues to amaze me on a daily basis.

July 25, 2009

That amazement, however, is not necessarily due to his decision-making skills. The very next morning, we got up to find............yes, Nate napping again, this time with his feet pointed at the fence panels. His hind feet were right against the "legs" where two panels hinge together, again meaning he didn't have room to maneuver. Fortunately, since these were portable corral panels, all we needed to do was unhook the joint, move the panels slightly and up he popped.

Now for the one step back. Getting down and up temporarily took a toll on Nate's comfort level. Bad timing meant he decided to try something new just as he was being weaned off of the anti-inflammatory medications he'd been on. He went back to leaning on the walls while resting and we had to forgo his evening walks for a few days.

Now, Nate seems to be back on track with his muscle and joint rehab, but his feet still present a big problem. The foot that was infested with maggots is very unstable. When simply cleaning out his foot, we can see and feel the hoof wall "give" in the heel area where the other structures of the foot are virtually non-existent. We have both the farrier and vet scheduled to be here at the same time this Thursday to formulate a plan and, hopefully, begin rehabbing all four of Nate's feet, now that he is stronger. Nate's heels are extremely long on all four hooves but, given how long he's been walking in an abnormal fashion, we don't want to make any extreme changes. This hoof rehab will be a gradual process, probably done over many months, allowing Nate's muscles, ligaments and tendons time to adjust to each change.

Meanwhile, Nate's enjoying short turnout periods in a small, private paddock. We don't want him to overdo in either the exercise or grazing departments. For the time being, 15 or 20 minutes at a time seems to suit everyone involved, even Nate.

July 19, 2009

We'd like to again thank everyone concerned with Nate's well-being. He seems to thrive on visitors and attention, giving "neck hugs" to all who stop by. Thank you, all: visitors, equine care professionals, complementary therapy practitioners, contributors, and all who email for updates. Neck hugs to everyone.

Nate News (+ Hi, Mom!)

More exciting news today, slightly bigger than a baby step this time. As we exited the convalescent paddock to go on our little walk this morning, Nate cleaning lifted all four feet over the bottom of the gate frame. All four. Cleanly. No bumping, tripping or stumbling. This points to two exciting conclusions: first, that all of Nate's feet and legs are getting the message from his brain saying "There is an obstacle on the ground here. Lift your feet higher than usual and step over it;" and second, Nate's muscles, tendons, joints and all the other parts of his anatomy involved in walking are developing strength.

Hi, Mom! {{waves at camera}}

First, let me apologize right up front in case anyone in any way thinks I am comparing my mother's health history to that of a horse.

Second, I'd like to thank Mom (Helen W. of Pittsburgh, PA, soon to be "of" Spotsylvania, VA) for reminding us about some aspects of her post-stroke rehabilitation several years ago. Until now, when Nate tired during a walk, we declared him finished for the day and took him back to his paddock. Mom reminded us that, during her rehab, when she tired, the therapists allowed her to stop and rest until she felt ready to continue (her decision,) then did a few more repetitions of the excercise. So, starting now, as we walk with Nate and he tires a little, we'll stop and rest until he seems ready to continue, then walk just a little farther.

See? You just never know where horse care ideas will come from!

More Thanks, More Nate!

Christmas in July! Today a surprise package arrived from Valley Vet Supply, containing a new manure fork, grooming tools, gauze sponges, a cotton lead and a much welcome gift certificate! Thank you Secret Santa!

Nate update: I am in awe of this horse. Or whatever greater power(s?) watches over him. Or both. Or all of them! It seems as though he looks forward to whatever new things come along with each new day. Of course, today we tried something fun.

We went for a very very short walk! Now that Nate is showing signs of life in all his limbs, we'll see if building a little muscle tone will help stabilize him even more. Dr. B thinks this might be very helpful. Once he gets a little stronger, she also recommended setting up a little course of 4X4's or other objects to walk over to encourage Nate to pick his feet up higher. Not yet, though. He currently has to step over the frame of the corral panel gate to go in and out. He clears it well with the right foot, but still clips it with the left and the frame bar is only about half the thickness of a 4X4. One day at a time.

Later, as we changed his fly boot and flushed his heel, Nate voluntarily picked up his foot! We didn't hold it up very long, but the big news is that he remained stable with his foot held off the ground. He didn't lean, he didn't wobble, he didn't shift his weight. The sole and frog look clean and dry. Hopefully, by the time the farrier visits again in a few days, Nate will be able to stand for a very preliminary trim. All we're shooting for this time is to have the dead frog and sole removed and trim off a "wing" of hoof wall that is threatening to break off in an unpleasant way. In addition to not asking him to stand on three legs for a long time, we want to avoid changing his hoof angles drastically all at one time.

Finally, one more small milestone. When he arrived, Nate was unable to rest unless he leaned against a wall or door frame. Today, he stood squarely under his fan, head lowered, eyes slammed shut, dozing soundly with no external support.

Its amazing how many things we take for granted in our "normal" healthy horses. Standing on three legs when we ask them to. "Sleeping" standing up. Stepping over small obstacles in the field. Swishing flies with a healthy tail. Stomping at a fly on a leg. So many daily behaviors we may not take notice of until the ability to execute those behaviors is compromised.

Take some time to stop and watch your horses today. Watch them doing "nothing." Notice how many small maneuvers work together to allow a horse to stand around and do "nothing," and appreciate the perfection of Mother Nature's designs. She knows what she's doing.

Nate with Attitude!

I promise we'll get better photos (without the huge pipe panels in the way) but when the opportunity presents itself, you snap the shutter!

In less than 2 weeks, Nate's gone from this:

June 28, 2009

To this!

July 8, 2009

Miles to go, but what's the saying...........a journey of 1000 miles begins with but a single step........that may not be the exact wording, but you get the idea.