Lindy Reminds Us to "Rethink"

Re-evaluate.  One of TREES’ cardinal rules.  Nothing is written in stone.  What worked last year may not be appropriate this year.  What works this summer may not be necessary next spring.

When Lindy first arrived at Traveller’s Rest, her history included “an old shoulder injury.”  No more detail than that – no clues telling us what type of injury, when the injury occurred or how it was treated or managed.  We could tell by the asymmetry of her front feet that she carried more of her weight on one side, keeping as much load as possible off of the other but had no additional information.

At rest or while grazing, Lindy appeared to be pain free but when moving at any gait faster than a walk, she was noticeably uncomfortable.  Most problematic was asking her to stand for hoof trimming.  Even though she is an extremely kind and willing mare, it was impossible for her to balance her weight on her “bad” foreleg while the other was lifted for trimming.

We added Previcox (COX II inhibitor anti-inflammatory drug) to Lindy’s daily routine. At about the same time, reluctantly, we began using sedation on Lindy’s trim days.  The first time we tried dormosedan gel (sedative/painkiller often used in “standing procedures” on horses,) using the dose listed on the label for horses her size, Lindy still struggled to stand on the affected leg.  During the rest of the trim, however, she seemed so deeply sedated that she was almost sitting on Ernie, her farrier.  For each subsequent trim, the dose was reduced. Even so, by the third trim using sedation, Lindy stood quietly, but was still leaning on Ernie for support.

Today, Lindy’s scheduled pedicure day, as I picked up the tube of dormosedan gel, I hesitated.  Something told me to put the box back on the shelf. I did.  When Ernie arrived, I let him know we were going to try trimming Lindy with no sedation this time.   

Lindy - Arab mare in her late 20's

The little mare was perfect.  No anxiety. No apparent discomfort.  No fidgeting.  Perfect.  Maybe her shoulder just needed more time to heal.  Maybe the healing was due to a change in pasture mates.  None of the other mares with her do anything to cause anxiety or sudden defensive movements.  Maybe it’s the Previcox keeping her comfortable.  The next step, I think, will be to attempt to wean her from the drug and see what happens.  Perhaps she no longer needs it. 

Nothing is written in stone here.  Sometimes changes are recommended by veterinarians. Some new ideas come to us by way of Facebook or Blog followers.  Other adaptations, like today’s change, seem to come from the horses themselves.  If we listen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow! And just now, as I type while the sun reemerges after hours of rain………Blondie, Emily and Nellie cantered a big circle around their pasture, feeling quite fine…… and then comes Lindy, trotting behind.  Not far, not fast, but an even, relaxed trot.  Awesome.

What Its All About

This

is what its all about at TREES.

Maryanna, mid-20's

August 29, 2010

And.........

as a reminder:

This was Maryanna on May 6, 2010

Sherman's Progress

Narration not really necessary!

Sherman, November 10, 2009

Sherman, March 18, 2010

Meet Kelley -Arrived Mar 15, 2010

Please say Hello to "Kelley," a beautiful Quarter Horse gelding, estimated to be in his early to mid twenties.  Kelley arrived at Traveller's Rest Monday, March 15, 2010, following a week-long stay at Woodside Equine Clinic in Ashland, VA.

Our new boy is not nearly as thin as some of our new arrivals have been, but does have a few problems to be resolved. 

On admission to Woodside, Kelley's hooves were overgrown, accompanied by thrush and a thick sole that were addressed by a farrier late last week.  He was very "foot sore" at that time and still exhibits some tenderness when not on grass or soft dirt or in a thickly bedded stall.  He also stands over at the knee.  Xrays showed "ossification (transtition of tendon to bone) of the deep digital flexor tendon as it approached the coffin bone."  While we not sure if that is the cause of the abnormal stance, it is definitely affecting Kelley's range of motion.

Another issue is damage and calcification of the deep digital flexor tendon and/or susensory ligaments of the navicular bone in the right hind.  At this time Kelley holds that heel off the ground.  We're hoping as he gets more (supervised) exercise, the tendon may resume more normal function, but will be looking into therapeutic options in the meantime.

Kelley's lameness issues are thought to be related to chronically overgrown and unbalanced hooves.  Only time will tell how much, if any, of the damage can be "undone."

Meawhile, Kelley's personality lurks just below the surface.  He appears to want interaction with humans, but is a little timid.  I get the idea, though, that once he is comfortable in his new surroundings, we may have another Clown Prince in our midst.

"Leave It At The Gate" Reminder

Seems to be time for a gentle reminder to leave certain feelings at the gate when visiting the residents of Traveller's Rest.

Our residents may be elderly and have special health considerations in most cases, but all are still vital, perceptive representatives of the equine world.  Remember that horses are very sensitive to their handlers' moods and emotions.  When you work with a horse and focus on past mistreatment or current health issues to the extent that it causes obvious anger or anxiety, the horse picks up on those emotions.  Very often, anxious handlers cause horses to be anxious as well.

In trying to keep our residents' environment stress-free, we ask that visitors focus on more positive aspects of the Elders' present lives.  Focus on progress they've made, whether that progress is measured in leaps or in baby steps.  If hearing stories of past treatment causes anger, or if you cannot look past issues yet to be resolved, let us know and we will help you find another horse with which to spend your time.  Anger and anxiety are understandable reactions to certain situations, but neither benefits the Elders. 

That said, here's a picture of progress:

Sherman today, February 20, 2010

And as a reminder, here is Sherman November 10, 2009

Is Sherman fully "rehabbed?"  Not yet.  He needs to put on a few more pounds and there are still some issues requiring further diagnostics, but the baby steps are piling up.  A lesson in patience for those of us who wanted him to recover at a faster pace, but Progress none the less!

Sherman's Rehab Plan

One of TREES facebook fans (Thanks, Michelle!) asked if we would share Sherman's diet plan.

Our reply:

"Oh, sure! Before he got here, Sherman was obviously not getting much to eat, let alone getting a good diet. When he did get anything in addition to some hay, we were told it was an inexpensive general livestock grain. Usually that means a lot of whole oats, whole corn and other whole grains that an older horse can't chew and, therefore, can't digest. When he got here, he'd had very serious diarrhea for some time.

For his first meal, he got half a flake of grass hay. No senior feed right then. At the next meal, he was offered 2 cups of Triple Crown senior feed, soaked, then another half flake of hay. (He is given senior feed in four small meals during the day.) The next day, we gave him a whole flake of hay at a time since he didn't seem to be wolfing it down. On the third day, we began slowly increasing the portion of senior feed and introducing small handfuls of soaked alfalfa cubes.

The only thing we added to the hay and senior feed to this point was some ProBios. In general, unless recommended by the vet, we try not to introduce a lot of new things to a gut that's already in an uproar. After about 5-6 days, the diarrhea was more of an intermittent problem rather than a constant issue, then we figured out that some of the hay had clover in it and that seemed to be what he was sensitive to.

We eliminated the clover and started adding Accel (thank you, Dover Saddlery!) to two meals a day since it contains probiotic ingredients. That seemed to do the trick, and though Sherman occasionally has softer manure than normal, its still well formed and not a major concern at this point.

Right now, Sherman is eating four meals a day, each consisting of 2-1/4 qt of senior feed and 1-1/2 qt of alfalfa, free choice grass hay and Accel 2x/day. Since he does still have some soft manure now and then, we're going to be very cautious introducing him to grass. We'll probably continue to increase his feed portions until he's getting 3 quarts 4x/day and maintain that diet until he regains the weight he needs.

Keep in mind that this is a customized Sherman Rehab Plan. We have a general outline we follow for each horse, but the details are always different."

Drum Roll, Please!

BRrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdTT !!

Sometime last night, the shell cracked open and, both literally and figuratively, Sherman emerged!  Rather than staying sequestered in his stall all day and night, Sherm is now strolling outside on a frequent basis.  His eye has softened, he's inquisitive and seeking attention.  A far cry from the timid guy of the past few days.

Because he is very thin and is showing some physical signs that may point to Cushings, we are proceeding cautiously with Sherman's refeeding program.   Lack of weight can sometimes mask the severity of illnesses like Cushings and we want to avoid tiggering any complications like an episode of laminitis.

It appears Sherman is over his suspicion about the camera being a predator.  Don't be surprised if you see a lot of closeups of his nose from here on out!

Going on

As many of our regular visitors and volunteers know, September was a hard month around here.

Mike & I lost our own very old mule Churchill. It was not entirely unexpected, Church has a very difficult time last winter and was on a slow steady decline. We envisioned a departure before temperatures dropped for the coming winter, but Church set his own timetable. Even though we thought we were prepared, it was a difficult "good-bye."

Three weeks later, Oracle set her own timetable.

In another week + 1 day, Emma let us know it was time to move on. Emma's departure, like Churchill's, was not a total surprise. We had been working to identify and treat the cause of some sudden neurological impairment, were making tremendous progress, when Wham! One night our elegant belle could hardly stay on her feet. Final necropsy results are still pending, but it looks like arthritic changes in several vertebrae put pressure on her spine. There was nothing we could have done to "make her better."

Knowing we made the right decision before Emma went down for good helps ease the sorrow, but also causes frustration that something as "mundane" as arthritis is the ultimate reason for many equine euthanasias. This is the second confirmed case of vertebral arthritis causing irreparable spine damage at TREES. Our one comfort is that neither horse seemed to be in pain, something that puzzles us and our veterinarian.

At any rate, now that a couple of weeks have passed, its time to move on. Time to look to the future and make plans that will honor those who have passed through our gates. More educational programs. More community outreach.

More spiritual growth. Yes, we must learn from the past, but we must also focus on the future. Aim high to honor the past.

Honor the Wisdom.

*****Please See Below

Church (our favorite photo)

Ori

Emma

*****These three losses do not indicate that TREES has space to take in three more horses! It does mean that we had room to move those in rehab paddocks into proper turnout.