My Mare Makes Me Melt

Abby trotted without limping today as she came up to see me this evening. Her trot is so beautiful, and she even broke into a canter briefly. Lovely, lovely gaits.

Of course, the entire herd came along with her, all expecting some sort of nibble from me. Abby got hers, and then Mason, Trouble, and Hokey. Diablo, who is the alpha of the herd, made the boys leave so she could get her treat. To my surprise, Abby walked right up alongside her, and the two mares stood companionably together as I petted them.

Then, Abby pinned her ears at Diablo. Diablo did not get the message, so Abby actually nipped her to chase her off! This is the first time I have ever seen Abby be the dominant horse, except for her very first day when she put Trouble in his place when he got too nosy. Apparently Abby did not want any other horses hanging out with me tonight.

I have no idea how long the herd had been away from water, but they were not close to the trough when I arrived. So, I was surprised to receive a gusher when Abby opened her mouth to get her first carrot. And as I watched her throughout my visit, she continued to dribble water periodically, to the extent that I started watching her a little more closely. It is not normal horse behavior to carry that much water. I began to wonder if she had a sore tooth or something that was causing her to drool and which I was mistaking for water.

But her mouth did not seem sore - she chowed her carrots down with gusto. I also offered her some peppermints I'd gotten from various restaurants and had been saving for her. I'd never given her those before, but it was obvious someone had! She snarfed them right down and then proceeded to lick both my hands clean (er, as clean as they can be after being licked by a drooling horse.)

And then my little mare did something that melted my heart. Instead of going back to grazing with the rest of the herd when the treats were finished, she stayed and hung out with me. I began rubbing her neck, and then her jaw, her ears, and her crest. She would move her body so I could reach different places to scritch. She even turned her hips to me and was ecstatic when I rubbed her backside and the top of her tail.

My arm would get tired, and I'd stop for a moment. Abby would take a few steps, circle around, and present another part of herself for rubbing. I worked on her neck, her chest, her flanks, and her belly. More tail and backside rubbing. More circling around and coming back for some gentle rubbing.

It's times like that that your cares melt away while your heart melts with love for your mare.

The Drought and Economy Strike Again

And claim another victim. I got this sad Facebook message from a woman I went to high school with. My heart breaks for her!

Trina Corbett 7:47am Aug 26 Morning Lynn, not sure if you remember me or not but i went to schoool with you. I have seen you have horses, I have a buckskin mare and a donky, Beau and Lucky, i am needing to dfind a good home for them. My husband hurt his back and unable to work, so we cant afford them anymore and our kids are grown and no grandchildren, but they come together, they have always been together, very loving and gentle. W e are willing to give them for free, just no way to haul. Beau is (the vet said) about 13-15 years old and i am guessing thats how ould lucky is. Very well behaved, Beau hasn't been road since last year, when a frien paid andboarded them for us, so we wouldnt have to get rid of them, but things have not worked out financially for us to keep them:(. If your not interested maybe you might know someone. Thanks Trina

I can't take Beau and Lucky, but I have put out feelers into the horse community around here. I am crossing my fingers for Trina.

Will Move Fast for Carrots

When I arrived at the barn tonight, none of the horses were visible. They were all out in the far west pasture and out of sight.

Not wanting to hike all that way out to them, I whistled for Abby, and then unlatched the green gate and stepped into the pasture to wait for her arrival. The trough had overflowed and there was quite a bit of mud on the ground. I was figuring out a way to negotiate it when I looked up and realized that all five horses, not just Abby, were thundering my way! They'd heard that whistle and come running, hoping for a treat!

Now, I don't mind being surrounded by horses at all, but when five are stampeding your way with food on their minds, it's a good idea to be wary. I put my hand out and said, "Whoa" and Hokey and Trouble, who were in the lead, slid to a halt and sidled up to me, poking their noses out, searching for a treat.

Diablo, the herd alpha came in behind them, and that started some ear pinning and milling about. I thought it best to get out of the middle of that, so I slipped back through the gate, barely beating Trouble who thought he should accompany me.

Of course, then their heads were stretching over the gate, hoping, hoping, hoping for a nibble.

Abby always gets the first, the last, and the best treats. She knows it, and so do the other horses. She was behind them, standing by the trough, watching me intently. As soon as I stepped in her direction, she began nickering softly - my favorite sound that she makes.

She got two big carrots and then I gave everybody a sugar cube. (Hokey cracks me up - he does not know how to take a treat from your palm. He makes clumsy, sloppy, lipping motions trying to grab the snack!)

 A long draught from the tank before heading back out into the field for the evening.

From the left: Hokey, Trouble, Diablo, Abby, and Mason.

Buggy Ride!

As I pulled up the lane this evening on my nightly carrot run, I noticed Trouble and Hokey were a bit out of sorts and fussing around in the pasture. Tim's car was by the barn door, so I figured something was up.

Was I right. Tim was pulling out the doctor's buggy he had restored! And he invited me to go for a ride in it! I sure wasn't going to turn that offer down.

Diablo was in the barn, already tacked up, and since Tim was in the process of preparing the buggy, I ran in and got her for him. I held her while he hitched her to it, and then ran back inside and got some reins and helped get those attached to her bridle.

 First, though, he walked her around the buggy to familiarize her with it.

 She was fine! So I ran ahead and opened the gates so Tim could drive her into the north pasture and see how she did.

Tim told me it had been a long time since she'd been driven and he was hoping she'd remember what to do and behave. That made me a little hesitant, but I figured that, horseman that he is, Tim would not give me a ride unless she really was okay. And I was right - Diablo was beautifully behaved!

I used a small step stool to hop in and away we went. Tim told me that some automobile parts are named after buggies - the dash and the trunk, for example, are both parts of a buggy. And I asked about Diablo's training for driving; he has Amish friends who train horses and he sent her to them to teach her the ropes of pulling a buggy.

He even handed me the reins and let me drive her back to the barn and my car. I've never driven a horse before, so that was a fun first for me.

Tim drove off down the lane and came back, then headed over to the house where his daughter, Melanie, and her husband Brandon were waiting for an evening ride. And I drove off in my mechanized buggy.

Which wasn't nearly as fun.

School Has Started..

... and my barn time is really being squeezed!

School began for the kiddos on Tuesday, but teachers (i.e. moi) started Monday. And Monday was a twelve hour day for me since I had to stay for the open house in the evening. Needless to say, I did not make it to the barn that night.

Then we had some heavy rains Thursday evening - a blessing since we've been undergoing a drought, but it sure made for muddy pastures. Abby was waaaaaaay back in the west pasture when I got to the barn, it was pouring rain, and my barn shoes were still in the garage at home. No carrots for her that night!

The next day was Friday, and I took a personal day to go to Chicago with Craig to attend a wedding at the temple. Because of the travel time to and from the temple, it made for a long day. I was tired when we got home, plus I was not feeling well - Chicago traffic REALLY stresses me. Sometimes I get migraines, sometimes I get gastric issues, and sometimes I get both.

So, when I got home, I lay down on the bed "just for a moment." And fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in a bit of a panic - I'd offered to help decorate the church for the reception plus I needed to check the horses and fill the water trough. I shot off a text, asking if I was still needed to decorate even as late as it was, and then jumped in the car and zipped out to the barn.

I think Abby missed me. I didn't even have to call her. She was in the far west pasture again, but she saw my arrival and came charging up to the gate. I was actually in the pasture, preparing to hike down to her, when I saw her coming up through the pastures.

(She has such beautiful gaits! Her trot was floaty and she was a lovely sight as she came trotting up to where I was in the south pasture.)

I have never actually been in the pasture when she has come up at any gait other than a walk. I did not think she would run me over, but I admit I thought, "She's a rescue. I have no idea about her history and how she has been treated. It's possible she might not stop, expecting me to move out of her way instead."

But I really did not think she would hurt me. She can be sassy, but she has never been mean. Quite the opposite in fact. So, I stood my ground and as she got really close, I help my hand out in a stopping motion and quietly but firmly said, "Whoa."

She stopped. And then she walked over, greeted me, and had her carrots and a good rub. (She was a bit of a mud pie!)

I hope to settle into my fall schedule soon so Abby can have her regularly scheduled carrots!

Pegasi - Flying Horses

(From the blog Riding Aside.)

Ever wonder how the horses are transported internationally for the Olympics?

The most common in-air transport vehicle is a special container known as an Airstable. Looking very similar to a horse trailer without wheels, one unit holds three horses and locks onto a standard shipping pallet. Some have movable side panels within the box to accommodate different size horses.

The horses arrive at the airport via regular ground horse transportation such as a van or trailer. The airport will provide a quiet place to load horses into the Airstable. It is then moved by truck or tractor to the plane and moved into place in the cargo hold by cargo elevator and rollers on the floor of the plane. Some planes have the horse transport stalls built into the aircraft. Commercial flights may be restricted to certain airports, and they may be routed through a hub city, increasing the travel time substantially.
Once loaded, it’s not possible for the horses get out of the shipping boxes at all during the flight. According to one shipping agent, most flights are 6 to 10 hours, and rarely is a flight longer than 14 hours. The horses have room within the transport boxes to move a couple of steps back and forth and, as mentioned, some air boxes have adjustable panels. Most airlines do not take more than 6 containers, so 18 horses are usually the maximum head count allowed per flight. Weight as well as space is a factor in determining the cargo allowed.

 Although shipping by air can be stressful for some horses, particularly due to the noise and vibrations with certain aircraft, for the most part the flight itself is not much more stressful than it is for their human counterparts. Sedatives may be administered to problem horses, but horses are generally supplied with plenty of hay to keep them occupied. Although well-ventilated, the Airstables don’t have windows, just access doors for their human handlers to check on them. As with human passengers, the take-off and landings may be more problematic for some, but once the plane is in the air, it’s generally not as rough as an over-the-road trailer ride for the horse. Cross-oceanic flights often fly at higher altitudes than shorter domestic flights, so turbulence is not a major issue except in rare circumstances.
  

Some shippers offer experienced staff, sometimes referred to as grooms, to accompany the horses. Their job is to ensure the horses stay calm, to keep track of the consumption of food and water (hay bags are usually kept in front of the horse throughout the flight, but water is only offered in regular intervals to eliminate spillage and save space by keeping buckets out of the Airstable). Someone who is familiar with horses is necessary; someone that can recognize signs of distress and knows what to do about it. Some companies require their grooms be tested and qualified, including knowledge of veterinary issues as well as training in the different aircraft equipment they may deal with. The hours are long and due to the time changes, can be more stressful to the human passengers than to the horses. Often, the horses’ owners or personal handlers will accompany the stock on the trip, and some owners pay to have a veterinarian accompany valuable livestock.

Colic is the most common ailment during flights, and is difficult to deal with due to space constraints. Management via strict feed and water monitoring generally reduces the risk for all but the most unusual cases.

Toss those Carrots and Run!!

I went out to the barn earlier than usual this afternoon, heading out around 5:30 instead of my more normal late evening/after 8:00 PM. And a good thing I did, too.

Tim had emailed me earlier in the day that he'd moved the horses to the west pasture, but I was still a bit surprised to see the green gate by the water trough in the south pasture open. I could see tire tracks in the dirt; he'd been hauling hay through the gate. It was unusual that he'd left the gate open, but since the herd was in the far pasture, and with two more gates between them and the green one, they were safe. And perhaps it wasn't Tim; maybe the other boarder had been careless since the horses were in a different pasture and just had not bothered to close it.

I walked past the red gate (also open, to my surprise) into the north pasture and headed to the old barn to find Abby. Hokey spied me and came walking to the gate that separates the north pasture from the west pasture. To my consternation, I realized that that gate was open, too! I rushed toward it, hoping to swing it shut before Hokey got into the north pasture.

The gate was off its hinges and leaning against the fence. There was no way I could drag it shut and block Hokey from entering the north pasture.

The pasture with not one but two open gates.

Which could mean horses running loose.

Intent upon the treats he knew I was carrying, Hokey broke into a jog and quickly came through the gate. The rest of the herd had become aware of my presence and was heading over, too. Once they got into the north pasture, there was no way I could prevent them from getting out the open gates and freedom!

Thinking fast (and knowing that Hokey can be a bit of a pig) I tossed the carrots on the ground to distract him, knowing he'd stop to eat them. Then I took off at a run - I'm not fast at all, but my only hope was to get to the red gate and shut it before the horses reached it.

I hobbled as fast as I could go, and then my heart sank as I heard hoofbeats behind me. Hokey had finished the carrots and was pursuing me in the hopes of getting some more! Luckily, I barely beat him to the red gate and was able to swing it shut just as he got there.

Whew!! I felt pretty shaky, knowing what a close call that had been. I latched the gate with the chain and then called Tim to let him know that someone had left the gates open, but he did not pick up. So I texted him and then went and closed the green gate - I wanted EVERY possible escape avenue shut down!

Tim texted me back right away - sheepishly admitting that HE had left the gates open! Whoops! He asked me to reopen the red gate so the horses had access to the water trough, which I did, and then I went home.

I am now almost to the point where I can smile about what happened. I imagine Hokey was pretty surprised when those carrots came flying at him! I wish I could've seen his face but I was too busy hustling to beat him to the gate.

And I've been thinking back to the day I got Abby, and how that evening I had a very strong sense of the Lord's happiness for me having a horse again, that sense of fondness and "Just wait until you see what I have in store for you" I had felt as I prayed.

Now I wonder if the Lord was smiling and thinking then that one of those "things in store for me" was the time I would toss those carrots and RUN. And the image made Him smile and send me that paternal feeling.

It probably DID look funny.

Tim's Insight on Hooves

After seeing some truly disturbing and heart-wrenching photos of Abby's hooves pre-rescue, I emailed Tim to ask about how the rescuers had handled her hoof problem - from the photos, it seems they decided to take a lot off all at once, with the consequence being that she was in pain from the remedy. You can see her in later pictures standing holding her leg in front of herself, a definite "pain pose" for a horse whose feet are hurting.

I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps they could've tried a less painful method for her.

Below is Tim's response. I especially love his last sentence.

Lynn
For some reason I was unable to see the photos.  However, I can tell you that I do not have a lot of experience working with severely damaged hooves.  I mostly just have practical training trimming feet on healthy horses.  I do remember the photos of abby’s and her feet and they were bad.  The decision to make a drastic rather than an incremental fix was probably made as much for convenience as for health.  Getting the hoof out of its neglected state immediately was probably paramount.  I am not sure that it was wrong or right – but it definitely was an improvement over what it was.
Unfortunately neglecting feet can cause long term damage to the hoof growing point as well as indirect damage to ligaments and tendons.  While Abby may never be 100%, I do not see her hurting excessively.  Your eye is better than mine, however.  Sometimes a good farrier can adjust things as well.
It it was me, I would just up her daily carrot allotment :).

Tim

Just Call Me Bird-Brain

Hmmmm, looks like Trouble has gotten jealous of me lavishing Abby with carrots and is trying to imitate her Appaloosa-ness in hopes of getting more for himself.

Time to quit standing under the barn swallows, ya bird brain!!

Horsey Teacher + Horsey Students + Horses = Happiness

I invited two of my horsey students out to the barn this evening to meet Abby and her pasture pals. The two girls remind me of myself at their ages - die-hard horse lovers!

MP is going to be an eighth grader at East Tipp, takes riding lessons, and wants to be an attorney working for animal rights. (Needless to say, she was quite interested in Abby's history.) MH will be a fifth grader in my class this fall. She, too, takes lessons and dreams of buying a Friesian some day.

 MP and MH meet Abby - I love this photo of the girls petting Abby and her obvious enjoyment of their attention.

 Of course, you-know-who has to poke his nose into everything. 

 He was fascinated with MH's hair and kept trying to grab it and tug it.

 Here he frisks CP for carrots while Hokey yawns with his mouth wide open.

Hokey nearly fell asleep under MH's ministrations.

The herd got far more carrots than usual and were quite happy with that! And, continuing the happy train of thought, Abby did some trotting and cantering, and her limp was far less noticeable tonight. In fact, it was absent part of the time. Maybe with more time she will heal completely? I can only hope for her sake that that becomes a reality.

Abby's Hoof Close Up

As I watched the newscasts of Abby's rescue, it struck me that the close-up photo of one horse's slippered hoof might be Abby's. I had been told that her hooves were in the worst shape of any of the rescued horses, and it made sense that they would take photos to document the neglect when the animal welfare people went to court to petition to confiscate the animals.

I looked more closely at the photo, and the red-brown color on the leg was the same as Abby's. So I pulled out some pictures of the white marking on her left foreleg, the one that she limps on.

No surprise, the markings matched. That WAS poor Abby's hoof they documented.

The photo taken from the newscast on my computer.

Look carefully. The hoof has curved upward and actually is rubbing her fetlock. That must've been painful.

 The white marking on her leg has become dirty from the rubbing.

So, after looking at the newscast and these photos several times, I began wondering how her hoof got from this picture (above) to this one (below.)

In order to remove the overgrowth, they had to trim all that off. And, since horses' hooves are like fingernails, that would have made her very sore since so much had to be cut off at once.

Which is why she is standing like this, pointing that leg out so she's not putting any weight on it.

The process of getting her hoof back into good shape after that major trim would take nearly a year. Not only had it grown overlong, it had grown to the side, most likely due to  the way she stood to alleviate the pain from it as it grew out.

As I take all this in and think about the situation she was in, I wonder about her personality. Clearly, she is people-oriented. She loves to hang out with me, and comes when she is called. She is gentle, and easy to catch and halter. I have sat companionably next to her while she eats her hay, and she "touches base" by nudging me every few mouthfuls just to say "hello."  Or walks over to make contact while grazing knowing full well I do not have a treat for her - just because she wants to be with me. Never does she give any indication that she was beaten or hurt by the people who previously owned her.

So why, if they treated her so well physically, would they allow her feet to get so bad? And starve her pasture pals?

I cannot make sense of it.

More on Abby's History

Last night I was surprised to find another news story on Abby's abuse, the second one I have seen. It was filmed when the abuse was first discovered and was interesting to look at, especially since Abby was featured in it several times.

I had been told that, since she was a 4H horse, she had been better fed than the others, and that appeared true, especially when I compared her condition to others on the property. In fact, she did not look underweight to me at all. And she appeared to be in clean surroundings, unlike many of the other horses. The newscast said that the owner refused to relinquish six horses; my guess is she was one of those six.

But her hooves were in bad shape, and in the video you can see her standing with her left foreleg held in front of her - that takes the weight off it and is indicative of pain. And it made me smile (if you can smile during a video documenting neglect of animals) that it was her tail that first caught my attention in the video - she has a distinctive tail swish (up-down-up-down-circle-slap-to-the-left-slap-to-the-right-repeat) that she does during fly season, and her tail is a-whirling on the video!

Below are some pictures from the newscast. They are of poor quality since I took them with my iPhone camera while the newscast was rolling, but they do give you an idea of where Abby came from and what she endured.

 Abby and two of her better-fed barn mates. Look at that tail swish!

But, notice how she is standing while holding her left foreleg out - obviously it hurts her.

 One of the Marion County Animal Control workers brings Abby some feed.

There goes the tail again!

A close-up of her hoof. It has grown over to the side and, due to the jagged appearance, looks to me like it either broke off or was badly chopped off during a trim.

Regardless, I look at that and my heart breaks for her. That's evidence of long-time neglect of her hooves. It must've been painful for quite some time.

Another photo - note the swishy tail, but more sobering, look at how again Abby is standing with her left foreleg pointed out. That is to take the weight off it and a big indicator of pain.

 The barn where Abby and two other horses were living when rescued. Actually, this makes me feel better - it looks clean and the yard around the barn has been kept picked up. The barn looks newer and thus safer - less torn metal, broken boards, etc. that you get in old barns.

 Another barn on the property was in poorer shape.

 A view of part of the property.

 The newscast filmed this empty water bucket.

And this one as well, although it appears to have some in the bottom of it.

It was jarring to see the little mare I have come to love, the one who comes when I call and who nickers in greeting, in pain. While I am glad she did not seem to have been too hungry or thirsty, and that she did not appear to have suffered abuse in the form of beatings or whippings, I still dislike seeing photos of her in such obvious pain. It is no wonder that she still limps at any gait faster than a walk. 

But Abby also has that indomitable Appaloosa spirit and resiliency - those horses were bred to be so by the Nez Pierce Indians in order to ensure their survival. And probably that stood her in good stead in her last home. 

She's in her forever home now, and will never, ever suffer neglect again.

That's a promise, Abby.