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Home » Horse care » Page 5

Lameness and My Mare Jessie

May 7, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Lameness and My Mare Jessie

The topic is:  How do YOU decide medical issues involving your horse.  How much weight do you place on quality of life issues?  How much do you place on usability of your horse?  And, finally, how much weight do you place on the cost of evaluation and treatment?

I want you to tell me about your stories and situations, so here is my story.  My Foundation Quarter Horse mare Jessie means everything.  I got her in 2007, when I was 53.  She was 7 years old, had 90 days of professional training put on her, and had had 2 foals.  She was and is a perfect fit.

My Learning Curve

We spent our first 3 years working through the Downunder Horsemanship Beginner and Intermediate Series (Riding with Confidence and Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground back then).  With Clinton’s help, I learned most of what I know about horsemanship on Jessie.  We competed in  trail classes and team sorting.  We rode everywhere, and she was a rock star.  She is strong-willed, but I always felt safe on her.  One key moment with Jessie I remember happened in the saddle.  We were loping over some uneven ground and I lost my balance and was way off to one side.  I felt her kind of dip down and move underneath me to keep the situation from getting worse.  She picked me up, and it’s a moment in horsemanship I will not forget.

Medical Issues

lameness

My logbook entry.

On one of our rides she stepped into a gopher hole and bumped her shoulder.  She limped for about a month, but finally improved and we were riding again.  I keep a diary or logbook of sorts for the horses and there is an entry in March 2014 of a “sign of limp @ trot in right front.  Not severe.”  In April I noted a right rear lameness, and by May there were no more notations.

My next entry (for lameness) was in February 2016.  On one of our regular rides on the Kern River we stopped at a local bar for a beer and burger.  It was about a 3-mile ride out.  After standing tied while we ate, we got mounted for the ride home and Jessie was noticeably limping.  The limp got worse, and I gave her Bute as an anti-inflammatory.  After talking with the farrier, we thought she might have a sole bruise.  I applied a sole toughener product to her hooves.

While things improved, she continued with occasional lameness.  In April 2016,  a vet evaluated her situation.   Ultrasound, nerve blocking, and x-rays offered no definitive diagnosis.  The next level of testing was an MRI at a cost of about $2,000.  There was no guarantee it would determine exactly what was going on either.  I declined the additional testing.  The vet recommended modified shoes, Prevocox, and stall rest.  Jessie has never worn shoes and I didn’t take the shoeing recommendation either.  The cost of this exam was around $500.

Swim Therapy

There is a place here in Bakersfield, Equine Spa & Wellness Center, that uses swim therapy.  I had tried to do a podcast with Mia the owner, but I botched the audio and we never got back together.  Then, she sent me a promotional email about a summer special – a month of swimming for $700.  We had two trips planned for late June and early July.  This would be the perfect time to send Jessie to therapy.

They started her off with one minute walking on the first day.  By the end of the month she was trotting underwater for 15 minutes.  She also was on the hot-walker and another device, the Equi-vibe (I think).

Anyway, by the time we got back, she was in great shape.  There was no noticeable limp or any sign of lameness.  I took her on a trail ride in the nearby mountains and she went up and down the grades like a billy goat.

Lameness Returns

After a wet winter, a friend invited us to ride the foothills near her home.  It was January 2019, and a group of us set off and rode for about 2 hours.  It was the first ride Jessie had had in at least a month.  Problems showed up after the first hour and got worse on our way back to the ranch.  She was quite sore the next day.

Over the next few months she would get better, then relapse.  We walked on most of our rides and never far at that.  The limp continued.  Sometimes I saw it on the right.  Sometimes I saw it on the left.  Finally, realizing it wasn’t getting better, I tried another vet.

Another Evaluation

It was a carbon copy of the what the first vet had done 3 years earlier.  First, try to identify the lameness.  Then, block the spot he thinks was lame.  Here, it was the left front.  Once numb, Jessie showed lameness in her right front.  Then there were x-rays that showed healthy navicular bones.  After two hours of examination, The vet said the same as the first.  It looked like navicular, but wasn’t.  However, he would treat it like it was.  We would use the egg-butt shoes, and Bute.  Only instead of stall rest, his suggestion was to work her.

This made sense.  When I looked back over my notes, I noticed all of her lameness episodes showed up early in the year after a layoff.  The work Jessie did at Equine Spa was low-impact but intense.  She got conditioned and improved.

Results

So far it is too early to tell.  The special shoes with the gel insoles were $165.  I purchased 200 grams of Bute for about $100.  The second vet exam was $1,000, but included vaccinations for all of our horses.

The Bute has made her visibly more comfortable and I am happy about that.  We get to ride at least 4 times a week.  Jessie was clumsy on the new shoes at first.  They really change the angle of her feet.  She’s getting better.  More importantly, I am doing something instead of nothing, and I am getting to ride her again.  And I get comfort in both of those things.

Join Us on this Journey

I’m not the best community builder.  I will need your help for that.  I’m not the best at conversation. Let’s change it up together.  I hope you will join me.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show.  You can email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #141

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Downunder Horsemanship, Education, Horse care, Horse-keeping, Horsemanship, Training Jessie

Horse-keeping in the Wet Weather

February 26, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

horse-keepingHorse-keeping in the Wet Weather

I like to think I am better at horse-keeping than this, but gosh, I feel terrible.  The horses’ pens are a soupy mess!  And, they’ve been that way for some time now.  The poor guys (and gal) have to slide around in sloppy muck and mud.  What do you do this time of year when the rain overwhelms your facility?

We have three horses on our half-acre parcel.  Our home takes up a quarter, the horses’ pens take up a third, and the remainder is lawn, hay storage, and garden.  We’ve been out here for nearly 40 years and our horses have been on the property most of that time.  Their hooves have packed down the ground so it’s not only lower than the surrounding area, it is as hard as concrete.  When it rains, it acts like a bowl and fills with water.  If the rain comes hard and fast, I can pump it out with my submersible pump.  But, when it rains over an extended period like it has the last month, it’s too soupy to pump.

Several years ago, I brought in some decomposed granite to raise some of the areas.  It was a difficult maneuver as the delivery person had to negotiate our septic tank and leach line.  That helped.  Dusty has a space in his pen that is a bit more elevated than the others and he has a dry spot.  The other two do not.  Then, I learned that decomposed granite isn’t the best.  The stone pieces have sharp edges that can put micro-cuts into the horse skin when they lay down.  But sand isn’t good either for obvious reasons.  So, what do you use?

How to Make a Mare Cranky

I’ve come to learn that there is nothing more that can make my mare cranky than standing in a muddy pen.  While we are in this predicament, I am much more generous with the food.  We’ve taken to feeding the horses smaller flakes four times a day.  That seems to help some…but, with the weather being, well, wet…we haven’t been able to ride much.  They are taking in all this energy and not getting to use it.  Somehow this seems to me to be a recipe for disaster.

I’d like to let them out on our grassy area, but it is too wet.  If history is any indication, they will run around and tear this part of our yard up making it useless for the spring ahead.  For now, it’s a situation for sitting tight and hope the rain stops.

Summer will be here soon enough.

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Horse care, horse health, Horse-keeping

Winter Riding Taking It Easy

February 12, 2019 by John 2 Comments

Winter Riding

How is your 2019?  Ours has been a bit wetter than normal, but riding is still a top priority.  We ride differently in the wintertime compared to other times of the year.  We take easy on the horses.  The rides are generally walk/trot and geared more to running the dogs than working the horses.  Do you have different styles at different times of the Winter ridingyear?

As horses age, it gets a bit more challenging to ride like we rode when they were younger.  Dusty is 23 and Jessie is 19 years old now.  And, of course, Ranae and I are in our mid-sixties, so we are no spring chickens either.  We vaccinate regularly, but Dusty came down with a case of the flu.  He was off his feed and his temperature was 105!  We got him to the vet.  He was treated with immune system stimulants, long-acting antibiotics, fluids, and mineral oil.  Thankfully he rebounded quickly.  In a week or so he was back to his old self.

Having a Spare Horse

A reoccurring, nagging injury plagues Jessie, my 19-year-old mare.   It’s one of those very frustrating types of injuries.  It first appeared 3 or 4 years ago as a mild lameness.  A workup and evaluation by one of the top vets in our area came to no definitive conclusion.  After stall rest and a month of hydrotherapy (swimming on a treadmill), she bounced back nicely.

In early January we rode with a group in the foothills.  The terrain was a lot of up and down and the footing was a bit rocky.  Yep, you guessed it.  The lameness came back.

Scratch, the Tehachapi mustang, is a blessing.  During Dusty’s illness, my wife rode Jessie.  When Jessie was down, Scratch stepped in.

So other than keeping the horses healthy, it’s been a challenge keeping the pens dry.  Here in central California,  rain and dry weather alternate.  Just about the time the pens dry out, another storm arrives in to dump more water.  It’s good for the countryside and the farmers.  I’m not complaining.  It just takes a little more diligence on our part to keep the horses comfortable.

The Podcast and Other Projects

Producing new shows is challenging.  Currently, I’m enrolled in two classes at Bakersfield College.  I’m trying to improve my storytelling skills by taking a video production class.  A woodworking class helps maintain my sanity.  All the back episodes are still available through iTunes and on the website.  I could use your help.  For years learning more about your horse and horsemanship was the focus of the show.  Do you think that is still a valid area to focus?  Many people get their information from a local trainer, online program, or barn mate.  There are stories about horses and horsemanship I want to tell.  They take a little more work to uncover.  Not everyone wants to talk to a guy with a microphone, but I’m trying.

If you have an idea for a story please pass it along.  Thanks again for hanging out, and go have some fun with your horses!

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Fun Stuff, Horse care, Horse-keeping, horseback riding, trail riding

BHP Summit Recap

October 24, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

BHP Summit Recap

BHP SummitThe BHP Summit is in the books.  Organizers and participants called it very successful.  Ranae and I enjoyed the educational seminars, the teaching clinics, and the town of Durango.  The weather was near perfect and every participant we talked to had only good things to say.

There were many excellent academic presentations.  One early morning elective even had us holding a horse’s brain in the palm of our hands.  Learning how a horse learns from a scientific perspective was the focus of the BHP Summit.

We made some new friends, Brian and Charlene Stephenson of East Point Horspice in Nebraska.  What began for them as a horse hospice has grown into a therapeutic riding center and horse retirement home.  We got a chance to talk with them and they are doing some wonderful work.  Brian sent some wonderful photos of the work they do at East Point Horspice.  Please check them out below.

Another person we had the opportunity to meet was Letitia Glen of Natural Horseman Saddles.  She sat down with me to talk about saddle fit and design.

Film crews surrounded every presentation and we understand that videos of the BHP Summit will be available in 2018.  Check out Best Horse Practices for details.  One video I would highly recommend is the session with Randy Reiman and Bryan Neubert.  These cowboys are great storytellers and their tribute to Bill and Tom Dorrance is priceless.

Tell Us Your Problems

Have a problem with your horse?  Do you have a favorite trainer you would like to hear from?  Send us your question and the name of your favorite trainer and we’ll see if we can contact them and get you an answer.  Email John@whoapodcast.com or call on our message line (661) 368-5530 (toll charges may apply).

Become a Patron!

Get Free Helpful Horse Tips

There is a “Join Our Email” list at the top of this page.  Sign up.  Occasionally, I’ll send you something useful you can use to build a better relationship with your horse. Thanks!

Contact Us

We have well over 100 episodes up now and you can find them all for free on iTunes, with our Android App in the Amazon store, and now Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are distributed.  Get the Stitcher app and tell us how it works.  We are on Google Play too!  You can also find every episode and more about the show at whoapodcast.com.  Please take a moment and join our email list. Get in on the conversation with Facebook and Twitter and Instagram– just look for WhoaPodcast.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show.  You can email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #123

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Entertainment, Horse care, Horsemanship, Inspiration

Sacramento Wild Horse Program with Joe Misner

August 22, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Joe MisnerSacramento Wild Horse Program with Joe Misner

Joe Misner has competed in 13 Extreme Mustang Makeovers.  He placed in the top ten in 9 of those competitions.  And, Joe Misner loves teaching what he has learned about wild horses.  Joe is dedicated to helping America’s wild horses and prisoners looking to change the path of their life.

Joe Misner is the manager of the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center Wild Horse Program.  He has developed a horsemanship program for inmates of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department.  The prisoners learn to train wild mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management.  The horses are auctioned off and the proceeds go to the Mustang Heritage Foundation.  It’s a win-win situation for both the inmates, wild mustangs, and Joe Misner.

The Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center’s next adoption sale is October 14 at 9 am.  Find out all the information at Friends of R3C dot com.

Best Horse Practices Summit

Horse SummitRanae and I are headed to Durango in October for the Best Horse Practices Summit.  This intimate horse expo brings together experts from all aspects of horse behavior and is sure to add to our horse knowledge.  The BHP Summit is limiting attendance to 200 people ensuring everyone gets the focus and attention they need.  We are looking to take away valuable horsemanship tools from the Summit and hope to meet you there.  You can register here.

Tell Us Your Problems

Have a problem with your horse?  Do you have a favorite trainer you would like to hear from?  Send us your question and the name of your favorite trainer and we’ll see if we can contact them and get you an answer.  Email John@whoapodcast.com or call on our message line (661) 368-5530 (toll charges may apply).

Become a Patron!

Get Free Helpful Horse Tips

There is a “Join Our Email” list at the top of this page.  Signup.  Occasionally, I’ll send you something useful you can use to build a better relationship with your horse. Thanks!

Contact Us

We have well over 100 episodes up now and you can find them all for free on iTunes, with our Android App in the Amazon store, and now Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are distributed.  Get the Stitcher app and tell us how it works.  We are on Google Play too!  You can also find every episode and more about the show at whoapodcast.com.  Please take a moment and join our email list. Get in on the conversation with Facebook and Twitter and Instagram– just look for WhoaPodcast.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show.  You can email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #114

http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Sacramento_Wild_Horse_Program_Joe_Mi.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: horse, Horse care, Horsemanship, Training, wild mustang

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