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Home » Training Jessie

Update on Jessie’s Lameness

June 25, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Update on Jessie’s Lameness

jessieMy 19-year-old Foundation Quarter Horse mare, Jessie, has been struggling with lameness since the first of the year.  You can find out the background from a post in early May here: Lameness and My Mare Jessie

After going through the lameness evaluation process and taking it up to the point of an MRI, we decided on a treatment program.  Jessie would get one gram of Bute morning and night.  We would shoe her front feet with egg-butt shoes to increase her break-over angle.  Additionally, we packed her sole with a gel product to protect her feet.  The last part of her treatment program involved riding her 3-5 times a week.

Progress?

Well, it’s difficult to tell.  The vet stated that her lameness score went from a “3” to a “2”.  The doctor wanted us to move forward to the MRI.  Jessie is an aged horse not used in competition.  We enjoy trail riding and trail trials.  We generally do both activities at a walk.  There is no guarantee the MRI would provide a definitive diagnosis.  The most prudent approach seems to enjoy her for as long as we are able.  I suppose we could breed her.  She has good bloodlines, a good mind, and the lameness is a genetic defect.  It’s something to consider.

For now, we have changed her medication from Bute to Equioxx.  I’ll still take her out for exercise 3-5 times a week.  If she doesn’t improve, I may try swim therapy.  There is a place in town that offers it may help.

I’ll keep you updated on our progress.

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show.  Tell us about your horse.  Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique.  Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone.  Or, contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone.  Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

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.  Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #148

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Horse care, horse health, Horse-keeping, Training Jessie, veterinary, Whoa Podcast 2.0

The Medicine Bucket

May 24, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

medicine bucketThe Medicine Bucket

We have three horses.  Occasionally, they have to take medicine by mouth.  Sometimes that medicine is bitter. That’s where the medicine bucket come in handy.

One supplement we regularly give our horses is a mineral product designed to fill in the deficiencies of the alfalfa hay grown in our area.  Our vet recommends it.  Each horse gets 2 cups a day in pellet form mixed with a bit of water to soften it up.  The minerals are not overwhelming.  The consistency is like straight alfalfa pellets.   All three horses enjoy getting it in the afternoon.  As a matter of fact, when I am mixing up the medicine buckets, they hear me stirring the mixture and nicker.

Different Horses, Different Reactions

Scratch, the mustang, had to learn about the medicine bucket.  Being out in the wild, he had no knowledge a bucket of goodies existed.  He learned quickly.  If there is a flake of alfalfa in his stall and the bucket on the fence, Scratch will start with the alfalfa.  If I add medicine to the bucket, I better add some sugar or salt to improve the flavor, or he will ignore it.

Dusty is the most skeptical.  If there is a hint of anything else in his bucket, he’ll hold out for his alfalfa.  Bute, an anti-inflammatory, must taste bitter.  For dusty, I have to start off with a low dose and gradually work my way up to the prescribed dose.  He is the toughest of the three.

Jessie is the easiest.  She lives for food.  Jessie doesn’t think of treats as treats, she believes them to be essential.  And necessary to her survival.  And she better get them every day or she has a tantrum.  Yeah, I spoil her. But, giving her medicine is a snap.  If a medication is extremely bitter, adding a tablespoon of sugar is all that is necessary.

I made a short video of my bucket procedure with jessie.  You can watch it below.

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Horse care, horse health, horse tips, Horse-keeping, Training Jessie

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

Clinton of Downunder Horsemanship Rebroadcast

December 26, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Clinton Anderson of Downunder Horsemanship Rebroadcast

Downunder HorsemanshipI began following Clinton Anderson and Downunder Horsemanship before he titled his program the Method.  It was 2005, I was 51 and was helping my wife get through a tough time with her horse.  I had never owned a horse of my own, but the techniques I learned through the DVD programs gave me the confidence to get my first horse.  Truth be told, I owned a stick and string, halter, and Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground, before I even began looking for my first horse.

Because I’m a bit on the frugal side, I volunteered for and work at three Walkabout Tours.  One of them was the first Tour-cation event in Las Vegas.  After the last of the work was completed on Sunday night, I couldn’t sleep and went down to the casino at the South Point.  Clinton came in later with a few friends at sat down to play Blackjack.  Moving quickly to his table, I had the best time losing $60 as Clinton kept the dealer, other players, and even the pit boss smiling.  (Well, I don’t believe pit bosses are allowed to smile.)

Later, I would document my progress with my American Quarter Horse, Jessie on our YouTube Channel and generate over a half a million views!

Celebrating Our 100th Episode

The Whoa Podcast was originally titled the DUH Podcast as an homage to Downunder Horsemanship.  We later changed the name because people thought we were affiliated with the company.  We are NOT!  When we were approaching our 100th episode I contacted Downunder Horsemanship and invited Clinton to be on the show.

As we wind up the 5th year of the podcast, we rerun one of my most exciting moments in this podcast experience.

Merry Christmas and here’s to an exciting 2018!

Links for Clinton Anderson and Downunder Horsemanship

  • Downunder Horsemanship
  • Downunder Horsemanship TV
  • No Worries Club
  • Clinton Anderson Academy
  • Facebook – Downunder Horsemanship
  • Twitter – Downunder Horsemanship
  • YouTube – Downunder Horsemanship

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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 #132

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Downunder Horsemanship, Fun Stuff, Horsemanship, Inspiration, Training Jessie

Trail Training | How’s Your Horse on the Trail?

July 9, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Trail Training

How’s Your Horse on the Trail?

trail trainingWe had a trail training session and I thought I would share it with you.  Yesterday, we had the opportunity to ride with a small group at Hansen Dam in Southern California.  I took my Quarter Horse mare Jessie and we trailered the hour and forty minutes to the equestrian center.  Jessie is a good trail horse.  She has lots of miles on her and she likes going places.  Part of her mare personality is she also walks with purpose and she prefers to be in the lead.

We were riding in a new area and we didn’t have a good knowledge of the trails, but our trail boss, Debbie, had ridden the area for several years.  Jessie still thought she would be better at leading the group.

The Group Ride

There were many river crossings and the trails were narrow and tight in many places.  There were six horse and riders with one rider “ponying” a young horse.  We began the ride in the third position.   The small black gelding in front of us did not seem to mind that Jessie was almost on her rump.  I would have preferred we were 6 or 8 feet back.  While thinking I could do a little trail training, and since we were a good distance in front of the 4th horse, we did an occasional circle.  This put us back in a good position.  Unfortunately, Jessie’s fast walk soon placed us right back where we started.

The last thing you want to do on a trail ride is to make your riding buddies uncomfortable because you have to work your horse.  But, we needed to work on this somehow.  As we rode along, I thought about how I could sneak in some trail training.

Enlist a Friend

We stopped at a water crossing and I enlisted the help of my wife, Ranae.  Quickly, I described the situation and asked her to ride in front of us.  Now, her Quarter Horse gelding, Dusty, is usually the slowest one of the bunch, so I thought this might be good for both horses.

When we restarted down the trail, Dusty took the 3rd position and I placed Jessie in the 4th spot.  Right away she was right on Dusty’s rump.  Although the trail was narrow, we began doing a mini-serpentine exercise.  We went from one side of the trail to the other three or four times and then I let her go straight.  When she moved right up on Dusty, I did it again.  We did this for 10 or 15 minutes and I could tell she was getting a bit annoyed.  She was doing the exercise, but it was making her work a bit harder.

Increase the Challenge

Jessie was still wanted to pass Dusty and I realized I had let this problem develop.  Well, now it was time to work on it with a little more trail training.  I asked Ranae if she minded if we bumped her around a bit and she said “no”.  My next step was to let Jessie try to figure this out on her own.  When I removed all pressure from the snaffle her nose would get to about Dusty’s flank.  If she was on Dusty’s left, I picked up the right rein and asked her to move to the other side.  Of course

Of course, she had to slow, bring her head around Dusty’s tail to cross the other side.  And, as soon as she did, I again relaxed pressure on the bit.  Then, she would up to his flank again and I would pick up the opposite rein to ask her to switch sides again.  After a few times, she was staying behind Dusty longer and longer before we needed to make the correction.

Be Happy with Little Results

We didn’t completely solve this problem in one ride.  Trail training is tough because you have to find a way to work your horse without disturbing others.  Jessie was still too close to Dusty, but she wasn’t trying to pass him.  Because she was “getting the idea”, I got to enjoy my ride a little more.

This little episode also brought to light that I needed greater awareness of poor habits my horse might be developing.  Trail training can be helpful for horses who want to eat on the trail, jig, or get to the front.  If you notice those problems early, they are much easier to fix.

 

Filed Under: Helpful Horse Tips Tagged With: Fun Stuff, horse tips, horseback riding, Horsemanship, trail riding, Trail Training, Training, Training Jessie

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