Hi, everyone. I'm not lost in the snow banks or taken up refuge in the barn. Though it feels like I have spent most of my time there and at work these past few days. Wednesday we had a real bad ice, snow, sleet, freezing rain day. School was cancelled all over the place. I even made sure that none of the volunteers went in to the Library where I work and I didn't go in, either. (That's my day job - I'm an assistant librarian, among other things :)
So, Thursday, I don't usually work, but this week was necessary. Friday work. Saturday morning, work.
When I'm not working I'm in the barn cleaning stalls, dosing medicine - still. Sigh. Poor Elias. Every time I go in to see him, it seems, I'm giving him another shot. We started out with 3 a day, now down to 2 a day. Once in the morning and again at night. Roger, the Vet, is in Colorado - or in the air, even as I type. He will be on TV Saturday and Sunday! Back early next week. Sigh.
The swelling in his leg is going down, a little more every day. It's almost back to normal. I will take pictures tomorrow afternoon, hopefully. We are supposed to get another storm tomorrow.
I posted some bright, sunny pictures of flowers I took this summer up at the Library as I can't stand to see the snow piles through the windows! We are also having a display from a local photographer who takes pictures in WARM places of coral reefs and exotic underwater life! I can't wait to have that in February!
So, Aspey seems to have gotten over her choke thing. Um, but I'm still NOT feeding her the hay replacer pellets that made her choke in the first place. Feeding it to the guys, who seem to have no problem with it.
For those of you who might want to have a horse but don't have the means and/or place to keep one, consider making a donation to a local rescue - or a not local rescue - check them out, make sure you agree with what they do and they have a good reputation. Two that I support - sometimes not always with money - are www.springhillrescue.com Spring Hill Horse Rescue. They just took in 110 animals around the first of the year and they were beyond capacity before that. Even $5 for a bale of hay feeds a horse for a day! The other is www.NewEnglandEquineRescues.com New England Equine Rescues. They cover all of New England.
Keep everyone warm, with plenty of good food and LIQUID water - horses cannot get enough hydration from snow - and if it's warm, all the better! They don't like cold water in cold weather. Kinda like eating ice cream when it's freezing out. Chills them like it does you (sorry, not me. Lactose intolerant. Don't like the stuff because it makes me feel like I'm breathing liquid fire!)
Support a rescue. Support a Humane Society.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Eek. I have to do what?!!?
Here we go again. At least it isn't an emergency call. A box this time. Full of antibiotics. Two types. One antibiotic, twice a day. One, once a day. BIG syringes. For the next few days. Until all the meds are gone. Sigh.
At least his leg doesn't look like a stove-pipe. It looks like it has a little more definition. Not good enough, though, it seems.
So. More meds. More walking. Sigh. Another vet bill. Sigh.
On a totally different note, set your live feeds and your timers on your television to watch the AQHA Fort Dodge Versatility Ranch Horse Championships :Competitions
Location: Denver Colorado: Date/Time: 01/14/2009 8:00 AM - 01/15/2009 8:00 PM Roger will be representing Vermont. Go, Roger!
At least the weather outside was nice - in the high 30's today. Already cleaned stalls, did water and set up for tuck-in time tonight.
Now I have to go cat wrangling. Brought my girl friends cat to the spay/neuter clinic today. After I followed her around the basement because she went out of the cage, up my arm and jumped off my shoulder. That's ok. No damage done. But no more babies. Yeah. Way too many of them running around these days, anyways.
Off to basketball.
:)
At least his leg doesn't look like a stove-pipe. It looks like it has a little more definition. Not good enough, though, it seems.
So. More meds. More walking. Sigh. Another vet bill. Sigh.
On a totally different note, set your live feeds and your timers on your television to watch the AQHA Fort Dodge Versatility Ranch Horse Championships :Competitions
Location: Denver Colorado: Date/Time: 01/14/2009 8:00 AM - 01/15/2009 8:00 PM Roger will be representing Vermont. Go, Roger!
At least the weather outside was nice - in the high 30's today. Already cleaned stalls, did water and set up for tuck-in time tonight.
Now I have to go cat wrangling. Brought my girl friends cat to the spay/neuter clinic today. After I followed her around the basement because she went out of the cage, up my arm and jumped off my shoulder. That's ok. No damage done. But no more babies. Yeah. Way too many of them running around these days, anyways.
Off to basketball.
:)
Monday, January 5, 2009
Warning - Soap Box Alert - Warning
Warning, everyone. Soap Box Alert. If you don't want to hear me rant and rave, you might want to skip tonights post.
My most ultimate of pet peeves.
If you don't have the money to take care of the animals you own (let's not even get into discussing that verb at the present moment) then you have no right to own those animals at all. Period. End of subject.
Here's my ranting. The horse was choking. I called the vet. Now, today, comes the discussion that maybe I 'shouldn't have called the vet.' Sorry. My barn. My rules. You actually want to tell me that I'm taking too good of care of your animal? That if she didn't make it, I 'shouldn't blame myself if stuff happens?'
Ain't happening. It would be one thing if I went out in the morning and found her and there was nothing I could do about it. But to tell me to purposefully leave her out there to sort things out for herself? I don't think so. NEVER.
Ohy, vey. You've got to be kidding, right? The vet bill for that night, which I offered to split, was $136.00 Yep. That's it. Her half was $68.00 Doesn't have the money right now. Fine. I'll pay the vet, you pay me. "No, no, don't worry about the vet. I'll pay him when I get it." No. I'll pay the vet - check went out in the mail today - and you can pay me.
Remember that wonderful relationship I have with my vet - the one where I pay my bill and he comes to take care of my horses when I call him, no matter what time of the night or day of the year it is? There is a reason for that. I PAY him. Duh. That's his job. That's how he pays his bills. Feeds his horses. Takes care of his family. Pays for his house and truck.
If you don't want me to take care of your horse, your trailer isn't blocked behind a snow bank. You can take her somewhere else. I'm not making any money at it. Yes, you buy your hay. Yes, you buy your grain. Yes, you come every other weekend or so to clean her run in shed. Yes, you give me some hay in exchange for keeping her here. Trust me. If it were a paying business, it's a good thing I have a day job.
Don't tell me not to blanket her when she's shivering and it's cold outside. Don't tell me not to feed her in the stall when the weather is nasty. Don't tell me not to do what I normally do for any horse under my care. Don't tell me not to baby her. Too bad. So sad. You don't want me to do those things, then move her.
You have to be joking, right? Not only do I live in a fishbowl (right on the main drag through town) and EVERYONE driving by can see all my animals AND (just in case you are someone who doesn't know me and hasn't googled/anywho'd my name) just because I am the Constable/Animal Control Officer for our town AND I work with many rescues AND I live in my grandfathers house, right next door to where I grew up and EVERYONE knows who I am... even with all that, don't you think that I'm going to take just as good care of your horse as I do my own because that IS JUST WHAT I DO.
For Pete's Sake. I'm not well off. I live in an old farm house that we are fixing up as we can. We drive second hand trucks. I take VERY GOOD CARE of my animals. I take VERY GOOD CARE of my children. I TAKE VERY GOOD care of my husband.
When you have an animal, it's a privilege. A responsibility. Not a RIGHT. No animal ever asked to be in your care. If you can't care for that animal properly, GET RID OF IT. Sell it, give it away, put it down. Do what is best for the animal. DON'T complain to me that you don't have money. If you can't afford to take proper care of your horse, DON'T HAVE A HORSE. DON'T HAVE AN ANIMAL. Don't even have kids. Have a plant. If that plant dies, then, well, sucks for the plant, but at least it wasn't an animal. Or a kid.
God help us. This world truly does suck most days. People think they 'deserve' to OWN things. I think people should be very careful about what they think they deserve to own. I think most people don't deserve to own a plant, much less a child or an animal.
Get a clue. Go buy a book if you want to own something. Not a breathing, living, beating heart.
Ok. Sorry. I just got up to get something to drink and re-read what I wrote. Hmmm. Guess I should let you all know exactly how I feel. lol.
Well, at least I feel a little better venting.
By the way, Elias is doing better. However, the vet called tonight and we have a (gasp) regular! appointment to have him come over to see Elias and see if we need any further injections of antibiotics. And the on call vet for when he is gone lives right up the road. Cool. Don't even need a new phone number. The answering service will page him for me, too!
Got the second bill today. Gulp. Can't wait to get the third and fourth. Good thing I have to work extra this week until they get my new boss hired. Might also start looking for another part time job - maybe ask the vet if he needs an assistant. Will work for vet bill. Sigh.
Gotta go hug those horses. I truly do feel privileged by having them in my life and them trusting me to care for them. Bleck on people. Ok, not all people. Just some people. Bleck.
My most ultimate of pet peeves.
If you don't have the money to take care of the animals you own (let's not even get into discussing that verb at the present moment) then you have no right to own those animals at all. Period. End of subject.
Here's my ranting. The horse was choking. I called the vet. Now, today, comes the discussion that maybe I 'shouldn't have called the vet.' Sorry. My barn. My rules. You actually want to tell me that I'm taking too good of care of your animal? That if she didn't make it, I 'shouldn't blame myself if stuff happens?'
Ain't happening. It would be one thing if I went out in the morning and found her and there was nothing I could do about it. But to tell me to purposefully leave her out there to sort things out for herself? I don't think so. NEVER.
Ohy, vey. You've got to be kidding, right? The vet bill for that night, which I offered to split, was $136.00 Yep. That's it. Her half was $68.00 Doesn't have the money right now. Fine. I'll pay the vet, you pay me. "No, no, don't worry about the vet. I'll pay him when I get it." No. I'll pay the vet - check went out in the mail today - and you can pay me.
Remember that wonderful relationship I have with my vet - the one where I pay my bill and he comes to take care of my horses when I call him, no matter what time of the night or day of the year it is? There is a reason for that. I PAY him. Duh. That's his job. That's how he pays his bills. Feeds his horses. Takes care of his family. Pays for his house and truck.
If you don't want me to take care of your horse, your trailer isn't blocked behind a snow bank. You can take her somewhere else. I'm not making any money at it. Yes, you buy your hay. Yes, you buy your grain. Yes, you come every other weekend or so to clean her run in shed. Yes, you give me some hay in exchange for keeping her here. Trust me. If it were a paying business, it's a good thing I have a day job.
Don't tell me not to blanket her when she's shivering and it's cold outside. Don't tell me not to feed her in the stall when the weather is nasty. Don't tell me not to do what I normally do for any horse under my care. Don't tell me not to baby her. Too bad. So sad. You don't want me to do those things, then move her.
You have to be joking, right? Not only do I live in a fishbowl (right on the main drag through town) and EVERYONE driving by can see all my animals AND (just in case you are someone who doesn't know me and hasn't googled/anywho'd my name) just because I am the Constable/Animal Control Officer for our town AND I work with many rescues AND I live in my grandfathers house, right next door to where I grew up and EVERYONE knows who I am... even with all that, don't you think that I'm going to take just as good care of your horse as I do my own because that IS JUST WHAT I DO.
For Pete's Sake. I'm not well off. I live in an old farm house that we are fixing up as we can. We drive second hand trucks. I take VERY GOOD CARE of my animals. I take VERY GOOD CARE of my children. I TAKE VERY GOOD care of my husband.
When you have an animal, it's a privilege. A responsibility. Not a RIGHT. No animal ever asked to be in your care. If you can't care for that animal properly, GET RID OF IT. Sell it, give it away, put it down. Do what is best for the animal. DON'T complain to me that you don't have money. If you can't afford to take proper care of your horse, DON'T HAVE A HORSE. DON'T HAVE AN ANIMAL. Don't even have kids. Have a plant. If that plant dies, then, well, sucks for the plant, but at least it wasn't an animal. Or a kid.
God help us. This world truly does suck most days. People think they 'deserve' to OWN things. I think people should be very careful about what they think they deserve to own. I think most people don't deserve to own a plant, much less a child or an animal.
Get a clue. Go buy a book if you want to own something. Not a breathing, living, beating heart.
Ok. Sorry. I just got up to get something to drink and re-read what I wrote. Hmmm. Guess I should let you all know exactly how I feel. lol.
Well, at least I feel a little better venting.
By the way, Elias is doing better. However, the vet called tonight and we have a (gasp) regular! appointment to have him come over to see Elias and see if we need any further injections of antibiotics. And the on call vet for when he is gone lives right up the road. Cool. Don't even need a new phone number. The answering service will page him for me, too!
Got the second bill today. Gulp. Can't wait to get the third and fourth. Good thing I have to work extra this week until they get my new boss hired. Might also start looking for another part time job - maybe ask the vet if he needs an assistant. Will work for vet bill. Sigh.
Gotta go hug those horses. I truly do feel privileged by having them in my life and them trusting me to care for them. Bleck on people. Ok, not all people. Just some people. Bleck.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A Day in the Life
Ah, another winter day. At least it was tolerable as I was outside today freezing my fingers off while cleaning stock tanks, moving them to new locations in the pastures and filling them. Nothing like water and cold and winter all together in one nice little bundle.
As a side note, the silly horses were doing their usual 'I'm a horse, so I'm going to act all freaked out.' Boneheads. They make me laugh. So hard that I cry. Oops. Frozen tears of laughter. I was trying to wrap the connectors between the water tank and the extension cord with a plastic bag to keep out the water and snow. One of them got away from me and skittered across the snow. You would think it was a mountain lion the way Buddy jumped and ran away. Lacey bucked and tore around. Smokey just chased it down like it was a snack running from him :) Once Smokey grabbed it (with me right on his butt), Lacey came around to see if it was any good to eat. I left it on the ground once Smokey and Lacey were done with it and, after a while, Buddy figured it wasn't such a big deal and smelt it. Smokey stands about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder. Lacey about 5feet. Buddy close to 5 1/2 feet. Biggest is the most scared it seems. Brrrr.
Then the sun went down. And it got cold. And the wind started to blow, gently, but enough that made it chilly. Go inside to warm up and get dry gloves on.
Elias is doing well. The swelling is going down, ssslllooowwwllllyyyy. Too slowly, I'm afraid. Oral antibiotics. Yep. Bute. Yep. Syringes of antibiotics. Yep. Walking. Yep. More walking. Yep. Clean Stalls. Yep. Grain. Hay. Water buckets, er, Ice Pops. Scoop out ice. Yep. Calling the vet again tomorrow as I'm out of syringes. Yep. Paying the first vet bill in the morning. Yep.
I'm slowly going MAD! (Ok, ok. For those of you that know me, that's not a very far drive. Scenery is sometimes boring:) Research on the Internet. Hmmm. Seems that Thoroughbreds are more susceptible to stocking up. For many, many different reasons. Oh, great. That's nice to know. Now. Would have been nicer to know BEFORE! Oh, well, wouldn't have made a difference then. Doesn't make one now, either.
Going to bed as I can't take any more excitement today. Going to be up early to check in with the Vet to see if he is going by or if I can make arrangements for a regular farm call that doesn't cost the extra emergency part on it. Sigh. Some day life will be dull and boring and I will have to remind myself that dull and boring are a good sign. Sigh.
As a side note, the silly horses were doing their usual 'I'm a horse, so I'm going to act all freaked out.' Boneheads. They make me laugh. So hard that I cry. Oops. Frozen tears of laughter. I was trying to wrap the connectors between the water tank and the extension cord with a plastic bag to keep out the water and snow. One of them got away from me and skittered across the snow. You would think it was a mountain lion the way Buddy jumped and ran away. Lacey bucked and tore around. Smokey just chased it down like it was a snack running from him :) Once Smokey grabbed it (with me right on his butt), Lacey came around to see if it was any good to eat. I left it on the ground once Smokey and Lacey were done with it and, after a while, Buddy figured it wasn't such a big deal and smelt it. Smokey stands about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder. Lacey about 5feet. Buddy close to 5 1/2 feet. Biggest is the most scared it seems. Brrrr.
Then the sun went down. And it got cold. And the wind started to blow, gently, but enough that made it chilly. Go inside to warm up and get dry gloves on.
Elias is doing well. The swelling is going down, ssslllooowwwllllyyyy. Too slowly, I'm afraid. Oral antibiotics. Yep. Bute. Yep. Syringes of antibiotics. Yep. Walking. Yep. More walking. Yep. Clean Stalls. Yep. Grain. Hay. Water buckets, er, Ice Pops. Scoop out ice. Yep. Calling the vet again tomorrow as I'm out of syringes. Yep. Paying the first vet bill in the morning. Yep.
I'm slowly going MAD! (Ok, ok. For those of you that know me, that's not a very far drive. Scenery is sometimes boring:) Research on the Internet. Hmmm. Seems that Thoroughbreds are more susceptible to stocking up. For many, many different reasons. Oh, great. That's nice to know. Now. Would have been nicer to know BEFORE! Oh, well, wouldn't have made a difference then. Doesn't make one now, either.
Going to bed as I can't take any more excitement today. Going to be up early to check in with the Vet to see if he is going by or if I can make arrangements for a regular farm call that doesn't cost the extra emergency part on it. Sigh. Some day life will be dull and boring and I will have to remind myself that dull and boring are a good sign. Sigh.
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