This message is from: laurie with <livingi...@q.com>
trish, i have to say that Elph sounds like he has it made in the shade. i notice he's on quiescence, as is oz. both are lucky boys. oz has officially retired from the world of training barns and giving lessons. i took him to the U of M vet last monday to get him checked again for his ringbone and ongoing lameness. Dr. Ernst at that facility is a fantastic vet, very open and thorough, and even though he is busier than anyone i have seen, he always takes time for his patients. he actually called me on a saturday, on his way to the airport for a trip out of the country, to tell me he could see us the day he got back. amazing. the news was nothing new, oz has ringbone in his front pasterns. we injected them, with suggestions to return to aluminum shoes with a heel wedge, and light riding at a walk when he is not painful. he is also now on a strict diet, since he put on weight after not being used for kid lessons due to the lameness issues. the usual….no grass, limit hay intake, dry lot, etc. the good news is that i found a small, private boarding barn just as close to me as the one he had been at, which had close to 40 horses. this one has 2 others, and one belongs to the owners. the girls who manage the place are wonderful…helpful, accommodating and loved him immediately. the owners live there, so someone is always there at night. they have a dry lot available which is next to the one with the other two horses, so he has company during the day. at night he goes into the outdoor pasture with his muzzle, and there is a cow next to him. i don't know yet what he and the cow thought, but i will stop after work and check him out. they will give him his supplements and i am to talk to them if i need Anything! it is very peaceful and quiet and i love it already. i got him a nibble net, which he started working on immediately, since he was already unhappy that i made him stop grass diving. he settled in quite nicely the first day, and when i get there he's usually sleeping in the corner of the pasture next to the other two. his pain level has gone down considerably so we rode a bit yesterday. they have a sand indoor, and the outdoor is the dry lot he's in. behind the next to pastures is a grass field, with mowed paths we can walk. and it's all level, no more big hills to come down, which seemed to make him hurt more. both the outdoor arena and the outside board pasture are attached to the indoor and the stable area, so i can get to him right away, which is a big improvement for me, too. i am totally amazed at the many lives my horse has influenced and touched. i know i posted the asberger's rider, and he has been used for lessons, camps and birthday parties at the place we left. there were children (and adults) who came in nervous and/or afraid of horses, and every single one loved oz. there were 4 camp sessions in august, and he was painted, poked and prodded…..a dozen kids learned how to take a horse's temp when they were talking about health issues….brushed, braided and bandaged….walked, trotted and hugged. his impact was amazing. kids would come into target where i work and tell me they knew i am oz's mom and how much they loved him. he was used for therapy groups for kids with difficulties, and gave hugs to the participants when the sessions were over. even the barn owner, who drove me to the new place, kissed his nose and said she loved him. so now we have OUR time, no crowds, no drama, no more overused muddy pastures with other horses who want to make him run when he shouldn't. one other boarder who is similar in age to me with a 25 year old arabian mare…..my job is to keep him comfortable and pain free, and love on him. he has turned out to be the most remarkable horse i could have ever imagined, who has taught me and many others the meaning of trust and learning not to fear. laurie with livingi...@q.com Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
