Spring vet day

Spring vet day at our place came and went, but it is still on my mind.

Our vet sold the company to a larger out of State company, and is easing his way into well deserved retirement. He is currently part time, and counting the days. We thought it would be best to "rip the bandaid off" and try the fresh out of school vet that helped us with Hope. While our vet is still around to answer questions. She is very nice. However, you can't replace experience.

With an aging herd, this leaves me unsettled. Especially where Koda is concerned. He has been stalled for 6 months. I know his current injury can take up to a year IF it even heals. I need someone and something to help my boy. I do not want Koda to spend the rest of his life stuck in a stall!

I asked the new vet to review his lameness history, and come up with some type of plan or suggestions. I haven't heard back. I know they are busy with everything that Spring adds. In an effort to be helpful, I gathered some history and dates. Thank goodness for blogging! Koda's off/on lameness issues have been going on for a good decade. Seeing it listed was eye opening. 

The new vet didn't do anything wrong, but we may end up trying some of their more seasoned vets again. A few of them have treated our horses upon occasion. Or, we may switch clinics. There is another good one a bit further away from us that offers more services, like Chiro. In the meantime, we will wait to see what the new vet comes up with for Koda. 

Taping weights is part of the equine wellness package we purchase for our horses each year. It saves us a few pennies. With the exception of Hope, I doubt all our horses lost weight over the Winter. This time they were taped by an intern vet that is about to graduate. It is just a guestimate anyways.

Our herd at home, from oldest to youngest:

Harmony: 1097 lbs (Fall 1117 lbs)
Koda: 1237 lbs (Fall 1257 lbs) Teeth floated. Ultrasound...yep, still lame.
Nemo: 1174 lbs (Fall 1187 lbs) Teeth floated.
Cierra: 1197 lbs (Fall 1117 lbs)
Hope: 950 lbs (Fall 932 lbs)

All of them received Spring vaccines & exam, per our wellness plan:

- Physical exam (spring & fall)
- Dental float with sedation, if needed
- Fecal egg count (spring & fall)
- Lyme vaccine (spring & fall)
- Rhino vaccine (spring & fall)
- Flu Intranasal vaccine (spring & fall)
- EWT/WN vaccine (spring)
- Strangles vaccine (spring)
- Rabies vaccine (fall)
- Coggins Test

Spring vet day was uneventful. Which is a good thing.

4.29.26

Fall horse update

Our Fall Horse Wellness vet day came and went. Well, for most of our horses the vet visit was about wellness. Not so much for Koda. Everyone got Fall shots etc, taped weights (part of the package) and the girls got their teeth floated. Including Hope. Hope is a good place to start, and end with this post.

Hope: 932 lbs (821 in Spring). As usual, Hope was funny. "Pick me, pick me" Until it was her turn. She remembered the guy who poked her with needles last Spring. Regardless, her exam was uneventful and her first float went well.

Brad has increased his work with Hope. She is making him look good. It took about four short sessions for her to carry a cinched saddle while lunging at all three gaits. He started the first day walking in hand with just a pad. Next session was a cinched pad while twirling. Then pad & saddle in hand, and then cinched while lunging. Hope did not care or "go off" like the others did when introduced. They have been working on adding stirrup pressure etc. With teeth floated, he can introduce Hope to a bit. It should be a non issue as she still (still!!) wants to put everything in her mouth. Every day includes leading in hand, ground tying in some way shape or form, and leaving her dang lead line alone.

Cierra: 1117 lbs (1183 in Spring). There is not much to add about CeCee. Her allergies/breathing were re-discussed with the vet. Nothing different. Her breathing is improving with the weather and bites are less intense. Although the biters still seem to find just her. Must be because Cierra is so so sweet.

Harmony: 1117 lbs (1132 in Spring). Good ol' Harmony. She has great genes and does not look close to 25. Our daughter did mention to the vet, she still wishes Harmony could have been registered...long story. Yep, that was part of her plan that didn't happen.

Ironically, the day after our vet visit Harmony came in walking like this:

Harmony (10 secs)

Nemo: 1187 lbs (1217 in Spring). This big guy remembers our vet well. All the times he made him feel better. I can see it in Nemo's eyes and the way his demeanor softens. 

Our vet is easing into retirement and is now part time. He has helped us care for all our horses, since the day each one of them joined our family. 

Koda: 1257 lbs (1279 in Spring). What can I say about Koda. His lameness is going went the wrong direction. He recently got an abscess. A first for him. Our farrier found it had just opened. I felt like a bad owner. We do check Koda's legs and feet often! I just assumed his gimping was his new normal, chronic navicular/arthritis that we've been dealing with all along. We decided to stall Koda for a couple days. He improved. We tried half day turn out. Not helpful. He has been on full stall days ever since. 

Koda's daily routine includes twice a day solo arena turn out. It gives him a chance to stretch his legs/roll/change of scenery, while we clean his stall. Altho many times he just stands at the gate. He was getting to graze in hand a little as well. 

Our vet wanted to x-ray Koda's right foot. I was stunned with what I saw while he was getting the machine ready. Look at the difference in the back of his front feet! Jaw drop.

what is wrong with this picture

(right/white back foot is "straight-ish")

up on x ray blocks

Some where along the line, Koda tore a tendon. My heart sunk. Poor guy. There is *always* something wrong with him. At first, it felt like a death sentence. It isn't. Yet. Pretty sure his lameness will be his demise. We were asked to "keep doing what we are doing" with Koda, for a minimum of six months. Except for the hand grazing. The vet wants Koda to only move on his own, briefly.

Our vet is confident there is a tear. He is pretty sure it is where the Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon connects at the lowest point is detached/torn. Mostly because of the way Koda presents his foot. That tendon is the turquoise line (above) and attachment area is circled below. The yellow arrow I drew indicates where Koda's longer pastern bone should be more forward.

Koda's right foot

Our vet warned us there wasn't much we could do for Koda. At this point, his lameness will forever be off/on again. Apparently there is a plate surgery option that he does not recommended. We wouldn't do it anyways. As long as Koda doesn't tear more tendons/ligaments, there is a glimmer of hope that he can still have some quality of life as a pasture horse. After he heals.

Six months (to a year plus) of healing is a loong loong time to live in a stall. So far he is handling 23.5-ish hours of stalling surprisingly well. I hope this time Koda can maintain his sanity. 

We are still processing next steps and how we can best help Koda. We could haul him back to the MRI vet specialist. But I am not sure Koda can even haul comfortably or what it would gain us. Other than confirmation. We may try some alternative treatments. Even if for comfort. Koda will continue wearing his Streamz Bands part days. His four week trims will need to be medicated for now.

Two out of five horses at home have been in the barn all day/night lately. It makes for more work, and hopeful healing. 

nemo & cierra (9/2025)

If you are wondering about Padame, I will do a separate post on her when I have more details. She is currently not being ridden. We are actively also trying to figure out her on/off lameness issue(s). Sigh.

SO yah. Half of our horses are lame. There is hardness in this life we chose, yet there is hope.

that time of year

Our horses had their bi-annual Wellness Spring Vet visit this week. Yes, it is that time of year. Most everything was good news, except for Koda's ongoing lameness. We are all well aware, as I mention it frequently. I have to be the voice for Koda. I will keep asking/sharing/looking for ways to make him more comfortable.

My Spring review starts with my complicated boy:

Koda: 1279 lbs (+ 22 lbs) Fecal Egg Count: Low Shedder 

It took little to no time for Koda to walk down the barn aisle for our vet to say "I don't like the way Koda is walking". I thought he was moving stiff, but fairly well compared to how Koda walks most days. 

The plan of action (all things we've tried in the past) is to take him off Equioxx (no longer seems to be effective) and try the low dose Bute method. For those who may not know, it like an aspirin. He asked us to give it 2-3 weeks. From what I saw day one, Koda looked worse. Perhaps Equioxx is somewhat helping? He doesn't like the taste of Bute. We are trying a flavored powder form.

If that doesn't help, plan B is to try padded Navicular shoeing again. Last time we tried, in less than 24 hours Koda was unable to walk - at all. Broke my heart. Shoes were instantly pulled and he was back to usual. We use a different Farrier now and are willing to try corrective shoes again. Koda did show improvement for a day and a half with a shorter toe trim = less nerve pressure. However, it was very short lived. Nice to see his brightness and spirited "not in pain" eyes.

There have been no known advancements in Navicular lameness. One thing neither of us are willing to do is "cut the nerve" treatment. I guess it works for some horses, but if it doesn't that horses life is over. 

We discussed trying a shot of Osphos again, although it didn't seem to help the first time. Also, our vet felt we would not gain anything by stalling Koda even part days. We completely agree. No clue what plan C might be. Pretty sure we will need one. 

Koda getting his teeth done
3.26.25

(Brad & our son in distance)

Nemo: 1217 lbs (+ 60 lbs) Fecal Egg Count: High Shedder

All is well with our big guy! It never ceases to amaze me how soft Nemo becomes around our vet. He stands like a rock. I swear he remembers how much relief he felt when our vet helped him with alllll those bladder flushes over the years.

He also got his toofers floated and continues with maintenance allergy shots

Cierra: 1183 lbs (+ 26 lbs) Fecal Egg Count: Moderate Shedder. 

Cierra is also doing well! Brad started Spring riding her (and Nemo). So far her allergies/breathing has been okay. She also continues with maintenance allergy shots. I think it will be a different story when bugs start biting. I would like to look into some kind of protective neck guard or more effective bug repellent for Brad's girl. Neck guards I've seen need to be attached to a full sheet. Guessing Nemo would render a sheet useless.

Harmony: 1132 (- 5 lbs) Fecal Egg Count: Low Shedder

She is holding her own for a 25 year old. I have noticed the start of visible aging changes this Winter. Harmony (and Koda) are our gassy sloppy ploppers. We discussed adding Senior feed or beet pulp for both. Pasture grass should help, of course that requires having some :))

Any thoughts on adding Beet Pulp vs Senior Feed?

Hope: 821 lbs (+ 112 lbs) Fecal Egg Count: High Shedder

Our almost two year old had a touch of "stranger danger" going on this visit. Nothing terrible, just a couple scoots when the vet approached. I am fairly certain she remembered the guy that poked her with needles last October! Interestingly, once again she did not mind the two nasal "shots" at all. Most horses do, and make funny faces afterwards. Overall, Hope was a really good girl and super interested on the vet hoof testing & floating Koda lol. It was cute!

Hope did not have any Wolf Teeth. I learned about 50% of mares do not get them. We opted to wait until Fall to float her teeth. We don't plan to introduce her to bits until then. She will be about 2.5 years old. Lots of other things to work on! Our three girls at home will get teeth done (if needed) in the Fall.

Hope

I told our vet the Barn Feeding Manager can keep his job for another season :)

horse update ~ fall vet

Our October 1st Vet appointment was a sure sign that Fall is indeed here. It coincided with our first cooler Fall early/late temps. YAY!! I am ready for the endless heat and flying pests to rest. Temps are still rising too high for me. Looking forward to even cooler weather! 

All the horses got brushed and had bridle paths clipped the night before. Koda also got his rear end washed, because he needed it. Again. 

Recommended Fall vaccines are Lyme, Influeza and Rhino. Their bi-annual Wellness Program includes vaccinations, listening to vitals, taping and getting fecals checked. 

Vet related updates in the order our horses were seen:

Nemo: taped at 1157 lbs (1137 last Spring). His Urinary track has been a non-issue and he is able to self monitor his allergies. That means, Nemo stays out full days!! No doubt growing our own hay helps both his conditions. 

Nemo continues with a daily maintenance dose of Horseshoers Secret and monthly maintenance allergy shot. 

Koda: taped at 1257 lbs (same last Spring). He remains lame off/on. Most days he barrels away during morning turn out, and walks back inside gimpy. It appears Koda will be lame the rest of his life. Our vet is "noodling" on any other possibilities that haven't already been tried and/or revisiting those that have. He mentioned some clients that have found it helpful to add a daily gram of Bute at night (with Equioxx). Not a big fan of the idea. 

Koda continues with daily Equioxx in the morning, and Cosequin ASU in the evening. He also gets Probios am/pm.

Hope: taped at 709 lbs (547 last Spring) She did really well for our vet. He really likes her. Hopes amazing personality remains intact and is such a joy to be around!

Hope continues being a seeker of human love & scratches. 

wondering what the new guy is doing

handling shots like a big girl

Cierra: taped at 1157 lbs (1197 last Spring) She had her teeth floated. We continue to monitor her breathing. She is a magnet for biting bugs, and unfortunately allergic to them. It is heartbreaking to bring her inside and see bite welts on her neck. Another reason to welcome the cooler weather. Cierra just started an Abuterol treatment. Fingers crossed it helps. If so, it will become a seasonal maintenance treatment.

Cierra continues with a monthly maintenance allergy shot and Dex as needed. 

Harmony: taped at 1137 lbs (same last Spring) She also had her teeth floated. Our daughter had dental work done on her years ago. Our vet was pleased at how her fillings are holding up. He said they don't really do them anymore, unless teeth are very bad. Apparently the fillings don't usually last. He mentioned Harmony is aging very well :)

Harmony continues with Probios am/pm.

Padame: I don't have a Fall update for her. She is on the trainers barn schedule. Brad said his weekly lessons on her are going well and they are reconnecting. 

I am so thankful all our horses (SIX!! Blows my mind.) continue doing well. Of course, past health concerns still exist but are manageable. 

Enjoy your start to a wonderful Fall season!!

koda update

Koda is still very lame. In the pasture & barn. He is just not his happy go lucky self.
 

 4/23/23 (14 sec) 

I promised my boy we would get him some help. 

It pains me to walk him into the barn at night, and I am not the one in pain. There are days Koda's steps are taken almost on his front toes.

We walk slowly in hand.

The day I spoke with the vet about this, the weather had turned cold. Imagine my surprise when we called our horses in that evening to see Koda come barreling up the to gate. Of course! If that is all it takes, we will just call our vet when our horses come up lame. If only it was that easy! 

4/19/23 (21 sec)

Koda always wants to come in first. You know, someone might eat his hay! Even tho our horses have hay 24/7 even when the grass comes up. I worry about Koda (actually all of them) with the gate craze that frequently happens when we bring horses in.

Koda showed improvement for the first time in a long time. It didn't last.

Our vet came out yesterday and did lameness blocking on Koda. Disinfect. Inject. Wait. Observe. Decide. If there is enough improvement, they stop blocking (numbing). If not, they continue the process and block higher. 

They started with his heel. Koda was incredibly well behaved! The vet & tech both commented on it. Even when the second shot in coffin bone area was given. Our vet said it can hurt and told the tech to watch herself. "There are a lot of nerve endings. It would be like getting a shot at the base of your fingernail" Ouch! 

That is where we stopped the blocking. Koda showed about 85% improvement at a jog.

After the first shot, he mentioned the lack of improvement showed this is unlikely related to his early stage Navicular. Our vet thinks perhaps it could be a ligament in the coffin bone area. To be sure what (if anything) can be done he suggested the next step. An MRI.

Expensive? Yes. Definitive answer? Yes. Or at least we hope yes. We know horses that have had MRI's and come back with unclear results and therefore no answers. No hesitation from us, we have to try. I can't just leave him like this. We will be hauling Koda to a clinic with MRI equipment and equine specialists, a little over an hour away.

Koda is a very sweet guy (when he isn't acting like a naughty little kid). The funniest moment of the appointment was when Koda was giving the tech a back massage, and she was all in lol!

4/20/23

Koda

4/27/23

This isn't about riding anymore, it is about Koda's comfort.

spring is coming

Happy to report our horses were well behaved at their Spring vet appointment. Even after being stuck inside for two days. They all got Spring shots and are working on shedding their Winter coats. Which means, Spring is coming!

Both boys had their teeth floated. Harmony is on a Fall rotation. We held off doing Cierra's, because she is pregnant. Ideally she will be able to wait until Fall. 

Cierra was up first. She taped at 1324 lbs (up from 1257 lbs) The vet said she looked great, and was big. No changes with her care.

We talked in general about birthing, and foal expectations. Brads said no again to stitching a small digital device into Cierra, that would alert when delivery starts. I agree. If we miss the birth, we miss it. And we might. Especially with the rapid speed it typically happens. The clinic uses the device with mares brought in. Many of those mares are there for high risk equine birthing, where unpredictability is even less ideal.

Key things our vet wanted to make sure we knew: Any scenario other than both legs & head first, is an emergency call. I was surprised to learn one of their dairy vets comes out for birthing emergencies. Due to frequent practice.

Not to worry, we aren't completely clueless. The basics are familiar. Brad has life long experience with various livestock birthing, although it's been years.

We truly love sweet Cierra! I sure hope things go as well as possible for her. Our level of concern, combined with nerves and excitement (and sleep deprivation!) will only heighten the closer we get.

Also mentioned, was leaving the foal alone to lay on the ground at first. As long as the sack is off their face. Better for cord disconnection etc. Their goal is for the foal to nurse within 3-4 hours and they want to check the foal after 12 hours.

The figuring out timing conversation came with some humor. The two things mentioned as good indicators were milk drop (usually 24 hour window) and calcium drop. I had not heard of testing calcium hardness as an indicator.

We did ask about Cierra's chromosome abnormality. The vet had the same response we all had. Surprise. Of course our vet has heard of the abnormality, but said the mares are usually sterile. 

Brad recently picked up some nice large bales of wheat straw for bedding the double stall. Those empty stalls are finally going to get used for something besides cats! We still need to pick out a foaling camera. There are many, open to recommendations. We continue thinking through different turn out scenario's vs potential future needs. Can you predict the future? Me neither.

...............................


Nemo was next. He taped at 1252 lbs (down from 1277 lb). 

Nemo getting teeth floated, with Koda watching intently

...............................

Koda was the horse needing the most care this visit. He taped at 1288 lbs (down from 1350 lb). Evidence Brad is doing a great job adjusting hay portions!! Our vet would like to see another 70 lbs come off. It will help with his lameness. Which has not gone away, and needed to be addressed.

He walked out of his stall gimpy. No need for additional observation. Koda has shown soreness off/on, more than usual lately. It was time for xrays. 

such a good boy standing still on those small blocks

getting pretty pink playdoh pressed into his hooves

larger platform for view from underneath

We all got a good chuckle when Koda decided to mess with the vet and casually move his foot off the larger platform at key times. All I said was "welcome to my horse" he is such a player/tester. I swear I saw Koda smile ;) 

Our vet saw no signs of arthritis. His earlier diagnosis of Navicular (at 8 yrs) showed no sign in Koda's right foot, and at this check deterioration was barely visible. Koda's left side showed a slight increase. He said Koda is a bit young (coming 16) but recommended trying Osphos shots. We are catching it at a good time, and gave him his first shot.

Osphos studies have been done and it is not recommended for young horses. Apparently it is used in the racing industry and there has been evidence of bones not forming correctly on young growing horses that were given Osphos.

His trim looked good, although taking slightly more off the left toe might help. He will connect with our farrier & send xrays. No shoe recommendations at this time.

Brad & I are really hopeful the shot helps. Time will tell. I will be thrilled if Koda can continue to be ridden at home in the arena's and on our sandy trails. Home is where we are happiest. Hauling to other trails just isn't as important anymore. 

We are keeping Koda on Cosequin. We got a couple more suggestions to try for his less than ideal ploppy digestive system. 

- probiotic supplement
- senior feed
- small amount of metamucil and/or sand clear
- feeding some alfalfa pellets

Basically, changing/adding things that are easier to digest. I was going to try giving Koda yogurt, but read mixed reviews online. I decided not to. We have friends who swear by yogurt, and have given their equine plain yogurt for years. I suppose beet pulp might be worth trying down the road. Will pick one thing at a time to try. I'm thinking probiotic.

...............................

Harmony was seen last and needed the least amount of care. She taped at 1183 lbs (down from 1217 lb). Our oldie has done so well here, and staying sound barefoot. 

It will be interesting to see how she interacts with Cierra and her baby.

2/2022

spring cha ching

Yesterday was a highly anticipated day at our barn. Our vet was out for an extended appointment. All four horses got the usual Spring shots, and three had other things addressed.

For the first time, we signed our horses up for the annual care plan our vet offers. It made the Spring Cha-Ching a bit louder, because you pay up front. There is a savings in the long run and includes things we rarely do like tape our horses. 

Harmony was the easy horse this time. There were no concerns, she just got Spring shots etc.

Harmony is 22 and taped at 1217 lbs.

Cierra had her teeth floated, and was checked (ultrasound) to begin the arduous route of AI breeding. Again. If you missed last years failed breeding saga, you can read about it here. It was determined Cierra hasn't had a strong/real heat yet this Spring. She will get rechecked in 3 weeks, or earlier if we see strong heat symptoms. Doubtful of the latter, with the cool Spring weather we are having.

A few weeks ago she was put on Jump Start supplement by Equi-shine. Created by the other co-owner vet. She doesn't like it and picks out her regular supplement Strategy. Brad has been adding a little molasses to the Jump Start. I don't think it's making much difference.

I truly hope for Cierra's and Brads sake, she takes this time around. She is being bred to the same stud Whizkey N Diamonds. He is a popular guy so we are trying to get on his collection schedule earlier in the season. 

Cierra is 12 and taped at 1257 lbs.

Cierra
(3-29-22)

Nemo also had his teeth floated. He was checked for sediment build up in his bladder. We have only noticed him dripping a little over the Winter, but have seen him do some shifting before peeing. We got good news. He had a normal amount of calcium built up in his bladder. Which translates to no bladder flushing!! Music to our ears! Wow, it's been so long since he has had to have that done. There were years in the past when Nemo had to be flushed bi-annually. Moving him here and changing his diet to what we grow (no Alfalfa or Timothy grass) has made a big difference with his calcium and allergies issues. YAY!!!

Nemo is 15 and taped at 1277 lbs.

Koda was the first to get his teeth floated. They really needed to be done. We had requested a lameness check for him. Years ago he had extended issues with his left front and was on stall rest for a long time. It made him crazy. I dread the thought of him ever going on stall rest again. Although it wasn't the cause, they noticed early signs of Navicular. That was 10 years ago. He also had a tendon sheath injury on his right front, from our rock river bed accident 8 years ago.

Over the Winter, I noticed Koda was sore at the trot. Out in the pasture, lunging and under saddle. Consequently we didn't ride much. When we did, I kept him at a walk. I feared his soreness was related to Navicular.

Of course, he showed no lameness while lunging when the vet was here. After observing Koda, flexing, feeling and doing the hoof test etc, the conclusion was Koda has some arthritis developing on his right front. It makes sense. After the river accident, they did tell me arthritis was a good possibility as he ages.

Koda is 15 and taped at 1350 lbs.

Koda

Our vet suggested Koda lose 100 lbs. He would like to see all our horses around 1250 lbs. Koda needs to cut back on his food consumption, and get more/regular exercise. Hmmm, sounds familiar! There are no concerning fatty pockets on Koda. However, I think we'll all agree being over weight is less than ideal for anyone. We talked at length about ways to make that happen with our current feeding system. With one of us being home most of the time, he had no concern with using a (breakaway) muzzle on Koda at our hay net feeder. I am not a fan of the idea.

Brad & I are still mulling all this over. For now we will cut Koda's evening hay down even more than we already have. The vet said if he is grazing all day, we could cut him down to one flake overnight. Gulp! Can you say angry ('er hungry) horse?! Brad promptly announced to our herd that our vet would be doing their chores for the next week. Ha ha! We might eventually need to get down to one flake overnight, but there are other things we can try first. Brad is testing putting out flakes in the turnout feeder, instead of the self serve netted big bail they have all year round. I don't think feeding a given amount during turnout is going to work well for Cierra, not to mention the added labor. Will see. We might try some kind of pasture only option with Koda muzzled, or bring him in early or ? Ohhh boy, he will hate being muzzled!

I know our vet isn't a big supplement guy, but I asked about them anyways. He suggested trying the well known Glucosamine for arthritis and said if we do, to give it a month to (hopefully) work. He said it seems to make a difference in some horses and not others.

I plan to do some research on all of this, along with the feeding trials. I am just glad my riding days with Koda are not over. 

Padame, remember her? I don't post much about her because sadly I never see Brad's new blondie. 

Her Spring vet visit was earlier this month with the whole show barn. Our vet shared some stifle locking concern. It happens when she is lunged, but not while collected. He is hopeful she will grow out of it. He mentioned Padame seems to be a year behind on overall growth, and looks like a three year old to him. Right in line with what her breeder shared about her. It was interesting learning about how the stifle and related ligament work together.

Padame is 4. No clue what she weighs.

She is at her first show of the season up in Minnesota to train right now. Brad opted not to go. It is a small group of horses with three trusted friends. Brad received a photo from his trainer this morning:

Padame

miraculous recovery

The first five days were long. They included a lot of worry, x-rays, tourniquets, antibiotic infusions, long hours, multiple shots of antibiotics multiple times a day, and more worry.

The following ten days would reveal the general outcome of Koda's accident. If he recovered quickly, he would most likely be completely rideable again. The longer the puncture wound was problematic, the less likely he would be rideable. 

At the end of the five days he got switched to oral antibiotics twice a day, and our trainer began changing his bandage every other day. It is really hard not being able to completely take care of my boy! But I have to trust, and let others help. It's part of life. I remember the day I learned that hard lesson as a young adult. 

Brad & Koda
walking-n-walking-n-walking

We also tag-team hand walked Koda twice a day. I would walk him once, and our trainer did a second time. Around 30-40 minutes each. Walk a little, graze a little, walk a little more, graze a lot more. The latter part of our walks were spent mostly grazing. It kept Koda from going crazy. He had a couple days, where the cool breeze and running horses created excess energy, but he managed to keep it together. The last few days Brad helped, and we walked Koda together. My arm is soooo sore, even little tugs on a lead hurt. Tomorrow I have an appointment with Orthopedics, to face reality. 

the many colors of Koda

Yesterday was our ten day follow-up. We got miraculous news! Koda got cleared for turn-out!! *surprise* The punctured part of the wound is closed, and his leg can now be exposed to fresh air during the day. The influx of antibiotics has held off infection, a main concern. Late afternoon it will get cleaned, and have a topical antibiotic ointment light wrap applied overnight. If his x-rays are good at an upcoming four week appointment, he will be cleared to ride!! 

I truly believe the hand walking made the difference. We did way more then they asked us to do (5-10 minutes of walking once a day) without over doing it. That's where the grazing came in. What difference does it make if he is standing in his stall, or in a lawn? A lot if you ask Koda, for different reasons. Mobility is key with a healing tendon shield, to keep scar tissue from restricting movement. I think we accomplished that. 

my beloved guys

One more week to go....so far it's been a miraculous recovery, in half the expected time. 

wednesday whirlwind

This post title fits my world lately. It is mostly inspired by our second day of ridiculously high winds! I guess if your days are crazy, you might as well have crazy weather too. Said no one ever. 2017 already ranks high on the "it's been a very unusual year" list, in more ways then one.

Our spring vet appointments came & went, over a week ago already. Koda lucked out, and only got immunized. Cierra had shots, teeth floated and since she was doing some odd breathing for our trainer the day prior, they checked her lungs too. Everything was normal. The garbage bag procedure was new for all of us at the barn. 

Cierra handled breathing
into the bag very well

Nemo always get's the most done, poor guy. Shots, teeth, ultrasound and flushing for his unique calcium build up problem. We also found out he has to repeat the whole allergy shot series again, forever. I swore the vet said it was a once a month maintenance shot after the initial series, but I was wrong. He explained the reasoning. Every year it's a brand new pollen season, so the calculated shots are the best way to keep symptoms down. Nemo was SO incredibly miserable last year, it is worth it. I will be glad when Nemo lives with us again, so we can give him the shots ourselves. The intricate ever changing schedule is asking a lot of someone else. We are fortunate he lives at a place where other people love him too.

Nemo & Brad by the scary door

My rides with Koda continue going well. We are back to riding in the indoor. He is being such a good boy under saddle. Koda is Koda and will always try shenanigans on the ground, all minor. The other day he was standing in the arena while I scooped poop before getting in the saddle (his brother is a never ending poop machine) and one rein flopped to the ground. Koda picked the rein up in his mouth and was trying to put it back on the rail, or direct himself with it - not sure. He is no dummy. Typical silliness, always making us laugh!

We are working on a little bit of everything, including some loping. His lope in frame is like riding on a cloud! My favorite gait, with a willing partner. We don't lope endless circles, don't need to. Just enough, is good enough for us.

Koda in no hurry to rejoin his herd

Some other fast changing news: our house build started this week! Brad & our son staked the house out (again) on Saturday. Brad prepped the site, and then we met with the excavator to answer any questions. While they talked building stuff, I snuck off for a quick walk through the pines. Something I haven't had a chance to do for a long time. 

heading out of the woods
and seeing our barn for the first time in the distance,
made me pause...

The very next day our house site was turned into a giant sand box. 

for perspective,
see Brad standing in the photo

They finished digging the house today, and tonight my guys along with a handful of awesome employees will do the next step - set the footings. I sure hope the wind dies down!

Our house site will continue changing rapidly over the next week, before it slows down again. I won't bore you with a gazillion step-by-step house building photos, but you can bet I'll be taking them!! I may or may not be biased, but I find the process fascinating and fun to shoot. I'll share a few updates, but if you don't hear from me for a while you will know why!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods! Before you know it, we will all be riding outside!!

vet visit

Koda & Nemo surprised us with how well behaved they were during their first vet visit (with us as owners) we had no idea how they would react - they couldn't have behaved better! The boys got their vaccinations updated, and Koda had his wolf teeth removed. We were really happy with Lodi Vets/Madison Equine's service, it was unrushed, good advice and they answered all our questions. Looks like we just need to keep on doing what we've been doing :)

Speaking of what we've been doing, last night was another successful saddling session - we added desensitizing with our son shooting air from his paintball gun nearby, while standing still & lunging in saddle - wasn't very exciting, the horses didn't seem to care. Then we took them hiking while saddled - complete with close-by moving bobcats, trucks, etc. We haven't been hiking on the path since early June (thanks to the bugs) but decided to brave it, other than being aware of their surrounding - all went well.