Mustang Saga

Tonight I learned that Tonka can barely hold himself together while trapped in a round pen in a brewing storm with a dragon kite in the air nearby. He was doing a very impressive levade and then coming down and pressing his chest up against the fence. He wasn't sure whether he was going to try going over or through. My sister's round pen isn't very tall, but Tonka isn't all that coordinated either. Luckily when I went in and caught him he was able to focus enough on me to keep from doing anything stupid. I gave him a few simple jobs to do while the kids tried to reel in the kite they shouldn't have been flying in the first place. Lucky they didn't get struck by lightning!

He hauled home quite nicely in the thick of the storm, with rain pummeling down and lightning setting the whole sky alight. He didn't like it, but he did fine.

Why were we out and about? Not just to ride this time, although we did do that this morning. We hauled to the vet to see what they thought of the lump in his nose. It isn't any bigger but my sister mentioned sarcoids, which apparently do come in a smooth-lump variety, and I got a little worried. The vet checked him out and said just to keep watching it, and that it isn't obstructing his breathing enough to be worried about, so I can work him as hard as I want. Not that I ever work him hard anyway... Kind of frustrating, I feel like I made a trip and paid (not much, but still...) to be told to do what I already thought was the right thing to do. I guess being backed up by a vet just means I have good common sense, but a little too much worry? Worked out okay though, since my sister needed to get a brand inspection on her new horse. New horse? Yep. Old guy, steady eddy, chemo patient mount. He's a good horse, and they already love each other. I took my camera to take pictures and I didn't take my memory card.

Tomorrow we head up for my sister's minor surgery to put in her chemotherapy port. They say it will make her pretty sore. I hope she's an exception so we can ride together before she starts chemo on Tuesday.

Thank you all for your prayers and kind thoughts! I can tell they are working, and we can use all we can get. My niece (13) is having a rough time, and giving my sister a hard time. Not terrible, just teenage angst and attitude. She is angry about the cancer. Not angry at my sister, but just angry, and having a hard time not being cranky about it. So pray for her to be strong for her mom, and to be strong for herself, and to come through her teenage years emotionally healthy. It's a hard time of life, even without cancer involved.