Trip of a Lifetime

On Thursday we headed out at dawn on a long journey to the Boise BLM Wild Horse Corrals.  The first half of the trip was absolutely gorgeous.

We stopped once on the Salmon river to enjoy the beauty, take pictures, and look at rocks.  There are so many different kinds of rocks in that river.  And the water there has so many different voices. 

The sky was amazing, and the morning light made everything soft and magical.

Not long after that we came to the town of Riggins.  Everything was so beautiful and perfect that I decided that if I got a gelding, I'd name him Riggin.  At that point I still had my heard set on the little grey filly though. 

We got there and found out that she's pretty standoffish, which isn't really a bad thing, but wasn't what I wanted to hear.  She kept to herself, and stayed out of any drama that came up.  She also hadn't been there long and was just settling in.  The BLM official who met us there said she was his pick of the yearlings.

There were a couple other yearlings I liked, but not a lot.

Then we looked at the 2 and 3 year old geldings.  It's interesting how at first they're just a bunch of horses, then some start to catch your attention.  This one stood out, with his long legs and bright bay color.  I'd seen one picture of him before and liked him.  I noted his tag number.

But it wasn't long before this one was the one I kept my eyes out for.  (Not how wild and crazy the red horse is.  There were a lot of them like that.)

The horse on the other side of him was also pretty cute, but  little pushy.

Eventually he came up and made friends, and I even got a pretty good look at his teeth as he explored me with his mouth.  I figured he was a 2 year old, but one of the guys swore he was a 3 year old.  He was one of the largest in the group, but we didn't have their paperwork, so I figured I'd wait until morning to find out more specifics.  At this point I still thought I was considering the other two horses.

The next morning we got there just after dawn to watch them during feeding time, and make our final decision, although I was pretty much decided at that point.

Here are all the yearlings.  The big one in the middle is the only 2 year old.  She was sensible and loving. The one on the left is an awesome coloring - primitive bay pinto.  She's a filly also.  Click to enlarge, if interested.  The red babies were very sweet and inquisitive, demanding attention.  Not many of them were shy.

I just like this picture.  That's my guy in the center background.

When we first got there, only two feeders had hay in them, and they were jockeying around for spots at the feeder quite a bit.  My guy spent a lot of time not eating, trying to figure out how to get in for some food.

Then he came to say hello again.

Here he is a little worried about something.

What a handsome guy!

Buddy horses could be adopted for just $25.00, and I was tempted to take this one as well.  He was even bigger, and really just a gentle giant, and seemed to be hanging around with my gelding a lot.  But I don't have room for two wild ones.

When they went to sort him off, something really amazing happened.  The corrals are set up with big square enclosures all along both sides of an alleyway.  My horse was at the feeder on the alleyway side, with plenty of room to eat and no reason to do otherwise.  When they opened the big gate and walked in (not near him, heading toward the center, they were still looking for him) his curiosity was piqued, and he walked with interested purpose right into the alleyway, completely by himself, comfortable, and not directed.  Just looking for adventure.  Absolutely amazing. 

When we went in to sign paperwork, I found out he is only two years old, and he is from Nevada, but they don't know specifically where because he was born in a holding facility.  So he has probably never seen trees, or uneven ground, or even green grass.  It made me consider changing my mind, but really there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one I wanted. 

They trimmed his hooves on a tilt squeeze chute, and wormed him and put his halter on.  I think they may have vaccinated him too, but I need to look that up.  Then they ran him into the trailer and he quietly rode the 7 hour trip home on the winding road.  What a big day!

He is definitely a watcher.  Everything interests him.  He doesn't seem spooky or over-reactive at all, just curious and sometimes concerned.  If you look closely here you can see a boat drifting by outside the trailer door.  He thought that was really weird.  The river itself was also pretty strange to him.

When we got him unloaded he talked to the other horses a bit, had a big long pee, and started eating tumbleweeds.  He really is a big goof.

It's now Monday, and I've played with him a bit, but I'm also trying to let him settle in.  I got his halter off because the fiador knot had come loose and the noseband was huge, just asking to snag on something.  He will let me rub my hand on his forehead, lips, under his jaw, his neck and shoulder, and he will let me rub just about anywhere with the training stick or poop fork.  He is very inquisitive, and as soon as something new appears (including people) he just can't help but come up and start messing with it.  He is something else.  I just love him.

But I still don't have a name for him!  Any suggestions?

So Excited!

I can barely contain myself. I am going to adopt a mustang. We're headed to Boise and I really have my eye on this yearling filly from Wyoming:

I'm not sure she'll be the one I pick. I have no idea how big she is or what her temperament is like. They have plenty to choose from though, so I'm sure I'll find one to fall in love with.

I had so much fun with the critters today!  First thing this morning we went and looked at a colt.  He is gorgeous but only 4 months old and I don't need a mare as well.  Still pondering on that one.

There are also a bunch of young muztangs at the Boise BLM that are already gelded, so I'm going to contact them tomorrow.  Burns, Oregon is just a little farther away, and I'm pretty sure they have a better selection, so I'm thinking about that too.

And still wondering if I really need a new horse right now...  I would have loved to have that red one I posted pictures of, but the guy that was selling him was exhausting me.  I could afford what they're asking, but I just don't think I want to deal with them anymore, and I don't think that horse is worth what they're asking.

After making crabapple jelly I hitched up the trailer and practiced loading with Dakota.  She's got some fear issues.  She will put her front end in without much trouble, but once her hind end is in she starts stomping, swishing her tail, and kicking.  Then she has to back out.  Today there wasn't near as much of that, and several times she walked straight up into the front stall and stood there eating treats, without mentally checking out or flapping her lips or even seeming very stressed at all.  I was so proud of her!

I trimmed sweet old Bob's hooves without even haltering him.  He was an angel, which he hasn't always been in the past.  I think he liked the freedom of being unfettered, but didn't take advantage of it.  He was offended that I only brought him two little apples.  He figures he should get one after every hoof, and then some.

Pedro was just a little more challenging.  His front hooves require more thought and time, and he needs more breaks.  So we both got tired of it before we were done, and I didn't get his hinds done.  I'll get them tomorrow, and get Scout trimmed up as well.  It's easier now that the weather is cooler.  I wish it would rain and soften up their hooves a tad though.

I am so much happier at my new job, and enjoying life outside work more as well.  Things are looking so much better now that I'm out from under the yoke.

And have I mentioned how much I love my Pedro?

What do you think?

I know I'm not giving you much to form an opinion on here, but how do you like this red 3 year old gelding?

A Nice Fall Day

My friend and I were picking up apples for her pigs in my poor, neglected orchard, and we serendipitously stumbled on a plum tree I didn't know I had.  Well, I knew it had had a few plums when we moved in, and I checked it every year for a while, and it had none, so I gave up.  This year it looks like we have a bumper crop.  I am going to make jelly.

I've already made blackberry jelly, which was supposed to be syrup, but it set up a bit too well.  And I made Mountain Ash berry jelly, which is disgusting.  Ever since I heard you could make jelly out of mountain ash, I've wanted to.  There's something magical about free food gathered in the forest, and these berries are loaded with vitamin C.  Now that I have tried it, I won't do it again.  Even with half the recipe made up of sweet crab apples, it is just plain bad.  I might try it after 6 months or so to see if it mellows.  It does have one thing going for it - it's very pretty.

I don't have a picture of the jelly, but the berries are very pretty too.

This evening I finally got Dakota out on a trail ride, with my sister and her Lakhota. 

I had so much trouble getting her into the trailer that I would have bagged it if my sister wasn't already waiting for me.  So once Dakota was in, off we went.  I led her a ways to see how she'd do, then mounted up and rode a bit.  She's not spooky, she's very responsive, but she's pretty emotional & herdbound, and got pretty antsy on the way back.  I think once we know each other better it will go better.  A longer ride would probably be beneficial.  Trailer loading practice has got to happen more often.  She's very afraid (butt rope and possible abuse in the past).  We'll get through it.  Oh, and she already threw both of her shoes somewhere in the pasture.  She did fine barefoot tonight, but we were careful to stay on soft ground.  My sister's spotted pony has soft feet too. 

Hasta. I am off to ride a different horse this morning, in search of some half wild horses in the trees. I know I said I'm not looking for a horse anymore, but it turns out I lied.

Picture, as promised

As they told me was likely the case, there's nothing to see in the tail. Couldn't get through all the thick tissue to see the bones just above it.

In his nervousness, he pooped right in front of the girls, and they said he just barely lifted and then clamped his tail. Maybe he's healing? I hope they weren't just imagining it.

Rads

I've decided to take Scout to work today to shoot some basic x-rays of his tail. They have been reluctant to do it for me, but dang it, I'm paying for it, so they're going to have to try. I had been holding out, hoping to go to WSU or another clinic I like, but this is more affordable since I've already paid for my exam here, so I'm going to start here. I finally came to terms with the fact that even though I think he's totally worth the expenditure, I just cans afford $800 for the big pelvic x-ray at WSU.

His tail does not flex upward at all, I discovered. The entire length is stuff as a board, until a point above where it joins with his body, where it suddenly freely "hinges." It's hard to explain. But it isn't right.

Ok, off to get ready for work now. Hopefully I'll have pics later.

New Things.

It's amazing how much making a decision can lighten the load. Yesterday I decided I am no longer looking for a horse. I would like to ride, but we can't always have what we want, when we want it. I have 2 wonderful horses and 2 sweet donkeys, and if I can't ride, I can still enjoy my time with them. I am still on the fence about whether to keep Dakota here.

My other big decision was to quit my job. I gave my notice today and have my next job lined up. I will have fewer hours, so my checks will be a little smaller, but the wages are better. And NO overtime!

I'm going back to the low cost spay and neuter clinic I used to work at. We were a good team but at the time I quit there she couldn't give me many hours. I'm excited to go back. It works better with school schedules also.

We'll be broke, but I'll probably be easier to live with, and we'll have more time together as a family. Maybe I'll get back in the habit of blogging too. :)

Just Stuff

Dakota got her front shoes put on this weekend. It turns out the farrier can't handle her hind feet at all, and she's very naughty about her fronts. Had I understood that before I could have been working on it. All these little quirks that keep coming to light make me very hesitant to ride her. Soon, though, I will throw a leg over. I haven't seen any red flags while doing our groundwork, except that she's overly concerned about where the other horses are.

Scout... Well, he's hanging in there. As it gets cold I start to wonder how long I'll be able to keep soaking his hay. I guess as long as the hoses don't freeze.  His tail is still paralyzed. I had not been thinking of it that way, but that's what it is, I guess. He busted out of his temporary fence yesterday, so that he was in with the donkeys, and they were getting g along pretty well, so I decided to end his confinement. I am hoping all the dry pasture doesn't plug him up. He still has to expend a lot of effort to poop. I still can't leave them all together though because of all the different feed and medication needs.

These two are so cute.

Watching Bob lately, I have decided it's not time for him to be euthanized just yet. He's getting up pretty well. I will probably start giving him Bute again now that it's getting cold, and just making sure he has plenty to eat so he doesn't get weak. Feeding a senior donkey is interesting. Commercial feed mixes are too rich, and Bob is very picky. I'll get some bluegrass pellets again and add some alfalfa and beet pulp for extra energy.

Time to get my kiddo up for his first day of 7th grade. He's so excited! I love that he likes school so much.

I've been looking at horses. It gets easier the more you do it. I find if it's definitely not "the one," I know in an instant. I saw a couple that caught my eye the other day. One was a huge, unbroke, reportedly naughty 8 year old mare. I teared up over that one. She reminded me of Tonka. Then a 2 year old wild stud. More up my alley, except for the part where he still has his testicles. There was a filly who had all the character traits I like - brave, inquisitive, confident - but she wasn't for sale.

I may not get a horse this year. I think I can probably live with that.

Scout is still not right. His tail still doesn't work and it sounds like he did some damage to his left stifle. It clunks a lot. I hope he heals up. For a lot of reasons, but also because I'd like to be able to ride again someday.

Bob. Old Bob. I don't know what to do with him. The plan was to euthanize him before winter because I don't want him getting stuck down on the ground in the snow again. But he seems to be doing so well! I can't quite convince myself that it's time.

Anyway. I think I may have some more time for horses and blogging soon. I hope so.

Oh, and I liked this girl a lot too. 12 year old mustang/QH mare who was once rideable (when she was 3) but was abandoned. She is sweet. She would be a big project. I am tempted, but she also has squishy hocks (bog spavin) and well, she's a 12 year old project...

Time for Everyone

My friend the toad.

Dakota'a crooked legs and bad hooves. Still no word from her farrier.

The mares. They are so much alike.

I parked them in various places and asked them to stand. They did very well!

Detangler attracts dirt.

Least overgrown hoof (self trimming)

More overgrown hoof.

Bella's hooves.

Bella looking long in the face.

Scout started mutilating his tail when I gave him access to the barn. Going to have to keep him in 100% electric until he heals, I guess. And it had been looking so much better. I'd had an appointment for him at WSU and canceled it because he was so improved, but now I kind of wish I hadn't. Still no tail movement, acting colicky (pain before pooping), and now obviously it feels weird or hurts, causing him to rub it.

My son is growing like a weed. He may be as tall as me this week and he's only 12.

Pedro thinks training in the round pen is dumb. We kept it short and he got lots and lots of praise.

Bob didn't want to be left out. He's such a sweetie.

Holding Pattern

Scout is about the same. Pooping plenty, eating soaked hay at regular intervals, very swollen and sore. No use of his tail yet. I suspect he can't feel it but he sure can feel everything in front of it. Poor guy.

I had to buy baby wipes and ointment for him. He doesn't mind, except when I touch his sore butt. Mostly it's his tail that gets messy anyway.

Are grapes ok to feed to horses in small amounts? I have him one and he really liked it.

Pedro and I had a couple more great hikes.

Now back to working 6 days a week. Yay.

I feel better about Scout's injury today. I talked to a vet at WSU and he explained things to me in a way that makes sense. If his sacrum was broken, he likely wouldn't have anal tone, but he definitely does have that. It was one of the first things we checked. This vet thought it would be ok to keep giving the high doses of Bute for 5-7 days.

I hadn't considered using steroids. That scares me. I don't know a lot about steroids, but I do know there is a risk of founder when they are used, so I'm not comfortable with them.

When I added up how much we are actually feeding him, his decreased poop output made more sense. I'm going to keep feeding him every couple hours, but I'm going to increase how much soaked hay I give him. I'm also going to add some Epsom salts to his diet for a laxative effect. The extra magnesium should be good for him too.

Today while he was grazing loose in the yard he discovered one of the apple trees, and I had to firmly chase him away from it twice. I think that made him mad and he started galloping all over the place, doing sliding stops when he came to obstructions. He was obviously enjoying himself and not hurting too badly. Goofball. After I put him up he produced 3 big piles of nice soft poop.

In other news, Jasper has gone on to a home on a ranch in Oregon with a mule experienced family. He'll be moving cattle and packing big game. They're really happy with him.

I had an update on Joseph too. His owner loves him. They've been all over several different wilderness areas this summer.

I have been very hesitant to get a new horse. And now Scout has used up my savings on his vet bills, so it's a moot point. I had just about decided to just start getting myself and Pedro in shape instead of getting another horse anyway.

That said, there is a new horse here. I am kind of leasing her, although I haven't been able to ride her, first because of my leg injury and now because her owner can't get her farrier here to take care of her overgrown hooves. She has one shoe on. She is an 18 year old paint mare who supposedly a has never had a lame day in her life, although her front legs are terribly crooked and I'd consider her lame right now, on the front foot where she lost her shoe. She may be sound in shoes. Her name is Dakota.

She has pretty eyes.

I rode recently for the first time since my injury. It was good to be on a horse again! Scout is pretty unresponsive to leg, although other than that he was a rock star. My leg is a weird combination of numb and painful, so I could only ride for about ten minutes at a time.

I discovered that Pedro doesn't at all mind leaving the property without Bob, and he LOVES to get out and explore. He also likes PB&J.

And he doesn't need a dope on the end of his rope when we're on a narrow trail.

Last but not least... Winston. Is he thinking deeply? Attempting a Jedi mind trick? Completely mindless? He makes a very odd and totally hilarious dinner companion.

Oh poop. Or not.

Scout pooped 6 times over the 12 hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday, but has I my pooped 3 times (one of the pretty small) in the last 23 hours.

He is on 2 grams of Bute twice daily, which is a lot, but is not his maximum dose for his over 1220 lb body weight. I don't like giving him that much, but it has been barely controlling his pain, and if he hurts he doesn't want to poop.

I suspect Bute is probably not helping his digestion. Is that correct? Too late to switch. I can't have him in incredible pain during the washout period before meds could be changed.

No x-rays have been done. I think I will do those today, if I have time. Of course our machine won't penetrate his croup area. I may also draw blood to at least check his hydration status. I have my first day off in two weeks tomorrow, and I may take him to a different vet that can put him on IV fluids if necessary. John can take time to take him today if he needs to go sooner.

I am feeding thoroughly soaked hay to keep him hydrated. About 1/8 flake every 2 hours. He gets soaked alfalfa pellets with his Bute, and I added a large scoop of Probios last night and will continue to do so. I think I might give him some ground flax this morning too. Maybe that will make him poop.

He won't drink water when I keep him with me at work all day, even if I bring it from home, so he's going to stay home with John today. That way he can go for regular walks too.

I'll have a post about something other than illness and injury someday, I promise.

Bad news, good news

Scout is injured, painful, and colicky. He hurt his tail real bad, got it caught and pulled so bad he ripped out and broke off the whole thing (hair, not flesh). Which makes him not want to poop. And he's not drinking enough. We all know where that leads. I'm so busy at work, and the vets there are so busy, that I'm not sure he's getting the proper care. So I think I'll run blood work and see how dehydrated he is, and maybe send him to another vet to be put on IV fluids.

He did have a full exam after hours with oil administered and rectal palpation. Yesterday was frustrating though, with the lack of care. Maybe I'm just not playing the wait-and-see game patiently enough.

His tail isn't working, but I hope that will pass as the pain and inflammation subside.  It is still alive.

Good news is his retina healed from his accident as a foal. So it's just the corpora nigra cyst in that eye that's blocking his vision.

Wish me luck getting him well. I think he's going to be ok but boy is he hurting.