The Kindest Eye

I have a better understanding of how my horse thinks and reacts and that most of the time he is truly confused and most likely scared. I realize that I have to communicate more effectively when he is confused and to release the pressure (whether it is clippers or loading in the trailer or going into the pond) and give him a chance to relax and calm down. Then try try again, getting 2 or 3 feet closer with the clippers is a good thing.

I know i could force him to let me clip him, but that kinda misses the point. I want him to trust that I will not hurt him and will not force him to do stuff that will hurt him and those darn clippers will eat him he just knows it!

Sometimes I find myself cringing when I see other people working with their horses and just not paying attention to the reactions they are getting. I think it is because they don’t understand the perspective of the horse.

The beginning of February I will be moving Fizz to Gaitway Farm (http://mysite.verizon.net/gaitway/gaitway_farm/index.html) I had previously boarded there and was spoiled, the care is top of the line and I never ever worried about my last horse (the infamous OTTB Katie). With the demands of my new job I have decided to move him even though it is further away and not my style of riding.

Our plan is to show definitely in June @ the Morning Light Farm dressage show (maybe even the April show )
Have a wonderful new year!

I am going to start him by lunging him, I can’t put a bit in his mouth right now due to the klutz factor, plus I don’t want to start riding him only to stop due to my upcoming surgery.

On Monday I went out to see the Big Dude. I noticed that he was not as perky as Saturday. Now if I were reading this I would think “how the heck can she tell he is not his normal self…she has only had him for a week or so!”

Well normally you might be correct in asking that question, but Mr. Fizz (my own new pet name for him [:D]…) is normally bright alert and interested in everything I do. He has the most expressive face that I just knew he wasn’t feeling quite up to snuff.

I then did the quick inventory…. 4 hooves in place? Check! 2 eye in place? Check! All 4 legs intact? Check! No Bloody stumps or missing ears or huge open gaping wounds? Check! Did he eat? Check and Double Check..Fizz has not met a meal he does not love! Boy parts intact…no pony bites in inappropriate places? Check!

So the result of my survey was to locate swelling on the left side of the muzzle at the corner of the mouth right above where the bit would sit. Okkaaaayyyy what the heck is this I think to myself. Now I was a small animal vet tech so I don’t panic… usually! I felt the lump, it was warm and solid, I felt for swollen lymph nodes (I think the one under his jaw is bigger then Saturday…but how the heck should I know… I just got him!!!) and looked for snot coming out of the nose (nothing yet).

Some of you may know where I was heading….. (my husband says off the deep end is where I usually tend to head) but I decided to not get worked up and take the temp and alert the BO. Of course I have yet to get a thermometer so I had to borrow hers!

Temp was normal, feet were warm. So I call the vet (the one I have yet to make the acquaintance of..what a way to meet. “Hello Doc I think I have a case of Strangles can you come on out and shoot me?!?!?!”

I go home and start to read everything I could find on the disease. It doesn’t look good, however as my husband is fond of saying, I do nothing 1/2 way when I get on the Worry Band Wagon. I speak to the vet on Tuesday morning, her response to my description is “yup sounds like strangles”. Now keep in mind his temp is normal, a very very very small clear nasal discharge, and an appetite that won’t quit. The vet can’t make it out until WEDNESDAY!!!

Give me a break I think… why do the doctors in my life (human and equine) make me wait to pay them money? For those of you not in the know I have to have my gall bladder out but not until April 5th cause my surgeon is on vacation!

So for the next day or so I am worried worried worried…did I mention worried? Now as a side note Fizz is still eating, has had a thermometer up his hinny several times and still nothing, no fever no snot NOTHING! One would think that the professional worrier would ease up a bit…Nope not me!

Finally the vet comes on Wednesday afternoon. Now I ran late due to work so when I got there Fizz is on the cross ties with the vet just standing there looking at me. She has already done her exam and since I have yet to met her I can’t tell if she has the face of DOOM or does she always look like that.

She announces “your horse is a klutz”….. OK maybe she didn’t say that, it was more along the lines of “your horse bit the inside of his cheek” It appears that Mr. Fizz hurt his mouth while “horsing around”. No infection, no blood, no heat in the feet. Nothing! The swelling will go down, my embarrassment will not!

I went home later that night and told my husband that Fizz bit his cheek and his response..”Wow like horse like owner” Did I mention I do nothing 1/2 way?

Cheers to all!

More tales from the land of Fizz later!

Without this group many horses would end up in the slaughter houses of the United States. I have talked to many people about this group and their mission and the universal comment is “horses go to slaughter?!?!?”. My answer is yes horses go to slaughter.

The rescue is an all volunteer group that is headed by 3 very kind and giving women. Nealia McCracken, Pat Johnson and Christy Parker. In the last 1.5 years they have successfully rescued and re-homed over 150 horses.

I had been reading the saddlebred rescue forum for months as a close friend had recently adopted her horse Friendly from the rescue. Well in February the following post was made:

“Fizz has been with us for a while now and I should be beat for not writing about him. This handsome gelding is about 12 to 14 years old and stands around 16 hands. Fizz came to us with a odd bump on his back. It is not very noticable but it is right were the back of a larger cutback saddle would sit. We had the vet look at him and so far all we can tell is what it is not. It is not a tumor, it is not an abcess old or new, it has not gotten larger and it did not get smaller with hot packing.

It is my guess this horse was sold because of lameness. When we loaded him I noticed a fresh opening on his coronet band were an abcess broke out. I am sure he was lame for a while so they sold him. Fizz was in very good shape and has always loved his people. We drove him while we were hot packing his back and he drives great. This horse thinks the people around him are there to admire him, which is a nice change from a lot of my treasures. Fizz rides well and does seem to know a canter cue and his leads. This horse could go several ways he would make a nice lesson horse with work and he can carry a larger rider with no problems. I also think he could go the sport horse route, and I will have IMADriver come over to see him. Fizz has been sound and happy and maybe one of the fattest treasures I have ever had. We will post pictures and I think this horse would be a good friend to a special person. He stands tied like a statue and LOVES to be groomed and talked to. I sure hope some one gives this horse a chance.”

Well what was I to do?!?!? He sounded perfect. So I agreed to go down the the rescue and try him out. Well, I have been having health issues and something came up that prevented me from going to try him out. It was heart wrenching for me to call the rescue and tell them I could not take him sight unseen. They understood and so did Kristen, my cohort in crime. She was to go with me to NJ and when I couldn’t go she went on her own.

She tried him out and did everything she could do to get him to spook, be bad or react in a manner that would turn her off. He was pretty darn perfect and so she had to come home to tell me.

Based upon her recommendation and the references of all the spies I had on the ground at the rescue (I emailed everyone that had any contact with him!) I decided to adopt him.

So he made the trip on March 2, 2007 and now he lives at Domnarski Farm in MA.