I've decided to start posting in my other blog again. There's so much I'm doing that has nothing to do with Cherry that I'm going to devote to the other blog.
In recent months, I've come to the startling and frankly slightly frightening conclusion that I don't care about nor really want a career. There's so much I want to do and so much that interests me that I'll never in a million years get paid to do. So why can't I? No reason, really. This isn't to say I'll be unemployed, but whatever job I do will never be the central focus of my life nor will it detract from what I find to be truly important.
I propose to devote my other blog to the trials and tribulations of such a life, reclaiming domestic skills, and trying to find a balance between what I need and what I want.
Posts will likely be sporadic, but it's really more a record for me to look back on anyway. And if my exploits into the world of homemaking entertain or help someone else, so much the better!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Supplement Musings
The weather here has been pretty shitty over the last month. That, and the fact that I was gone for holidays, means that I haven't been doing a whole lot with Cherry lately. It's kind of her "winter break", but I can't lie, it's more about me being lazy and cold than giving her a respite.
That doesn't mean I've been neglecting her, just not riding nearly as much. I've also come to the conclusion that I don't need to go to the barn every day. Six days a week is plenty. Going every. single. day. really wears on me after awhile, I've found. It's not that I don't want to see my horse, it's that I don't want to deal with the crap that goes with it. Putting on warm clothes, driving through slush/ice/snow, mixing her feed, trekking through the icy muck to her paddock, etc, then doing it all in reverse.
So I don't go sometimes. But the next day I'm that much happier to do all of the above just to see her fuzzy little face. Like today. She felt pretty good and went tearing ass around the arena after a good roll in the dirt. It was so fun just to watch her and remember how nice her gaits are when she puts a little bounce into them.
I'm starting to question the efficacy of the joint supplement I've had her on. Past tense because, well, she hasn't been getting it these past couple weeks. We ran out and I haven't ordered more. Two reasons for that, one is that since I didn't work much in December I have no money (and it costs 90 freaking dollars), the other is that I'm curious to see if there's a difference with or without it.
So far, I can't really tell. Perhaps this means that she doesn't need it, or that she won't need it for awhile. I'd love to do what a "natural" vet (he does homeopathy and other such alternative remedies as well as conventional medicine) suggested, which is to do a 3 months on, 3 months off thing as opposed to continuous supplementation.
I'm also looking into other alternatives. I've heard the gelatin (Jello actually, but I'm not about to feed sugar to my horse) can help with joint stiffness and paprika is an anti-inflammatory for those bad days where the arthritis flares up. Obviously I need to do more research on this.
Perhaps the money that would have gone to the joint supplement would be better spent on new literature on barefoot trimming. I feel comfortable with the knowledge I have and the super basic trim, and now I want to advance my knowledge and skills. I've noticed that after a trim her arthritis seems to be "eased" for lack of a better term. Maybe by keeping her feet in better balance and health I'll be able to keep the stiffness at bay for longer with less need for supplements.
Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.
That doesn't mean I've been neglecting her, just not riding nearly as much. I've also come to the conclusion that I don't need to go to the barn every day. Six days a week is plenty. Going every. single. day. really wears on me after awhile, I've found. It's not that I don't want to see my horse, it's that I don't want to deal with the crap that goes with it. Putting on warm clothes, driving through slush/ice/snow, mixing her feed, trekking through the icy muck to her paddock, etc, then doing it all in reverse.
So I don't go sometimes. But the next day I'm that much happier to do all of the above just to see her fuzzy little face. Like today. She felt pretty good and went tearing ass around the arena after a good roll in the dirt. It was so fun just to watch her and remember how nice her gaits are when she puts a little bounce into them.
I'm starting to question the efficacy of the joint supplement I've had her on. Past tense because, well, she hasn't been getting it these past couple weeks. We ran out and I haven't ordered more. Two reasons for that, one is that since I didn't work much in December I have no money (and it costs 90 freaking dollars), the other is that I'm curious to see if there's a difference with or without it.
So far, I can't really tell. Perhaps this means that she doesn't need it, or that she won't need it for awhile. I'd love to do what a "natural" vet (he does homeopathy and other such alternative remedies as well as conventional medicine) suggested, which is to do a 3 months on, 3 months off thing as opposed to continuous supplementation.
I'm also looking into other alternatives. I've heard the gelatin (Jello actually, but I'm not about to feed sugar to my horse) can help with joint stiffness and paprika is an anti-inflammatory for those bad days where the arthritis flares up. Obviously I need to do more research on this.
Perhaps the money that would have gone to the joint supplement would be better spent on new literature on barefoot trimming. I feel comfortable with the knowledge I have and the super basic trim, and now I want to advance my knowledge and skills. I've noticed that after a trim her arthritis seems to be "eased" for lack of a better term. Maybe by keeping her feet in better balance and health I'll be able to keep the stiffness at bay for longer with less need for supplements.
Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy New year!
Visited my folks and a few good friends over the holidays. Cherry was well taken care of in my absence.
I did leave her hooves a litttttle too long, trimming-wise, but it's okay. I'm amazed at the change in her feet. The white line at the toe is actually looking really good! The bad news is that the whole toe is stretched forward, as evidenced by the change in angle of the hoof as viewed from the side. At least healthy hoof is growing in!
Next time I'm going to back up those front toes.We've been dealing
with this on the front hooves for awhile now. That's okay, she's pretty comfortable on her feet again. And there's some lovely concavity going on under there. Very thrilled about that.Her hind hooves look pretty good though, no? Yes, that left hind is a bit swollen. It's stocked up, something we've been dealing with this winter. Her hind legs stock up unevenly, I think due to the fact that her arthritis seems to be worse in the left leg than in the right. It goes back to normal with exercise, but since the ground is frozen (read: giant frozen mud peaks that I can't even walk on normally), she isn't moving about as much. Hence the stocking up. *sigh* I can't wait to get old.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Dentist Time!
Cherry saw the equine dentist a couple weeks ago, something that should have happened over the summer. I need to be better about that.
Despite the fact that this was Cherry's second time with this particular dentist, it was the first time I'd met her. Last year I had to work and couldn't be there for the appointment. I got the invoice and dutifully sent a check, but didn't get a chance to speak to her. She came highly recommended, and is pretty much the only certified equine dentist in my area (and a vet to boot), so I didn't feel weird about not meeting her the first time.
Her set-up is amazing. She has this giant "dentistry trailer" that she hauls with her. Inside are stocks, equipment, head holder, and a mini office. All that's needed is a place to plug in the extension cord for the power tools. It's pretty freaking sweet, and she takes it far and wide to see clients.
The horse is led up the ramp (well covered in non-slip material) into the trailer and placed in the stocks. Horse is then sedated and the head is supported by this padded ring thing that's suspended from the ceiling. There's plenty of room for the dentist, her assistant, and the horse's owner inside the trailer. She even had a space heater going since it was below freezing outside.
Cherry of course gave absolutely no trouble. She had to think for a minute about getting in the trailer, take a good look and all that, but she loaded up no problem. The IV needle wasn't her favorite thing, but that was over pretty quickly. Thankfully Cherry is a very cheap drunk and it doesn't take much to send her off into la-la land. The flip side to that is she wakes up very quickly and sometimes before you want her to, but things went quickly and she only needed one shot.
The dentist checked Cherry's teeth, explained what she was doing (always love that!) and also told me about aging horse's teeth. When horses get old, the chewing surface begins to degrade and form a cup. The process is called "cupping". Highly technical, I know. When the teeth start cupping it means that there isn't much tooth left to erupt and that regular dentist visits are extra important to keep the teeth healthy for as long as possible. She even had skulls on hand to show what she was talking about, which was super nifty.
Apparently Cherry's teeth are *just* starting to cup on the first and second molars. She's still got plenty of chewing years left, so no need to worry about stocking up on mush ingredients yet. But she does need a yearly float, and it would not be a good idea to let her go more than a year. Point taken.
Cherry didn't need much work. Just some sharp points on her molars and a slight unevenness on the chewing surface. Her incisors were fine (they had needed work last year) and overall it was a pretty basic power float. The prognosis was that she was starting to show signs of age, but her teeth are still very healthy, and she shows every sign of being well taken care of. Awww, that warmed my heart. :)
The dentist and her assistant were thrilled at how well behaved Cherry was. That is one thing I've never had to worry about with Cherry. She is always incredibly well mannered with equine professionals. I don't have to worry about a vet or farrier refusing to work on her, which is really nice.
All in all, a successful dentist visit.
Despite the fact that this was Cherry's second time with this particular dentist, it was the first time I'd met her. Last year I had to work and couldn't be there for the appointment. I got the invoice and dutifully sent a check, but didn't get a chance to speak to her. She came highly recommended, and is pretty much the only certified equine dentist in my area (and a vet to boot), so I didn't feel weird about not meeting her the first time.
Her set-up is amazing. She has this giant "dentistry trailer" that she hauls with her. Inside are stocks, equipment, head holder, and a mini office. All that's needed is a place to plug in the extension cord for the power tools. It's pretty freaking sweet, and she takes it far and wide to see clients.
The horse is led up the ramp (well covered in non-slip material) into the trailer and placed in the stocks. Horse is then sedated and the head is supported by this padded ring thing that's suspended from the ceiling. There's plenty of room for the dentist, her assistant, and the horse's owner inside the trailer. She even had a space heater going since it was below freezing outside.
Cherry of course gave absolutely no trouble. She had to think for a minute about getting in the trailer, take a good look and all that, but she loaded up no problem. The IV needle wasn't her favorite thing, but that was over pretty quickly. Thankfully Cherry is a very cheap drunk and it doesn't take much to send her off into la-la land. The flip side to that is she wakes up very quickly and sometimes before you want her to, but things went quickly and she only needed one shot.
The dentist checked Cherry's teeth, explained what she was doing (always love that!) and also told me about aging horse's teeth. When horses get old, the chewing surface begins to degrade and form a cup. The process is called "cupping". Highly technical, I know. When the teeth start cupping it means that there isn't much tooth left to erupt and that regular dentist visits are extra important to keep the teeth healthy for as long as possible. She even had skulls on hand to show what she was talking about, which was super nifty.
Apparently Cherry's teeth are *just* starting to cup on the first and second molars. She's still got plenty of chewing years left, so no need to worry about stocking up on mush ingredients yet. But she does need a yearly float, and it would not be a good idea to let her go more than a year. Point taken.
Cherry didn't need much work. Just some sharp points on her molars and a slight unevenness on the chewing surface. Her incisors were fine (they had needed work last year) and overall it was a pretty basic power float. The prognosis was that she was starting to show signs of age, but her teeth are still very healthy, and she shows every sign of being well taken care of. Awww, that warmed my heart. :)
The dentist and her assistant were thrilled at how well behaved Cherry was. That is one thing I've never had to worry about with Cherry. She is always incredibly well mannered with equine professionals. I don't have to worry about a vet or farrier refusing to work on her, which is really nice.
All in all, a successful dentist visit.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Snow Pony
Today was just so beautiful with the snow and the sun that I had to take some pictures! Cherry is all fuzzed up and perfectly happy out in the cold. See how fuzzy and cute she is! For a California Baby, she's doing pretty damn good in the frozen north.
Aw, she's such a cute old girl.
We went for a bareback ride in the snow, and Cherry indulged me in my picture-taking joy. Actually, it's pretty hard work tramping through snow, so she was probably glad of the rest.
Aw, she's such a cute old girl.
We went for a bareback ride in the snow, and Cherry indulged me in my picture-taking joy. Actually, it's pretty hard work tramping through snow, so she was probably glad of the rest.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
To Blanket or Not To Blanket
I choose NOT to blanket, even though it's a grand total of 8 degrees here today. Going outside is like stepping into a Winter Apocalypse. There are not enough layers in the world to keep you warm. Well, maybe there are, but I do not possess them.
So if I'm all bundled up like a retarded penguin, why is my horse naked? For starters, she has a lovely fur coat, while I have to protect my naked flesh with as much wool, down, and Carhartt as I can.
Whenever it gets really cold or nasty, I always worry about how Cherry is doing and if she's warm enough. And when I go to check on her, she's puffed up like a dandelion and looking at me like, "WTF if your problem?" as my teeth chatter and hands shake. A couple days ago she had icicles in her tail and looked like she was soaking wet. Upon closer inspection, I realized that only the top layer of hair was wet and the under layers were perfectly dry. I scraped the icicles off of her, stuffed her full of hay pellets, and put her back in her snowy paddock.
The first winter up here in the frozen north, she did need a blanket (two, in fact). Being the California baby that she is, she grew a California winter coat, which was only distinguishable from the summer coat by the slightly longer fetlock hair. The first time it snowed, I found her huddled in her shelter and shivering, looking like the equine equivalent of the Little Match Girl. She looked at me like, "What is this horrible place that you've brought me to and when can we leave?" Now she's like, "It's not that cold, you big weenie!"
In fact, the only times she does get a blanket are the fall and spring. It likes to rain here during those seasons, which also coincides with either growing in or shedding out the winter coat. When she's fully haired up, Cherry's fine. If she's not, she gets cold. Thus the blanket.
My blanketing strategy is pretty simple. Blanket as needed. That's it.
I feel sorry for the horses outside now in thin, lightweight blankets. Um, when you smash their hair down with a blanket you have to compensate for that with enough blanket to keep them warm! You try sitting outside all night in a windbreaker when it's below zero! Not too warm now, is it?
So if I'm all bundled up like a retarded penguin, why is my horse naked? For starters, she has a lovely fur coat, while I have to protect my naked flesh with as much wool, down, and Carhartt as I can.
Whenever it gets really cold or nasty, I always worry about how Cherry is doing and if she's warm enough. And when I go to check on her, she's puffed up like a dandelion and looking at me like, "WTF if your problem?" as my teeth chatter and hands shake. A couple days ago she had icicles in her tail and looked like she was soaking wet. Upon closer inspection, I realized that only the top layer of hair was wet and the under layers were perfectly dry. I scraped the icicles off of her, stuffed her full of hay pellets, and put her back in her snowy paddock.
The first winter up here in the frozen north, she did need a blanket (two, in fact). Being the California baby that she is, she grew a California winter coat, which was only distinguishable from the summer coat by the slightly longer fetlock hair. The first time it snowed, I found her huddled in her shelter and shivering, looking like the equine equivalent of the Little Match Girl. She looked at me like, "What is this horrible place that you've brought me to and when can we leave?" Now she's like, "It's not that cold, you big weenie!"
In fact, the only times she does get a blanket are the fall and spring. It likes to rain here during those seasons, which also coincides with either growing in or shedding out the winter coat. When she's fully haired up, Cherry's fine. If she's not, she gets cold. Thus the blanket.
My blanketing strategy is pretty simple. Blanket as needed. That's it.
I feel sorry for the horses outside now in thin, lightweight blankets. Um, when you smash their hair down with a blanket you have to compensate for that with enough blanket to keep them warm! You try sitting outside all night in a windbreaker when it's below zero! Not too warm now, is it?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Winter is Here!
It's official. I woke up yesterday to find a blanket of snow upon the ground. It was absolutely lovely. The loveliness was enhanced by the fact that it wasn't cold enough to stick to the road, meaning my road (read: giant fucking hill) was clear. Hooray! I still have my highly worn all-season tires on, so this was indeed cause for joy. It all melted by the afternoon, but the morning sure was pretty.
On Monday night we had a massive storm. Thunder and lightning, rain and hail, and 49 mph winds with 67 mph wind gusts. It was almost straight out of a movie. It wasn't so bad at my place, I'm sheltered by the giant fucking hill that I live on, but at the barn apparently it was awful. They put Cherry and her pasture mate in stalls that night since their shelter got ripped apart by the wind and as such they refused to stand in it. Instead they stood out in the driving rain and hail, shivering their butts off. So they got stalls and lots of hay for the night.
The storm did a fair bit of damage around here. The next town over was without power for a few days, and a steel shed my boss has got its doors wrenched off and crumpled up in the yard. On campus the roof of the Beef Center was ripped off. Thankfully the roofs at the barn remained on!
Poor Cherry, she was wound up so tight on Tuesday. She made the very annoying decision of calling to (and answering) the new buddy she'd made the night before. It was still pretty windy and gross outside, and as soon as I got on her, it started hailing. Of course! So now I'm on a super stressed, super nervous horse in a metal-roofed indoor arena while hail comes pelting down. I couldn't even hear my own voice. I thought about getting off, but I decided to stay on and make her move around a bit to try and loosen up. If I turned her out, she'd just gallop around and work herself into a lather. And then be freezing and require blow drying. No thank you to that.
We did a lot of walk, a little trot, and lots of circles. Every little noise made her jump, but fiiiiinally at the end she relaxed. I got a little bit of work out of her once she focused and then we were done. I'm proud of myself too for sticking it out and staying on her, even though she was really high strung and jumpy. Hey, if I can ride her through that, I can ride her through anything.
On Monday night we had a massive storm. Thunder and lightning, rain and hail, and 49 mph winds with 67 mph wind gusts. It was almost straight out of a movie. It wasn't so bad at my place, I'm sheltered by the giant fucking hill that I live on, but at the barn apparently it was awful. They put Cherry and her pasture mate in stalls that night since their shelter got ripped apart by the wind and as such they refused to stand in it. Instead they stood out in the driving rain and hail, shivering their butts off. So they got stalls and lots of hay for the night.
The storm did a fair bit of damage around here. The next town over was without power for a few days, and a steel shed my boss has got its doors wrenched off and crumpled up in the yard. On campus the roof of the Beef Center was ripped off. Thankfully the roofs at the barn remained on!
Poor Cherry, she was wound up so tight on Tuesday. She made the very annoying decision of calling to (and answering) the new buddy she'd made the night before. It was still pretty windy and gross outside, and as soon as I got on her, it started hailing. Of course! So now I'm on a super stressed, super nervous horse in a metal-roofed indoor arena while hail comes pelting down. I couldn't even hear my own voice. I thought about getting off, but I decided to stay on and make her move around a bit to try and loosen up. If I turned her out, she'd just gallop around and work herself into a lather. And then be freezing and require blow drying. No thank you to that.
We did a lot of walk, a little trot, and lots of circles. Every little noise made her jump, but fiiiiinally at the end she relaxed. I got a little bit of work out of her once she focused and then we were done. I'm proud of myself too for sticking it out and staying on her, even though she was really high strung and jumpy. Hey, if I can ride her through that, I can ride her through anything.
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