Update on 'Sweetie' our Rescued Arabian Mare

' Sweetie '
We trimmed her mane and told her
she looks ten years younger

Update on Rescued Arabian Mare

‘Sweetie’

Thought it might be time for an update on the Arabian mare we rescued back in July ’08. We have very little information on her background but I will share what we do know. She is approximately 25 years old. In her youth, she was an English Pleasure national champion at one time. Her name was Princess Nabir (spelling?). When her owners moved, she was sold to the woman we rescued her from at about ten years old. The woman who bought her used her as a broodmare and pretty much had her in foal every season; I don’t know how many foals she birthed but I’m sure it was more than she needed or wanted to be forced into doing. Her last foal was the 5/6 year old stallion Sami that we rescued along with her.

As everyone knows from the original posts, Sweetie’s hooves were in horrible shape and caused some founder. She has some arthritis in her leg joints, but I suppose that’s to be expected at her age. Surprisingly, when we had the chiropractor/vet out to see her, we were told her back is fine - just swayed bit - and it’s only her legs that bother her. Her teeth were done and she was put on supplements and wormed etc… So she’s in as good a shape as she can be for now.

Now on to the good part. I’ve never had much exposure to Arabians and truthfully they would be the last breed I would ever consider. Mostly because of their size, which I feel, is too small for my daughters and me. In addition, I’m not really impressed with the way I’ve seen some of these horses disfigured and have their muzzles misshapen in the interest of a more “dishy” face by irresponsible breeders. I’m glad to see that Sweetie and Sami have the classic profile of what I would call the original Arabian breed.

Sweetie is one of the smartest horses I’ve ever met. It didn’t take her more than a week to catch on to the routine of the barn. She is so well behaved that when taking the horses in at night she doesn’t need a lead rope, we simply let her go and she walks into the barn and into her stall. This is not to say our other horses are “less smart,” but left to their own devices they would be running around the farm getting into all kinds of trouble! Yet here is a mare who didn’t know us or the barn but can find her way to her stall with no problem and causes no trouble. She has never trashed her stall, thrown blankets or buckets, etc.; she waits her turn for everything with unusual grace and manners.

When the whole herd is in turnout, she is with them yet apart from them. She doesn’t like to be alone, though she doesn’t really get close to them often. This is understandable to my way of observing. Our herd of mostly geldings is a bit rowdy at times and I think she knows she can’t possibly get out of their way if there’s any trouble so she stays off to the side a bit. She may just think they are all jerks and she wants nothing to do with them. I don’t know. I do know she is clever and has figured out the best way for herself to be comfortable and safe.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say she has never been in a herd situation or turned out on pasture for that matter. In her younger days she may have been kept in a stall because she was a prized competitor and after she was sold to this breeder, she may have continued in the same turn out situation. When we met her she was in an unlit indoor arena where I suspect she lived for years. I’m happy she is enjoying her time out now. Sometimes she just stops and looks off into the distance at nothing. I wonder if she’s actually seeing the outside world for the first time in her life. She seems so interested in everything around her, and she takes it all in with a quiet, confident patience. I guess there is something to be said for the wisdom that comes with age and experience.

In conclusion I’d like to pass along a funny incident that happened this morning. Sweetie has turned out to be an excellent groomer and Mellon loves being groomed. Mellon usually grooms Nate in the morning before going out to the paddock. But this morning Mellon went over to Sweetie instead. We assumed there would be shrieking and ears pinned and we’d have to separate them. Instead, Mellon gently began to groom Sweetie and let her groom him. Nate, of course, was beside himself, probably assuming Mellon is losing his eyesight and picked the wrong chestnut! Dusty, who thinks Mellon is her co-top-dog in the herd was especially jealous and proceeded to squirt all over the aisle (she’s in heat). Subsequently, my daughter had to tip toe through this mess so as not to get her work clothes dirty. Dusty then went out and squirted at Nate to teach Mellon a lesson and presumably make him jealous. Of course, he couldn’t care less. Even though Sweetie is no spring chicken, Dusty doesn’t like competition and so does not really get along with Sweetie; she ignores her. I’m sure she was miffed Mellon left her younger blonde self for an older woman - and a red head at that!

Sweetie also looks after the herd in her own way. Donnie had to stay inside for the vet and of course all the other horses made their way to the back field without a second thought about poor Donnie. Once out there, however, Sweetie – who never seems to take much notice of the rest of the herd – must have noticed Donnie was missing. She walked all the way back up to the top and stood at the fence near his window, occasionally calling or nickering to him to keep him company until he could join them.

I do like this little Arabian mare very much and I hope she is with us for a long time; she has brought something special to our little herd and, after all she’s been through deserves to enjoy her life for a while.

' Is the coast clear '

' Donnie comes to escort her on a stroll'



' The Rowdy Bunch Appears'
Sweetie heads for the safety of the trees

' Sweetie' peeking out from behind the tree

Until next time

Quote for Today

After God had fulfilled his word, he addressed the newly created mare as follows: I have made thee without an equal: the goods of this world shall be placed between thy eyes; everywhere I will make thee happy and preferred above all beasts of the field, for tenderness shall everywhere be in the heart of the master; good alike for the chase and retreat, thou shalt fly though wingless . . .
- From the Koran

Wordless Wednesday -Gone to the Dogs

Gone to the Dogs

Since the dogs have been a little put out about not being featured here, I’d like to introduce Murphy and Maggie my two Australian Shepherds who are brother and sister born one year apart.

' MURPHY'

' MAGGIE '

Until next time

Quote of the Day

A Dog looks up to a man,
A Cat looks down on a man,
But a patient Horse looks a man in the eye and sees him as an equal.

Lyme Disease and Horses

Lyme Disease and Horses

Recently, I was in our local tack store and was talking with the owner who inquired about our horses. How they were doing with Lyme this year was the topic we were discussing. A woman who was obviously listening to us piped up with the statement that: there is no such thing as Lyme disease in horses. After I closed my hanging jaw, I asked her where she got her information. She informed me her vet told her that Lyme Disease does not affect horses. Without being downright rude, I suggested she find a new vet. I am not sure how many believe this statement or not, but I am here to tell you there is definitely Lyme Disease and it does affect horses - and not in a good way.

Several years ago, when we leased a barn and pasture, all of our horses were infected with Lyme. I’m sure it was due to poor pasture management over which we had no control, no matter how much we asked for it and despite it being part of our rental agreement. Simple mowing would have sufficed to keep ticks to a minimum, as they will not hide anywhere in the grass where sun can reach them. But it got to a point where we actually had to hire someone from off the farm to come and mow the pastures to keep the weeds, parasites and tick population down. It was a horrible place and we didn’t like it but we were rather stuck there for a time. Sadly, all the horses were infected and treated but it did leave some residual effects on them.

Most people think Lyme Disease amounts to some flu-like symptoms, some achy joints, a little fatigue and then it’s over. No big deal, right? Few realize that Lyme can affect nearly every system in the body, causing a wide array of symptoms from fever and aches, arthritis, heart irregularities, vision problems or blindness, neuromuscular disease, neuropathy, and even symptoms like those of MS and Parkinson’s, to name just a few! In fact, tests in laboratory animals have shown that in just 3 hours after being infected with the disease-causing bacteria, Lyme can enter the central nervous system where it can do serious damage, cause meningitis, encephalitis, and/or seizures and even cause death. The Lyme spirochete itself is very effective at destroying nerve cells.

Around the time the horses were infected, my daughter was also infected with the typical bulls-eye rash on her stomach, but she couldn’t find anyone to treat her. One idiot doctor (a so-called “Lyme specialist) told her the rash wasn’t big enough to be Lyme – it had to be the size of a dinner plate before he could give her a simple course of doxycycline!!! Her infection not only involved the classic flu-like symptoms and joint inflammation, but also entered her central nervous system where it had some unpleasant, lasting effects including neuropathies, vision changes, involuntary muscle movements, and an array of cognitive and neurological symptoms. Even after taking several month-long courses of powerful antibiotics, she has lasting damage including being afflicted with fibromyalgia.

Finding treatment was even more difficult, as testing for Lyme is imperfect, to say the least, and many Lyme infections fail to show up in blood tests, either because the body fails to mount an immune response (Lyme is notorious for being able to “hide” from the immune system) or because the bacteria are not present in significant quantities in the bloodstream; often in such cases they will be identified in the spinal fluid through a spinal tap instead; it is also often found in joint fluid and body tissues. So the tests are a great tool, but are only part of a complete diagnosis – they often do not tell the whole story.

A patient complaining of Lyme symptoms will often be ignored, shuffled around or prescribed anti-depressants rather than being treated with antibiotics, giving the infection a chance to do real, permanent damage. My daughter finally found a doctor to treat her after months of searching, at which point she needed to see a neurologist and a rheumatologist, among others, and required a series of additional tests including brain MRIs. Having waited so long to receive treatment, she still has recurring bouts of symptoms that can be attributed to Lyme.

It is estimated that 50% of ticks in the Northeast carry the Lyme spirochete, and Lyme is common across the US and found around the world, though not every bite from an infected tick transmits the disease, nor does exposure to the bacteria necessarily mean you will get the disease.

I would strongly urge everyone to check out the links below for what Lyme is and how to spot it and treat it in the horse. Human sites can be found on Web M.D. or other medical sites. The only thing I would caution is that most sites claim that if you are blood-tested for Lyme’s and it comes back negative, that means you don’t have it. This is not always the case; it simply means the spirochetes may not be active at the time the test was taken, your immune system may not be fighting it, it may be working in another part of your body, or you may have one of the strains not tested for.

As for the horse symptoms, I have seen all different symptoms in my horses from just general ouchiness/grouchiness to joint and even – more controversially - respiratory problems. We had a horse come into the barn at one time for training and he was so super-sensitive his skin would twitch if you even tried to touch him, much less groom or ride him. We had the vet out to do a Lyme test and she said it was the highest titer she had ever seen! If your horse is exhibiting unusual behavior changes, gait abnormalities, sensitivity or unusual spookiness, crankiness or just isn’t “right,” it may be wise to consider Lyme. Also, don’t depend on a fever to help diagnose a problem - we’ve found that Lyme (in both my daughter and the horses) tended to have the opposite effect: their temperatures were lower than normal! However, I am sure this differs from case to case. In fact, Lyme will look and act different in each individual; no two cases are alike.

Another fallacy we’ve encountered over the years is that after three days on antibiotics you (or your horse) will be feeling much better. This is not always the case. Bear in mind that, when taking antibiotics for Lyme, the initial stages will often feel worse than the disease, and so it will appear the treatment is not working. This is because as the spirochete dies off it releases a toxin into the system. Being sicker after the first few doses of antibiotics may mean you have a significant infection on your hands but that treatment is working, so don’t be discouraged.

It’s a good idea to have the titers taken; we do this at least twice a year. It’s also a good idea to talk with your vet about treating with antibiotics for at least a month if your horse’s symptoms are suspicious of Lyme regardless of what the blood tests say. Doxycycline is relatively cheap, and the costs of not treating are high. They now have a Lyme’s vaccination that we are trying out in hopes it will prevent further infection in the future.

Here are a few informative links to check out on Lyme’s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

http://www.netpets.org/horses/healthspa/lyme.html

http://www.myhorse.com/health/preventative/lyme_disease_in_horses_requires_health_treatment.aspx#top

http://www.lyme.org/otherdis/ld.html

Until next time

Quote for Today

The day you put off vaccinations is the day your horse will be exposed.

A Helpful List

A Helpful List

I’m sure everyone already knows there are certain plants and trees that are poisonous to horses. I have a book identifying many of these toxic offenders but it doesn’t list all the plants I was interested in, so I did a little research online and came across this link:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/plant-list-horses.html?print=t

I like that it not only lists the toxic plants to horses but also the non-toxic ones at well. There is some useful information, if you’re interested. Originally, I was considering planting hostas around some trees by the barn for a ground cover; not anymore, though. I’m switching my pick to daylilies. Now if I could just get someone to help me plant them…

Until next time

Quote of the Day

A Rose has a sweet smell, A Kingdom has the scent of riches, A dog has loyalty in his eyes, but a horse has a big heart worthy of strength with the sweet scent of loyalty.

Dusty's Antics

Dusty’s Antics

Everyone who visits here knows about my palomino mare Dusty. I do not want anyone to assume she is a bad girl, because she is not – most of the time. I would, however, like to know whether or not you have had a mare that exhibits this one particular behavior. Last night, we were running low on hay (until the delivery today), so we decided to give some soaked alfalfa cubes at night check to supplement the meager flakes they got for dinner. We feed out of round rubber feed tubs that go on the floor by their doors, and each horse had theirs filled about half way with soaked cubes.

In the past Dusty has let it be known, in her own subtle way, that she is not fond of alfalfa cubes. Put them in her feed tub with her grain and she will pick around them or pick them out one at a time and throw them in the aisle. Last night was no exception, except for the fact that she took it up a notch on the obnoxious scale.

We had a feeling she wasn’t going to eat her alfalfa, but didn’t want to exclude her, just in case. But I guess she thinks we can’t take a hint. This morning, as I was skipping through the barn like Red Riding Hood collecting feed tubs, Dusty’s bucket, not surprisingly, had all the untouched hay cubes still in it. However, as icing on the cake, she had carefully backed up over the feed tub and deposited a load of manure exactly in the center of the tub. Good aim, Dusty! Way to go!

Most would not find this an endearing quality, but since I can’t control this particular part of her behavior, I’ve decided to find it amusing....

This isn’t the first time she’s used this particular form of protest. She’s even been known to use it as a form of warfare. When we first got her at five years old and turned her out with all the geldings, she marched over to the biggest horse in the pasture and double-barrel kicked him in the side. She then proceeded to sashay to the flake he was eating, back up to it, and carefully deposit a load right on top. She proceeded to do this to all the horses’ hay, except for one clean flake that she reserved for herself to enjoy.

So my question is: do any of you have a mare with such discriminating tastes she feels compelled to “poo poo” the barn menu?

Until next time

Quote for Today

Nothing moves me more than when on the way to fetching my mare in the morning than the sound of her neighing to me as I open the gate.