Monday, July 21, 2008

Arabian Horses Update



Arabian Horses Update
This past Thursday, our vet and his assistants arrived at the barn bright and early. The first thing on the agenda was the stallion’s castration. I have never seen this done up close and personal, and must report the operation was interesting and successful. The little stallion was anesthetized and laid down on fluffy shavings in his stall, a towel was put over his eyes and the area to be worked on was numbed. The procedure did not take long, and he came through with flying colors. As of today (Saturday), he’s in good spirits and just as sweet as ever. The vet says we can expect to see a change in his stallion behavior over the course of a month, and I am happy to report he has stopped screaming all the time. I’m sure the neighbors are pleased with this new development, too. Now the only time he has something important to say is when his food arrives. He still wants a lot of attention and hugs and scratches.
Here are some pictures from Thursday
&
Sunday's First Day Outside Pictures

Hey, who's the guy with the bag?


Why is everyone looking at me?


And why am I so tired?

If I remember correctly, this is grass !

The mare is doing fine too. Her legs and feet were x-rayed and it seems that she has a very slight rotation in her coffin bone on her right front, most likely due to the trauma of her feet being so neglected. Luckily, it’s not too dramatic and shouldn’t affect her recovery. She has a bowed tendon on her left front due, most likely, to the state of her overgrown feet adding additional stress to the tendon. My daughter will be using her knowledge of tendon injuries and physical therapy to help with the mare’s rehabilitation, starting with cold therapy and progressing to laser therapy. The good news is that her knees, ankles and pasterns all still have ample joint spaces and, other than needing a few more groceries, the mare is not in bad shape for her age. She had a blood panel taken to check for liver and kidney damage and various other health issues.
A Styrofoam pad was duct taped to the bottom of her worst foot to ease her discomfort when walking and provides support to the frog and rotated coffin bone, and it will make it more comfortable for her until her new boots arrive. Our vet recommended “Soft-Ride” boots to take the place of the Styrofoam during her recovery; they will help support her frog and give her damaged feet some relief.
So, we are making progress, although slowly. It’s necessary at this point to take it one-step at a time, but we’re in no hurry.
Pictures of the mare:



It's a little hot and buggy, but it's nice to be outside again !



Until next time

Quote for Today
If you only see the beauty of their markings and limbs then their true beauty is hidden from you.

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