Livestock competition

Typically Hampton is the one who drains my bank account. And for the past few months he hasn't let me down. Between chiros, acupuncture, lessons, vet visits, farrier visits, tranquilizer for said farrier visits and dental work, he has really outdone himself.

But in addition to the horse, I also have a cat. He is a cranky old bastard, and I don't normally talk about him much here because ... well this is a horse blog and he is a feline. But he is going to get some press now because he is now officially the most expensive animal this year. Ladies and gents, the CAT has outdone the horse.

I AM GROVER. OVERLORD OF THE UNIVERSE.

Impressive.

The whole fiasco really started late last year. Grover - the offending feline - started having these gross snotty noses almost constantly. I ran him through 3 different rounds of antibiotics. He has always had constant ear infections as well, so I was treating him for those, too. He ate only the best grain-free food there was.

Eventually he developed a pretty nasty mass/cyst/polyp right outside his ear canal. It grew huge, and started to hemorrhage daily. My pillows, sheets, and a couple of shirts were ruined because he would rest his head on them and leave blood spots. Gross, but it happened. It was so bad that I would wake up in the morning with cat blood smears all over my shoulder and face because Grover likes to head-butt me in the middle of the night. It was awesome, I am telling you.

Off to the vet he went for surgery. Before surgery I found out he has FIV. This explains his chronic infections. I am sure he already had it when I adopted him in 2008 from the shelter. They never tested him, and I never thought to either. He had always lived a normal, healthy, lazy life with me.

So anyway, $1000 later Grover comes home with 5 less teeth and one less ear mass. Pulling his nasty teeth instantly cleared up the snotty nose. Horah! And the bleeding tumor was gone.

All was well for about 3 months.

Now the damn mass is back. It literally grew back in about a week. It's already hemorraging some. Grover doesn't like me to touch it, but otherwise he doesn't seem in pain. He is still eating and drinking and pooping.

The problem is that I cannot afford another surgery for him. His vet said they would most likely have to remove his entire ear to fix this problem. I don't think that's fair to him at all. He has had a very tough life before me. He suffered major trauma in his younger years that left him with a broken and dislocated hip that he functions well on, but still. He also has arthritis in his back (likely a result of the same trauma), plus the FIV, plus asthma/COPD .. and he's 12 .. ... I just don't think it's fair to continue to put him through surgeries. He had a bad reaction to the antibiotics from his first surgery that caused a 3-day asthma attack. I wasn't sure he would pull through but he did.

Because he is a tough old bastard.

He likes to nap on brand new Mattes pads.

But I don't want this thing bleeding all over my house.

Does anyone have any experience with these? I believe it is called ceruminous adenoma?

Is there a way to treat these things at home? Is it safe to drain them?

I know I am better off asking a vet, and I will. But I'm just seeing if anyone has any home remedies or other experiences.

I wish my animals would just knock this shit off already.

6 years with the Porkchop

Holy crap is has been 6 years since I purchased Hampton!

July 2009

July 2015

In June 2009, I sold my Morgan, T-Bone, and decided to try and be horse-less for a while. (I bet you can all see where this is going). The company I work for was going through MAJOR turmoil at the time. Hundreds of people were getting laid off, and we were all taking week-long furloughs every quarter. I was flat broke (I was actually selling my clothes so I could eat on a day to day basis), swimming in debt and wasn't really sure if I would have a job the next day.

Basically a horse was the last thing I needed.

I got a call from a close friend that she has an unbroke, 2 year old colt she needed to sell. He was cheap. I decided to just "go look." I loved him immediately, but told her I would "sleep on it" that night. She smiled at me. She knew.

I think my thoughts were "Holy shit I have a giant 2-year-old here"

My life has changed a lot in 6 years. I'm still pretty broke, but it's more of a horse-poor type situation now. Like all of us. haha. He has been my rock through some seriously rough times.

It was financially foolish and irresponsible to purchase a horse when I did. But I did it anyway.

But it turns out he was exactly what I needed.

One of our first shows (he was 3). This is such a Hampton face.

Brother from another mother (update)

Hampton has a handful of brothers. And I'm not using "politically correct" horse industry terminology here. By brothers, I mean he really has half brothers by the same sire and out of different dams. Many horse people would not even call them brothers. But I do. So sue me.

Same sire, but different mare.
Although mare was also a OTTB, like Hampton's mum.

Anyhoo, one of his brothers lives just down the road from us. He is a year older than Hamps and I wrote about him briefly HERE.

He is now out and about with his owner (an older gentleman who is incredibly nice). Really neat to see considering 2 years ago this horse was not even started under saddle.

I'm still hoping to go ride him one of these days. Will be neat to compare the two boys.

It's really easy to determine who is the more elegant, sophisticated brother.

And as for the original Porkchop, he is doing really well. We are going to train pretty hard next week and then he will get a super easy week because I am taking a 3 day vacation. Which I need desperately.

Over and out.

Limb by limb

It has been a rough week and a half. Not for me personally, but for several friends.

There are no words for fellow blogger Lauren. 

I thought about her the entire day after I read her blog. 

Another friend lost his wife who had complained she didn't feel well all weekend and when he went to check on her at home, she was gone. She was 42.

We lost a special horse at the barn. A sweet, talented OTTB who was only 8 years old. 

Colic is a bastard.

So it's been sort of down at the barn the past few days. 

Hampton has been working like a superstar though. He is a light in this week of tragic events.

The vet has cleared him to continue work. He could find nothing wrong with him in regards to this rein lameness. He suspects it is muscular (so, nothing in the joints most likely). Hamps had some accupuncture today and I will continue his theraplate treatments and massage to see if that can help him out any. I mean, short of doing a bone scan or MRI - I am somewhat out of ideas on what is wrong with him. I fixed the rein lameness in the right shoulder in, but can't seem to fix it in the left half pass. That's the only time it shows up. This horse is a damn mystery. As much as I adore him he is driving me a bit nuts. haha.

But he is otherwise working really well. Our suppleness is really improving and I am feeling better abut his potential as a competitive prancer.

Birthday boy!

Hampton turns 8 years old today!

Geez, time flies. When he first appeared on this blog he was just 2 years old. :)

That also means I have been blogging a LONG damn time. haha.

Enjoy some photos of the Porkchop through the years.

BABEH. WEANLING. HAMPER.

First time trotting under saddle.

Spring 2010 - 3 years old

One of our first shows (3 years old and very awkward)

... we have also spent a day herding buffalo. Yes you read that correctly.

Many trail rides

We both love to jump, too!

Sometimes we are pretty sharp.

Sometimes we are .... not sharp?

But we always have a good time!

But we can put our ambitious dressage pants on too ...

Focus

Earning plenty of loot ...

And my USDF Bronze medal in 2014.

Plus finally getting those flying changes

Training with the best in the country

Best of all ....

Through the good and the bad

Success and failure ...

He makes me happy.

I hope I always do right by him.

Happy birthday my Hamper doodle McGee!

Porkchop the conundrum

Since our dressage is THE SUCK right now, Hampton and I have been going back to our roots. Before big goals of PSG and Silver medals got in the way. We've spent the entire week enjoying quiet rides together. Out in fields, on the trails. NO arena. 

His attitude has made a complete 180. He has been back to the normal, mellow and curious horse I love and adore. No anxiety. No grinding teeth. No spooking and bolting. 

Someone has put on some junk in the trunk. And it's not me.

The rein lame issue is a mystery. I have had him evaluated by numerous professionals, both trainers and 2 vets. No one can seem to figure it out. I've got a few more ideas but ... if this becomes a permanent problem, there is no reason to keep trying to show Hampton in dressage above First Level. It would be a shame but if he is not capable of the lateral work, then he is perfectly capable of other careers that is for sure! Trail riding being one of them, he is the bomb!

Kentucky is so disgusting. I mean how do I handle this life?!

Ears up the entire time! My happy Hampton is back!

Could be rounder maybe ... but I love that he is going to the bit and uphill!

Is there anything more fun than cantering in a big open field?!

So that is where we are at the moment. I am still aiming for a show in August. Unless our next vet check shows something, I will probably enter him in First level and maybe a Second Level test. It's a waste of money to show Third and keep getting low 50s. Plus we risk getting eliminated for lameness. But I'd still like to show him and work on ridability.

We've got a couple more evals with area professionals this week ... and a vet appointment within the next week or two. We may take X-rays depending on what he finds. Unfortunately, my budget is very limited so something like an MRI or bone scan is totally out of the question. But, I will do what I can.

We can always tap back into the eventing scene, too!

My photographer may have been drinking.

Hampton looks great. Too bad his rider is slumpy Mc Slumperson.

New fence on the left, old fence on the right

The best at creek stomping!

I'd also love to get into some competitive trail ... anyone know anything about that? Sort of like the extreme cowboy challenge stuff?

Lady's Story Part 6: 30 Days

I wish I had better news about Lady, but right now things are not looking good.

Last time I posted, Lady was starting to look better. She seemed to be gaining weight, and was bright and cheery. I thought for sure she would really start to plump up with the lush green grass.

Well, she didn't. In fact, she started to get worse.

Despite the fact that I would brush her almost daily, she still would not totally shed out. She kept getting fungus (worse than the normal little rain rot spots that sometimes happen). She started to have a dull look to her face.

I started giving her even more food. I added alfalfa cubes and oil. I gave her extra hay on top of the grass she was out on 24/7. She ate alone so was not getting chased off her food, and she would eat all of her grain.

... and then the shit hit the fan.

The "rescue organization" that was "handling her case" decided to put her in a long-term foster situation. Which is what I thought we were but ... I digress. She left last week. Then the so-called leaders of this rescue basically insulted my BO and myself claiming we "threw her out in a field" and never cared for her. That what she needed was a clean stall with shavings, THEN she could recover. I was personally insulted that someone would say that about the BO or myself, as I cared for that mare as if she was my own. We felt it was best she live out in a field (once winter left) because of her excessive urination. (it was impossible to keep her stall clean). Plus outside she had a large water tank to drink out of. She drank so much we had to refill 2 buckets in her stall 4-5 times A DAY. And of course we felt as much grass as she wanted was a good thing (after her initial re-feeding period of course). I do not think it was neglect to have her out 24/7. She was eating 3 or 4x as much as any other horse on the property.

Anyway, after this "rescue" evaluated her (oh by the way, they never once came out to check on her for MONTHS while she was at our place) ... it has been determined that she likely has terminal problems that will prevent her from recovering. Likely liver failure, kidney failure or some kind of cancer.

More tests are being run, and she will be on steroids for 30 days. If, after that, she shows no improvement she will be euthanized.

I did email one of the leaders to say that I DID care for that horse, she was not neglected. And she was very nice and said it was no one's fault, she should have "checked on her." ... ok, but you are still implying we are not competent to take care of a malnourished horse. ANYWAY.

I won't name any names, but I wasn't happy with the handling of that situation. And I certainly won't be supported that organization ever again. Christ.

Thank you to those who donated money or items for Lady. It was so appreciated, especially since she was eating so much food! :)

I just wish the best for Lady, whatever that is.

One her Lady's babies!