Wait, weight!

Man, sorry for the downer of a post last time. But it's real life.

In case I go MIA from the blog, you'll know why. My poor family is limping through the holidays. But I'm keeping my head up, and trying to keep people laughing. Because what else are you going to do?

Looking more "angular" these days. Bye bye bangin topline. Sad face.

Hampton is my main shoulder of support. Good thing he has big shoulders! He is enjoying some down time. He more than deserved it this year. In the 8 years we have been together, he really hasn't had any good amount of downtime. Maybe a week here or there.

I figure well, people give their 4-star event horses serious time off, no reason Hampton can't enjoy a vacation!

Sporting a fresh clip though. Not a total vacation, horse!

"Let me just look as awkward as possible for your stooopid photos"

"I don't hear you."

He is still working - just light work. I have some topline I need to rebuild. He lost a lot of weight and topline on me because of his illness. Oh, and the fact that he spent the 4 nights in isolation WALKING AND WALKING ruts into the drylot. It's so fucked. SO I bet that took some pounds off too! Argh. Horses. He is also now getting soaked Alfalfa cubes and Equine Senior in addition to his regular grain. If that doesn't help, I have other tricks up my sleeve. Hampton is notorious for dropping weight in the winter no matter what I friggin do. SO. Let's keep that to a minimum this year, horse.

So we do lots of stretching, hacks, long lining. And maybe one or two days of real work. I don't want him to lose too much fitness, but also do want him to have significant downtime.

We'll start legging back up in mid-January most likely.

Do you all give your show horses time off?

Also do feel free to offer opinions on putting weight on ... I am always open to new suggestions and tricks!

Still fat. No weight loss here.

The Last Gift

I have always been one to put a lot of thought into Christmas gifts. I may not spend a ton of money on them, but I try to make them thoughtful, humorous or clever.

What do you buy for someone who won't be around much longer?

What do you buy for someone who is dying?

Specifically, what should I buy for my father.

Perhaps I'll write a more detailed post at some point, but I'll say that cancer can go fuck itself. It can go fuck itself right up its ass, sideways on a carousel even.

I really am at a loss here. Any gift I think of seems so ... trivial. Like material possessions just don't matter anymore.

I'm already giving time. So much time. Even if we just sit there and don't say anything. And of course I'm helping with chores, various things around the house. Errands. I have learned so much about my father (and mother!) in the last few months than I ever have. Also learned my great-grand father was a blazing racist ... so uhhh, there is that.

We are all aware this will be the "last Christmas." It's like a heavy cloud that sort of looms around the room. As is customary in my family, we all just go on and try to be happy and laugh as if this cloud isn't there. We are all afraid of losing control of our stoic appearances.

And on the other hand, we are realists. We know what's happening. My father is very aware and has prepared just about everything you can think of.

He has everything and nothing at the same time.

How do you go about buying the last gift? How in the world do I hand this gift to him?

Reflecting on 2017

I usually take all the ribbons I won during the year, and hang them all over Hampton and force him to stand for a photo.

This was 2016's loot

There was a problem this year.

Too many ribbons. Too many awards. So much progress! Our greatest achievements are frankly intangible.

So, Hampton lucked out this year and was only forced to pose with our Indiana Dressage Society year-end championship ribbon.

To cap off our year, the IDS banquet was well done. I must say that IDS really does a great job with recognizing its members. Especially those who did not show at Regionals or Nationals. There really is an award for everyone. You don't have to be a big name getting 70%s all over town. So kudos to IDS. Lovely awards as well!

I had a lovely time hanging out with Liz and Jen (Cob Jockey) and Bryn - my core show buddies. Thankfully it was a cash bar so I was limited to one rum and coke. Sadly not much blog fodder though since I was sober. Womp womp.

Hampton earned 2017 Third Level AA Champion, and I also earned a couple of Rider Achievement awards at Third and Fourth levels. Many well deserving people were recognized.

I'll just stand here. All boss and shit.

Despite missing out on Finals, 2017 was by far the most successful year I have EVER had.
In 25+ years of showing horses.

* Multiple high-point championship wins at Second, Third AND Fourth levels
* Dover medal
* USDF Horse performance award at Third Level
* Qualified for Regionals
* USDF Silver Medal
* Debut at PSG
* Top 10 in Third Level AA Championships at Regionals
* Earned a wildcard ticket to Finals/Nationals
* IDS Champion AA Third Level 2017

To celebrate I bought Hampton a new CUSTOM double bridle!! 
(Yes don't worry I will show it off when it arrives!)

If you had told me we would have accomplished this back in April, I would have laughed right in your face. You may remember our first show of the year did not go well.

We looked like this:

Nope. Couldn't even get my horse on the bit.
AT FOURTH LEVEL.
Check out out cranky and stiff he was.

But then I took a step back. Rebuilt confidence, and treated Hampton for some discomfort and ulcers.

Now I have a confident horse who is feeling great. My own riding in the ring improved significantly. And most importantly, the whole season was just so much fun. In great part due to the wonderful friends I have. And their horses who are all characters.

Ah much better. Ears up and letting me ride him.

Happy Hampton!

I'm not sure what 2018 will hold yet. We have our big clinic in April, but I haven't really gone through the calendar yet.

But you all know I dream big. Maybe ... MAAAAYBE ... by the end of 2018 I can do an I-1?

:)

Tour of Hagyard

Hope everyone had a fabulous turkey day. :)

Last week I was on vacation from work, so decided to take a trip to Lexington and tour Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

Surgery building was quiet

Hopefully I never have to take a horse to the clinic, but if I did I would certainly feel comfortable with Hagyard. I had a wonderful, friendly tour guide and there was no one else on the tour (because November), so it was like a private tour to myself!

On the downside, there was also very little going on in the clinic. Many of the staff were on vacation before breeding season starts again. Can't say that I blame them.

But even so, I found it super interesting and eye opening.

There are multiple building on the campus, ranging from the Davidson surgery center, to the NICU, to a separate isolation ward.

There was also ample turnout for horses that were cleared to do so. It's Kentucky, so of course it was gorgeous.

The most surgeries performed in one day? 60. Only two vets are on site at a time for the most part (many are out in the field, and there are about 50 vets on staff).

Hagyard sees about 300 neonatal foals per year on top of the "normal" issues that come in. They see all types of horses, but the Thoroughbred industry dominates most of the patients. As is normal in Kentucky.

Turn outs.

They also have a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (I forgot to take a photo) which was neat to see, and a totally separate podiatry center.

It is world class, state of the art care. Everything was clean, organized and runs like a well oiled machine.

I also noticed little details (as horse people do) that were super neat. For instance, in the NICU and primary care wards, you muck out each stall into it's own individual trap door. Then a conveyor belt moves the waste out underground, then back out behind the building into a truck. I found this super awesome - not only does it prevent contamination and spreading germs, there are no wheelbarrows or muck tubs to haul around!

There are also oxygen ports in each stall should a horse need that support.

There WAS one baby in the NICU! Think she will probably make it. :)

The floors are non-slip, but easily hosed off.

I must say the hoist system in the surgery building was fascinating. The system was so expansive, that you could even pull your trailer up to a ramp, and the hoist could be fastened to your horse out in the trailer. Perfect if you've got one who is down already in the trailer.

Each knock-down room was clean, well padded and set up so efficiently for moving horses quickly through surgery and recovery in a very safe manner.

They also have 7 blood donor horses who live on site. Horses can give 8 liters a blood every 30 days. During foaling season, our guide says that at times all 7 horses will be tapped out. So some of the vets and staff will offer their personal horses to donate blood.

I am already planning a return trip and another tour in March so I can oogle over all da babies. There will likely be more surgeries going on as well.

There were a few patients I did say hello to. A carriage horse who undiagnosed, but on fluids with a case of the icks. A saddlebred with colic. A 2-year TB mare who was in A-fib, and a young filly with pneumonia. She had a chest drain in. Poor thing.

They are super protective about patient confidentiality. The patients do not have ID on their doors, and you are not allowed to take photos of patients. I totally respect that. They have multi multi million dollar horses come through those doors sometimes.

I would highly recommend if you are ever in Lexington!

Back to normal

Great news!

Hampton is back to 100% although he is still finishing up his antibiotics.

Yup. Horse is back to normal. Nothing to see here.

Culprit was most likely a tick, although I'll never know for sure. I found a nasty, raw, oozing infected spot on his tail where it appears a tick had been. So it's very likely that was the cause. So he's being treated as if it was.

I'm unsure WHAT tick borne illness it is, but the antibiotics cover the major ones.

He is back in work and feeling quite ... spritely. And is back to his normal antics of trying to remove his muzzle, molesting me for treats and in general being a total character that is the Porkchop.

I really appreciate everyone's support and comments! Man it was scary for those few days where we didn't know what the heck it was! I have never seen his eyes so listless.

Very grateful to have my Porkchop back in full form.

I'll hopefully have some interesting posts this week including the IDS year-end banquet, and a tour of Haygard.

It was so windy the port o potty went boom!

:)

Virus

Well show season is over for 2017.

Good news, bad news today.

Which do you guys want first?

The bad news? Ok!

Well, Saturday I fed the horses as is usual, and went to grab Hampton from his field. I tacked him up and hopped on to ride, as is our usual. He seemed quieter than normal, but I blamed it on the warm temps that day.

Once I started riding, I knew he felt odd. I figured I must have made him muscle sore from our hill day a few days earlier. I spent some time at the walk, did a few transitions called the ride a day.

After I untack him, I always feed him breakfast in one of the stalls before I toss him back out.

I gave him his food, and stopped cold.

If you know Hampton, you know that he is not your typical food-loving gelding. He is actually way worse. He eats like the Tasmanian devil. Like throws food everywhere in jubilation. He never wastes food, and will chase everyone else off their food if they don't eat fast enough.

Except that day, he merely took a nibble. Then ... just stood around.

At this point I was REALLY alarmed. I watched him for a few minutes.

He looked like this:

One sick Porkchop

Didn't seem like a colic. So, I took his temp.

105.5

That's not a typo.

Now I went from alarmed to FREAKING THE FUCK OUT, mostly in thanks to the fatal case of EHV1 that occurred at a neighboring farm. Even though the chances of him getting that virus were very very slim. I took his temp with a brand new thermometer. Still, 105. I need a vet.

My usual vet did not answer, so I called the next one on my list. And he was out in 30 minutes.

After a thorough exam, Hampton got a good dose of banamine, and he was isolated immediately. Well, as best as one can isolate a horse on a FARM. It's pretty silly if you ask me. About the only thing you can guarantee is no nose-to-nose contact. But the rest of our biohazard procedures seem futile to me - as the barn cats literally walk all up in his hay, and then walk all over the rest of the barn so ...

Um why is I in a stall???

But anyway. Hampton's fever broke about an hour later, resulting in a rather scary episode of profuse sweating and heavy breathing. Not really normal, but his fever was really high. His breathing did return to normal in about 15 minutes. I did call the vet back, but he said hang tight. Probably just the fever breaking, and it was.

The vet sent off multiple blood samples to UK and Cornell to try and isolate the virus. It could be a tick-borne thing, but his CBC report indicated it was almost certainly a virus. But, the others are being tested anyway.

Interesting fact: If a virus like Flu or Herpes is suspected, the vaccine company may actually pay for the testing to be done on your horse's blood. I was lucky and the vaccine company is paying for Hampton's testing. Otherwise, it would be $1,000+.

So that's a good reason to 1) vaccinate your horses and 2) maybe keep on hand the brand name vaccine you or your vet use.

Some GOOD NEWS is that his tests came back NEGATIVE for Influenza, EHV1, EHV4 and Strangles. It could still be another virus in the herpes family, but not the bad one. Still waiting on other test results.

Oh this is bullshit, human.

So meanwhile he remains in isolation. He spends the day in a stall, and thankfully gets our drylot to hang out in at night. He is displeased with the situation as 1) he has no friends to bother and 2) there is no grass in the drylot. So he is doing a lot of pacing the fence and hollering for someone to save him. I've been trying to spoil him, but there isn't much else I can do. I can't explain to him why all of a sudden he is all alone.

In even better news, his fever seems to have finally left as of Wednesday morning. It was up and down since Saturday, but today it's normal AND he has been off bute.

Depending on what the vet says, he may be able to resume normal life Friday or Saturday. Man I hope so because he is destroying the dry lot.

... and in not so great news, I did withdraw from USDF Nationals. It's a total bummer, but I have NOT regretted the decision - even though he seems to be better. Not worth risking his health, or the health of other horses for a horse show. And while it is Nationals, it's still just a horse show.

It's not fair to take him to a show where he needs to be full throttle, after he ran a tamp for 4 days. He acts just fine - never showed any other symptoms whatsoever - but why risk it? Not worth it to me. If it has been 2 weeks out - sure I would have played the waiting game. But a week out? No. Bad timing.

Them's the breaks with horses.

So meanwhile he continues to recover, and I'll update if I get more results in!

Thank you for all of your support! :)

The Constipated Cat

It seems Hampton has been hogging the spotlight and all my money this year.

That fact has not gone un-noticed from the "other creature," namely Buckley. The cat.

Some blog readers may remember two years ago my previous cat had a battle with a nasty form of cancer and FIV. I spent thousands of dollars and cared for him until he told me he was tired.

When I got a replacement kitty, I shopped for a middle age HEALTHY cat with no previous health issues. This is how I ended up with Buckley. Who up until now has been a dream kitty.

Tuesday morning I was brushing my teeth and heard a very strange growling noise. But because I use an electric toothbrush, I couldn't quite make out what the noise was. I thought it was maybe a loud motorcycle outside.

A few hours later I saw Buckley go to use the litterbox. He was ... uhh ... in there a while. And then suddenly LEPT OUT like his ass was on fire. Then stopped. And started growling and yowling in pain. I took a look in his litterbox. There was nothing there. SHIT. (but not really, ha)

I was at the vet 15 minutes later.

I feared a UTI or blockage which is BAD NEWS. While being examined, he threw up white foam twice. In a weird twist, the room they were examining him in was the same room I had to euthanize Grover in. My stomach was in knots.

The vet took him back for XRays, where it was determined he has a mild bowel impaction. In other words: he is very constipated. Ok! Well, this I think I can deal with.

He had pain meds, subQ fluids and 2 enemas and they handed me back a very pissed off 20-lb cat and a $300 bill.

FUN FACT: The Majority of cats will vomit immediately after an enema!

Home from the vet and rather pissed at me.

I am happy I caught this quick before it turned into anything worse. And that a diet change and a supplement should help his problem and make it manageable.

He seemed better this morning. He has been eating and drinking, but no poop yet. He did poo at the vet's though. His little bottom is very sore and he looks at me as if he has been seriously violated, but I think he will be just fine.

I explained to him that he has now maxed out his fund so NO MORE STUNTS.

... back to poop monitoring.