Monday, December 29, 2014

The Case of the Runny Nose

Doesn't that title sound Sherlockian?

I couldn't resist.

I mean this post has absolutely nothing to do with my favorite super-sleuth Mr. Holmes, but I've got to add a little personality somewhere...

Anyways...

I posted before about Mya having a respiratory infection. I had the vet up and we put her on a round of powdered antibiotics, while that worked for awhile, eventually the runny nose/nose bleed/respiratory infection came back.


I think it is due to the fact that Mya did not get the full amount of antibiotics in her system. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of eating them in her feed.

So a second round it is.

This time I am making sure she gets the stuff in her system.

I was a little worried (ok maybe a lot) at first because she seemed to lose her appetite earlier last week. She wasn't eating her feed and wasn't very interested in the hay either. The vet was called and he said to come down to the office and pick up more medicine and put her on a second round of it. Because Mya wasn't eating I obviously couldn't put it in her feed so thus enters the oral syringe.

Boy, was that fun.

I gave her the dosage of medicine via oral syringe for two days. Then I decided to try mixing it with her feed again. The mucas had cleared up a little and she was starting to act a little more perky.

Round one I tried mixing it with apples pieces, molasses, brown sugar, and oats. I cooked it all together and it smelled so good I was just about ready to eat it. But that was a no go. This horse has weird taste buds.

Round two, I decided to try something different. Peanut-butter and a little bit of honey.

Peanut-butter...!

The winning combination!

I didn't know my horse liked peanut-butter. But when I mixed that with a little oats and a little bit of her normal feed (medicine cleverly disguised inside), she immediately showed some interest in it. I left it there for her and when I came back a couple hours later it was all gone.

Peanut butter!

I then basically proceeded to walk around the house with a silly grin on my face mumbling that word. 

Yes. I was really happy that my horse actually ate something. I had been pretty worried about her.

So now Mya has had her third dose of peanut butter-ized medicine and it seems to be working. Horses can be pretty finicky but I'm hoping she'll continue to eat it. She also ate all her hay for the first time today so I think that is a good sign.

We're not out of the woods yet, but I think we are getting there.

Meanwhile, despite all the mud, Lady seems pretty happy. It took her awhile to recover from that abscess episode, but I think she is doing a lot better now. Though she did loose a shoe (mud) and I need to call the farrier tomorrow to have it put back on.

Here is a picture of her in the "front" less-muddy pasture.

2014 is almost over! Wow. I feel like that flew by really fast. This is possibly my last post for 2014. So if I don't write again before then, see you all in the new year!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

December's 10 Questions!

I've been a bit MIA this month. I'm sure everyone else has been super busy around Christmas as well. Its just that time of year! Not that I can complain of course. I love the Christmas season! But I'm back just in time to type up the 10 Q's of the month. So here they are!


1. What size horse do you prefer to ride? At the moment I prefer to ride ponies. 14hh is about perfect.

2. Do you school in tall boots or half chaps and paddock boots? Well, when I actually wear my english boots I school in half chaps and paddock boots. But more often than not I just slip on my cowboy boots and ride in those.

3. What do you do with your ribbons after shows? I have them hanging up in my room. I don't have that many so it works out just fine that way.

4. Do you ride/board at a large show barn or a small private barn? Since I have my horses at my house, I guess it would have to be a small private barn!

5. Have you ever seen a horse give birth? No, and I can't say that I really want to either.



6. What is your favorite breed? Ooohh. Now that's a hard one... I have a thing for Arabians. I've loved every horse I've ridden that has been an Arabian. (Night was an Anglo Arabian. I really miss that horse.) I also like Thoroughbreds. Its on my bucket list to get a OTTB. Mustangs fascinate me. And Andalusians and Frisians are just gorgeous.

7. Favorite tack brand? I don't have a favorite. Just whatever works at the time is good with me.

8. Would you ever buy used tack? Yes. That's the only way I buy saddles. You can find a lot of good stuff used.

9. Ever been on a carriage ride? Yes.

10. How often do you go to the tack store? Probably twice a month to pick up feed and such.