Zandee, 1984-2008 August 29, 2008
Posted by kimayars Uncategorized
Digg! this story.
, 8comments
Sadly, this Wednesay, Sherene and I unexpectedly put Zandee down. He was 24.
About noon-ish, Zandee started showing signs of gas colic. Sherene called me and I assumed it would be like the other times he’s colicked. We’d hand-walk him, he’d poop, he’d fart, and he’d take a nap. Then he’d be ready for lunch.
After an hour of no improvement, we called our vet and she suggested we give him banamine to help him relax. We did, and continued to walk him. Every so often he would lay down, but he’d be quiet so we would let him rest. Another hour passed, and he started to get worse. We called our old vet, Dr. Pickering, and amazingly he was only 20 minutes away. He was going to be right there. In the mean time Zandee was trying more desperately to roll, and was stomping & pawing the ground in obvious frustration.
When Dr. Pickering arrived, he immediately gave Zandee Ace, Rompin, and more Banamine. After some more walking, it was clear that another 1/2 dose was needed. Eventually Zandee could stand to be examined without wanting to go down. What Dr. Pickering discovered was that Zandee had no lower gut sounds, and an exam revealed that Zandee’s lower colon was looped over his spleen (nephrosplenic entrapment). When asked about our options, Dr. Pickering told us what procedures we could try, but that it would have about a 50% success rate. When we coupled that with Zandee’s age and the fact that this was his fourth colic in less than a year, we knew the kindest thing would be to let him go.
Sherene and I have talked about this moment many times. We knew that Zandee was coming to her place to live the rest of his life. While we hoped that he would just pass away in his sleep, most horses have to be euthanized. We hoped that when the time came we’d be able to make that call. Even as we told Dr. Pickering what we wanted to do, we were still plauged with doubt. As it was, Zandee passed quietly and pain-free.
He had a great 13 months at Sherene’s. We watched him blossom from a reserved lesson horse to a happy pony with his own people. He loved belly scratches, stud muffins, and his grain. His eager low nickers at breakfast and dinner always made you smile no matter how early or cold it was. He found a close friend in Shazam, and learned to play some of Tigger’s games. Some days, he would enjoy hanging out in the runs with Sherene and I while we cleaned stalls. He was fun to have around.
The sadness that I feel is unexpected. He had a great life, and he didn’t suffer in the end. I should be grateful for that. But instead I feel sadness and longing. The desire to touch his neck one last time is overwhelming. Sherene, who saw him every day, probably feels 10 times what I feel.
Time heals, but in the mean time this sucks. There is no question that the right decision was made, I just didn’t wish it hurt so bad.
Sweet dreams, old man. You done good.
Zandee cozies to Shazam:
Whee! Zandee and the boys play:
Bath Day! August 25, 2008
Posted by kimayars Uncategorized
Digg! this story.
, 4comments
Last Sunday Sherene and I gave Tigger a bath. Here are the only pics I have of him clean…
The jury is still out on what breed(s) he is. Any thoughts, send them my way!:
Wait! I see something on the horizon… It could be danger… Or cookies…
Yippee! I’m clean! I’m clean!…
F…? Really? August 25, 2008
Posted by kimayars Uncategorized
Digg! this story.
, add a comment
Horses play. They nip, kick, bite, etc… It’s what they do and how they communicate. Evidently our horses are taking communication to the next level. A few days ago, Sherene found the following bite mark on Shazam:
It’s about the size of a half-dollar, so it is quite easy to see, even at a distance. Are the horses learning to spell? What does it mean? Friend? Funny? Forget me not? F….?
A new level… August 25, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
Digg! this story.
, add a comment
I will fully admit that my riding lessons are kind of a social hour. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I will never be more than a casual rider. My lessons are a way for me to improve my riding, get caught up on the latest gossip, and give my horse a little bit more exercise than he normally receives. But today was different. Cindy really pushed us. This is getting serious.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a GREAT time. Tigger was AWESOME. There are many lessons where I leave with the feeling that I really worked my butt off. Today Tigger worked his butt off too. He wasn’t sweaty, veiny, or blowing hard at all. But I felt like we were hovering on the brink of his physical capability. For the first time since I’ve owned him, I pushed him. Hard. Here’s how it went down…
We started off with our usually flexing, circling, changing directions, ya ya ya… to get warmed up. Normally, when make our first trot transition, he gets all rushy and I have to bring him back down to a walk and start over a few times until he gets the idea. He can be an enthusiastic little bugger. This time I used an analogy given to me by Paige last Thursday, and did a small little half-halt when my butt hit the saddle on the down-beat of the post. Tigger still had the energy he usually had, but it was going UP, not OUT. Ergo, no rushing.
He was still pretty stiff, so Cindy showed me how to do some very slight flexions, making sure they come from the poll and not the neck. Once I got the feeling standing still, we progressed to the walk, and then the trot. The idea is not to “shuttle” the bit across his mouth, but instead to answer the slightest bit of stiffness with a subtle flexion. This was perfect, it was an excellent progression from what we had been building on the previous week. In fact, for Tigger it probably worked too well. I immediately saw where Cindy was going when she started telling me to let the reins out. Because the suppling exercise had worked so well, he was taking contact and reaching forward. She was going to take this opportunity to seek out “the big trot”. Being a bit excited about experiencing “the big trot” under saddle, I was more than eager to follow her instructions.
After a few minutes of pushing him forward, then softening him, pushing him forward, and softening him, it all started to come together. His suspension in the trot was nothing that I had felt before. It literally was like we were floating. I wish I knew what it looked like from the ground. But for the first time I also felt him struggle. He tries SO hard, I could actually feel him start to waver. He just doesn’t have the muscle conditioning to hold it for long. But it’s in there, and it’s wonderful.
The other direction wasn’t as successful, I only got four strides of “the big trot”. Much of that is due to my right hand being much more rigid than my left. Going to the left, my right hand is the outside rein. He’s far more cautious to take contact on the outside because previously there had been no give, no elasticity there. We spent the rest of the lesson working on that elasticity, encouraging him to fill that outside rein. But he’s beginning to trust it, and that’s a start.
After the lesson he got a tennnis ball massage and a couple of extra treats. Tonight my calves are sore, evidence of how much I was pushing him forward into the contact. He was so tired he didn’t even chase Zandee when I turned him back out on pasture. Sherene said he was very quiet at dinner time tonight.
I hope he knows what a good boy he was today. Maybe horses don’t have that concept. I’m certainly proud of him. I’m hoping to do something fun with him on Wednesday, although I’m not sure what. All work and no play makes Tigger a tired boy…
Intoxicated Ramblings August 22, 2008
Posted by kimayars Uncategorized
Digg! this story.
, 6comments
I love Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Especially the pomegranate flavor. I mean, I REALLY like it. Good stuff.
So I’m sitting her eating pizza from our local pizza delivery place, drinking a Mike’s (or two), and browsing a Title 9 catalog. Title 9 makes really fashionalbe athletic gear for women. All the models look, fit, healthy, natural, and they can either a) climb a vertical rock wall using only their pinkies, b) bend in a pretzel where you can’t tell where limbs begin or end, or c) are surfing. None of these personas fit me. I don’t do heights well, I am REALLY inflexible, and I’m not much of a water person. Yet the clothes speak to me. But not in my size, of course. Realistically I’m not that bad — a size 10 on a good day. But these models are wearing size 2. Or 0. Or -4.
Once again I resolve to do something about my fitness as I take another bite of my pizza. My Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza. And bacon. Yes that’s right, it has Canadian bacon AND bacon. And pineapple. And green peppers. It’s awesome. If you love bacon like I do, this is the pizza for you. I love bacon probably more than coffee. If Starbucks ever does a bacon-flavored latte, I may never leave. (Okay, I am cringing a bit at the thought of that.)
Anyway, I’m indulging a bit tonight, but do feel like generally I’m on the right track. Next week I’ll try and fit some gym time in. I’m using school as an excuse to start (I’ll wait until school starts then start going to the gym again). However, the teachers here may go on strike, so I had better get off my butt and go without using school a condition.
Mmmm… Bacon. Probably as good as a fluffanutter sandwich. (*wink*)
One thing I am going to do for myself once the kiddos are in school is treat myself to a yoga class once a week. I can use the stretching, plus it would really help the horseback riding. I’m hoping that Sherene can meet me at the gym for a run 2x a week again, and that I can squeeze some weights in. So far I think that’s a good plan.
