Stuck at home

Well, I do try my best to get to Laz every other day.

Why not every day?

I wish...because as I've mentioned before, I board him an hour away, ONE way. That is two hours of JUST driving..it kills me but I love where he is and right now, that is most important.

Even though I can't ride him now, I go to see him because I love the bonding, putting my eyes and hands on him. But some days work gets in the way (fancy that?!) and today, it was work combined with bad weather. Not horrible East Coast style but here, in Michigan, we got about 5-7 inches of snow that is still falling down.

This morning outside my home office

Now, I wonder if 800+/- sq feet of backyard is enough to call the City and ask if I can sometimes keep my horse there? ;)

I wish. I wish I could move his whole barn closer to me.

Oh, and above Laz's nose was smelling something good! My Parents are back in the USA, and here visiting us for a couple of weeks after being gone in Greece, London and South Africa since July! It's sooo nice having a Mom's homemade cooked meal sizzling away, and she cooks Vegan for me! Mmmm!

**ignore the world's ugliest kitchen, I am saving pennies to redo as I please, but hello...I have a sick horse who gobbles all my money up! ;)

Smells GOOOOD!

My next day to be with Laz is Thursday morning and I may bring the Parents if they want to play in the cold!

Weekend with sweet Laz

You know those days, when you arrive and your horse tells you with their eyes what mood they are in? I love those days.

Well, except when the eyes are white rimmed and wild. Those days can suck it. ;)

But yesterday and today, all Laz had were kind, sweet, and appreciative eyes.

This picture below I think says it all for the mood he was in.

Awwww!

So after the usual unwrapping his legs, cleaning his stall/paddock and loving up on him, today the BO commented on 'Let's clip that bridle path today!" Being I don't have clippers yet of my own, I jumped at that chance.

So here is the before of his hedge of overgrown by 2 months of bridle path mess

And the clipped after, not a great picture but it actually spurred me to clean his ears out too!

Taking advantage of his calm and buttercup sweet mood, I massaged his back and itched his spots. I have to admit, being up by his back, looking thru his ears made me well up with tears from missing SO much, being able to hop on him and hack around. Today, would have been literally the BEST day to ride him. Weather was good, his mood was PERFECT, and I had a little bit of free time. Oh well..patient, patient, patient.

Ignore my egg head hat, my Mom knitted it and it's literally the warmest deepest hat that I love to wear at the barn. Anyway, fashion b.s. aside-look at how much Laz seems to enjoy this!

Love his long neck and the beginning of his camel lip wanting to swirl around someone to groom

Being the BO saw me tear up with Laz, missing riding him and knowing exactly how that can feel, she called for me to take a quick bareback ride on her 19 yr old QH Jazz, who was just finishing with her student. It felt SO good to actually be on a lovely horse's back and use those muscles again, even for a short while. I can NOT wait to be back on Laz's back in the future (hope hope hope!!!)

Sweet Jazz below who was quite the showhorse in his day, is a total delight to ride. He rounds SO nicely!

Mason playing with Carley wearing hand me down snow dog booties from the BO, he was running like a showing Saddlebred kicking up his back heels, it was HILARIOUS! Look at how big puppy Carley is getting too!

What a great weekend...

"Oh, Hi Mom! Guess what...can you groom me especially good today because I'm diiiiirty!"

Yikes.

What a pig he is! :) Literally had sand in his ear and eyelashes! Thank god it was a warmer day today, that I could stand being outside for a couple of hours without wanting to dive under his blanket. I yanked his dirty blanket and groomed this pig for about an hour and boy did he enjoy it!

This is a good sign to me, showing that he laid on his right side, using his right rear to prop him up. This is the leg that showed the most rotation and was the most severe.

Hmmmm...seems to be getting better?!

Mason is very cautious around Lazarus and basically scared of him. He was once out in the pen with me, when he ran to the BO in excitement to play and ran thru the electric pen. OUCH!!!! I think he associates all horses with electricity now. It's ok, I'd rather he be cautious than overbearingly confident around horses that could kick/hurt him.

"Mom, are you in here? Where's that big brown thing that zaps me?"

So here is Laz's before I groomed shot. Phew!

Ahhh, clean

(see..when I say he literally eats all day..he does!!! This was two hours later and somehow I got the exact same shot!)

Close up of the Mati evil eye that protects him.

(yes, I know, I need to trim his bridle path soon! eyikes)

And for Mason the wonderdog. He loves playing out there, loves the snow...that dog lives to love life!

If he were a horse, I would have it SO easy. He would be an easy keeper, maintains weight, he would be barefoot no doubt with great feet, his coat is getting glossy b/c I put him on Cocosoya, plays well with everyone and loooooves to work.

What horse breed would Mason be?

Maybe a Perch/TB horse cross?

At any rate, if Mason was a horse, he would be able to jump high, do dressage, chase cows, cross country, allow children to ride him safely as well as get blue ribbons for someone advanced.

He is just that dog with a HUGE heart and natural athletic ability.

So, being that I yanked off Laz's blanket and took an hour to really groom, curry, brush him and look at this body today; I thought I would ask a question. Do you take pictures and compare to see how your horse's bodies are doing. I think the pictures below are very interesting in terms of his changes.

This is Laz fresh off the track, in September of 2008

Here is sweet Laz and I this past September 2009 (can you believe like two weeks before his colic/laminitis..ugh). I think he looks good, lean strong and bright. My vet assures me his ribs will always show being a Thoroughbred, but I don't like ribby horses. I like a little bit of cushion weight so when they do get sick (like he did) they can afford to loose some without it being overly traumatic.

I know many of you have Thoroughbreds...in their prime shape, do their ribs show? Not in scary skinny terms, I know that difference, I mean when they are working/stretching/bending- you see their ribs. Right? Or is my boy just a thinner babe? Is each TB so different?

This photo was today, Feb 2010. I can see his ribs (although not in this photo really) and he hay a bit of a hay belly. This is also his winter coat (which doesn't get too thick hence the heavyweight blanket he wears) which should make him look fuller. He literally eats ALL day and it's grass hay, per vet. I know he wants him lean right now so there is as little pressure on his feet, I get that. I'll have him look at him once again for our next appt towards the end of the month, just to make sure. I will also ask when he can start getting his missed vaccinations/wormers, etc. He pulled him off everything due to his laminitic case that may have been caused by his colic fever and/or meds. Being that Laz welted up for Xmas to his G.U.T. I think his body is extremely sensitive.

Abscess look out

We are on a 'watch out' for a hoof abscess.

Blech.

The very knowledgeable BO pointed out today, when we were looking at Laz's 'bad' leg (his rear right) that it has a new bubbled look to it. I tried to draw an arrow/circle around the area that looks as if it's coming over the top area slightly. Looks like it will abscess in the future, nothing that looks quite ready to pop but is giving him new tenderness.

I brush his legs to create better stimulation after I unwrap them (quilts/bandage wraps) and noticed he was more tender when brushing this leg.

Poor man. The vet told us to expect it, so I'm keeping a close on for when it blows. We treated one abscess when we were doing his Styrofoam shoes, so this shouldn't be too awful. I just hope that damn abscess doesn't time to blow out near his next round of shoes and delay that for his comfort.

Whitley, the new puppy, has been given her new name of "Carley" and is adapting quite well playing with her sister trying to snooze in the hay while we are working in the barn.

And yes, a little Purina Senior feed helps when trying to take 'family' pictures. My goal is to try to get one of Billy, myself, Laz, and the two pups: Mason and Pudge. We'll see if that happens...lol!

I always think Laz is so tall except when my 6'3" husband stands next to him, he looks pony-ish!

Laz is seeming to do well on his maintenance dosages of Equioxx which I am pleased about.

He gets between a half dose on colder days, and a third of a dose on better/warmer days. For about a week after his new shoes, he gets a full dose and that is pretty much needed. I keep reading better tests of Equioxx vs Bute for its gastric, liver and kidney health, so I'm happy about that. I am just not a person that pops an Advil when I get a headache, I'm not 100% for medicine, but for him..I try to do what I can that helps keep him comfortable and happy. I am afraid to make any holistic changes and take him off any meds right now.

The full dose is approximately $8.50 a day, which kinda sucks but in the scheme of things...I just think of it as I don't eat lunch that day! ;)

Ramen noodles anyone?

Horse dreams

Do you dream of your horse often?

My dreams change but are so vivid. I have been dreaming of Laz a lot lately and it's always me riding him bareback, like this image below from his birthday last April. The dreams are peaceful but I am so cautious in riding him for fear of his 'bad' back legs. In my dreams all goes well until the end, where he slips and falls and breaks his legs. I know it has to due with his laminitis in his hind, but it's torturous. I hope when/if we do start riding, he is fully recovered and I can get the image of him being broken out of my head (somewhat) to be able to enjoy him and not ride nervously. I miss being on his back and feeling that connection. Soon though.

On another note, my husband and I were watching the news the other day which featured yet another non-profit barn going into foreclosure. We both felt so awful for all those horses that who knows what will happen to them? What was their life story so far? I can only feel happy for the one little man I saved...so I'm putting all that into him.

Wouldn't it make for an interesting documentary to follow a horse (racehorse, show horse, farm horse, etc) from Foal to last days of life, to see what kind of lives these majestic animals live sometimes. I think it would put people into perspective of why we cherish ours so much.

On a funny side note-my cousin made this Avatar of me to seriously make me laugh so loud I almost sprayed coffee thru my nose when she emailed it. An Avatar is a replica of yourself (I think anyway) and this one she said represented who I am.

I'm in a riding outfit, with Lazarus (loose interpretation) wearing an Asian hat because when I was born to my Greek family, I literally looked Asian for about 5 years with my almond eyes and I ADORE Asian food, so it's been an ongoing joke in my family. She put us in a kitchen being I am a kitchen designer. Pretty well rounded, lol!

January is back...damn!

Well truly January really never left, but the usual cold weather did for a bit. And now she's back and frigid. Winds are up, snow whipping around in the air and brrrr, I think it was high of 20 degrees today but whatever the 'weather' really is, when it's windy, it's almost intolerable!

Even Laz's ear is a furried sight!

His sweet muzzle. I think he looks a bit un-loved right now due to his long shaggy coat, his long mane, long whiskers and totally outgrown bridle path. I'm leaving all to grow during the winter for his benefit, other than that bridle path..that is killing me and I have to get at it soon.

I think his whiskers give him a helping hand when feeling for his hay in this cold.

See how long his mane is?! Oh well, I guess the added warmth is for his benefit..I want to chop it come spring for a great makeover! :)

I kept going to the heated tack room for warm breaks during my visit with Laz, and look what I found. The two sweet barn cats, Lilo and Stitch...do you see the hugging?!

Laz even decided to stay in a bit today, on his own choice. In fact, I was soooo pleasantly surprised when he came in his stall after I topped his water off with warm water. I quickly took the chance to wrap his legs inside were the wind wasn't so strong.

Moments with Lazarus

As you all know, I love to capture moments of Laz on video. Why? Why not! :) No, in all seriousness..when he colicked suddenly which turned into his current battle with laminitis I thought I would lose him. Everything. My love for him since my childhood wants of having my own pony, was all put into him.

Now, I'm much more confident that we have not only a really good chance in saving him, but hopefully that I'll be able to sit on his back again and continue our bonding in that manner too. The videos provide me with as much Laz as I can get. If I could shrink him and keep him in my pocket, I probably would too! :)

These are just moments of time with him from this past week or so

Now, when I say he's a pig... I mean it! He was literally rubbing his face, very contently, in the sand while laying down when I walked in to video this.

When we temporarily opened up the other half of his paddock (we aren't vet approved for him to have this much space yet) to bring in more sand.

Mason and Ellie bonding

A new furry member!

Welcome Whitley! No, she isn't mine..no more pets for now for us! The BO's, C&J adopted Whitley, a Rottweiler/Shepard mix 10 wk old female pup from Detroit Animal Control this morning! Now their black lab mix, Caitlyn (Mason's girlfriend) has a new sister!

Look at how her little snout fits inside Laz's sweet snout!

C took her out to meet the rest of her family; Jazz (on left), Ellie (closet Roan) and Jessie (Ellie's Mom)

Ellie and Sawyer getting nose to nose with the 'littlest horse?...or a dog?"

Miss Whitley! She is TOO cute with her baby puppy breath, pin like teeth and bunny soft fur!

Love how Mare-ish Jessie is here with her flattened ears and wild eye! She is a Tinkerbell and makes me laugh at how girly she is. She obviously has a watchful eye over her herd.

Sweet old man Jazz, I think he is nineteen and still has a trot that could win blue ribbons

Sawyer giving J a kiss! Can you tell their horses are loved?

Miss Whitley taking a one eye open nap during barn chores cuddled on C's vest

Mason passed out in my car on the way home after running like a mad man at the barn. It is SUCH a treat that I'm able to bring him out there. He loves it.

As far as Laz news..my brown boy is continuing to look really, really good! We did more pilates, stretching, grooming, ..the norm in keeping his mind focused on positive things.

On another note, I saw a quote in Jane Savoie's newsletter that I thought was beautiful..I'm not sure who it was by, but here it is:

"Horses and Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole"