Taking My Horse To See The Eye Doctor

Yesterday, I took my Paint horse, Rembrandt, aka, Rudy, up to the NJ Equine Clinic to have the Ophthalmologist look at his eye. He's had an issue with his left eye since April. Of course, Rita, my big WB/TB mare, had to go along for the ride. She acts like a lunatic when I lead him out of his stall, heaven forbid try to go away in the trailer without her! I'm afraid she'd kill herself if we were to leave without her. I was happy to get an appointment on a Monday so I could get help from my friend, Kathy Devereaux, on her day off from her job as a vet tech.

The horses and I hadn't trailered in about two years, since way before my broken ankle in April 2012, but everything went well. Rita behaved herself, (as long as Rembrandt wasn't taken out of her sight) ...

Our 19 yr. old Chevy Silverado pick-up truck ran well with new brakes, exhaust system and tires. My 21 year old Kiefer Built trailer could use a paint job, but is still solid from top to bottom, has four new tires and newly greased axils. All in all, with a little help from my hubby Jerry and dear friend Kathy, and two very cooperative ponies, the trip went pretty smooth and stress free.

It's hard for me to explain what's going on with Rudy's eye. There's a weakness or bulge in the inner eye membrane which is allowing fluid to leak into the outer membrane, causing a cataract looking band across the top and bottom of his eye. If left unchecked, it could cloud up the whole eye and his sight would be obstructed, like seeing through fog or frosted glass. It's not painful but it tears a lot. At present, we are continuing Rudy's current course of Doxycyline which has a good anti-inflamitory property for his eye, and is the only medication we've tried that has had any results. None of the many salves we've tried have had any affect at all. We're going to try adding in Timolol, glaucoma eye drops. Although his eye pressure was good and the doc said he doesn't have glaucoma, Timolol may help his situation. Right now the eye looks pretty good as he has been on the Doxy for a month. The plan is he will stay on it for another couple of months, gradually reducing the dosage and hoping for the best. My poor sweet boy. My poor pocketbook. Thanks for all your emails, facebook comments and well wishes! I just know they are helping.

Thanks again and Love,

X ♥  O

Rudy and Rita

Two Trips to the Barn

I went out to the barn twice yesterday. It was not a casual visit however. When Jerry got home from work, he said Rembrandt was pawing and looking at his sides. Of course I went into hyperactive, protective, doctor mode. I told Jerry to lunge him, which he did. He came back about a half an hour later and reported that Rudy had passed some gas and manure and was feeling much better. A half an hour later, my dad came in and said that he had gone out to check on him and my beloved horse was laying flat out in his stall. Dad said that Jerry had gotten him up and was lunging him again. I knew that he had colic and I had to get out to the barn to see him right away!

Rembrandt and I at the shore in 1991.

My dad brought his car around to the front of the house. Using my walker and crutches, I got into the car and he drove me around to the back. When we got there, Jerry was lunging Rudy in his paddock, but my dear 32 year old horse was barely moving. 

"We've got to take him out to the riding arena where he has more room and can move out", I said. Again I hobbled from the barn back into the car and my dad drove me around to the edge of the arena. We positioned the passenger side window so I could bark out my orders to Jerry and my precious horse. It was raining now. "Take his blanket off. Move in closer. Keep your line neatly coiled. You'll need to walk small circles so you can keep your whip close enough that you can tap him with it. Keep him trotting! Tell him he's a good boy. Don't let him walk. Keep going!!" After about 40 minutes, some more gas was passed and a small bit of manure. The horse seemed relieved, so we put him back in his paddock and went back to the house to eat dinner. At 9:00 we all went back out to the barn to find a very hungry, alert pony. I gave him a few small pieces of a banana which he inhaled. "No dinner for you tonight, my love", I said. We got his blanket back on and locked him out for the night. I wanted him to move around and didn't want to take a chance of him laying down in his stall again.

The morning reports were that Rudy was very alert and hungry. They say he's sore from all the exercise, but seems to be doing very well otherwise. (Big sigh of relief here. . . ) Jerry closed the gates to the pastures last night to keep both horses off the new grass and has agreed to lunge my old buddy for at least twenty minutes this afternoon.

Thank goodness my parents are here to help! What a blessing they and all my friends and family have been! They came last Wednesday night in their motor home and have been a big help with caring for a one legged invalid, the house and the horses. If my dad hadn't found Rudy in the stall when he did, the situation could have easily gotten a lot worse.

I love this picture of my mom and dad, having a beer in Nova Scotia in the summer of 2010.

Welcome to my world. Here is where I spend most of my time now. My butt is so sore!

The studio has been made more handicap accessible. I have a couple of tables that Jerry modified so I can fit the wheelchair under them. (This table has origami projects on it. :-))

More and more hummingbirds are arriving here everyday. I really don't know the numbers, but we have six feeders out now!

If you want to find out how to attract your own hummingbirds, go here.

Again, many many thanks to you, my friends! Your comments, emails and get well wishes really brighten my days!

Baby Raccoons and SandyLand Update

Guess who's living under my hay barn? OMG there are three little fuzzy-bear rascals and they are SOO CUTE! Momma took over Chuckie the wood chuck's home under there a few weeks ago when it was so hot here. The family has been living there ever since. Jerry took these snaps of them last night. I need to do a stake out from the big barn and try to get some good shots of them soon.

Snowflake is a very good mom and very strict and protective of the cubs. She has also taken over our feral cats, Ziggy and Leah's turf and food.They don't seem to mind it though and instead look forward to watching mom and the kids. The two cats can often be seen looking under the barn and waiting by the hole for the babies to come out.

We got some more plants and Jerry welded up more plant stands. We had to stake them into the ground as one tipped over in the strong wind. Thank goodness it missed the Jeep! Here's the studio entrance, taken this morning.

The screened porch off the kitchen is a favorite spot to hummer-watch any time of the day! The butterfly bushes are just starting to flower at the very top, but they should be exploding with blooms any day now.

Princess loves to roll around on the cool stepping stones in the morning.

She'll survey her territory to see who's been around during the night. Then up on the porch to watch the hummingbirds, deer, turkeys, birds, cats, squirrels, and chipmunk action for an hour or two.

I've gotten up early the past couple of mornings and taken Rembrandt for a spin through the woods. He's been looking awful mopey lately. At 31 years old, his teeth are not good and he doesn't do well in the heat. He has not been eating his hay at all, not moving around as he should and not pooping very much. It's been so hot and dry the past month, there is no pasture to speak of. I knew he needed exercise and lunging just wasn't enough. He starts out pretty slow and stiff, but by the end of our rides both days, he was so strong! Trotting through the trails, stirring up flocks of turkeys and herds of deer, I was applying a lot more half halts than leg! Looks like I'll be riding regularly this summer, 'cause he's been doing sooo much better since I started. It seems to have helped me and my back too. It's good getting up and out early. It makes the day so much richer. Here's a photo of him this morning after our ride. The watermelon and cantaloupe has really perked him up too. I've increased his Cushing's medicine which I think is helping and I started wetting some chopped hay mixed with Cavalor Senior which he has eaten a couple of times now. There was more manure in his paddock this morning, and his attitude is much more spirited so that is encouraging. With a horse this age, it's constant attention and tweaking of diet and routine to keep him strong. Oh, what Jerry and I wouldn't do for our old buddy! (And all of our animals!)