Trucking Along

Not much change here...I'm still trying to get caught up and the weather is still cold.

But I am getting horses rode.

I really debated about getting front shoes put on the sorrel horse...I just don't like having them on the horses in this snow. They just promote ice balls like crazy and are slick when I ride down the road. Soooo...I bit the bullet and trimmed his heels way down. He still short strides just a hair on the hard ground, but is traveling just fine over in the field, where the ground is soft and the snow is deep.  That will work for now.

Working in that deep snow, with the soft ground underneath is quite the workout for these horses. Two trips around the 20 acre field and Bugs and Frosty are just a huffin' and a puffin'. Moon seems to be handling it incredibly well. Moon always has handled the cold weather better than he handles heat. But I also started him on a new breathing supplement, so that may be part of it.

Frosty gave me quite the scare the other night. His coughing is gone, but I can tell he still isn't 100%. I have been riding him, but just walking for about 20 minutes because I don't want to get overdo it or get him too warm. After I get done riding each horse, I unsaddle, groom and then grain. For the probably the first time e.v.e.r. in his life, Frosty did not finish his grain. I turned him out, hayed everyone and then stood by the gate watching. Sure enough...Frosty started pawing the ground, then looking at his side. About the time I was going to walk in and check him out, he walked off and started eating hay. So I just stood and watched for a while longer. Pretty quick, he starts pawing again and this time, he lays down and starts rolling. I was in that pasture and had him caught before he even got to his feet. Damn!

Colic!

I got him to the trailer and then almost gave myself a heart attack because I couldn't find my White Lightening. I was throwing shit left and right looking for that little white tub.

I finally found it. Shoved a spoonful in Frosty's mouth and then went to get him a bucket of really warm water. Fifteen minutes later I shoved another spoonful in his mouth and offered him the water. He sipped a little bit. Then we walked for a few minutes and I shoved a 3rd spoonful in his mouth. This White Lightening is the most amazing stuff for stopping colic I have ever used...but it is a real pain to administer. It has the consistency of flour, so the slightest poof of air out of a horse's nostrils sends it flying, not to mention you have to pry the mouth open and dump the spoonful onto the tongue. After the 3rd spoonful, Frosty drank a half a bucket of the warm water and I checked to see if he wanted to eat. When he tied into his hay like nothing had happened, I knew he was over it.

Still, I didn't have a very restful night. I got up 3 times in the night, got dressed and walked out to check on him. He was fine. Whew!

He looked a little brighter the next day and I have been making sure to offer him buckets of extra warm water, which he hasn't done any more than wet his lips from. From the amount he is drinking out of his tub though, he is getting a sufficient intake. So I dunno what that was all about. It's been cold for so long now and like I said, I can tell he still isn't 100%...but there really doesn't seem to be anything specific enough to warrant calling the vet. No temp, his cough has subsided and he is eating, drinking, pooping and peeing normally. Just going to take it easy with him, but still keep going with a regular exercise routine.

Now, if I could just get everything else lined out so I could head to Arizona....