Ugh, Summer Heat

Well, I think the title says it all. I do hate these Texas summers, they are just awful. I seriously need to move! lol. All the horses are good, they are staying cool in the shade, and those who like water allow me to hose them off without halters or lead ropes on them. A few of the horses swim in the pond, Scout, Classi (my retired jumping mare), Fixation, Ruth, and sometimes Leo. All the foals pretty much hate water except Mowgli, though, he doesn't really like getting hosed off. I am going to start working with the foals this summer, they are pretty good about getting halters on, but their leading needs some work. Wendy is great, but the boys are so suborn. Tramp has trouble because he can be a little air headed, and Mowgli is just a fire cracker, always wanting to play, run, and buck with the "grown-up" horses, like Scout, Leo and Banner... It is so funny. Scout is so big, Mowgli looks like her foal when they are grazing together. I sat on Scout the other day, it felt so good, a perfect fit! lol. I was sitting on a huge log and had her with me (with a halter and led rope on) and decided she was calm enough to sit on, so I just did it. Since I haven't practiced it with her all that often, I didn't enjoy it to long, and decided to slide off. lol. Better safe than sorry. She is only two, for those who are wondering who Scout is. Ok, Summer is just around the corner!!! Who else is ready for summer, minus the heat? Taylor

My Sweet Boy Fletcher

Well, yesterday we had a very sad day here at the farm. My sweet, big boy Fletcher had to be put down. I am still very upset, and its very hard to write this at the moment. Fletcher was a full sibling to Scout, and Mowgli. He was a tall lanky gelding with lots of white. He was always me quiet boy, out of the three Fixation foals, very cuddly and calm. Fletch was an awesome mover, though, he was pretty clumsy as his legs were so long.

About three days ago, I noticed his front right leg was swollen, and he was having difficulty moving in a straight line, for a long period of time. He was wobbling around like he was drunk and not himself. My first instinct was that he was bitten by a snake, or had strained his leg. With in the next two days, the swelling wasn't going down, so our vet came down to see what was going on. Well, by that day Fletcher was really bad, he was falling over, and having a lot of difficulty just getting up after his falls. That day we could now see that he had some swelling a couple of inches back near his ears on his neck, only on the right side. Dr Spencer said he either fractured a vertebrae or bruised a couple. He received some medicine. But soon after praying and praying it was just a bruise he fell, and couldn't get his back legs to move when trying to get up. He was down for 5 hours. I sat with him all day, giving him water, hosing him off, and keeping the bugs away. Unfortunately, as each hour passed, he was losing feeling in his legs, and they weren't moving. He was my brave boy, letting me do what ever I needed to him, and was just as calm as he always is. Poor Scout was so upset that her brother wouldn't follow the herd, and stayed with him for hours and hours. Sometimes his breathing would get really slow and shallow, I was so convinced he was just going to pass away in my arms. I couldn't see him laying out there all night, so we called the vet, and we all agreed it was time to send him home. He was humanely euthanized, and buried on our property. I am still really upset, even though I know he is out of pain now. He was a great horse, and he was only a yearling. I will miss him so much. Taylor

Update

Sorry, it has been a while since my last update!!! It has been nice not having to be on the computer all the time though! All the foals are doing great. Tramp, the poor dear, looks so silly, he has patches of fur all other the place he is trying to shed off. But, he is really bulking up, he looks really nice. Wendy, is my sweet girl, she is a snuggler. She is always the first foal to come and see you. And of course Mowgli, my firecracker! He is a hoot, just like his sister and brother.... Though, he leans more towards Scout personality. Mo isn't afraid of anything, and boy, he has big pretty movement! Within a couple of days of his birth, he was sprinting around, having poor Fixation chase him ever where! Fixation doesn't put up with the other horses playing with her boy though, she only tolerates Scout and Fletcher, only the family, lol. Aurora is doing really well, her crazy curly mane is not laying down!!! (It runs in her mother's side of the family, LOL, poor Sis's man stood up ALL her life.) I will try to get some pictures this week, it is kind of rainy and cloudy today though.