Hurricane Irene at Perfect Peace Farm and a few Other Things

As Hurricane Irene approached and the air pressure started to drop on Thursday, it sent our oldest mare, Messenger of Light, aka "Leia", into a gas colic.   She has been sensitive to drops in air pressure, int he past, suffering a gas colic about once a year, for the past 4 years or so.   We gave her some Banamine and she was quickly much better and never had anymore signs of a problem.   We kept a close watch on her for the next few days, but it appears that this episode had been mild, thank goodness, so no vet was needed.

We brought the horses into the barn on Friday evening, as the rain was supposed to start between 3 to 5 AM on Saturday.   We filled up all 3 huge water troughs, knowing we'd lose power, we wanted to make sure we had plenty of water for the horses.   After Hurricane Isabel, we were without power for a full week, actually about 6 hours or so past a full week.   So, I wanted to be ready for the worst.

We had our tub filled with water, I had cleaned out milk jugs and juice containers, and filled them with water, and I had a few big pots of water for the dogs and cat.

We woke up on Saturday morning to strong winds and heavy rain, but still had power.   I started lunch shortly after we finished breakfast, as I wanted to make sure we had something nice to eat before we lost power.   I also had my husband run some of my frozen foods over to a friend's house, as she had space in her chest freezer for them and had a generator, so i wouldn't lose all my food.

My planning paid off and we lost power right after lunch, at about 1 PM.

We put our youngest daughter, almost 2 years old, down for her nap, hoping she'd sleep throught he storm and she did somewhat.   Her nap was a bit shorter than usual, but you couldn't blame her.

We had an old transister radio, so were able to listen to the news reports as to how bad things were, where the storm was going, etc.

Since we'd lost power I was not going to be able to watch any of the big horse races of this past weekend, but a friend of mine was willing to talk to me ont he phone and relay to me what was happening with the races.   I got to hear about the King's Bishop and Travers as they were happening.   She promised to call me the on Sunday so I could hear the big races from Del Mar.

Then it was time to feed everyone, so my husband went to check on the horses and feed them their dinner as I prepared our dinner in the house.

We got the girls ready for bed a bit earlier than their usual 8:30 bedtime and got them into bed as it got dark.

We had batteries to run the CD player for our youngest daughter, so she'd have her music to fall asleep to, but our oldest, almost 6 years old, was just a bit too scared by the wind and storm, so I laid some blankets on the floor next to my side of the bed and told her she could sleep there.

My two dogs, Nalley, an 11 year old Golden Retriever, my retired Seeing Eye Dog, and Dextra, a 2 year old yellow Labrador Retriever, my current Seeing Eye Dog, laid on the floor on either side of our oldest daughter.

Several times through the night, our youngest daughter woke up crying, so I had to go check on her.  I did try to bring her into bed with us, but she just will not sleep in our bed, prefering to play or talk.   When my husband started snoring she blurted out, at almost full volume, "Daddy, what are you doing?"    I tried to hush her and told her that Daddy was snoring, but she just wouldn't quiet down, so I took her back to her room, put the music back on and rocked her in the glider for a little while.   She did go back to sleep and I was able to get a bit more sleep.

We were then rudely woken up at 6 AM by our oldest daughter, who jumped up and called out, "There is no more storm!"   She was so excited that it was over.

My husband knew I hadn't slept well, due to our youngest, so he took our oldest and let me sleep in a bit more, as our youngest was also still sleeping.

They got dressed and went to feed the horses, let them out of the barn, and survey the damage to our property.

We were pretty lucky, no trees down, but some minor gutter damage and the roof over our patio got ripped off the house and flipped over the back yard fence, almost landing in our pond.   The legs are bent, the roof is bent, so I think it can't be put back up, it will have to be replaced, at some point.   Our mailbox also got damaged, so over all we were very lucky.

Sunday was hot, but there was a wind for mos tof the day.   In the evening we all went out to feed the horses and spend some time with them.

As they ate, Leia started to cough, and I instantly knew she was starting to choke, something else that she does about once a year, like the gas colic.   We were working with the other group of horses, but I kept an ear out for Leia and paid attention to how often she was coughing.

Our oldest daughter really wanted to get on the backs of Myra and Belle, our two ponies, well, Myra is a Half Welsh, Belle is just pony sized, but is an Anglo-Arabian, they are half sisters.   So, I led Myra, while holding our youngest daughter, and my husband held onto our oldest, as she sat on Myra, first.  Myra and Belle have not truly been broke to ride, but have been willing to let us put kids on their backs, so far, but this time, Myra decided she really didn't want our oldest up there, so let out a buck, but since my husband had ahold of our daughter, he was able to get her off and she was not hurt.   She was crying, but I think it was more from being scared.   She quickly stopped crying and I caught Belle and she eagerly got on Belle's back.   Belle was very good and didn't do anything, so that was great to help rebuild her confidence.

I noticed Leia was still coughing, so I said it was time for me to check on Leia more closely.   I handed our youngest daughter to my husband, so I could go into the pasture with Leia and Glory, to see how Leia was doing.   She had some snot coming out of her nose, due to her coughing fromt he choke.   I ran my hands down her neck to see if I could feel anything, but I just felt that all the muscles were super tight.   I then put my hands on either side of her neck and slowly and gently moved them from her throat latch area down towards her chest, trying to follow where her esophagus is.  I did this only twice, not really  knowing if it would help or not, but something just told me to do it, so going with my instincts and gut feeling, I did what just seemed to come naturally to me.   As I did this, I could feel Leia's neck muscles start to relax.   I led her around a few minutes, then turned her lose, when I realized she hadn't coughed even once since I had run my hands down her neck.   We stayed out there another 10 minutes or so and there was no more coughing.   So, the choking incident was also mild, just like her gas colic. 

I have never done that technique on a choking horse before and I just had a strong urge to do it.   The only thing I can tell you is that God was telling me what to do to help her, and because I listened she was healed and again, no vet was needed.

Let's just say my husband is so happy that in the two incidents with Leia, in the last week, that I'd saved us, easily, over $600 in emergency vet costs.

All I know is God has given me a gift to just know things about horses, what is wrong with them, how good they are going to be as race horses, if they are a nice spiritted horse or a mean horse, and so on.  I just have this sense and I want to try to use it more, share my gift.  I don't know how I will do this, but maybe some door will open for me to share this with others and not just use it on my own small herd or share experiences I've had with horses I've worked with int he past on this blog.

Sunday night was very hot and uncomfortable, as there was no wind and the humidity was up, but we managed to get a little sleep.

On Monday, a friend of mine offered to take my kids and I to her sister's house so we could all get cleaned up.   It was a nice break.

While we were gone my husband went for more ice and some milk.

Thankfully, at 9:30 PM on Monday, the power came back on, but since we were already in bed, the only enjoyment we got from it was that we turned on the fans.

Home phone is still not working, internet is super slow, but at least we have power now.   I've been trying to catch up on some new sin the world and some racing news and when I found out what Uncle Mo's owner said about finishing 2nd in the King's Bishop it has annoyed me greatly.    He said it was the "lowest of lows".   No, sir, sorry, finishing 2nd in a major Grade 1 stakes race is not a low of any kind.   When your beautiful 3 year old filly, who has the heart of a champion, is improving with each race, looks like she is going to finish a clear cut second, suddenly fades and is eased, then requires the horse ambulance to come get her to take her back to her stall, that is the "lowest of lows".   Being told she may not survive, because one of her sesamoids is totally shattered, that's a low.   So, please do not say finishing 2nd in that race was "the lowest of lows.", you have no idea.   I foaled that filly out, helped her come into this world, and it was a very difficult delivery, I halter trained her, loved her, played with her, etc, the heart ache of her injury was more than I can put into words.   Luckily, and praise God, she beat all the odds and is standing out in my pasture right now, and will hopefully be bred next year.   The jockey said it as a soft spot in the track that she found, it happens in racing, it's hard to deal with, loving horses the way I do, but it could have happened in the field, I've had horses get hurt in stalls, fields, etc, so I will keep racing, loving my horses, and taking care of them the best I can.

Her half brother is gearing up to make his first start this fall.   So, watch out for Marq Your Bible!

So, Hurricane Irene is gone, leaving some with more damage than we got and I know some lives were lost.  My thoughts and prayers are with those who's lives have been devistated by this storm.   I pray lives can get back to some kind of normal as quickly as possible.

Selling Mayo

In early 2001 things were going really well, Baron was healing from his leg injury, my job was going well, and I was in a new relationship that a lot of promise.   But, how quickly things changed on me again.

One morning as I was getting ready for work the phone rang and it was the vet that I worked for.  She was telling me not to show up to work, that she was letting me go.   She claimed that business wasn't going well and that she had to let the last person she hired go, but that was a flat out lie, as she had hired at least 3 others after me.   I may be blind, but I am not stupid, I was being let go because of my eyesight.   I had it happen before, but that didn't make it any easier.   I was devistated, as I loved that job.   A friend of mine who worked with me, also believed I was the one she let go, because of my vision.   Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done, complaining to the EEOC usually gets you no where, the case in both times I've contacted them over workplace descrimination.

So, witht he loss of my job, I found myself living off of unemployment and everywhere I put in a resume, if they saw me, saw that I was blind, I never got a call.

I was quickly faced with a very hard decision, I could not afford three horses any longer.   I did a budget and figured I could afford two of them, but just not three.

I had Bunny, my first horse, an Anglo-Arabian mare, who was 18 years old at the time.  She had been abused, making her pretty much unrideable, plus she was so special to me, teaching me that it was horses I loved and not just riding, that I could not sell her.   I couldn't risk her going to a person that might misunderstand her behaviors and that might lead her to further abuse.   So, I know I was keeping her for the rest of her life.

Then there was Baron, my 2 year old Thoroughbred gelding, who from all he'd been through in his short life, was very small for his age and had a horrible scar on his front right leg, from the injury he'd suffered the previous fall.   From all he'd been through, I had grown very attached to him.   Though I may have bred his dam with the intentions of selling the foal, I could not bring myself to sell the little guy, he was also just too special to me.

So, that left Baron's dam, Mayo Lane, my 9 year old Thoroughbred mare.   She was the only rideable one of the group, but she was still quite green.   I had tried to work with her, but only being able to get to the boarding stable once every other week, it was very hard to progress her training.   I did my best, though and worked with her either in the round pen or int he small paddock, where I could ride her.

I started advertising her for sale.   She is a very muscular mare, built like a Quarter Horse, instead of a Thoroughbred.   I believe this is coming from two places, she is a granddaughter of Northern Baby, a son of Northern Dancer, who could pass on small and stocky to some lines, plus she is inbred 4 x 4 to Round Table.   For those who don't know what this means, it means she carries the horse Round Table in her 4th generation on both sides of her pedigree.   Her sire's sire, Northern Baby, is out of a mare by Round Table, and her 2nd dam (mother's mother), is sired by a stallion named Poker, who is by Round Table.   Round Table was an extremely good racehorse in the 1950's.   I loved studying Mayo's pedigree, so much history.

I advertised Mayo as a riding prospect, but also as a broodmare, due to her pedigree and the fact that Baron was a very nice young horse, despite his small size, which wasn't Mayo's fault, but Baron's circumstances.

I didn't get a lot of interest, but in April it seemed like everyone was starting to suddenly look for a new horse.

Quite a few wanted to ride her, so my boyfriend, tried to help me get out to the barn more often, so I could ride Mayo.  One day I was trying to ride her in one of the field's, where I had a single jump set up.  I couldn't use the round pen or small paddock or even the riding arena, as there were horses turned out in each of those areas, so I had no choice.   I really didn't think much about it.   Mayo could be strong and yes, she had run off with me, but that had been years before.   So, I lunged her, then got on, and we warmed up, she was doing just fine, listening, being really good, doing all I asked of her, so we started to jump.   She was doing really well with the lower jump, so I had my boyfriend, Gordon, set up the jump to about 2 feet.   We then cantered a circle and then headed towards the jump.  About a stride out, I felt something totally different underneath me, I felt her coiling up and preparing for an explosion.  I grabbed her mane, tightened up on the reins as best I could, but there was no time to stop her before the jump, so I had no choice but to just brace myself for what she was about to do.    She turned that 2 foot jump into about a 4 foot jump, catapolting us through the air.   As soon as she landed on the downside of the jump, she hit that ground running at full speed.   I put both hands on the left rein and pulled as hard as I could, as she had grabbed the bit in her teeth.   I put all I could into that one rein and tried to get her to circle.   Thankfully it worked, it took a few large and very high speed circles before I felt like I had some kind of control.   Slowly the circles got smaller and slower and finally I got her to stop.   I jumped off, my legs shaking, from the adrenalin that was flowing through my body. 

Gordon, who had only been riding for about 6 months, at the time, raced to me and hugged me, to make sure I was okay.   I was fine, of course, but I know seeing me being taken off with like that was hard on him.  Thankfully, that bolting incident didn't turn out like the first time she did that with me, but part of that was due to the fact that she wasn't bucking this time, as she bolted.

With that incident and our past, I knew she really needed to go to someone with a whole lot of experience or as a broodmare, she was just not going to be safe for even an intermediate rider, unless they had a whole lot of help.

As the calls and emails picked up, it was hard to tell who was the most serious, but I had two that I thought were serious at the same time.   One lived out west and the other just a few hours away.

The one from out west wanted her as a broodmare, the other people wanted her to ride and show.   Whent he people a few hours away heard that there was someone else who was serious, they rushed out a few days later.   It was a Saturday morning and it was a married couple.   The wife was extremely experienced and the husband was an intermediate, but a high one, I was told.   The wife rode Mayo first, then her husband.  They loved her and made me an offer.   Because she was going to be closer and I thought these people were telling the truth about their experience, and they seemed to be from what I was witnessing, I agreed to sell Mayo to them.   They came the next day to pick her up.

The lady from out west was really mad, but what could I do, I had this offer and she hadn't set up a vet check, yet, as she had said she wanted a reproduction exam done on Mayo before she'd buy her.

So, off Mayo went to her new home, the people promising to keep in touch and listen to the instructions that I had given about her quirks, one of which was, at the time, she could not be bridled and tied at the same time.   You could not just leave the halter hanging from her neck with the lead rope or cross ties attached to it, while bridling her, it upset her for some strange reason, but if you didn't have her tied and bridled her, she was fine.

Well, I get an email a few days later and they are already trying to ride her.  I had told them they should give her at least a week to settle in and get used to them, but this was the first sign that they were not going to follow instructions and listen to my experience with Mayo and just thought they knew more.   But, as she was now their horse, there was nothing I could do but just offer support and suggestions as issues arose, and they did quickly.

Instead of bolting, she started to freeze up and refuse to move.   Then I get a call, not 10 days after they had her home, that the guy had tried to bridle her in the cross ties and Mayo had flipped out.  She reared and since they used bunji cords as cross ties, she was able to spin around getting one bunji cord around her neck and the other up under the saddle.   Luckily, at this point Mayo's intellegence kicked in and she stood still for them to help her.   But at this point, the people already were done with her and wanted me to buy her back.   But since I was out of work, it was impossible.

I called the lady from out west to see if she was still interested in Mayo, as these people wanted her gone fast.  And to my surprise, this lady had already found another mare and bought it.   Like I said it was only about 10 days after the couple had bought Mayo.   The lady from out west had acted all put out and mad at me, but she must have had this other mare in mind, too, for her to have bought her so quickly after I told her Mayo was sold.

She told me she had a friend looking for a mare to breed to Warmbloods, and that she'd ask if the friend if Mayo would fit what she was looking for and if she wanted to buy Mayo from the couple.   And, so a few days later Mayo was on her way to Colorado.

Again, I was promised contact.  I loved Mayo and hated selling her, but just had no choice, so I hoped they'd keep in touch with me.   Unfortunately, the lady never got me in touch with her friend that actually bought Mayo.   So, I tried telling the lady about Mayo's quirks, history as a broodmare, etc, but not sure if things got passed along.

About 7 months later or so, I got an email that Mayo had aborted twins.   I innocently sent an email back asking if they had ultrasounded Mayo to check for twins, after breeding her, and I never heard another word from the woman.

I was sickened, I tried apologizing for any wrong dueing on my part and pleaded for updates, though I tried to not bother the lady, so I didn't send the requests very often, maybe once every few months, but that was about it.  I didn't want to bother them, I just wanted an update.   But all I got was stone silence and I finally had to come to grips with the fact that I had lost Mayo, not only through selling her, but that I no longer was going to hear anything about her. 

It hurt, but I had no choice but to try and forget about her.

Baron's Scar

After moving Bunny, Mayo, and Baron to a new boarding stable in the summer of 2000, things seemed to be going well, for a change.  My job at the vet clinic was going well, the new stable was taking great care of my horses, they were gaining weight and starting to look more like they should have.   Baron was small for his age, because of the bout with Salmonella and then the previous stable not feeding him properly, despite me providing the grain.

A few months after moving them, he really was starting to blossom and I was so happy, until I got a call that September Saturday morning.   Sue, the stable owner informed me that it looked like Baron had been kicked in the right knee.  His leg was swollen, but he wasn't too lame, so she didn't think anything was broken.   She offered to hose it a few times for me and give him some bute, until I could get a ride out to take a look at him for myself.

Everyone seemed busy that Saturday, but my Dad offered to come get me on Sunday afternoon, after church.   It was an agonizing wait to get out to see him, but Sue kept me informed and believed he was improving.   She had decided to keep him out, so that he would not get upset about being away from his friends and cause more damage, plus we thought moving around a little bit would help keep the swelling from getting worse.

I got out to the farm about 3 PM on Sunday afternoon and Sue and I went to get Baron, while my Dad waited back at the barn.   As Sue and I approached the gate, the horses came walking up and suddenly Sue called out in horror, "Baron, what did you do to your leg?"

I could feel the blood leaving my face as I asked what was wrong.   She said the leg was now opened up huge, a tear 3/4 of the way around, just below his right knee.  It was a slight slant, but not much, opened about 4 to 5 inches at it's widest gaping spot, at the front of his leg.  We quickly haltered him and got up him to the barn.   We called the vet and started working on him as we waited.   One of the blood vessels ruptured and we had to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. 

Sue and I cleaned the wound as best we could and put a wrap on him to keep it from getting more dirty and to keep the bleeding under control.

Once he was stable, Sue and another boarder went out into the field to see what he could have hit his leg on, but found nothing.  Found no evidence of blood on any of the fence rails, the water trough, no signs of what he could have done to open it up.

The vet finally arrived around dusk and I held Baorn in the barn aisle for her to inspect his leg.  After she took the wrap off and examined it, she informed me that she thought his knee had also been compromised.  She thought she saw a hole going near the center of his knee, which she said might open his joint up for infection.   The wound was so big there was no way to do stitches.   She gave a pretty grim prognosis and told me if he was her horse she would put him down right then.   She said she thought he only had a 10% chance of surviving.

I became a wreck at that point, crying uncontrollably.  SOmeone else had to come and hold Baron for me as I about collapsed on the ground.    Baron and I had gone through so much, his rough start as a newborn, the Salmonella poisoning that almost killed him, the starvation at the previous boarding barn, and just when things were starting to look better, he gets hurt so badly that he may have to be put down.   I just couldn't take it. 

I came very close to deciding to do it, I just didn't know how much more I could take, but Sue pulled me to the side, gave me a hug and told me to wait 24 hours.   She said she wanted another vet to see Baron, one who she knew had saved a severely injured horse, before.   So, she wanted me to have that vet see Baron and give her opinion.

I just couldn't let Baron suffer, but I agreed that 24 hours to wait for a second opinion would be okay and if there was a chance to save him, I'd do my best, even on a receptionist's income.

The next afternoon, I left my job a few hours early.   Thankfully working for a small animal vet, she understood the seriousness of the situation and that I needed to be there when the vet saw Baron.   She had also prepared me for the worst, when I described the extent of the injury to her.

When I got to the barn, Sue and the vet were waiting for me and we went to see Baron.   She said it was definitely a very severe leg wound, one that could cost him him life.   She said, however, that she'd give him for than a 10% chance of living, saying it was closer to a 50% chance.   So, going by that, I decided we'd fight and see if we could save him, knowing it may not work.

Sue was wonderful.   She knew that due to my eyesight, that I didn't drive and getting a ride out to her barn was difficult.   At best, I got out about once every other week.   So, she knew that Baron's care would fall upon her, as I just could not get out to do it properly.   She was willing to help me and Baron and for that I will always be grateful.

It started with bandage changes twice a day, to clean with a saline solution with a small amount of betadine.  After about a week, she could start just changing his bandage once a day and hose it gently, along with the solution.   Once healing looked like it was starting to take place and some proud flesh was developing, she put Preparation-H and a few other things around the edge of the wound.

Baron did develop some proud flesh, but it never got out of control or too much.   With Sue's excellent and diligent care, Baron made remarkable progress.

He was able to go out after a week or so and we turned him out with Bunny and Mayo, and their group, and Mayo seemed to know that her son needed her, as she began to protect her yearling son.   Bunny, I believe, also helped in this care, to keep the other mares away from Baron.

After awhile, he was allowed back out with the other geldings and younger colts.

It took months, but finally the wound completely closed up, leaving Baron with a huge scar under his right knee.   It starts and ends around the splint bone area on either side of his leg, going around the front of his leg.   I think he was super lucky that the wound did not open over his tendon.   Because there is no scar near the tendon, he is totally sound. 

It may not look very pretty, but over time, it has had hair grow back, that is actually chestnut and not white, so at a distance it is not really noticeable, unless you look right at it and catch the angle right, you might see it a little bit.

Because of all he went through, as he approached his 2nd Birthday, he only measured 14.1 hands.  I was very worried about him being stunted because of everything, but after he was gelded in April 2001, he finally started to grow a little bit. 

Through the years I've heard a lot about that scar on his leg, how people didn't want him because of it, how it was unsightly, would stick out too much in the show ring, make people worry about his soundness, and so much more, but if they only knew what he had been through, that he is a walking miracle horse to go through so much in his first 2 years of life, he is something special.

Thank God I found him a good home with someone who truly appreciates him like I do, loves him to no end, and realizes what a special boy he truly is.   I am so thankful for his new owner and she is helping prove all those nay-sayers wrong, as she is using him as an Eventer.   He flies over the jumps, hates to touch them in the jumper round, has a blast at cross country, and is improving more and more at dressage, to the point that they have moved up a level, already.   He always brings home a ribbon!