Non horsey things have taken over life recently, hence the lack of recent posts. I've still been working with horses daily, but not much has changed from the last post.
Griffin ate grass right in front of me again this evening, but this time, I sat on the ground right outside the panels and held a hunk of grass in my fist extended between the panels right next to his grass pile. As he inched closer to the edge of the pile nearest me, at one point he sniffed my hand (from a couple inches away) then took a couple steps back, then advanced to eat again. Then a couple minutes later, after he sort of forgot I was there, he raised his head checked out my hand, but got too close and he bumped it with the side of his mouth. That scared him a little, so he stepped back, walked away, then took his time coming back to eat grass. I decided that was good enough, so I made things easier by getting up to pick more grass as a nice little reward.
Kachina is doing better. Her large lymph gland has slowed it's drainage and I don't see any other lumps under her jaw (which is pretty easy to examine, since she lost all her hair from the underside of her jaw). She still coughs and is generally sick, but her coughs aren't quite as phlegmy, so I think she is getting better! It'll still be a few weeks before she's not contagious anymore though, I think. I still ask her to sniff my hand every time I am in her pen getting hay for her, so we've got a system down where she knows that I will back off her if she stops and looks at me. She still gets a little worried at first and will turn a circle with her butt toward me, but then she'll turn around, back up and face me. And I can always get her to sniff my hand, then I leave. If I crouch down when I ask her, she gets very relaxed. I must be much more intimidating when I'm standing.
So far, the tame horses are showing no signs of strangles. Catlow is coughing some, but she was coughing before they ever came. She seems otherwise healthy and I've been feeling lymph glands daily with no lumps. Maybe we dodged it...but then, the incubation period is 3-21 days and it's only been 14 days so far (one source I found said incubation period is 3-14 days, so we might be in the clear). Unfortunately, after Kachina recovers, she can still shed bacteria for up to 6 weeks. Thankfully though, the bacteria seem to be pretty weak in the environment when exposed to drying and sunlight. So, if we've kept it at bay so far, unless it's just incubating in Cody, Chico and Catlow, I think we might yet escape any further problems! Griffin never did start draining. He has a cough and snotty nose, which could be a very mild form of strangles, so I'm careful about him too (treat him like he's contaminated).
Showing posts with label strangles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strangles. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Meet Kachina
Apparently it is pronounced "Katsina" and can also be spelled this way as well, but I think I like the "ch" spelling...now I get to correct everyone on the proper pronunciation of her name!
Kachina lets me come pretty close to her and she never acts threatened. Today she stood in the barn and I walked back and forth in front of it, actually hoping that she'd come out so I could go in and get her hay. She decided that she would rather stand and watch me and sniff my camera offered to her than leave the barn. Eventually she did. I didn't want to get trapped in a small space with her in case she got nervous and panicky.
She has sores in her flanks with bare skin. It's hard to see them close up, but I think that these are spots being attacked by gnats. I'm going to look into hanging some strips of cloth soaked in fly repellent from the doorway to see if that might help keep the gnats away. I'm afraid they'll continue to eat her raw if I don't do something. She must have very thin skin because none of the others seem to be having a problem with them (aside from a few gnat bites on their bellies).
The swollen gland nearest her throatlatch started draining today while the other glands have slowed their drainage I hope that means that she's going to heal up soon. I don't want to see any more lumps! To take this picture, I actually stood pretty close to her rump (definitely within kicking range if she felt so inclined, but I wasn't worried because she wasn't worried and I wasn't pushing her at all - just trying to get a picture, but of course I was very alert). She doesn't seem like a kicker though. Or a striker, but I guess we'll see when I start working with her. I think that her personality is actually quite passive and not defensive or offensive.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Calming down
Griffin is really starting to calm down. He is still nervous, but he doesn't retreat to the barn near as often when I come down to beside his panels. He'll stand from the far side and watch me. He's not snorting anymore unless I startle him (appear from inside the barn). I've been picking grass and leaving it in his pen. Generally he stands and waits for me to leave before he comes forward to eat it.
Today though, I decided it was time to see how brave he can be, so after I dumped a huge pile of grass in beside his panel, I didn't leave. I stayed and crouched down and continued to pick grass right alongside his pen. I turned my back to him and just kept peaking back. He slowly crept up and started eating grass right beside me!
So, I continued to dump piles in as I made my way around his grassy bank (I needed to shorten some of the grass as it was starting to choke out some flowers I had planted there). He kept following me to each new pile. This is my favorite picture of him.
The key though was that I couldn't stand and face him. If I did that, he would move back and stand in front of the barn. Although, he doesn't have a suspicious look on his face! He still looks rather relaxed.
I'm starting to lose my fear and sense of intimidation associated with this horse. I don't think he is mean or aggressive at all. I think he is very scared and very uncertain and doesn't really know what to do. His answer when he was crowded at the BLM corrals was to fight back in the chutes. That doesn't make him a mean horse. That makes him a horse that has a huge trust deficit and it will take a long time to bank enough time and positive interactions to build that trust.
I have high hopes for him. I really think he's going to come around.
Today we let the horses out to graze in their new pasture for 45 minutes. As I expected, they didn't get very far from the gate. There's just so much grass!
Cody only got this far from the gate because I thought I'd lead her around the fenceline again to make sure they knew where it was, but Chico and Catlow only followed her a little and when we went into the woods, they ran back to the gate to continue grazing the tender stuff. Cody was pretty miffed that they didn't follow her. She is the lead mare afterall.
I took Catlow for a ride after this. This time I actually used a saddle. We rode around the property first, then off. She was nervous in places, but overall, she did pretty good. She's getting more comfortable with this area. In this picture, Chico and Cody watch me saddle Catlow up and are snoozing on their full bellies of green grass. Don't they look contented? I'm sure Catlow wished I would leave her be too.
I am dying to actually get in the mare's pen and do some work with her (no, she still doesn't have a name yet - I'm just not happy with any of them). She is so curious. She watches me constantly when I am in the pasture messing with the other horses and walking around her pen. I have basically been entering her pen once a day when I get hay for her and Griffin. Everytime I go to leave, I'll approach and retreat with her until she looks at me and sniffs my hand. Today, she actually bumped my hand with her whiskers - that's the closest she's gotten yet! I really want to work with the bamboo pole with her because I think she'll settle down really quickly with it, but I'm still waiting because she is still draining pus from her jaw. She's definitely perkier and I'm really happy to see that. I think she felt pretty awful the first couple days here. I pick green grass for her too. Her and Griffin also get some pelleted feed and a dash of oats for a supplement and they have started to clean it all up. I have a vitamin supplement too, but if I put that in there (even if I only put in 1/4 as much as recommended) they won't touch their grain.
Then I finish up each day dumping bleach water down the panels where I climbed over and on the ground where I stand and wipe my feet in it, then I dunk my hands in it too. So far the tame horses are not showing any signs...no swollen lymph nodes or runny noses. Griffin is still coughing and he drains snot from his nose, but no swollen glands that I can see and no lymph drainage.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Gaining weight and a name
Things are settling down here now, with a diagnosis for the mare and the acceptance of what the immediate future will be like on our place (guess I don't get to go on any trail rides with others for a while...but that's okay, I have lots to do).
I think that the mare is looking perkier today for sure. She is still draining from her lymph nodes, but I haven't seen her laying down and sleeping for the last couple days, and she seems to be a little more active and willing to move. She is still sweet and curious about me though, although I am staying away from her for now until she is not draining any icky contagious bacteria.
My schedule consists of doing stuff for my other horses earlier in the day, then just before I go home at night I rinse out mustang water buckets and get their hay (which I have to enter their pens to do). When I first discovered that she was sick, I loaded a bunch of hay onto a tarp and removed it from the barn so that I could feed my horses without getting contaminated. I've adjusted and accepted it. It is what it is, and I am flexible. I'm glad she's feeling better already. And she really is gaining weight already! Check out the picture I took of her today!
And here are two pictures where I was trying to show her lymph drainage, but my zoom wasn't very good and I am working on my mom's computer so couldn't figure out how to zoom and crop the pictures. For a closer look, you'll just have to click on the picture to open it full size.
My dad and I spent the day setting up a larger pasture for my horses. They've pretty much grazed their couple acres flat and need more grass so that I can wean them off hay and let their current pasture rest. We had to remove an old barbwire fence that my grandpa put in years and years ago when this was his place to scavenge enough T-posts to put up our new fence. We got all the posts set in and the insulators attached, and tomorrow we'll string wire and I'll walk the fenceline with the horses and them let them graze for a bit before putting them back in their overgrazed pasture (I want to take this move onto grass very slowly). Their new pasture is the top of a hill that encompasses the upper portion of a hay field and a pine stand where they can shelter from flies.
And I think we have a name for the boy.
We shall call him Griffin.
A Griffin is a mythical creature that is half lion and half eagle. It is thought to be a very powerful and courageous beast because it is the combination of the king of land beasts (the lion) and the king of birds (eagle). I think it is fitting for him. Plus the sound of the name just works. And it also happens to be my grandma's maiden name. My sister suggested it, and it sort of hooked me in right away. I haven't thought of anything better yet.
We are still searching for a name for the beautiful, sweet, dainty, feminine mare. I have come up with a few, but I'm not sold on any of them. I've found nothing that suits her from places in Utah or the habitat she grew up in. I've thought about spanish names, since her lineage is supposed to trace back to the conquistador's horses. Here are some names I've come up with: Sabrosa (means dainty), Solana (means place warmed by the sun), Querida (means sweetheart or darling), Gatita (kitten), and Chick-pea. I like Chick-pea simply because it is cute and suits her right now, but it's not very dignified. I don't really like how the other words sound. This is hard. Anyone else?
I think that the mare is looking perkier today for sure. She is still draining from her lymph nodes, but I haven't seen her laying down and sleeping for the last couple days, and she seems to be a little more active and willing to move. She is still sweet and curious about me though, although I am staying away from her for now until she is not draining any icky contagious bacteria.
My schedule consists of doing stuff for my other horses earlier in the day, then just before I go home at night I rinse out mustang water buckets and get their hay (which I have to enter their pens to do). When I first discovered that she was sick, I loaded a bunch of hay onto a tarp and removed it from the barn so that I could feed my horses without getting contaminated. I've adjusted and accepted it. It is what it is, and I am flexible. I'm glad she's feeling better already. And she really is gaining weight already! Check out the picture I took of her today!
And here are two pictures where I was trying to show her lymph drainage, but my zoom wasn't very good and I am working on my mom's computer so couldn't figure out how to zoom and crop the pictures. For a closer look, you'll just have to click on the picture to open it full size.
My dad and I spent the day setting up a larger pasture for my horses. They've pretty much grazed their couple acres flat and need more grass so that I can wean them off hay and let their current pasture rest. We had to remove an old barbwire fence that my grandpa put in years and years ago when this was his place to scavenge enough T-posts to put up our new fence. We got all the posts set in and the insulators attached, and tomorrow we'll string wire and I'll walk the fenceline with the horses and them let them graze for a bit before putting them back in their overgrazed pasture (I want to take this move onto grass very slowly). Their new pasture is the top of a hill that encompasses the upper portion of a hay field and a pine stand where they can shelter from flies.
And I think we have a name for the boy.
We shall call him Griffin.
A Griffin is a mythical creature that is half lion and half eagle. It is thought to be a very powerful and courageous beast because it is the combination of the king of land beasts (the lion) and the king of birds (eagle). I think it is fitting for him. Plus the sound of the name just works. And it also happens to be my grandma's maiden name. My sister suggested it, and it sort of hooked me in right away. I haven't thought of anything better yet.
We are still searching for a name for the beautiful, sweet, dainty, feminine mare. I have come up with a few, but I'm not sold on any of them. I've found nothing that suits her from places in Utah or the habitat she grew up in. I've thought about spanish names, since her lineage is supposed to trace back to the conquistador's horses. Here are some names I've come up with: Sabrosa (means dainty), Solana (means place warmed by the sun), Querida (means sweetheart or darling), Gatita (kitten), and Chick-pea. I like Chick-pea simply because it is cute and suits her right now, but it's not very dignified. I don't really like how the other words sound. This is hard. Anyone else?
vet calls
Well, I talked to the vet and she said that it sounded like a classic case of strangles that the mare has. She also said that it is very contagious and my horses will likely come down with it. She said watch them and as soon as they start showing signs of it, we can start them on a 2 week course of oral antibiotic. Thankfully she said that it would only cost around $50 to treat all three of my horses (not including the new ones who will need to just let it run its course). I was very happy to hear that. She of course lectured me on how I need to alway quarantine any new horse coming to my place. I know, I've learned a lesson.
But then the vet had to go into how unpredictable these adult mustangs are and how you can never really get them to trust you like a domestic horse. She recommends to people to get a horse less than a year old. She said she knows a guy who's trained a few of them and one he has had for 12 years - but if you lose your balance in the saddle at all, this horse will dump you and head for home. Why do people have to say those things? I know they think they are helping, but really, domestic horses can act like that too! It all depends on the horse and how you work with it! At this point, I'm only thinking about getting the boy to let me touch him...I'm not even getting to the point of riding yet...I feel like the gentling will be the hardest part. Once he trusts me and I am actually able to touch him, it can only get better from there on out, right? I'm not so foolish as to think that it will be easy, but I think it is do-able! Tracey, you have a lot of adult mustangs...what do you think about the vet's statement?
But then the vet had to go into how unpredictable these adult mustangs are and how you can never really get them to trust you like a domestic horse. She recommends to people to get a horse less than a year old. She said she knows a guy who's trained a few of them and one he has had for 12 years - but if you lose your balance in the saddle at all, this horse will dump you and head for home. Why do people have to say those things? I know they think they are helping, but really, domestic horses can act like that too! It all depends on the horse and how you work with it! At this point, I'm only thinking about getting the boy to let me touch him...I'm not even getting to the point of riding yet...I feel like the gentling will be the hardest part. Once he trusts me and I am actually able to touch him, it can only get better from there on out, right? I'm not so foolish as to think that it will be easy, but I think it is do-able! Tracey, you have a lot of adult mustangs...what do you think about the vet's statement?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sick baby
This is pus on the edge of her grain bucket.
Our little girl is VERY sick. I'm pretty sure she has strangles. Today, I was standing in her pen trying to convince her to approach me and sniff me, so I was squatting down on the ground. She was standing very close, so close that I could feel her breath on my outstretched hand, but she wouldn't come any closer. As I was sitting there watching her I notice that she had a thin watery (slightly brownish tinted) nasal discharge. THEN I noticed that she had something hanging from underneath her jaw, right in the middle between the two halves...a closer inspection revealed that it was actually puss caught on loose hair. And sure enough, she also had a swollen lump a little further back, almost in her throatlatch. She's coughing more often now, still phlegmy, and I notice that every once in a while she'll stop chewing her hay and stretch her neck out, letting the hay come out of her mouth while she makes a bit of a choking sound, then she'll resume eating. I also noticed that the left side of her cheek is very swollen...I don't think that is from stangles though...that seems more like an abcessed cheek or tooth or something.
And now I'm worried about the other horses that were meeting her through the fence! We put electric wire up so that they can't reach her to touch noses anymore, but it's probably too late now. And no, I didn't vaccinate mine against strangles, but in hindsight, it probably would have been a good idea. I really didn't imagine the mustangs coming in with diseases. They are actually vaccinated for strangles, but that vaccine is notoriously ineffective (part of the reason why I didn't see a need to vaccinate mine). I'm pretty sure that she wasn't draining pus yesterday, so hopefully the exposure that they had was not extreme. Plus, my horses are over 5 years old, very healthy, and pretty much in the prime of their lives. I am hoping that they don't get sick! Ugh! How awful!
I also read that antibiotics (penicillin) are very effective early one, but once they start draining from abcesses, antibiotics can prolong the infection. Not that I can give her injections now anyway...that'd be a way to destroy any little bit of confidence that she has in me!
I will be calling the vet on Tuesday to see what I need to do...if necessary, I wonder if I should start mine on a short course of antibiotics to prevent them from catching it. It's too late to vaccinate because it can take up to 2 weeks post vaccination to build full immunity.
In better news, the 2 year old boy did not try to run through the fence when I gave him hay this morning. He was still snorting and standing back watching me distrustfully as I talked to him and told him I understood, but really it was not necessary for him to snort at me. He really does think the barn is very safe. He thinks the danger lurks outside. I came through the side door and walked toward his area in the barn, and he didn't even notice me until I was right up beside his panel. Then of course, he snorted and lept outside. I think he just needs a lot of time. He is super scared.
She is not as scared, and before I noticed her pussy drainage, I had been walking her around the pen (yes, she walks, not panics), and trying to get her to just stop and look at me with both eyes. She was getting pretty good about it on her left side, but not so good on her right. It took more patience and I had to stand farther back and wait for her to look at me...if I approached or stood any closer, she'd just turn away from me and walk away. On her left side though, she'll actually turn into me and face me then change direction and walk off. I'm sure that the walking has something to do with being very sick. I'm going to not even go in her pen anymore. She needs the rest, and I don't want to contaminate myself and end up being the vector that transmits the bacteria to my horses, if they don't have it already. No wonder she was sleeping so much. Poor girl.
Our little girl is VERY sick. I'm pretty sure she has strangles. Today, I was standing in her pen trying to convince her to approach me and sniff me, so I was squatting down on the ground. She was standing very close, so close that I could feel her breath on my outstretched hand, but she wouldn't come any closer. As I was sitting there watching her I notice that she had a thin watery (slightly brownish tinted) nasal discharge. THEN I noticed that she had something hanging from underneath her jaw, right in the middle between the two halves...a closer inspection revealed that it was actually puss caught on loose hair. And sure enough, she also had a swollen lump a little further back, almost in her throatlatch. She's coughing more often now, still phlegmy, and I notice that every once in a while she'll stop chewing her hay and stretch her neck out, letting the hay come out of her mouth while she makes a bit of a choking sound, then she'll resume eating. I also noticed that the left side of her cheek is very swollen...I don't think that is from stangles though...that seems more like an abcessed cheek or tooth or something.
And now I'm worried about the other horses that were meeting her through the fence! We put electric wire up so that they can't reach her to touch noses anymore, but it's probably too late now. And no, I didn't vaccinate mine against strangles, but in hindsight, it probably would have been a good idea. I really didn't imagine the mustangs coming in with diseases. They are actually vaccinated for strangles, but that vaccine is notoriously ineffective (part of the reason why I didn't see a need to vaccinate mine). I'm pretty sure that she wasn't draining pus yesterday, so hopefully the exposure that they had was not extreme. Plus, my horses are over 5 years old, very healthy, and pretty much in the prime of their lives. I am hoping that they don't get sick! Ugh! How awful!
I also read that antibiotics (penicillin) are very effective early one, but once they start draining from abcesses, antibiotics can prolong the infection. Not that I can give her injections now anyway...that'd be a way to destroy any little bit of confidence that she has in me!
I will be calling the vet on Tuesday to see what I need to do...if necessary, I wonder if I should start mine on a short course of antibiotics to prevent them from catching it. It's too late to vaccinate because it can take up to 2 weeks post vaccination to build full immunity.
In better news, the 2 year old boy did not try to run through the fence when I gave him hay this morning. He was still snorting and standing back watching me distrustfully as I talked to him and told him I understood, but really it was not necessary for him to snort at me. He really does think the barn is very safe. He thinks the danger lurks outside. I came through the side door and walked toward his area in the barn, and he didn't even notice me until I was right up beside his panel. Then of course, he snorted and lept outside. I think he just needs a lot of time. He is super scared.
She is not as scared, and before I noticed her pussy drainage, I had been walking her around the pen (yes, she walks, not panics), and trying to get her to just stop and look at me with both eyes. She was getting pretty good about it on her left side, but not so good on her right. It took more patience and I had to stand farther back and wait for her to look at me...if I approached or stood any closer, she'd just turn away from me and walk away. On her left side though, she'll actually turn into me and face me then change direction and walk off. I'm sure that the walking has something to do with being very sick. I'm going to not even go in her pen anymore. She needs the rest, and I don't want to contaminate myself and end up being the vector that transmits the bacteria to my horses, if they don't have it already. No wonder she was sleeping so much. Poor girl.
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