Thursday, February 26, 2009
We turned Takoda out today to begin a new routine with all the horses. He will get turned out with them (the other 3 have had 24/7 turnout except when Takoda is out) after breakfast, and will be put back in his stall for dinner where he will stay overnight. I expected more fireworks as they got reacquainted up close and personal, but it was actually quite quiet. Then something strange happened...
I believe Beauty started her heat cycle last week when she and Takoda accidentally ended up together. For those who are not aware, females (mares) are not "fixed" as that is a procedure that requires general anesthesia which can be very dangerous in horses and is used only when absolutely necessary for surgeries. Instead, the males are gelded so they cannot reproduce. At any rate, I think upon meeting the new (handsome!) kid on the block, it triggered a heat cycle in Beauty, who pranced around tail in the air, acting like she wanted Takoda to breed with her. Well, today she turned it up a few notches and was positively trying to entice Takoda, I guess not realizing he's a gelding, not a stallion! Takoda initially ignored her, not quite knowing how to respond. But eventually he reacted the way any teenage boy would who is being taunted by a cute girl. She kept turning her rump to him and squealing, big time breeding flirtations. Finally he took the hint and actually tried to mount Beauty! Well, I guess to show him he had to try harder (or something?) she wouldn't let him all the way up and kicked out at him. In the end, her hind hoof knicked him just above the knee and caused a pretty significant gash.
MJ came over to help me treat Takoda's leg and Beauty's wounds from yesterday, where we originally thought she had cut her neck on a rough board in the barn. After shaving the area, it turns out we're pretty sure Takoda must have bitten her several times in the neck - probably a result of ongoing flirtations. At any rate, after we fixed up Beauty's neck we took Takoda out and she examined his wound. I knew it had to hurt and I was terrified holding him, but MJ (who works with race horses on the track every day) has so much confidence, that Takoda seemed to really trust her. She even managed to use the clippers, despite his initial fear of them! She clipped around the wound and cleaned it out and we put antibiotic ointment on it and Takoda was SO GOOD! I want so badly to develop that kind of confidence around him! I'd have no trouble doing any of those things with Tonka or Laramie, but Takoda still intimidates me!
I have tried to work with him regularly this week, but he had Tuesday off because Laramie had surgery (she had chemotherapy beads implanted in an attempt to keep her cancer from recurring). He has been so stinking ornery and full of himself on both Wednesday and today that I thought giving him one day off must have been a really bad idea. I've had to resort back to the very beginning getting him to just walk/halt. Even at the walk and halt he is challenging me every step of the way. Finally tonight I put the pieces together and figured out - I bet he is acting up because Beauty's in season! Teenagers!!!! (Takoda is only 6 years old but in horse years that's like a raging teenager lol.) He's also learned how to nip, and I'm wondering if this is a learned behavior from the other horses (namely Beauty) or if it's a reaction to her being in season and he's having a hormonal response. Maybe it's a combination?
So tomorrow I will walk/halt him some more. My goal is to bore him to death with it and try to regain some respect before working on longeing again. I will continue to do it all week if I have to, and the next even. But I feel like we lost some ground in the work we were doing and it's frustrating. Hopefully Cherie can whip him back into shape this weekend :).
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Lesson Day!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
I'm a little late posting but here ya go!
Takoda and I had another lesson with Cherie on Saturday. We both felt more comfortable and confidant. We've mastered the walk/halt, and often I won't use a shank anymore, but just a lead on his halter! I know I need to keep doing the walk/halt so that he has a means of being successful even on his ornery days!
I groomed him under Cherie's watchful eye and careful guidance. I knew his skin is ultra sensitive, but she pointed out a few areas of his body I need to be particularly gentle with - most especially his flank area. Thoroughbreds have very thin, very sensitive skin, and even a rubber curry comb is too rough! I will be purchasing a new set of gentle brushes for him, and a narrower hoof pick (they also have smaller hooves!). Cherie was careful to correct him every time he thought about kicking out while being groomed. This was new for Takoda. In my reading of OTTB retraining, I've discovered that racehorse grooms never discipline a race horse for bad behavior, including biting and kicking - but that it's the groom's responsibility to stay out of harm's way. So Takoda was raised believing it is perfectly acceptable for him to kick or nip if he doesn't like what I'm doing - something he definitely needs to UNlearn! I used a very soft brush on him all over, and it mostly just brought more dirt to the surface because he is so filthy lol. But, Cherie reminded me that even if he looks dirtier, it's good for their skin and hair to be groomed, because it stimulates their skin and oils to come to the surface. We used Show-Sheen on his tail and he actually looked really nice (albeit terribly bony).
The funniest thing happened while grooming him, however. We were standing in the aisle way, facing my neighbor's open field where deer like to romp and play. Takoda has seen deer before in that field, as they are there daily. He's also seen them during our ground exercises, and while he's always a little concerned about them, he's never freaked out totally. Well, Saturday the deer were grazing quietly on the far side of the field, but Takoda spotted them. He grew wided eyed, staring, and suddenly he began to tremble like a scared poodle! If you've never seen a 1000 lb. animal shake from fear, it is truly a sight to behold. Cherie felt sorry for him but I found it very funny, especially since he's seen them before and they have never attacked him! He stood there shaking for a solid 10 minutes or so, and was still very nervous about them during our lesson. When I asked Cherie why he is suddenly scared of them, she said, "Because it's today!" I had to laugh. Thoroughbreds are a bit fickle that way!
The lesson went quite well, and Takoda lunged to the left (counterclockwise) very nicely, so Cherie raised the bar a bit and we worked on trying to get him to "whoa" on the longe. Each time he did stop, he turned in toward us. It's going to be interesting trying to longe him myself this week. I may have gained confidence in working with him, but I currently have zero confidence in my ability to longe him - BUT I like a challenge! :)
Longeing to the right (clockwise) was a whole other matter! Poor Takoda has likely NEVER had anyone work him, lead him, or do anything to him on his off (right) side. Cherie said to think about it from his perspective - we're asking him to longe (which he has never done before) to the right (which he has never done before) on the side no one has ever worked with him on before. So for him, he thinks we humans are broken, and he tried over and over to correct us. I'm glad she is not having me try to longe him to the right this week lol. He definitely looked at us like we had lost our minds!
Remembering feeding time still my stomach churn a bit. Everyone was eating peacefully, and I have been careful to stay out of Takoda's stall while he is eating as Kim was adamant that if they don't want you near them when they're eating, don't go near them! Jeff was feeling a bit impatient, though, and wanted to at least start cleaning his stall. JK had cleaned Takoda's stall with him in it (but not at meal time!), and Takoda let him in with no problem. Takoda pinned his ears once at Jeff, but went back to eating. All was fine until Jeff asked Takoda to move over. When he did, he thankfully was at Takoda's shoulder, because Takoda spun his head around, ears pinned, and kicked out HARD right at knee-cap level... so hard I heard the wind from his kick! Luckily he missed, but ironically Jeff was oblivious to the fact that Takoda had tried to kick him! I wish he had seen it and had punished him for it. I have not ventured in while he's eating out of respect to him, nor will I. I doubt Jeff will again either!
If you look closely at the video below you will see Takoda trying to figure out his place in the herd but not really speaking the other horses' language. He doesn't react with ear pinning, tail swishing or rump turning like they all do. He remains, for the most part, curious with ears pricked forward.
I'm a little late posting but here ya go!
Takoda and I had another lesson with Cherie on Saturday. We both felt more comfortable and confidant. We've mastered the walk/halt, and often I won't use a shank anymore, but just a lead on his halter! I know I need to keep doing the walk/halt so that he has a means of being successful even on his ornery days!
I groomed him under Cherie's watchful eye and careful guidance. I knew his skin is ultra sensitive, but she pointed out a few areas of his body I need to be particularly gentle with - most especially his flank area. Thoroughbreds have very thin, very sensitive skin, and even a rubber curry comb is too rough! I will be purchasing a new set of gentle brushes for him, and a narrower hoof pick (they also have smaller hooves!). Cherie was careful to correct him every time he thought about kicking out while being groomed. This was new for Takoda. In my reading of OTTB retraining, I've discovered that racehorse grooms never discipline a race horse for bad behavior, including biting and kicking - but that it's the groom's responsibility to stay out of harm's way. So Takoda was raised believing it is perfectly acceptable for him to kick or nip if he doesn't like what I'm doing - something he definitely needs to UNlearn! I used a very soft brush on him all over, and it mostly just brought more dirt to the surface because he is so filthy lol. But, Cherie reminded me that even if he looks dirtier, it's good for their skin and hair to be groomed, because it stimulates their skin and oils to come to the surface. We used Show-Sheen on his tail and he actually looked really nice (albeit terribly bony).
The funniest thing happened while grooming him, however. We were standing in the aisle way, facing my neighbor's open field where deer like to romp and play. Takoda has seen deer before in that field, as they are there daily. He's also seen them during our ground exercises, and while he's always a little concerned about them, he's never freaked out totally. Well, Saturday the deer were grazing quietly on the far side of the field, but Takoda spotted them. He grew wided eyed, staring, and suddenly he began to tremble like a scared poodle! If you've never seen a 1000 lb. animal shake from fear, it is truly a sight to behold. Cherie felt sorry for him but I found it very funny, especially since he's seen them before and they have never attacked him! He stood there shaking for a solid 10 minutes or so, and was still very nervous about them during our lesson. When I asked Cherie why he is suddenly scared of them, she said, "Because it's today!" I had to laugh. Thoroughbreds are a bit fickle that way!
The lesson went quite well, and Takoda lunged to the left (counterclockwise) very nicely, so Cherie raised the bar a bit and we worked on trying to get him to "whoa" on the longe. Each time he did stop, he turned in toward us. It's going to be interesting trying to longe him myself this week. I may have gained confidence in working with him, but I currently have zero confidence in my ability to longe him - BUT I like a challenge! :)
Longeing to the right (clockwise) was a whole other matter! Poor Takoda has likely NEVER had anyone work him, lead him, or do anything to him on his off (right) side. Cherie said to think about it from his perspective - we're asking him to longe (which he has never done before) to the right (which he has never done before) on the side no one has ever worked with him on before. So for him, he thinks we humans are broken, and he tried over and over to correct us. I'm glad she is not having me try to longe him to the right this week lol. He definitely looked at us like we had lost our minds!
Remembering feeding time still my stomach churn a bit. Everyone was eating peacefully, and I have been careful to stay out of Takoda's stall while he is eating as Kim was adamant that if they don't want you near them when they're eating, don't go near them! Jeff was feeling a bit impatient, though, and wanted to at least start cleaning his stall. JK had cleaned Takoda's stall with him in it (but not at meal time!), and Takoda let him in with no problem. Takoda pinned his ears once at Jeff, but went back to eating. All was fine until Jeff asked Takoda to move over. When he did, he thankfully was at Takoda's shoulder, because Takoda spun his head around, ears pinned, and kicked out HARD right at knee-cap level... so hard I heard the wind from his kick! Luckily he missed, but ironically Jeff was oblivious to the fact that Takoda had tried to kick him! I wish he had seen it and had punished him for it. I have not ventured in while he's eating out of respect to him, nor will I. I doubt Jeff will again either!
If you look closely at the video below you will see Takoda trying to figure out his place in the herd but not really speaking the other horses' language. He doesn't react with ear pinning, tail swishing or rump turning like they all do. He remains, for the most part, curious with ears pricked forward.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Lessons on Becoming a Horse
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I am sitting at my dining room table overlooking our little pasture. What has transpired in the past hour is worthy of a post all its own, and while not originally intended to happen today or quite this way, I am amazed at the animals' ability to let their instincts govern their behavior.
Earlier today I had turned Takoda out with Laramie as we have been doing. Laramie may not want Takoda in her space, but he respects her, and she cares about him as evidenced by her behavior (standing watchfully nearby) when he was laid out on the ground in pain from colic. Thus far I have kept Beauty (14 year old OTTB grey mare) and Tonka (13 year old quarter horse [QH] gelding) in the barn during Takoda's turnouts, simply because Tonka is VERY dominant and Beauty clings to him seemingly for her very survival. Today was no different except that either Beauty or Takoda managed to knock down the rails at one end of the barn, and I came out to find Beauty and Takoda in a far corner grooming each other affectionately! Poor Tonka was whinnying pitifully in the barn all alone, so I decided it was time to introduce him to the pack as well.
I expected fireworks, but what I did not expect was for Beauty to prance around like a diva with her tail in the air, trying to rile up the two boys! Well, rile she did! Tonka, who had "owned" Beauty since her arrival, was not keen on the fact that she seemed smitten with the new boy! He immediately went for Takoda, bucking and kicking, and it was then that I realized Takoda still does not know how to behave like a horse. He is still quite clueless as to the "Ask, Tell, Demand" order in which horses warn other horses to move. He stood there, ears pricked forward, curious, expectant, wanting to meet this new friend face to face, when he was suddenly slammed in the chest with Tonka's hoof! Takoda took off around the barn and slid (and I mean wiped out!) in the mud, but was quick to get up before Tonka had a chance to pummel him again. Takoda ran to Laramie for help, but she moved him off just wanting to be left alone. In fact, poor Laramie came to us at the fence as if to say, "Do I really HAVE to babysit these idiots?"
When Tonka realized he was not about to get Beauty back, he turned to harassing Laramie, which was sad to watch. He kept moving her from one hay pile to the next until he had satisfactorily shown all of them that he was still boss of her. Whether or not he really is remains to be seen, but to pacify him, Laramie obediently moved when he asked.
As I sit here watching the two grey mares and the bay and chestnut geldings, less than an hour after the excitement began, they are all grazing on hay peacefully within a horse length or so away from each other. No one is excluded; no one is fighting. It appears they all have worked out their differences and each knows where he or she stands in the herd.
Instincts are amazing mechanisms for survival!
I am sitting at my dining room table overlooking our little pasture. What has transpired in the past hour is worthy of a post all its own, and while not originally intended to happen today or quite this way, I am amazed at the animals' ability to let their instincts govern their behavior.
Earlier today I had turned Takoda out with Laramie as we have been doing. Laramie may not want Takoda in her space, but he respects her, and she cares about him as evidenced by her behavior (standing watchfully nearby) when he was laid out on the ground in pain from colic. Thus far I have kept Beauty (14 year old OTTB grey mare) and Tonka (13 year old quarter horse [QH] gelding) in the barn during Takoda's turnouts, simply because Tonka is VERY dominant and Beauty clings to him seemingly for her very survival. Today was no different except that either Beauty or Takoda managed to knock down the rails at one end of the barn, and I came out to find Beauty and Takoda in a far corner grooming each other affectionately! Poor Tonka was whinnying pitifully in the barn all alone, so I decided it was time to introduce him to the pack as well.
I expected fireworks, but what I did not expect was for Beauty to prance around like a diva with her tail in the air, trying to rile up the two boys! Well, rile she did! Tonka, who had "owned" Beauty since her arrival, was not keen on the fact that she seemed smitten with the new boy! He immediately went for Takoda, bucking and kicking, and it was then that I realized Takoda still does not know how to behave like a horse. He is still quite clueless as to the "Ask, Tell, Demand" order in which horses warn other horses to move. He stood there, ears pricked forward, curious, expectant, wanting to meet this new friend face to face, when he was suddenly slammed in the chest with Tonka's hoof! Takoda took off around the barn and slid (and I mean wiped out!) in the mud, but was quick to get up before Tonka had a chance to pummel him again. Takoda ran to Laramie for help, but she moved him off just wanting to be left alone. In fact, poor Laramie came to us at the fence as if to say, "Do I really HAVE to babysit these idiots?"
When Tonka realized he was not about to get Beauty back, he turned to harassing Laramie, which was sad to watch. He kept moving her from one hay pile to the next until he had satisfactorily shown all of them that he was still boss of her. Whether or not he really is remains to be seen, but to pacify him, Laramie obediently moved when he asked.
As I sit here watching the two grey mares and the bay and chestnut geldings, less than an hour after the excitement began, they are all grazing on hay peacefully within a horse length or so away from each other. No one is excluded; no one is fighting. It appears they all have worked out their differences and each knows where he or she stands in the herd.
Instincts are amazing mechanisms for survival!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Happy Day :)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I checked on Takoda every 2 or so hours throughout the night. Once his sedative had worn off he was extremely annoyed at not being given his dinner, which I took as a great sign! I told him over and over again that I was not starving him like his last owner, but that I was just trying to help him. I'm not sure he believed me! By breakfast this morning he was terribly hungry. Jeff fed him only half, which he scarfed down. I just went out to check on them all, and Takoda really seemed to ask where the other half of his breakfast was! He had eaten every last edible morsel out of his stall, so I gave him another flake of hay. He had passed more manure this morning. He has not drunk much water, but I suspect that's because of all the water the vet gave him by tube last night.
I forgot to post his official height and weight last night. Using the height/weight tape, Takoda officially stands 16.3 1/4 hh, (at his withers) and he weighs 975 lbs. The vet would like to see him gain about 200 lbs. It will be wonderful to watch his progress through the spring!
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I checked on Takoda every 2 or so hours throughout the night. Once his sedative had worn off he was extremely annoyed at not being given his dinner, which I took as a great sign! I told him over and over again that I was not starving him like his last owner, but that I was just trying to help him. I'm not sure he believed me! By breakfast this morning he was terribly hungry. Jeff fed him only half, which he scarfed down. I just went out to check on them all, and Takoda really seemed to ask where the other half of his breakfast was! He had eaten every last edible morsel out of his stall, so I gave him another flake of hay. He had passed more manure this morning. He has not drunk much water, but I suspect that's because of all the water the vet gave him by tube last night.
I forgot to post his official height and weight last night. Using the height/weight tape, Takoda officially stands 16.3 1/4 hh, (at his withers) and he weighs 975 lbs. The vet would like to see him gain about 200 lbs. It will be wonderful to watch his progress through the spring!
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Monday, February 16, 2009
Colic!!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
After Takoda's lesson was finished, I turned him out for a couple of hours. I went to get him well before dark. When I approached the gate he was lying just on the other side of it, head down. I waited until he saw me, not wanting to disturb his nap. He saw me and then laid his head back down and closed his eyes. My gut screamed that something was wrong, but not wanting to be an alarmist, I waited a bit longer, and began to approach him slowly. When I got right up on him and he didn't get up, I knew something was very wrong. Knowing how reactive he can be when turned out, I decided instead of trying to get him up myself, I would try just bringing Laramie over near him, because he generally moves away from her, as she is a bit more assertive than he is. He heard her coming, peeked at her with one eye, then his head flopped down on the ground again and he closed his eyes. When she was within a few feet of him and he didn't budge or even look concerned, I began to panic!
I attached the lead to his halter, at which time he raised his head but still he did not get up. I asked him to stand, gave a gentle tug, and he finally, with great effort, rose to his feet. He did not shake himself off like he usually does after a roll. I walked him very slowly toward the barn, watching each of his feet. They all looked fine. I took him to his stall where he immediately laid down flat again, eyes closed. Now I knew something was terribly wrong. It was almost dinner time, and he didn't even glance at his feed bin! As I was dialing the vet on my phone, I noticed a chunk of his hair on the cross rail in the middle of the barn. Had Beauty kicked him in the head? I went back to his stall to check, and his face and head looked perfect, except his eyes kept closing. I watched his breathing, and it did not appear to be labored, which I took as a good sign, but at the same time it was disconcerting as laying flat for too long can make it hard for them to breathe well.
The vet told me to give him a 1000 lb. dose of banamine and walk him for at least 10 minutes and see how he does. She would be there in 45 minutes. I went back to his stall again, this time he didn't even flinch or open his eyes. I wondered if I could get him up this time? Well, I had to, this was not optional. Mentally I flashed back to November when Willie was in the very same stall colicking. I simply had to walk Takoda, and I wasn't even afraid this time. I managed to coax him to stand, and he very calmly let me lead him out of the barn. I had Jeff hold Laramie (who seemed to know something was wrong and wanted to keep tabs on him) while I walked Takoda in small circles at first, and then increasing the diameter with each go-around. He seemed to want to be able to see Laramie, so I made sure to walk past both ends of the barn so he could see her each time he turned. He never spooked at anything, despite the rush hour traffic on the highway, and we only "whoa-ed" when he was looking for his friend. I couldn't have asked for more out of him. On leading him back to the barn, I made him stop before the barn, in the barn and before his stall, just for practice, and because I wanted to delay him laying down again.
Once in his stall, he pawed the ground as he does before he lays down, but I guess the banamine had begun to work because he didn't look like he wanted to expend the effort to lay down again. He stood with a drooping head in the back of his stall, eyes closed. The interminable wait for the vet always makes me a little crazy inside when there is a real emergency like this.
She finally arrived and it was dark out. Thankfully Jeff had installed another set of lights in the barn and we had plenty of light in the aisle way to work. A thorough examination (after sedation) revealed a heart murmur which would have to be monitored over the coming months and possibly the beginning stages of an impaction, though she couldn't be sure. His temperature was 98 (normal) and his heart rate was normal, as was his breathing - all very good things. She tubed him (put a tube down his nose into his stomach) to give him water and electrolytes and the minute the tube hit his stomach we both knew what made him colic - onion grass! Onion grass, even in small quantities can be terribly irritating to some horses. His stomach gasses reeked of onion, so she suspects he had more than enough to cause him some pretty significant gas pain.
I removed all the hay and food from his stall and put him back in. He needed to let the sedative wear off. I will be checking on him every 2 hours tonight, and if his pain subsides once the banamine has worn off (8-10 hours after the last dose), then he is out of the woods and can have half his normal breakfast.
I will definitely post an update when there is something to report.
After Takoda's lesson was finished, I turned him out for a couple of hours. I went to get him well before dark. When I approached the gate he was lying just on the other side of it, head down. I waited until he saw me, not wanting to disturb his nap. He saw me and then laid his head back down and closed his eyes. My gut screamed that something was wrong, but not wanting to be an alarmist, I waited a bit longer, and began to approach him slowly. When I got right up on him and he didn't get up, I knew something was very wrong. Knowing how reactive he can be when turned out, I decided instead of trying to get him up myself, I would try just bringing Laramie over near him, because he generally moves away from her, as she is a bit more assertive than he is. He heard her coming, peeked at her with one eye, then his head flopped down on the ground again and he closed his eyes. When she was within a few feet of him and he didn't budge or even look concerned, I began to panic!
I attached the lead to his halter, at which time he raised his head but still he did not get up. I asked him to stand, gave a gentle tug, and he finally, with great effort, rose to his feet. He did not shake himself off like he usually does after a roll. I walked him very slowly toward the barn, watching each of his feet. They all looked fine. I took him to his stall where he immediately laid down flat again, eyes closed. Now I knew something was terribly wrong. It was almost dinner time, and he didn't even glance at his feed bin! As I was dialing the vet on my phone, I noticed a chunk of his hair on the cross rail in the middle of the barn. Had Beauty kicked him in the head? I went back to his stall to check, and his face and head looked perfect, except his eyes kept closing. I watched his breathing, and it did not appear to be labored, which I took as a good sign, but at the same time it was disconcerting as laying flat for too long can make it hard for them to breathe well.
The vet told me to give him a 1000 lb. dose of banamine and walk him for at least 10 minutes and see how he does. She would be there in 45 minutes. I went back to his stall again, this time he didn't even flinch or open his eyes. I wondered if I could get him up this time? Well, I had to, this was not optional. Mentally I flashed back to November when Willie was in the very same stall colicking. I simply had to walk Takoda, and I wasn't even afraid this time. I managed to coax him to stand, and he very calmly let me lead him out of the barn. I had Jeff hold Laramie (who seemed to know something was wrong and wanted to keep tabs on him) while I walked Takoda in small circles at first, and then increasing the diameter with each go-around. He seemed to want to be able to see Laramie, so I made sure to walk past both ends of the barn so he could see her each time he turned. He never spooked at anything, despite the rush hour traffic on the highway, and we only "whoa-ed" when he was looking for his friend. I couldn't have asked for more out of him. On leading him back to the barn, I made him stop before the barn, in the barn and before his stall, just for practice, and because I wanted to delay him laying down again.
Once in his stall, he pawed the ground as he does before he lays down, but I guess the banamine had begun to work because he didn't look like he wanted to expend the effort to lay down again. He stood with a drooping head in the back of his stall, eyes closed. The interminable wait for the vet always makes me a little crazy inside when there is a real emergency like this.
She finally arrived and it was dark out. Thankfully Jeff had installed another set of lights in the barn and we had plenty of light in the aisle way to work. A thorough examination (after sedation) revealed a heart murmur which would have to be monitored over the coming months and possibly the beginning stages of an impaction, though she couldn't be sure. His temperature was 98 (normal) and his heart rate was normal, as was his breathing - all very good things. She tubed him (put a tube down his nose into his stomach) to give him water and electrolytes and the minute the tube hit his stomach we both knew what made him colic - onion grass! Onion grass, even in small quantities can be terribly irritating to some horses. His stomach gasses reeked of onion, so she suspects he had more than enough to cause him some pretty significant gas pain.
I removed all the hay and food from his stall and put him back in. He needed to let the sedative wear off. I will be checking on him every 2 hours tonight, and if his pain subsides once the banamine has worn off (8-10 hours after the last dose), then he is out of the woods and can have half his normal breakfast.
I will definitely post an update when there is something to report.
Second Lesson
Monday, February 16, 2009
Takoda and I had another lesson with Cherie today and in two days he is already making noticeable progress. He walked nicely, only spooked once, did not get away, and is learning to respect our personal space. She had me lunge him at the walk so we could both learn the correct way, and he picked up on it like he's been doing this all his life!
Takoda and I had another lesson with Cherie today and in two days he is already making noticeable progress. He walked nicely, only spooked once, did not get away, and is learning to respect our personal space. She had me lunge him at the walk so we could both learn the correct way, and he picked up on it like he's been doing this all his life!
Takoda 1, Rubbermaid 0
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Takoda managed to successfully destroy the heated water tub, much to my husband's chagrin, so we gave him a large Rubbermaid tote and filled it with water for him to play in. As you will see, he made short work of this one, too!
Takoda managed to successfully destroy the heated water tub, much to my husband's chagrin, so we gave him a large Rubbermaid tote and filled it with water for him to play in. As you will see, he made short work of this one, too!
Bratty Boy Rattles My Nerves and My Confidence!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Takoda lost interest in the walk/halt exercises early on - about 5-7 minutes into it. I repeatedly had to correct him for getting distracted at the halt, despite the fact that my halts were not lasting more than a second or two, and it still didn't help. To make matters worse, he got spooked. As the lead line I was using was not long enough, the rope went right through my hands when he reared, and he got away. Thank goodness for gloves or my hands would have been shredded! He was so naughty after that, not letting me catch him. I resorted to asking my daughter for help, and he did let her approach him and catch him.
Lessons Learned: (1) a longe line is the only thing long enough to keep him from breaking completely away (I bought one tonight that came with a detachable chain).
(2) I should have made him go right back to work after my daughter caught him instead of giving him turnout time to work off his energy. He needs to learn to stop working when I say it's OK, not when he wants to.
(3) I forgot to breathe!
Something Cherie taught me is that running around with a line attached to a chain on his nose is actually going to punish him when he steps on it - which he deserved. I was so caught up in getting that chain OFF of him to protect him from himself that I neglected teaching him anything I wanted him to learn. I was also unaware he could not be badly hurt by it. Good to know! Thank you, Cherie!
Major "aha" moment happened today when I realized I have incredible fear on the ground of rearing and bucking and being kicked, but almost zero fear of anything in the saddle (and there have been some doozies!). When I examined why that is, I realized all my early training was done in the saddle. I took lessons some 25 years ago, and I guess ground work was not a part of riding programs back then (I did have a really experienced instructor, so I doubt it was her ineffectiveness but more what she had been taught), so I have zero experience working with horses on the ground aside from how to care for them (which is how I paid for those lessons). I also just wanted to ride so badly that later in life I just got on any horse I could get access to and rode. I am finding that with the things I have experience in, I have tremendous confidence in, and the area I have no experience, I have great fear and ZERO confidence! Go figure! (Duh, Beata lol)
I just hope Cherie is still willing to work with me now that I know just how "green" I am on ground work! My book knowledge combined with my lack of hands-on ground work is causing me to think too much and not listen to my instincts. I want to learn to shut off the thinking and the fear and go with my instincts. I trust my instincts. I feel safe when I listen to them. But when fear starts out louder than my instincts, I have a hard time hearing them.
Monday I will download a cute video that my daughter shot of Takoda playing in water. Stay tuned....
Takoda lost interest in the walk/halt exercises early on - about 5-7 minutes into it. I repeatedly had to correct him for getting distracted at the halt, despite the fact that my halts were not lasting more than a second or two, and it still didn't help. To make matters worse, he got spooked. As the lead line I was using was not long enough, the rope went right through my hands when he reared, and he got away. Thank goodness for gloves or my hands would have been shredded! He was so naughty after that, not letting me catch him. I resorted to asking my daughter for help, and he did let her approach him and catch him.
Lessons Learned: (1) a longe line is the only thing long enough to keep him from breaking completely away (I bought one tonight that came with a detachable chain).
(2) I should have made him go right back to work after my daughter caught him instead of giving him turnout time to work off his energy. He needs to learn to stop working when I say it's OK, not when he wants to.
(3) I forgot to breathe!
Something Cherie taught me is that running around with a line attached to a chain on his nose is actually going to punish him when he steps on it - which he deserved. I was so caught up in getting that chain OFF of him to protect him from himself that I neglected teaching him anything I wanted him to learn. I was also unaware he could not be badly hurt by it. Good to know! Thank you, Cherie!
Major "aha" moment happened today when I realized I have incredible fear on the ground of rearing and bucking and being kicked, but almost zero fear of anything in the saddle (and there have been some doozies!). When I examined why that is, I realized all my early training was done in the saddle. I took lessons some 25 years ago, and I guess ground work was not a part of riding programs back then (I did have a really experienced instructor, so I doubt it was her ineffectiveness but more what she had been taught), so I have zero experience working with horses on the ground aside from how to care for them (which is how I paid for those lessons). I also just wanted to ride so badly that later in life I just got on any horse I could get access to and rode. I am finding that with the things I have experience in, I have tremendous confidence in, and the area I have no experience, I have great fear and ZERO confidence! Go figure! (Duh, Beata lol)
I just hope Cherie is still willing to work with me now that I know just how "green" I am on ground work! My book knowledge combined with my lack of hands-on ground work is causing me to think too much and not listen to my instincts. I want to learn to shut off the thinking and the fear and go with my instincts. I trust my instincts. I feel safe when I listen to them. But when fear starts out louder than my instincts, I have a hard time hearing them.
Monday I will download a cute video that my daughter shot of Takoda playing in water. Stay tuned....
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
First Lesson!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Today was an exciting day for all of us. Cherie came and gave lessons to the girls (Laramie was a star!) and then we took Takoda out. She taught me how to use the bridle for longeing instead of a halter - something I had never done before. We used Tonka's bridle with the happy mouth (apple flavored) bit and Takoda had no idea what to make of the strange bit! He was excessively mouthy with it, so tomorrow I'm going to try him out on a regular metal snaffle and see if he likes that better.
Cherie has attached a chain to her longe line, another new thing for me - definitely going to have to get a chain for ours. Takoda is very used to a lead shank from his race track days. Once the chain was attached to the bridle, Cherie walked him out of the barn. This was his first time out today and also his first time out without acepromazine. I waited with bated breath to see if he would get crazy, but he acted like a gentleman. Cherie taught me how to keep his attention span with very quick transitions of walk/halt, and not to expect him to stand nicely for very long, but keep giving him ways he can succeed. I also learned to be a bit more assertive with him to stop any head pushing (into my space) immediately. This is something I have to work on - I am a little hesitant to discipline horses for fear of them becoming afraid of me or my hands! But I also see where it is necessary to prevent a bad behavior from becoming a habit.
What a good boy!
Tomorrow I am to walk/halt him for 20 minutes two separate times. I will work on really listening to what he is telling me (communicating with each other) and on being firmer and faster with my corrections. I am REALLY excited to try what I learned today out on my own with him tomorrow. He's so smart!
Today was an exciting day for all of us. Cherie came and gave lessons to the girls (Laramie was a star!) and then we took Takoda out. She taught me how to use the bridle for longeing instead of a halter - something I had never done before. We used Tonka's bridle with the happy mouth (apple flavored) bit and Takoda had no idea what to make of the strange bit! He was excessively mouthy with it, so tomorrow I'm going to try him out on a regular metal snaffle and see if he likes that better.
Cherie has attached a chain to her longe line, another new thing for me - definitely going to have to get a chain for ours. Takoda is very used to a lead shank from his race track days. Once the chain was attached to the bridle, Cherie walked him out of the barn. This was his first time out today and also his first time out without acepromazine. I waited with bated breath to see if he would get crazy, but he acted like a gentleman. Cherie taught me how to keep his attention span with very quick transitions of walk/halt, and not to expect him to stand nicely for very long, but keep giving him ways he can succeed. I also learned to be a bit more assertive with him to stop any head pushing (into my space) immediately. This is something I have to work on - I am a little hesitant to discipline horses for fear of them becoming afraid of me or my hands! But I also see where it is necessary to prevent a bad behavior from becoming a habit.
Tomorrow I am to walk/halt him for 20 minutes two separate times. I will work on really listening to what he is telling me (communicating with each other) and on being firmer and faster with my corrections. I am REALLY excited to try what I learned today out on my own with him tomorrow. He's so smart!
7 Hours of Freedom
Friday, February 13, 2009
Takoda was turned out for 7 hours today and seemed so happy to be back in his stall when it was over. I suppose the stall represents safety. He was thrilled to be out, but he was very eager to go back in when it was time.
I took some videos of him rolling - the first thing he does every time he's turned out. I also took a few pictures because I want to be able to document his weight gain since I don't have a weight tape as of yet. I wonder how long it will be before he stops looking starved? I just don't understand how anyone could starve such a beautiful animal - or any animal for that matter!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A New Name and First Turnout
Monday, February 9, 2009
Collective spent an uneventful night in his new stall. By this morning he was thrilled to once again be receiving breakfast, and he nickered when I approached his stall with the feed bucket. While I watched him eat, I tried out a few various names on him that we had been considering. He ignored me for all of them except Takoda. When I called "Takoda" again and again, each time he lifted his head from eating to look at me. That sealed it - Collective's new name would be Takoda! Takoda is an American Indian name meaning "Friend to everyone."
After my husband and I cut down some dangerous eye-level branches in the pasture, I gave him 2 tablets of acepromazine (tranquilizer) orally and waited 45 minutes. I put the lead shank around just the top of his nose today to see if he would let me lead him quietly without the gum chain. Tonka and Beauty were locked away, and Laramie was out in the pasture munching hay. I decided to turn him out with Laramie, the senior citizen of the herd, believing she would treat him the nicest for his first turnout. She did not disappoint.
Takoda's first moments out of the barn were fascinating for me. He looked around as if he had never seen a pasture before. I expected him to run and buck and play, but he did not. He sniffed the air for quite some time, and then slowly began sniffing the ground, especially the scattered manure piles. He tasted various plants, even the thorny baby locust trees that had sprouted up next to the barn since last summer! He went back for seconds on the thorns, which surprised me. Once he had done a visual surveillance of the area, he did trot around a bit, and even worked up to a canter a few times. He is a gorgeous mover! He approached Laramie with open curiosity, seemingly unaware that he could get his face smashed in by her hind end. Laramie was utterly disinterested in the new boy, and only bothered to look at him when he approached her hay. When he did, she pinned her ears at him. When he looked at her with wide-eyed curiosity but did not move off, she turned her rump toward him, ears still pinned. This made him all the more curious, and he put his nose down to sniff at her rump. I was sure he was about to get his face pummeled but Laramie just kept her ears pinned and reached around and bit HERSELF on the side of her own belly! Takoda quickly lost interest and moved on, and Laramie never did kick him. He came back a few times to see if she would play with him. He would canter over to her, she would pin her ears, he would wait expectantly for her to turn and play with him, which she never did, but each time she would bite herself in the side. Seemingly oblivious to her warning cues, he quickly grew bored of her disinterest in him, and moved on to tasting and sniffing out everything else in the pasture.
Clearly Takdoa has never seen a mounting block before. He spent a few minutes slowly approaching it from different sides, sniffing, tense, ready to bolt if it attacked. Eventually he realized it was not going to attack him, but it also wasn't going to play with him either. He galloped around the pasture for a bit, stopping at various fences to look at the view on the other side. He seemed especially intrigued with my neighbor's child play set, but when it wouldn't come to play with him, he decided it was time for a good roll. He picked a nice spot, pawed the ground several times, and laid down and rolled. When he was finished, he stood, shook himself, and then pawed the same area, laid down again on the other side, and rolled again, getting himself thoroughly sandy. That scratch must have felt so good after being in a stall for who knows how long!
The first highlight of the day for me was watching Takoda discover a heated waterer in the corner of the pasture. What fun to stick a hoof in and splash about! Unfortunately, we had to stop his antics because he cracked the cover on the heater, and as most know, those buckets are not cheap! I plan to find a large bin or tote for him that he can splash in until I get another stock waterer that he can play in without causing any damage. Once I figure out how to edit videos, I will post a short clip of him splashing around in the bucket.
The second highlight occurred when my 7 year old daughter came home from school with one of her little classmates. Having grown up around horses almost all her life, she really has no fear of them. She and her friend came running over to the fence where my husband and I were standing watching Takoda investigate his surroundings. Already several times he had galloped about, so we were on the outside looking in for safety. My daughter came to the fence, and when Takoda spied her, he came racing over to her, gently lowered his huge muzzle to her head and began nosing her about. He clearly adores her! She giggled and petted him, and he stood calmly while she rubbed him all about his chest, shoulders, and face. When she was finished, he took off again, completely ignoring the taller humans that were with her.
I had planned to leave him out for three hours as Kim had worked him up to that long at her farm, but promptly at one hour into his freedom, he returned to the barn and asked to be let in to his stall. I obliged figuring it best not to push him - he probably knows better than I do what is best for him at this point! Once back in the stall, he greedily hunted through his bedding for misplaced hay cubes and anything else that might be edible. Once he could find nothing else, he popped his head out of the stall and began begging for treats. Of course I obliged him, and he got treats as long as he let me stroke him and come in to his stall to touch him all over. I want him used to being touched and used to my voice, and he was happy to let me as long as the horse cookies kept coming.
Feeding time was a bit more exciting tonight for Takoda, as he saw the bucket and began lifting his right front leg. I could not tell if he wanted to strike, or paw the ground, or was just so excited he couldn't stand still, but I didn't feel safe. I can feel my adrenalin pump when I begin to feel unsafe, so my husband volunteered to feed him, as he was not afraid of Takoda's front hoof. It turns out, he was just so excited he couldn't stand still. When my husband came in the stall and said, "Over" to him, he moved over like a gentleman but kept snorting about until the grain was dropped into his feed bin. He instantly dove into it like there was no tomorrow, and he calmed down beautifully once he had his mouth full!
I am so grateful that my husband has been so willing to be involved, because until a routine is established, this project is definitely a two-person job at least!
Collective spent an uneventful night in his new stall. By this morning he was thrilled to once again be receiving breakfast, and he nickered when I approached his stall with the feed bucket. While I watched him eat, I tried out a few various names on him that we had been considering. He ignored me for all of them except Takoda. When I called "Takoda" again and again, each time he lifted his head from eating to look at me. That sealed it - Collective's new name would be Takoda! Takoda is an American Indian name meaning "Friend to everyone."
After my husband and I cut down some dangerous eye-level branches in the pasture, I gave him 2 tablets of acepromazine (tranquilizer) orally and waited 45 minutes. I put the lead shank around just the top of his nose today to see if he would let me lead him quietly without the gum chain. Tonka and Beauty were locked away, and Laramie was out in the pasture munching hay. I decided to turn him out with Laramie, the senior citizen of the herd, believing she would treat him the nicest for his first turnout. She did not disappoint.
Takoda's first moments out of the barn were fascinating for me. He looked around as if he had never seen a pasture before. I expected him to run and buck and play, but he did not. He sniffed the air for quite some time, and then slowly began sniffing the ground, especially the scattered manure piles. He tasted various plants, even the thorny baby locust trees that had sprouted up next to the barn since last summer! He went back for seconds on the thorns, which surprised me. Once he had done a visual surveillance of the area, he did trot around a bit, and even worked up to a canter a few times. He is a gorgeous mover! He approached Laramie with open curiosity, seemingly unaware that he could get his face smashed in by her hind end. Laramie was utterly disinterested in the new boy, and only bothered to look at him when he approached her hay. When he did, she pinned her ears at him. When he looked at her with wide-eyed curiosity but did not move off, she turned her rump toward him, ears still pinned. This made him all the more curious, and he put his nose down to sniff at her rump. I was sure he was about to get his face pummeled but Laramie just kept her ears pinned and reached around and bit HERSELF on the side of her own belly! Takoda quickly lost interest and moved on, and Laramie never did kick him. He came back a few times to see if she would play with him. He would canter over to her, she would pin her ears, he would wait expectantly for her to turn and play with him, which she never did, but each time she would bite herself in the side. Seemingly oblivious to her warning cues, he quickly grew bored of her disinterest in him, and moved on to tasting and sniffing out everything else in the pasture.
Clearly Takdoa has never seen a mounting block before. He spent a few minutes slowly approaching it from different sides, sniffing, tense, ready to bolt if it attacked. Eventually he realized it was not going to attack him, but it also wasn't going to play with him either. He galloped around the pasture for a bit, stopping at various fences to look at the view on the other side. He seemed especially intrigued with my neighbor's child play set, but when it wouldn't come to play with him, he decided it was time for a good roll. He picked a nice spot, pawed the ground several times, and laid down and rolled. When he was finished, he stood, shook himself, and then pawed the same area, laid down again on the other side, and rolled again, getting himself thoroughly sandy. That scratch must have felt so good after being in a stall for who knows how long!
The first highlight of the day for me was watching Takoda discover a heated waterer in the corner of the pasture. What fun to stick a hoof in and splash about! Unfortunately, we had to stop his antics because he cracked the cover on the heater, and as most know, those buckets are not cheap! I plan to find a large bin or tote for him that he can splash in until I get another stock waterer that he can play in without causing any damage. Once I figure out how to edit videos, I will post a short clip of him splashing around in the bucket.
The second highlight occurred when my 7 year old daughter came home from school with one of her little classmates. Having grown up around horses almost all her life, she really has no fear of them. She and her friend came running over to the fence where my husband and I were standing watching Takoda investigate his surroundings. Already several times he had galloped about, so we were on the outside looking in for safety. My daughter came to the fence, and when Takoda spied her, he came racing over to her, gently lowered his huge muzzle to her head and began nosing her about. He clearly adores her! She giggled and petted him, and he stood calmly while she rubbed him all about his chest, shoulders, and face. When she was finished, he took off again, completely ignoring the taller humans that were with her.
I had planned to leave him out for three hours as Kim had worked him up to that long at her farm, but promptly at one hour into his freedom, he returned to the barn and asked to be let in to his stall. I obliged figuring it best not to push him - he probably knows better than I do what is best for him at this point! Once back in the stall, he greedily hunted through his bedding for misplaced hay cubes and anything else that might be edible. Once he could find nothing else, he popped his head out of the stall and began begging for treats. Of course I obliged him, and he got treats as long as he let me stroke him and come in to his stall to touch him all over. I want him used to being touched and used to my voice, and he was happy to let me as long as the horse cookies kept coming.
Feeding time was a bit more exciting tonight for Takoda, as he saw the bucket and began lifting his right front leg. I could not tell if he wanted to strike, or paw the ground, or was just so excited he couldn't stand still, but I didn't feel safe. I can feel my adrenalin pump when I begin to feel unsafe, so my husband volunteered to feed him, as he was not afraid of Takoda's front hoof. It turns out, he was just so excited he couldn't stand still. When my husband came in the stall and said, "Over" to him, he moved over like a gentleman but kept snorting about until the grain was dropped into his feed bin. He instantly dove into it like there was no tomorrow, and he calmed down beautifully once he had his mouth full!
I am so grateful that my husband has been so willing to be involved, because until a routine is established, this project is definitely a two-person job at least!
Bringing Collective Home
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I awoke to find my husband had already been working in the barn for a few hours, making it safe for a new horse who did not know how to be a regular horse. He had moved wiring to safer places, installed rubber hooks instead of the metal ones we had on the walls of the aisle way, and was working on installing removable wooden rails on the ends of the barn where the doors (that we never close) are. The wooden rails are meant to keep Collective in and the other horses out, but so they all could still see each other. What a blessing those rails have been already! I worked in the tack room and finished getting Collective's stall ready. Tonka would be giving up his stall (which he didn't really like anyway) for Collective. I had purchased a new kind of bedding, given the stall a thorough cleaning, scrubbed the water buckets, and it looked all ready to receive a new equine friend. I waited, somewhat impatiently, for my husband to finish up with the rails so we could go get Collective. Tonka had been fed in the stall the night before and had eaten a lot of the bedding (!?!?!), so when he strained but didn't pass manure, I occupied my impatience by watching to see if he was going to colic (which thankfully he did not!).
The drive to Leighton Farm seemed like an eternity this time. I was quiet and pensive, and afraid to share my fears with my husband, who was quiet and exhausted from all his hard work. I went through everything I have read in the past 2 months about OTTBs, the letting down process, retraining, etc. I was feeling anything but prepared to take on this project, but when I thought of his fate otherwise, I knew I made the right decision. But knowing you made a good decision does not eliminate the fear that accompanies a new adventure! Yes, I will admit, I was terrified, and the longer the drive seemed to take, the more grateful I was to have that time to reflect on my confidence. Where would I pull from to do right by this horse? I reminded myself that simply by providing him a home in lieu of slaughter, I was doing right by him. But would it be enough? Would I help him be the best horse, pet, friend he could be? I was terrified of making mistakes that would imprint on him, but as John Lyons says, it is better to do something with your horse and make mistakes than do nothing at all for fear of making them. That's when I began to pray in earnest that Kim really would be willing to help me like she said she would. I had to trust. I had to believe in myself. I had to do this - it just FELT right!
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Arriving at the farm, I wasted no time in finding Collective (who seemed to hate that name almost as much as I did!). I had played around with names for him but hadn't settled on anything yet. He was delighted to see his treat-bearing friends again, particularly my 7 year old daughter. He really seemed to like her the best, still! Kim gave Collective a tranquilizer injection and then warned me that he might not load onto a stock trailer like mine - it's nothing like he's ever ridden in. But almost to spite her, he walked right on without even flinching. It was a bit snug of a fit for his long frame, but he didn't seem to mind it too much. In fact, he behaved like a gentleman the whole time. Then began the drive home, which somehow seemed to go MUCH faster than the drive down. I drove slowly, especially over bumps. I didn't want to agitate him, or toss him around, and I realized how LOUD the stock trailer must seem to him. I had arranged for MJ (an exercise rider at Bowie and my neighbor) to meet me at my house and help unload him. Working around racehorses all day every day lends itself to a confidence I do not yet possess. MJ walked right into the trailer, unloaded him without incidence, and marched him up to the barn without even bothering to put the other horses away! No one freaked out, and most of them seemed completely unfazed by the newcomer. Collective behaved like a gentleman, and seemed to really like his new stall (once he discovered that he, too, could eat the bedding!). He seemed SO determined to inhale all the bedding, that I filled his feed tub with hay cubes which he still is convinced are the next best thing to peppermints. He happily munched away, and occasionally poked his big head out to see the other horses, but for the most part was just delighted to have more food. From the first encounter with one of the horses, it became evident that Collective really does not know how to behave like a horse. He seems totally unaware of what ear pinning and tail swishing means. He keeps his ears upright and acts totally oblivious to warnings being given by both mares. So far Laramie wants nothing to do with him, and Beauty wants to act like she's gonna boss him around. Tonka will not meet him yet. Tonka is our dominant gelding and he pushes both mares around. My gut was telling me that Collective should just meet the mares at first, so that's how it went.
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Feeding time - oh boy! With only 2 stalls, it took some juggling to figure out the best way to manage feeding time with a VERY dominant Tonka trying to run the show. I don't like booting Laramie out of her stall - after all, she was here first, is the oldest, and has never had her routine changed. It seems unfair to make her give up "her spot" at feeding time, so we barred off the aisleway into two makeshift stalls, and put Beauty and Tonka in the aisleway for dinner. It went beautifully, with Collective wholly ignoring everyone else because he had a full dinner plate (feed bin) in front of him - a joy he was just beginning to realize he could count on again. Beauty ate outside Collective's stall, and she did a lot of ear pinning and tail swishing, and even turned her rump to him when he poked his head out to see her, but Collective truly does not react to any of her warning cues. I hope he does not get pummeled when he is turned out with horses the first time! We decided to leave Laramie in her stall all night so Collective would not be alone - something Laramie was anything but pleased about! Upon doing a bedtime check on the horses (thankfully!) we discovered that Laramie had tried to break free, and had actually yanked an eye hook out (unbent it!) in an attempt to escape. It was like a sharp hook right at her eye level, so we decided if she was THAT unhappy in her stall, we would turn her back out (she's used to 24/7 turnout with access to the barn if she wants), remove the dangerous eye hook, and hope a few horses would visit in the barn with Collective over the night. He didn't seem to care that she left; he was greedily munching every last bit of hay I put out for him.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A Horse Named Collective
This journey all began in the pre-dawn hours of Thanksgiving, 2008, when our beloved Quarter Horse, Willie, passed away from colic. We needed an immediate replacement, as our 23 year old mare, Laramie was pining badly for her friend Willie over the course of the next few weeks. I will spare you all the details of my searching for the perfect horse, as they are complex and entailed much searching and vetting and eventual purchasing. We did find a replacement for Willie - ironically a chestnut QH with a white blaze who looks very much like Willie did - completely coincidental, I assure you. Possibly because of his resemblance to Willie, and possibly because Fate knew better than me, I had a hard time adjusting to Tonka, and took awhile to bond with him. During that process, I found myself scouring the internet for another horse we didn't actually NEED. I discovered many rescue organizations, and my heart became set on saving a horse bound for slaughter that no one else wanted. That's when I met Kim Clark of Leighton Farm (www.leightonfarm.com).
I found Kim's site through horsetopia.com and then began email correspondence with her. She seemed knowledgeable, and from the first email I received, everything about her screamed love of horses above and beyond anything else. This is a woman who only wanted what is best for these beautiful animals, and would not (unlike Tonka's previous owner), sell us a horse that was not a good fit. She was honest and forthright about every horse's soundness and bad habits if they had any. She also wanted to get to know me and what I was looking for in a horse so that the horse I found would be a good match - for the horse's sake, so he or she would have a forever home.
From the start, I was leery about acquiring an off the track thoroughbred racehorse (OTTB) because of all the negative things you hear about how hard they are to control, how crazy they are, how they never come off the track sound, etc. But I quickly developed a LOT of respect for Kim and wished to help her out as much as I could, even if it only meant a donation so that more horses could be saved. Somewhere deep inside me, however, was a nagging thought that after all these years, I finally needed a horse I could call my own. I knew if anyone could guide me in this process, Kim could, and would do so with honesty and integrity.
I met Kim at the Bowie (Maryland) race track (only used for training anymore) one VERY cold winter day to look at some horses she had to photograph for her website. Her "job" has become to establish relationships with the racehorse trainers at various race tracks so they will be willing to work with her to find new careers for racehorses when they stop showing promise, instead of sending them to slaughter like so many thousands end up every year. This is a volunteer position, and Kim has said to me more than once, she only does it for the animals. So I arrived at the track and had to wait at the guard's gate for Kim to come and get me - she was already there, busily photographing horses, talking to trainers, etc. She came to get me, and introduced me to four of the most beautiful horses I had ever seen. The horses I had been used to until this point were barn pets - mostly quarter horses, who got baths maybe twice a year if they were lucky, who grew shaggy coats in winter to stay warm, and who would nicker at the fence for a treat as I approached, and who my littlest children could climb all over and under and never have to worry about the horses being dangerous. Never before had I been face-to-face with the high-strung, spit-shined type of horse I witnessed that very cold day. Their feed, their fitness level, their lack of regular exercise (since they were being retired from racing), and the cold wind all contributed to these horses feeling good and wanting to frisk about. I stood in awe as Kim took pictures. I helped write a few notes about each one so she could advertise them accurately on her site. And, I fell in love with a breed of horse I NEVER imagined myself falling in love with!
After that day, I kept in contact with Kim. She knew I was looking for a bigger horse, with no soundness issues (I had been duped more than once by people wanting to get rid of horses and not being honest about their health and vices), one that my daughter may even decide to train for eventing - a rigorous physical test requiring much retraining for an OTTB. She knew what I wanted and eventually found a horse we both thought would be perfect. Rowdy had been on her site for awhile. A 3 year old chestnut thoroughbred, 15.3 hands and still growing, never been raced, perfectly sound, and already begun dressage training. The only problem was Rowdy's price was set to $4500.00, totally out of my budget! But, convinced this horse would be good for us, Kim talked the horse's trainer into lowering the price to $1500.00. I was ELATED! But something weird happened when she emailed me the contact info for the trainer - I didn't call. I held onto the phone number, and even put it in my phone. I would call, I just didn't know when. Was it the money? I didn't think so, but maybe. I couldn't put my finger on what it was. And then I got busy. But Rowdy niggled away in my thoughts the busier I got, and I knew I had to do something, but I still didn't call. Was I hoping he would get sold to someone else? If so, why?
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February 3, 2009, the day before my 40th birthday, I went to bed and could not sleep. I visited Kim's website as I had been doing almost daily since that very cold day at the track when I fell in love with thoroughbreds. On Kim's "Giveaway" page, there was an urgent plea for help for 4 horses who desperately needed homes right away because their trainer had been ruled off the track. For a horse who's trainer has been given the boot, their fate is anything but certain. Many end up being sold to meat men, or kill buyers as they are commonly known, shipped across the borders to Canada or Mexico, slaughtered, and the meat is then sold for consumption in Canada and Europe. This is a fast, easy, and inexpensive way for trainers to be rid of horses to make room for new ones, or as in this case, when they no longer have rights at the race track. As soon as I saw Kim's plea, I had the answer I was looking for regarding Rowdy. The pieces came together in my mind, and I was never more sure of a horse-decision in my life. It was far too late to wake my husband, so I emailed Kim in the wee hours of my 40th birthday, and told her I wanted to help - I knew Rowdy would find a good home, and I wanted to make sure these boys at the track would have a home, too. I had to get up very early for doctor's appointments, but the minute I returned home, I checked my email, and Kim had replied asking me to call her, which I did. I ran to tell my husband that I knew I had to do this - I wanted to adopt a OTTB and if needed, would foster others until they found homes. Kim wanted me to meet her at the track the next day, Thursday, February 5.
On Thursday, I took my daughter and my best friend with me to the track to meet the four horses. I wasn't sure, but I had the feeling I would be taking a horse home. Had I prepared my husband enough? Had I made it clear what I was doing? Did I have any idea what I was getting myself into? No. My "favorite" of the four, Royal, suddenly became unavailable as the trainer decided not to get rid of him yet, for reasons no one can figure out. So I looked at all 3 bay geldings. One was thought to have a "big ankle" so Kim didn't bother showing him to me, he probably could not event. Then there was a 16.3h bay gelding who was so friendly and pleasant that it almost startled me. The third was a 16 hand bay gelding who cribbed. I don't mind cribbing, personally, and I would have taken him as most people don't want a horse that cribs (bites on hard surfaces and pulls back to suck air in, causing damage to the wood or whatever they crib on), but this horse tried far too many times to bite me. Not nibble in a friendly way, but really bite. So, I went back to the 16.3 hand gelding who I was told is 6 years old, and asked to see him walk. I at least wanted a quick look at his legs and see if he showed any lameness at all. The trainer's sister was working there, and took him out and walked him and he looked perfect. My gut screamed "take this one!" and so I told Kim, "He's the one."
Without further ado, Kim loaded Collective (his registered name) onto her trailer, without even a tranquilizer! I think he knew he was going to a good place - any place had to be better than where he had been living - except the kill pen, that is. He was in terrible shape having been starved for what appeared to be a long time. His hair was dirty and matted in a few places - how long had it been since he had been handled? Bathed? Fed? It was anyone's guess. Despite being very underweight, his temperment was friendly, even though he was still "high" from his life on the track. Kim said she would take him to her farm for a few days to begin the letting down process (to get him to come off his race track high), and then I would take him to my farm to finish it, but she would walk me through everything I needed to know.
As I was driving to Kim's farm, I began to wonder if I really could handle this. I have lots and lots of "book knowledge" from scouring websites and reading articles, and books, etc., but I have never handled a horse like this before, nor have I ever let down a horse from the race track before. I have never even trained anything more than a puppy! I knew I was counting on Kim, and Cherie (my daughter's riding instructor), and anyone else who could help. I also knew that people in the business of rescuing horses really will help because they only want what is best for the animal. But still my confidence was shaky at best. When I arrived at Kim's farm, she had tranquilized him, and I watched as she unloaded him and put him in a round pen. Collective may never have seen a round pen before, and may never have been turned out with other horses before - we will never know. All I knew at that moment was this is now my horse, so I better get to know him! I went to the round pen, and Kim said I could go in, but not to get myself killed, because she needed me to take him home because she didn't have room to keep him LOL! Her words of warning were enough to plant some cautious fear in me, and while I began to go in the pen, I thought better of it when he jumped a mile as I reached out to touch him. That day he regarded me with curious indifference - he would look at me, start to come to me, then decide that eating the dried, frozen mud and grass nubs was more appealing than trusting a strange human. I did manage to get him to come over to me for some grass, but his side bumped the round pen as he did, and he bolted to the other side. That was the last time - from that moment on, for the rest of my visit, he ignored me completely, and would not even consider coming to me. It was as if he thought I had scared him, and he was not about to trust me. I couldn't blame him a bit! I just wondered if it now meant it would take more to earn his trust.
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On Friday, Feb. 6, I took my best friend with me to the farm to see him. This time he was in a smaller round pen with less room to move around. Kim pointed out that after only two solid meals Collective's hair had begun to lay back down. When they are starved, their hair stands up to help keep them warmer. Today, in the sun, despite the cold, his mahogany hair was gleaming and laying flatter than it had. He looked cleaner too, possibly because he was given a blanket to help keep his bony frame warm. The interesting thing about this visit is that Collective seemed to remember me as the human that scared him yesterday, but he seemed totally smitten with my friend Kathleen! He nosed her, came to her, let her pet him, etc. I was eventually able to pet him, too, but it took longer for him to believe I wouldn't be startling him again! By the end of this visit, he was letting me pat his face, but neither of us could touch his neck. He would pull back every time I tried to reach for his neck, no matter how slowly I tried, or how calmly I spoke to him. I tried to work my way to his neck from his cheek, but he was too smart for that and would pull back every time my hand moved off his cheek in the direction of his neck. Smart boy! But oh, why couldn't he see that I was to be trusted?
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Saturday, February 7 was a lot warmer than it had been. I brought my husband and my younger daughter to visit Collective. We would be taking him home on Sunday, and I guess I needed actual approval from my husband that this really was ok for me to try to save this horse. Great news, though! Kim had gone back to the track to pick up both other bay geldings, because they were bound for slaughter. There they were romping about in separate round pens. Turns out they were full brothers and she was going to try to find them a home together :). Collective had been moved to the other barn and seemed genuinely happy to see us - but that could have been all the treats my daughter had brought! We fed him carrots, peppermints, and horse cookies, and he couldn't have been more pleased with these humans! He seemed to really take to the short human (my 7 year old daugher!), who incidentally has been around horses almost her whole life, and has NO fear of them whatsover. I got to lead Collective with a gum chain to the main barn to have his back shoes removed. I then led him into the dressage area just to practice walking him with a gum chain. All went very well until the farrier started his truck lol. When the engine revved, Collective revved too! He tried to rear and buck, but I held firm and talked softly to him, told him "Easy boy," and he listened, but stayed very tense. JK came over to lead him back to the barn, which was fine by me as he had wrenched my shoulder and totally freaked me out, but I did my best not to let him (Collective) know that! We fed him more treats and he seemed to forget the whole thing ever happened. During this visit, he was perfectly fine with me petting his neck - progress!!! He actually seemed to relish the attention, which of course we smothered him with! As we said goodbye, we told him we would be back tomorrow to take him to his new home where he could stay forever. He looked so wise and peaceful as if he understood. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but he at least gave me the feeling like he was looking forward to it.
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