Monday, September 25, 2017

the latest + greatest in Charlieland

Ooookay folks, happy Monday! I know I'm not the only one a little bit tired and worn out after a long weekend spent running around and hangin out at horse shows and whatnot.

charlie loves the window in his stall
There was definitely a lot of ground covered, so let's see if I can't just get through all the salient details in a light hearted and easy-to-digest format lol.

look at all those pretty xc jumps! spoiler: we jumped none of them
When I last left off, Charlie was getting back into the swing of things with regular lessons and whatnot as we look forward to the fall riding season. That theme continued through the week with getting out for our latest routine of hacking around with Brita and Bella for trot sets and conditioning.

You woulda thought I coated the poor big ol' bay ottb with shaving cream lol (it's kinda unseasonably warm out right now) but he was good. Earned himself a day off after that, with just a couple light rides planned before this weekend's home starter event (**foreshadowing**).

ooooh but i did go see this fancy little red headed mare!
My weekend errands also saw me popping over to Isabel's barn to pick up some stuff too!!! Unfortunately I jusssst missed getting to watch her go with her lease rider (who has had the lease now since March!!).

and naturally had to catch up with some of my favorite barn cats
They're doing so well together tho. I'm just so so so happy with how circumstances ended up with these two.

she hasn't changed much lol
Her leaser M is a big fan of both dressage and arabs, and Isabel seems pretty smitten with her too. M is actually allowed to pet Izzy's face. Which... like.... is kinda astonishing lol. Normally one must receive an engraved invitation via royal mail just to even consider the honor of petting Ms Thing's fuzzy muzzle. But M has apparently won the princess over!

she looks happy tho <3
Actually there's some stuff on the events calendar this fall that looks like it could be a great fit for these two too, so hopefully we'll have more to come there later. Suffice it to say tho, it's so strangely satisfying and rewarding to know that Isabel has a safe and happy job that includes being a great teacher of dressage.

charlie's feed pan destruction continues so we have gotten more creative
Anyway, the source of my errand at that barn was picking up a spare old tire since Charlie DID in fact manage to rip that feed tub off the wall. Rotten pony. So per recommendations, we moved on to other ideas.

he laughs in the face of our mere mortal efforts to stop his play tho
While the screwed-in wall-mounted feed tub lasted a couple days, this tire/pan combination didn't even last a single feeding. Sigh.... Charlie I just don't understand you lol.

new modification: he's gonna have to legit rip down that board to get it off the wall now
So I tried a new method for mounting the pan to the wall which is WAY more secure, and actually a little lifted off the ground to further reduce the likelihood of Charlie pawing at it. I don't love that it's more at knee level instead of on the ground... but hopefully it won't have a meaningful impact on Charlie's likelihood to aspirate his food.

it's a little higher than i'd wish but... we'll see
Mostly tho I just really want him to stop dumping his food bc I'm fighting a possibly more important battle of keeping his stall dry. And key to that is dealing with barn workers who are reluctant to heavily bed the area where he is most likely to spill food, even tho that's the low spot in the stall where all fluid pools.

So step 1 in my fight is getting Charlie to stop throwing his food around so that folks cleaning stalls are more likely to get more bedding in there. I've also picked up some bags of Stall Dry and pine pellets to further encourage a dryer stall environment. We'll see!

trend-setting suspender action goin on
Of course. Haha. Of course, tho, the keenest among you may have noticed in all of these pictures that Charlie is sporting a whole fun array of leg wear. Ice boots.... Standing wraps.... All of it.

Because.... ya. The horse has gone and wrecked hisself yet again. At least this time he's not actually really lame, but he sure as shit ain't right either.

it doesn't even look like a real leg
He's either re-aggravated that splint again, or given himself a whole new one. Sigh.

oh charlie...
So we're basically gonna pull out all the big diagnostic guns this time around. The splint has never really made him lame, but he's done this to himself at least 3 (but possibly 4) times in the year that I've owned him.

mmmmmm bute
While it's possible that each time is a new injury or simply a re-aggravation of the old injury, it's also possible that something is going on in the leg preventing it from fully healing. So once we can get all the swelling out we're gonna take a little looksie around in there.

hand grazing is fun tho
For his part, tho, Charlie hardly seems to notice at all lol. The leg is sore and sensitive to the touch (esp if said touch is more of a poke or squeeze lol), but he's not really lame on it.

such a goofy horse lol
All the same tho, I'm not messing with it. This particular iteration of the injury is a little worse than previous instances and is proving a little slower to go down.

and he's very suddenly gotten FUZZY
So we're staying a little more regimented with wrapping and icing cycles. I unfortunately just used up the last of my Surpass tho so we'll have to settle for poultice until the vet can grab me a new tube (or decide on any different course of action).

meanwhile: PONIES!!! recognize Noelle??
Naturally tho, as is Charlie's habit of late, his timing was terrible. This past weekend was OF's annual starter trial. You may remember this trial in 2014 was my first ever HT! We then stormed back in 2015 to cruise around BN one last time before moving up to Novice. Then of course last year I was horse-less so I had to miss out, sadly.

hey look at all those awesome xc jumps behind me! sure would be cool to.... actually jump them.
But this year? This was supposed to be our big grand return to my favorite "home" event -- that is now actually literally at my horse's home barn. Our first time ever having a full HT at home: what's not to love about not even needing to haul out?!?

jump judgin is fun anyway tho
Plus OF holds a "farm division" for all levels first thing in the morning so riders and boarders based at OF can cruise through their rides early then stay to volunteer for the "open" divisions (open to the public) for the rest of the day. The kicker? Riding in the farm division costs $40.

Best. Deal. Ever.

esp when you get to cheer on all your friends as they gallop past!
Alas tho, I obviously had to scratch. Sigh. Charrrliieeeee stahhhhhp :(

wheeeeee go team!!!!!
It was fine tho. I just volunteered the whole day instead of only the second half, and got to watch all my friends (like Rachael and Brita, who dominated the farm novice division with first and second place finishes) and new barn mates gallop around and have a blast.

look at all that satin too!! 
It's not quite the same thrill as getting to ride my own horse in competition... But it was still a pretty great way to spend a day.

And in the meantime I'm finally sending myself a cease and desist letter. Laying an embargo down on any and all plan-making with Charlie until we know what's up with that leg. And even then, I'm just gonna try to be a little bit better about taking each day as it comes. Bc I'm kinda over and done with the disappointment of broken plans, ya know?

That's hard for an obsessive planner like myself lol, but I'll do my best! In the meantime, wish us luck getting all the swelling outso we can get clear diagnostics on it soon! Hope you all had a good weekend too - and I especially hope yours involved more actual riding than mine!

46 comments:

  1. Oh no! I'm sorry Emma. I'm glad he isn't lame on it though and I hope it goes down really quickly so you can get those diagnostics done and be over this for good. My weekend ridingmokans were sidelined by a kiddo with a fever and a big need to be snuggled by his mommy.

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    1. Aw poor Wyatt :( I hope he is feeling better soon!! I'm at least lucky Charlie seems to feel perfectly fine despite his ouchy leg. If anything he's maybe a little smug. Bleh.

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  2. Oh no! Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Charlie! Da Bird dinged himself on Monday Last and had to scratch his fall 30 miler this past weekend. It feels like a repeat of the spring. He's earned himself a full eight weeks off (same leg as before, same joint as before) with a very sedate and measured return to work afterwards. No hunter paces, no fall trail rides, no nothing until mid-November. :( On the plus side, I can get out project horse Zipper and throw a leg over the nasty old mare. So all is not lost, just... this is not the plan I had made. *sigh*

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    1. Ugh that's so frustrating Bird!!! Cmon man! My fingers are seriously crossed we don't get a similar layup bc that's just so hard :( good luck to a full recovery!

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  3. Ugh Charlie! Stop being so special needs!
    I wouldn't worry too much about lifting the feed bucket a little on the wall like you did. Stampede has a feed bucket on a long chain so he can eat with his head down for the same reason and I've not had an issue (knock on wood)in the 10 years it's been that way.

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    1. That's actually really reassuring! I feel like Stamp is a legit useful barometer in what works and what doesn't haha - like if Stampede is cool with it than any horse should be fine!

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  4. Irish spent a whole year trying to cut off one leg. I swear to god. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I think that feed bin at that height should be good to prevent him from aspirating. His head is still down.

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    1. ugh yea i hate it when they're always trying to inflict damage on the same limb again and again. like cmon horse, give it a rest! at least lately charlie has spread the love around with his recent kick and that abscess.... but still. dude. wtf.

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  5. Charlie, stop hurting yourself!!!
    I was wondering why you were keeping the food bin so low (aspirating his food), because I was like, why not put it higher so he can't paw it? I'm assuming a feed bag is out of the question then since he can move his head around? I may have missed something in your feed posts (so sorry if this suggestion is already being done, I've been not able to read as closely as I would have liked lately!), what if you soak his feed? We have a couple horses who aspirate/choke because they bolt their food. Dumping a crap ton of water on every meal seems to have helped the problem.

    Penn suddenly has the fuzzies too, and I am trying to control myself. It is way too early to clip him. Must wait until at least mid-October. I. Hate. Winter. Fuzzies.

    And I love those pics of friends galloping by! It looks like such a good time!

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    1. lol yea it's hard to not want to clip them now esp when the temps are so high. we will see how long i wait lol. and yea regarding the feed suggestion, that's actually why i do not ask for advice or suggestions here bc i never feel like writing up the whole back story of what we have done and why every time -- and yet that back story is critical information when putting forward useful suggestions. in this case, yes i already soak his food (additionally alfalfa pellets are a major component of his diet and they also require soaking). this is a big deal since charlie has had tie back surgery, which i've also written about. his airway is permanently open, making him more at risk for anything getting down there doesn't belong. this also puts him at greater risk for complications like pneumonia. he's already had one tracheal wash in his lifetime, and i'd like to avoid any repeats!!

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  6. i think that is a good plan, stop planning and just enjoy him and all his bumps :) HA. OH Charlie. That leg!! I hope you figure things out....and that feeding situation HA maybe a table to eat off of? LOL AND YES WINTER COAT GO AWAY. WTF.

    that event looked fun though (Sorry you did not get to ride it! but it looked like fun was had by all!) YAY!

    Love the suspenders :)

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    1. lol the suspenders kinda suit him, i think. he's already got the nerdy center part -- now he just needs a bow tie and gappy front teeth and he'll look the full part!

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  7. UGH how disappointing and frustrating! Here's hoping Charlie heals himself up in time for a few more outings this fall!

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    1. ugh yea ditto, we will see what happens. sigh.

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  8. Dear Charlie, you are not a carnival ride, hold yourself together with more than just gum and paper clips! I'm glad he's not lame, but damn that shit is frustrating

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    1. omg seriously tho! tho maybe he would like to be a carnival ride! he seems to be taking the "retired" part of retired racehorse a leeetle too seriously!

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  9. Horses sure do keep us on our toes. Glad you're still able to have fun with friends on foot. :-)

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    1. lol yes they do in fact keep us on our toes!

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  10. Gah, Charlie, why you do dat? That HT fee is seriously the best deal ever. Hate that you had to miss it!

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    1. ugh yea, i esp hate that i already paid for it too lol. blargh. at least in theory since it's a home even we can jump around there whenever we want. (but of course, let's just forget the fact that we've schooled those fences exactly *once* since moving in two months ago bc of various lamenesses and work trips.... le sigh!)

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  11. Wow I'm impressed at his ability to dismantle all those feeding situations. Charlie wants to spread his food everywhere and damnit he does what he wants Emma! Also major ugh at that leg. No bueno. Fingers crossed for a quick resolution on that.

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    1. lol seriously, he's just such a persistent pawer at his food - and as soon as he figures out he can throw stuff around he just won't stop lol. in retrospect that tire may have been a little too much like a "toy" to ever work haha. i think the latest situation will work tho. or he'll just rip the whole barn down and probably somehow manage to kill himself in the process. who knows, anything is possible!!!

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  12. Ugh CHARLIE. NO. STAAHHHHP. I hate it when those plans end up derailing. It looks like it was a super fun show though! I'm glad Izzy is doing well for her new person <3 I think you're on the right track with holding off on plans with Charlie. He needs to get with the plan and stop injuring himself! lol

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    1. lol planning to hold off on plans until charlie can get with the plan. yes that actually sums it up quite accurately!!! ;)

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  13. Henry has the same nerdy suspender boots and hates them so much.

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    1. lol luckily charlie doesn't seem to mind them too much... tho he looks miiiighty pitiful when i try to make him walk somewhere while wearing them plus 15lbs of ice lol

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  14. oh, charlie. the feed stuff can be pretty damn frustrating, especially when we are like, "JUST EAT THE STUFF INSTEAD OF FLINGING IT AROUND". no helpful suggestions, although i am pretty shocked he was able to wrestle the pan out of the tire! what a playful dude.

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    1. yea seriously lol... he actually eats his food just fine. even when he spills it everywhere he will then spend 20min hunting and pecking up every single last speck. that part doesn't concern me much. it's the fact that the folks cleaning his stall won't bed the area around his feed tub for their own concerns about him eating (even tho i know he eats it all). meanwhile, there's a serious issue with wetness pooling all up in a low spot and i'm *not* cool with charlie standing in wetness hour upon hour. so the whole point here is to assuage the barn worker's (misguided) concerns about the horse spilling his food so that they will bed his stall more. it's.... actually kind of annoying!

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    2. LOL!! Spud is my little hen - he gobbles up any wayward grain from the girls.

      I hear ya on the whole wetness thing - tis the season right now and it can be pretty frustrating to deal with!!

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    3. well..... i'm not sure there's a "season" for wetness in indoor stalls lol. i'm talking about urine here. piss. puddles of yellow stuff. that.... i would prefer be filled with bedding.

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  15. NO Charlie nooooooo! Stop hurting yo self! It's driving your momma understandably cray cray! ((((hugs)))) and fingers crossed it's nothing serious.

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    1. srsly :( i don't think it's anything major, it's just another persistent ding. gonna get it checked out anyway tho.

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  16. Oof, I thought the stable wraps and ice boots looked suspicious in the one photo. Charlie! What are we going to do with you. Besides put you in a giant hamster ball made of bubble wrap and air holes for your grain pieces to fall out?

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    1. lol anything so long as sir can still play with his food!

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  17. I'm very sorry to read he's feeling a bit off again, but I chuckled pretty good at, "I'm sending myself a cease and desist letter!"

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  18. Wow that leg is funky looking. I'm glad he's sound on it, but I hope you figure out what's causing the reoccurrence and get it fixed.

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    1. i mean... i have my suspicions. homeboy has been known to trip and fall on his face with some regularity lol. and he's not particularly respectful of solid obstacles in his path!

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  19. Dang it Charlie! That was my best stuff! You're one crafty fella...
    But more importantly, at least TRY to keep all four legs in good working condition, would ya!?

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    1. four legs plz! that's all i ask! not 3, and not 4.5!!!!

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  20. OMG, his leg! Charlie stop it! I hope you guys get to the bottom of it soon and you're out having adventures together (over jumps preferably) really soon!

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    1. thanks! the leg.... ugh. it demands attention even more now. poor pony :(

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  21. Ugh, Charlie! Just wrap that boy's legs in bubble wrap 24/7. Seriously though, I hope all is well and you get back to riding :)

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  22. oh noooo, he needs to stop hurting himself! Those suspenders tho... It's a good look. If only it were a sound look!

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  23. Ugh, that sucks!! Charlie, come on, for real!! Sounds like a good idea to get that splint x-rayed though!

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  24. Poor Charlie! He really does seem to be a little accident prone.

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