chipping away (puns)

It's a relief that Charlie's moved on from the most critical phase of his gargantuan gravel-induced subsolar abscess.... 

oooh look who graduated to long walkies around the farm!!!

He's reliably pretty sound at the walk now, even as we've introduced time out in the paddocks and walking around the farm. Plus, the drainage from the abscess finally cleared up. 

ooooh and sometimes his friends have to be in paddocks too, so he gets company <3

Which leads me to believe that we're firmly into the "false sole" phase of recovery. If you recall, Charlie's abscess took up the whooole underside of his foot; effectively separating the sole from the rest of the structures. Thus.... basically kinda killing it, if I understand correctly. 

presently the layout for a maximally reduced wrap that still meets my tolerance for risk
components: scissors to remove old wrap; hoof pick for evaluating sole integrity (more on that later); betadine in a curved-tip syringe for flushing; fluffy cotton padding for Charlie's heel bulbs; one roll vet wrap; duct tape patch (this exact layout every time) for sole coverage + 4 short strips to adhere to the wall; extra duct tape as needed

The result is that Charlie has to form a new sole underneath the old one, which I'm imagining is like growing in a new toenail. Our sense, based on where Charlie is in his soundness and comfort, is that the new sole is already pretty well along the way into fully forming. 

the wraps are looking solid after 24hrs of wear. i feel confident enough to attempt 48hrs now.

This significantly improved Charlie's overall comfort, and mine! Not gonna lie, having a gigantic hole in my horse's foot was just a bit stressful.  

hoof straight out of the wrap. see how chalky and pale the sole has become, compared to when it was black before?

But we think there's a new sole underneath that hole now, which means Charlie still has protection against infection etc. if one of my wraps should fail. 

i know this is hard to see, but the false sole is literally crumbling off in powdery chunks

The old sole is definitely changing in color and texture too. I had kinda imagined that maybe it'd peel off in one go sorta like an old toenail. But actually, it's coming off in chips and chunks and almost powdery toe-cheesy kinda consistency. Gross lol. 

i scrape over the whole sole with the hoof pick, then squirt some betadine up in the defect to keep things flushed up. drainage is completely over at this point, tho, so this step probably isn't necessary.

Charlie's also coming due for his regular trim, but my vet advised trying to push him out another couple weeks just to avoid being too aggressive at a seminal moment in recovery. 

bottom view: heel bulb pillow, vet wrap, and sole patch (lol puns) applied

The optimist in me hopes that maybe we could even consider putting a shoe on the horse by then.... But honestly I have no idea how likely or unlikely that is. Might actually give my vet the option to come take a look at the hoof herself to determine whether he's ready or not when the time comes. We'll see. 

top view of the same

In the meantime, we finally hit another huge milestone in Charlie's recovery: he returned to his full-day group turnout this weekend! You might recall I had hoped to do this last weekend, but there was still drainage and he had a few setbacks related to soreness, so we put the plan on ice for another week.

final slipper, with pressure-relief snip down past the coronet, plus a few extra pieces of tape

I wanted to do this over the weekend just to give myself maximum control. I got to take him out as one of the first horses in the morning, and walked him and a buddy all the way up into the field to the round bale, vs releasing them at the gate. Obvi I can't stop the horse from galloping around, but at least this way he didn't START in gallop lol!

experimenting with foam shims inside the Zip boot

He gave me a heart attack, tho, when I went to bring him back in that evening. Like, the fact that I didn't video this should be as clear an indicator as you could get that my heart was sinking a little bit. But, in retrospect, I am SO SORRY there isn't video, so you're going to have to use your most cinematic imagination to see what happened.

first test got all crumpled up and didn't stay under his sole

Bc at first... All the boys were down at the gate (as opposed to up on the crest of the hill at the round bale, or over the hill on the grass) waiting to come in for dinner. All, but Charlie. And I instantly started to worry. But! Lo! There he was, just barely over the crest of the hill by the round bale, just his star-face and floppy Eeyore ears were visible. Hmmm, why the sullen ears tho?

trimmed it down a bit, but likely will just abandon this idea if this doesn't work

Then he started walking tho, and here's where I should have pulled out the camera. Bc I was like, "Oh ok he looks fine walking." 

Then he trotted! And I was like, "Omg Squee loookie at him!!" 

And, then, uh, this mother fucker TOOK OFF GALLOPING STRAIGHT DOWN THE HILL TOWARD US, all snaking neck and flying mane, looking exactly like his best impression of a wild stallion lol. 

all packaged up!

Like, you can kinda see the crest of the hill in the gif below, top left. And then imagine him galloping like a fool straight down to the gate, and cutting sharply right before hitting the fence, skidding and mud flying, snorting and prancing and looking supremely pleased with himself omg. 

and omg ---- peep that starry face + giant ears mid-crowd???

So. Ya know. That was reassuring haha. Obvi I had hoped to recreate the magic last night, but he was already peacefully ensconced with his herd down at the gate by the time I got there. So. Sorry, I kinda feel like I robbed you of some epic Charlie footage LOL. I guess watch this video if you wanna imagine what it looked like? 

link to video here

So. Haha. I'm feeling hopeful. Two full days spent out, and the horse looks good. I am honestly a little concerned we might see a slight increase in soreness, not least bc... Homeboy still doesn't have a shoe. Attempts to pad out the Zip boot haven't been super successful, so I'm not ruling out upgrading the boot to something with a little more support if needed. 

so happy to be a free horse again <3

For now, tho, I'm just so relieved! Maybe someday soon I'll actually get to ride again? Maybe?? Pretty please??!? Lol...

mud - 1; emma - 0

Ok so.... uh, yea, that wrap totally failed lol. Which ya know... Eh, I tried?

hmmmmmmmm.
i swear the horse has a giant lush tidy pasture ---- but it bottoms out at the gate near the stream, where you can observe it gets a little, uh, wet

At least Charlie got to spend a day out with his friends? He's a good dog, but..... a little bit of a terrorist on stall rest. Everyone was happier to see him turn tail lol.

side story: trucky truck 2.0 went on another fun adventure! something we've had on the books for months, which let's be real --- was probably why charlie decided to go lame in the first place LOL...

I really really really hoped he'd come in from the pasture in relatively decent shape but, alas, 'twas not to be. He's still just too sore.  

really loving this tonneau cover too. sure, the cap on the former truck was amazing and much more permanent, but it's so nice to be able to easily reach in anywhere in the bed, vs having to crawl all the way in just to reach something in the back

So my guess is he'll probably have to stay in more often than he can go out, at least for the next week or two. On days when he's walking well enough... Yea, I'd like him to go out. At least for that mental health, ya know? And of course, in consultation with the vet... 

anyway. it was a fun day at the show, even if charlie wasn't among our party

But on the days when he's sore? Well. Homeboy doesn't really want to go anywhere anyway. He cried at me a little bit on Saturday morning while I turned out all his friends. But it was half hearted, and he was more than happy to just chill out and tuck into a fresh hay net.

meanwhile, in charlieland. hmmmmmmm.

Anyway. For those curious about the wrap... Idk. It was probably destined to fail no matter what. But I think the little feedbag insert was the primary culprit. 

i blame the feedbag insert

Something about how it doesn't adhere to any of the layers makes me suspect that creates an opportunity for the layers to all pull at each other in ways they wouldn't if the wrap acted as one cohesive thick layer. If that makes sense?

hard to see, but the little animalintex worm is still wedged in there!

Regardless, the little scrap of Elastikon was long gone by the time Charlie came in, as was, somewhat hilariously, the inner gauze wrap. Just -- poof! -- totally disappeared. 

so ya know, that's something i guess lol

Just the outer layers of duct tape and vet wrap remained as a little 'flip flop' wrapped around Charlie's fetlock. Tho, for better or worse, at least it was relatively loosely wrapped. So there were no rub marks or tight spots or anything. 

Plus -- somewhat miraculously, the little squib of animalintax that I shoved into the groove of his hoof was still there doin it's thing. Or, uh, at least trying?

mikey is so helpful

So I dunno. I tried. Wrapping this horse for turnout in that field is honestly a fool's errand anyway. I guess if he absolutely *must* be wrapped, then he just can't be turned out there. 

love these ponies, even tho i wish charlie could come play too <3
but hey -- silver linings -- now with the extended cab truck, it's easy to fill up the bus and travel in comfort!!! 

Tho for right now, he's not really getting turned out anyway so eh, maybe the "should we / shouldn't we" wrap conundrum will solve itself before he's even ready to go out again? 

We shall see, I supposed! In the meantime, cross your fingers that Charlie feels better soon before we're all driven crazy....  

bee-autiful farm animals

Charlie's farm is old. And enormous. And, as it turns out, home to many many many various critters --- well beyond horses and ponies and barn cats.

critters. everywhere.

A whole bunch of them are right out in plain sight too, tho, it's actually pretty easy to miss them. 

i spy, with my little eye!

This weekend, I was particularly enamored with our resident carpenter bees <3 <3 

and hey look, there's another one!

These sweet fuzzy bumblers have moved into what must be ancient nests. If they're anything like the carpenter bees from my back yards growing up.... they've probably been living in these holes for (bee) generations.

morning ablutions, bee style

Can't say I've ever actually caught any of them hangin around. Actually --- I only noticed these guys bc I just about smooshed one by resting my broom on the wall right next to where his little bumble bum was sticking out.

well hello there!

Eventually, tho, even bees gotta get up and get their days started haha. And this one seemed just a little bit surprised to be watched in the process lol...

buzzing off lol

But bee life ain't gonna take care of itself, so off they gotta go. Bye, bee!

more critters!

For as interesting as the bees are, gotta admit I kinda like our standard fare barn animals. Like Mikey!!

lol and illustrations of critters

And the ridiculous barn pig Goose, who has been on a diet these last few months for... um, illustrated reasons lol.

lol when art imitates life

Honestly, the variety in animals is kinda nice -- just one more reason why long weekends at the barn are such a nice change of pace from the 9-5 drudgery, amirite?

about all that leather....

Confession time: I am not Pony Club rated when it comes to caring for my tack. Not even close.

In theory I love the idea of carefully cleaning and caressing all that leather. And I *do* enjoy cleaning the tack once I buckle down to actually do it. It's just.... Well. To be perfectly honest? It just doesn't happen all that often.

I'm trying to get better tho.

Especially considering how much I've invested in tack upgrades over the past year. Ahem.

pictured: my beloved Hulsebos dressage saddle that fits like it was custom made for Charlie, and a PS of Sweden bridle that's a liitttttle too small haha. and also a sneak preview of the photos from our fun clinic!! pc Austen Gage

You might remember that I ooh-ed and aah-ed over the PS of Sweden bridle I bought from Aimee a couple years ago as the nicest piece of tack I owned. It's still a very nice piece of tack, and has since been joined by an equally nice jump bridle.

But it's only since last winter that my saddle game stepped up to the plate too. Last winter I upgraded my dressage saddle to a Hulsebos custom built for my trainer's late giant OTTB. And that saddle.... it's pretty fanceh, yah? With like, buffalo leather and the whole nine yards.

i busted out those bright white polos we won from the year end awards, bc when the hell else will they ever get used other than at a dressage clinic?!? pc Austen Gage

Last summer the saddle maker himself, Jan Huslebos, actually came out and custom fitted it to me and Charlie. Including chopping off the bottom half of the thigh blocks to better accommodate my own geometry. At that time, I was admittedly slightly mortified to have him working on his own creation while it was in kinda dusty musty condition, ya know?

So I bought a jar of the Hulsebos leather conditioner at the same time, and have since been better about applying it semi-regularly to my tack.

post saddle surgery: those blocks used to reach all the way to the bottom of the sweat flap!

More recently I went through that whole KonMari-my-tack-trunk episode (lol puns) and had to clean all that stuff too. I just used what I had on hand at home: some random saddle soap from a prize pack a few years ago, and my trusty Effax conditioner.

One thing has stood out to me amid this whole tack cleaning and organizing frenzy: there really is a big difference in how well the higher quality stuff cleans up vs lower grades of leather. Even after years of neglect, the nice stuff just kinda bounced back to life, whereas the cheaper buys definitely bore the scars of their abuse.

the new kid in town. the leather is so dreamy, so soft..... now to just keep it like that!

Anyway, all this is to say: now that I'm the proud owner of a new-to-me french leather saddle (plus those lovely new tall boots that I continue to be super impressed by!), I'm suddenly feeling quite a bit more motivated to keep my stuff in nice condition.

The Hulsebos conditioner has worked well, as has the saddle soap I've been using. And I do like that Effax. Plus I'm honestly also a pretty big fan of regular old glycerin soap, and have heard great things about neatsfoot oil. At my first barn growing up we used Lexol on basically everything, too.

this bridle wishes it was showered with as much affection as Charlie is on the daily haha. pc Austen Gage

I'm curious tho about other brands or products. All those butters and creams and oils and conditioners and wipes and polishes.... Are they all just variations of the same thing? Or do some really work better than others? Particularly, are there some whose effects last longer? Or that are easier to use?

Is the key really all about wiping down after every single ride? Or are sporadic cleanings enough?

i might be stingy with the leather conditioner, but dammit if i'm not extremely liberal in the application of treetz directly to charlie's face haha. pc Austen Gage

Do you have any tried and true favorites? Or any horror stories or products you only use with extreme caution, or avoid altogether? Or maybe you're more like me, kinda just using whatever's on hand and hoping for the best?

Are you like a mad scientist when it comes to the proper method of tack cleaning and conditioning? Must soap always come first? Or do you just slap some conditioner on top of possibly-grimy leather and call it good?

My poor abused tack is dying (lol more puns) to know!

helping out around the farm (with puppies)

My new barn is hosting their annual USEA horse trial this weekend and obviously Brita and I were happy to pitch in for all the preparations.

Riley makes sure we didn't miss any spots on this shadowy ditch

I've volunteered at this show a couple times in the past just as a matter of course. But obviously this year it's been neat to actually be around on the grounds such that I can be available to help out with various tasks.

pup's gotta case the perimeter to make sure we're clear to paint!

Like setting up the dressage courts. Obvi not a particularly complicated task. But somewhat fussy and time consuming. Unless there are lots of ppl. An extra set of hands there is always pretty welcome!

and now it's a tired hot pup in the truck's shadow lol

Then I got to enjoy the time previously spent packing the trailer and hauling Charlie over to OF by instead cruisin around the xc course in my truck with Brita and her puppy Riley.

no pup in this pic, but a good mirror shot of the level of buzzing activity

Just goin through, touching up some jumps - particularly sight and reference lines for the horses - and adding whole new coats of paint to others.

added some highlights to ye olde table

Couldn't have asked for a better day either. Mid 70s (waaaat?), strong breeze, low humidity and high sun. freakin perfect!

pup in water + pre-paint job fence

Turns out xc fences are pretty freakin easy to paint too - it's not like fine art or anything. You just slap the paint on and give it some good coverage.

fence after - much better!

I had already hacked around all the courses the evening prior with Charlie and am really excited by how they look. We'll be jump judging for the event itself today, and then fingers crossed everything goes as it ought in Charlieland over this coming week.

too bad Riley hasn't quite figured out the "retriever" part yet lol

Because the plan is to get out and school it all ourselves next week! Eeeee!! It's been so long since I've schooled xc with the horse, and actually something like a month and a half since he's even been to an event.

It's time haha. Who knows, maybe I'll even traipse out there to try out a few things sometime this week too. Ya know. Bc now I can!

Anyway I can also just feel my general excitement growing about being at the new place. Sure, it's farther from home. And sure my horse got us right out the gate with my biggest worry: a fussy injury (that has basically fully recovered already bc Charlie).

But it's SO COOL to finally actually be at a real event barn. To roll down the drive way and see folks doing real dressage in the ring. Or to see other riders wearing colorful gear and unconventional tack. Or no tack! I hadn't realized how out of place I had felt at the h/j place lol.

And now I'm happy to settle in at the new barn, helping out wherever I can, and hopefully making this barn really truly feel like home for me and Charlie. It's a good feeling!

Hope you all are having a good weekend too - any big horsey plans? Anything going on around the barn? Or is it more of a quiet weekend, folks on vacations and whatnot?

For Dolly

Dolly is one of the sainted lesson ponies at my farm. A cute tiny Arabian whose dainty and refined face makes Isabel look downright chunky and plain. This pony tho, I swear she has the biggest eyes of any horse I've ever seen.

Face aside, tho, she's got the typical attributes you might expect to find in an aging lesson pony at a small program: ghastly conformation, questionable soundness, and bizarre muscling developed over many years of compensating for said conformation and soundness.

She is very good at her job tho, and has patiently taught many students the ropes.

such a pretty face!

A couple weeks ago she came in for stall rest after what was presumed to be a hematoma or something resulting from a kick. I'm honestly not totally clear on the details, other than it was expected to be a straight forward recovery that would just take a little time and lots of cold hosing.

Except, the poor thing went and foundered on us - rotation in both fronts.

skeptical mare is skeptical. "NEEDS MORE SCRITCHES PLZ!"

So suddenly her stint on stall rest has extended indefinitely, and obviously her whole care regimen has been modified accordingly. No grain foods, soaked hay, deep deep deep bedding, some very fancy new footwear, no treats, pain management, etc etc etc.

And of course, my own personal addition to the routine: lots and LOTS of gentle currying in all the itchy scritchy places.

As an older horse, she's still not really fully shed out and has been very susceptible to skin funk so she could certainly use the attention. Well, frankly, she could use a bath... but that's not super feasible right now. Plus, idk, I just get a lot of satisfaction from grooming. 

I think she enjoys the attention too - last time I went to pick her stall out, she practically pinned me to the wall with her shoulder, stretching her neck out to be like "HERE PLEASE!" I also like to think it breaks up the monotony of her day a little, especially given she was accustomed to living outside 24/7.

Plus after the grooming sessions there's lots of yawning and blinking and grunting haha. This mare can apparently make some silly faces!!

I want to be cautiously optimistic for her recovery - as she seems comfortable enough in her stall to move around from hay net to window to door. Slowly, yes. Very slowly. But not as gimpy as you might expect. I just don't know a lot of details tho, and haven't really been able to discuss much with the people closest to her veterinary care. 

So we will see. Hopefully Ms Dolly will continue to stay comfortable and happy enough in her confinement to fully heal. Founder and laminitis basically scare the shit out of me tho, so I never really know what to think or expect. In the meantime tho I'll just keep doing what I can to improve the quality of her day, and ask that you keep this sweet mare in your thoughts!