Day 23

Here are some wound pictures from today!

This is the left leg.  As you can see, it is much cleaner now, and a lot of the crusty scabs on the surface are gone.  I have a feeling that big green strip in the middle will slough off soon.  (It is green because of the ointment I am applying).  That part feels like a very big scab.  The pink parts were moister yesterday after I got the top layer of goo off.  Today they look a lot more dried up.  How do you like all of my technical terminology?  I don't need to impress anyone with big words, right?  Just let me know if you object!  :)

Look how the skin around it is puckering...

The right leg is in much better shape.  It has a lot smoother surface, and you can see all of the new skin trying to grow in from the sides.  I can tell that flexibility is always going to be an issue in these legs.  He is very reluctant to bend when I lift up his feet.  Instead he lifts the leg up to the side like a dog hiking his leg.  It seems to work for both of us, so I just pick the feet out at this angle.  It is actually easier because he can hold it pretty high!  (Is this ok, Gail, or am I letting him get away with a bad habit??)  He does it very softly as if to say, "I am trying to lift my leg up for you, but it just doesn't bend that way.  Is this ok instead?"

Today we worked on squeeze game in the best way I could find:  I moved Alicia's horse Mac out of the neighboring lot and opened up the gate to the round-pen (with the halter on Doc, of course).  I walked out first and tried to simply lead him through, but it wasn't so easy for him.  The gate has a top and bottom bar, so he has to step over one thing and under another, as well as go through a small opening.  It didn't take long to be able to send him through that opening.  Coming back in was a little more difficult.  We had been enjoying a stroll in a little bit bigger area than where he is living, so we had fun discovering new things together.  He never once pulled on the halter.  However, when it came time to go back into the round-pen, the gate opening had become a lot more scary.  Despite his nervousness, he never once got rude or tried to pull away from me.  I let him move away when he wanted to, but I never let him turn his backside to me.  Any time he would try, I just had to do a tiny tap on the rump to turn him back around.  What a good boy!

He is going to get a couple of days' rest from me because of my work and lesson schedule. They say you should work for 5 days, then take 2 off, so maybe this time off is a good thing.  I will write again when I have something to tell you!

Until next time,

Jackie

Day 22

Doc and I had a great afternoon together.  It is fun to think back to just a few weeks ago when we couldn't even get near enough to touch him.  Now I can walk right up to him from any direction and start petting him wherever I want.  He has really grown to trust me in the past week, or so.  It didn't take me more than a minute to get the halter on him today.  He bobbed up and down a little when I tried to put the top of the halter behind his ears, but quickly settled down and allowed me to tie it.

For those of you Parelli-ites, I started playing the seven games with him.  So far, we have succeeded (even if only slightly) in the "Friendly" game, "Porcupine" game, "Driving" game, "Yo-yo" game, "Circling" game, and even a tiny bit of "Squeeze" game.  The only thing we are missing is "Sideways", but I am not in a hurry for that one yet.  Gail says it's time to play lots of squeeze game to help trailer loading go smoothly, so that is what we are going to do tomorrow.  Thanks Gail!

Wound update:  I used a towel to gently rub off all of the "goo" from yesterday's application.  It was really amazing!  All of the scabs came off easily, and now we have a little fresh tissue peeking through.  They actually looked almost clean!  I re-applied the magic goo, and will repeat the process tomorrow.  I am sorry, I forgot the camera today, but I promise to take photos for you tomorrow.

Thank you again for all of your love and support!
Jackie

Day 21

Look who's halter broken!!!   :)

We picked up almost exactly where we left off yesterday.  Doc didn't mind the halter being slipped over his nose, especially when he got a treat after I put it on.  We worked our way slowly up and down the nose until he allowed me to put the top of the halter over his head.  After doing that a few times, I gave him a treat and tied it.  He offered no resistance at any point.  After tying it, I just pretended like the rope wasn't there.  I had a 22-foot line, just in case he wanted to run, but I didn't even need 2 feet.  As soon as I started backing away from him, he followed, and very quickly I was walking around with my back to him, and he was following wherever I went.  Twice, he offered to turn away from me, but because we had this technique down so well before I put the halter on, I just used it again.  I backed away from his head, and walked toward his butt until he turned back towards me and followed again.  I used a slight amount of pressure on the halter (about 1 ounce did the trick) to turn him in any direction I wanted.  In combination with my body language, he understood perfectly.  What a good boy!!!   :)

He loves Mac...

I also brushed his whole body with a soft brush, picked out his two front feet (these are both firsts too!), and treated his wounds today.  He was so tolerant of everything, and never tried to leave me during any of these procedures.  He did say he would like to brush his own teeth, thank you very much...

Auntie Jennifer bought him a hay net!  Thank you Jen!!  (He loves it!)

Sweet horsey dreams to all!! 

Jackie

Day 20

Our boy has shelter!!!  Thank you Dave!!

Today I hung out with Doc for about an hour.  I brought a cookie bag in with me, and he was very curious about it.  It turns out, he likes butterscotch cookies!  Hooray!

He is now extremely willing to follow me wherever I go (whether I have cookies or not).  I was able to slip the halter on his nose several times.  At this point, I figure a little bribery doesn't hurt, so I gave him a cookie each time he put his nose through it.  I looped it over his head an gave him a cookie, then asked him to move towards me with a little pressure on the halter.  All went well!  Tomorrow might be the day we actually tie it and start asking him to follow us...  I'll let you know how it goes!


Alicia's horse, Mac, is now living on the outside of the round-pen.  Doc really likes Mac, and even does baby chomping noises to him.  It is very cute, and Mac is a good daddy!

Day 16 - Brent Graef

This is actually a continuation of Day 13...
Later in the day on Thursday, we had a lucky opportunity to watch a great horseman, Brent Graef, halter break a 6-month old filly at Cottonwood Creek Equestrian Center.  It was awesome to watch his horsemanship skills, and watch the relationship develop between him and that filly.  She went from a skittish little baby, to a calm and eager to please grown-up in just 2 hours!  Gail, the best teacher in the world, gave us two weeks to accomplish the same thing, AND have him loading in the trailer!  She really knows how to motivate me and get me working, doesn't she?

Brent Graef and "Cinnamon Twist"

Doc is now letting me touch all over his wounds.  I have officially started treating the wounds with the ointments that Dr. Jen sent home for him...



This photo was taken on Thursday.  I am now able to smear the goo all over the wounds.  He even lifts his leg up in pleasure when I am picking at them!  I guess they itch.

He is enjoying his dangling milk jug.  I think it has become his pasture buddy! 

Yesterday (Oct. 23), we had some heavy wind and rains.  It was an awful day and night for Doc.  He was so cold that Alicia and I went out in the storm to tie some tarps around the sides of his pen, just to create a wind-break for him.  Our #1 priority is to purchase some sort of shelter to cover part of the round-pen for him.  We normally blanket our horses, but obviously, Doc isn't quite at the point where he will accept a giant blanket being tied to his body.  That will be another thing we can work on!

Until next time,
Jackie

Day 13

We just got home from a visit to Dr. Jen Powers (for another horse), and she gave us some ointments to start applying to Doc's wounds. When we got home, I went out there with one of the jars and left it open on the chair so he could smell it while I rubbed him all over.  He doesn't mind me touching the wounds yet, and I was able to apply a tiny amount to one leg, and pick some of the scabs off.  We left it at that for now.  Maybe I'll do a little more later, but don't want to push this part too hard.  I want him to enjoy his doctoring sessions (or at least tolerate them well), so it will be important to take it slow and easy.  No pain right now.

Many of you have asked how you might be able to help.  Thank you so much!!  We set up a rescue fund at Dr. Powers' place for him under Alicia (Mosher's) account.  If you want to make any donations, just tell them it is for "Huckleberry", and the money will be kept aside just for him.  Cash or checks can be sent to:

Above and Beyond Animal Care
22294 Spyder Lane
Palo Cedro, CA  96073
(530)524-7044

I also have a rescue fund set up at the veterinary clinic that I work at.  (We are small animals only, but I will be purchasing supplies for him through here).  That fund is set up under my name (Jackie Loverde) 
Acct. #63933.  Huckleberry is the only patient in that account, so everything will go directly to him.  We can take any form of payment - credit cards over the phone work too.

VCA Asher Animal Hospital
2505 Hilltop Drive
Redding, CA  96002
(530)224-2200

Every little bit helps.  As I said before, we have lots of love in our hearts, but not a lot of money in our pockets.  Thank you!!!!!!!

Jackie

Day 12

Our boy is back! 
I started back at the beginning with him, thanks to Gail Bloxham (the best teacher I have ever had), for her advise!  I went out and sat in the chair and ignored him.  It took less than a minute for him to come over and start nuzzling around for scratches.  The top of my head, and my entire back have been thoroughly massaged.  We shared lots of breaths, and I told him I was sorry for pushing him so hard.  He forgave me by presenting me with his groin (hiked leg and all) for itching.  He enjoyed showing me about all of the toys that Alicia has placed in his pen.  He didn't particularly like the way I thought the tarp should lay on the ground, but he wasn't quite brave enough to move it back to where he had left it.  He must have pawed at it earlier because it was all twisted up like a rope.  He also liked the Jolly Ball, and his favorite toy is the milk jug hanging from the tree.  He likes to rub his head and face on that. 
Tomorrow will be a day for a little more progress, but only in short sessions.  T.G.I.F.!!!!   (It's my Friday, anyway!)  I can't wait to see what the next two days hold for us!

Jackie