Alternate Lesson Plan

Today Bebe and I spent her lesson session discussing and administering annual vaccinations.

She was an amazing veterinary assistant! She mixed the vaccines, was a fantastic syringe flicker getting all of the air bubbles out (as photo shows!), and she even helped me do the injections.

This was a big deal for Bebe because she is deathly afraid of shots!

Anyone who underestimates the capabilities of an autistic student, beware! Bebe will burst your bubble.

Bebe Returns to Spock

Bebe and Spock: Two of the Same

Many of you will recall Bebe, my amazing autistic student. Bebe is a walk/trot/canter/gallop/jump student despite her autism. This winter we have focused on bareback riding in the arena and on trail.

Unfortunately, Bebe slipped off on one bareback trail ride - uneventfully. Then on the next trail ride with a saddle she fell again - uneventfully as well but it was very emotional for he and she was obviously concerned about what happened to the "Velcro on her butt."

So we returned to Spock. Spock is our 4 year old mule and he is everything that a mule aught to be: stubborn, unwavering and unable to be tricked into anything.

At their previous session he taught Bebe patience as she spent 45 minutes just to drag him to the arena. This session was to teach Bebe how to get the animals on her side. We spent 1 hour gaining Spock's trust as he followed her around the arena (with a treat, the with a empty bucket, and then with nothing). By the end of the session she could lead Spock anywhere with just holding the end of a draped lead rope.

These two stubborn, picky and intelligent personalities taught each other so much and really put the wind back in Bebe's sails.

Photoshoot: The Bride Wears Spurs

There's nothing like horses and women together. It's a love affair that usually starts early in life and follows young ladies through their adulthood. We took the opportunity to celebrate this beautiful love affair with a formal photo shoot.

Many of us at the barn have a collection of wedding dresses and ballroom-style prom dresses that will most likely never be worn again. However, these dresses, as beloved as they are, we will most likely never be sold or given away; they will remain in our closets indefinitely. As a result, I devised the perfect opportunity to showcase these beloved dresses using the amazing horses that we have here at Painted Bar Stables.

More photos here: http://m.flickr.com/lightbox.gne?id=8528533561

Lena's Peroneus Tertius Tendon

About 10 days ago Lena came into the bar with her rear left leg swollen all the way above the hock.

Since then with a vet visit, wrapping, antibiotics (SMZ) and bute, the swelling went down, but there was still mechanical lameness in her leg. She looked like she was skipping at the trot. Or perhaps like she had a peg leg. It didn't cause her pain but she couldn't get her leg under her.

Lena has a history of hock problems. In the past she has had a septic hock (something that usually does not heal) and had a miraculous recovery.

Needless to say I was worried. This morning I took her to Cornell University for an exam.

Early into the exam, the vet had determined issues between the hock and stifle. He was doing a hoof-test exam just to show students protocol to rule out hoof injuries and the below photo is what we saw.

There is no way a horses leg should move like that! There was only one answer: a torn peroneus tertius tendon!

The wonderful thing about tendons is that the ends magically seem to be able to find each other and mend all on their own.

So now Lena is on a little more Bute, 8 weeks stall rest with 2x a day walks to make sure the tendons don't stick to any other tissues and ensure smooth healing. We will return in 6 weeks and ultrasound to see if the tendon has started healing itself.

The best part is that for only a road trip to Cornell, 1 hour at the vet and $88 we have not only a diagnosis but a treatment plan and positive prognosis. Who said Cornell has exorbitant prices?

Pretty's Workout

Pretty is an amazing mare on my life. She was given to me as a freebie portion of a multi-horse deal because at the time she was half-blind. Since then she has become my favorite mare, by a long shot.


Pretty is now completely, 100% blind in both eyes. Her loss of vision has obviously not impaired her willingness or ability to work, move and play. She is still a capable and magnificent

That said there are major limitations - for instance when I guide trails I often have to spend most of my time looking backwards at my riders. This can often be a problem for Pretty - who is completely fearless and has more gumption than she deserves. Going blind didn't slow her down so she'll run right into a tree with full force if I don't tell her where to go (and she doesn't always think she should listen either!). She also tends to trip up on downed trees more, even with a "lift your legs cue" and she also has a harder time on the river banks and hills.


Due to the nature of my business, I haven't been able to ride Pretty as much as in the past. Her inability to see makes guiding trails on her difficult and even a liability.

As a result, while I still ride her on trails, I am not using her as a guide horse any more. If she trips and falls, which does happen occasionally and she goes down on her knees, it freaks out the novice riders. It doesn't matter that she's blind, or that she is 100% okay after the trip or that she still would rather be out there tripping than stuck in a field - it's terrifying to watch for novices. All they can think is "Will my horse do that? Will it happen to me?" As a result, we are more recreational riders, not a working pair anymore. Unfortunately that just means less time under saddle for Pretty instead of her daily rides.

As a result, she just hasn't gotten as much ride time as in the past so she is unfortunately out of shape. I haven't been able to do more than the occasional walk/trot rides with her in the past couple months. However, her natural athleticism and skill today left me flabbergasted.


To see for yourself, check out part of our 30 minute workout yesterday. Out of shape, out of practice and completely blind, the mare still has it in her! This is what makes her my favorite.

Love or Respect?

Everyone dreams of having a beautiful and loving relationship with their horse. I recently saw a post by a very renowned horse trainer regarding "touching your horse's soul" and not basing the relationship on merely respect. 

I have seen many horse owners (in and out of my barn) attempt this and then at the end have a horse that they are affectionately bonded to and is overly anthropomorphisized but has utter disrespect for their owner and other humans (not vicious, just disrespectful). 

When push comes to shove a human is a human, a dog is a dog and a horse is a horse. If I treat a dog like a horse and then a horse like a human it is bound to be just as disrespectful to the animal as if I treat a human like a dog. We all have unique needs as species. 

A relationship with a horse is more like a marriage than a teenage romance. Young romance is merely puppy love - they touch each other's souls as first loves but they have no respect for the person or the bigger picture. A marriage is 30% adoration, love and soul searching, 60% respect and the ability to accomplish goals together and 10% the inability to live without the other. 

Love can grow out of respect but respect cannot grow out of love. 

... and when it comes to horses, the absence of respect (whether horse or human) is incredibly dangerous.

Be careful just how idealistic you are because the best of dreams can easily become nightmares.

Bad News Bear

Fracture in Left Hind Splint bone

Gator, then Zorba, is now officially named "Bad News Bear"

I had a strange feeling last night about Bear and decided to squeeze him in at Cornell for an ultrasound of his hind left today when we brought Cola for a farrier appointment.

On Saturday (5 days earlier) Bear had come in from his evening in the back field with a very swollen fetlock. It was so tender that he broke away from the wall. We buted him immediately hoping it was a sprained fetlock.

As the days passed, I wrapped him, iced him, cold hosed him and the swelling went down a bit in the fetlock. However he still had a little "overall" swelling and was definitely still lame. We tried stall rest in a 12'x12' stall but he was so anxious we decided to put him out at night.

Today during the ultrasound none of his tendons or ligaments had issues; so we probed deeper. As we were watching we uncovered a hidden puncture wound - very small wound. As we probed we saw what appeared to be a fracture in the splint bone. The fracture isn't even close to where he was swollen.

See a clip from the ultrasound: http://youtu.be/UUs5Nyht8CM

Radiographs confirmed that he had indeed fractured his splint bone.

He is now on antibiotics and bute hoping to avoid any infection in the bone and avoid surgery. He has on a sweat wrap, which will come off tomorrow and be replaced with a pressure wrap. He will be on stall rest 24/7. Because he gets so anxious in a stall, we have him on the broodmare indoor-outdoor stall so he can have a little more space.

Frustration cannot begin to explain where I am at right now. Bear is a horse I just purchased merely 3 weeks ago for jumping lessons. He's a wonderful guy and I was eager to play with him and take him to the fall hunter paces. I went to Cornell to confirm that it was just a simple sprain and could have him on regulated turnout and I came back with something surprising.

He is officially a wonderful Bad News Bear.