Tuesday, March 17, 2009

On the Wings of Warm Weather

I am trying not to be superstitious. Siete has been running around like a healthy horse, so the farrier and I are talking about putting shoes on the normal way this month instead of reversing them on her front feet. I don’t want to jinx anything by saying that we are doing really well, but I’m going to risk it. It’s a way of offering hope to anyone who is going through some of the same scary hoof problems we encountered six months ago.

All that said, today, Siete threw her front left shoe, which is the foot where we had all the problems. So now, I’m going to be calling the farrier first thing in the morning to come earlier than planned. Until he gets here, I’ll use one of the boots that Grey Horse Matters’ daughter let me borrow last fall. Another superstition I’ve secretly had is that as soon as I returned the boots, Siete would need them. Luckily, I heeded that one.

Now that I’ve lived through several years of Silk itching like crazy and Siete developing hoof abscesses and both horses having Lyme Disease, I hope that I’ve learned enough to prevent another round of these seasonal problems. I’m going to be vigilant. I know the warning signs. I’ve got all the sprays and meds and boots and poultices on hand. As bad as winter is, with the cold and the ice and the snow, there aren’t any bugs. When I think about it, the bugs are what get us every time. Isn’t it amazing that tiny insects that are almost invisible can cause such havoc and pain to a 1000-pound horse? This year, I swear I’m ready for them.

The daffodils are coming up. The forsythia and lilacs and azaleas are budding. Can the ticks and mosquitoes and flies be far behind? I hope so.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This time of year, when it's getting warmer and the bugs aren't out yet, is just wonderful. Good luck with your hoof issues!

the7msn said...

The belief in superstition runs very deep over here, too. Some day I'll have to blog about Bad Karma Trail and how it got it's name.

I so hope the warm weather brings continued soundness and good health for your girls, and peace of mind for you.

Grey Horse Matters said...

Good luck with Siete's feet and Silk's itchies this year. I hope the bugs are a long time coming and when they do show up they just leave everyone alone. Maybe there won't be so many of them this year because of the brutal winter we had. Hopefully, a lot of them didn't make it through the cold and snow. Wishful thinking?

detroit dog said...

Hi Virginia,

I've posted my Honest Scraps. :-)

Sounds wonderful over there; beautiful here today.

--V.

billie said...

Glad to hear Siete's hoof issues are better. What ended up being the diagnosis? I remember you talking about IR at one point.

In any case, it sounds like you're winging it toward warm weather and I know it must be a relief to get to spring!

jme said...

ugh! nate already had his first itchy bug bite of the season the other day. poor guy got coated in nearly a whole bottle of calamine lotion. i'm hoping that's not a sign of things to come :-\ but i think i'll follow your example and get ready early!

(ps- keep the boot handy - it's mud season! and for the superstitious, having it ready is the surest protection against future problems ;-)

Anonymous said...

a green solution to tick problems in Guinea hens. I hope you don't have the same issues with your horses as last year.

John and Regina Zdravich said...

I feel the same way that you do about the bugs -- that is why the height of summer (July-Aug) is my least favorite time of year. It seems that no matter what type of insect deterrent I use, it only makes a dent in the onslaught. We should all enjoy these next 6 weeks or so until we are infested again!!

Deejbrown said...

I could live forever without ticks. May you all continue in good health, regardless of the weather and the various pestilences it brings!

billie said...

I am on the Cushings/IR Yahoo email list now, and just read something about sensitivity to the gnats/no-see-ums being common in IR horses... and there is a discussion going on about using chondroitin and spirulina to help with it.

Some of the descriptions sounded like what you were going through with Silk last summer, so just wanted to pass it on.