Harvey and his pre-cut grass...

Bob mowed the lawn today, and we quickly threw the clippings in a bucket and I rushed it to Harv, who gobbled it up. I know there is a danger of doing this if the grass ferments, but he is so happy here, and I think we worked quickly enough that there was no risk. If you try this at home, standard disclaimers apply.

The Matchy-Matchy movement

I have to give a shout-out to the

Matchy-Matchy Swop Shop on Facebook.

Looks dressagey to me!

Can you hear me now?

So here is our second test, when he discovered his pasture friend on the adjoining property at the horse park. Keep the volume low ;-).

First horse show on The Painted One!

I took The Painted One (aka TPO) to his first schooling show last Tuesday. He was a good boy!

The warmup was a little erratic, as he was anxious about the other horses in the ring.

In the first test, Intro A, he was super. Coming down center line at the end of the test, he saw a horse in a pasture adjoining the Horse Park. They started calling to one another. And it never stopped.

In our second test, he pretty much called to the other horse throughout the test.  I have it on video if you're interested :-). He was truly beside himself -- his neck was rigid, and there was not much I could do except guide him around as best I could. I didn't want to muscle him into a frame.

We did win the first class with a 72% -- I don't know his placing for the second test but he got a 65%.

I was very pleased that he behaved and stayed obedient in the sense that there were no "antics." The solution to his calling is to get him out, again and again. We're working on that :-).

Harvey April and now...

So Harv ran around a little today, and he actually looked okay, better than a few days prior. I pulled out video from April of this year and compared. F I'm just glad to see him happily trotting around -- he seems to like it and it's good for him.

April 2014



June 2014

Cute story about this video. I didn't get it on film, but another boarder had put two cones close together around the dressage ring X (for accuracy practice earlier in the day). Toward the end of Harv's runaround, he came down the diagonal (HXF?), turned in at A, came trotting down center line, THROUGH the cones, and  halted in front of me. I have witnesses! It was adorable.

Have you met... The Shadbelly blog?

Have you run across the Shadbelly blog? I think it a classy and fun blog, and how can you go wrong with the topic of dressage fashion?  As a dressage clothes horse I enjoy seeing her fabulous finds and getting advice on various styles.


For example!
Her blog post today is "Are full seats obsolete?" 
As a wearer of extended patch breeches for many years, and as an admirer from afar of Animo breeches, I enjoyed her analysis and even more, the exposure to an Animo's Youtube channel, and I may blog it myself in a few days.  My only disappointment is that her "imagining" of the featured video is absolutely what that video should be. Animo needs to lighten up.

The dams have given way on color and fashion in dressage, which is a good thing! We need blogs like Shadbelly to help us navigate, and more importantly, to find our dream dressage clothing.

Silivia Rizzo and the cutest horse-face ever

That is ONE CUTE HORSE. And great music and great feeling.

Riley June 12: Ho Hum

Ri felt a bit sluggish on this day. Much of the ride he felt a bit flat, but it improved at the end, at least somewhat. Did not attempt canter.

Harvey: Worse before it's better

I think Harv is worse -- that is, more wobbly -- since he started treatment. He had 4-5 days on the ReBalance, then I switched to Oroquin two days ago.

I take him to the outdoor ring regularly to let him trot and play, so I see him moving out. Tonight he was a different horse. He was grunting when he trotted and cantered, and his hind swayed more.  He had a troubled look in his eye -- he knows he is not right, I think.

This is not unexpected -- in fact this is commonly reported in horses under this treatment. It could be a good thing, as it could mean that the parasites are dying and I guess the dying process causes inflammation and a temporary worsening of symptoms.   Less likely, I think,  is that he is just declining more rapidly. I am not dwelling in the "bad place," but have to allow that it's possible.

The other odd thing is that he is leaving some of his feed in his dish. Granted, he is getting a LOT of senior feed and 12 hours on grss, but... unusual for Harv.

On the bright side, he is enjoying the rich grass, his dutch door, and the attention of the folks at the barn. All I can do is sit tight...

Absorbine Herbal products: Massage!

Have you tried the Absorbine Botanicals™ products? 

I recently had a chance to try out the Massage Foam. I'm riding a green Paint pony, MT (and having a blast). This week I rode him nearly every day. After the fourth day in a row, he seemed tuckered out, so I gave him a light ride. Afterwards I hosed him off and pulled out the Massage Foam. I seldom read instructions and initially expected it to be an oil, so I was ready for a messy application. 

Well, it was a foam! It was easy to apply to his back and legs, and it didn't make my hand sticky. It smelled great. In the end the MT's owner and I were both doing "body work." on this tired pony.   The normally wiggly MT stood like a rock as we worked on him. He occasionally reached around to smell the fragrance as we worked on him. 

We spent a long time on him, and used a lot of squirts -- but when we were done the bottle still looked nearly full. At $15.95 I think this is a great product at a reasonable price. 

 

HKM Boot Love: Don't be afraid of floral!

Oh, I wish I had a mare, and I wish HKM stuff was easier to find in the states. They have it goin' on in terms of bold fashion.

Harvey refuses treatment!

 Harvey has "refused treatment." I have to assume that the EPM treatment, an oral suspension ReBalance (syrupy liquid) tastes particularly awful. Because it has to be given on an empty stomach (no food for 1.5 hours before or after) I can't mix it with anything.

It's just me, the med-filled syringe, and Harvey.  I don't care what anyone says about the right technique. No one could get 40ml of this stuff into my horse. Harvey is refusing treatment.

His head is up in the rafters, and I'm trying to follow the vet's instruction to get the liquid over the "hump" of the tongue, with a sixty ml syringe. I can get it up there, and squirt it in there. I hold his head up and stroke his throat.  Harv has to swallow eventually, right?

No, he does not have to swallow. Harv will stand for 10, 15 minutes making the most awful face. When I let my guard down, he spits it all out. And this stuff ain't cheap.

On the third dose, I got it in him, I bathed him, walked him, and 20 minutes later I turned him out in the outdoor ring. He spit it all out.

Ch-ch-ching.

I called the vet and ordered a different kind of meds -- Oroquin -- because I can't do this for six days, never mind six months. But while the meds are ordered, here is what I did.

I designed a syringe modification, similar to what they use on livestock but smaller and cheaper.  It's the basic syringe with a longer stem that is easier and less traumatic to insert. By God, it works! Sunday's dose went in him and stayed in. This long stem lets me get it further into his mouth, with less discomfort for Harv (he stands well), and I think it squirts so far back Harv doesn't taste it.  He swallows almost immediately.

IF YOU TRY THIS: 

I'll share how I made this if you're interested, but here is a warning. YOU NEED TO INSERT IT CAREFULLY. I am extremely careful about how far to insert it. There are some delicate structures in the back of the throat that you DON'T want to mess with.

Michel McNabb jewelry

I found this necklace at Rolex from jewelry designer Michel McNabb (view Michel's Facebook page) Michel works in sterling silver and pewter, and in two years I have acquired two necklaces in both materials. The necklace below is sterling, and it is gorgeous, horsey and feminine at the same time. The prices are reasonable, $25-70ish for the things I was interested in. Michel has offered to do a giveaway which is coming soon! Keep an eye out for it. You can buy her jewelry at the Tack Trunk in Lebanon, Ohio, Smartpakequine.com, or directly from her.

Riley june 7: Circles

Here are some circles. I'm pretty happy with the trot work. Canter improving but not quite there.

The treatment

A number of folks have asked me about the treatment.

My first pass treatment is Rebalance, which I obtained from Abba Vet Supply. Rebalance is an Antiprotozoal Oral Suspension for the treatment of EPM. Each ml of ReBalance Antiprotozoal Oral Suspension contains 250 mg sulfadiazine and 12.5 mg pyrimethamine. Give 4 ml per 110 lbs. body weight orally once per day. The usual treatment regimen ranges from 90 to 270 days. Sulfadiazine and Pyrimethamine.


They have been wonderful to work with and currently the product is on sale. As of this writing,   if you buy 3 bottles ($75) you get one free. A bottle lasts 20-30ish days if you're treating a standard horse (dosage is by weight). Harv is 1100 lbs and a bottle lasts him about 23 days.

A folic acid and vitamin e supplementation is also recommended -- about $20/month. I'm finding that Harv is not a good horse to dose with oral suspension (viscous liquid, not a paste) -- he holds it in for 10 minutes and spits it out when I'm not looking -- so I may switch to Oroquin, a new treatment that is less proven but great anecdotal success. It is a ten day paste treatment with 3 months followup powder supp.

Abba Vet has been super responsive and nice -- they ship fast too. I use them for most of my meds.

If Harv continues to "resist" the oral dosage (he is not easy about oral meds if he can't eat them with grain), I will switch to Oroquin, a product that is "less proven" but about the same cost and a much easier treatment regimen. I don't know that much about it so I won't risk a mis-statement.

Shiny objects for dressage

I LOVE these brush boots from HKM, now available on Ebay (which I hesitate to recommend due to previous fiasco with my saddle). Sixty bucks.

Although I have some cash flow issues this month, I contacted the seller for sizing info. The Large and X-Large have three straps and are for hind legs (unless you have a BIG horse). Ri is probably a Larbe but could get away with a Medium, I think, so there you go. The three-strap version is eighty dollars.

Those of you with finer tastes might love the classy subtle silver version. Or the pink. I know someone who might like the PURPLE boots (Lori, are you reading this?).

My favorite color is...

Did I say "no treatment"? I lied

Well, we're going to treat Harv for EPM.  I said I would not, and for reasons that are, well, reasonable. After all, Harv has not been officially diagnosed, there is a high relapse rate for treating EPM, he is an old dude, and oh yeah,  the cost.

The lack of confirmed diagnosis does not bother me so much -- his condition has been narrowed down to two "most likely suspects" -- EPM or Cauda Equina Syndrome. Cauda Equina Syndrome isn't treatable. I haven't been impressed with how well or accurately vets can test for EPM -- even New Bolton said a full complement of tests may not yield a diagnosis.

Why the change of heart about treatment?
The short answer is, the treatment is cheaper than I initially understood it to be--and in the end, I'm not ready to say goodbye to Harv.

Long answer: I managed a horse show on Sunday, and it was fun but eventful -- many rides, unforeseen delays, running around. It all ended well, but I felt worn out. After the show, Bob and I stopped to see Harv on our way to dinner. As I stood next to Harv's dutch door reading the label on a new bottle of fly spray, Harv poked his head out the dutch door and started licking my elbow.  No matter what happens in my day, Harvey makes me feel good.

We took Harv out to let him roll and graze a bit. He was exuberant! He trotted around like a stud, and he overdid it a little -- he tripped, his hind legs nearly collapsed, but he did not actually fall. He made a little grunting sound of alarm, but he recovered and came over to us. He was ready to come in. We opened the gate and headed back to the barn.

Bob: "Why did you say you aren't treating him?"
 Me: "Well, depending on what he has there is no treatment. And EPM treatment is over a thousand dollars a month. Up to 1500, New Bolton said."
[Pause]
 Bob: "Well.. That's what money is for."

Bob  is not one to throw money around,  comment stuck in my gut.

 When we got home, I had a Facebook message from a friend in Ohio. She shared information about an EPM treatment that, according to a friend of hers, was around $79/month. She gave me info about it, and I checked the medical research and the price at the source she provided. While vets had told me about the treatment, their pricing was THEIR pricing -- not what you can get from outside sources. So for about $110/month (including supplements and vet followups) I can treat Harv for EPM. That's what I'm going to do.

A big THANK YOU to my friend, who I met through my blog.

Equine urinary incontinence: Resources

I have a hard time finding information on equine urinary incontinence. Thought I'd share the most useful articles I found...

• Urinary incontinence: A drippy problem  Apr 1, 2010, Harold C. Schott II, CVC  in Baltimore Proceedings
• Incontinence in horses, from Vetstream.com
• Incontinent gelding. Jessica Jahiel's Horse Sense.
• Sabulous cystitis marks neurologic injury to the bladder. DVM360.com, March 2002
• Urinary incontinence in 37 horses. Schott H. C. Proceedings of the 50th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners Denver Colorado December 2004.  
•  Urinary incontinence in mature horses, P. E. Holt, Equine Veterinary Education, 9(2), pages 85–88, April 1997.
• Urinary incontinence and sabulous urolithiasis: chicken or egg?  H. C. Schott. Equine Veterinary Education, 01/2010, 18(1), 17 - 19.
• The Equine Manual, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2013.
• Urinary incontinence Equine Neurology
, by Furr, M and Reed, S, Wiley, 2008.

Serpentines, May 18

Ri came in from the pasture with swollen left hock, but it looked superficial and he came out sound. Today we did serpentines...

Custom spur strap giveaway!

Check out these Custom made spur straps from SOTM (shop owner, Sasha) on Etsy.com. Choose from over 50 different stone styles to add to your spur straps. The straps are made of fine leather and come in either black or brown. The straps for adults measure in 18" but can be made for Children which are 16." To enter, leave a comment identifying your spur bangle and say what you like about it.

Even if you don't win, the straps are only $30.

Thanks Sasha and her SOTM shop!

Two Horse Tack -- Medieval Madness giveaway!

This time around the Two Horse Tack giveaway is a gorgeous medieval bridle with bling in Beta Biothane.

Here is the catalog entry for the Medieval/Baroque bridle with bling so that you can take a look at the options and colors.

To enter the giveaway, go to http://www.twohorsetack.com/t-BehindtheBitGiveaway.aspx

Remember you get a $10 coupon just for entering the giveaway, and many items are very modestly priced -- it's like getting, 20/30/40% off!

Harv update: Box 'o Treats and New Bolton weighs in

What's new on the Harv front? First, I bought about 15 lbs of Equus Magnificus, his favorite gooey molasses ball treats. The box arrived yesterday and I fed him most of  a bag last night.

Second, I called New Bolton for a phone consult. My goal was to find out how this might progress and whether he is at risk for bladder rupture.

The vet I talked to consulted with "a team" of more experienced vets, including a neurologist, and she called my regular vet. Then she called me back. I so appreciate their willingness to do this and that is why they are my go-to facility for tough problems. They said...

• Based on what they know (without doing diagnostic tests) they think Harv has Cauda Equina Syndrome or EPM. Both are neurological. It could be other things.
• Diagnosing EPM at their facility would involve a spinal tap. EPM treatment is $1200 to $1500/month. There is a cheaper treatment (Rebalance?) that is $280-400/month that is less well-known.
• Harv is not a likely risk for bladder rupture, as the urine will take the path of least resistance, the opening into the sheath, barring blockage.
• She advised against routine bladder flushing as too risky, and said it should not be necessary.
• The sediment that was in his urine is not uncommon or necessarily pathological.
• His incontinence could be caused by "not enough squeezey" in the bladder (my words) or by a spasm of the sphincter. These are treated differently, with different drugs. Drugs for the non-squeezey problem are expensive. Not sure about the sphincter issue.
• She suggested Harv be tested for Cushings, to see if it might be contributing to the progression.
• She suggested a low dose of steroids as a generic treatment to make him more comfortable.
• Harv's incontinence problem is fairly common (although it does not seem common from what I'm reading and talking to other people).

I'm going to have the vet out again to do a blood test and check his vitals in about two weeks. I'll talk to her about some of the drugs that NB recommended and ask about the steroids. I worry about laminitis and suspect that is why my regular vet did not recommend it. 

I carry some guilt for choosing not to treat for EPM. If it were Riley, yes, I would at least consider it, not because I value him more but because he is so young, and he deserves to "have a chance" of living his life.  Harv, my beloved old dude, will get the best care I can afford for him, but I can't go into that much debt for a treatment that may or may not work. I am thankful that Harv seems to be so comfortable and happy.

Ask the Experts: Use of The Spur

Shocker. I've been misusing my spurs...

Harvey the grazin' machine

As far as Harv is concerned, he's fine. He is eating, happy, and runs around in the pasture before he settles down to graze. To my delight, he is also fatter than ever.

  The mystery...
He is not pooping -- at least not in nearly the amount he used to. This could be because he is not mostly on senior feed and very little hay as he can't eat it well. He was in his stall from 6am to 5:30pm Tuesday and there was not one poop in his stall. Wednesday one big healthy poop. He is not peeing much either.

I talked to the vet and she can't explain the poop. She felt based on her neuro exam that he should have no pooping issues. There is just not much urine to clean in his stall, also worrying.

We can only watch and wait for signs of discomfort.

 The normal practice at the barn is to turn out most of the time in a "sacrifice" paddock with hay, but to limit grazing to keep the pastures healthy. We've relaxed this practice with Harv who gets to be out on grass all the time. He needs to enjoy his summer and his good health.

Painted pony -- progress report

I've been riding the painted horse sporadically lately -- work, Riley, and Harvey keep me busy. Over time I have come to appreciate that he is a bit more "fond of the gate" than I thought -- not in a way that's ugly, but in a way that influences his pace and balance. For example, on a circle he leans to the outside and tenses when we are on the side of the gate. If I let him he will turn and go to it. He is also a worrying horse, tense at times, especially in the ring by himself. I need to help him relax but being more directive and keeping him busy in the work but also loose. It is so good for me to have a horse like this to ride. He is so much fun.

Jeweltone browband and discount on browbands!

I love this Etsy shop and now they have a Contrasting Colors Triangles Woven Beads Browband that I think "any horse can wear."

From June 4-10 there is a 10% off coupon offer, WBBTENOFF, which is used at checkout on anything in stock, PLUS shipping is free!

I have two of these and they are absolutely gorgeous browbands that hold up beautifully and are easy to clean. At $90 I think it's a bargain. The size is (based on my experience with these browbands) suitable to an average-sized head. Talk to the owner Pat if you have any questions, she is a very careful advisor and will not steer you wrong.

Harvey on grass after the vet visit

So Harv has urinary incontinence, as I posted previously. The vet came out Monday, June 2, and afterwards he went out on grass for the evening. Doesn't he look great?

Harv on grass, as far as he's concerned he's doing great. A wonderful thing.and 

Here is the scoop.

•  His vitals are good, and based on this and his demeanor the vet felt he was comfortable. 
• His anus didn't have good tone, nor did his tail. Not too surprising.
• She did a rectal and palpated his bladder. It was full, the size of a basketball! 
• The vet drained his bladder which had thick sludgey deposits followed by clear urine. 
• She flushed the bladder with saline.
• The urine will go out for analysis.  He may or may not have an infection, but it is probably more a symptom of his problem than a cause.
• The vet felt it is likely one more neurological symptom among several he exhibits. 
•  The prognosis will depend on how rapidly his bladder refills, whether it will drain well on its own (enough to prevent a backup), and how well or sustainably we can manage his issue. The vet was unable to project or guess how this will all turn out, but essentially is it a plumbing problem.
• She thinks, but is not sure, that any problems will be of slow onset, and that he is unlikely to crash. If we notice signs of discomfort we can act.

I'm so thankful that Harv is happy right now, and my goal is to manage this well enough to give him a beautiful summer. 

Harv's urinary incontinence

A few days ago I wrote about some unusual urination behavior that Harvey was having (see post).

Harvey did better on Saturday.  His elimination behavior   returned to normal. On Sunday he has some incontinence but not as bad as Friday. and he still has one or two "big pees" a day. His tail is still pretty floppy, but it's just one more of some neurological symptoms that have been going on for awhile.

He is on SMZs which may or may not be helping. The vet said that if Harv has EPM it might offer some temporary relief. Perhaps he had a urinary infection. In the last week I had tried to clean his sheath using baby oil. It seemed to work but maybe it bothered him.

  I found a few articles and posts in forums, but this DVM 360 article "Urinary incontinence: A drippy problem" covers it exclusively. It's very detailed but here are some highlights.

• Urinary infections are rare in horses, at least geldings. Their long tracts protect them from bacteria. 
• Neurological issues are a common cause of urinary incontinence -- EPM and Cauda Equine Neuritis are two of many examples.
• Idiopathic bladder paralysis syndrome is a descriptive label they use for this problem if they can't figure out the cause.
• Whatever the cause, it is common to have sediment and/or unexpunged urine pooling in the bladder and that causes problems. I guess there are procedures that can be done, but I'm not sure how often, and how invasive, this is. I'm not keen on shipping him anywhere or having him sedated (he gets pretty darn wobbly under sedation, and in danger of falling).
• Prognosis depends on the cause.

I'm setting up a vet appointment on Monday. For now, at least, he is fine.

I know dressage riders love clinics and all, but...

Clinics can be wonderful learning experiences, but
does the cost of the clinic reflected in the learning experience?

I finally saw it. A dressage clinic advertised for $250 for 45 minutes.

Really?

In 2013 the average doctor earned $80 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

• The top commercial pilots make $120/hour
• Anesthesiologists make $100/hour
• Legal professionals make $130/hour
• Orthodontists make $98/hour
• Clinical pharmacists make $53/hour
• Engineers make $61/hour
• Dentists make $78/hour
• Network and computer system admins make $35/hour

What makes a clinician worth that kind of money? 

Well, I guess they are really, really accomplished riders and teachers. But how much can be gleaned from a 45-minute session? I guess that depends on you, the rider, and your goals for you and your horse. If a clinician can get you past a problem holding you back, $250 might seem like a bargain. Putting the money down is a leap of faith, though. For the average amateur on the typical horse, who is making progress with proper regular instruction,  it may not be worth it.

In my own experience, the best instructors have gotten the chance to know me and my horse over the course of many sessions. Their insights are invaluable. I've had some valuable insights in clinics, but the value of the clinic session had absolutely no relation to the price tag.  It seemed to be related to the clinician's focus and interest in me and my horse, and their determination to assess and help.

In fact, if anything I've found that the more expensive clinicians can be more distant