Category:

A Little Catching Up

6/12/2019

#1
In the fall of 2017, Speedy sliced open his coronary band and separated the hoof capsule from the coronary band in the process. The injury kept him on the disabled list for several months. This link will get you to my last update which has links to the original injury.

Is it a line, or is it a crack?

While he's been back to work without any effects from the wound, his hoof has never quite looked the same. My farrier hasn't expressed any concerns about it, but I've kept a close eye on it just the same. When Speedy was in to have his tooth pulled, I asked Dr. Tolley to have a look at the line that runs down the length of his hoof.

Dr. Tolley loves his Dremel Tool.

Dr. Tolley whipped out his Dremel and went to work on Speedy's hoof. He closely examined the "line" running down Speedy's hoof wall. My farrier calls it a line, but it has always looked like a crack to me. The vet confirmed my farrier's diagnosis; it's a just a line and isn't causing any structural damage. When Speedy injured his coronary band, it left scar tissue which is affecting how one small bit of hoof grows out, but it's only on the surface. The "crack" doesn't extend into the hoof wall.

Just a surface line.

Now that I know that it's just a scar and not a crack, I can quit worrying about it. I'll have to tell my farrier that he was right. The next time he calls it a "line," I won't insist on calling it a crack!

#2
In other news, after 4 years of ruining fly masks, Izzy has decided to wear one. He's kept this one on for about a week. After riding and cooling my horses off with a shower, they get to graze freely on the grass down by the paddocks and pastures. One at a time though, I learned my lesson. One horse won't go anywhere; two horses wreak havoc just because they can.

Wrong size, super old, but he's wearing it!

I decided to use the grazing time to see exactly how he was getting the fly mask off. I slipped it on under his halter, so that when I put him back, it was already on him. Instead of worrying about the thing, Izzy spent his whole time grazing. I think he forgot he was wearing the fly mask. When I came out the next day, it was still on him.

So that's been the routine: I hose him off, slip the fly mask under the halter, and let him graze for 30 - 40 minutes. When I put him away, I slide the halter off, and he doesn't notice a thing.

I promised him a new one if he'd keep the old one on, but I am afraid to ruin what's working. For now, I am just going to continue with this ratty old thing until he's a confirmed fly mask wearer. After that, we'll see about a new one.

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Tooth Update

6/7/2019

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Several things have happened since Speedy got his tooth pulled. The first thing was that he was immediately better about taking his daily Prascend tablet. The ranch owner reported that he was very relaxed and didn't do the my head is taller than you can reach dance. This is an enormous relief because it is the ranch owner who volunteers to administer the pill. Without her help, he probably wouldn't get it every single day.

Recently pulled on the left, baby tooth on the right. Both Speedy's.

As an aside, I don't remember how or where I found the baby tooth, but I thought it was cute, so I saved it. The adult tooth, an incisor, is interesting in its own way. If you'll look at the top quarter of the tooth, there is a chip out of the left side. That's the notch that Dr. Tolley carved to hold the wire in place so that it wouldn't slide down.

The rough edge at the bottom of the tooth shows where it fractured. The other side is completely smooth. The colors on top of both teeth show the enamel, cementum, and dentine. Remember, I geek out on this type of stuff!

Image borrowed from the internet.

But back to Speedy ...

Even though he was never in obvious pain, there must have been some discomfort having a fractured tooth. I had been able to carefully bridle him and ride while the tooth was wired to its neighbor. He never fussed more than normal, but since the tooth came out, he has been easier to bridle.

The hole is just under his tongue to the immediate right of the bottom tooth.

I've been able to rub my finger over the empty socket. He doesn't love it, but he's not a fan of me poking my fingers in his mouth as a general rule. Putting my fingers in his mouth typically means something unpleasant is coming. It's a Pavlovian response, for sure.

Dr. Tolley said it would take about three weeks to heal completely. It's been a week, and already it looks super healthy without any infection. He's eating better and has been grazing since the day the tooth was pulled. For now, it's healing well which is all I can ask for.

I am just glad it wasn't a middle tooth!

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Hey, Tooth Fairy!

5/30/2019

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Boy do I have a good one for her. Hopefully she leaves me enough money to cover Speedy's latest vet bill. His tooth got pulled yesterday.

Very sleepy pony.

In mid-March, Speedy whacked his jaw on one of the poles that supports the roof over his shelter, knocking a tooth loose. He has a frustrating habit of whirling and pacing when he's anxious, so that was our best guess. Hoping to save the tooth, my vet anchored it to the neighboring tooth with wire. You can read about it here. When after two months the tooth still hadn't settled back in place, Dr. Tolley said it needed to come out.

Numbing his mouth.

Equine dentistry is very similar to human dentistry. Speedy first got a tranquilizer/sedative and then just like you'd do to a human patient, Dr. Tolley numbed Speedy's gums and lips. After that, he snipped the two wires that were holding the tooth in place. He first tried to pull the tooth with a good wiggle, and then he grabbed a tool similar to a flat-tipped screw driver and attempted to dig it free.

Using pliers.

When neither of his first attempts accomplished the job, Dr. Tolley grabbed a pair of good old pliers. With a firm tug, Speedy's tooth popped free.

We all cheered when it came out.

Just like when a kid looses a tooth, there was a fair amount of bleeding that Dr. Tolley mopped up with gauze. Once he cleaned up Speedy's mouth, the bleeding stopped. He next examined the hole searching for fragments.

Clean up.

The incisors, like all equine teeth, attach deep within the jaw bone. Without an x-ray to confirm it, Dr. Tolley wanted to be sure that the fracture had been a clean one without tooth fragments hindering the healing process. It should be completely healed in about three weeks, but I am to check it daily for any signs of an infection.

Bottom row, just below his tongue.

When I asked Dr. Tolley about aftercare, he shrugged and said there wasn't a therapy that he thought would hasten the healing process. He said to just ride him. By the time we got home, Speedy was happy and appeared pain free. I gave him nearly an hour to graze and wander. He might have still been numb of course, but he happily chomped on the grass, pausing for a long drink at Izzy's trough.

Hopefully he ate dinner last night. I warned the ranch owner, who doles out Speedy's morning Prascend, that he might be particularly grouchy about getting his pill this morning. Hopefully the text I get is a good one.

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Wound(s) Update

3/25/2019

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Things are healing (mostly) well. I am a tad bit concerned about the wire holding Speedy's tooth in place, but at least the wires are still there. Before I elaborate, a friend tagged me in a Facebook post with this picture attached. I don't think it needs much explanation.

This looks annoyingly familiar.

If you only land here sporadically, you're missing out on all sorts of drama. You really should check in more frequently. Either way, in mid-February, Speedy tore open the front of both front legs, requiring sutures on the right side. The second injury happened about an hour after returning to the ranch from the vet. That wound should probably have been stapled closed, but it's healing fine anyway.

We appreciate symmetry around here.

When Speedy was in for his tooth, Dr. Tolley examined the scabs that are hanging around and gave me permission to work them off. I was hesitant to do it before because I didn't want to screw around with the epithelialization of the last bit of skin. I still don't like to yank the scabs off, and neither does Speedy, but with a good soaking and a scrub brush, they're coming off easier and easier. Once the wounds are clean and free of debris, I am still coating them with some AluShield. At this point, the AluShield is really just to make myself feel better.

Speaking of his teeth ...

I have to rinse them every day to keep the grass and hay from clogging up his "braces."

Again, if you aren't a regular reader ... Speedy tried to knock out his bottom left incisor a week ago. Dr. Tolley wired it back into place, and so far, everything is holding steady. I am worried about the wire irritating a bit of his gum though. If you look at the last incisor, the one closest to the top as you're looking at the photo, there is a bit of gum that looks annoyed. I can't tell if the gum is simply healing - that's where the tooth was displaced, or is the wire rubbing on his gum? I'll watch it for another day or two. If it still looks a bit pissy, Dr. Tolley will get a photo, and I'll probably get yet another vet bill.

In for a penny, in for a pound. What I can say? We're kind of an all or nothing team.

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Equine Orthodontics

3/21/2019

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Speedy knocked a tooth loose. I told you that yesterday. The plan had been for Dr. Tolley to squeeze Speedy in between other appointments while I was at work. That didn't happen, for which I was secretly glad. I wonder if Dr. Tolley deliberately didn't squeeze him in knowing how much I love to be involved in my horses' treatment. Besides just being a concerned owner, I dig this kind of stuff. In the end, I got to watch.

Besides the standard IV tranquilizer/sedative, Dr. Tolley needed to block the nerves in Speedy's mouth much like your own dentist does when drilling out a cavity or creating a crown. For horses, this means blocking the ipsilateral mandibular nerve which is accessed through the mandibular foramen, an opening in the lower jaw.

Locating the mandibular foramen

To find the opening, Dr. Tolley followed some very specific measurements. He marked the location on Speedy's jaw with a Sharpie Marker much like a surgeon will do before cutting.

A six inch spinal needle.

Then he used a very long needle which he injected into the mandibular foramen via Speedy's throat latch.

Injecting anesthesia into the mandibular foramen.

While Speedy "cooked" a bit, Dr. Tolley brought out an equine skull to show me what he had done.

You're looking down the skull toward the front teeth. You can see both mandibular foramen(s) - the two circular openings, almost in the center of each side of the jaw.

Dr. Tolley's nerve blocking manual.

Dr. Tolley's purpose was to "flood" the canal with anesthesia, numbing the teeth along that side of the lower jaw.

Since I was fascinated by the procedure and because Dr. Tolley loves it when his clients are just as geeked out by this stuff as he is, he went and brought out his manual for doing these types of procedures. When I asked if the book was written for lay people such as myself or for veterinarians practicing medicine, he quickly assured me that this was literally his how-to guide.

Regular wire.

Once Speedy's mouth was numb, the procedure was fairly simple. Dr. Tolley took a length of regular wire and threaded it through Speedy's undamaged teeth much like you would use dental floss.

Flossing with wire.

Of course, nothing with Speedy is easy. Even though he was quite tipsy and numb, he still put up a fuss. Eventually Dr. Gonzalez joined in to help steady Speedy and keep his tongue out of the way.

Replacing the wire after the first one snapped.

Once the wire was through the front teeth, Dr. Tolley wrapped it around to "capture" the damaged tooth - the one on the far right. When the wire was wrapped around the teeth, Dr. Tolley twisted it tight, clipped off the extra bits, and smooshed it flat.

All hands on deck for this Goddess.

To support the tooth even more, Dr. Tolley wrapped a second layer of wire around the upper portion of Speedy's teeth. To ensure that the wire stayed up high, he used his Dremel tool to carve out a bit of Speedy's tooth to act as a guide, or a track, for the top row of wire. He secured that one exactly like the first.

Equine orthodontics.

And that was it. Dr. tolley finished off the whole job with a shot of penicillin. Speedy can go back to work at any time. Of course, I am to check his mouth for loose or broken wires and regular flushes with water won't hurt. In six weeks, Speedy goes back in to have the wires removed.

We opted not to take x-rays, but in the event that the tooth is fractured, I'll start to see signs of infection, and then we'll have to pull the tooth - a more expensive and less favorable option.

While Speedy should be fine, and I stress the should, I've taken all shows and clinics off the table. That means that I won't be going to the Lilo Fore clinic after all. I could take Izzy of course, but frankly, my wallet can't handle anything else right now.

I hope Speedy gets to show later this summer, but it was just stressing me out too much to try and get him ready for a clinic by mid-April. I felt an enormous weight lift from my shoulders with the decision. I've got some Izzy plans for May though, so you'll still see us out there.

Let's hope Speedy is done with the theatrics.

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Some Words About Teeth

3/20/2019

7 Comments

First of all, you kind of need them; horses too. Keeping with the theme of this winter though, Speedy tried to knock his out.

Bottom row, far right.

Speedy's a worrier. He paces and whirls when he thinks he's been left on his own, which NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENS. On Sunday morning, while I lunged Izzy, Speedy apparently paced and whirled a bit too hard and whacked his face against the pole that holds up his roof.

You're looking at how far the tooth has been displaced.

I swear I cannot make this stuff up. When I saw the blood on his mouth, I pulled back his lip and saw a tooth hanging to the side. I gently pushed on it to see if it was loose, and he snapped his head back with an audible intake of breath. That sucker looks like it must hurt.

From the side.

Since he was eating and looked fine otherwise, I decided to wait to call the vet until Monday. Frankly, my wallet couldn't handle a Sunday emergency vet visit for something non-life-threatening. The ranch owner and I both agreed to give it one day to see if the swelling would go down overnight. It didn't.

Super funny blooper photo. We had tons of photos of his nose and nose hairs, but this one was the funniest.

I called the vet on Monday afternoon, but due to a busy schedule, a day off, and the dentistry required to fix this, it was decided to drop Speedy off last night so Dr. Tolley can get to him some time today while I am work. The plan is to wire the tooth back into place. Sort of of like having braces.

I'll let you know how it goes. Oh, and Universe? F*#@ you!

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Healing Takes So Long

3/14/2019

2 Comments

I am trying not to complain too much, but waiting for skin to heal really is like watching paint dry. Speedy is now bandage free, but we're in the next stage of the process that happens when you take pressure bandages off; everything swells up. I've been down this road with Izzy (his wound took a full year to heal), so I haven't been surprised by the setbacks.

Phase 2

Last week I sent my vet some photos of Speedy's legs, and he gave the go ahead to remove the bandages and switch to an aluminum-based bandage instead. There are several brands to choose from; I went with AluShield because that's what Amazon could deliver the quickest. If you haven't used an aluminum-based bandage, it looks just like spray paint. The product description reads, AluShield is a convenient, water-resistant aerosol bandage that creates a protective barrier against external irritant agents in wounds in small and large animals.

Right leg - this is the side that required sutures.

Left leg

When I got to the barn on Monday, my little heart sank a bit. Both legs were crusted over with dirt and scabs and the left one had ballooned up. Having been through this before, I shoved my disappointment back down and grabbed a hose to start cold-hosing. As I hosed, I ever so gently picked away at the dirt without dislodging the scabs. The photos above are from after I cleaned up both cuts.

The big picture.

From afar, meaning kneeling a few feet away rather than pressing my nose against his knees to get a serious close-up, the wounds look much better than they did even a week ago. Read about the injury here and here. When I looked back to find those links, I was shocked at how ugly it was compared to what it looks like now. In truth, both sides are practically healed!

Covered in AluShield

The thing I love about AluShield is that it makes everything look better. I know both Speedy and I are ready to get back to regular work. I'll be glad when that last scab gets knocked off and pink skin shines through. Until then, isn't that a lovely shade of silver paint?

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Back to Work

3/13/2019

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I mentioned that Speedy is back to work. We haven't done any cantering yet, just some walk/trot. The newest problem is that he's a bit sore on what I think is the left front, which is the leg where the smaller injury was/is. I think he's sore from the bandages and scabs.

I hate to ride a horse that's lame, but sometimes it's better for them to be ridden, especially if they get less lame while working. Right now, Speedy's energy is building, and he needs a way to get rid of it. Simple trail rides aren't quite enough to ease his growing tension. Twenty minutes in the arena lets him feel useful and valued which soothes his ego and lets him relax.

From early January

Since he was still sore on Sunday, I focused on improving the walk, both the free walk and collected. He could only stand so much collected walk though before he insisted on trotting. It was rough, but the longer he worked, the less it seemed to bother him. And then suddenly he was a fire breathing dragon, and he forgot all about being a bit sore.

We worked on getting supple, doing some shoulder in and moving the hindquarters. Over the past few months he's forgotten what a turn on the haunches is, so we rode a lot of squares and haunches in. He even felt solid enough to ask for a small medium trot. Boy does he love doing those!

Mid February

Third Level is my goal for this year. We're behind schedule, but that's okay. We'll school what we can, and then we'll tackle the flying changes again when I am sure Speedy is healed enough to do them.

Really. I can wait.

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Signs of Healing

3/7/2019

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I know I said I'd be writing about a lesson I took on Izzy, but I have to switch it up instead. When I unwrapped Speedy's legs last night, I finally got a pleasant surprise.

But first, an explanation ... I already told you I've been in the midst of a Tuesday/Thursday series of night classes for work. Tonight's class is the last one until late summer - so happy for that. Working from 6:45 a.m. until 7:45 p.m. bites. Hard.

Dr. Tolley recommended re-wrapping every other day, or every third day if my bandages looked good. My bandages always look good, but I've preferred the every other day routine as I am nosy and impatient and want to see fast results every single time. I haven't, but I am like a gambler looking for my next big win, so I keep checking every other day.

At $18.00 worth of bandaging material, I want to show these off again.

Yesterday, I got that big win. I re-wrapped on Sunday which would have meant rewrapping on Tuesday, but I had class that night. It's not possible to make the trek to the barn and back and be on time for class. We don't get credit if we're even ten minutes late. So, against my better judgement, I let the bandages cook for three days.

Yesterday, I unwrapped the first one, which is closing, but it's taking its own sweet time. I rewrapped it, and moved on to leg number two. Frankly, I was feeling pretty discouraged and not very hopeful and then a tad bit worried because it had been three whole days.

I always unwrap the vet wrap and cotton quickly, but I hold the hydrophilic foam pad against the wound because it does stick a bit. I didn't know that the first time I unwrapped, so Speedy got a surprise when I inadvertently yanked it off like a regular bandaid. OUCH! When I gently peeled back the foam pad, I sat back in surprise. The wound was nearly closed!

Wednesday ...

Sunday.

I so wanted to pick at the scab, but I didn't. Instead, I gently wiped any dirt or loose debris away from the wound and wrapped it back up again. I think I'm going to let my money ride and wait another three days before I open it back up. If my luck holds, it might even have hair growing.

My money's on the Speedy pony!

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Chiropractor Goodness

3/6/2019

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Oh, how Izzy loves his chiropractor. Like, let me stick my 1,350 pound self in your pocket loves him.

Or, at least let me nibble on your shoes kind of love.

I was smarter for this go round. It usually takes me a couple of weeks to figure out why Izzy can't go in a straight line, pick up the left lead, or just walk forward. This time, I figured it out by the third ride - go, me. The first ride was probably just a whoohoo kind of day. During the second ride I found myself asking, What's wrong with YOU? I should have figured it out then, but I needed that third ride. That's when my brain finally kicked in and remembered that when I am asking Izzy what's wrong with you, he's likely been answering me for several rides. If I'm listening, I'll know it's time for some body work.

That's the spot.

The visits are always the same. CC shows up ready to listen to the horse, while I'm busy telling him what I think is wrong. Sometimes I am close, but more often then not, I am just wrong. I was certain Izzy was out in his loins. Instead, everything was radiating from his poll. It's a good thing that CC doesn't listen to me.

Oh, yeah.

On top of being ouchy in his poll, Izzy's jaw was locked up tight. That turned out to be a good time to talk about our recent bridling issues and Izzy's newly shortened canine teeth. CC is always willing to talk training and the reasons why horses resist. Sometimes they resist just because they can. Or because they're tall. Or both. I am looking at you, big brown horse!

Check out Izzy's expression and his mouth.

Poll, jaw, and ribs, they're all connected. Both sides of Izzy's ribs were a bit sore, but since I figured out the problem sooner rather than later, he wasn't as sore as he sometimes gets. Izzy doesn't actually like to have his ribs worked on, but he definitely appreciates getting them done. I tried to catch a photo with his tongue doing its thing, but all I managed to get was a bit of mouth action. When he gets big relief, his tongue will fall out of his mouth.

Not loving it, but keep going.

The visit was on the shorter side, which means that I caught everything just in time. We're still on an every third month schedule, and no matter how much my wallet would like to stretch it a bit further, I simply can't. In fact, every ten weeks would probably be optimum.

The next day, we finally had a lesson. Izzy took the bit like his old self, and his naughties during the lesson were of the because I can variety. More on that tomorrow.

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

2019 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2019 Pending …

6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
6/23/19 - TMC (*)
7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
7/28/19 - TMC (*)
8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
8/25/19 - TMC (*)
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

2019 Completed …

Qualifying Scores for 2019

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:

CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level:
Third Level:
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level -
Third Level -

A Little Catching Up

Tooth Update

Hey, Tooth Fairy!

Wound(s) Update

Equine Orthodontics

Some Words About Teeth

Healing Takes So Long

Back to Work

Signs of Healing

Chiropractor Goodness

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

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About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider