I Have To Do What?

    Working at the veterinary hospital, I have many jobs that when chatting with friends about my day they end up saying "you have to do what?"  Which upon seeing that I'm being serious they then proceed to ask, anyway, "Seriously?"
     My days at work can be comprised of one or more of the following tasks:  scooping up giant poop, looking at poop under a microscope, scrubbing explosive diarrhea off the wall, washing doodey dreadlocks out of tails.  I have to pick up the random horse or goat testicles after castration surgeries.  I have to package up the occasional goat head, cancer growths, blood/snot/urine/poop samples for the lab.  You know, just stuff like that.
     At the start of the week I make up my shopping list of supplies that I need ordered in for the hospital.  I have to order the typical office supplies: printer paper, toner, stationary... Then I have to order the not so typical supplies like: enemas for baby horses, gallons of mineral oil for constipated horses, gallons of pepto for animals with diarrhea and laxatives for goats.  I have to order a fecal flotation solution to make worm eggs float to the top of fecal samples.  I have to order elastrator bands used to castrate sheep, goats and calves.  Then every once and a while I have to order parts for the ejaculator, the device used to stimulate a bull to produce a semen sample (you can read more about this one at It's As Bad As It Sounds Job ). 
    I have to admit, these jobs were not what I was coloring pictures of in elementary school when the teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.  As odd as these jobs can be they are all necessary and have a purpose for the veterinary hospital to run properly, so I don't mind.  But...there is one thing I have to do that just makes my face red.  I put it off until I the manager makes sure to add it to my list.  It's when I have to order...toilet seat covers for the bathroom. 

 I don't know what it is but, when I have to call up the janitorial supply I can barely say it, toilet seat covers.  I stammer like a guy at the check counter who's wife sent him out to buy her tampons.  I make sure I order enough to last a couple of years...to avoid the having to say it...toilet seat covers...twice in one year.

 

Thanks for reading!  I'd like to thank one of our fellow blog readers, Pam (aka Snow Drops) for bestowing Autumn and I with a special blue ribbon.  I love it!  Thank You Pam!!!!

 

 

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Copyright (c) 2012 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com September 26, 2012



Cowgirlin' It Up

    I had paid our horse show entries a month in advance, before Autumn was lame.  Now, not only was my horse lame but so were our big show plans.  This unexpected change in plans had me bummed out until my friend Gwen suggested that I show Autumn in the halter and showmanship events.  In these events you walk beside your horse and literaly just show them off.  Autumn was happy and comfortable enough to dazzle a crowd.  I called up the show secretary, changed our events and then went on to figure out what we had to do in these events.  What was I supposed to wear?  Did Autumn need her hair done?  Did I need a fancy halter and lead line?  Are there rules or do you just work it full frontal fashion style?  I proceeded to bug the living crap out of Gwen asking a million questions.  Luckily, for Gwen, the judge was holding a showmanship clinic the day before the show.  I signed up and saved the rest of my questions for the clinic.  
     I went to the clinic that Saturday morning and watched the participants practice specific patterns.  In these patterns one was asked to walk, turn, back up and then they had to make their horse stand square as a table to allow the judge to inspect them.  The handler had to scuffle out of the way of the judge's view of their horse, who was supposed to be standing statue still.  My friend Carolyn, let me practice with her 2 year old filly Rosie, who was already a pro at showmanship.  She was a very patient teacher although I caught Rosie rolling her eyes at me few times. 
    I learned some very important pointers that day which would increase my chances at winning a ribbon.  While leading Autumn in the pattern, I was to walk with my boobs out, butt tucked in as I held my arms out as if I were holding a silver serving platter.  I was to keep my eyes on the judge while shining a toothy alligator smile.  I can't remember them saying it but I think that you were aloud to breath if you could remember to do so.  As for the dress code...I needed to go get me one of them that there fancy new cowgirl hats, to accompany my blue jeans, Western shirt and cowgirl boots. 
    I left the clinic swirling with what I needed to practice with Autumn.  I had to give her time to get desensitized to me walking around with my boobs pushed out.  On the way home I swung by the tack store in search of a cowgirl hat.  One of the trainers at the clinic said that the "taco" shaped cowgirl hat was "in".  I tried on some real pretty hats and dropped them like they were hot when I saw their price tags.  I found a pile of hats stacked on the floor in the corner under a chair, picked one up, looked at the price tag... "$14.00".  Perfect!  I got the best fitting hat that didn't fit and headed to the ranch.
     Back at the ranch, I practiced America's Best Top Model with Autumn.  Despite Autumn being mesmerized by my bimbo zombie walk, she did all of the exercises perfectly and without any discomfort.  After practice I trimmed her whiskers, gave her a bath, packed up all that we needed for the show and gave her a kiss goodnight.
     With Autumn's mane and tail braided, Cindy drove us to the show early that next morning.  We arrived to find our friend Paul waiting, who turned out to be our impromptu groom.  Gwen came over to us and gave us a few last minute pointers.  Before I knew it, it was show time!



I think I lost points here because of my lack of busty-ness



    We did pretty well, that is Autumn did great but, I think I was the one losing points.  Walking around like a fancy lady just isn't my speciality.  We won 1st in one class, got 2nd in another and then I think we finished last in a few. 

At this particular horse show, I found out ahead of time that they do not award ribbons!  Instead you earn points which you can use for a prize.  I was shocked.  Who would want to go to a horse show and not want to win a ribbon?  Apparently, everyone.  According to the organizer of the show ribbons are a thing of the past.  But my friends at the show, not wanting to let me down, dug up a wrinkly showmanship blue ribbon from a bygone horse show and awarded it to our 1st place win!  They said they didn't have time to iron it but I loved it!  I loved that in the middle of getting a million things ready for the show they made enough time to dig around in bags of old ribbons to find it for me.

   It may be wrinkled but it is a treasured 1st place blue ribbon. 

    The horse show was great.  It was not only great because we won a ribbon but it was great because of all my great friends that didn't want to see me unhappy.  They got me to cowgirl it up.  They supported me by giving me another new thing to learn with Autumn.  They lent me a horse to practice with and lead lines.  They taught me how make leading your horse extremely complicated but all the while making it look effortless.  They drove me at the crack of dawn to the show.  They groomed my horse while I shoved a million bobby pins in my hair.  They took photos and videos.  They rummaged around for the perfect wrinkly blue ribbon to make my day.  They gave me advice for picking out the new rage in cowgirl hats...the  "taco" look.  They gave me pointers for the next show.   They gave me more great memories and showed me how lucky I am to have such great people like them in my life.  And of course there was Autumn.  She's always there to give her all to make me happy and share in a new adventure together. 

Thanks for reading!  Thank you to all the readers and their well wishes for Autumn.  Your advice, encouraging words and concerns brought me a lot of comfort, hope and good leads to research her lameness.  It really meant a lot to me.  Thank You!

If you would like to be added to my email list or to leave a comment, please contact me at Jacksonhillhorseygirl@aol.com

Copyright (c) 2012 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com September 19, 2012

 

When You Get Bed Side Manner

     After fifty eight days of lameness, after three veterinarian visits to the ranch, and all that time off from riding it was time to bring Autumn in to the office for X-rays.   I stalled on bringing her into the office because I was hoping the extra rest would improve her injury.  Lameness in horses is graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being flat on all four tires.  Autumn's lameness had deteriorated from a grade 3 in her back right stifle (the area sort of like a knee in the horse's back legs) to a grade 4.  I wrote myself in for an appointment this past Monday.
   I had to work on Monday, so I made arrangements with, my great friend, Cindy to drop Autumn off at my office.  I got Autumn settled in a holding pen until it was her turn to go.  Of course Autumn demonstrated how destructive she could be in front of all my coworkers. She spent the entire afternoon pawing at the newly painted gate, whinnying every time I walked by, pooping all over the place while stomping it into the mats and glaring at everyone who didn't come over to give her pets. That's my girl!
     With fresh green gate paint scuffed on her front hooves we began our lameness exam which quickly moved in to X-raying both of her back stifles.  Autumn was a jitter bug so we had to sedate her for the X-rays.  As I waited for the X-rays to get developed I played with my giant sleepy head's ears and looked into her half closed eyes and assured her that everything was going to be fine.  The X-rays showed some bilateral bony remolding on the medial tibial margin of the joint.  Not getting a clear enough answer the Doctor decided explore her stifles using the ultrasound machine.  He spent close to 45 minutes doing a comprehensive exam just on the one stifle.  Upon finishing he straightened up, switched off the ultrasound machine and said "Well." and then was quiet.  Now I was worried.  He is a blunt man that does not waste anyones time dishing out sugar coated bed side manner while delivering his diagnosis.  That pause was him giving his 100% all at bedside manner or at least him trying to figure out if he was going to have his employee bursting out in tears with his findings.  When he started gently telling me what he found I only heard a word here and there.  "does not fully heal", "six months off" , "may not ever get better", "may be this way the rest of her life", "maybe joint injections to ride at walk"...  Ugh!  Ugh! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
    I leaned against Autumn until I became coherent again and was able to absorb what he was saying.  The ultrasound revealed that the joint meniscus was bulging out of the joint and was somewhat squashed, with some small areas of calcification in the most superficial part of the meniscus.   He pulled out a book to help me visualize what he was talking about.  Ugh!  He said the best thing we could do now would be to give her six months of pasture rest and then bring her in for a recheck.  He did not want to do any steroid injections into the joint yet because he wanted to see how much healing she could do on her own.  I asked if there were any supplements, exercises, therapies, ANYTHING, I could do to help her and he just shook his head. 
   I pulled Autumn's big head around and told her how much I loved her and she didn't need to worry.  I apologized to her if I was the reason for this injury.  Was it cantering in the arena that time?  Was when we cantered up the hill to follow our friends racing ahead?  Did she do it in the pasture?  Ugh!  I asked the other to doctors at the practice to see what they thought.  Both of them sort of winced when I told them what he found.  One of the doctors suggested giving a supplement to protect and maintain joint health especially since it seems inevitable that she will acquire DJD (degenerative joint disease).  Ugh!
    At first I sucked it up and saw the silver lining.  She's not in pain unless she's charging around.  She can still go out in pasture.  I can still hand walk her on the beach and in the woods with my friends. Besides, during the last few months that she has been lame we have been having fun practicing little obstacle courses by her freely following me around.  I've taught her to pick things up and carry them to me.  I'm even teaching her the ABC's (I read an intriguing book called Beautiful Jim Key , a true story about a horse that could read and spell words).  From the video below you will see maybe it's a good thing we have a lot of time to practice.

  
     Despite being positive I did have my great crash.  When I got her breakfast ready the next day I looked at the saddle I might never need for her.  I looked at my riding boots that I would not be needing.  My heart sank deeper.  I sat on a bucket next to Autumn as she ate and tears just burst out of my eyes.  I couldn't just have the glass half full without realizing it was, at the same time, half empty.  I calmed myself by petting her forelock as she gently watched me.  It would be okay.
     As for now, I am doing a ton of research into this type of injury.  I'm bugging the living hell out of the vets with questions.  I'm going to remain focused on the possibility of her getting better.  In the meantime we are going to work on our ABC and D's.  We will still continue our adventures in life together.  I will love her more each day as I do everything I can do to make her feel better and to make her as comfortable as can be.  Get better Autumn!  I love you girl!

Thanks for reading!  If you would like to leave a comment or to be added to my mailing list, please contact me at Jacksonhillhorseygirl@aol.com.

Copyright (c) 2012 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com September 13, 2012