Saturday, January 19, 2019



Ginger is actually doing a little better over the last couple of days.  Our farrier stopped by again on Friday to trim and shoe two other mares and while he was here he checked on her.  She still isn't putting her heel down as much as he'd like so we are going to keep checking each day and if she isn't doing that regularly in one week, he will come back and put an even larger wedge pad on that foot.  Today, I spent time with her in her stall and in the arena.  I noticed her relaxing that foot a little more than she has.  When I was hand walking her in the arena she actually jumped at the wind noise and then she just walked back to me like there was no problem.  That was the most encouraged I've been in a while.

The only other change we've made is to change her pain medication.  On a recommendation from our friends at BSB Quarterhorses, we asked our vet about switching to Equioxx, which is a different nsaid than we've been using.  It has less of an impact on her digestive system and it impacts different pain receptors.  They used it on a horse they cared for with a similar problem and it made it difference.  Our vet sent me a bottle and she's had it now for three days.  So far so good.  If you don't rely on the knowledge of others you will never get anywhere with horses.  No matter how much you know, how much you study, how much you read and do, there is always something to learn.  I've said it before that they are a great resource and they have more experience than I will ever have.  They are such great horse women and I truly appreciate their friendship.

So now we are about 1 month away from Ginger's delivery.  I anticipate more ups and downs but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As for the picture, Ginger was being hand walked by Natalie and she layed down and rolled.  She stayed down for a minute to just rest and while she was down, her pasture buddy, Ernie Drives A Lexus, came over to check on her.  They really like each other and Ginger just let Victoria rub on her and groom her.  Some people like mares and some do not.  I love mares because at the soul, they care about their herd mates.  They are also capable of incredible tenderness.  I see it with the way they care for their babies and I see it when they care for each other.  Not a day goes by when I am not touched by their tenderness. 

Saturday, January 12, 2019

New shoes for Ginger

Today our farrier reshod Sugar Cookie.  He took notes, studied surgical videos and measured angles.  He used a different shoe, special pads, gel cushion and a special trim.  The nerve block she was given the other day did not make much difference.  She was still sore during the process but she got through it.  We noticed an improvement in her walk last night and this morning.  The hope is this will continue to provide her with some relief through the foaling process and afterwards.  Her due date is February 23rd.

Last night I went out to the barn and brushed her.  She is the definition of an "in your pocket" mare.  She just wants attention and a rub under her chin and along her throat latch.  When you do this she wraps her head around you and lays her muzzle on your outside shoulder.  She's more of a pet at this point than a brood mare.

We are supposed to only hand-walk her because her hoof wall on the bad foot is very fragile.  In fact, a portion the size of a quarter literally fell off during the shoeing process.  What is happening is the circulation in her foot has been compromised by the pulling on the coffin bone by the deep digital flexor tendon.  I am told and I have read that the laminae that connect the bone to the hoof wall are being pulled away and that is what is making the hoof wall fragile.  So I am going to try to walk her around the house and maybe around the neighborhood.  We did this years ago when "A Pretty Sensation" was recovering from her first colic surgery.  The neighbors are used to us doing this and often they will come out and pet the horse, take pictures and so on.

I wish I knew what caused all of these problems for Ginger.  I blame myself and I blame fate but really, there is no one to blame.  We've raised a lot of horses here at Painted Plantation and we have reached the point where we do a good job.  So as a breeder you just have to accept the fact that sometimes, there is nothing you can do.  Sometimes these things just happen.  You get over the disappointment and frustration by looking at the cute week old filly in the next stall.  You bring up old win photos of horses that you've bred and sold to others.  You look at the ribbons and trophies in the barn and the house.  You think about the people that you've supported and the work they've put in by helping to raise and care for the horses.

And then you move on.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

The next step

Ginger was given a nerve block in her left front leg today.  Our vet consulted with two other vets and between them they agreed on the medication and dosage to administer.  I can’t tell you how many times I marvel at the effort veterinarians put in to do best by our animals.  I also admire their courage.  They demonstrate it by admitting they want a second opinion.  I respect that because in my profession I do the same thing.  No professional knows everything.  It is instead the true professional that parks their ego and seeks the opinions of others and then thoughtfully comes to a conclusion.

I also spoke to our farrier, who is coming out tomorrow to reshoe her.  He also consulted with another farrier and they discussed past therapies and strategies and then they came up with a plan.  He had to drive to Ohio to get the necessary shoes for tomorrow.  Between the nerve block and a dose of bute in the morning she should be comfortable enough for the work on her feet.

In the meantime she is happy today and bickered for her food.   Onward and upward.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

No Hoof No Horse

We had Ginger's front feet x-rayed today to compare them to the x-rays that were done in August 2018.  Before you see the x-rays let me give you a little history on her condition.

Ginger was two and was being prepped for sale at one of the national horse show sales.  She is a sweet mare, is remarkably beautiful and has very strong blood lines.  We thought she'd bring a high dollar at the sale.  Prior to the sale she started to show some signs of soreness on her left front foot.  A vet was called and recommended that we authorize check ligament surgery on her left front leg to increase the flex in that foot and to relieve some of the stress being caused to her coffin bone.  We took her out of the sale and we authorized the surgery.  After six months of time off and rehab, including time at a therapy center, she was doing better and we decided to put her in training to see what we had.  At first the training went well but Ginger kept developing abcesses in her left front hoof.  A vet was called to treat her and he recommended the usual treatment, time off, soaking, rest, etc. Eventually it became clear there was more going on in that foot.  X-rays were taken and it was determined the coffin bone was rotating downward.  We brought her home and began a program of therapeutic shoeing with our farrier.  This included pads with wedges, special shoes, leg rubbing with liniment to relieve the strain on the ligaments and tendons, and a few other things.  Eventually, she got to be reasonably sound and was able to resume just being a horse.  She was never going to be a rider but she could be a broodmare, she was only 4, she had so many positives including beauty, bloodlines, and kindness that we wanted to try to breed her.  Last year, we bred her to a double registered stallion named Iresistible Sudden by A Sudden Impulse.  He had produced several big winners and his bloodlines crossed well on her.

We were aware that the added weight of the pregnancy would have to be watched.  There would be a balancing act between giving her the necessary energy to allow the baby to develop but not make her fat.  To accomplish that, we've chosen just a ration balancer grain, with very low levels of starch and a good quality timothy, orchard grass and alfalfa hay.  Until the 9th month of her pregnancy, there were very few days that she was too sore to go out.  She always had a slight limp but she would run and play and some days she would act perfectly normal.

Beginning in the 9th month of her pregnancy she became increasingly sore.  The fetus was obviously growing rapidly and her belly began to get wider.  The added weight was enough to make her uncomfortable.  Plus, the hormones, the soreness from just carrying a baby and the lack of energy has made her less than happy.  She is still kind but just kind of grumpy.  Our vet has been out to look at her multiple times and so has our farrier.  It was suggested that we try bute and give her omperezole to reduce the risk of ulcers.  It was also suggested that we try Soft Ride boots to relieve some pain on the sole of her feet.  These therapies have helped but have not eliminated the problem.

The x-ray below is today's image of her left front foot.  The plan now is to adminsiter a temporary nerve block to get her through the delivery.  Our farrier and another farrier are consulting each other on additional shoeing techniques through the remainder of her pregnancy.  After she delivers, we will administer plasma to the foal to help build up the immune system and the foal's strength.  Soon thereafter, we will take them both to an equine surgeon in Indiana and they will operate on her deep digital flexor tendon, which should allow the coffin bone the ability to have less "pull" and possibly rotate back slightly, which would relieve her pain.  This surgery can be done with local anesthesia so that she won't have to be separated from her foal.  This is a long ordeal and it is nerve wracking but it is my responsibility.  I bred her mother to bring her into the world and she is my responsibility to care for.  This will be the only time she carries a baby.  If we breed her in the future, and that's a pretty big if at this point, we will do embryo transfers.

Like I always tell people, breeding and raising horses is not for the faint of heart.



Sunday, January 6, 2019

Caring for our injured mare Ginger during her pregnancy

Our mare Sugar Cookie, known as Ginger, is due to have a foal on February 23, 2019.  She also has a bad foot, her left front.  She has foundered on that foot, twice.  She's had surgery on her check ligament and on her flexor tendon but neither worked.  As she gets closer to delivering her foal, she gets more and more lame.  I am going to chronicle everything we do to keep her as comfortable as possible until she delivers the baby.

Friday our vet was out to check on our newest foal and we had her check out Ginger.  She had x-rayed her foot in August and used that information to provide guidance to our farrier.  After the examine, she said she wants to do another set of x-rays because she is worried the foot is worse than it was in August.  She'll be out tomorrow.  In the meantime, she and our farrier had a conversation about the foot and they will converse again after the x-rays.

Today we put on Soft Ride boots to help relieve some of the pain.  Ginger has also been getting 2 grams of bute a day for about a week.  I've also been giving her omeprazole to keep her stomach from becoming irritated.  Ginger hates getting these medications.  Watching a horse you love experience pain is hard.  Especially one that is as good natured as this horse is.  She is also at that point in her pregnancy where she is uncomfortable.

This is going to be a long seven weeks.