SDBoerGoats, HORSE FAIR IS OVER!

SDBoerGoats

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Wow, no time to even get on the Internet lately, so much to do to get ready for fair.:barnie Horse fair is next weekend. How did it come so fast? I wait and wait for summer every year, then all of a sudden it's fair time, and there is only a month til the kids go back to school! :/ Summer should be way longer, I think.

2 weeks after horse fair is regular fair, when all the goats go down. At last count I think there are 15 goats going, :ep so really have to get started on the clipping. But when?

OK, so Sparky went for a re check yesterday. Happy to say she is as cranky with the vet taking off the wrap as she is with me.:D Her normal placid disposition is being sorely tried.

He said there is yet another chance in the prognosis. NOW we are finally winning the battle with the infection, HOWEVER, he says there is hoof sluffing off and would have to lay her down, and cut off the dead hoof, and start growing a new one. Instead of maybe 6 months off with a cast and bar shoes, it would be at least a year, and possibly longer.:( And LOTS of money. :( She would still have to wear bar shoes on the back, no problem at all, to hold the new hoof and keep it from splitting, etc. but the healing, etc and growing of a new hoof will take a long time and I will have to have a really competent shoer to do this.

So she has gone from a 50/50 chance of making it, to even slimmer than that when the infection started raging. Was told if she didn't respond to the treatment in 48 hours, needed to consider putting her down. Which she did show remarkable improvement with the infection. BUT now, the long term, and the surgery.

So decisions, decisions. Big ones. She's been in enough pain. But still eating like a pig. Her infection is getting under control but caused immense damage to her hoof. The surgery is expensive, recuperation is long. She is 16. My grandson loves her to death. I told him what the vet said. He says, So.....I will have to quit 4H for a year? I said she'd be off at least a year. And he said, well, that's ok, as long as she gets well. I'll just ride around home on another horse and just won't go to 4H then until she's well. :) he has an amazing positive attitude for a kid, no quit in him. :clap
 

RemudaOne

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Hoping for the best for you and Sparky.
 

SDBoerGoats

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What do you think Remuda? Should I go on with this? I'll post a pic of her foot here soon.
 

RemudaOne

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Well, I think that when it comes to this that you have to base your decision on your own personal circumstances. For instance, will you have the time, want to make the effort, and also there's the financial aspect of it for a 16 year old horse. You also have the boy to consider although, if it were me I would not risk undo pain or poor quality of life for the sake of the child.

It's such a personal decision for each of us. But I have found in the past with my animals that THEY always make the choice for me and until that time comes, I continue to do the best I can for them. Once they tell me, I don't hesitate to ease thier passing. Listen.... Whatever decision you make will be the right one for Sparky. I've spoken with you enough to know that. I know that there are folks that would tell you it wasn't right no matter which way you go but only you can decide. As for me, I would support you in any decision you make. Hugs to you, it's a horrible situation to be in. :(
 

SDBoerGoats

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NO, there is no way I would ever keep an animal alive "just because", and even though William loves Sparky dearly, if he was told she was suffering and we needed to let her go, he would "get it" and never want her to suffer either.
What's so hard is, I am told she has a 50/50 chance, then less than that and has to show improvement in 48 hours or she's done, and she gets better. It's been a roller coaster.
The time to take care of her, that's a given, the bandages will be changed every 48 hours like clock work. I know some people can't get into the time it takes to do bandages on a horse, it is time consuming, and you get home late one night and remember DANG! I have to change the bandage. But I know that many injuries would have come out with barely a scar if someone had taken the time to do the bandages.

Anyway, thanks for your support. We will give this a couple of weeks, we are doing bandages every 48 hours with penicillin squirted into the opening and a Curasorb bandage. If there is any change for the worse, then she goes back in and then the decision will be made.

the kids have been working so hard on their animals and it is finally HOT here today. So I am taking them to the pool to splash around and just have fun. I will catch up on some much needed quiet time!
 

autumnprairie

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SDBoerGoats said:
NO, there is no way I would ever keep an animal alive "just because", and even though William loves Sparky dearly, if he was told she was suffering and we needed to let her go, he would "get it" and never want her to suffer either.
What's so hard is, I am told she has a 50/50 chance, then less than that and has to show improvement in 48 hours or she's done, and she gets better. It's been a roller coaster.
The time to take care of her, that's a given, the bandages will be changed every 48 hours like clock work. I know some people can't get into the time it takes to do bandages on a horse, it is time consuming, and you get home late one night and remember DANG! I have to change the bandage. But I know that many injuries would have come out with barely a scar if someone had taken the time to do the bandages.

Anyway, thanks for your support. We will give this a couple of weeks, we are doing bandages every 48 hours with penicillin squirted into the opening and a Curasorb bandage. If there is any change for the worse, then she goes back in and then the decision will be made.

the kids have been working so hard on their animals and it is finally HOT here today. So I am taking them to the pool to splash around and just have fun. I will catch up on some much needed quiet time!
:hugs and have fun at the pool
 

SDBoerGoats

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So this morning I go to feed Sparky and see her bandage is down,:ep, panic set in, not supposed to be changed until tomorrow but this is a have to. The Curasorb bandage is still in place so no dirt got in it. WHEW! Still I take it all off and then see that the infection is back. I changed bandages yesterday morning and it was good, this morning, hot, red and swollen. Maybe God wanted me to know this? I feel so defeated, I've done everything I am supposed to do. The vet did say if the infection comes back, we will have to switch back to the Curasalt dressing. But I wasn't expecting this, the direct injections of penicillin have been making amazing progress! What is up with this now? most likely another trip to the vet tomorrow,:( unless he tells me to just come in and get a different bandage.

The kids worked on Horse Psychology early this morning, before it got too raging hot. Pretty cool class. They lead their horse into the arena,set up for inspection. Then tie their horse with a slip knot. Untie, pick up and clean a front hoof. Saddle and bridle their horse. Name parts of the horse as asked by the judge, name parts of tack. Tell the function of whatever bit they are using on their horse. Demonstrate mounting their horse and ride out of the arena. The older boy has to describe the symptoms of unsoundness.
I asked them every part of the horse, the foot, hoof, tack, even silly things, like where are your horses ears? His tail? Where is your saddle? :D And every part of the hoof I could think of! They should know it backwards and forwards. Fun, informative class and actually showing what they know.

Now that all practice is done and stalls are cleaned they are going swimming again. They had a blast yesterday and ran into some friends from school, so they proclaimed it an awesome day. They deserve some pool time, they work hard on their animals every day, most of the day. Time for some reward time. :celebrate
 

SDBoerGoats

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HOLY COW it's hot!:ep Had the shoer here all day it seems, she got sick to her stomach from the heat right after the last horse. At least I hope it was the heat and not some virus, cause I don't need to catch anything now! :bow

Got all the horses trimmed for the show. Tonight is the last 4H ride night before Horse Fair, and also helmet check and record books check. I think we're good to go for the horse show. William is getting along really well with Jayden, his latest loaner horse. He only has 4 days!

the BIG THING IS.....OH GOOD LORD!:barnie Have we got goats to get clipped. 15, at my last count. Then the kids tell me they are all adding a few more here and there. OH NO WE ARE NOT!:fl I don't have the time to clip 25 goats before fair! And they need some time to grow some hair back, so we are late as it is. Going to start clipping tomorrow morning at 6, going to set up under a shade tree and hook up an extension cord and get some done before it hits 100*. :thumbsup

Tomorrow is bandage change for Sparky....crossing my fingers that her foot is better.....:fl
 

RemudaOne

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LOL, make sure you stay hydrated tomorrow! I am picturing you as a little tasmanian devil getting all those goats clipped :). Good luck with it and will be keeping fingers crossed for the bandage change too.
 
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