Smell the Roses

Spring is being dangled just out of reach here in my little corner of the world.  Most days, the mercury hovers around 0 degrees Celsius, plus or minus 5 degrees; a welcomed sight after what feels like yet another long winter.  The daylight continues to wax as days get longer; providing the motivation and temptation for all spring-like activities that are soon to commence.  Sierra's beginning to shed her thick winter coat, though I know the worst is yet to come in that regard.

Recently, we discovered that what we thought was Ringworm on King, but it turned out to be something completely different.  I had separated him from the herd for the better part of a month and as the hair began to grow back into his hairless patches on his flanks, I assumed I got a handle on things and turned him back out.  Following that, we faced a rather lengthy cold snap and I didn't venture to see the horses during that period as it was just far too cold for Eowynn to endure.  My husband typically does the chores, and at that time it was dark out during morning and evening feedings; its easy enough to check for any serious injuries but miss new patches of hairloss showing up.  When I finally noticed, I checked him for what I'm sure was the 10th time for lice, and saw nothing. My frustration grew, and I decided to go to the farm supply store and pick up some liquid pour-on Ivermectin and treat him for lice regardless, because it continued to look like lice, but I still couldn't find any evidence of them.  Upon returning home from the store, I readied the treatment and checked him yet again, and finally found ONE lice scurry away.  Finally, I felt justification of some sort - I finally had concrete evidence that I could put my finger on and knew that what I was doing was finally going to help him.  Once I found the lice, I treated him immediately and gave him a very thorough brushing - it was during that brushing that I found evidence of lice in the form of eggs which were mixed throughout an excessive amount of dandruff, so it was easy to miss.  In hindsight, when I checked him the billions of times prior, I checked all the 'common' areas that lice like to hide, and when I finally found them they were near his ears, which I hadn't checked previously.  I spent some time feeling like absolute crap for taking so long to discover the issue, but I know in my heart I checked him SO many times for lice and found no evidence prior, not even eggs, that I did the best I could.  The treatment is questionably responsive on lice eggs, but since applying the treatment we have found some dead lice on him, so at least we know it's helping.  We will check him again and potentially treat him again in 30 days following the initial treatment to catch the 'new batch' if they hatch, but it seems to be a mixed bag on if it will kill the eggs or not, so for now, we wait.

While we continue to anxiously await the relief that is to come, King also saw one of my Vets who travelled to my in-laws farm for her spring routine work. I use several Vets depending on the reason and who is available, as none are located in my immediate area. I wanted to get his teeth done because I had some reservations as I have heard mixed reviews about the Vet who did his teeth last year when he was living in BC, but on the other hand I totally understand and respect that they live in a remote area with very limited access to vet services, so it is what it is.  I noticed King was still dropping feed when he ate and he could still stand to gain a few pounds, so I wanted to have him checked regardless and I'm glad I did.  

Last year when King had his teeth done, I was told that he had a cracked tooth so they extracted it.  Upon further inspection from my Vet, it appears the tooth wasn't the only thing affected, but his jawbone also appeared to have been fractured as well.  It has since calcified, and there's no way to be certain the extent without x-rays, which she wasn't equipped to do, but nonetheless at this point we can only assume he was kicked in the face by the grumpy mare he lived with in BC, as based on feeling it my Vet guessed it took place 8 - 14 months prior. In addition to that, you could also feel what is presumed to be remaining pieces of the fractured tooth beneath the gum line.  Because of the missing tooth surface, he will need his teeth floated annually, because the top tooth will continue to grow and eventually impede the gum line on the bottom.  This is the exact same issue Lass' had when we got her, so we are now up to 3 horses who need their teeth floated annually, and two who can have them done every other year.  Poor, poor boy.  At this point, considering there is no sign of discomfort or infection, he's sitting pretty however the Vet was careful to warn us that any little thing could irritate it, causing an infection at which point it may not be be ethical to subject him to the necessary treatment - a 6+ hour trailer ride to have a surgery that would require him to be anesthetized.  At his age (currently 16), she doesn't feel he would be a good candidate for that, so at this point all we can do is keep an eye on it and ensure he's happy and comfortable - which he currently is, lice aside.  It's far enough back that a bit would not interact with it, and truth be told, 90% of the time we ride him in a halter so it's not much of a concern in that regard.

My tiny, sketchy riding patch

It's been hard not to feel a little bit defeated in all this, and to make matters worse it's caused an obvious degree of boiled blood within my family.  I can't help feeling as though his tooth situation is essentially a ticking bomb and potential death sentence despite all this, feels like a potentially cruel ending after all the work we have put in.  Best case scenario it could never affect him and given the fact that it's healed without issue bodes well for his future, but it's hard not to feel anxious about what could happen and how our hand might be forced if it were to begin to bother him.

Things like this have a funny way of putting other avenues into perspective so I have made a point of taking some time to smell the roses. Not literally, of course, but it has served as a humble reminder to never take a life for granted.  I've been making a point of spending time with my horses and enjoying every moment of it; the good, the bad and the ugly.  As a result, I have been making a point of taking the opportunities as they arise to get out and enjoy my horses which has lead to me riding a handful of times as of late.

Currently, I am limited to a snow-covered section of my field measuring roughly 15ft x 30ft and we are both so out of shape a circle that size seems difficult.  Beneath the blanket of snow lies sporadic patches of ice, so I have chosen to simply walk on a loose rein and to be honest - it's been lovely.  Sierra has been an absolute gem and we have both seemed to enjoy our time together, even if we aren't "doing anything".

Eventually, the snow will give way and yield better riding opportunities and I am so excited to get back to a semi-consistent schedule and find the balance between farming, horses and motherhood.  Until then, we continue to try and enjoy what is left of winter, and look forward to things to come.