Christmas time is here

It is really nice so see that she is doing so well now.  I think we've come to the last of the antibiotics.  She is a furry as a bear this December. What a great Christmas present it would be to be off the antibiotics and back to normal.  

I think it s pretty great that she gets to graze in the pasture in December.  I remember growing up in Nebraska and having to ride my horse in about six feet of snow around this time of year.  Believe me, I hate snow and don't miss it one bit. 

The fashionista...well, pretty soon anyway

I have been riding a little bit but I still have to be careful.  If she works too hard her lip gets a little twisted. I goes away in an hour or two. My vet thinks that the bones at the surgery site still have to fuse better.  So if I only ride her at a walk, she does ok.  If this continues, I will have to go back to just hand walking her so that there is no pressure on any nerves.  She still has the mrsa bacteria and is on tons of antibiotics or should I say "antibiotic$$$$$$$$".  If she hadn't developed this bacteria from her surgery, we wouldn't be still fighting.  We would be in recovery.  Oh well,  what do you do.  I am in it this far, so I guess I will get through it eventually.  She still has a little trouble with the moisture level in  her eye so she is going to become quite the fashionista.  She wears the ugly eye cup mask 24/7 but, now, when I ride she will be wearing the fancy/shmancy race horse blinkers that "The Finish Line of Oklahoma" is making for me.  These blinker masks are made for race horses and come in any color, design, material, logo, and blinker color that you could imagine.  Her mask will have smoke colored lenses that will cover her eye completely and act as sunglasses.  I am ordering a lens for each eye so that there is some mental symmetry as well as aesthetic value.  She is going to look so cool.  This will help keep her eye from drying out when we ride and offer her some protection from the dust and junk in the air.  I can't wait to get it. Watch for pictures.  And don't ask me how much the mask is going to set me back.  It is pricey but I think it is worth it.

a long and winding road..........

Another bottle of antibiotics and I am hopeful that we can finally kick this mrsa.  I actually doubt that it is going to be that easy but I can try to think positively.  Her infection is not getting in the way of your 15 minute rides.  The last couple of times I was able to just hop on  with the hackamore and no saddle.  She didn't take a misstep or act silly in any way.  There doesn't seem to be any neurological damage and she  goes along just like she did before.  Her ears work, her eye blinks, and she is making more tears every day. I still have her wearing her mask with the plastic cup over her eye just as a precaution.  We only put ointment in her eye once a day, too.  Now, she stands there without a halter or lead rope and lets me cram my whole finger into her eye.  Before it took an act of congress to get her to let us do that.  Nothing seems to hurt anymore so she is a little less skittish when I handle her.  I think we are at the end of worrying about the temporohyoid osteoarthroapy. We are only working on the infection now and that will take a while to clear up.  I will keep posting to this blog to let you know what may happen in the long run.  So, check back periodically and I will keep writing.  This has been a long and horrible road that I have been traveling.  At this point with her recovery, this far, I am glad that I saw it through because I have my horse back.

'nuff said

October 12, 2011

Not the greatest posture but nevertheless, riding!

the waiting game.......

This week she has been experiencing some sore feet.  We have her back on some meds to help with that.  I am concerned about what I call the "F" word for horses. I would hate to get this far only to have her founder.  That would suck.  She seems o.k. today, though.  Last week she was pretty lame.  Today she was trotting around the bull pen.  We  will keep watching and praying.  Her eye looks great and her infection is slowly getting smaller.  This is a tough infection to beat.  It really takes long term antibiotics to kick it.

things remain the same.......

Everything is pretty much the same.  She is on tons of antibiotics and we are just waiting and waiting.  So, nothing new right now.  The condition of her eye goes back and forth from dry to moist.  So we keep sticking ointment in her eye and she continues to wear her mask to help keep the area around her eye humid so that her eye doesn't require as many tears.  I hope she will make more tears so that this problem goes away.

point of view......

It all depends on perspective.  If you look at the little princess from this side she is ready to go for a long ride or have a nice bath.

From this side you can see the ointment in her sore eye and her still drooping lip.  Her ear looks pretty good, though.  As soon as we can clear up the infection under her jaw these signs SHOULD disappear.