Chesney

Chesney has had a difficult 18 months, I wanted to look back and see how much he has improved since January 2015.   

September 2014 he looked like this ....

.... but by the middle of November he had really lost a lot of weight and muscle tone. To be honest I took no photo's of him without his rug on, I was too embarrassed about how thin he was.  He had a blood test and as I mentioned in my blog back then it showed he was a bit anaemic and had slight inflammation in his intestines.  He had an iron supplement, was wormed and I gradually changed his feed to something more fattening and increased how much he was having.  I also had to make sure he was wearing nice warm rugs because he was feeling the cold more. 

His follow up blood test showed his Red Blood Cell count was back to normal.  Then we just had to get the weight back on him, it proved more difficult than I imagined for a horse who had been a good doer all his life.  

By March 2015 he was very, very slowly putting on weight.  This is how he looked, the camera angle makes him look slightly better than he was.

April 2015:- his ribs are more covered, but his neck is thin, his spine sticks out and his pelvis is pronounced.

June 2015:- Chesney continues to very slowly put weight on and regain his muscle tone.

 

August 2015:- his ribs are covered but his spine and pelvis are still pronounced and his neck is still thin.

September 2015:- his ribs are well covered but his neck still looks thin and his spine sticks out a bit over his loins.

April 2016:-  Chesney's neck has built up, his hindquarters are round again and his spine has finally disappeared :)

I am so pleased that he is finally looking better.  He will be 22 in a few weeks so I think that may be why it has taken so long to put the weight back on.  I wish we had been able to discover what caused the sudden weight loss at the end of 2014 but I guess it is just great that he recovered.

Did you see my vlog on Wednesday 'One Day in May'  on my You Tube channel.  
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Horsey books in my life!

Today I wanted to share the books that I have learnt from and those that I have loved since I started riding. Some of them will be out of print now and some will have been reissued but they have all helped me over the years with my equine friends.
 

These first books are one's I found so inspiring.  Before I had my own pony Jill (the books above) had everything I dreamt of.  They are quite old fashioned now but still fun to read!

 
These books by Caroline Akrill made want to be both an eventer and work with horses.  Neither came true but they definitely showed me the work and dedication involved for both. 

  
For some reason, which I can't quite explain, Fly By NIght was one of my favourites.  It is truly a lesson in what NOT to do if you want and then have your own pony but is still inspiring.  

I wrote a blog about this book by Lucinda Prior-Palmer a while ago because it is my favourite.  

This A-Z has been one of the most useful books I have had. The treatments are quite old fashioned and many are not used now but to help me identify and understand lumps, bumps and illnesses it is great. 

These next 2 books I used quite a lot when doing my BHS Stage exams.  The one below is a bit detailed but has taught me lots.  The one above is more general and really useful because it covers so many relevant topics.

I was lucky enough to see Monty Roberts once and managed to get him to sign my book.  Watching him work was amazing.  I have never liked the way many horses and ponies in the US and UK are broken in, so to see his method was fascinating.  

 

This book gives a much more traditional approach but still has some really useful information and ideas for helping teach and train horses and ponies.  

I saw Michael Peace do a demonstration a few years ago and, like Monty, found him inspirational.  Many of his ideas require several helpers so are not always things I have been able to do on my own.  However, where I can I do.

Since I have had Tommy I have used a mixture of ideas from these last 3 books to help him.  I do find books useful and have always been a big reader.  I hope you find some inspiration from my favourite books and maybe take a look back at the ones that have helped you over the years.


Have you seen last week's video about my 'Trip to Badminton' on my You Tube channel.   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

All About ... Fistulous Withers

What is it

Fistulous withers is when the bursa of the spine area near the withers becomes inflamed and ulcers develop.  The swellings usually appear on the withers but can extend along the shoulder blades.  The swellings can be non-infected or can be weeping and infected.  

Signs

The ulcers may appear suddenly or develop slowly.

• Swelling 
• Heat 
• Pain 
• Discharge, fluid is straw coloured but may change to a white/yellow pus 
• Stiff in movement of forelimbs 
• Lethargy 
• Fever

 

 Causes

Most often caused by an ill fitting saddle or harness causing a rub which then develops into a wound which then becomes infected.  Badly balanced loads can also cause damage to the area resulting in the swellings and infection.  Injury is sometimes caused by trauma eg: a knock on a fence etc.

Alternatively, Fistulous Withers can be caused by a bacteria called Brucella abortus but this usually only occurs when horses are kept with cattle and is rare. 


Diagnosis

Call the vet as they may take a swab to identify the bacteria and then prescribe anitbiotics.  They may also take a blood sample to assess the extent of the infection and the cause. 
In some cases the infected tissue is removed.  Unfortunately Fistulous Withers often returns.


Treatment

• Remove the cause.  If caused by a saddle or harness rubbing the horse should not be ridden or driven until the area has fully healed.  
• Clean the wound 
• Apply a topical ointment 
• As mentioned above the vet may prescribe antibiotics 
• Once the area has healed ensure the saddle and or harness is checked and altered so that it fits correctly. 
• If the injury was caused by a knock ensure the cause is removed.

 

 

Prevention

Ensure your saddle, other tack or harness fits correctly and is well balanced.  It must not rest on the spine (including the withers).  Keep the stable, yard and field clear of objects which can cause damage.

Have you seen my 'Visit to Badminton' video from last weekend? 
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Badminton 2016

One of my favourite days of the year!  I love walking around the course, looking at the amazingly scary jumps and then watching the best in the world make them look easy.  The work that goes into building the course and the amazing detail on the fences always amazes me, it really is a great day out.  This year we didn't manage to walk the whole course unfortunately as we ran out of time - I think we walked more slowly :)

Here are a few photos from our day - but log onto the official Badminton website for more photos and news!  I also did a little video of the day - so go to my You Tube channel to see that. 

 

Fence 2 - 3 Park Piece Hedges

Fence 4 - 5 The Quarry

 

Fence 6 Oxer Chicane 

Fence 8 Lower Lake

 

Fence 10 -11 - 12 The Mound

Fence16 Oxer

Fence 17 - 18 - 19 Gatehouse New Pond

 Fence 22 The Outlander Bank 

Fence 23 The Hollow

Fence 25 Silver Anniversary

Fence 26 The Lake

This blog is not sponsored.

Watch this week's video 'Trip to Badminton 2016'  on my You Tube channel.   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo