Bass-Ackwards

I think I have a magnet in me. It attracts me to the most contrary, odd horses possible.

For instance, the other day, Red was discovered dripping sweat, from his belly, the underside of his neck, and his flank. Everywhere else was dry. He was breathing shallowly and quickly. He was not coliced. He had no reaction to feeling his legs, no swelling, no pain on the surface anywhere we could find.

Marilyn didn't know what it was. JJ didn't know what it was. It was finally decided to treat it like gas pains for lack of a better solution. Ten cc's of banamine later, he was fine.

Today, E asked me to bring around Etta for him when I got to the barn. We've been discussing how she needed her feet trimmed, so I figure, since I've got some time, I'll go ahead and clean her feet to make sure she hasn't developed an aversion to having them handled over the months they haven't been touched. She was an angel about the front feet. The back feet weren't as good, but she wasn't kicking at me, she was just taking them away from me, and I didn't want to fight with her on it. So, I picked up her front feet again, and when she stood nicely for that, I gave her a handful of grain as a treat.

After that, I decided Monkey's feet needed looked at, so I went into his stall and picked up his foot. And he started leaning on me. So I elbowed him to stand him back up. At which point he freaked out. I haven't been able to pick up his feet without him leaning, ever. And he gets upset when you elbow him. Pushing him with your shoulder does nothing, he just leans harder.

So, the three year old filly that hasn't had her feet handled in nearly a year stands quietly and calmly while a huge crust of crud is picked out. She's in an outside pen so she gets mud and crap in them, it wears out when she's in the sand of the arena or walking over the gravel in the parking lot, usually, so it's no big deal, but it was a good check.

Meanwhile the five year old gelding who has his rider attempt to handle his feet every day, in some way, to get him to chill out about the whole process, is still freaked about it.

Bass-Ackwards freaking horses.

Meanwhile the only thing I can do about Monkey is take a day and tie his feet up one at a time in the round pen, where he can freak out until he figures out it's not killing him, and stands his happy ass up. I may ask JJ to help me with that this weekend. I've never had to tie a horse's feet up before, so I kind of want someone who knows what they're doing around to assist.

Since Monkey needs his feet trimmed again soon, I need to get that done, so that maybe they won't have to tranq him again.