Jen, a number of years ago. I'm not sure when this photo was taken, or by whom. Whinney | April | Lakota | Jen | Leroy
See Jen's new Blogspot Blog at http://www.SavingMissJen.blogspot.com
HISTORY
Jen, a number of years ago. I'm not sure when this photo was taken, or by whom.
I did a little bit of digging on the internet, and what I found out was very sad. Apparently, Jen was rescued as a little filly, maybe about a year or two old? From someone who was feeding her nothing but bread and water. She was in horrid condition, from what I could gather, but was very friendly and sweet. Then a Curly breeder from TN found her, and bought her from the person that rescued her from presumably the breeder. She was about 3 years old at the time the breeder from TN bought her. She had her about a year, and had her trained under saddle, apparently she took to training very easily and did well. She was also exposed to their stud. She was then sold to the woman I bought her from, where she foaled her first filly from that exposure (that filly is now living at another Curly breeders in TX).
March, 2007 -
Jen arrived here late on the evening of March 14, 2007 after a 5 day trip from Texas to Connecticut. She is in emaciated condition despite constant hay and water on the trip. Thank you, Candy, of Tender Touch Hauling for taking such good care of Jen on her long journey across the country.
The vet who pulled her Coggins and did her health certificate scored her at a 1.5. She is also most likely very pregnant. I sure see a lot of jumping around in that belly. She was supposedly exposed to two studs from May through October of 2006, which would make her due anytime from April through September of 2007. Her last foals were born on 4/22, 4/28 and 5/10.
I've started her road to recovery with free choice hay, which includes 2 flakes of second cut hay and 2 flakes of first cut "herbal" hay, 4 times per day. (I call it "herbal" hay because it is a mix of grasses and weeds/herbs, the horses LOVE it). On her first day, she was dosed 3x with Vitaroyal's Nutrient Buffer mixed with a dose of Untie supplement. Then on her second day, she had the NB mixed with a small mount of alfalfa pellets 2x/day. On her third day, we started the Hi-Pro, at about 1/4 pound 2x/day with NB mixed into the alfalfa pellets (otherwise she won't eat it).
Jen also needs her teeth done desperately, just as soon as I hear back from the dentist. She is leaving globs of stuff in her water.
These are taken the morning after she arrived, on the 15th, ready to put her blanket on for the impending storm. Remember that she is 9 months pregnant in these photos. |
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Udder shot -- to follow pregnancy progression |
All snug as a bug in a rug! |
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March 16, 2007 -- we are hit with a late-winter/early-spring Nor'easter. Temps plummet from 65 on the 15th down to 20 on the16th, with 24 hours of snow ending in sleet and freezing rain. Welcome to Connecticut, Jen! What a shock from sunny 85F Texas. Jen wore no less than 3 blankets to keep her warm, and had hay in front of her 24/7. She weathered the storm like a trooper, upbeat and happy. What a good girl!
March 17, 2007 -- the sun is out, and we're up to 34 today, yippee! Back down to one blanket, and 1/4 lb. of HiPro with Nutrient Buffer and a bit of alfalfa pellets for flavor, 2x/day.
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Link to video of Jen's belly rolling around with baby |
March 22, 2007 - We hit 54F today, so took off the blanket for some fresh air and sunshine on that dry, flakey, grimy skin. Jen has a bit of conjunctivitis that I've been treating with an opthalmic antibiotic ointment. She also has bot eggs on her legs.
We are up to 2/3 lb. of HiPro 2x/day now. Once I get her up to the full pound, I'll start weaning down the alfalfa pellets. She is eating about 30 lbs of hay per day. She weight taped at 660 lbs. today, and she is 14.1H
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Bot eggs
I can't tell if she's picking up already, or if I'm just getting used to looking at her? She just looks slightly less angular to me, less tucked and "tight" looking.
Well, now that I put the pics side-by-side, I can see that we are making progress already in 7 short days. Wow, look how much her butt filled out! Wahoo!!
March 30, 2007 - We've been up to 1 lb HiPro 2x/day w/Nutrient Buffer for 5 or so days now. I've added just a little bit of oats, vitamin C for her goobery eyes, and am treating her eyes 2x/day with antibiotic ointment. Jen went out in the roundpen for a half hour 2 days ago. She didn't like being where she couldn't see the other horses, so we're going to take it slow with that, until she gets used to being out there for foaling. She is shedding like CRAZY! Her hair comes out in big tufts. But, I'm seeing some mane growing, if you can believe it! Its amazing what a little nutrition will do for a body, eh?
April 5, 2007 -
We moved Jen into a section of the lower paddock this past weekend. She wasn't using the upper area, and my other horses were really wanting to get back up in the woods. So we sectioned off an area of the lower paddock, they can hang out better this way, and get to know each other.
It rained like crazy yesterday, and Jen finally realized that its not such a bad idea to use her shelter. She still wears her blanket when its cold (under 40F) and when it rains to keep her dry. Sorry, she's muddy in these pics from all the rain yesterday, and I didn't have time to brush her out first. Besides, my daughter would have a fit if I did her job for her before she got home from school.
Jen's eyes are almost completely better, they look great. I'll stop the antibiotic ointment this weekend and see how they do.
April 13, 2007 - Jen had her hooves trimmed last Friday (so 1 week ago), and she was such a good girl. Her feet surprisingly aren't in that bad of shape, even though it was admitted she hadn't been trimmed in years. She was dewormed with Strongid on Tuesday.
Jen continues to gain weight and improve, and her belly is getting enormous! She is a very sweet little mare. My daughter feeds her twice a day, every day, no matter the weather, blankets and unblankets her, shovels her poop, refills her water, and sings her songs. She said she likes slow Shania Twain songs better than fast Shania songs. Jen is beginning to come out of her shell, become interested in her surroundings, and not look quite so withdrawn. My gelding, Joe has taken it upon himself to be her protector.
Pictures from Today, its now been a full month that Jen has been here. Be sure to check out the video of the baby moving in her belly, amazing! (And I remember how she feels).
Link to video of Jen's Baby Belly
April 19, 2007
Today is the first day of sun after 4 days of rain, a total of about 10 inches. Yuck! The weather is finally beginning to become a little seasonal, and Jen has her blanket off, finally, for some much needed fresh air and sunshine. She is shedding like mad under that blanket, and it is rubbing some of her hair out, so she's looking rather raggedy. She is also losing her old, dead, unhealthy coat in huge clumps that just peel off, taking a thick layer of dead skin and scurf with it. yuck. On the bright side, Jen now has the strength to lift her head all the way up like a normal horse. It looks like her rapid weight gain has sort of plateaued. She weight taped at 700 lb. today, and is 14.1H. I suspect that everything she can possibly eat is going to the foal right now, and I don't want to overdo the carbs and risk laminitis. So we continue with all the hay she can eat, and her high Protien, high fat, VitaRoyal feed program. She's been dewormed twice so far, and is due again this coming Tuesday, for Ivermectin this time. After this, she will go on a regular schedule. I'm not seeing any signs of a baby impending soon, so we'll keep on keepin' on.
April 25, 2007
Jen is on SMZ as a precaution due to the manure rolling down her vulva because of her sunken in anus from being starved for so long. She is starting to build a milk bag this week, and is just postively HUGE! Still as sweet as ever though. I'm getting the roundpen all ready for a foaling pen, I spread a box truck load of wood chips to provide a clean base, and need to work on installing some deer fencing around the bottom so baby doesn't roll under the panels or get cast. The cam is up and running properly so I can keep an eye on things from the house until she is imminent. My foaling kit is almost filled. The only hitch at the moment are the darned coyotes who have decided to start prowling around this past week. She seems to have stalled a bit in her weight gain, at least in her butt. But I'm noticing that her neck is beginning to thicken up a bit, and she has some muscling on her shoulders now, so she seems to be putting weight on in different areas and I'm sure most of it is going to that little baby in there!
May 2, 2007. Jen was dewormed with Ivermectin on Saturday, and has been passing bot larvae in her manure. Ewwwwww. The vet came out to see her on Monday. He said everything I'm doing is right, and to just keep on keepin' on. He thinks she will probably foal within a few weeks to a month. Her foaling pen is all ready, with a wood chip base and deer fencing around the panels so baby doesn't roll under. The cam is all set up, www.marestare.com/chestnut.htm
She continues to gain weight, she's gained around 75 pounds so far. She seems to be gaining in spurts, she gained a lot in her butt at first, then that has slowed down, and now she seems to get getting some weight around her shoulders and neck. Her shoulders are now beginning to blend into her neck (or vice versa), and her shoulder blade is no longer so much like a "shelf" . She is getting a bit of a ridge of fat along her crest, and she is growing a mane!!!! Its amazing what a little food can do for you.
I've also noticed, now that she's shedding out, that she has a pretty pronounced indentation on the bridge of her nose. She must have worn a halter too tight for quite some time. So sad :-(
Sisters! This is what they do, make faces at each other over the fence.
They may not look a lot alike, but their mannerisms are identical!
May 10, 2007 -- Well on Saturday I thought for sure Jen would foal. She was very, very agitated, her udders filled significantly in short period of time. She was pacing, belly-kicking, chewing her feet, biting her sides, and she looked like she would go into orbit with her tail spinning like a helicoptor... But nothing. She must have been positioning the foal, because her belly changed shape signficantly after that. She hated being in the roundpen that I set up for foaling, she was just miserable where she couldn't see the other horses. So I had to hurry up and make her paddock foal-safe. She will not go inside a stall, she is afraid, so I'm not going to stress her out with that. She has her tent shelter that she will go in when it rains heavily, and she has a nice flat area with shavings underneath and hay where she sleeps, and to foal out in. I put lights around the fence perimeter so I can see better on the cam, and snow fencing up on the fence to make it foalproof (so baby can't roll under it, or get a hoof caught while flopping around, as they tend to do in the beginning).
Jens udder continues to fill. She is very loose behind, she has been belly-kicking for days, and her tail is in constant motion. I'm exhausted watching her on the cam every 2 hours all night for a week now. Soon, I hope! She continues to gain weight and is doing well. Prayers appreciated for a healthy delivery.
May 17, 2007
Slab-sided, and we have WAX!!! Baby should come any day now!
May 18, 2007 -
Jen delivered a healthy, happy, bouncing baby GIRL at 1:30 am! Baby was up and Jen passed the placenta intact within 30 minutes, nursed in less than an hour, pooped 15 minutes later, and nursed again. It was at that time I knew I could go to bed. Of course I was so jazzed I couldn't sleep until 4 am, then the kids got me up at 5:30.
May 21, 2007 -- The vet was out today to pull an IGG. He said all looks good, and that Jen looks better since he saw her last, about 3 weeks ago. I've increased her grain, and of course she gets all the hay she can eat.
May 24, 2007 -- all is continuing to go well. Jen got a little loose manure, either from the bump up in grain or foal heat, I'm not sure which. So I backed her down a bit for a few days then will try increasing again and see if the loose manure comes back. Jen is an excellent momma who takes good care of her baby without being overprotective. She is fine with me and my daughter, but is not a fan of my son being in with her and the baby. What could have happened to her in the past with a little boy? Hmmm..... who knows. At this point, I'm just hoping that she doesn't lose any weight while nursing baby (now officially "Huyana", meaning "rain falling" because she was born between two significant rain storms, with a barn name of "Ana").
June, 2007 -- Jen continues to gain weight even while lactating, with the help of a round bale and plenty of oats. She has a few issues she needs to overcome. She is a little spookier than the rest of my lot about different things going on around the farm (kids running around, machinery, etc.) but we'll work on all that. She also needs to learn some manners, as she can be quite pushy, especially with food, and doesn't think twice about walking over the top of you. So we are now working on her manners in just our daily activities, and when Ana gets a little bigger, we'll do some more formal desensitazation work, and manners
Ana is a little doll, is very, very outgoing and people friendly. She loves to be scratched everywhere, and is learning to have her halter on/off, and leading for short distances. She picks up all 4 feet with no problem, we will soon progress to holding them up for a few seconds or so at a time as she gets bigger and better able to balance on 3 legs.
Here is a photo of her modeling her fancy schmancy new fly sheet, custom-made for a nursing mom ;-)
July, 2007 -
Jen continues to gain weight, slowly but surely, even while lactating. She is gaining in her neck, shoulders, chest area now, and starting to get some muscling over her shoulders, and filling in between her ribs. Her anus is less sunken in and she is getting close to being normally conformed back there.
My daughter sat on her for the first time last week, and was grinning from ear to ear. Obviously its too soon to ride her, but my duaghter has been doing some clicker-training groundwork with her, so they develop a good relationship when Jen is ready to ride.
Ana-Bana is also doing very well. She is a VERY active little filly, and very outgoing. I've started introducing the other horses, and Miss Ana pins her ears and charges at them from behind, then races off, bucking in the process. She is such a bold little imp! All the while, Jen hangs out in the shed with her butt facing everyone. I'm sure they will all be friends soon. Jen is not worried, just doesn't want to be bothered right now. But Miss Ana needs to learn to live in a herd and not just with her mom, who tolerates all her shenanigans.
August, 2007
Jen continues to do well. She had her teeth floated last month, and that has helped keep my water tank MUCH cleaner. I think she has plateaued for gaining weight for the moment, at least while Ana continues to nurse, but she isn't losing, so I'm happy. She is settling in much better, all the horses have been together for about a month now. Jen is the bottom of the pecking order, but is working her way up. She already is above April, and is working on Whinney next. The only time they seem to squabble at all is at breakfast and dinner-time, but if Jen goes to her own spot and waits for her bucket, there are no troubles. But she gets anxious about dinner and paces, that's when the other girls get mad at her and put her back where she belongs. Jen seems to be settling down a little bit. She seems a bit less tense and anxious, so that is good news. I expect it will take her some time to really settle in and be comfortable here, she seems like she is holding in a lot of tension and stress. It's hard leaving the only life you've know, leaving behind your herd, including your babies, to a new life.
We have started doing a little bit of groundwork, just to build Jen's and Mandy's relationship. Mandy is using clicker training to help Jen learn to trust her and build a relationship. She is also doing gentle work over groundpoles to help build her muscles back up.
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 Jen Leading |
 Jen Backing over a groundpole |
 Jen also seems a little bit back sore, and tight in her neck and poll.So she had her first Equine Touch body balance today. |
And here are pictures from today:
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 Not only is she growing mane, but look at how much longer that tail is!!!! Compare it to the photo's from April, up above. |
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And here is my daughter's artistic shot of the day:
September, 2007
Jen continues to do well and gain weight. It is very slow now, but she is building a good winter coat, and she has plenty of blankets to keep her warm this winter. The dentist will be back in November, and I also have a chiropractor coming in November for her, as well. Ana is getting big, and is a happy, healthy little filly that torments her old-fart paddock-mates. She rears up at them, leaps on them, bites at them and tries very hard to get them to play. All they do is sigh and give her an ugly look. Jen has gotten quite big for her britches since Lakota (alpha mare) went out for training. Lakota comes back next week though, and I'm sure Jen will be back in her place and quit tormenting everyone soon thereafter.
October, 2007
Much the same for October , Jen continues to gain weight, little by little. Ana is nursing less and less. Jen enjoys getting her blanket on for the cold nights, and the nice warm sun and warm October days on her skin. She is curling up like crazy, she has plenty of coat. She mostly just needs to fill in her topline now, and just a smidge more on her butt, and she'll look pretty good. Then it will probably take her another year or so to really bulk up those muscles, and her chest. It took Lakota 3 years for her chest to really widen and muscle up.
Some photos from the end of October
And here is Miss Ana Banana, all curled up for the winter, and here trying to kill my chair
November, 2007 --
Earlier this month, Jen came down sick, with ... something. I don't know what it was, but we had a period of cold weather with rain, so I had her blanketed, and was feeding them under the run-in. Two days in a row, Jen acted confused about coming to eat her grain, though she was nickering and interested, it was as if she had forgotten how to get from here to there. Both days I led her over, and she ate everything. The third day, the other horses were pushing her out of her hay, and she didn't care, which was uncharacteristic. It was pouring, so I brought her inside the one stall, and closed her in. She was warm to the touch, so I took off her blanket .... and she was gaunt and tucked up, and looked horrible. I took her temp, is was 101, which is pretty high for her, she typically runs low, most likely due to her starvation. She was far too warm to the touch for what the weather was. So I locked her in with hay, and gave her some banamine. I checked on her in a few hours, and her temp was down, and she was picking at her hay. I called the vet, and we agreed to put her on a course of SMZ. Her temp. bounced back up that evening, so I gave her a gram of bute, and it went right back down again, and she continued eating, and I started her on SMZ. She was on it for 10 days, and her temp went down and she was eating and otherwise fine. She perked back up in a couple of days, and has been fine ever since. She did have one eye that was a little runny, but nothing else to suggest an upper respiratory infection. She's been fine for 2-3 weeks now, thank goodness. It is getting pretty darned cold now, so she is wearing her blanket and its keeping her toasty warm. Ana rarely nurses anymore, Jen's bag is shrinking up, and she continues to gain weight nicely. Here are the most recent pics
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All snug as a bug in a rug!
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Ana's morning ritual, of standing on the rock (or leaping off the side) while waiting for breakfast.
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December, 2007
Jen continues to put on weight, and is looking rather good. She needs to bulk up on muscle now, and work on her topline, which we will start in spring with some light roundpen work over ground poles, and some light riding by my daughter. Nothing much else to report, Ana is almost completely weaned and has a suck every now and then, I think mostly she's just too lazy to walk all the way to the water tank for a drink. Jen mostly pushes her away, and her bag is mostly slack and drying up. I'm not going to stress them with forced weaning, considering Jen is gaining so much weight and Ana is self-weaning.
January, 2008 - Jen is having some sessions with Pam Sourelis of Reiki, Communication, and Neuromuscular Retraining. I will keep this page updated with her progress, but here is the report of her first session.
Hi Michelle.
Here are the notes for Jen's session.
I began the session by placing one hand on her chest, one on her hind end and just channeling Reiki while gently rocking her from front to back. She pulled in a tremendous amount.
I was then led to take her sternum in small circles. This is ordinarily not something I would do at the beginning of a session, as this is a very private area of the body. I also like to work with the spine and ribcage first. But this is where Jen wanted me to work, and so I did. The circles were very smooth and clean, no sticking.
I then channeled Reiki to the entire underside of her body, then to the muscles along her spine, and then up through her seat bones. When sending the Reiki through her seat bones, I saw dark areas in her lower spine and off to the sides of her spine. I place my hands on either side of her lower back and channeled Reiki while gently rocking her from side to side. The dark area cleared fairly quickly, within two or three minutes.
I noticed gray energy further up her spine, and so I moved my hands further up the spine, one hand on either side, and continued channeling Reiki. This energy also cleared fairly quickly. I repeated this process with my hands on her shoulders.
Jen then presented her chest to me. I wasn't sure if she was presenting her physical chest/sternum or her heart chakra, perhaps both. In any event, I channeled Reiki to the area.
Jen then led me to her left shoulder. Standing on her left side, I channeled Reiki to the area, which was rather dark and seemed quite stiff. I did not attempt to initiate any movement. I then moved to the right shoulder. I channeled Reiki to the area and then took the shoulder in small circles. They were smooth, no sticking.
Jen then led my hands to the area just below her withers (still on her right side). After channeling Reiki to the area, I moved a bit lower on her spine, where I held and lifted the muscles beneath the spine (taking over the work of the muscles). I "walked" down her spine, and when I reached her haunches, lifted and held the muscles of one haunch at a time, while gently rocking her from side to side.
I then sent Reiki up through Jen's feet. She felt much softer at the end of the session than she had at the beginning.
I started to speak to Jen several times during the session, to ask her questions, but I thought better of it. It felt invasive. She wasn't interested in communicating in that way.
My sense is that she is standoffish because she is physically uncomfortable and doesn't want to be jostled by the other horses. This could change with additional NMR work.
After I wrote these last two paragraphs in my notebook, I turned my attention to Jen again to end the session. I had planned on taking her face in my hands, but she positioned my hands higher up, just behind the poll. As I channeled Reiki to the area, I felt her neck loosen. She told me that what I had just written was correct. She stretched her neck and back and communicated the energy of smiling broadly. I stroked her mane for awhile and then swept her aura to close the session.
Thank you for allowing me to work with this lovely creature. Please let me know if you notice any changes in her demeanor or behavior.
Be well,
Pam
Reiki Energy Healing
Animal Communication
Neuro-Muscular Retraining
www.WingedHorseHealing.com
1/9/08 -
Hi Michelle.
Here are the notes for Jen's second session.
As I connected to her with Reiki, I told her that it's OK for her to be off by herself as long as she is happy. No one is asking her to change her personality.
When I began working with her body (mostly Reiki), I noted that her lower back was stiff. I channeled Reiki to the area, did some gentle rocking, and very gently "bent" the hind a tiny bit around the lumbar/sacral joint.
I then sent Reiki up her spine and into her shoulders. I still noticed darkness in the left shoulder and to a lesser extent the entire left side of her body.
I channeled Reiki to the left shoulder, then took it in small circles (which she didn't want me to do last week, so this is progress). I then took her sternum in small circles. They were smooth; this is good, too.
My sense of her is that she is still fairly closed, not as willing as Leroy to let go of pain. She needs to find something else to replace it (like play).
I then channeled Reiki to the rest of her body and chakras. I said a prayer for release of pain, release of fear, and I asked that those spaces be filled with love and light.
I assured her that how she behaves after that is up to her; she is free to remain reserved if she likes.
I ended the Reiki by holding her head in my hands for a few minutes. I then swept her aura.
While I wasn't comfortable speaking to her last week, I took a chance this week:
Pam: Jen, do you have anything you want to say?
Jen: Not really, not yet. I feel that I am healing. I appreciate what you are trying to do. I am trying to move the darkness aside and bask in the light.
At this point, I said good-bye, ending the session.
Her comment (along with her bucking episode!) is very good news. As long as she is open to information and to healing energy, my sense is that she is going to be fine.
Thank you for allowing me to work with her.
Be well,
Pam
Reiki Energy Healing
Animal Communication
Neuro-Muscular Retraining
www.WingedHorseHealing.com
1/16/08
Hi Michelle.
Here are the notes for Jen's session.
I began as I most often do, rocking her gently from front to back while channeling Reiki. She then led me to her left shoulder. I spent a lot of time here, channeling Reiki until the area was "softer" and then taking the shoulder in small, smooth circles. I then did the same on the right side, but for a much shorter time, as the nervous system transfers the information from one side to another fairly quickly.
She then led me to her sternum, where we also worked for quite awhile, channeling Reiki and taking the sternum in circles.
She then led me to her neck, at first the whole general area and then the spine, then to the area below her withers (both sides) and then the withers themselves.
Most of the session was spent in these areas: shoulders, sternum, neck, withers.
But then, much to my surprise, she led me to her poll. I channeled Reiki to the area for awhile, then left one hand on her poll , placed the other under her chin, and gently (I'm talking about very tiny movement) coaxed her chin towards me. The purpose was to show her that the poll can move, and that the movement can be free and comfortable.
Jen then led me to her hind end, where I sent Reiki up through her tail to her poll, up through her hind feet (to stabilize the hind), and then up through her seat bones towards her poll.
We ended the session as we had begun, with gentle rocking front to back.
As I told you on the phone, when she placed my hands on her poll, I said, Michelle isn't going to believe this; she's going to think I just went here because of our conversation, and Jen was all, Oh, be quiet and do the work. She's a stitch.
Thank you for allowing me to work with her. Please keep me posted on her progress.
Be well,
Pam
Reiki Energy Healing
Animal Communication
Neuro-Muscular Retraining
www.WingedHorseHealing.com
January, 2007
Jen had 3 Reiki/NMR sessions, as you read above. I have seen some emotional changes in Jen, that are very interesting. Jen seems to have realized that she is entitled to an opinion, and she is testing out sharing that opinion. I can't say that she has completely opened up yet, but it feels like she's trying out the theory ;-) So we're working through a few emotional things. She kicks out at the other horses now, which she didn't do before. She's been the bottom of the pecking order, and not she's telling them to f--- off when they push her around. She's still bottom of the pecking order, but sharing her opinion. She is learning that we don't kick out or push other horses INTO the human (Leroy is the only horse under her that she can push). That is something I don't tolerate, and I fully expect to be able to walk around the paddock with hungry horses and not be run down. The rest of them have learned, and Jen can learn as well. Don't chase other horses near the human, that is the #1 rule.
Also, instead of locking up and bracing when I handle her, she is now throwing her head up and bugging her eyes out. It seems to me, that she's telling me that she is worried, rather than withdrawing into herself with the attitude of: "OK, FINE! Do what you have to do to me and get it over with already." So, although on its surface it is quite annoying, I'm taking this as progress. I'm currently handling it by doing my best to keep my emotions out of it (my first thought being: "you stupid horse, we've been doing this every day for almost a year, why are you freaking out NOW about it???" So I take a deep breath, and just wait. One day I had to wait almost 10 minutes to take her halter off, she kept throwing her head up and poppig her eyes out and ready to run away every time I reached toward her halter. Finally, she sighed, dropped her head, and licked and chewed for the first time ever! Then I was easily able to take her halter off, and she wandered off (rather than ripping away like she had originally planned to). It actually looked so funny at the time to see her lick and chew, I guess I hadn't realized how tight she always holds her mouth and jaw, always clenched tight. She is doing a lot of l/c now, everytime I handle her she walks away licking and chewing.
Unfortunately, Ana is still nursing. She actually seems to be nursing a bit more than she was in December, darnit. Jen is so darned herdbound though, I really am reluctant to force wean them. She's already been ripped away from her other daughters, while they were starving, and she really misses them, I don't want to do that to her again. I guess I'll just keep pouring the feed in, and as soon as the weather gets better, I'll spend more time taking them away from each other incrementally and doing fun stuff with each one so it isnt' so worrisome.
On January 19th, Mary had a brief chat/checkup with Jen
Now Jen. I've got her photo here.
> Jen: How are you feeling? Do you have any pain, soreness or
> stiffness anywhere?
She says she's feeling pretty good. I pick up just a
slight tenderness on the right front -- where? I am
asking -- It's the shoulder.
I am asking if this is chronic, or just momentary and
happening right now but not all the time.
Chronic but mild. It is the upper part of the shoulder
into the lower part of the neck, all left side. It feels
like a long-term effect of when she was so malnourished
and suffering. Maybe in the spring she might like another
chiro treatment or whatever you were getting for her.
She is off-center just a bit and I think the reason is
deeply emotional, not a physical injury. She's had a
hard life.
> Is anything bothering you emotionally?
I am asking her this with reference to her current
situation, not her history.
You know, I think she still misses some of the horses she
lived with at the old place. She feels sad inside and
it's like a deep, old sadness she carries along with
her. I think she needs something almost like soul
retrieval. She's not all "here" in some emotional sense,
and it does impact her overall vitality and health though
I am not picking up that she's sick right now (quite
to the contrary, she feels like she's overcome a lot
and is doing all right).
> Are you still letting Ana nurse?
Sometimes, just a bit. She's not producing a lot any more,
it's just something they do because it pleases them both.
> Mandy would like to start riding you when the weather gets better,
> what do you think of that?
Oh, she says she hasn't done that in a long time and she
might be pretty rusty!
Would you enjoy it, though? Learning to carry Mandy and
practicing together?
She says she will be careful with Mandy -- she understands
that part. She's just not sure she remembers how to do
any of the cues and commands. This feels like it will be
starting from scratch for her, almost. But I think she
will enjoy the interaction and attention if you go really
slow, maybe leading her around for a long time or letting
her follow behind another horse while tacked up but not
carrying Mandy for a while to begin with.
I tell her that is something nice to think about for
Spring! Then you can really be part of the family. She
does like that idea. I think any little bits of extra
love she gets will be welcome and healing for her.
Thanks for the opportunity to talk with these guys.
Mary P.
February, 2008 --
Well, I don't need to worry about weaning, anymore. Someone took care of that for us. On Feb. 28, 2008, Ana shattered her pastern and had to be euthanized. Poor Jen, she was just devastated. She wouldn't leave he body , and grieved over her for 3 days. It was just heartwrenching to witness, along with my own grief. Ana's life was far too short. She fretted and fussed, and became anxious everytime she saw me come outside. She wanted me to fix it, to make it all better like I promised. But I couldn't .... there was just nothing that could be done. The entire herd is grieving. Lakota is helping Jen, though. Even though they were never friends, Lakota was very, very nice to Jen for those 3 days. She stood with her, never chased her at feed time, didn't chase her away from attention from me (as per usual), and guided her. On the third day, after Ana was buried, Lakota chased Jen out of the stall, and wouldn't let her stand and mourn over the spot where Ana's body had lain. She told her it was time to get on with her life now, that Ana was gone, and we couldn't bring her back.
And here is a photo of Jen on 2/24. Its all I have right now, I haven't been in the mood to take photos.
Here is the last photo I have of Ana and Jen together, taken on 2/24, 4 days before Ana was gone.
Here is a video I made up, of Jen and Ana's story
March and April, 2008
We are all healing after Ana's death. Jen was very, very distraught for quite some time. It was really amazing (and very sad) to watch the herd dynamics. Lakota took care of Jen for 3 days after Ana's death. On the 4th day, she told Jen to get on with her life. Jen was very funny for awhile, but soon she began to heal, also. Jen seems to have taken on some of Ana's personality. She now seeks me out for attention, and loves to be scratched on the belly and the brisket, just like Ana. She plays, and canters, and buck, which I have never seen her do in the past year. I think that Ana is keeping Jen company, and helping her to learn to trust humans again, and teaching her how much fun we can be.
Jen and April have buddied up, and they spend all their time together. It really came to fruition when Jen ran a stick into her coronary band early in April. It was in a good inch and a half, and I didn't discover it until the 3rd day. I was soaking the hoof, thinking the lameness was an abscess, but on the third day, the soaking with Epsom Salts had drawn the stick out enough that I finally felt it. Jen was confined to a small pen, and on bute for 3 days and anbitiocs for a week. She ended up on Doxycycline after having an allergic reaction to SMZ. She was quite frantic, stomping, and itching her entire body. Banamine set that straight quickly. While I am generally a very natural-oriented person, Banamine is like a wonder-drug! I wish it weren't so darned expensive. Jen had her bandage changed on her hoof 2x/day, with antibiotics injected into the hole, and of course her temperature was monitored. We got through all of this with a lot of treats :-) While Jen was laid up in her pen, April immediately rushed the fence, and spent the entire week in the pen with Jen. No matter what ugly faces Jen made, April never left her side for all that time. They have been inseparable ever since. Jen even shares her hay pile with April, and that is a BIG deal for Jen, she only shared her hay with Ana occasionally.
I have started taking Jen out to the roundpen, and we started with some clicker targeting exercises, to build her confidence. Soon I hope to start some round-pen relationship work, and see how she reacts to that. Jen has really warmed up to me over the last few months. She softens and likes to just stand with me, and be with me. She seeks out the companionship. While Jen is supposed to be my daughters horse, I think it is good that Jen is learning to trust all humans again. At first I had thought I would step back and let them build their own realtionship, but with school hours, homework schedules, my daughter doesn't get to spend as much time as she would like with the horses, and Jen was feeling left out, I think. Jen is also moving so much better! She is bucking and cantering, and she is moving engaged and with natural collection. Her poll and sacrum no longer seem to be sore, and she rolls all the way over, now. Thanks, Pam! She is moving engaged, and very happy and comfortable in her body now. I think she just needed to build the muscle necessary to carry herself. I think her old, inverted movements were due to atrophied nd cannibilized muscles, unnecessary muscles that were sacrified for survival, but their absence caused her to not be able to move properly.
