Friday, March 06, 2009

Floating a Horses Teeth - Kings Age

What a cool, first time experience for myself, and for King. Let me first tell you that King is younger than at first thought! What great news he has many more years ahead of him! He is probably under 20 years old....not sure exact age due to teeth wearing, but not as old as I thought!
<**King getting his sedation**
I'm so tickled pink with that news. 2ND...HE'S a little club footed in his right front leg! I knew his pastern was a little bigger than the other but never imagined that's what it was! Then I found out that his hoof is hot, and his tendons are not as straight and tight as they should be. Doc looked at his frog, and its definitely not thrush ( I didn't think it was), but rather an abscess of some sort. He is "greatly lame" he said at this point, but nothing that wont be cured! What a relief! He did suggest a Vet visit, he does need that, but there is absolutely
NO WAY we can do it today!
<**Feeling teeth and aging King**
Norm has the heifers in the lot to worm, and is moving the bulls to the heifer lot and the heifers to the Bull lot. Tomorrow 4 of the 6 are getting a hoof trimming - Buck, King, Molly, and Bella. So Norm is going to try to take him right after his trimming,
<**King beginning to feel the sedation**
I'll have to stay here while Josh is trimming the others. I hate that and really want to go, but I don't see how that will work that way. Oh well cant see it all I guess. So on to the floating! King has more gumption in him than anyone expected. He is just very broke, a bit lazy and needs exercise, and hard headed...he fought the floating quite a bit, and have to have .5 times more of the sedation meds than most horses. Could also be his size maybe. I got to feel the before and after effects of the filing...so cool! He should have a much easier time eating and feel tons better. Well only need to have him floated once a year, and at $60.00 a pop that's not bad! I'm worried that his frog has abscessed,
<**Sedation now working!**
but I'm happy that its not as bad as I thought it might be. <**Feeling even more sleepy!**
King is in good health, perfect weight, and younger than thought!
<** The filing begins, he didn't like it and often bit down on the file!**
I'm really pleased over all, and the guy is very knowledgeable, and did a good job.....Little Jackabo had to be in on all the action of course. Worried about his dear friend and mentor.
<**EVEN MORE sleepy!**
I worked with him on backing and so impressed with how he is coming along. I can touch him everywhere, (but he wouldn't let Norm feel his Noo noo's LOL - one has dropped) (shhhh he let me! ha ha) He was well behaved except when he nipped at Norm...Oh OH! LOL I don't know what to do about stopping that...guess I need to go get a "hose behavior" book tells how to correct unwanted behavior.
^**since he fought it the guns came out!**
He us a sweetie but he is a toddler.
<** My baby boy!**
So today was very interesting. Georgia too was all about watching this get done as well and tasting the equipment that was in reach! Funny how they worry so much about this new stuff and can tell that King was sedated. That really worried little Jack! So good morning so far...Leah comes home today..Doug came home from school coughing and feeling terrible, and is taking a nap..he is supposed to go back at 1:30 to present his science project....but I don't know if he is gonna make it and if he can make it up..guess he is just gonna have to trudge through it.
<**still wanting to take all the attention on himself! "look at me I'm so pretty even if I am dirty! Momma cant wait to bathe me!**
Leah comes home tonight, and will mostly likely get to see little (horse) radish come into the world. (Georgia's vulva us very swollen and soft)....her belly is still tightening up but she is not in any distress at all....its just the beginnings for her and since the foal didn't come last night we definitely expect his arrival tonight! Such an exciting day ahead of us. I wish I could help Norm with the cattle, but with Doug now home sick...guess I'll miss out on that too...Oh well still a good day so far! Talk again with an update as soon as I have one!
**Rae**

4 comments:

  1. Gosh darned Blogger...did I loose that whole thing?

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  2. Yep I did...Ackkkk!!! Is that not the funniest word/noise!
    OH! You are one tierd puppy today I betya!

    Okay...starting over now, Glad that King is younger than you thought! I know that with age horses teeth need less as they stop growing and you can handicap them that is another "Horse Journal " fact.

    He has an abcess! Okay...I want to tell you how to make that duct tape boot.
    The vet just showed us becasue one of the horses I know needed one..he had a nasty one!
    You may have to have him in the stall...I have not found it works any other way Rae.

    Dcut Tape in hand-
    You are making a Duct T Bootie overlay~

    Measure and cut 4 or 5 15 inch strips.
    Depends on ho big his hoof is!

    as you do this, tack/stick them on the wall
    by a corner only, so as to keep them clean ans still sticky.

    Overlap the strips by 1/2 inch. upon each other as you work to making you square. sticky side is tacked lighty to the wall.

    once you have a square that will cover the hoof(hoof being placed atop the middle of the sticky side of D Tape)

    carefully cut in from the corners to where the hoof will be...about 6 inches in on all four corners of the D tape.

    After you haved cleaned and soaked his hoof ,
    make sure it is resting on a tarp or towel so you may do this....layer the cotton gause with poultice on first/
    then vet wrap that into place around hoof/
    then you use the styrofoam(or not)cut to hoof size, then the Duct tape hoof shaped tape goes
    on the bottom and the cut corners overlap to almost the coronet band...don't let them stick to hairs, cut them.

    Hope this helped...wish I could be ther to help...it is labor intensive all this stuff...I have never had an abcess on Wa..jsut saw the slits in her coronet band as one came out.

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  3. Hi Rachel! Just found your blog via Peggy at Hidden Haven! Another KY woman named Rachel!

    What an ordeal for King but he should feel better now. I love horses. Grew up riding all the time. Nothing better!!!

    I'll be back to read more!!

    Rachel

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  4. Whew, for some reason I'm tired after reading all this. I hope you find some time to rest after such busy times.

    And I hope King is ok and heals up well with not much pain.

    ~Lisa

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