Ready for Surgery

Friday I will be getting my bad hip bionicized. I am sooooo excited. Some days I think I might cut it open myself because I can't take another day of this shit. I get about two good hours when i first put on my lidocaine patches. After that I go back to feeling like I have some sort of fire clamp around my hip. 

It's been insanity until today. My parents were 62 and 72. They lived full lives and had collected all the things that go along with full lives. Downhill ski gear, cross country ski gear, hunting gear, camping gear, endless tools, horse stuff, farm equipment, gardening supplies, and everything else you could imagine. It was well organized and there wasn't much junk. Because it was so organized I had no idea how long it would take. 

Everyday somebody has been out at the house. If I wasn't out there my dad was. For a week I had a crew wiping the walls, shampooing the carpet, servicing the furnace. I have had an unbelievably supportive crew behind me. However, to get it all done I still had to be out there working. I needed to be done by today. Pre-op appointments are tomrrow so today was the final go. 

It was a day of girl power because the boys had to work their day jobs. Moms friend, my badass trainer, awesome neighbor lady, and best step momma ever were on fire today (sometimes literally). We carried a monstrous wooden couch and burned the fuck out of it. My hip hurt like hell but smashing the shit out of that couch was sooooooo satisfying. I washed the outside of the house (yes I scrubbed that shit with a car wash brush). Loaded the dryer and a dresser. Mopped all the floors. Wiped the windows. All those finishing touches. 

Friday my amazing realtor comes to take photos. This weekend it goes on the market. It makes me smile thinking about a family moving into the house. It is spring and flowers are starting to bloom. The hummingbirds are flocking to the feeder. By summer a family will have horses in the field and a dad will be hiding out with a beer in the man shop. I hope someone loves it at much as we did. 

Pippin week two

When week two started he was still in the covered pen. One thing most horse people learn the hard way is moving too fast is always a bad idea. If she moved too fast by putting him in a bigger area it would end up with her chasing him around which isn't conducive to the whole trusting humans thing. Soooo he spent more time in the smaller pen. He was quickly trotting from gone far end of his pen as soon as she came out of the house. He was getting close to being ready for his own little paddock but baby steps first. 

He wasn't happy being stalled when he was first at the rescue and later had a stall with a run. Most horses need to tolerate being stalled without stress. He was also in a QT pen. When Pippin could sleep in stall like a big boy a lost soul from kill pen would have a place to land.  

He did fairly well the first night but was worried. He didn't like being brought in first and was anxious if all the other horses had their heads down eating. The next night she pulled down a few boards so he could always see his neighbor. 

Now he is sleeping in a stall just like a grown up tame pony. No stress. No drama. Every morning he's hanging his head out he door happily waiting for breakfast with the rest of the ponies. Every week blows us away with his bravery. 

Pippin Week One

Pippin has been at my friends for over 2.5 weeks now so this update is a little old. She put him up front in a covered area. It's a decent sized pen but still small enough you can catch a wily pony. It's also nearest the house so he can get a treat and pat everytime she walks out to the house. 

She often qts horses who come in scared and skittish. Her routine is to get them used to her in the smaller area to make sure they are easy to catch before setton them free. I knew I was only there for a few days so I spent most of day one sitting in the pen with him. I made him follow me around to get treats. He is a really curious guy and by day two he was reaching his nose over the fence begging like an old pro. 

After I left she worked on letting her mess with the halter and take it on and off. He got treats from everyone coming to the barn so he can see all people are good. He was still turned out with a safety halter and catch strap. She took the halter on and off daily until it was no big deal. 

By the end of week one the halter really was no biggie. He even met the farrier and was mugging for treats. I am a little embarrassed that it appears the "wild" horse stood better for the farrier than my tame trained pony. I knew pippin had a a amazing start at the rescue and my friend worked magic but I was shocked at how quickly he was adapting to his new life. I would have been happy with this profess after a month and was giddy it happened after a week. 

 

The Other Babies

You are probably wondering how the other fur babies are doing. Bre is as pretty and perfect as always. She is going to be 17 this year. I can't believe she's almost 20! I started working with her as a 3yo and still love her to bits. She goes on the occasional trail ride. 

When my parents died I asked my trainer friend to take over horsemomship of Dickie. I stop in for kisses but she's making sure he remembers how to be a respectable citizen. He's been loafing around like a semi retired gentleman since my surgery. Poor guy is back to boot camp and so he will be fit by the time I'm ready to hop back on. It's meant a lot to have her working him because I get detailed updates and I feel like I'm there. 

Everyone is seeing the big mean vet this month to get spring shot and toofies done. Dickie has been his historically a little shit to sedate and the vet reported he was a good boy this time. They were wonderful and took care of him on their own. He's been pissy lately over bridling and they did find some sharp points. Hopefully he'll be much happier now 😊

Goals Schmoals

After I droned on about how Pippin won't have goals and timelines likes most horses in training. Pippins goals might be simple and lack a time. He still has some goals though. Whether it's my horse or someone else's I want to leave them better equine citizens. Horses live in a world where they are one paycheck form a kill pen. Even the best owners could die tomorrow in a freak accident. The best thing we can do for any horse is make them as well rounded as possible. 

Pippins goals while living at pony treat boot camp are simple

1) he can be haltered easily every day and led in and out. He was being haltered at the rescue but preferred trusted friends. To live at a boarding stable he needs to tolerate multiple people walking up and haltering him.

2) he will let anyone walk up to him and halter him 

3) he will tolerate being in a stall overnight with our stress. 

Those are achievable goals but there is no rush. We want to make sure he can do all of this without too much stress. He's an obedient little guy and we don't want to take advantage of that. It would be great if he was ready to love to a boarding stable by the time I'm ready to ride again but if it takes longer that's just fine. 

Plan Pippin

Pippin has come a long way since pony up came to the rescue. When they brought him home he couldn't tolerate human touch. No one could get close enough to put a halter on. He didn't know what a treat was so bribing wasn't an option. But they never gave up. Slowly and steadily progress was made. They hired trainers when needed. He is a different horse today. He can be haltered and ridden. However, he has a long way to go. He can't be haltered by anyone. He needs to know and trust his handlers. To have the best chance at a good happy life he needs to be able to trust more people. 

We have a game plan and goals. However, with this guy there can't be any sort of a timeline. I'm always careful not to let my timeline adversely affect the horse but I do usually say "by June we need to do abc." Things need to happen on pippins time. He's a very kind horse and would put up with stuff even if it scared him. It's important not to take advantage of his kindness. Horses like this need frequent short interactions. Nothing ground breaking. Nothing the big showy "horse whisperers" would do. Just baby steps for as long as it takes. 

Pippin

Pinky needed a new name. He was named for his pink ball that he no longer has. While it is hitting that I have one horse named after boy parts Pinky needed something more fitting. Dickie is doofy and sometimes a bit of a dick (sorry baby it's true, and part of your charm). We handed namage over to other awesome horse BFF and ba da ba ....... Pippin! Pippin is the adorable sweet side kick from the LOTR stories. It also means "

a highly admired or very admirable person or thing." Pippin is the clumsy side kick in the books which doesn't really fit him (he's a careful gentleman) but he sure looks like a Pippin. And he is already admired by many so that fits.