Are we freaked out enough about this awful EHV-1 virus yet?
Of course I showed my mare for the first time last Sunday. What was I doing? Cutting. Had any of the horses there been to Utah? I don't know.
This is a small, regional club. One group comes from a pretty competitive, polished barn up north from me.Their trainer and a few of his non-pros could have been in Utah, but the rest of us are pretty much local gunzels.
I'm still worried.
I'm in the middle of working out the logistics of taking on a horse rescue gone hoarder. It's a heartbreaking mess and is going to take months of case building to get anything done. Someday I'll be able to share this, but not yet. Nothing in the rescue world is ever black and white.
I was dinking with my widgets and my followers disappeared. Anybody know where they went? I miss them terribly.
I have some more thoughts on the confusion of the potential cruelty of misguided love for horses and the kindness that can come from what some would consider cruel treatment.
I've been writing a lot about my goofy mare and dealing with her fear.
This past weekend I went to a cutting horse competition. I entered two classes. My friend Kathy came with and we brought her horse Rosie.
Rosie is the other half of the "bad mares in love" situation I've had going on. Madonna and Rosie have fallen into a very unhealthy love. They are BFF's and only have eyes for each other.
They live together and can't breathe without each other. While I've been battling the
enabling relationship they have developed Kathy has been, well, letting Rosie be a bone head.
She is finally getting either sick of it, or embarrassed, and decided to leave Rosie tied to the trailer for the day.
I kept Madonna in the arena, out of Rosie's sight for eight hours. As a matter of fact, I sat on her all day. So Madonna whinnied and fretted in the arena and Rosie whinnied and fretted and dug a hole to China tied to the trailer.
No food, no water, no pity, for either of them.
Pretty rotten of us, yes?
Here's the thing. Madonna fussed and fretted most of the day. We blew our first class. I loped, trotted and walked her in the warm-up, alternating with frequent rests while we watched the action.She and Rosie cried back and forth every time the arena door was opened to change cattle.
By the end of the day Madonna was standing still, dozing, with her hip cocked.
We went in for our last run and placed in the money.
I got down, loosened her cinch and we went back to Rosie. They got to go home to dinner.
We went riding yesterday.Madonna and Rosie were very well behaved. I took Madonna back to the trailer and Rosie stayed in the arena alone. Not a peep out of either one. I saddled Odie(formerly known as Leeland)and left Madonna tied at the trailer alone.
No whinnies, no anxiety, no misbehavior for either one.
They had a long,tough, emotionally exhausting day on Sunday. Yet nobody died, nobody beat them, and when they were quiet and calm they got to go home. I lucked out and was able to reward my quiet, calm horse right after she got to it and got her cow work done the way it should be.
Neither Kathy or I picked at them or ever got angry,we just gave them the hours they needed to deal.We didn't love on them either, at least while they were being stupid.
Lots of rubs on the way out of the show pen and before we loaded them up for the trip home though.
I did find out one very sad fact. I definitely have lost my pro butt. I was able to sit in the saddle for 10 and 15 hours at a stretch not too long ago.
My butt is still killing me. Turns out I've got a non-pro butt. Sigh.
Are we freaked out enough about this awful EHV-1 virus yet?
ReplyDeleteYES and I'm not even in the "hot-zone"
I am fretting about going to a local show this weekend.
Yeah this stuff is freaky, no community water troughs for us. Luckily I don't travel much neither does anyone in our riding group, but we do frequent our local big area and people come there from all over. We are however about as far away from the "hot zone" as possible.Sounds like it spreads much like strangles and that stuff is a BEAST!
ReplyDeleteFreaked out here, too, but my horse is in the barn in my side yard and we don't speak "cutting." However, I belong to a dressage club that has a show coming up in a couple of weeks. People come from far and wide (and who knows but what some dressager doesn't board with a cutting horse that made it to UT and back).
ReplyDeleteI live about 140 miles from Bakersfield (Kern County), and one horse there has been euthanized due to symptoms. Our show site, a training center, has closed the gates to outside horses--no one IN and if you haul out, you cannot come back. Trips to vet clinics canceled, etc. No definitive word on the show, but for now, we're looking at postponing it. Scary stuff.
I'm wondering where the UT cutting show horses picked this up--from a sick horse from THAT show or from a previous resident? That would be an interesting story, too.
I am glad Rosie and Madonna were finally able to settle down, it sounds like they got the point. Also, I can see your followeres just fine. I use Internet exploreer 9 and haven't yet had the problems that I've been reading that other bloggers are experiencing. YET being the keyword here. :-)
ReplyDeleteHeck, I am worried about EHV-1, and we are not in the zone, don't show, and the horses usually don't leave the place! The neuro complications plus infectious- horrid combo.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in your thoughts on the dichotomy I call spoiling love vs tough love.(Your potential cruelty of misguided love vs kindness that could be called cruel in the short term) I have learned that what seems harsh( tying a horse to a post to help it learn to stand quietly tied) in the short term is best all around for horse and rider and all subsequent riders. That is tough love. Not doing that, or using similar stern training when needed, can negatively affect the horse and all subsequent riders and handlers. It is hard to determine, as a novice, when a trainer is too harsh. I have decided for me, the trainer has to have a plan, a reason for doing the "homework" as he calls it, and an end goal. And efforts should be made to keep the horse as safe as possible while doing the stern "homework". It has to make sense to me, and also at least seem to make sense to the horse. I would love any guidance you would have on discerning what is appropriate and what not.
Geez. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods with this virus... probably all is well but yeah, I think worry is normal and keeps ya watchful...
ReplyDeleteSounds like Rosie and Madonna had a very productive day Sunday!! :)
Fingers crossed for you guys - thank heavens it only has that 14 day incubation period. They've got Bakersfield on a complete lockdown right now--- no horses are allowed to travel ANYWHERE unless it's a dire emergency.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the virus... my show next weekend was cancelled, I live in AZ and I guess a couple horses died in this area already (Prescott area). My farrier has a couple clients that were at this Ogden show and their horses are on quarantine. Kind of scary but just keeping my horse at home.
ReplyDeleteNot too freeked out, we have had an outbreak near us about 5 years ago an hour away at the racetrack. (that also stables saddle horses) We are also really far away from the rest of you.
ReplyDeleteNothing that you wear or use from any other barn should go into your barn. Disinfect everything. Fingers crossed for all of you in the hot zone
I'm a little worried but not a lot. There's some good info coming out from Canada and it basically looks like let things settle, see what happens with the incubation period and just how many more horses come down with it. We do have horses who were planning to go out of the barn but don't know if those plans are still on, plus a new guy who came in and his owner was petting Mocha before any of us ever heard about it. So...oh well.
ReplyDeleteStuff happens and you do what you can to prevent it. I'm a bit more worried about the number of dead possums I've been seeing lately. EPM is rife here, and I've seen stalled horses get it. Looks like the possum population is on the upswing.
Good luck to everyone in avoiding this outbreak!
EHV-1...Yes, freaked out, even here in PA.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the non-pro butt club. Some of us live here, some of us come and go. Door prizes include those ice in a jiffy things, and those C shaped pillows hospitals give out :)
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110518/ARTICLES/110519493/1169?Title=12-horses-quarantined-after-two-are-euthanized
ReplyDeleteartical near me here in FL, but apprently not related to the breakout in Utah
Michigan here...not freaked out but there is a ACTRA (something like that..hate acronyms) trail ride here; horses coming from out of state that have horses from the Utah show...so I am staying away from my favorite trails this weekend, just in case. I figure that by the time the rains stop next week, the areas will be fine if there even is a sick horse (totally different discipline).
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, my two are getting well needed ring work.
I am not freaked out but I am annoyed. If all it takes to keep my horses safe and to get this virus under control (for those of us that weren't at the show or have affected horses) is to stay home for 30 days... Why would anyone chose to go anywhere? Is showing or trail riding or whatever so important to you that you can't give it up for a mere 30 days?
ReplyDeleteThere have been reports of several cases within a 100 mile radius of me. Horses that are being tested and 2 confirmed cases - horses that were in Ogden. I don't feel that they are a threat at this time - and hopefully they are following all the protocals to protect the rest of the horse community.
I was signed up to do a fund raiser - trail ride this weekend. I called to see if it was going to be postponed and got a really stupid and snarky answer. No they are not postponing due to a virus or weather. (the next statement made me want to bitch slap the woman) "typically show horses are not trail horses" - really??? like the virus knows the difference? I knew what she meant but I still think it was an asinine statement. And - I see it the other way - typically trail horses are not show horses. I am staying home.
You just can't fix stupid.
"Typically show horses are not trail horses."
ReplyDeleteTee hee. Nearly every equine--horse, mule, and donkey--at the barn where I board is both a show and a trail equine. My trainer even takes her dressage horse on trail rides. Going up hills builds nice butts.
That said, we're staying home for a while. We're not really in a panic about it. The animals are healthy, and the vet gave them immune boosters last week to help if they do come in contact. We all just have a gut feeling that it's best to stay close to home. Didn't stop us from taking a fabulous ride down the road today, though.
I'm in Placer County in CA and we have confirmed cases. I'm a little worried just due to the close proximity of our barn to a local trail riding park. Anyone who wanted to visit over the fence with December could. Kel, my show horses all trail ride. What was that lady thinking?
ReplyDeleteCharlie's trainer is on lock down. They had been showing out of state in NV and down in southern CA. There has been no known exposure but everyone is doing what they can to be safe so no horses in or out of the barn.
Also, I helped our barn manager take her horse to her trainer just last weekend and now they're saying they have some sick horses and maybe she should come pick up her horse. I'm against it. Why risk exposing another group of horses? I told her to talk to her vet before making any decisions.
All of our local shows have been cancelled this weekend and rescheduled for a month out.
Tax is having some issues in the rear end. EPM is a possibility and he's been in a stall but we have a ton of wildlife from the park next door. We're hoping its just a delay patella release issue but they couldn't rule out neurological disease based on some of the lameness testing. The vet recommended PT and waiting to see if he starts to build muscle or continues to decline before testing. :( At least it doesn't pass between horses.
Crowguys, That is how Walter Zetl said they used to train when he was young. Dressage, jumping and hacking out on the trail, all regularly. This produced a Strong (yes, butts up hills ;->) and agile and confident and relaxed horse.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that is still going on. I do know my trail pony would benefit from some dressage training, too.
Mugs, loved th eRosie Madonna story. Thanks!
yea, well I woke up with a hitch in my hip - I've never had that!! but I guess it matches my recent shoulder hitch and my (seemingly now permanent) aching elbows - WTH!!!!!!
ReplyDeletethe EHV-1 is scary, but I think people reacted well in containing their exposed horses.
anyway, the herd here, (between 8 and 12 in number) did nothing this winter but run around together like wild horses, so you can imagine how herd bound they all got. I'm happy to say the owner now realizes some of them seriously need to be separated here at home, in a controlled situation before they go off to a ride or something somewhere and really freak out. we started putting 2 or so in a pen at night while the herd goes off and does their thing. One especially had a hard time, spending a couple of days running the pen - but guess what. it's easier on him now. it will continue to get easier, and now he'll pay more attention to his rider. better for everybody all around.
You don't know you can survive without your BFF until you do.
ReplyDeleteThen you know.
You know?
Hope the butt is better and the virus stays far away. We two/too are staying home until it blows over. One horse dead in Texas is enough of a scare for me.