1/2/08

Well the Holidays have kept me from updating, but I think we are at the point where we don't need daily or weekly updates anymore ;-)

So .... Leroy has continued to improve. Physically, his legs seem more in proportion to his body. Since I haven't gotten my hands on his legs yet (haven't tried, either), I'm not sure if he was stocked up or not, or perhaps he is gaining weight and his bone looks more in proportion to his body size. I don't know the answer to that yet. Leroy is moving around much better, free-er, and, just more! He stands around eating his hay, but when I'm feeding the girls, and he's waiting for his meal, he has this little circular path that he paces waiting for his food. This IS progress, believe it or not! He's really opening up and acting like a horse now. He paces for his meals, he is wandering around and moving more, and I can guide him or "shoo" him out of my way and indicate where he needs to go. He always circles back around to come back to me though, we're working on that, but he is moving along further and further ahead of me as I indicate, rather than not trusting me and having to be behind me.

He is also getting pushy for his food! He wants to snatch at his bucket, but he knows "wait" now (he doesn't like it, but knows it) and waits for his grain. Now he has started trying to snatch hay out of my hands as I bring that, and he is learning that isn't allowed. I actually had to raise my voice to him for the first time the other night, as it was pitch dark, pouring rain, and I was slipping in the mud and on the side of a hill with rocks sticking out, and I had a big, hungry draft trying to steal the hay! I finally had to yell: "I will NOT get in an argument with a Draft, get over to your spot, NOW!" and he did!

His drooling has also completely stopped, which is wonderful, I would assume that was from ulcers, either mouth ulcers, or just from the constant gut pain. He was on NB for 1 month and used one bottle. I also noticed that the coat on his neck has really gotten thicker and plusher, and his entire coat has become a deeper red (even my husband mentioned it, and he doesn't notice anything about the horses!) His mane is also growing in more, thicker, and he is getting mane on his right side as well as the left now. I can brush him all over, but haven't tried lifting feet yet. I got a look at his teeth, and by my best estimates, he's around 30 years old (possibly even more). The Galvayne's groove is non-existent, and the entire tooth is very short, it looks more like a 4 year olds tooth. So I think that the G-groove was gone quite some time ago. He's an old-timer, for sure. It makes me wonder if I'll ever get weight on him. We shall see.....

I did try bringing out a halter, I would love to get that nasty old thing off him, but not if I can't catch him reliably. I can take hold of his halter, and I have asked him to back up (when he was trying to steal hay), and he doesn't automatically brace anymore when I take his halter, and he will move his head/neck where I indicate without any trouble. That is as far as I have gone, though, the footing is not safe enough to try to do anything requiring movement, it is too muddy/slippery, we have had so much rain in the past 2 months, I can't remember this much rain in the fall/winter in the 10 years I've had horses. Anyway, so I brought out a light rope halter, figuring I can slip that easily over the halter he has on, for practice on/off. Leroy has other ideas, though. Nope, no way. He wants nothing to do with that thing in my hand. Its no problem hanging on the post, I even tossed it on his pile of hay one night (and he tossed it out again), he is not afraid of the thing itself. He is afraid of what a human will make him do with that thing. So I've left it on the post, and I toss it over my shoulder every day, 2 or 3 times a day, and just carry it with me when I feed him. When he relaxes about that, I'll move on to rubbing it on him. I can rub him all over with baling twine in my hand, but not a rope halter. He's a very smart boy.

He is gobbling up all his VR, and eating a bale of hay a day. I think he's gaining weight, its so hard to tell under all that hair. He's getting all he can eat, though. I do hope to integrate him with the girls soon. Its too cold out for me to hang out for hours watching him, but its supposed to warm up for next week. It will be MUCH easier to manage them all in one paddock, rather than run two hoses, two water tanks, two hay storage areas, and he won't waste as much hay with Whinney to clean up after him ;-)

The camera doesn't work so well when its only 3F outside.