Hi, I'm Ev. I'm training to become a horsewoman. These are my adventures and misadventures. I'm green as hell, but so far, so good. I'm now learning from Bo (and sometimes his wife DeDe) at D&D Ranch in Pope Valley. I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity, I feel quite blessed, and I feel that they, and horses, have really turned my life around.
Solomon is my baby- a big old flea bitten grey Appendix gelding who is very kind and way too smart! I love him so very much. He is a rescue and was meant to be co-owned rehabbed, and maybe rehomed to a good home. He turned out to be over 25 years old with injuries that ultimately do not make him riding sound, so he is retired.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

It has been a week now.

First off, thank you so very very much imaginethewolf, for the ride and all the help you gave us at the barn tonight. You rock! <3
Thanks to her, Solly got a freshly cleaned barrel of water today. His water had gotten stinky and I hadn't managed to catch the stablehands to ask them to change it. She did an amazing job. I helped a bit, couldn't do as much as I wanted, but he has clean water now. He was so excited that he kept sticking his nose in as we were filling it up, and getting sprayed. Heh.
She also did the stall cleaning tonight. Yay clean stall. :D And clean salt block- it had gotten dirty as well.
I changed his leg bandage. The wound is still draining, but what's coming out looks pretty healthy. Still no swelling. It hasn't sealed as much as I'd like, but maybe it's better that it continues to drain for now. It's draining out the very bottom of the wound.
Solomon was a very good boy for his bandage changing. Heh, no sedation required. I think he took one step, and I don't think I was even wrapping at the time. He put up with me pouring a whole bottle of water over his leg too, and he hates getting wet. The bandage wrapping was easier than I thought it would be. I might've not done quite as perfect of a job as the vet, but it was all flat and smooth and I put in all the layers of stuff, and it seems to be staying in place, so yay!
We went for a walk, and it went the way it goes every time. I got some really dramatic sighs and a bit of whining heading back, but he only resisted for a short while. A whining horse is pretty pathetic though. Poor guy. I know, you miss your herd and you get lonely.
Hoof picking went well, but I learned to not do it in low light- flung some hoof-gunk debris right up my nose. I could have lived without that experience, to be honest.
Am looking into shavings. The stalls in this barn have shavings, but most of the paddocks do not, save a couple with really really old mares who have some foot issues. It'd be nice though. I e-mailed the BO, so we'll see what she says.
I kinda want to get Solomon a hanging jollyball. Not sure if he'd play with it, but he sure does get bored in there, and the jug-with-rocks doesn't seem to be a huge hit.

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