No You're Not Houdini

Sigh. Mares. I'm learning they really are more brilliant than the dead head geldings and I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing or not. 

Last night, grooming Echo, in the cross ties with the non velcro safety release. Same cross ties Mareface has broken out of twice before. I figure I'm a step ahead of her and keep a leadrope on her in case she start's to pull her escape routine.

Well Mareface has learned to slightly turn her head one direction and lower her head. This equals freedom. 

I caught her by her field being an idiot there, brought her back to the barn where we had a discussion about not threatening to rear while being lead. I decided she had way too much energy and threw her rear in round pen and did some join-up work with her and can say she honestly stopped for the first time when I turned my back to her. Big progress!

Muzzle Musings

Oh Echo... What am I going to do with you?

I love my mare, I really do, but sometimes I just look at her, shake my head and see one disaster of a horse. We got her hind end female issues clear, now I have a clover induced drooling mess of a horse with a messed up muzzle. 

Drool and some of the spotting on her muzzle. Such a glorious sight.

When I got Echo last fall, she arrived with what I assumed to be spots of sunburn from being left outside 24/7. The first week I had her, I applied Corona Ointment daily and it cleared up. No more problems.

Pre Michigan Photo - you can see slightly the muzzle spots.

My thoughts:

• If it was an allergy to grass, clover or a weed wouldn't it be on more of her body?
• If it was Vitiligo would she loose hair or have changes to her hair?
• I've given her mineral blocks in both stall and her field, as well at adding a little extra mineral top dressing to her grain to try and rule out either a copper or iron deficiency. 
• Not summer / sweet itch. It'd be all over her body for sure.

Regardless of whatever it is, it clearly isn't bothering her, just me. I'll update on what vet says whenever I have him take a look at it. Not in a HUGE rush to figure it out, just would like to know.

More delish drool.

Side note - I lunged her this morning before work. She was a mess. Acted like she's never lunged in her life. Time to figure out how to get consistent with her again. 

Four Day Weekend

No Monday video today because not much exciting has happened other than lots of down-pouring rain. 

I started my four day weekend not how I REALLY wanted to. I really just wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep. I was bound and determined to prove people wrong though and decided to groom and bathe both horses. They didn't see it coming, no one did, not even me, but in an attempt to gain control of Echo's wild mane... I roached it. Then I bathed her, and repeated on Dakota. I thought I'd regret it, but it turned out pretty decent and as Echo's mane grows back I'll hopefully be able to tame it better. 

Roached maned mare.

Itchy Mare

The Best Duo

Then in the evening I tagged along with George and Colleen to pick up a horse that was coming to the barn to be boarded. She previously kept her horse Lifey (a 21yr old Holsteiner) here before but moved sometime after I had left for Michigan. She took her to the most expensive and prettiest boarding farm in Lexington area - however it's apparently also the worse for horse care. Pictures of the place from the pickup:

Saturday was my birthday which also didn't go fully as planned. Mother Nature prevented us from going to Churchill Downs as planned, but we went out to dinner and I had a great night hanging out with my friends who also got me a yummy ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Huge thank you everyone who sent me well wishes on my birthday :)

Yesterday... well I was pretty much useless. I helped clean some stalls but sleeping was my main priority which has carried over into today. I did get grain this morning to feed my beast, good accomplishment for the day. Tomorrow is my final day off on my extended weekend. I'm determined to ride at least one of my horses but at the same time it's felt great to relax before a stressful week to come. 6 Days until Michigan to move :)