Life in General

Things change so rapidly.

Just a few weeks ago, I was working full time as a microbiologist and also completing my internship in a laboratory at a hospital.

In a fortuitous twist of fate, the laboratory manager where I was doing my internship attended a meeting and met another director who had an open position.  One thing lead to another and I was finally able to give my two weeks notice at my microbiology job.

I am now working in a laboratory at a medium sized hospital.  It's a novel thing having an eight hour shift.  I've never been able to know when I start and when I end work, so I am having a bit of a difficult time adjusting.  Mostly, I keep forgetting to take my breaks!  One kind worker keeps chastising me and chasing me out to the break room.

More pony time now!  Hurray!

 

Danny, a Morgan stallion I know

 Chili's leg is still healing up well and the proud flesh has drastically cut down.  We are still aiming at a horse show at the end of July, but we definitely have our work cut out for us.  We need a lot more work with trot to canter transitions.  She keeps trying to throw herself and run into the canter, instead of picking it cleanly up.

My list of things to work on:

• Quite trying to crouch forward (sit back!) to enable her to sit and carry properly
• Work on figuring out how to give her more efficient half halts before the canter transition
• Reinforce my leg with the whip if she is ignoring that aspect of my canter cueing.

Any other suggestions?

Chili Update

Chili is healing well post dog attack.

Unfortunately, some proud flesh is trying to creep up and form on the lower part of her leg injury, so we are working on nipping that in the bud.

Last Friday, a wonderful equine chiropractor came out to adjust her.  She was pretty out and uncomfortable from where she fell on her hip.  It was affecting the way she was tracking up, so it was a great relief to see her being more comfortable post adjustment.

My husband brought out our Labrador a couple days after the "incident" to see what Chili thought of a dog.  Apparently, our happy-go-lucky, mostly-an-idiot dog wasn't very threatening.

Good news indeed.

Well Chili...there's a show at the end of the month.  Who knows if we'll be able to go and how she'll be.

Wish us luck.

Call Me Lucky

Of course, life has been crazy.

But I'll keep this brief. 

Thursday, I was called at work and told that a pitbull had attacked Chili and another horse and I needed to come.  She had an injured hind leg.

I of course, immediately went to the worse extremes and picture my poor, sweet little filly laying on the ground eviscerated or a tendon severed, or what have you.

We were extraordinarily lucky.  The dog was persistent, despite my barn owner's father being present the entire time.  She attacked and harassed and chased the horses for more than an hour. 

The horses were wet, scared, and upset, but extremely lucky.  Chili, because she is a sensitive princess, was wearing her heavy duty Kensington sheet.  I think it certainly helped save her from worse injuries.  It has teeth mark, claw marks, and blood from the dog on it.

Chili just has a laceration on her left hind and abrasions on her nose, along with various small nicks and scrapes from flying around the paddock at warp speed.  She is so lucky indeed.

Lucky Girl

In my state,the owners are liable for damages.  I doubt they are going to willingly pay the vet bills, so we will see how this progresses.  I am dogged and relentless though.

So sad for the dog, that she had an owner that was improperly supervising her and couldn't handle her appropriately.  The dog is currently in rabies quarantine and hopefully will not be returned to the owners.

Keep tuned, I am sure for more dog drama updates...