Phoenix

Super cute photos from Phoenix and his family Lauren and Bryan. They celebrated Phoenix’s 9th birthday this past weekend and told Phoenix that he is going to be a big brother this fall when Lauren and Bryan welcome their little cowboy into the family. So great to have wonderful updates about this special boy. He has a great life and an all-star adoptive family! Thank you Lauren and Bryan for all the love you give to Phoenix and the support you have for all the SAFE horses awaiting adoption.

Here are a few other photos of Mr. P and his new life!

Here are a few of the beautiful adoption photos of Phoenix, Lauren and Bryan. Thank you Jessica Farren for getting these special shots of Phoenix and his new family!

Looking cute for his ride with volunteer Anna

We had new shoes made for Phoenix and he is LOVING them! He is sound and moving great in them. David Barron and Gavin Cooper from Olympic Forge started trimming and shoeing horses for SAFE at the beginning of 2016. Phoenix has been struggling to find the right pair of shoes to help with his navicular syndrome. The shoes that Gavin made him seem to be making a big difference so far! Here’s more from his volunteer trainer and rider Jolene:

Phoenix has new shoes! And wow, does he feel good. He is lighter on his feet now, and you can really feel him thinking he can go the distance! The time off doesn’t seem to have had an effect on his memory. He is still light to most cues, just not as flexible in his body, which, is to be expected from his time off. Going forward, I will really be focusing on regulating his rhythm in all gaits, but especially in the trot. I have so much fun working with this goofy boy, and am really looking forward to getting him in shape for show season and finding him his forever home!

To help understand Phoenix’s navicular diagnosis, we asked Dr. Devine from Pilchuck to write up a brief explanation of the diagnosis and treatment options. We are currently managing him with shoe that have a lift in the heels and he seems happy and is looking good.

To Whom it May Concern:

I first saw Phoenix in August 2015 for a lameness in the left front limb. The horse was a grade 2/5 lame in the left front, which means that the lameness was consistently evident in a circle.  A nerve block was performed and the pain was localized to the foot.  Radiographs showed navicular disease and a negative palmar angle to the coffin bone.  The negative palmar angle means that the coffin bone is tipped back within the foot and puts extra strain on the deep digital flexor tendon.  This condition can be helped with shoeing changes to help modify the angle of the foot.  The abnormalities that were seen in the navicular bone on radiographs showed sclerosis, or hardening of that bone.  Shoes that decrease pressure on the navicular bone were put on Phoenix and have helped him significantly.  Recently, he has been sound and he has started back to being ridden and getting into shape.

Navicular disease is a chronic, progressive and bilateral condition that typically affects the front limbs.  The navicular bone is a finger shaped bone in the back of the hoof capsule.  This disease causes permanent changes in that bone that can result in chronic pain.  Some horses with this condition are managed with shoeing changes and/or anti-inflammatories and can go back to being ridden.  Anti-inflammatories such as bute or firocoxib can be prescribed by a veterinarian on either a daily or as needed basis.  In other cases, the horses need local anti-inflammatory therapy in the form of coffin joint or navicular bursa injections.  This procedure is where steroids are injected into these areas to decrease pain and inflammation.  These injections can be safely done 1–2 times a year and this can keep some horses serviceably sound as well.  Another option for treatment is a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, such as Tildren and OsPhos, which are drugs that inhibit bone resorption.  These medications are administered by a veterinarian and can improve lameness in some cases.  For horses that are refractory to these therapies, there is a surgical procedure that can be done to cut the nerves that innervate the heel.  In a typical case, this surgery only helps for a few years and can have complications associated with it, so it is usually used only after other treatments have been tried.  Navicular disease is a very common problem and  even though it does not have a cure, it can be managed in a lot of cases.

Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you have questions about this condition or how it relates to your individual needs/expectations for Phoenix.

Sincerely,

Liz Devine DVM, MS, DAVCS-LA
Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital
360–568‑3111
ldevine@pilchuckvet.org

 

We are again working with our farrier to find the best shoe package to help Phoenix’s soundness. Last summer, Dr. Devine from Pilchuck did a big work up on our golden child which included x‑rays. The conclusion was that the root of his lameness is navicular syndrome. Navicular is somewhat manageable with shoes but the condition can also require injections or anti-inflammatory drugs. Currently we are trying to manage it with the right shoes but with some changes in farriers recently, that has been a bit challenging. Our new farrier, David Barron, will be seeing Phoenix next Tuesday. He has had a lot of experience working with special shoeing needs and we are hopeful he will offer a solution.

For each horse, it is our responsibility to make certain a potential new owner has all the information needed to make an educated and informed decision before they become that horse’s forever home. 

Given Phoenix’s health history, it is difficult to know what his future soundness will be. An interested party would need to accept that Phoenix will need support to be sound, and even that may not be enough to keep him going as a riding horse. There is a possibility he may never be a sound enough for a heavy riding and he will have both good and bad days. What’s hardest is that even with the help of a good veterinarian and farrier, at best, he might only stay sound part of the time. It is essential for him to be adopted to a home that is going to love him and keep him even if he’s not sound.

Phoenix is a very sweet boy who genuinely needs someone to love him regardless of his ability to be a riding horse. He is a great companion and does well with other horses in a small herd. At Safe Harbor Stables, Phoenix is known to everyone in the neighborhood as the horse who stands watch outside the barn and greets people as they go by. Our hope is that he can be enjoyed by someone no matter his ability to be ridden. He does like having a job and it would be nice if someone would want him for light riding, pleasure and maybe some liberty type work that would not require him to perform in a show arena.

Are you interested in giving this special horse a forever home? Please email adopt@safehorses.org with questions or fill out our adoption application online.

Volunteer rider Jolene Duncan has been spending some quality time with Phoenix. When we talked about project horses Jolene could concentrate on, I was very happy she was willing to take on training with Phoenix. We both agreed that what this beautiful boy needed was a lot more consistency in his riding and training. With Jolene working him four times a week, her hard work is really paying off. The two are forming a great bond and as a result, Phoenix is moving forward in his work.

Here is a little about Phoenix in Jolene’s own words:

“Phoenix has been feeling incredible the past couple weeks. His trot has been a big focus as his tendency is to become tense and move incorrectly in it. Usually when he is doing this, his head will come up (not unlike a giraffe) and then his back hollows. Lately, however, Phoenix has been letting go of this and really trying to move correctly and freely. When he does, it is a wonderful ride. He has worked really hard at being in tune with the rider’s seat and goes with the speed they ask. At the end of last week, he was feeling so good and so with the rider, we started experimenting with the beginnings of what will eventually be a flying change of lead. It is an interesting place for Phoenix though. You can watch him get frustrated as he searches for the answer but feels he can’t quite make the leap yet. He is a smooth ride, when guided with patience and understanding. Too much correction and Phoenix, who has such huge try, can shut down.”

Handsome Phoenix!

We wanted let everyone know where things are currently with Phoenix’s health and lameness status. After trying a few different shoeing options over the last few months, some that helped but some that didn’t, we decided to ask Dr. Devine from Pilchuck come out to take a look at him. We were happy to find that the suspensory injury that he had sustained in early 2013 has healed and this recent lameness issue was not coming from the suspensory. We blocked Phoenix’s hoof and found the source of the pain was in his right front foot.

After X‑rays, he has been diagnosed with a negative palmar angle and has changes in his navicular bone. We have put him in wedge shoes to help and he is sound and feeling good in them. He is again being ridden on a regular basis. He will most likely always need this supportive shoe and as long as it is making him comfortable that will be all he needs. However, due to the changes in the navicular bone there is the possibility this will continue to cause inflammation and pain in his feet.

There are different levels of treatments that can be implemented to help his comfort should he need more support. Such things could include injections to help inflammation, yearly medication that has helped slow navicular disease and or giving him an anti-inflamatories drug like Bute or Previcox on the day he is to be ridden. He is currently going well with just the wedge shoes and no medications. Our hope is that the shoes continue to give him the comfort he needs.

He will be most suited for adoption to someone who will want light riding and does not have a desire to show extensively. In cases like this the future, as with all horses for that matter, is unknown but there is a higher chance that he could become to sore be ridden without support of injections or other anti-inflammatory and in the worst case need to be retired as a companion only horse. We would like to find him a family that would be willing to take this chance on him and would commit to keeping him if the need to retire him should occur. He has already had a few different owners and he deserves to find a family and a home that will give him unconditional love forever.

Phoenix, along with his barn mates Karma and Bridgit, competed this weekend at the English/Western show at the Hollywood Hills Saddle Club! Phoenix brought home a yellow third place ribbon, and these lovely photos by Jessica Farren! Enjoy!

A pair of new glue-on shoes have really helped Phoenix’s tender toes! And look how well-behaved he was for his hoof preparation! He knew that farrier Jake Cowden was not going to hurt him. He’s such a sweet and trusting horse. 

So far he seems to be a lot more comfortable in his new shoes! Our plan is to stay with the glue-on shoes for one more shoeing cycle to allow him to grow more heel and correct his angles, but after that we hope to be able to switch back to regular shoes, possibly with pads. We can’t say at this point if he’ll be able to return to barefoot at some point in the future, but for right now this is how we’re going to keep him comfortable for riding,

Speaking of riding, Phoenix has been looking quite handsome during his training rides lately. The volunteer riders use both Western and English tack, and he goes nicely either way. He’s getting much more balanced, and can hold himself for longer amounts of time without getting “wiggly” the way he was during his rehab. He’s also been getting an extended amount of time in a larger turnout area, and that has greatly helped him be more focused during work. He is relaxed and seems to be enjoying the time in the arena. We’re hoping we can find a quiet friend to turn him out again with over the next few weeks. 

Phoenix had the opportunity recently to don the western tack and enjoy a ride with new volunteer rider, Jolene. Doesn’t he look handsome?

Phoenix was introduced to small paddock turnout this month — he really enjoyed the change of scenery and spending time next to other horses. We are working him up to longer amounts of sustained trot. Currently he is doing 1–3 laps of trot with a few long sides of canter. This month, we will begin to add large circles to his workout. Everything continues to go well for his rehab. Once we are circling comfortably, Phoenix will have completed his rehab and be suitable for normal riding routines. 

We are excited as to how well Phoenix’s recovery has progressed! We are now riding him daily for about 45 mins of walk and trot work along straight lines, and he has remained sound through it all! Our next steps include introducing turnout in a small pasture; trotting around the entire arena (up to 1–3 laps with walk breaks); cantering along straight lines, and in 3–4 weeks, large circles! After that Phoenix’s rehabilitation will be considered complete. Based on how well he is going, all signs indicate he will make a full recovery.

Phoenix is currently ready for adoption to an adopter who will finish his rehab and continue his training. Phoenix is a playful and sweet boy but he needs an intermediate rider who can help him focus and gain a steady, consistent self carriage. Phoenix tends to be a little lazy and needs encouragement to keep a forward walk. Like many young horses, he needs a rider who can be his leader and help direct him under saddle with positive reinforcement. He gets along great with other horses and we are hoping to re-introduce him to group turnout this summer as we work him up to larger turnout spaces.

Here are more photos of Phoenix working under saddle with Erika and Terry:

We had Dr. Krauter out last week to check on his progress with his front left suspensory rehab. She flexed him and he trotted clean!! His rehab has been progressing over the past 3 months, and he’s up to 10 minutes of trot per session. With this “all-clear” flexing, we can now add another 5 minutes of trot every week until he’s back to a full normal work load. This is very good news so we’d love to start talking to potential adopters about a forever home for this handsome boy!

Phoenix thinks hay from the bin tastes better then hay in a bag or on the ground!

Handsome Phoenix — lovingly referred to by his friends at SAFE as our overgrown golden retriever puppy — is staying sound and happy in his rehab. As you know, he was diagnosed with a left front high suspensory tear in January. As far as we could put together, this injury was quite old so any acute treatments would not be very helpful. Upon consultation with Dr Lisa Krauter from Pilchuck Hospital, we began a 6 month walking rehab plan. We worked up to 45 mins of walk under saddle and after 6 months we trotted him and found him to look very good and sound. The next part of the rehab was an additional easy 3 months of walk, gradual working him up to 10 minutes of trot, and a slightly bigger run off his stall to move around.

We have started adding strengthening exercises in the walk including some shoulder fore, halts, and rein backs, as well as active and collected walk. He is also doing some light work over trot poles during his exercising rides. He is up to 5 minutes of trot and we will be adding 1 minute each week this month. He has just a little over one month left until we begin adding 5 minutes of trot every week. Some days, like Friday garbage day or the 4th of July, it’s harder to keep Phoenix’s excitement contained but overall he has been able to handle his time off with good behavior for such a young gelding. We are very happy that he is sound and very well behaved for his riders.

Here’s Phoenix working under saddle with Lisa. Doesn’t he look great?

Here’s volunteer Stephanie riding Phoenix during his rehab session yesterday at Safe Harbor! As of this week, Phoenix is now being walked up to 30 minutes per day. Happily he’s being a wonderfully well behaved gentleman for his rehab…not to mention stunningly gorgeous! Keep it up, Phoenix!!

Phoenix’s rehab is going well. We’ve re-introduced walking under saddle. He is up to 20 mins of riding, continuing some hand walking up to 30 without rider. Increasing both by 5 mins gradually over each the week until we reach 45–60 mins then continue with that duration until June when we can trot and see if he is sound. He is generally well behaved but has moments of excitement some days when hand walking. But overall he has been very good under saddle with minimal refusal to walk forward. Trailer loading practice is still being introduced but we are not forcing the issue of getting in, since we don’t want him to injure himself by acting up.

Getting Phoenix loaded into a trailer for the trip back to SAFE last fall was an experience that many of us shudder to remember. So now that we have the ability to safely secure the SAFE trailer in our outdoor arena, many of the horses are getting trailer training as part of their ground work curriculum. Phoenix is being taught to rethink his strong stance against loading with the help of short, positive sessions that end on a good note, in hopes that when the time comes that he really truly has to get into a trailer, it won’t be a big deal. Trailer loading is just one of the many skills that we’d like to see all of our horses master. It’s all part of responsible rescue, giving each of our horses what they need to get and keep a good home for life.

Just kidding, it’s Phoenix. All the SAFE horses dressed up to celebrate Halloween at the Open House on October 27, and Phoenix’s costume was pretty easy… Here he is in all his palomino glory:

Phoenix is doing well at SAFE Harbor Stables…he was a tiny bit sassy when he first arrived, but he’s a smart boy who learns pretty quick what is expected of him. He’s quickly become a barn favorite for his puppy-dog personality and his glamorous looks.

He was scheduled for a riding evaluation this week with Brittney, and after she managed to convince him that the saddle was not going to eat him, she started him on the lunge and discovered that he was lame on his left front. He had just been trimmed the day before, so it could be footsoreness, but we shall have to wait and see. He’s sound at the walk, but currently pretty lame at the trot.

Phoenix has returned to our herd at SAFE Harbor Stables. He is healthy, happy, and looking terrific. 

Why is Phoenix back at SAFE? As you may remember, he was adopted back in 2008, about seven months after he was rescued. We kept in contact with his adopter, did follow up visits, and everything seemed to be going well for him. His adopter had him started under saddle, and he proved to be very easy to start, and surprisingly well behaved and mellow with a rider on his back. He was ridden in the arena and on the trails.

Earlier this year, we were contacted by his adopter, who said she could no longer afford to keep him. We were making plans to help list him for rehoming, and we even had a volunteer standing by who was willing to work with him and get him ready to be sold. But before any of that could happen, we got word that he had been sold, and was no longer at the boarding facility where we had last seen him. All of our attempts to contact the adopter and find out where he had gone failed…calls and emails were not returned. Phoenix was gone, and we had no idea where he was.

A few weeks ago, Phoenix turned up for sale on Craiglist. I immediately got in touch with the seller, and let her know that he was a former SAFE horse and that we were interested in getting him back. The seller very graciously offered to give him back to SAFE. She told me that she had purchased Phoenix in July, but because she had just found out she was expecting, she did not have the time to continue to work with him and had decided to sell. She had also attempted to contact his adopter, who told her she would take him back if things didn’t work out, but was unable to reach her. She was more than happy to see him return to SAFE, and we are very grateful to her for her generosity and willingness to work with us.

Why did we take Phoenix back? Seeing that Phoenix was up for sale for the second time in less than a year had a lot to do with it. He’s a young horse, he’s an extremely good looking horse, and he is a pretty big horse too. He may be great under saddle, but his ground manners are pretty awful. It took us three separate attempts to load him into a trailer, and the final attempt took well over two hours. Phoenix has some serious gaps in his education, and unless he gets the training he needs, he is in danger of becoming a very big problem for someone. Because SAFE rescued him when he was 7 months old, we feel responsible for him, and we want to see him end up in a good home that will last, preferably for the rest of his life. So rather than leave that to chance, we have elected to once again take responsibility for him in order to get him back on the right track.

On the positive side…and there are many positives here…Phoenix is a lovely horse. He’s very sweet, he’s stunning to look at, and unlike his little brother Sinatra, he grew up into one hunk of a horse! He’s tall, about 16hh, with a nice wide back, and a good sturdy frame. He’s a fancy mover, and we will soon find out if the rumors are true about him being an excellent riding horse. We will work hard to get him straightened out on the ground, teach him to load into a trailer, and then see what we have. It’s pretty likely that we will have one pretty terrific horse to offer for adoption!

Phoenix and Brittney working together in preparation to load:

We’ve rebuild Phoenix’s thread from the old SAFE board, so there are lots of photos and videos here for you to enjoy! Click here to visit Phoenix’s thread!

Taken at his former home

Photos by Susan Bunch

Phoenix is having a great summer — I think he gets better looking all the time. Now that he has lost his winter coat entirely he looks darker than I remember last summer. Kind of reminds me of Kokomo.

I am having some pictures taken of us working together next month — in the meantime, here are some shots of Phoenix enjoying sunset.

photos by Karen Wegehenkel

I have been very remiss in posting pictures of Phoenix — I am a horrible photographer!!!  So with the cherry blossoms in bloom at Edensgate, I hired someone to take pictures of my beautiful boy. He hasn’t completely shedded out yet but I didn’t want to miss the cherry blossoms.

Phoenix had a check-up with Dr. Hannah a week ago and he is awesome.

Prepare to be inundated with Phoenix:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/horsebytes/2008/12/17/winter-sparkle‑2/?source=myseattlepets

http://blog.seattlepi.com/horsebytes/2008/10/29/pasture-peerage/

From Phoenix’s adopter:

Thanks so much Monica for chronicling Phoenix’s assimilation into his new herd. I have to say that they have been much kinder to him than at the last place — I don’t see any evidence of “physical reminders” of his place 

Isn’t he growing??? He is starting to look more like a horse everyday and less like a baby — he is adorable although filthy. I brush him all the time, but it won’t be until next spring that he will probably stay cleaner. The joy of light colored horses!

October 2, 2008

So Phoenix has a new teacher!!! [name removed] will be Phoenix’s trainer — we all met last night and — like everyone else — [name removed]  thinks Phoenix is the cutest thing  [name removed]  has a degree in Equine Science and a National title to boot! She will be a great source of information on diet, exercise, and everything “horsey”

She is going to be working with him 2–3 days per week — I will be there for at least one session each week. Can’t wait to get started!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 11, 2008

Well, I have been having a heck of a time with finding trainers who didn’t back out at the last minute. After 3, I sort of gave up. Also, I was concerned that Phoenix didn’t have quite enough turnout time at his new home. I go and see him every evening and take him out for at least an hour but still feel bad. So, I have decided to move him back to Monroe — Edens Gate!!!!! I really like Julie’s place and feel that is where I want my baby to grow up. Plus, she can help me work with him. The only downside is I will only see him 3–4 times per week now, but I believe this is the best thing for him.

He will be moving out to Julie’s in mid-November — and hang out with the SAFE crowd there — Hope, Annie, Willow, Whiskey, and Cedar.

October 27, 2008

I couldn’t wait any longer so yesterday Julie and I moved Phoenix to Edensgate!!!!!! He loaded fairly easily and hauled great. I spent some time with him introducing him to his new home and tucked him in his new stall safe for the night before leaving.

Today is his first time out with the new herd — have to say that upon our arrival the resident boys were very excited to see the new “kid” — so we walked over and met them. They were very sweet, no squealing like at the last place — I told Phoenix that he was going to be with some nice guys. I am sure he will be fine although I am going through withdrawals now that I won’t see him every day.

Update from Phoenix’s new adopter:

So, here is the first of what will be MANY updates 

After Jaime and I got him settled in his new paddock yesterday I left and got his grain and put together packages for the boarding facility to feed him. When I came back, he was still out grazing so I took him out of the paddock and let him hand graze for about 30 minutes and then we walked the fenceline of his new pasture so he could meet the “herd”. They were all very nice to him, nickering and a lot of “getting to know you” sniffs — I think he is going to be fine with them.

When I took him into the stall, he was a little nervous so I stayed with him in the stall while he ate and we watched the sun go down together ‑and THAT is priceless!!!!

I love him to death, and will see him everyday. I will definitely send lots of photos so everyone can have a “Phoenix fix”

Thanks SAFE for helping me to find the pony of my dreams!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Bernadette Ziegler on her adoption of Phoenix!! Bernie fell in love with Phoenix the last couple of months while she has been volunteering out at the farm, and finally decided to adopt him. He will be boarded at a facility in nearby Clearview, so he won’t be going too far away, thankfully, as I will miss him terribly.

He was a superstar today with trailering and arriving at his new place. I had Allison come and babysit Sinatra as I was very worried about the “weaning” of the two of them, but it turned out to be not too big of a deal. The gods were smiling on us, because just in the past week or two Sinatra has been spending more time hanging out with Bennie, and often you would even see Sinatra and Phoenix grazing on complete opposite ends of the pasture. So Sinatra called to his friend but it was not the horrible dramatic event we all feared. Phoenix hesitated a little bit about getting in the trailer but then walked right in, hauled great, and was completely calm on arriving at his new home. He met the horses in the paddocks next to him, both geldings who were very sweet to him, and then settled down to graze. When I left him he looked completely at peace.

So the last of our palomino babies has gone to his new home… <sniff, sniff>

I know Bernie (horsecrazy) will keep us posted on how Phoenix is doing though, and he got a wonderful home!

Today was the day that Phoenix and Sinatra were turned into happy geldings. The procedure was done in the front pasture by Dr Hannah.

Update 7/23/2008:
Phoenix was rechecked yesterday by Dr. Hannah and is doing well. He has had quite a bit more swelling than Sinatra (due to him being a little more…*cough*…well-endowed), but nothing to be concerned about at this point and still a normal amount of swelling. If it gets worse he may need to have his incision opened a bit where it has already closed over so it can drain, but more than likely the swelling will gradually go down on its own.

Phoenix is doing great! The main concern with him right now is a little bit of a swollen left hind hock that I am keeping an eye on. I think he probably overexerted himself somehow. Other than that, he is doing really well and I took tons of hair off him yesterday. I need to change his name to Phoenix the Photogenic, because he takes GREAT photos!

Update May 1, 2008:
Poor little Phoenix. Hannah came out today to check on his still very swollen right hind hock. He was off on it but not terribly lame, but it is very distended and full of fluid. Hannah thinks he probably twisted it, but to be on the safe side she wanted to get the inflammation down which can lead to long-term arthitic issues, so she sedated him, injected the hock and drained some of the fluid out, and then injected hyaluronic acid, a small amount of steriod, and some antibiotics into the joint. She then rubbed Surpass (topical bute) over the joint and put a pressure wrap on to try and get the inflammation down. He needs to have it iced/cold hosed a couple of times a day and have the Surpass applied, for a week. Hopefully he will be ok!

Update: May 3 2008:
On Wednesday the boys were playing a lot — rearing and running around. Phoenix seemed to be the dominant one, and was doing lots of stalliony things like biting at Sinatra’s hocks. Sinatra was trying to move him off by kicking. Perhaps he connected or it was just a twist from the extreme exercise. They have stepped up their game quite a bit. When they were both rearing up it was pretty impressive! I ran to get the camera but of course things were relatively calm by the time I got there. There was still lots of challenging/dominance play that went on for about twenty minutes.

They were quiet on Friday, just walking up when I went in to fill their water and asking for scratches (well, Sinatra asks, Phoenix then doesn’t want to be left out, so he tolerates). I remember the day that Jaime told me touch his back and my hand sank down an inch and a half on either side of his spine. Now they have flesh there. Their haunches, too, are beginning to develop just a hint of roundness.

While I was wishing for them to have the big pasture next door to really let loose in, maybe its good that they don’t.… Young horses need to move and play to develop their bodies — it is always hard to keep the balance between wanting them to move and not wanting them to get hurt. Their own judgement is notoriously unreliable!

May 3, 2008:
Unfortunately, his hock doesn’t look better yet, in fact it looks worse. Monica, this is something he did at least a week ago. We noticed it a week from yesterday. Hannah doesn’t think he was kicked, she thinks he twisted it, but it could be.

My instructions from Hannah were to cold hose or ice the leg twice a day and put Surpass on it at least once a day, and keep it wrapped. Well, easier said than done. Phoenix is still very skittish and trying to do this by myself has proved nearly impossible. I did get the wrap that Hannah put on off (by cornering Phoenix in the stall, with him shaking the entire time), and put Surpass on it yesterday, but that’s as far as I got without help. By the evening, without the wrap, his hock had swelled even more and now his lower leg is swollen as well. Allison is coming today so hopefully she can help me with it. Hannah wants me to keep it bandaged as well but without help and now that I am working again it is just not possible. I need help…Valerie?

May 6 2008:
We are not so much concerned about the swelling in the lower leg. This has mostly gone away after the first day and seemed to be a result of the pressure bandage the vet put on the hock area. The rest of the swelling is in the joint capsule itself and it is likely his left hock joint will always be somewhat distended. The vet looked at it yesterday and we are to continue with the cold hosing, wrapping and topical Surpass. In a week if it hasn’t improved we will need to have xrays taken. He is off on it but not seriously lame. Cold hosing yesterday was a battle, we tried tying him to a post outside my arena to see how he would tolerate that so that it can be a one-person job, but that resulted of him trying to jump into my arena and breaking one of the fence boards. However, Valerie was able to cold hose him more successfully today.

Phoenix is doing great and is actually the stronger one compared to Sinatra. It has been over 2 weeks since he has needed help up now. Both are done with their ulcer medication today. Phoenix is still a bit more shy then Sinatra and pretty sure he doesn’t want to be caught, which isn’t a big deal when it is time to go out from his stall but when he has to come in at night he can be a pill. Last night I just gave up trying to catch him with Sinatra and took Sinatra in without him and went back to get him. Boy, are those two ever bonded! Phoenix was screaming and running back and forth, so I would say he is feeling better! Eventually he figured out though that if he wanted back with his “brother” then he would have to let me catch him. Silly boy!

Phoenix’s bloodwork showed him as still a little anemic and protein levels a little low, but this morning he was down but got up by himself this morning. He wasn’t thrilled with his grain last night but this morning I tried it without any grass hay pellets in it and he seemed to like it better. He is also getting a little bit of alfalfa every feeding as he eats that better than the grass hay and we need to get some nutrition in him.

Phoenix continues to improve every day, and is becoming a bright, curious and loving foal who thankfully now only seems to be lying down when he takes a snooze. He is maintaining a normal body temperature now too. He loves attention…he nickers when he sees you coming towards his stall and he enjoys the praise and petting he gets as he sticks his little head over the door. When you see this little guy, and look into his big eyes, you cannot help but breathe a sigh of relief that he is recovering, because had he not, there would have been a long string of broken hearts left behind. He is that special. Everyone loves him.

He is a good boy who submits to his three-times-a-day administration of yucky medicine as best he can. He enjoys a half hour a day of grazing with his two friends, Sinatra and Kokomo, and while he’d be happy to stay out a little longer, he is easy to catch and lead back into his stall. In his mane and his fluffy white fur are bits of fresh shavings from his deeply bedded stall; Jaime and her faithful volunteers keep his stall immaculate and comfortable at all times. He is fed small piles of hay continuously over the course of the day. He wears two blankets to keep him warm. Rest assured that Phoenix could not be cared for any more carefully, lovingly and diligently that he is being cared for now. 

PHOTO CREDIT DANNY ARMSTRONG / MONROE MONITOR

An enormous thank you goes out to REDMOND!, who is there every morning at 8am to clean the stalls and paddocks of these mares & foals. Her help has been invaluable and crucial during this time. Which should come as no surprise to any of us.…she is always the one who can be counted on to jump in and help whenever help is needed. So take a moment to say thank you to her…hey, send her a PM…she loves PMs! ;D

And what can I say about Jaime that would make you all understand what she is going through to help these poor horses recover? Three times a day she grinds pills, mixes up syringes, and patiently goes out to gently catch each one of the foals, and squirt the yucky mixture down their squirming little throats. That is tricky enough for the three foals that are in stalls, but little Lily who lives in the small pasture with her mother, has medicine to be administered twice a day, and she isn’t so eager to be caught either. Jaime kneels down and coaxes her over to her with a soothing voice and a handful of hay, and when Lily gets close enough.…no, she doesn’t reach out and grab her!…she gently snaps the leadrope onto her halter and Lily never even seems to notice she’s been caught. A quick squirt of medicine and the little girl is free again. And Jaime does this even when she’s in a hurry. She may be running full tilt to get everything done, but the horses would never know it. She’s patient, gentle and encouraging with each and every one of them. And they adore her. 

She also administers eye ointment to Kokomo three times a day (which is not easy to do to any horse, least of all a squirmy baby. Because of Hope’s diarrhea, Jaime mixes up four syringes of Miracle Clay…twice a day…and feeds that to Hope…let’s just say that her parka she wears out to the barn looks as if she’s been mud wrestling in it…it’s a messy messy job! But again, there is no impatience, no frustration, just calm encouragement for the poor mare who has to swallow all this stuff, and hearty congratulations and praise for her when she’s done.

On top of all of this, there are multiple small feedings per day. There is dusting for lice and rainrot treatment to be done. This week they will start carefully worming the horses, and that will mean constant vigilance for signs of colic. Work starts this week on the horse’s badly overgrown feet, so she will be there holding them for the farrier, trying to keep these relatively unhandled horses still while the farrier works. The there are her own horses, who are regulated to a safe corner of her property while the new ones are in quarantine, but still need to be fed, watered and cleaned up after. The looks they give her — when she is unable to even touch them for fear of infecting them — make her feel terribly guilty. And when all the outdoor work is done, she comes inside to face a full email inbox, a phone that never stops ringing, and, oh yeah, a son and boyfriend who want and need her time as well. It is no wonder she is exhausted. But she does it all with as much cheer as she can muster. She’s truly amazing.

Here are a few photos I took of Phoenix yesterday during his grass time:

Phoenix is doing very well! He got quite a bit of grass time yesterday with the other two colts, and I think the social time and the grass really perked him up quite a bit. He was able to go without his blankets for a while yesterday, and the great news is that when his temperature was checked, it was normal for the first time! He was still pretty wiped out when he went back to his stall and proceeded to lie down for a long nap, and he is still so weak that I could push him over if I tried, but I am finally hopeful that this little one is going to pull through.