Update: Trixie

Even though I forgot to take my camera to the barn today I still wanted to update everyone on Trixie. The vet returned today because I could not convince Trixie that she needed to let me change the dressings on her legs. After about 30 minutes of struggling with her, the vet decided that we needed to try a new route of treatment.
He's treating her now with what he called an "old cowboy trick." He sprayed something called underwood (and this vet has a thick Tennessee accent, so I could be misunderstanding him) on the wounds, then dusted them with baking powder. He says this causes a chemical reaction which works to heal the lacerations.
The best part is I don't have to play rodeo every day now. He's positive that she'll heal up fine. The only complication would be some granulations building up and causing proud flesh. But he'll be back next week to check on her and if she's getting any proud flesh he'll shave it off so the skin can grow back completely. (Wouldn't it be nice to be able to take away our own "proud flesh" so easily?)
I'll sign off with that thought...good night.

A visit from the vet

Being the owner of a horse is no small responsibility. They are high maintenance animals that come with large feed bills and even larger vet bills. But Trixie has been worth every penny, even the ones I had to dig in the couch cushions for to pay the vet off yesterday.

Thursday evening, after Trixie was put in her stall for the night, she was spooked by the cows. Now, in Trixie's defense, this was the first time the cows had been let into the lot that is adjacent to her stall. It was dark, and all she knew was that where there used to be nothing, there was suddenly a living, breathing being beside her that she could not identify. She tried to jump the fence and caught both front legs on it, putting a good gash in each. A call to the vet was in order.

On Friday morning, the vet came out armed with medicine, bandages, and most importantly, sedatives. Trixie was quickly sedated and the vet and his assistant got to work.

Both gashes had ugly, v-shaped flaps of skin that had to be removed. 

After cleaning the wounds well and cutting off the flaps, the vet carefully wrapped Trixie's legs, giving me instructions as he went. 

Ron and I will have to change these dressings every other day.

Trixie is expected to make a full recovery. I, on the other hand, am not sure I can handle much more drama.

Snapshots of a Saturday

This was a full day! Wednesday was Ron's birthday and we had his traditional birthday dinner tonight. It was just our family and his parents. Ron really outdid himself by cooking his own special meal. We gorged ourselves on grilled rib-eye steak and shrimp, fresh corn on the cob, avocados, grilled jalapeno and bell peppers, and homemade rolls. The steak especially was heavenly; a combination of a good marinade along with Ron's superior grill skills. I didn't get any pictures of the meal. If I had asked this group to abstain from eating so I could snap some photos, I probably would have gotten a fork stuck in a very unpleasant place.

But since I made the cake this morning, I was able to get a picture of it.

This is Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake. And everything she says about it on her website is absolutely true. It is the best. It is divine. It is...well, you get the idea.

I wanted Ron to have a special birthday card this year. Usually I don't even buy him a card since he's really not sentimental in that way. Except about the kiddos. So I took some pics and Maddy made him a card that I don't think he'll ever throw away.

On the inside are some very sweet hand-written messages from the kids.

After I finished with the cake, I decided I needed some equine therapy. Trixie has been missing from this blog for too long. She looks so gorgeous now. She has shed her fuzzy winter coat and is simply gleaming.

As curious and sweet as ever!

While we were out in the pasture, we visited the new baby goats.

On the way back to the house, we encountered this little bird enjoying some lunch. Can anyone identify it?

Pretty soon it was time to clean up for dinner. ((Picture delicious meal here.))

After dinner, Ron opened his presents. There was the normal guy birthday stuff. Cabela's gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, bluetooth headphones...but then Morgan came in with this..

A fresh strawberry from Ron's very own strawberry plant. Ron devoured it in one bite and proclaimed it "awesome."

Things are winding down now. It's been a good day.

Born to run

As you probably know, we aquired a horse about a month ago. We fixed up a stall for her down at the barn, which was cozy enough, but she had to stay in there because there wasn't a safe pasture in which to let her out.
That all changed last weekend. Ron and Jody spent a weekend fixing up about 20 acres. They stretched and pulled, twisted and turned. And that was just their muscles! I kid, I kid. That was actually the field fence taking all that abuse, and it turned out fine.
One thing that I had not given any thought to: because Trixie had been penned up for a while, she might just take off running as soon as she was loose and go right through the fence if she couldn't see it well. Because this is field wire, it's not very visible. Which is where fence strips come in. In this case, they were some sheets from Goodwill that the kids tore into strips, then were tied onto the fence. Hence the name, fence strips. Brilliant!
Interestingly enough, we could hardly get Trixie to come out of her stall at first. She wasn't sure she was ready to brave that big, unfamiliar pasture. But before too long, she had made herself at home there. And she even made sure the goats know who's in charge.

A horse and her girls

A horse...

and her girls...

I asked Ron, "What is it about girls and horses?"
His reply: "I don't know! I'm still trying to figure out what it is about girls!"

I mean really, what can I say?

Introducing....(drum roll)

Trixie!

Isn't she gorgeous? We're so excited to have her here!

Ron was bidding a job up in Pilot Point last week at little piece of property where the couple had several horses. During the course of some conversation, Ron mentioned that he had a little girl who has always wanted a horse. The couple told Ron that because the horse market is so bad right now, they could not sell any of their horses and were needing to let go of a few. They offered Trixie and a little stud colt to Ron for free. (To choose, not both. Ron and Morgan decided on Trixie.) Of course, a free animal is never really free, but because they did this, we're able to have a horse now versus later.

It'll sure be a lot of fun to watch Morgan and Trixie grow up together!