Hay Excitement

Rocky is so cute.  He was walking toward me and next thing I know...

...he plastered his nose to the camera hehe.

We put out a new bale of hay (outside since the weather seems to be improving) and Chrome was feeling good.  He was galloping around, bucking, jumping, just being nuts.  He always gets a little wound up when we get hay because I won't let him into the area where the hay is store (pallets, bricks, holes, wire, too many dangers) so I have to chase him out of the round pen when I'm opening gates for hubby to drive the tractor through.  He uses that as an excuse to goof off.  Rocky got into the fun some too!  It was so nice seeing him galloping and bucking, but I'm worried he might have over done it.  By the time I got hubby's phone to take videos Rocky was a little less forward.  I so wish I'd had the phone when they first started playing around because Rocky did a huge, floating, gorgeous trot that looked like anything but a Quarter horse trot hehe.

Here is the video.  Sorry it's so long and shaky.  I got stung by a wasp on my right hand and it was too swollen to use so I took all of the video with my left hand.  It shows them playing bitey face, bucking, following the tractor, etc.

Direct link.

Here are some random pictures I got.

 Looks like he's playing, but he was just scratching (biting) his chest.

 Rocky and Zep at the hay bale.  Hubby was getting 

the hay ring with the tractor while they ate.

 Chrome was grazing because he thought I didn't want him by 

the hay bale lol.  I had to shoo him in that direction.

 A picture of my whole herd!!  I love it!

 Poor itchy boy.

 Two someones are peeking at me hehe.

 Sweaty Chrome!!  He kept his braid in overnight.  

He rubbed it some, but it's fine.  The ear looks okay.  Can't wait for it to heal up.

 Eating together like good boys!!

We had to put wire over the hay ring to keep the goats out of the hay, but we pull it down so Zep and the goats can still reach some.

Here's my swollen hand.  It got way worse before it got better, but I'm now using it to type (a little painful, but not bad) so yay!  Now it's time to succumb to the Benadryl.  Night!!

Rocky's 1st clicker session+Chrome's ear+Rocky lameness update+lots of videos!

 So handsome!!  His dapples seem to disappear sometimes lol.

Chrome first.  I had to braid his forelock because the hair kept getting stuck in his wound and then I'd rip it back open pulling the hair out.  I hope he doesn't rub his forelock braid out....  The wound is gaping open again, but it's not swollen and it's a lot less red.  We cleaned it today and put more powder on (the rain has made using the powder very difficult grr).

Here is a cute video of Chrome being a goofball.  It also shows a closeup of the wound.  The pictures didn't turn out very good, so the video will have to be good enough.

Direct link here.

Now Rocky.  First of all this is only his third Oxine soak and the improvement is amazing.  I'm a believer in this stuff.

He should dress up as the tin man for Halloween...

he already has the boots!!

Aren't we done with this yet??

Check out these pictures I got of the bottles that I mix the Oxine and vinegar in...

See the gas inside of it?

How about now?

That's the chemical reaction taking place.  That's what happens inside of his boots.  I can't imagine how it must feel, but it does not damage live tissue.  He's a saint to put up with all of this.

It's making a big difference too!  I'll let you see for yourself.  First up is a walking video showing him walking after his trim last weekend and then today.

Direct link.

Then here's a trotting video.  The before clip is short, because it never crossed my mind to get a video of him trotting when he was lame.  He had a huge head bob!  I'm talking he bobbed his head a foot easily.  So the after video is awesome!!

Direct link.

Can you believe that's just from his thrush treatments??  The before clip was taken after his trim.  He was way worse than that before his trim.

He stands under himself.  We're going to start soaking his rear hooves this week too, now that he's so good with his fronts.  I'm going to practice with an empty plastic bag and then a plastic bag with water in it before I use the Oxine.  I have no clue how he's going to react to having something on his rear hooves... I'll update when that happens (and I might get video haha).

Next up is a video of Rocky's introduction to clicker training!  He's never done any clicker training before so this is all new for him.  Sorry the video is kind of long (about 6 minutes I think), but I didn't want to cut anything out.  I had to trim out a couple of sections where I was walking around them (would have made you motion sick) and where I was talking about someone I know by name.

Direct link.

He did such a great job!!!!!!!  Hubby did too hehe.  I don't think it will take long before Rocky moves on to other things.  We are going to do short target training sessions for a few days and introduce following it.  Then we will do the grownups are talking game to keep him from mugging.  After that we will finally be able to work on his hooves.  He's been in so much pain that we can barely clean his feet, much less rasp them.  I'm hoping in another week he will be comfortable enough to at least let us clean them out, do some clicker training to reinforce holding his feet up nicely (and not jerking them away violently like he does now) and then we can start rasping his toe and flares between trims.  :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic fourth of July!  I spent it helping repair a toilet and sink that broke and cabinets that were sagging.  Didn't see a single firework!  We were invited to go see a show, but when we walked outside our tire was flat and it was the only vehicle we would drive that far.  We didn't feel comfortable driving that far on the spare so we didn't go.  Oh well.  We got a lot done around the house and the weather was crappy anyway.  Why did the rain have to come back?????

Sorry, I'll stop whining.  I hope you enjoy the videos.  I'm so excited because hubby is so excited about clicker training Rocky.  I think I'm going to get back into it with Chrome too.  He loves it and I miss it.  :)  I'll update again soon (hopefully tomorrow, but if not it will probably be next week because I just don't have time during the work week).

Van Gogh Update

Sorry no pictures.  Just wanted to let everyone know that Chrome's... err I mean Van Gogh's ear is looking much better today.  The swelling went down so the skin is touching again instead of gaping apart like it was.  I got a NFZ puffer at work today and it worked so much better than trying to touch it to put ointment on.  While he was eating supper I just puffed the powder all over the cut and he never even lifted his head.  :D  When the pain isn't so bad I'll go back to using Corona and tea tree oil.  So I just wanted to let you know he still has his ear.

I'll update again tomorrow after Rocky's third Oxine soak.