Note picture below
I turned the boys out to their big pasture yesterday. "The boys" are Rambo and Casey. Rambo's 21 and pretty blind but pretty amazing too. He seems to find his way around just fine three years after his second eye went bad because of a displaced lens.
Casey's had eye problems too. A few years ago when we were returning from Willie's graduation in Boise, I received a call from Connie, who was taking care of the animals for us. She was concerned about one of Casey's eyes not looking quite right. Right after our return, we called the vet, and he diagnosed that Casey had cancer in his eyelid. A few days later, he had surgery to have the third eyelid removed. The odds of the cancer returning within a year or so were fairly strong. It's been four years now, and so far so good.
That's good too because Casey is the watch horse at our place. He's 16 years old this year, and he's lived here since he was two months old. Our friend Judy Trenholm gave him to us after another veterinarian said it would be okay to wean him from his mom Tangerine.
Well, Casey never skipped a beat, and because he's been reared mainly by humans, he feels enough kinship with us to see that nothing uninvited comes on to the place.
Look out dogs, deer, strange humans, or even bears. All have entered the pasture at one time or another throughout the years, and all have made quick exits once they see this Arabian gelding fast on their trail.
Casey also takes care of Rambo and sees to it that he's okay if he ever gets disoriented. In fact, if I dare take Rambo for a short ride out on the roads, I can count on Casey being a lather by the time we return. He races around the barnyard and whinnies the entire time I'm gone.
Casey also believes in schedules. In fact, that's why I'm writing about him this morning. Last night I turned my boys into a smaller pasture which limits their intake a bit. We have to be careful this time of the year, for fear of our horses foundering (poison from too rich of food causes them excruciating pain in their feet) or tummy aches. So, I monitor their green-grass intake. Casey is especially vulnerable to the sore feet syndrome, but he hasn't gone to vet school, so he doesn't understand the concept of staying away from the rich grass.
In Casey's mind, if it's 6:30 a.m., and "she turned me into the big pasture yesterday at this time, she'd better get out here and do it again. Never mind the fact that I've been eating all night." Casey hates to have his eating schedule disrupted, but I have to be strong and ignore his demanding whinnies that greet me every time I appear at the doorway. He just doesn't understand that Mom is looking out for his best interests---no matter how many times I've tried to explain it to him and even told him just to "shut up."
Casey's been part of the family for 16 years, and he definitely adds his uniqueness to our day-to-day lives.
I can hear him whinnying right now, and I'm gonna ignore it as long as I can.
I turned the boys out to their big pasture yesterday. "The boys" are Rambo and Casey. Rambo's 21 and pretty blind but pretty amazing too. He seems to find his way around just fine three years after his second eye went bad because of a displaced lens.
Casey's had eye problems too. A few years ago when we were returning from Willie's graduation in Boise, I received a call from Connie, who was taking care of the animals for us. She was concerned about one of Casey's eyes not looking quite right. Right after our return, we called the vet, and he diagnosed that Casey had cancer in his eyelid. A few days later, he had surgery to have the third eyelid removed. The odds of the cancer returning within a year or so were fairly strong. It's been four years now, and so far so good.
That's good too because Casey is the watch horse at our place. He's 16 years old this year, and he's lived here since he was two months old. Our friend Judy Trenholm gave him to us after another veterinarian said it would be okay to wean him from his mom Tangerine.
Well, Casey never skipped a beat, and because he's been reared mainly by humans, he feels enough kinship with us to see that nothing uninvited comes on to the place.
Look out dogs, deer, strange humans, or even bears. All have entered the pasture at one time or another throughout the years, and all have made quick exits once they see this Arabian gelding fast on their trail.
Casey also takes care of Rambo and sees to it that he's okay if he ever gets disoriented. In fact, if I dare take Rambo for a short ride out on the roads, I can count on Casey being a lather by the time we return. He races around the barnyard and whinnies the entire time I'm gone.
Casey also believes in schedules. In fact, that's why I'm writing about him this morning. Last night I turned my boys into a smaller pasture which limits their intake a bit. We have to be careful this time of the year, for fear of our horses foundering (poison from too rich of food causes them excruciating pain in their feet) or tummy aches. So, I monitor their green-grass intake. Casey is especially vulnerable to the sore feet syndrome, but he hasn't gone to vet school, so he doesn't understand the concept of staying away from the rich grass.
In Casey's mind, if it's 6:30 a.m., and "she turned me into the big pasture yesterday at this time, she'd better get out here and do it again. Never mind the fact that I've been eating all night." Casey hates to have his eating schedule disrupted, but I have to be strong and ignore his demanding whinnies that greet me every time I appear at the doorway. He just doesn't understand that Mom is looking out for his best interests---no matter how many times I've tried to explain it to him and even told him just to "shut up."
Casey's been part of the family for 16 years, and he definitely adds his uniqueness to our day-to-day lives.
I can hear him whinnying right now, and I'm gonna ignore it as long as I can.
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