Bizzy is available for Adoption

Well this has been a very busy past few months. I am taking 20 college units this semester going to school 4 nights a week and boy is that keeping me busy. That is in addition to working and doing all our horsey stuff. So it has been a while since I made a post.

But now I have exciting news for you to share. Bizzy is ready for adoption. Many of you may remember that we went all the way up to the northern California/Nevada border to pick up her and her sire - Red Ryder last June.

I have given Bizzy her own page on the web-site so all you need to do is follow this link and you will see pictures and get the information on her. Please share this with others because Bizzy has great training already and is a sweet, good natured filly, just waiting for someone to take her home, train her and start to have fun.

Here is the link:
http://www.gentledmustangs.com/Bizzy-for_adoption.php

Help us find the perfect home for Bizzy.

New Workshop with Poppy Phillips-Mehlhaff

INTEGRATED KINESIOLOGY
Exploring Possible Impositions & Imbalances in you & your Horse!

Equine Well-Being presents the first in a series of educational workshops on Alternative Care for your horses*. Whether you are an owner, trainer or equine practitioner this series is designed to bring you the latest in therapies available for You and your horse.

Poppy Phillips-Mehlhaff

Poppy has dedicated her life to learning about Applied and Integrated Kinesiology and creating a system applicable to the animal kingdom. Through the influences of great equine chiropractors, Equine Alternatives was born in 1998 with an emphasis on bone alignment. Seeing repetitive issues, Poppy observed that bone alignment was a secondary concern to other insults to the body and was determined to develop a non evasive safe technique that allowed the animals to be healthy on all levels. The Kinesiology offered a modality to the animals in which they could voice their pains and concerns.

Poppy has successfully treated me and my animals, both dogs and horses. Her sessions were life changing and gave me new hope outside of traditional medicine.


Friday Oct.29th

10:00am – 1:00pm

Registration $75
Seating/participation is limited so there is one on one time with Poppy.

Location: Rockin LC Ranch
1984 Equestrian Trail
Ramona, CA 92065


CALL 760-703-4860 or email christine@EquineWellBeing.com
For information Poppy go to http://www.equine-alternatives.com/

*All presenters are members of Professional Horse Services of S CA http://www.phsosc.com/
Copyright cGriffin 2010 All Rights Reserved

Trusty Needs A Home ASAP 7-13-10

Beautiful Roan Gelding needs a Home!

I am dispersing some of my horses due to economics, mostly broodmares and their foals, but I have a 5 year old has been a training subject for a horse-training student who only has been working him on whatever weekend days she can get out here. I want to move him to someone who has the time to continue his training.

He is a roan with a very good disposition has had groundwork in the roundpen, carried a saddle and starting bridling, had his feet worked with, is barefoot and been bathed.

He is about 15.2 and may grow more, photos are from when he was younger he is taller now. He comes from Palomino Valley BLM and I have his adoption papers. I am only asking his original adoption fee of $125. He has never been aggressive, does not strike or kick and likes people.

He is located in Ramona, in excellent health, no bad habits. $125 is negotiable for someone who will continue his training and give him a job. Adoption contract will be required.

Kay Cox-Evenleigh

Contact Christine @ 760-703-4860 or christine@GentledMustangs.com

New Arrivals Today - Flower and Dragon

After spending almost two years with the Schooling family in Escondido, these two have found their way up to Ramona where they have a nice big pasture to run and play in. Both were bottle fed babies and have brough lots of joy to the kids who would come to Catherine's horse camp.

Catherine told me that the kids had as much fun with the goats as they did learing to ride the horses. Even though these guys have horns, they are used to being around children and I haven't seen them use their horns for anything but scratching their backs.

While I was taking pictures Dragon was very curious about the camera and got close to check it out. Made for a really nice picture. Dragon and Flower (both boys) enjoy watching the horses in the pasture and the horses are very curious about them.

Evening feeding time and I got the chance to take a picture while the sun was setting. While Flower in interested in what I am doing, Dragon loves watching all the horses.

We haven't introduced them to George, Gracie and Griffin yet. We will let them settle in a little more before the get to meet the rest of the goats.

Mustang Truth - The Anniversary

This will be a short and sweet entry. I just want to give everyone a link to Vicki's post about the Anniversary of the Three Strikes Ranch debacle:

http://mustangtruth.blogspot.com/2010/04/anniversary.html?showComment=1272087532156#c5423774854446090113


Please click and read!

For Jamie

Those of you who have been following the blog will remember that I posted a picture of Prince Wm nursing from Bella who is not him mom. Bella has not had a foal for at least three years maybe longer. So the sight of that happening was a shocker for all of us.




It certainly showed us even though Prince Wm has been away from his mother for about five months (they sold her when he was one month old) he still isn't over his desire to nurse and be close to a mother figure. Bella has alway been good with the young horses that have been here - especially Dr. Bill.



I wanted to post these two pictures of Bella and Prince Wm because I thought they both spoke volumes. They do almost look like mother and son.






Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Military Family need home for horse NOW!

Taylor came to GentledMustangs several years ago and was adopted by a military family that has loved and taken great care of her. Now they need to rehome her ASAP as their circumstances have change and they are not longer able to afford the board. This has been a VERY difficult decision and this horse is worth much more than they are asking.


Taylor is a 7 yr old, IBHA registered Quarter Cross - Approved Home - $1500

Great on train, some western pleasure, English and started in jumping - she shows alot of potential. Extremely willing and loves a job. She is an awesome horses but needs someone who can ride/work her consistently or property to run on versus being boarded in a stall because she is very high energy (GREAT barrles prospect). Not recommended for children or beginner riders.

Healthy, up to date on vaccines and de-worming. Has mild fly allergies and needs a fly mask in the summer. Good around dobs and getting pretty relaxed around other horses - was previously pastured with other horses with no problems.

Taylor has had thousands of dollars and many hours of traing by myself and on-site trainers.

We are selling her because I don't have enough time for her now and the cost of boarding. She has been in our family for a couple years and is being ridden/worked at least 5 days a week.

$1500 FIRM for horse, tack and any supplies in my tack room. May consider selling tack separate.

Contact Sarah at 760-547-3406 or shardyma@yahoo.com

Still Needing to Be A Baby!

For those of you who have read about Prince William, you know that he was cruelly weaned from his mother when the owners sold her when he was only one month old. One month - I can't imagine. Left to fend for himself with other horses then stuck on a trailer and shipped from Missouri to California at just a few months old, then tossed out with other horses to once again fend for himself.

Not only was this bad for his health because he lacked his mothers milk and wasn't old enough to fight for his food with tossed in with other horses, but he never got the nurturing that a mom gives their babies and a baby he was at just one month. That is why what I saw today was as shocking as it was touching.

We recently brought Bella back from training with Dee Howe and learned that she has disabilities that will make it hard for her to carry a rider. Dee and her husband just fell in love with Bella while she was there because she has such a gentle nature. Dee said if she was bred she would probably throw a foal as honest and sweet as her. Well we aren't in the breeding business so as much as I have always wanted to breed Bella, we never have. She was a broodmare before she was rescued by us. That is why what I saw today was as shocking as it was touching.

Trying Weekend - But it's over!

This has been both a long week and a long weekend. A side of the normal daily living routine, we had so many additional things that brought challenges and some stress that really did reminded us "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger". So let's recap the week.

On Thursday morning we took Chance over to Dr. Matt to have her hernia repair surgery. It took most of the day, but it went well and she went through the surgery without and problems and her recovery to date has been very good - along with her mood.

Thursday night the top/bottom of the hot water heater blew, spewing water throughout much of the first floor of the house and damaging sheetrock, carpet, padding and making an overall mess. The fans have been blowing the carpet dry along with the sheetrock and cabinetry while the dehumidifer has been sucking the moist air out of the totally closed up hot. It has been hot, noisy, smelly, did I mention hot, and a damned mess. But the fans are quiet tonight, we can open the windows and let fresh air in and hopefully in the next day or two they will come clean everything up. But the peace and quiet for right now is joyous!

Saturday we woke to Prince Wm having a swollen left hind fetlock and feared he had broken it or one of his pasterns and prayed we didn't have to put him down. Our prayers were answered when Dr. Corine Selders of Ceder Creek Equine here in Ramona, came out and gave him a thorough exam and full set of x-rays and didn't find any fractures. Dr. Dawn Fletcher of Medicine Hat Animal Chiropractic came out today and looked at him and is relieved there is no fracture and says pulled ligament or tendon (as did Dr. Selders) and it will just take him a while to heal up. The cold water baths and anti-inflammatories have been working because the swelling has gone down a little bit and he is not as sensative to the touch today.

Because the house was hot and noisy this afternoon we were forced outside. We pulled our lawnchairs into the front yard and I grabbed P Wm on a lead line and we put Chance on a lead line and let them both eat the wonderful grass in the front yard while we watched the sun starting to set and enjoying a nice cool drink. Peace and quiet, our horses recovering and content at our sides. The dogs laying around and loving the fact they get to be out in front of the house which is a rare occurance.

Did I mention the wonderful time I had brushing out both Chance and Dr. Bill and giving them each some special love and attention. They both looked so clean and relaxed and you would never know that they each had pain earlier this week and are both recovering from something that required a vet visit.

Life is good! And the house is quiet..... good night and God bless!

Prince William has an Emergency Vet Visit today!

We woke up this morning to the hum and buzz of all the fans blowing the moisture out of the carpet and the humongous dehumidifier that is pulling the moisture out of the air. All this because the water heater blew late Thursday night so our house is in temporary shambles. They replaced the hot water heater and this morning - no hot water.

Anyone who has gone through this or any other large water damage issue knows just how bad it smells. All the more reason to head right out to the horses. First one to check on is Chance, who had her hernia surgery on Thursday and is stalled with Prince William so she doesn't go stir crazy thinking she has been left by herself while the rest of the horses are enjoying the pasture.

Chance is doing well. Her incision site is a little swollen, but that is to be expected. There is no drainage and she seems to be in good spirits. P Wms spirits are good too because he loves being with his big sister - she shares her feed with him :) . But he is limping - not good!

Doesn't take but a glance to see what's wrong. His left hind fetlock is swollen twice it's size and his hoof looks unusually pigeon toed. He is putting weight on it but not much and only on the outer toe area. As a gaited Paso Fino his legs have a little turn in his walk, much like a TWH, so his gait is the same, he's just carrying his foot wrong.



His temp, pulse and respiration are normal and he's eating which are all good signs. The fetlock is not hot or mushy, but to us something is twisted badly or perhaps even fractured. No visable signs of injury, no cuts, scratches, blood - nothing. Two weeks ago we had to call the vet out for Jet on a Sunday morning, now here we are again calling her on the weekend. At least it's Saturday so she won't miss going to church with her girls again for us.




After a thorough exam and series of radiographs we find out that there are no apparent fractures which gives us a chance to take a deep breath and thank the Lord that he doesn't need to be hospitalized. He will definitely needs time to heal without putting a lot of pressure or extreme movement of the area.

We set up a smaller pipe corral for him sharing a panel with Chance so they continue their companionship and sharing their food. Hosing it twice a day with cold water for 15 minutes and then putting a good wrap on it to help give support to the area. Top it off with some anti-inflammatory medicine and a little pain relieve - but not too much because we don't want him thinking his ankle area is fine and putting stress on it - and some supplements to give his body a little boost with healing.

We will take a few more radiographs after the swelling goes down, probably on Monday. So in the meantime he and Chance will be getting a lot of TLC - everyone's prayers will help too.

I Swear She's a Tom-Boy

This girl has had a so many ups-n-downs in her not quite yet two years of life. Today we were finally able to have her umbilical hernia repair for the 3rd time and hopefully third times a charm.

Chance was born from a feed-lot rescued mare named Sugar who was brought to us by Audrey at SHI http://www.savinghorsesinc.com/ , in the spring 0f 2008. Her first hernia repair was done with bands and should have taken care of the situation no problem. But not with this rough and tumble little filly. She figured out a way to get out of her stall and in the process pulled the bands off the first night.

We decided to waited until she was a little older and then had stitches put in hoping it would close from the inside without have to open her up with surgery. This was going great until one evening when she met Griffin the sheep and decided to run, kicking up her heals and as she turned, she turned right into the fence and got herself lodged halfway across it. Of course like any other horse she didn't stop and by the time she did, not only had the stitches been pulled out, but now she needed stitches on her chest from the fence injury.

Now we had to wait until those injuries healed to tackle the hernia issue again. After all of this, she was not a happy camper when it came to me handling her injuries because she just plain hurt all over - scratches from front to back... The cuts and scrapes have all healed and you would never know it ever happened except for a little attitude she has - or could that just be because she is a coming two year old???

In December, Facebook sent me a note asking if I wanted to raise funds for a cause in lieu of birthday presents and the only thing I was concerned with at the time was this filly's surgery. Through SHI's Facebook page and mine, we raised $200 to help pay for her surgery.

Now that the weather has finally settled down and I don't have to worry about cold, wet, muck and that stuff, I decided it was time. Today we drove her to Valley Center were Dr. Matt (from "The Soul of a Horse-Life's lessons from the Herd", book by Joe Camp) and a fellow equine dentist, Michael Grigsby, CEqDT, were working (the ranch that housed the last Pete Ramey workshop which I attended) and Dr. Matt had time in his schedule to take care of her hernia.

What a beautiful day it is too. The sun is out, nice mild breeze, temps in the 70's - it really doesn't get much better than this when you are a horse care practitioner. The first picture is Chance getting prepped. Dr. Matt is covering her feet and Micheal is clipping the surgical site, my move is watching and I am taking the pics. Chance went to sleep like an angel.




He had to make an incision and then stitch three layers from the inside out and the stitches will disolve over the next several weeks. She will have to stay in a stall and not do a bunch of running around while everything heals up.



The surgery didn't take long and she started coming out of the drugs just as Dr. Matt was fininshing with her. It looks good and prayers and fingers crossed she won't injure herself again and do something to disrupt the repair this time.





We stayed and the facility and let her walk off some of the drugs before loading her in the trailer. She is such a good girl that she walked right in the trailer no fuss, no muss. Dr. Matt said she was a very good patient and was going to grow up to be a nice horse. We think so.

Thanks go to everyone who made a donation in lieu of a birthday present for me - and really this was a GREAT present; to Audrey at Saving Horses Inc., Dr. Matt and Michael for their great teamwork during the surgery, my mom for donating the remainder of the funds for her surgery and to all of you who will be saying prayers for this sweet filly.

Stay tuned for updates. :)


http://www.savinghorsesinc.com/

http://www.thesoulofahorse.com/

Sugar (rescued mare) gets her dental done!

Now that Bella has come home, Dee Howe has taken Sugar as her next student. Sugar was rescued from a feedlot in Dec. of 2007 and foaled in June of 2008. She has gotten 30 days of training and has since had several trips out on trail and in preperation for her adoption, I wanted Dee to work with her to see where her strong areas are.

Immediately she noticed some mild pain causing Sugar to be off on her hind end. She is tucking her hind end in to far, not standing sqare and having a little difficulty carrying weight and some pain on her whithers.

Dee suspects that giving birth has gotten her hind end out of adjustment and then she thinks perhaps the person riding her was using an ill fitting saddle causing the pain in her whithers. After adjustments to aleviate those, she is still a little off in her back end. Her feet have been trimmed well (barefoot), so the next piece of the puzzle is her dentistry.

Her first and last dentistry was done in August of 2008 and she should have been re-done in August of 2009, but being our busiest dentistry month of the year, I didn't get to our own horses... Kind of like the mechanics own cars...

The picture below shows what her molars looked like after all of these months. They really are quite good and just need a few minor adjustment, the sharp enamel points reduced and the front of her number 6 molars slightly rounded (or what some call a bit-seat). This took only about 15 minutes.








Her incisors are another story. All of her permanent teeth are finally in, but they have erupted unevenly and she has what's called a diagonal - you can see the teeth on the bottom right side stick up further than the other lower teeth. This diagonal causes her mouth to open too soon when her teeth move laterally (right to left) while chewing or will cause her teeth to be off center (look at the teeth in the middle) causing her issues when she is being asked to tuck her head and get collected while riding or working - this could also cause her to be slightly off balance under saddle. Additionally her lower teeth are protruding further than her uppers creating an under-bite that can also restrict her movement.



In the picture below you will see the incisors after I have made the needed corrections. Those corrections included: reducing the teeth that were too high - correcting the diagonal, correcting the table angle (chewing surface) of the teeth since the lower teeth had a rim on the edge causing a slight under-bite or the lower teeth sticking out slightly further than the uppers, the minor chipping was removed and you can see that the teeth are now center properly. These correction took about 10 minutes and she was done.

Now that the diagonal and other mal-occlusions of her incisors and molar arcades have been corrected this will take any pressure caused by the teeth being unbalanced off the TMJ area and that should be reflected through her spine and carried right down to her feet. Dee should see a difference in how she carries herself under bit immediately and she may even see some slight changes that may need to be made in her hoof trim now that her mouth is in balance.

This is what I refer to as dentistry for balance body movement. A float will just take the sharp points of the edges of the molars - that is why it is inexpensive. But you can tell from looking this horse in the mouth that without having her incisors corrected, the imbalance would just get worse over time, cause more pressure on one TMJ than the other and she will continue to carry her body off balance to compensate for the pain her out of balance teeth were causing.

If you have any questions about dentistry for balance body movement you can email me at christine@WhyFloatTeeth.com and I will be glad to answer any questions.

One final note - other then working on their own personal horses (such as Sugar) equine dental technician's (non-veterinary equine dentists) need to be supervised by a veterinarian on-site during the dentistry in the state of California. If you have a tech do the dentistry without a vet on-site and something happens, there is no insurance that covers your horse for any mishaps because that person - even if they are an RVT - is practicing illegally in California. It is simply not worth the risk.

Our Freedoms Being Taken Once Again!

I spent an extended weekend in Las Vegas at the conference of the International Association of Equine Dentistry and many times the subject of the teeth of the wild horses was used in comparison to the problems in domestic horses that require annual, sometimes semi-annual, dental correction and maintenance.

During one of the lunches I was seated at a table with two gentlemen from Nevada in the Reno area. The discussion went from the dentition of the wild horses versus domestic horses to the gathering of the wild horses by the BLM. One of the gentlemen blamed the current issues of both the wild horses and the unwanted horses on the closing of the slaughter plants and wholeheartedly stood behind the efforts to build new or reopen the plants. He just doesn't see the wild horse the same as those of us trying to preserve their rights to roam on the lands they are on.

I know there are areas where the food and water are very limited, I know that there are times when the wild horses roam into residential areas looking for both, I know there are people who set out food and water for them and I know there are some that detest the horses being there even though they were on that land before the developers moved in and took it away from them.

There are some that used to joke and say it was nice of the American Indian to take care of our land for us till we got here, which really isn't much of a joke, but it makes me wonder if the government did it to the American Indian by putting them on reservations, the Japanese by putting them in camps, the Mustang by putting them in holding facilities, who or what is next.

These are our freedoms being taken away as well as that of the wild horse. History shows us that the government doesn't make a distinction between human or animal when they get in the way of what the government wants to do and usually at the financial benefits of a few.

This is not just about the wild horse - it is about the government taking rights away for the profits of a few once again.

Bella's final training day with Dee Howe

Dee Howe has been working with our rescued Mustang Bella to prep her for adoption. Bella has been being "just a horse" in the pasture the last year and we wanted to hone up on her previous training. Bella returned from the now infamous 3 Strikes Ranch in Nebraska and didn't want to be caught and also pulled her head away if you got near it on the left side.

One of the first things Dee noticed was scar tissue on Bella's left eye. I never noticed it because she has multi-colored eyes. Realizing this explained why she was so difficult to catch and was very nervous about having the left side of her face touched - she couldn't see what was happening. In the very beginning of the video you will notice a translucent blue area on the bottom of her eye - that scarring blocks any vision in that area.

There were other issues that Dee also noticed. Bella had tight and swollen muscles in her neck and when you touched her whithers her shoulder muscles would twitch. Once we got her settled and were able to take a really close look at her, we saw two areas on her neck where it was clear that at some time she had been roped - severely and twice. She has some nerve damage in her neck because of this.

First thing we did was her teeth to be sure the pressure and chewing surface of all of her teeth were balanced so there was no undue pressure on her TMJ. Dee also worked on body issues related to her neck, back, ribs and feet. These adjustments gave her much relief of pain she was felling that was extremely difficult to notice while she was just be a horse out in the pasture.

Dee spent a lot of time working with Bella's blind side wanting to teach her to allow someone to approach and touch her halter - not grab her halter - but lightly touch it so she has no pain. You will see in video that Dee addresses that fact that Bella appears to have had her halter yanked on at some point.

I have a much better understanding of Bella now. In the past, once we had her on a lead line she would do what ever was asked of her. I just couldn' t figure out why she was being so difficult to catch after she returned from 3 Strikes Ranch. Now we know that she was injured, in pain and afraid. Having relieved the pain that we could and working with her to over come her fear on her blind side, we hope that Bella will settle back in to enjoying life as a horse - without the pain.

I am so thankful for the knowledge that Dee has in working with horses and her calm and patient manner that gives horses the time to work through issues without feeling stress and pressured.

www.DeeHowe.net Check out her site and call her if you have a horse that you have concerns about.

New Arrival today - Jasmine the TWH

This is our new arrival that we have named Jasmine (her former name Juliet), because she is very sweet. Approximately nine years old and a purebred Tennessee Walking Horse without papers.

Jasmine has been having trouble under bit and her owners suspected it was because of her teeth. She was also starting to stick her tongue out the left side of her mouth in a nervous type action. The last time she was ridden she reared and that was when the owners decided they needed to have her teeth addressed because she was otherwise a very calm horse.

They were referred to me by a friend and neighbor because I do equine dentistry and I answered questions and referred them to my web-site www.WhyFloatTeeth.com and the vet I work with locally www.equitage.com to get more detailed information about horse dentistry.

After a few days I got a call back from Pam who asked me if I would take this horse. Once again the Lord works in mysterious ways because Pam had no idea that aside from what I do for a living, we are a not-for-profit private rescue and I love connecting people with the perfect horse for them to adopt. In fact we had just started looking for a horse for my mom and that I wanted her to have a gaited horse. Could this be a blessing all the way around?





Knowing where Jasmine has come from and that she is up to date on all her vaccines, we decided to put her in a stall next to Jet, also a TWH, and Prince Wm while she settles into her new home. She has settled right in. We will give her a few days to get used to being here and then we will do her dentistry. I will keep you all in the loop and take pictures before and after.

Budweiser Clydesdale's have nothing on my guys!

It's a brisk but sunny morning around 8am. I just grabbed a cup of coffee and was ready to settle in the recliner all cozy in my robe and slippers. Savoring the smell of the coffee as I walked into the living room, I peered out the window only to see a flash of black and white dart across the pasture out front.

Curiosity changes my direction and I head to the window instead. There they are doing it again. Goshed darned, I wasn't going to miss it this time. I set my coffee down and hurried to find my camera. On went the closest pair of shoes and out the door I went. Forget the coffee - this was just too good to not record for everyone to see.

I see pictures posted on Facebook and various web-sites of horses, usually wild stallions raised high on their hind legs, manes and tails thrashing in movement, nostrils flaring and teeth barred, viciously fighting for superiority - or are they???? After watching my guys I wonder, maybe, just maybe, they just being guys....

Missing Dog, please help us find it!

This was just too funny not to pass along and sometimes we just need to laugh....

No More Pain for Dr. Bill, No more for Prince William

Yesterday Jason Meduna was sentenced to at least a 20 month jail term for the neglect of 70+ horses that died in his care and around 200 that suffered from mal-nutrition because of his egotistical stupidity.

I went to bed last night with a knot in my neck and a very bad headache. The sigh of relief that Jason was proven guilty and then charged to immediate confinement in jail was tempered by my feelings over the loss of Dr. Bill who struggled for months after returning from 3 Strikes until he passed away on September 13th, 2009.

The judge said that Jason showed no remorse. I can believe that because he showed no concern for the mal-nutrition and illness that Dr. Bill received under Jason's care. No once did he or his wife pick up the phone, send an email, even send word through a friend of a friend to say they were sorry. Remorse - that's a good one. Maybe he needs to look the word up in the prison library.

But enough said about that looser. My blog today is one of happiness and how God works in mysterious ways. We were so devastated when Dr. Bill died but at the same time knew his body was just giving out on him and he was home where he was deeply loved and cared for and no he was with God where he would feel no pain nor have another sick day again. A true blessing for him.

We have lots of fond, funny and heartwarming memories of him and the life he shared with us. How blessed we were to have him as long as we did. He taught me a lot about medical care of horses, various tests - how to do them, what they show, how to read the results, what they mean, blood draws, IV fluids, daily medical notes and so much more that help me in my work. For all of that I am thankful is so many ways.

God certainly knew we did all we could to help Dr. Bill and with the help and donations of many we were able to get the care he needed, when he needed. He was a horse that touched a lot of peoples hearts. God does thing in his time - for people that's hard to understand much of the time.

Here is a picture of Dr. Bill at peace and not in pain the day afternoon before he passed.
Born 4-22-08 went to heaven 9-13-09.



Here is a picture of Prince William. Found sick, emaciated, with parasites, an upper respiratory infection and barely able to stand. That was on Dec. 3, 2008. Now he is recovering very well, his is starting to grow, his hair has grown back, the URI is gone and his lungs are good, parasites are gone and he fits in with our horses like he was born here.

In many ways he seems more mature that his age as a weanling would show. He follows me anywhere I take him without great fear, he stands to have his feet worked with, stands for a bath, we did his teeth last week and he was remarkable. He has friends in the herd and is such an easy keeper.

Everyday I see him laying in the sun in a pile of Bermuda. A soft bed to lay his head and enough hay that he knows he won't starve again. He chooses to lay in the hay, he'll lift his head, say hi and then lay back down and soak in some more sun rays. He is content, maybe even happy.

Unlike other weanlings he has been on his own since he was a month old. He had to grow up fast he had no choice. How he worked his way from Missouri to cross our path in Oakdale, CA is a miracle - a miracle for us. Lary and I fell in love with him at first sight and decided to bring him home immediately so he could start 2010 at his new home.

Based on the eruption of his teeth, he is almost 6 months old. That would mean he was born in September of 2009. Perhaps September 13, 2009 at least that is what I will choose to believe. Just as I believe that God takes aways and God gives and both can be blessings.

Prince William Sept. 13, 2009 to ???? hopefully a long life!

Our blessed baby that seems so grown up!

What Good is an Old Horse????

A brother and sister made their usual hurried, obligatory Christmas visit to the little farm where their elder parents lived with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and was called "Lone Pine" because of the huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm.



Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the hustle and bustle of the city added more excitement to their lives and called them away to a much different life.



The old folks no longer showed their horses because the years had taken their toll and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder and harder, but it gave them a reason to get up each day. A reason to live. They sold a few foals each year and the horses were their reason for both joy in the morning and contentment at the day's end.



Angry as they prepared to leave the young siblings confronted the folks, "why do you not at least dispose of the "old one"? She is no longer of use to you, it has been years since you had a foal from her, you should cut your corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse be anything but a burden causing expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?



The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, "Yes, I could use a pair of new boots". His arm slid defensively around the Old One's neck as he drew her near with gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love, nothing else, just love."



Baffled and irritated the kids wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness fell throughout the valley. The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a very happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace and love that filled their hearts?



So it was, because of the unhappy departure that no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. No one saw the first spark fall. No one but the Old One.



In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses.



But the flames were roaring now and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms. Clinging to each other they wept at their loss.



By the time the fire department arrived only smoking, glowing ruins were left and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together outside the barn. They were speechless as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now.



The old man turned to his wife, resting her grey head upon his shoulder as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandanna. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost so much but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas, let's gather our strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved and most precious gifts that have been taken from us."



So he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old and withered hand. The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the deep snow and they took their time as they climbed. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of hill they paused to rest. Looking up to the top of the hill the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.



Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their lone pine tree as though it was aglow with heavenly candles. Poised on the top of the tree was a crescent moon that glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.



Suddenly the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.



Bedded down about the Old One, close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd - safe.



At the first hint of smoke the Old One had pushed the door ajar with her grey muzzle and led the horses through it. Slowly with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames and tucked their tails under themselves as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the Old One as she moved calmly up the hill and to the safety beneath the lone pine.



Now, she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his wife. Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years and she was tired from the climb, but her golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift.



Because of Love. Only Because of Love.



Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy...And again the peace of love filled their hearts.



This is said to be a true story from Willy Eagle. An inspirational message that I hope will make your day just a little bit better!

The day after dentistry for Prince William

It's raining outside today, a little windy and in the 50's. For those of you up to your eyeballs in snow you could probably care less, but either way it's good day to be inside. We put the horses out in the grassy pastures for a couple hours to get some fresh grass and different digs to move around in for exercise.

I took the time to watch Prince William and am so glad to see that he is chewing with his mouth closed and no food is falling out. That little bit of change with his dentistry yesterday was enough that his chewing is now normal. I know that will relieve pressure on his TMJ too.

One more step to getting him back in good health.

Prince Wm visits the Dentist!

Today I am once again amazed at Prince William's calm and willing nature. As we go through this keep in mind that he is not yet six months old.

For those who are reading about Prince Wm for the first time, he was pulled from his mom at one month old and had to fend for himself. At two months old he was shipped from Missouri to central California in a trailer load of horse and the recipients had no idea he was coming. They put him out in the pasture to once again fend for himself.

When John from Zen Equine Rescue of Central CA saw him, he was emaciated and barely able to stand. John contacted animal control who immediately went out to check on this little colt. The owner (fearing criminal charges) turned the colt over to John who immediately took him to Pioneer Vet Clinic.

He was emaciated, anemic, had hair loss patches all over his body, parasites and an upper respiratory infection. That was on Dec. 4, 2009. He was quarantined, given antibiotics, wormer and started on a high fat diet to get his health back. On 12-30-09 we saw this little guy and heard his story and decided to bring him to our facility to continue his rehabilitation. We brought him home with us on New Years Eve day. He started 2010 with a family that fell in love with him.

One of the first things I noticed was his difficulty eating. He had huge ulcers on his lips that would bleed when he ate and he had to open his mouth wider than normal to chew his food. The ulcers were gone in a week (Llysine was a big help) and after a chiropractic treatment by Dr. Dawn Fletcher he was chewing a little better, but I still thought he was opening his mouth too much to chew his food and a lot was falling out.

Today was his day for dentistry. This is the youngest patient we have had in the mobile dentistry clinic. Even though he had never walked up a trailer ramp he followed me up the ramp and inside the dental stock with no problem what so ever.

A little sedation to make him comfortable for the exam and dental work and we were ready for his exam. Right away we can see the scars of the ulcerations he had along his lips and gums. The scars don't seem to be causing him any irritation.

At his age he has his baby teeth and until he is about two years old with have 3 teeth on each side up and down. His teeth have erupted normally, but we do see that he already has sharp edges and there are causing light abrasions on his tongue. We also see he has a scar right in the center of his tongue (the little black spot) hard to say how he got that.



The angle of his teeth is a little steep and that can be a reason a horse would open his mouth wider than normal to chew. Mis-alignment or pain are other reasons too. We determine at his age all he needs is a float to reduce the sharp enamel points fixing the angle of the chewing surface and giving his tongue a break from the sharp edges.


Here is a before and after so you can see the difference.


Now that the sharp edges are gone we check to be sure his teeth move laterally across each other without any problems and and all is well. Next we need to look at his incisors.


Right now he only has eight of the twelve he will have. The four outside incisors usually come through the gums at age six months - that is what is helping us determine how old he is. We can just see the upper incisors just under the gumline so they should be erupting through in the next few weeks. He will probably start teething as the teeth care erupting through the gums. Yep, just like babies...


Prince William has what is called an over jet which is quite common. Not a parrot mouth were the incisors don't touch each other - the over jet means that the upper incisors sit a little further out than the lowers. With an over jet we need to be sure the upper teeth don't grow too long and over the lower teeth making it difficult for them to chew food to get it in their mouths.




We were done in about 15 minutes and Prince William did so awesome. He ended up needed minor changes, but now we have a baseline to start his dentistry history from, we know he has an overjet that will need regular maintenence and he should have no trouble chewing his food because of the angle of his teeth or any other irregularities.


Some of the issues that happen to babies include twisted mandible or maxilla (lower and upper jaws), parrot mouth, and monkey mouth (a complete under-jet) or teeth not erupting as they should. Foals should always be checked between six weeks and six months to be sure there are no major mal-occulsions. Typically this can be done while the foal is out with his mom so it doesn't get too worried nor does she. You do want to be sure before you wean them that they will be able to properly chew their food.



After we were done Prince Wm backed out of the trailer stall with no problems. Out to the pasture so he could get his morning snack of grass... Yummy!

Dentistry services provided by myself and

Dr. Lisa Grim of http://www.equitage.com/ 2-19-2010

Update on Bella the Carter Reservior Mustang

We recently did Bella's teeth for the first time. It is amazing that at age 10, her teeth were nearly perfect, but that is not unusual for a mustang that spent time in the wild from my experience.

Her teeth looked like a domestic horses that has had dentistry for many years. There were very few corrections needed on her molars.

What was no doubt causing her pain and affecting her stance and receptiveness to her head being handled was a diagonal on her incisors caused by a chipped tooth on the lower arcade.

As you can see from the photo, the tooth directly to the right of the chipped tooth had started to grow over the chipped area and had erupted taller than the other lower teeth causing the upper teeth to cross at a diagonal instead of laterally when she chewed.

This type of diagonal causes extra pressure on the TMJ causing pain that can radiate through the pole and down the spine. Dee, her trainer, noted a change in her stance the very next day. She was relaxing more and her feet were more squarely underneath her. She also had better range of flexing in her neck.

It will take a short time for the adjustment to the TMJ now that the incisors are working accurately. Then she will be ready to continue her training. We may also call in our chiropractor - Dawn Fletcher of Medicine Hat Animal Chiropractic, to give her any adjustments she may need to help get her skeletal system back in line.

All in all, Bella is doing better and we are glad.