Tough Lessons for Both Horse and Human

Nox has been steadily improving since removing his front shoes two weeks ago.  He happily runs around the indoor ring and I will start riding again this week. 

Unfortunately, his attitude has been steadily more aggressive.  He's always been a mouthy horse and he likes to play with things.  Recently, Nox has been biting and chewing on his lead rope.  I've tried to discourage the behavior, but then he gets annoyed and nips at my hand.  I've been too lenient, with him being sore, and my gentle reprimands have not been effective.  I hate to hit any animal and I've been trying to discipline Nox with loud protests and sharp jerks of his halter.  He doesn't even flinch.

Last Thursday, he was really misbehaving and I couldn't get through our ground manner games because he was so focused on biting at me.  I sent him off to run around the ring and he turned his rear end toward me and kicked out with both feet - a horse version of "flipping the bird".  He was too far to actually connect his hooves to my body, but the messgae was clear: he did not respect me.

I knew I had to regain control and get more aggressive with Nox, but I really disliked the idea of hitting him.  That night, I read some articles about disrespectful, unmanageable horses and one article really hit me hard.  The trainer wrote that a horse that bites and kicks is a dangerous horse, and the future for a dangerous horse is grim.  Often, owners are too lenient because they feel like they know the horse well enough to manage him.  But what happens if that owner can't keep the horse anymore?  If someone else had to care for the horse, would they feel safe?  If not, the tragic fate of that horse is entirely the lenient owner's fault.

I read that and had an ah-ha moment.  Nox escaped the slaughter truck once when he came off the racetrack injured.  If I couldn't train him to be a respectful and manageable horse, it will be my fault if he hurts me or someone else; my fault if no one wants him, if I can't care for him anymore.

I went to the barn the next day with a whole new attitude.  I led Nox into the ring and the second he reached down to bite the rope and my hand, I came at him like a pitbull - slapping the lead rope against his chest and shoulders, growling, and yelling "No" for about 8 long seconds as he backed up in surprise and fear.  Then I stood next to him like nothing happened.  He was breathing hard and his eyes were wide as he looked at me, probably wondering who the heck I was.

I walked forward and told Nox to "walk".  He took a few steps with me, a little hesitantly, and then reached out to bite the rope again.  A second time I whirled around, repeatedly smacked his chest with the lead rope, and backed him up yelling loudly. 

He didn't try it again.  In fact, he followed me like a puppy, stood still and calm while I dangled the lead rope in front of him, backed up as fast as his feet could shuffle when I told him to "back", and played the ground manner games with better precision than ever.  I could just point to the foot I wanted him to move and he responded instantly.  I had Nox's respect but I didn't feel any triumph.

I called Best Husband Ever and told him about it with shame in my voice.  I hated that I had to hit Nox with the lead rope.  I felt like a terrible person who beats animals and I was embarrassed, frankly, even if I did earn the respect I wanted.  Best Husband Ever listened sympathetically.  He reminded me that my gentler methods weren't effective (true), a cotton lead rope wasn't enough to really hurt a 1200 lb horse no matter how hard I swung it (good point), and that appropriate discipline is part of love (why are he and my dad always right?).   

Nox half-heartedly tried to bite the lead rope once today.  He will always test his boundaries, I think.  I only had to shout loudly and swing the rope one time.  He was an angel afterwards and very easy to work with.  I've never seen him stand as quietly as he does now.  Nox is a smart horse and he really wants to please me, but he's also playful and goofy, and has to learn his limits. 

I have to be strong enough, and love him enough, to teach him.

    

 

A Week of Worry

This was a rough week for Nox.  I had his front shoes pulled off last Monday so that his injured hoof would grow back out into a normal shape and relieve the pressure on his heels and tendons.  He probably hasn't been barefoot on his front feet in many years, so I expected that he would be a little tender-footed at first.

After a few days, Nox didn't want to walk at all.  I slowly led him the few yards to the indoor ring and let him off the lead.  He just stood there.  I watched him tense every muscle in his body and brace himself to take even one step.  I called the vet and she prescribed a pain killer that I could pick up first thing in the morning.  I led Nox back to his stall for a long grooming session, he walking gingerly and I sobbing.  It hurt me so much to see him like that.  I was sure I had broken my horse and all I want is for him to be happy and comfortable.  Best Husband Ever tried to comfort me - he reminded me that sometimes set-backs like this are part of the healing process.  He was sure Nox would be fine in a few days, once his hooves toughened up a bit.

The next morning, Nox was still very sore.  I gave him a dose of "bute", hidden well in a mixture of applesauce, molasses, and sweet feed.  When I returned to the barn that afternoon, Nox was willing to walk around the ring a few times.  I was hopeful.  I knew it was just the painkiller doing its job, but it gave me hope that he'd be ok.  The next morning Nox was further improved and so I did not give him another dose of meds.  I'm thrilled to write that this evening Nox was nearly his old self.  It is very windy tonight and when I let him out in the ring, he snorted and walked around in circles, even trotted and bucked a little bit.  I tried to calm him down before he got too worked up - I didn't want him to push it too much - but I was so happy to see him comfortable again.

The barn owners told me earlier in the week that often horses can take a week or more to get over the tenderness after having shoes removed, and I shouldn't worry so much.  Now I know they were right, but I couldn't help it!  Nox is such a muscular, athletic, and beautiful horse!  It broke my heart to see him unwilling to take a single step around the ring. 

Hopefully, Nox will continue to improve and I can start riding him again.  Our new program is the same as the old one - take it slow and move in straight lines as much as possible.  Wish us luck and speedy healing!      

X-Ray Day

Nox had his one year x-ray today.  He fractured the coffin bone in his left front hoof last November during a race and I've been anxious to have him x-rayed so I can get a new rehab plan going for him.  Nox runs around the ring on his own just fine, but when he trots in a circle to the left, he is still a little off.  I've been trying to figure out if his hoof hurts him, or if it's just muscle stiffness, or something else.

My vet came out to the barn with her portable x-ray and Nox stood very nicely for her while she took the pictures.  The farrier was also at the barn so they could talk about his hoof and what we should do next.

Here are a few of the x-rays:

Nox's hoof.  You can't see the fracture from this angle, but it's a cool picture. 
(The nails you see are in the wood board that his hoof his resting on, not in his hoof.)

The fracture is visible in this photo. 
The crack runs along the tip of the bone almost straight up. 
The multiple thinner cracks in the bone are normal channels for blood vessels. 

We are waiting for the New Jersey vet to email Nox's original x-rays so we can compare the fracture and see how far he is in the healing process. After a year, the fracture should be healed, and it's not unusual to still be able to see the fracture in an x-ray.  

Nox has been wearing an "eggbar" shoe on his injured hoof for a year.  An eggbar shoe is a therapeutic shoe that offers more support for the foot.  It is shaped like a complete oval, instead of being open on the bottom like a normal horse shoe.  Over the past year, the eggbar shoe has caused Nox's left hoof to grow in a compact oval shape, like the shoe, instead of a round shape like his right hoof.  The compaction on his heels may be putting pressure on the tendons in his leg, perhaps causing the lameness when he trots to the left.  The vet and the farrier agreed that we should leave him barefoot for a few weeks to allow his foot to spread out and relieve the pressure on his heels.  As long as I continue to walk him and only lightly trot in straight lines, he should be fine without the shoes for a while.  If my vet looks at the original x-rays and feels that the hoof needs more support, we'll put the shoe back on for a while longer. 

I'm very pleased with the results.  So far, I've been doing things right and I just need to continue to be patient and takes things slow.  I've been reluctant to push Nox too much in fear that he might be sore, and I'm happy to continue with the program.  I have faith that with enough time and gentleness, he'll be sound and ready for anything!

Nox and I, taking it slow.

 

Nox and Hayley

My younger sister Hayley came out from the West Coast for a short but sweet visit this weekend.  The only firm plans she and I made were to watch all three of Anne of Green Gables movies and go to the barn.  Hayley hadn't met Nox yet, and she was a huge supporter of my dream of horse ownership and the reason I had all the horse equipment I needed when I adopted Nox.

Hayley, like our dad, is very allergic to horses and almost everything else found in barn.  Dust, hay, horse hair - it all makes her break out into rashes, sneezes, watery eyes, and general misery.  Growing up, I had to change out of my barn clothes in the garage and put them in the wash to keep Hayley and my dad from exploding into allergic reactions.  On this visit, Hayley insisted that she would brave it all to meet my horse.  

Hayley understands my obsession with horses because she feels the same way about babies.  We've long settled that she will be a fantastic mother and I will be a cool auntie with horses.  Hayley was my enthusiastic cheerleader as I was trying to make my dream come true this year.  She organized a "bridle" shower for me when I officially adopted Nox.  My family and friends sent me everything I could possibly need as a new horse owner - brushes, saddle pads, tools, tack, treats, and toys.  It was like Christmas had come in June!  I appreciate all the love and support that my family and friends have given me - thank you all so much - and thanks again to Hayley for organizing it all.

Hayley finally met Nox on Friday.  She helped me brush him, fed him some carrots, and watched him run around the ring.  Nox was in a rambunctious mood, but he paused for a few photos and pats.  It was only five minutes before Hayley started sneezing.  We didn't stay long, but she gushed about how big, beautiful, and friendly Nox is, and how proud she was that I was able to make this dream come true.  Then we went home, decontaminated, doped her up on Benadryl, and watched Anne of Green Gables.

Thanks for coming to visit Hayley!

   

The Storm

I figured I'd give everyone a little update on "Sandy", since most of you, dear readers, are on the West Coast and probably watching the news with concern.  The winds have picked up and they are coming from the North, which is unusual.  The sky is a moody dark grey and it should start raining anytime now.  We still have power, but the electric company has been broadcasting ominous press releases about likely widespread outages. 

Nox is tucked safely away in his stall, munching on hay with his 21 barn mates.  The stable owners are home keeping watch, and they have a back-up generator ready to go if they lose power.  They've weathered many ice storms and blizzards over the years and they assured me not to worry about Nox.  

Moose Dog and I are warm and dry in the house.  We have a fresh pan of double fudge brownies, gallons of water downstairs, and a shelf full of books to read by candlelight if the lights go out.  (We also have a generator if needed.)

Best Husband Ever is doing his superhero work and may be out all night.  I'm so proud of him.

Love to you all!

Update: It's Tuesday morning and besides a few hours of power outage last night and finding our welcome mat in the neighbor's yard this morning, we made it through the storm.  Our thoughts and prayers go to those who are dealing with much worse.

Klutz

Nox seems to be always banging his head into something.  As soon as one scrape above his eye heals, he gets another.  They're never deep or bloody - just small surface scrapes that take all the hair off.  Sometimes he scrapes his head on his feed bucket, after reaching his nose underneath it to pick up every last little bit of grain.  Sometimes he bangs his head on the fence rails, again, reaching through to graze or nibble.  Sometimes I have no idea how he does it.  Nox's stall is safe and large, with nothing protruding out to cut him.  I think he might just be klutzy, and frankly, I have no idea how, in his racing days, he managed to burst from the starting gates without tripping or banging his head. 

I have a big tube of ointment and every night Nox quietly lowers his head so I can care for the scrapes.  He really is a sweet, lovable horse and he usually tries very hard to be good.  I'm so glad that he's mine - goofy and clumsy as he is.

Nox's newest scrape, above the eye.

       

A warm day

Today was a warm, sunny, 70 degree day - a welcome relief from the 50 degree weather we've had lately.  I was restless at work - impatiently tapping at my keyboard and glancing out the window across the hall every few minutes.  I couldn't wait to get to the barn.  I was hoping the flooded outdoor ring would be dry enough to let Nox run around and enjoy the nice weather, too.  The past few weeks have been so rainy and dreary.

I finally pulled in to the stable parking lot and happily left my barn coat in the car.  My happiness was tempered as I came around the corner and saw my poor horse.  Nox was standing in the middle of his stall, sweating and looking miserable. 

Nox has grown a magnificent winter coat.  His summer coat was so sleek and thin that I worried he'd be cold in this North Country winter weather.  It turns out that I had nothing to worry about.  He is as fluffy and fuzzy as I could have hoped, and I love burying my face in his plush, soft, velvety neck.

That thick coat was torture today.  I turned Nox out in the indoor ring, since the outdoor ring was still flooded and I wanted to keep him out of the sun.  He ran around as usual, bucking, kicking, and rearing, and then rolled in his favorite spot.  All that exertion made him sweat even more.  I went into the ring to play our ground manner games and by the time we finished, he was a hairy, sweaty, dirty mess.

I walked him around and let him graze outside in the breeze.  I wanted to spray him off with the hose, but it's going to be in the 50's tonight and I was afraid that his thick coat wouldn't dry completely and he'd be chilled.  Instead, once he was cool and the sweat had dried, I curried and brushed him until every sweat mark was gone.  He really enjoyed the curry comb and I think all that hair must get itchy when he sweats.

Tomorrow will be another 70 degree day, but after that we drop back into the low 50's again.  For Nox's sake, and the other fuzzy horses in the barn, I'm looking forward to the cooler weather.