Health Tuneups for the coming riding season

I hauled my boys to the vet Tuesday for their tuneups. They had their teeth floated - it was a brand new young vet there working under the vet I use. A vet tech intern was also there. Young vet was struggling to get the speculum in Biscuit's mouth. Biscuit is a little sensitive to people fooling around with his head but the poor baby was tranquilized. He kept trying to insert it and get it strapped on. I kept trying to calm him down but he fought them the entire time. Doc did keep an eye on things and got the speculum in correctly in about 2 seconds. They had to give Biscuit a 2nd tranquilizer.

Poor fellow - he also got his shots while he was there and his sheath cleaned. Sarge didn't appreciate it either with the new folks and while I was around the corner with Biscuit and his sheath cleaning I didn't see them twitch Sarge. I went around the corner and he was giving them a fit. Doc came around the corner - took the twitch off and calmed him down and started it again and gave loads of instructions to new guy. He had his sheath cleaned and a Coggins pulled. I put two very drunk horses in the trailer and hauled them slowly to the barn and put them in the arena. The Barn Manager asked Biscuit if he'd put on a lampshade at that party. He was still pretty out of it when I got him back to the barn.

I left the vet after paying $385. I don't guess that was too bad for shots, teeth, sheaths and a Coggins for Sarge.

Vet care is so important to keep them healthy and I didn't even mind the hit to the old pocketbook. Next week I want to give them both warm baths and get Biscuit's main and tail whitened. His mane and tail are yellowed from lack of a bath all winter. Also plan on really giving my tack a good cleaning. Also planning on taking the trailer to a RV place that has the ability to clean the top of my trailer - it is so freaking tall!!

We don't ride in the heat of the summer so we usually take our horses in July and August. August is also when I drop the trailer off for annual service.

A co worker commented that he thought I took better care of my horses than I did of myself.

That really made me start thinking.....I do get regular dental cleanings twice a year......but usually don't see the doctor unless I'm sick, which isn't very often at all.

I feel guilty when the horses don't get ridden. The last four weekends have been nasty and the horses haven't been out. Maybe this weekend?

I use a ladder and a brush on a pole to clean the trailer top....but now that you mentioned it I need to do mine to. To cold still for baths.

Don't forget to check the air in the trailer tires......

I am thrilled that my new vet is having a "clinic" this weekend, and he is SO nice...I don't have to haul my horses in; he is going to come HERE!!! There are so many horses on my road that are his clients, so we are going to divide one farm call by however many horses, and get the Coggins/vaccination deal also. $16 for a Coggins and $35 for rabies, WNV, AND 5-way combo...how can you beat THAT??

I am grateful beyond belief! I have not had to really test him, as far as mystery maladies, or emergencies (thank God) but he has been very good so far with what I have had done!

Nancy

Good idea on the tires. I would get out a ladder and brush on a pole but I am a little wobbly now and it wouldn't be a good idea for me being up on a dang ladder. I clean my trailer on a regular basis during spring summer fall times because we actually camp in it! I cleaned the inside floor and ramp about 4 weeks ago after a ride but I need to get in there with a scrub brush and clean the sides, the insides of the groom's doors and windows. A white trailer can get pretty dang messy looking!!! I do keep WD 40 in the tack closet and give the nuts and bolts and brake lines and the ball hitch area squirts on a regular basis to keep it all flowing smoothly. Going to clean out the tack closet and reorganize it.

All 3 kids had their spring tune up (shots, coggins, and teeth done) last week in prep for the first ride of the season.

We had both trailers serviced, washed and waxed over the course of the winter (so spoiled to have garage room for both!!), so they are also ready to go for ride season. Got a new mattress for the trailer too, so maybe I won't be a crippled mess before the rides even start.

Good idea on the new mattress!! Ugh...nothing worse than a cranky mattress. We bought one of those mattresses last March that has the mechanical raising of the head and feet. OMG I would have a cow if someone tried to take my bed away. It is the bomb dot com.

You can't stay away from those drunken sailors and cheap wine?

On a more serious note....how's that going? Did the doctor say you'll eventually get your chickens back in the hen house?

I usually wait till late may for my Vet visit. I'll give the WNV and 5 way shots in April myself so the vaccines start building resistance before the mosquitos show up in late May. I wait till May for the Coggins, because I want it to be effective in October when I go hunting. I frequently have to cut the corner of Wyoming and they only accepts 6 months on the Coggins.

Since I have to go to the vet for the Coggins, Any teeth floating waits for that visit. And I usually only get their teeth floated every other year. My vet charges $40 for the coggins, But any health certificates I need the rest of the summer are included. Back Country Horsemen has a Shot/Coggins clinic that is cheaper, But then I'd have to pay for every health Certificate all summer as I travel.

My normal vet's office is only 1 mile away at most and I'd like to see him stay in business, so it's worth paying a little more to have him close and save me chasing monthly health certificates from a vet 20 miles away. I always just load the horses up and go to his office vs paying for a farm call. He has the stocks and everything to make working on the horses a breeze. Load the horses in the horse rack, give them the Tranq shot. Hook their halter up to the rack so it holds their head up at the right height, insert the Speculum and he has all the electronic and air driven files to do the work with hanging on his too board.

As far as the trailer, I do a good cleaning each April and October. The city turns on our secondary water April 15th and turn it off Oct 15th. It has so much more pressure than my house water, That I use it to really clean out the inside of the trailer in April after the winter and again in October and as needed during the summer. I have multiple car washes close by that I can spray off the outside as needed. I usually sort out the Dressing room and tack room April and Oct, Putting in or removing the extra stuff I need for the summer or winter months. Better sleeping bags, pannier for packing, hunting gear in the fall, lighter sleeping bags, and summer camping stuff in the spring.

I wait til all the snow is off the mountain, then I will be hauling 2 1/2 hours south for power floats & X-rays on my show horse to see if his bone spavin is fused, if then hock injections, if yes (I hope so, I think so!), then a Legend IV. This is the only clinic I know of within a reasonable driving distance that lets you put your horses in their corrals while you unhook your rig and go shopping for an hour while the tranq wears off. I use the local vet in town for coggins because I buy vaccines from them. In my province, you can only purchase vaccine from a vet that has seen your horse so I keep it going. Otherwise, I don't use the local clinic for my horses, they don't have any equine specialists but very good for dogs & cats.
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Good Job! What a load off, huh?

April 5th is nearing... Both boys are getting their teeth done, checked for beans (yeah, I don't dooo that), and all three horses will get vaced and tetanus shots. I dread that day, and so should they, thank heavens they can't read appointment reminder cards...