[IndiesaurusRex]

If it is strangles, it is treatable so I'm not worried about that, but this is sure a pain. Not to mention the money we're spending on the anti-biotics (we can afford it fine, it's just the principle.) I"m am still glad we got poor Dexter out of there. I feel bad for the rest of the horses this guy has.

I wouldn't say strangles is treatable. The most you can really do is supportive (nursing) care and quarantine. Some vets may prescribe anti-inflamms if they have a pretty bad fever, but rarely will they prescribe antibiotics (in the UK, anyway), and will just let the disease "run its course" as such.

 

[beau159]

It was a while ago but when one of our horses got strangles we were advised not to use antibiotics because they'd delay the formation of and then the bursting and drainage of the abscess?
She made a full recovery

As of now, no one has any abscesses.

I wouldn't say strangles is treatable.

Maybe would be more accurate to say manageable.

 

[Dreamcatcher Arabians]

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/strangles-just-how-bad-long-post-704889/

Having had all that fun this spring, I'd be over there whuppin' old cowboy nekkid down Main St.

 

[beau159]

Well little update! Dexter and my mom's horse (Reckless) seem to be doing better. Reckless is acting like himself again and Dexter's snotty nose is gone. So seems like the antibiotics did their job.

Now, if we could just get rid of the BLIZZARD we are currently having, well, that would help!

 

[beau159]

Well, I figured this is a good time for an UPDATE!

In an unexpected turn of events, Dexter is going to be my main horse for the next month. Red is hurt yet again and Shotgun is at the reining trainer. While I am bummed about Red, I am expected to give Dexter some attention and riding. My mother hasn't been able to ride him very much. But based on what she's told me and based on my 3 very quick rides in the arena the last 3 days, we're pretty sure poor Dexter had some very ROUGH riding in his past. So I hope I can teach him that I'm not going to whip, spur, or yank on him, and can also get him riding a little better in the mean time (his body control is atrocious! But I suppose he's never been asked to do much of anything).

I snapped a couple pictures in the crazy wind the other night.

 

[JoBlueQuarter]

Dexter is GORGEOUS! Such a handsome boy! <3

 

[SilverMaple]

He's such a nice-looking gentleman. Glad he's somewhere safe and where he will be well-treated.

 

[Kalraii]

I just wanted to say I saw the pictures from 2016 and now.... he is beautiful! Sorry to hear about your woes and gl!

 

[beau159]

He really has a pleasant personality too. He's a real sweetheart on the ground.

He is a good looking horse. He's nicely proportioned. He does tends to travel very front endy, but I'm hoping I can teach him to use his hind end better. I just think no one has ever taught him otherwise.

Only odd body thing he has is the strange bony spot on his nose. It's too high to be caused by a halter. The vet thought he possibly could have cracked a bone when he was young and it "healed" into this lump. It doesn't seem to bother him; just would "hurt" him in the show pen!

And apparently, he's always going to have a weepy left eye because he has a congenital malformation! His eye isn't connected anywhere to drain! The vet tried flushing him (through the nose) but it came out the sinus instead. Strange....

Yes, he's gotten much healthier in the past year+. He has since blown out an abcess in a front foot and a back foot. His hooves are much better now that we've had a full year of growth with good nutrition, and his coat looks a lot better. He's a little fat right now from lack of exercise, but that's okay.

 

[waresbear]

Has your little girl been on him yet????

 

[Boo Walker]

Hi Dexter! And congratulations!

 

[beau159]

Has your little girl been on him yet????

While I like Dexter very much myself and he's been a pleasure so far, he is NOT a kids horse. He has sensitive sides and he likes to move out.

She can ride Shotgun when he gets back from the reining trainer! He is a good kids horse. Only goes as fast as you ask him too ... and even then, he "makes sure" you really do want to go faster, haha.


Meanwhile, Dexter is making great improvements. He's still a bit touchy on his sides, but he's learning I'm not going to jab a spur in his sides, and is learning what I want him to do and not be frustrated. He really is fun to ride on the trails because he likes to GO. He would be perfectly happy to lope everywhere we go, and he does have a very nice smooth lope. The only thing he "does wrong" is he jig/jogs on the way home, rather than walk nice ...... but let's face it, Red does the same thing! I guess I don't mind a horse that wants to work and wants to cover some ground.

If it doesn't rain too much today/tonight, I'm going to work him on the barrels for the first time and see what he can do. (However, we do need the rain badly, so I won't be sad if the arena is too muddy.)

And tomorrow we're headed over to ride with the reining trainer to see how Shotgun is doing!

 

[beau159]

It's just a short video of my trainer loping Dexter in each direction, but I thought he looked pretty dang good for a horse that hasn't been ridden consistently as of late.

I played with him on the barrel pattern the next night and he did so great. I'm always amazed what my trainer can accomplish in one ride -- Dexter was doing great on his leg cues.