Not Goodbye...See You Later

I realized when I was starting my new blog about Halo, that my blog about Ellie fell by the wayside. She spent 2012-Jun 2015 at Carol's. The beginning of 2015 Ellie, normally such an easy keeper she only ate pasture and would appear to be in foal year round, began losing weight despite added feed, and she developed a very large swollen knee. Sadly as we added feed, she tried to founder. It was a circle of unlucky events:( After months of trying things for her, and slight pick ups in her condition, just to crash back to where she had been, I made the difficult decision to euthanize her. Here are a few photos of her over the last few years loving the retired life. So thankful to be able to provide a wonderful last few years to this special mare and I miss her bunches.

Her passing was extremely peaceful. If you've never had a horse euthanized (I've seen lots of small animals, and have been present for several friend's horses, but never one of my own) you know that sometimes things go wrong and they get stuck in an overexcited state and it can become traumatic and dangerous.

My vet did a fantastic job. she gave her the anesthetic and the tech took her and helped her to fall lightly on her hip and then lay down, she lay quietly, breathing softly. The tech put her sweatshirt under her head to keep it out of the sand. She held her there until they were certain she was not going to fight the medicine. I was then allowed to join her at her head. Ellie continued to lie quietly, the vet placed an IV into the inside of her rear leg artery, and injected the final dose, she breathed three times, and her eyes just faded to blank as I spoke softly to her, and pet her ears and cheek. It was sad, but also beautiful in a way.

To go from the fate of potentially riding a scary, dirty, cramped trailer to either Mexico or Canada in the middle of winter, with a bad knee and terrible feet, this loyal, tough, smart mare would've known exactly what her fate was. Instead she was able to pass quietly, with dignity, and surrounded by love. I wish I'd filmed it as I would love to share with others how loving that final act can truly be, when you choose it at the appropriate time so as to not prolong suffering.

RIP pretty, fancy, smart, sassy, crazy girl, hope to ride you in heaven someday, since I never got to here on Earth.

Visitor

Today Ellie got a visit from my wonderful farrier, Mike. He said that her feet are "interesting". I was really proud of Ellie today. She let me catch her, lead her out of her pasture (her comfort zone) and right into the barn she's never been in. She stood, and Mike had her done in no time, asked me to walk her and stuck around to watch her play in the round pen for a minute.

Mike then asked me if I rode her on the trails.

I was shocked, I told him no, I don't ride her at all...I figured she was too lame to ride. He said he thought I ought to try to get on her and see how she does, that he thinks she'd benefit from some exercise. I have a friend, Charlotte, who says she'll hop on her, so we'll see what happens!:P

She is starting to get quite the belly. I'm a little concerned she might be bred, I didn't think it would be possible, and haven't had any reason to believe she was, but now that she is up to weight, her belly seems to be un-proportionately large. I cut back on her grain some, so we'll see if that helps with the belly. If not I have the vet coming in April to check teeth, do shots, and maybe we'll palpate while he's here.

She is now getting:

Free choice hay
Pasture
1/2 Scoop Allegra Sr
1 scoop Probio Blend
1 scoop Farriers Formula
1 scoop flax seed
1 scoop BOSS

I think she looks pretty good!:)

Ellie has a REALLY nice trot. Too bad she is lame at a walk!

Here she is just standing around in the pouring rain.

Ellie The Mudball

Ellie's pretty self prior to our grooming sesh.

So it's been about a month since I moved Ellie to Paradise. She settled right in, and has made some over-the-fence buddies, is scarfing down food like a little piggy, and enjoying 2 acres alllll to herself. Of course instead of taking advantage of all that space she opts to stand in the mud (well, OK, wet dirt) next to the gate seperating her and the 3 year olds.

Go figure, you rescue a horse from the muddy cold kill pen, put them in a warm, dry barn, and they end up happier out in a field where they can wallow in the mud like pigs!:)

This is Ellies "My Give a Damns Busted" Face:)

I went out last weekend and spent some quality time grooming her (she is shedding quickly, but it's been too cold to remove her blanket to give her a good grooming). A good curry, some shed blade action and a quick brush. She had a nice shiny coat going for awhile, but now that it is Spring her coat has dulled, died and begun falling out in clumps...she is nearly bald in some spots. I'm thinking thanks to all the good food and vitamins her body is working on ridding itself of all the crappy/dead hair and is going to start all over and grow a brand new coat!:)

Standing "tied" to the fence getting a good grooming. You can sort of see her

gaskin/hip area where she is "balding"

Today I went out and gave her a few treats and made her grain. I've decided that since we are starting from scratch on her coat that I would add in a few goodies to really give it a chance to "shine" if you will.

This is Ellie today. As you can see the HORRIBLE rain has actually not had TOO

much effect on her pasture, except the place she likes to "wallow".

So her new diet is pretty much free choice orchard grass, pasture and once a day she gets:

1 scoop Senior feed
1/2 scoop rice bran
1 oz Farriers Formula
1 oz Probio Blend
1 oz Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
1 oz Flax Seed

I am hoping this diet will make for a chunky, shiny little mare come Spring;)

Tara

Personal Paradise

I know it's been awhile since I updated about Ellie, but I have been REALLY busy, and also, I've been really hurt by the judgement that has gone on with the entire situation.

THAT said, Ellie is SO happy, and I breathe a lot easier now. Last weekend the boy and I went to The Back Forte and picked up Ellie and all her things and took her to my friend Carol's home. She had a 2 acre pasture that was going to waste, and told me for a small fee I can keep Ellie there long term and she'll feed for me. I go once a week and remove blankets, groom and make grain for her.

So last Saturday morning we readied the trailer, I spent the morning stripping Ellie's stall, consolidating her stuff, and giving her a really good grooming.
Then we made our way to Carol's...she was again hesitant to get on the trailer, but for the most part not naughty. Teresa tapped her hocks with a whip and she jumped up and on. When we got there, I turned her around and allowed her to jump off forwards. She got right off, looked around, and fearlessy walked right out into the field. She was alert but not overly hot. I walked her for a few minutes and then let her free. She walked off liked she'd been there forever, and went right over to meet friends. No squeals, no spooks, no stupid stuff. Good girl:)

Here is Ellie in her new personal paradise-(day after arriving...made herself right at home and wasted no time at all getting muddy!)

She is shedding like crazy, and Carol and I think she is going to be the most beautiful liver chestnut with a flaxen mane--can't wait to see her all shed out this Spring!

Options

Hey all, sorry it's been so long! I have been super busy at work the last 2 weeks, and I haven't been able to take time out and write blogs.

Just wanted to let you all know that Ellie will be moving to a friend's farm in February. This a great thing as it will be a 2ac pasture and a shelter all to herself. She'll be able to move around more, and I'll be better able to gauge how sound she is in normal circumstances.

I also got the chance today (bad weather+early morning+Seahawks Playoff Game=No Boarders Riding) to turn Ellie out in the nice dry arena to run around. And I use that term VERY loosely. She more ambled, sniffed and walked around. LOL. I tried to chase her and she gave me a nice halfhearted jog for about 5 seconds.

One of the boarders who has an adorable fjord gelding and whom I really enjoy talking to watched her with me and we laughed at her and called her a dragon because it was cold enough out that she was blowing "smoke" out of her nostrils. It was quite funny. She also had a quick moment of excitement when one of her buddies called to her. She talked back leapt forward at a canter and gave one enormous buck that made me cringe when she landed on her front legs...but she was fine:) She then proceeded to do a sliding stop in front of the mirror where she sort of arched her neck and almost studded up to herself. (ie snorted, arched, and eyed the mirror) she was so enthralled that I was able to walk up and catch her without her even knowing.

So today was a nice day for her and I. Here is a short HORRIBLE video I got of her loose in the arena today:)

Judgment Day

Thats what I feel like today was. I am so freaking exhausted, and all because of internet drama. I won't go into the details, but a forum I visit daily that is full of a lot of people I respect, turned on me today because of my blog entry that made it sound like I am going to euthanize Ellie at the end of the month because she is too expensive and I am to lazy to continue to care for her.

Anyone who knows me, knows that lazy is not my style. I always said from the beginning that should my ultimate goal of rehabbing and rehoming Ellie did not go through the way I hoped, that I would do the next best thing and euthanize her. I basically got the response on there that I should have left Ellie in the kill pen if all I was going to do was give her two good months and euthanize her.

Anyone see something wrong with that picture? I was actually compared to a hoarder today. I was absolutely LIVID when I read that. I was told that I should have let someone else get Ellie. That I had misled people to think that I was going to get her, rehab her and keep her forever. That is not the case, I don't believe ANYONE who donated to Ellie's cause thought that I was going to keep her forever. I also don't believe that anyone ever thought that euthanization was never an option.

This is just a small portion of the drama that I was subjected to today. I'd like to thank those who took the time to remind me why I am doing this. To help me calm down enough to see that these people had no right to judge me the way they had. Just because I can't retire Ellie myself, does not mean that I have not done right by her. One way or another she will get the end she deserves, whether it be the perfect retirement home where she can enjoy a pasture or turnout with grass and maybe a friend, or a nice hot bowl of bran mash and a peaceful, dignified end that I think she deserves when the time comes.

I know that I have done, and am doing right by Ellie. The people who know me, and have met Ellie know that I am doing right by Ellie. If you disagree, so be it. If you think that it should be done any other way, then do it.

Pretty Cold

You heard me...pretty cold. Not like oh, it's pretty cold out here; but rather: it is beautiful but freaking COLD out here! I've spent the last few days breaking ice, chipping frozen stall doors open, skipping beet pulp because it is freezing to the bucket, and picking out stalls that are ice hard poop and pee-cicles.
That said, despite the cold it has been dry and sunny for a few days, so I took Ellie out for a walk and grazing session since she really needs to get out! We went out on the side of the barn to graze, and we had beautiful views, so I took pics to get my mind off of how freezing I was at the moment...
Had an exciting day yesterday, but you can read about all of that on Tango's blog because it all was more connected to him. Have a great New Year!