Rainy Days

So today was my day off at work, and I had plenty to do! I got up early to go feed Ellie, then out to Maple Valley to care for a friend's 4 horses, 2 dogs, 3 cats, chickens, turtle and guinea pig. After that I made a run to Tango's barn and cleaned his stall, made some grain, and played with him a little. Then I went BACK to see Ellie, got her out, groomed her, hand walked her (inside of course, thanks to the rain!) Then I took her back inside, gave her a treat and re-blanketed her.

Got to have a nice chat with a boarder and her farrier today, and they were so nice and you could really tell how much they love horses. I got to tell them Ellie's story, and they agreed with me how unfair it is that a horse has to suffer due to the greed of humans. I marvel every time I see her pretty face greeting me in the morning how different her life could have been if just one person had stepped in and given her the surgery to remove her tumor. Or if she hadn't broken her pastern. She could have gone on to become a fabulous western or hunter horse, then had several very nicely bred and conformed foals for someone. Probably would have made back what was spent on her surgery and more.Of course, now it is too late. She is looking at one of two realities....a retirement with someone who has a big heart and a little extra money to spoil a very sweet little girl, or euthanization. The one thing I can say, is that either way, at least she will have closure once and for all. No more being rescued at the last minute out of a kill pen. No more living in muddy pastures with a herd of horses twice her size, stealing her feed. No more waiting so long to get her feet done she starts to look like an elf horse. At least for now she has someone who spends time with her every day, and someone who doesn't care if she can be ridden, or have foals. Someone who doesn't care if she's having "one of those days" and someone she knows will feed her every time she comes:)
Today I also wormed Ellie again. Last time I wormed her she was pretty weak and she didn't put up a resistance. This time she is fat and sassy, and only really put up a meager resistance. She sort of put her head up, but she realized very quickly that if she brought her head down, and took the wormer that she would get a treat:) Smart cookie, this one is! Another milestone...today she let me brush all four of her legs. I just kept the brush on her leg until she put it on the ground, and then I released the pressure on her by removing the brush. I'd brush again and she'd hold her foot up (remember, she never kicks, just picks legs up really fast) and then when she'd put it down, I'd remove the brush again. I was able to brush all four legs, brush off her hooves (she pees and poops so much (I take an entire wheelbarrow of waste from her stall daily) which causes her to get it caked on her feet) and also to pick out all four feet thoroughly and spray a bleach/water solution on her soles to help with the minor infection she has going on. She is great with sprays too. Really I've not found much wrong with her.

My favorite quote of the day was from the farrier, I said to them that I hoped that someone would want her because she is a really sweet horse, and the farrier said "Well yeah, she's a puppy dog!"

For fun, I wanted to show you a pic from Nov 14, Nov 16 and today Dec 23 to show you how much she has come along!:)

Nov 14:

Nov 16:

Dec 23: