Update on the leg issue

I went out today to investigate how his leg looked, clean it again, and possibly wrap it up.

I was greeted with a very pleasant image. It has almost covered over. Don't confuse closed up for covered over. It isn't bleeding anymore, and is not looking as nasty.

The property manager has put some nitr(o/a)fur(o/a)zone on it. He thought Faran would baulk at it, but he was very calm and easy about the whole thing.

I had taken some gauze and vet-wrap out with me to try to cover it, but it has stayed very much clean, the flies aren't attracted to it, and it isn't really deep. It has just scraped the hide off it. Well, not just like it's nothing, but it isn't a gouge, it isn't a puncture. We decided to leave it open because it's doing fine.

I didn't take pictures today because there won't be much change, but he's doing ok.

I will not be able to go out tomorrow because of a prior engagement, but I have told the property manager and he will clean it and put more meds on it and I will check on it Wednesday.

We think we figured out how it happened. We think he was trying to run the other horses off the round bale of hay out there and he got his leg snagged on the ring.

I think this is due to the fact he has been malnourished so he feels threatened about whether he will have enough. He doesn't get aggressive over the grain though. I am glad he's not just being walked all over, but he shouldn't be aggressive.

Anyway, I need to go to dinner.

Until next time -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Faran's Feet

Well, today I got a call from the guy who owns the property that Faran is on, and he said the farrier was there to work on his horses and he wanted to confirm I was interested in Faran still getting his hooves trimmed. I said desperately so, yes.

I was going to go out today, but I have been battling being sick all day today. I didn't get to go, but will try again tomorrow. I really do hope it helps his stumbling.

If I can handle it, and he isn't acting sore because of being trimmed (he needed it badly), I will work with him again. I tend to be more sensitive to heat when I get like this, and the heat index is predicted to be 115-120 tomorrow.

I will updated again if I do.

Also tomorrow if I can I am aiming at bathing him. I have read some tricks for flies, and this poor boy (as all horses probably in this area) is having bad issues with flies. I am going to try one or two out and see if any help out.

Anyway, going to go get some sleep to try to feel better tomorrow.

Good night -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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How much more amazing can this horse be?

Today I went out to see Faran and work with him some. It was amazing yet again. As you know I have been working with educating him to the round pen and the idea of lunging, and he did pick it up relatively instantly.

He has had about a week to rest up and recover from the hard work out I did just about a week ago, and he was moving much nicer. I'm still waiting for the farrier (this is getting frustrating.) Even though the farrier care is supposed to be included in the cost of board, he isn't coming. I went out there and his front right hoof is chipping up. I am just about to get my own out.

He however wasn't stumbling, and was moving out with some energy and not dragging his back legs and any point I saw.

When I went to catch him, he tried to avoid it for about 5 minutes or so, but I put my hand up at chest level and said halt, and he stood perfectly still for me. So amazingly well behaved.

I let him graze on the grass in the yard about an hour while I slowly desensitized him to the cavesson, the surcingle, the whip, and the noises the equipment makes when moving around. It didn't really seem to bother him a bit.

Today I went out set in mind to try to lunge him in the large arena pen and then if he was moving good and seeming comfortable to then try and drive him.

Let me tell you he did fantastically. Moving to the left he was more comfortable staying on the rail, and he did listen really well, and I even allowed him open up into an rolling lope since the pen was larger.

Moving to the right he was not as secure. He kept wanting to turn around, and he did cut the arena in half, but he did move, he did listen, and he did try.

Therefore I went ahead and decided to do an introductory session on driving, but I was going to keep it fairly short. He needs more work to the right to get comfortable with staying on the rail, so I will start tomorrow in the smaller pen, just at a walk to remind him at liberly, then on the line, then move him into the arena.

Anyway, back to today and what happened.

We warmed up slightly and walked around on the lead. Then I backed off and lunged him and got him up to a trot on the left, then even up to a lope. Then I hooked him up to drive, and even had him at an easy going trot.

He was thinking hard about the lines dropping around his hips and legs, and it was a little confusing when I wanted him to stop, and then tried to move up to the front to unhook him, but all in all he did fabulous!

I rewarded him with a bit of grazing then turned him out without over doing the work out. He needs some confidence building, and so this was the best reward I could possibly give him this time.

I did get a video, but I am having problems with my hosting at the moment. I will post them as soon as possible. Sorry for the delays. I promise they are coming. (And I remember the other ones below are missing too.)

Until later -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Day #1

Such a day of excitement!

***edit: This date should be July 18, 2010. I have no idea what happened that made it June! I did not take full possession of him until 7/18/2010 - and I have papers to show it.***

Today was the day Touch Diamond got delivered to the Running R Ranch. We let him out into a pen that allows him access to all the horses, but keeps anyone from injuring the others. This allows them do introductions on their own, but will in the end reduce the amount of risk that there will be serious fighting and kicking and reduces the chance someone will be cornered, or run into a fence and cut up. They can talk, groom, bond, or work out their differences as needed, and everyone has a place to go within a safe distance of everyone else.

For a week or two this round pen will be Touch Diamond's home day and night. He has a stall if the weather turns nasty for safety and health. This isn't the largest ranch, but the owner is very careful to maintain his pastures to a level of grass as long as possible. However since the round pen has no forage, Touch Diamond is being provided grain, coastal hay, and water. While this will give everyone a good change to do "gentle" introductions, and will also allow us to see who he gets along with well so we can put him in with the right horses when released.

****Along with the benefits of measuring and corralling any unwanted behaviors this will also allow us to clean him out for any parasites that possibly are in his system without risking them going into the pasture which would re-infect him, and also infect the other horses. It's going to work a bit like quarantine. I know the rescue facility dewormed him, but because his legs were covered in bot fly eggs I feel it necessary to be on the safe side.****

I observed him for a while as he settled in. I am going to take a camera out tomorrow to begin documenting and filming the work being done.

He is very friendly and curious. I have been given permission to post the information from the prior owners / rescuers about him to provide the best coverage about just how far he has come. She is sending me some additional pictures, but here is a duplication of the website she was keeping for him before I took him on. She has made some drastic improvements. It's amazing how far he has come.

I want to repeat, the following is a copy of what she has had on her site:
Bravo


$500.00
After Arrival at NTO...3/24/10




Improvement as of 4-22-10...


Bravo is new to NTO. He is a 6 yr old, dark bay gelding, and measures at 16hh. His registered name is Touch Diamond. I got Bravo from a young couple who rescued him from a horrible situation. Although it does not show in the first two pictures, Bravo is covered in rain rot and his face and upper neck is covered in ring worm spots. His legs were covered in bot fly eggs, and he was just a complete mess. He is by far one of the worst of the horses NTO has encountered, not just weight, but overall condition. But, Bravo has such a sparkle in his eyes. He is just begging for someone to help him. Thank goodness the day was warm as we began working on him as soon as we got home. My volunteers began the task of bathing him all over, then doctoring the rain rot and ring worms. He has good teeth and an even better appetite. I got some medicine from the vet that will help fight the fungus battle from the inside out, so he should show signs of improvement real soon.

I try not to dwell on the past of the horses I get, but there is no excuse for a person allowing a horse, or any animal to get into this shape. His previous owner indicated she was feeding him a sack of feed a day and hay. You know people, don't lie. Just ask for help. It is not a crime to need help, the crime comes in not asking for it.

4/22/10

As you can tell, Bravo is coming along very nicely. His hair has almost been replaced with good healthy hair, and the rain rot is all but gone. He is a remarkable young horse. We checked to see if he had a tattoo and he did, so we got on line and found out who he is. His sire is currently standing stud in Oklahoma. He was never raced, and we are not for sure why. But sometimes just because a horse is a thoroughbred, does not mean he has the heart or desire to race. He may just be a trail horse or maybe he can be a hunter jumper. We will help him choose. In the meantime, he is just hanging out with so much grass he does not know what to do. Occasionally he will just take off running and he literally thunders around the pasture.

Native Dancer, Mr. Prospector, Nasrullah, Bold Ruler and War Admiral are all listed on his five generation pedigree.

5/4/10

We saddled Bravo the other day in Western, and I am not for sure he knew what that saddle was all about. He humped up a couple of times, but then settled down. We lunged him and he did not seem to know how to do it. He still had the saddle on with the stirrups bouncing around and he never acted like it bothered him. When I got him, his previous owner said she had put the grandbabies on him and they rode him. Not for sure this was the case, but when he gets more weight on, we will work with him undersaddle again. He has no soundness issues, so I would consider him a prospect for any riding activity.

6/1/2010

Bravo is ready to go to his new home. He is very sweet, easy to catch. He is ready for whatever you want to train him in.

That was the end of the posting on her website. She had sent me a new picture of him in the pasture via email during the arrangements and discussions about getting him here to me.



She said she would send me more pictures of him during his progress with her so I can provide a proper documentation of his full recovery and conditioning and "re-employment"

Until next time -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Such excitement!

When I started this blog, it was a major part of my goal to provide a place for anyone interested to come and view, follow, and enjoy the adventure that is going to be happening both with the beginning of Stonehaven Stables as well as the horses, and the creation of my business.

Please subscribe if you would like to follow the story of the recovery of Touch Diamond, and his re-training to a new career. I am hoping to get us both active into endurance racing and ride and tie races. I have some personal work to do while I am training and conditioning him, but that is going to be the fun of it. I get to watch his progress from the beginning and see all those wonderful little transitions into what I can see the potential for being a really great horse under the right hands.

I am going to be keeping a daily blog of the care and training. I will be keeping logs of his progress in body condition, weight, and muscle tone. There will be training videos of my unique blend of training methods. There will be photos documenting progress, and enjoyable things - just because.

I have been making plans about evaluating him for training to find what stage he is at. I must admit I am a list fiend, but they kind of keep me focused and help make sure the excitement I feel is not going to get out of control and I forget to do something. Therefore, to help people enjoy these I am going to file them under categories. So far I have thought of Equine Updates, Training and Conditioning, DIY. Then I thought about posting the images and videos under their own category and linked in the blog entries to help the blog load quick and easy.

I may add more categories over time, but I think that is going to be at this time.

The next time I write I should have been to see Touch Diamond/Bravo and have some first hand update on him. I also will hopefully have gotten permission to use the photos of him from the rescue facility to fully document all the efforts that have been put into him.

Until then-
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Stonehaven Stables is starting up!

Stonehaven Stables is looking for a prospective equine to be our "flagship" for our program. We think we have one in mind, and are in a sort of negotiation for it, but we won't know until they make their decision.

The horse we are most interested in is named Bravo, and he is a grand looking thoroughbred with lots of potential. We are hoping to know something soon. If it is approved for us to take him in, we will update you here, and begin posting pics and links to him.

More information coming shortly.
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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