The Old Folks Home

[Beer can]

SCG, love your tree village set up. Always loved those villages, like a Thomas Kinkade painting. Even cooler with a train.

 

[chickadoodles]

Bunny lady your bunch looks great!


Scg your tree and train look beautiful. Love your pharmacy is so cute.

 

[Bunnylady]

Hey bunny I train minies for in hand trail I can give you pointers if ya want

Minis are a ton of fun, aren't they?

Blondie (the pali angel) and Betsy (the mule) are sensible animals, easy to deal with in their way (Blondie is more like a dog than a horse, really). Syd's a different story. She's very flighty and reactive; I call her "Wig Out First Ask Questions Later Syd." The stuff she's done would be pretty scary in a 'big,' in a 10-hand pony, I find it mostly just annoying (though there are plenty of other people who do find her scary). For example, when she turned 2, she decided she wanted to be the boss mare and among other things, started attacking people. She tried it on me once, and figured out pretty quick that it wasn't a good idea. After a bit, she narrowed it down to those she could intimidate, mostly children. I remember one time standing near the barn talking with a man and his young son. Syd had come over near us, and was shaking her head and showing other signs of irritation. I knew what she was doing - she wanted to chase the child out of "her" barnyard. I finally told her, "Syd, if you can't behave, go somewhere else!" She did.

Sometimes, I set out with an idea of what I want to work on with Syd, and at other times I let her tell me what needs to be worked on. Lately, she's indicated a problem with sounds, so I've been looking for noisy things to desensitize her to. Since Thursday was a fairly warm day, I bathed them all (it's amazing how grungy light colored horses can get!) and just for the exercise dried Blondie and Syd off with a hair dryer. Blondie had about 10 seconds of "what the heck?!!" and then just stood there. Syd probably would have broken the lead if she could have. After the initial "wig out," every time she tried to move away, I put her back where she had been standing until she finally quit trying to get away from it. I had a brush in one hand, and I accidentally bumped the dryer with it as I was brushing her. When I noticed that Syd was flinching when she heard the clank of the brush on the dryer, I started deliberately tapping them together. Knowing that Syd has a problem with things that are higher than her, I tried holding the dryer over my head - sure enough, she dodged away. I patiently put her back where she'd been standing and did it again . . . . At times, I looked like I was doing some kind of bizarre dance routine from Hairspray, tapping out a rhythm with the brush and dryer and waving them over my head. Syd can't help being startled, I know that and I sympathize (I don't like loud noises, either!!) but I need her to understand that the noise won't hurt her, and running away is not an option. That's how we build a bombproof horse, one sight or sound at a time . . . .

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Maybe you can come up here and work on me, next. You'll probably have to take me to Walmart on a Saturday afternoon for the wig-out.

And then have me use a public bathroom there.

 

[Bunnylady]

Maybe you can come up here and work on me, next. You'll probably have to take me to Walmart on a Saturday afternoon for the wig-out.

And then have me use a public bathroom there.

A few years ago, I wound up doing some last minute Christmas shopping at Kmart on a Christmas Eve. I am still very proud of the fact that I got what I went for and got out of the store without running away screaming or slugging anybody.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

A few years ago, I wound up doing some last minute Christmas shopping at Kmart on a Christmas Eve. I am still very proud of the fact that I got what I went for and got out of the store without running away screaming or slugging anybody.

I am impressed. I went to the grocery store once a few years back the day before the super bowl (I was unaware) and BF had to tell me to go wait in the truck.

Cleanup in aisle 3!

 

[microchick]

Bruceha2000 and Superchemicalgirl. Believe it or not my husband and I have discussed the glargine insulin. Seems as though I usually used Lantus as a HS insulin on patients who had hard to control AM high blood sugars because of the slow absorption and it's ability to prevent peaks. I have no idea why our vet chose Vetsulin over a 'human' type insulin. Nor do I know why he insisted we use 6 units when it kicked him into hypogylcemia.

We have been giving him three units the past few days and no more problems with bonking.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Glad to hear things are improving. That insulin was probably chosen because it was either available at the vets or because that's what they're used to using/dosing (ie comfort).

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote:
Years ago I used to shop on Christmas Eve to get great sale prices. But the stores have stopped that now. And not the day after sales are ok but not like they used to be on Christmas Eve.

 

[miss heny]

Its in CO and he may kill me

Yea I have two I need to work with but one is in foal atm so cant do much.