He got another bath and we were waiting for him to dry.
Stephanie
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Doc Wilbur's Medicine Cabinet
It's Friday, and for most I hope the end of a good work week and the beginning of a wonderful weekend.
I sat outside early this morning watching the sunrise, each ray slowly peeking over the mountain tops. Looking around the ranch, seeing life spring into action. The birds began chirping, a little cottontail bunny hopping through B's and Spirits pen, chickens pecking and scratching.
Though my heart is heavy over the loss of Miss Joe, I realize that it is the dawning of a new day, and that I must pick myself up, dust myself off and move forward. There are just some things we cannot control and this is one of them.
It has been a pretty rough patch over the last two weeks, but we shall survive. I would like to tell each and everyone of you from Rob and me, thank you for the moral support you have given to us, thank you for the phone calls, but most of all THANK YOU for all that you do for our horses. They are as much a part of your lives as they are ours...and we want to say to you, We are sorry for the loss of one of your horses.
Stephanie and Rob
Miss Joe tried, Dr. Hadland tried, we tried...but she could not go on. At 3:05pm Miss Joe received her wings. We as humans could do no more for her except to let her pass w/ dignity.
Stephanie
Hello Everyone,
As I type this I can view Miss Joe, a 30yo QH mare, from my desk. She seems to be a bit more comfortable, but we are keeping a close watch on her. She is having a bout w/ gas colic. Dr. Hadland tubed her with oil, water and electrolytes. I have attached video of the procedure and his assessment. He states that putting something in their stomachs eg., fluids, generally will get the gas to pass. He did do a rectal exam and found no compaction or blockage of any sort, but did note a great deal of gas. Nothing has changed in her diet, so we now wait and watch. She has passed some gas. He gave her a shot of banamine.



This is Bright Eyes, she is 16 yrs old. We have had her since Nov. 08. She arrived with Sophie. We were informed that she had been abused. She once ran from you when approaching to catch her up, now if you approach her slowly she will stay in one spot. She was terrified of humans, but has since come around. Loud noises and rapid hand movements make her nervous. When handling her one must be quiet and speak softly. She responds to a gentle touch. We were informed that she is rideable, but we have yet to saddle her. We have been working with her other fears first, additionally we do not know of anyone who is tiny enough and has the experience we think will be required to get on her. If you are seeking a lovely pasture pet then you may want to consider her. She can be aggressive with other horses. Lil Pony with Big Horse Attitude. If you are interested in Bright Eyes please do not hesitate to contact us. Bright Eyes will require an experienced handler and rider. She had a bath Saturday evening and stood. She gives her feet very well, and trailers with no problem.
Stephanie

My dear human friends,
A door called death has closed between us for the moment.
But could a little thing like that
break the bond of love and understanding between us,
Who have been so close? Of course not.
Having left behind the body which no longer serves me
and gave me pain, now I can be with all of you always and everywhere;
On long delicious walks, at quiet times, and lively times,
Alone, among friends new and old.
Let my excitement with life still brighten your days.
As long as there is a place in your heart which is the shape of me,
I will be with you.
One day you too will come through the door,
And we will be together in glorious ways we have yet to understand.
FYI Little Bear
I have been in contact with both the vets that have treated Little Bear in the past. They were both kind enough to fax records on him so that Dr. Hadland can review them on July 9th, 09.
Stephanie
FYI.. We have a call into Dr. Hadland this morning for Faith. She seems to be off. She is pooping but something is just not right. Will keep you posted. Better to be safe than sorry.
Stephanie
Good Tuesday Morning,
Yesterday our Little Justice took his first walk without Faith. He did very well on the lead. He walked with his head held high, ears perked forward and chest puffed out. I figured he was making himself look bigger (as big as a six week old can make himself be), as he was walking past the other big horses. Not once did this little/big guy whinney for his mom as we were walking away. His curiosity got the better of him...so mama was not the important one at the time.
We took him over to the shoeing station and stood for a bit. He had his feet picked out, he gave all four with very little problem. At one point, he started to give a bit of the grasshopper kick on one rear but found it took too much effort on his part so he gave it up and just stood. The next thing we did was fly spray him. He has had this done before so that went without a hitch. The next step we took, with Rob and me right there, is I looped the lead over the hitching post and held it, of course he did not know he was not not tied. He tugged just a bit, but then again too much effort. Rob picked up various things we have in the area, halters, leads, etc., and rubbed all over him (we did this with AJ and Hope) he swung the rope over his head, hung halters on him and no response from Justice. It was as if he had seen all of this before and was bored with the whole situation.
On the way back to his stall the other horses whinnied their praise at him, and he whinnied back. As we rounded the corner mama came running up, and then he realized, oh there's mom, but he continued to walk along He is a bright little man and he loves humans and is very cooperative at this young age..BUT that does not mean he will not have a moment of insanity at any given time. You just have to watch for the signs.
Ginger was in with Little Bear and she was sitting and watching him and he her. It was as if they were having a conversation. That was early this morning before first cup of coffee and I knew as soon as I ran in for camera it would be over. I was right, got my coffee and she had already left.
Here are a couple of clips from the justin cam of the walk to and fro:
Part 1: Justice and Stephanie go for a walk, part I
Part 2: Justice and Stephanie take a stroll, part II
I wish everyone a good day, and I hope someone or something brings a smile to your face. Better still, make someone else smile or laugh. If at all possible take the negative and turn it into something positive....negativity can only lead to self destruction. Remember when we were kids and we were always told "THINK POSITIVE"? So true.
Stephanie
Good Sunday Morning to All,
I do hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th with family and friends. We really do not do anything on the 4th due to the horses and fireworks, but this year it was very quiet all the way across the board. I think many people realized the fire hazards of fireworks and decided to attend the shows provided by the town.
Yesterday, Little Bear was placed in his own stall next to Old Man, and all went well. However, at dinner time, though separated with their feeders being at least 15 feet apart from one another, they gave each other the stink eye from their respective feeders and gave what I call the mare "squeal." Little Bear is doing quite well, and as we walked to his new stall, took interest in everything going on around him, even stopping to look at Justice for a few moments and a couple of the mares along the way. The herd here whinnied their welcome to him and he responded back while we strolled along. This in our eyes is a good sign of a horse who is full of life.
Marigold got her bath yesterday and she seemed to enjoy it very much. I know that she enjoyed the shampooing as I took a brush and rubbed it through the suds and her upper lip was quivering, as if to tell me a little to the left oh no now to the right. It was great. While bathing her, her fly sheet and mask were both being washed so she would be be completely fresh. Marigold stands so well for everything, from being medicated to being fly sprayed. Once done we took a stroll around the property and she and Justice saw each other. Now that was cute, her ears went forward and he stood very erect looking at her as if to say "Now what are you"? He followed us for as long as he could and was very very curious. But of course where was the camera? Sitting on the patio..sigh Oh well, another photo shoot for another day.
I did pass on your Birthday Wishes to my father and daughter who share a very special day together. They asked that I convey their gratitude and thanks to all of you. Dad said that the greatest B-Day gift he received was being 3/4's of a century old. Nikki said her greatest gift was having such a supportive and caring family and for standing behind her through good times and bad. Our Mina will be coming to the ranch for a week, we just do not have a set date as of this time and I so look forward to her and Justice meeting, as she has watched him on cam so often. If I thought I get tired now, have a six yr old granddaughter hang with you and horses all day. But she and grandpa have a special project they will be working on together, then it will be his turn to hear, "Hey Grandpa, Hey Grandpa!"
I wish everyone a wonderful and safe week, filled with joy and happiness.
Stephanie
I would like to wish both my Father and Daughter a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!
Dad is 75 and Nikki is 27 this day....I wish them many, many more!
The big news for Nikki is she and several other Navy personnel will be having dinner with the President this evening on the White House Lawn and will be viewing the fireworks from there that will be displayed at the Mall. She called me last night as she knows this is the best time to call me. We are very proud of her in all she has done for serving our country and continuing to do so along side her fellow sailors and other military personnel.
Again HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD and DAUGHTER of Mine.. We love you both very much!
Stephanie
The only record we received on Little Bear was that which was provided by Dr. Edwards from Little Bear's exam on 6/23/09.
The records are important in the event that there could be an underlying situation we are unaware of.
Stephanie
Good Evening All,
Everyone at the ranch is doing well. It is very quiet in the area even with the town holding their fireworks this evening. I believe most of the individuals are smart and not conducting their own personal festivities due to all the dry brush in the area.
There is not a great deal to report, it was a quiet day for all. Little Bear is doing fine. He is drinking, eating and all systems are functional. We did not take our walk today only because I had a matter to attend to. We shall see what occurs tomorrow.
Everyone have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!
Stephanie
Small firm knot on ventral neck. Several small areas of healing alopecia. No evidence of parasites. He has been improving dramatically since arrival at farm. Lame on (R) front-ringbone. Seems pasture comfortable. This horse appears to be in good health. Weight is good considering age. No nasal or occular discharge. Weight 662lbs.On July the 9th, Dr. Hadland will be here to give Little Bear a complete physical and much needed dental work. We will be videoing this so that all of you can see and hear what Dr. Hadland's assessment of Little Bear is and any additional recommendations he may have. We thank you and our vet thanks you for helping horses in need.