You can lead a horse to food - but you can't make it eat

OK, the original saying is "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" - and in our case: I can't make Remy eat.

Dr. L. came again today with the results of the blood test, and to no surprise Remy's immune system is very compromised, he has an infection, and hind end ulcers. More IV medication, including one that includes Arsenic (!). Overall, Remy seems a bit more chipper, and he drinks a bit and passes manure, but when it comes to food only apples and carrots are somewhat enticing. Hay -either wet or dry, Timothy or Valley Green- holds no interest whatsoever. Same for his pellets. He will nibble a bit of grass but that's it.

Noel gave me some "Slobber Mash" to try, and Remy seemed to like this one. Off I rushed to the feed store to buy a bag, as I thought this would be great to hide the 10 pills in that Remy needs to eat twice a day.  Of course, once I served it from the newly purchased bag Remy walked away from the feed tub. It is so frustrating, I can't explain to him that yes, he needs to eat to get better.

While I can't tell him, I can absolutely relate: When I am stressed the first thing that goes is my appetite. How often did JP lovingly had dinner waiting when I came home late, only to hear me say "sorry, I'm not hungry", and perhaps eat a piece of bread with cheese or nothing at all. So now I understand how JP felt... And actually, all that rushing around and worrying about Remy has the same effect on me - I don't feel like eating much either.

I went to Whole Foods today with the idea of getting some very late lunch - and walked out with a pain au chocolat  (not sure how that jives with the "Whole Food" idea?). Guess what are carrots for Remy is a pain au chocolat for me. Problem is that he can't live on carrots alone - and a pain au chocolat a day won't keep me in shape either.

These two don't have any issues with their appetites, that's for sure.

And we are off - to a not so good start

I was very much looking forward to our first ride on Saturday, as it had been a seemingly eternity since we had a lesson with Roz. Walking down to the arena Ariel noted that Remy had lost his right front shoe. We searched his turnout paddock, but the Florida sand must have swallowed it. Luckily a call to the farrier we used last year -a true Southern gentleman- brought almost instant help: Within two hours Remy had a new shoe.

We kept the first ride easy, of course, just trying to find our sea- uh, riding legs. Remy felt good and it was fun to get back into the swing of things.

Starting out in Florida

Sunday brought a hack with Ariel and Sally, all our boys -and we- had fun exploring the neighborhood. The community of Little Ranches in Wellington is entirely a horse community. The only thing that mars the setting are the enormous powerlines going through. Luckily they are not over Havorsrod Farm (Remy's home for the next couple of months).

Monday started with Remy feeling amazing under saddle, both for Roz (who got on first to get a feel of him), and me. And then came the 'crash': Right after the lesson Remy seemed lethargic, didn't want to eat or drink, he just stood there, a picture of misery. We agreed that the trip was catching up with him, and I gave him Banamine to make him more comfortable. He was slightly better for a bit, but as soon as the meds wore off he reverted back.

By evening I was very worried but we all agreed that he was probably just super tired. I scrambled to get the temperature reading right, my newly purchased digital thermometer showed readings all over the place. Randy called her neighbor and we borrowed an old-fashioned one that showed at temp of 102F (normal range is from 99.5 and 101.5).. I ended up going back and forth to the barn through the night. Worrisome was that there was no manure and Remy (who always says "me, me" when it comes to cookies) had no interest whatsoever in any food or treats.

Roz recommended a vet she trusts and Dr. L. was able to come within the hour. Very nice man, and quite the sense of humor. He said that mainly he functions as pediatrician than veterinarian, and I think he's right on (for lots of people the horses ARE their children). When it came to Remy's registered name: "Well, right now he looks like Remington's end of the trail", and as I spelled my full name he quipped "that's a lot of name for a small woman".

Once we had the names straightened out we had a first course of action: Blood test revealed infection, so IV Antibiotics and  B12, Ketamine for the fever. The full blood panel results are due tomorrow morning. In the meantime Remy had a tube of Gastroguard, and I had strict orders to find things that would entice Remy to eat. Easier said then done, not even his beloved bananas did the trick. Finally, around 4 p.m. this afternoon I got him to eat some carrots and watered Timothy hay. And yay, best of all: We had manure!

Amazing, only a horseperson will understand the happiness you can get out of a fresh mound of manure! (for non-horse people: No manure means there is threat of impaction, which could lead to colic, which in turn may require colic surgery, or even cause death). So: Yay, manure! Now where's the celebratory champagne?? OK, I take a fruit smoothie, still got thermometers to read throughout the night --

Settling in - and "you must be a Floridian"

It's amazing how well Remy is doing after the 42 hour journey. Kudos to the Ecclestone team, especially Ali, who took such good care of him. Remy is settling into his new routine nicely, enjoying the turnout and no work. Due to the downpour last night it looks like he is off the hook for one more day, but I'll be hand walking him down the road this afternoon.

"Hey, I don't have to root under snow and ice!"

Yesterday was "Lunch and Learn", but the topic on Lameness exams did not reveal anything new. It was fun though to catch up with Paulette, and see a few familiar faces from last year.

Last night I had my first Mojito at a Cuban restaurant where Roz, Sally, Ariel and I went to dinner. It was great, and I could have easily appreciated the (free!) second one if I didn't have to drive.

Aimee, my landlady, is very nice, and definitely an animal lover.

Pig Newton enjoying a pool side snack

I'm looking forward to seeing her in a polo match! I was happy to meet her boarders Iris and Gloria, a mother/daughter team that had their horses flown in from Vancouver. Turns out Iris, the mother, is originally from Germany, and so I got to practice my -somewhat rusty- German.

Funny today was when the physical therapist was here for Randy's (Remy's landlady) mom. He looked at me in my down vest and said "you must be a Floridian" - because native Floridians bundle up when temps are in the 60sF as opposed to the shorts, flip flop, and tank top wearing Northeners.
Guess this Northener is in her heart a Floridian!

We made it - I was lucky, Remy not so much

It was a very long drive, 1400 (approx. 2,253 km) miles driving South, with just myself as company. Most of the time I'm perfectly fine by myself, but I have to admit it was getting lonely. I kept myself entertained with noticing the sometimes strange names of towns and exits, and wondered how they came about, i.e. Stinky Creek Road (well, that's easy to figure out), but what about Montezuma and Eldorado? I stopped for lunch on Battlefield Boulevard in Georgia.

I saw this T-shirt at a gas station in KY and had to have it :-)

The longest day was Monday, from Kentucky to Georgia. The snow and cold was with me the entire time. While driving through the Appalachian Mountains towards the Great Smoky Mountain area I thought about the book I recently read "The Giver of Stars" by JoJo Moyes. It's based on a true story of women in the depression area in KY that delivered books to remote locations (Deliverance comes to mind) on horseback. This was called "The Packhorse Library". I highly recommend the book.

The last leg of the trip was Valdosta, Georgia, to Wellington. I made it around 2 p.m. yesterday, checked out first the barn (of course), and then my home for the next two months. Aimee, my landlady, is lovely, and she is quite the animal lover. Aside from her polo ponies, there are three huskies, a rabbit, a few cats, and Pig Newton and Delilah (the piggies).

Remy was picked up on Monday around 6 p.m., and he arrived today, Wednesday (!) at noon - without having left the truck the entire time! I was about to lose my marbles about this. First they were stuck in the Atlanta traffic, then the Ag Station in Florida had an issue with Remy's paperwork. Apparently the Coggins Test didn't pull up the correct number. So they were held at midnight while the shipper got a hold of our vet at home. After all this I was told Remy would arrive around 5 a.m., then 10:30 a.m., and he finally arrived at noon. Luckily I had a box stall for him, but still -- that is valid ground for great worries.

Remy stepped of the truck seemingly no worse for wear, he drank, ate, and was impatiently asking to be let out. After moving him around to make sure his intestines were working correctly I let him relax and will now go back shortly to check and hand walk him. I'm exhausted, as I haven't slept at all last night, but it all worked out. Whew! Now I can finally find the time to unpack and get hopefully settled a bit.

Happily reunited!

And so the adventure begins - a bit delayed and with some sniffles

I finally hit the road late morning today, the snow was letting up and it was time to hit the road. For some strange reason I am way more emotional this year about leaving then last year. It's been really tough to say good bye to everyone at home for more than two months. I admit to some sniffles.

The sniffles went to full blown tears while driving when the classic radio station played "I did it my way" -  this is what described Emil to a 'T' and I used it for his eulogy. It's hard to fathom that in a few weeks we will have to dispose of all of his things.

No worries, I pulled myself together, and am now sitting fairly relaxed in a hotel room in Lexington, KY. Surprisingly, it didn't get much warmer driving South, with snow bursts and temps in the low teens all the way through. It should get better on the next leg, tomorrow it's onto Valdosta, Georgia. Crossing my fingers that the traffic through Atlanta will be a bit kinder due to the MLK holiday.

Just received an email from the shipper that Remy's take off date has been pulled ahead, he will be leaving tomorrow. So I'll just barely make it before him - the truck drives through, and Remy has his rolling hotel room in the form of a box stall.

JP and Ed (our friend and neighbor) are on stand by, armed with all of Remy's clothes and gear. I can't say often enough how much I appreciate JP (yes, I see the eye roll) and the support of our friends.

And fittingly, today a FB memory popped up from 2012:

One of my all time favorite photos! Just look at the tenderness.

History repeats itself - when it comes to my travel dates

Same story as last year - snow storm in Michigan the day I had planned to leave. I had to push it back then and I had to push it back now. Weather was fine until yesterday evening, and wham, here comes the snow.

Remy is still scheduled to ship on Tuesday. He got a beautiful hair cut (clip) on Thursday from Alex, and now he is swaddled in layers of blankets. Yesterday he got a pedicure and new shoes, the boy is ready to dance!

While I also had a mani-pedi (rather infrequent occurrence for me), I'm a nervous wreck and not in a mood to dance. How can I stuff everything in my GTI?? Remy has his humongous rolling tote (could have fit Carlos Ghosn in there), and a smaller rolling box, they both go with him on the truck. But still... I also have to pack for Germany, which means adding winter boots to the Florida shorts. And then show clothes, 'normal' riding clothes (color coordinated, of course - I see Roz chuckle), nice things in case I get to go out, shoes, bags, laptop, work things... the list seems endless.

Deep breath! - or so JP tells me. He is really pushing me out of the nest, so to speak. I have been wavering about this trip, mainly because he has to fend for himself and the animals for over two months in the Michigan winter. While JP is perfectly capable of doing this, of course, it still makes me feel guilty. In addition, the "Mutti Move" is hanging over us. Michael (my brother) carries the brunt, and I don't want to leave him, Remy (my nephew), and Mutti with everything there is to do. The house goes to the new owner on March 1, and Mutti has to move way before that so she is not there when we have to discard a lot of things that were precious to her. Not easy and definitely not fun.

I texted Roz that JP said he pushes me to go to Florida for the privilege of training with her - and here I thought he had a girl friend waiting in the wings.
 (Well, one does not preclude the other ;-) but I sure hope it does!)

Could be the Michigan theme song -

Busy and positive week - and which shoulder will win?

Sunday's CPL class was a hit (no pun intended). The instructors were superb, knowledgeable and funny, and my fellow class mates were all very nice. It was intensive, and I learned a ton - and yes, I got to shoot 100 rounds and didn't do too shabby. Although Ed, the instructor, quipped that I'm only allowed to shoot one-handed as for some strange reason I was getting way closer to the bulls eye one handed. Shout out to Huron Valley Guns in New Hudson! I'll definitely continue once I'm back from my travels, and I see a S&W Shield .380 in my future.

Tuesday we were able to go on a lovely trail ride in the morning, and then I had a great time at TRI (Therapeutic Riding Inc.). One of the therapy horses, B Smiley, had been worrying Jan (director) and Jen (instructor). B Smiley responded so well to his session it was amazing to see the difference. His whole body changed once the restrictions and tension were addressed. He moved so much more freely, even over-tracking in the walk - which made three women very happy!

Before I hit the road home I checked my email and what I read made me even happier: The Morgan Dressage Association informed me that I received a scholarship for Remy's training!! How awesome!! I really hadn't had much hope, due to the lack of show record and the somewhat shaky videos. This will be put to good use in FL.

After all the fun Tuesday, Wednesday came and with that Remy brought me back to earth (figuratively, luckily not physically but only because I longed him first). He was one crabby dude. Not being in 'working mode' does not suit him, and our yo-yo weather takes care of the rest. We had a serious temperature drop between Tuesday and yesterday. As soon as we got into the arena Remy was bug-eyed, and displayed some serious bucks on the longe-line. Under saddle he spooked at things he's seen for the last months and never batted an eye: Flowers next to the jumps, a wall jump, etc. Really, dude?

So today I figured long-lining would be a good way to go - and wouldn't you know it, Remy was just perfect. Let's see which shoulder will win this weekend in the clinic with Laurie - the one with the little angel or the little devil??

JP just picked up a new load of beautiful hay - and this hits the nail on the head :-)

And we have a take-off date - now it's high time to get ready

Funny how things can go from absolute "this sucks" to "yay, that works" within a day. Yesterday was such a day.  I called the shipper we used last year to see where things stand. Lots of texts and messages hadn't given me any updates, other than "there is nothing scheduled yet". I was quite surprised when I learned on the call yesterday that they had a load going mid January, but it was full. WTH?? I had specifically asked to let me know about availability mid/late January. Fume was coming out of my ears!

Luckily the other two companies that were recommended to me responded quickly with quotes, and I chose a shipper from Canada that makes weekly non-stop trips. Should you chose a company because you like the name and it makes you think of race cars? Probably not! I made sure that I had the recommendations seconded by Roz, and stellar reviews (given by people listing their full name) did the rest.

So, take-off for Remy is January 21. I will leave on the 18th, to see to his fluffy bed and all the other accoutrements on arrival. Now I am frantically going through my ample to-do lists, and am not surprised that Remy has more items than I. After all, I can skip my mani-pedi, Remy not so much!

And to top it off, tomorrow is my CPL class. I am a bit hesitant, I have to admit. I felt pretty brave signing up, and then it was too late to change, especially as Angie is coming also. Ed, the owner of the gun range, has been super nice and supportive and recommended the right pistol for the class. Unfortunately, Emil's small Astra doesn't cut it, so I will try a S&W .380. At least I already know the difference between a .380 and a 9mm, who would have thought?

JP is -as always- very good at giving me a kick in the pants, be it traveling to Florida, taking Remy to his jumping lesson, or handling a pistol. So I am hitching my big girl pants up and get going. Luckily I have several pounds of German chocolate and Nutella from Stephanie 'in petto', my nerves will have ample sustenance!

Gotta go with old Sir Winston:

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. - Winston Churchill.

A snowy end to 2019 - and he's happy in a frame

Last day of 2019 brought snow and slippery roads, so no trail riding. Our boys are barefoot, which gives good traction on snow, but not on the ice underneath. That didn't prevent them from happily roaming the pastures, and -as usual- being on "Neighborhood Watch" duty.

Neighborhood watch in full force, snow flakes or not!

Neighborhood watch is a good thing, even our safe and somewhat sleepy town of about 17,000 is experiencing more crime, mainly theft out of unlocked cars, but going as far as armed robbery at the local fast food joint. As the owner of the gun store told me "it's the Opioid crisis". Speaking of the gun store, yes, I have signed up for a CPL class next Sunday. Should be interesting. Better not squeeze my eyes shut (which I do at loud noises) when pulling the trigger!

Today we took the boys to Berwyck for a ride in their heated indoor arena. We are so fortunate that we can use this facility! Remy has been very happy in his H/J mode, posting trot, forward, forward, not interfering "Let him go, don't control him so much" (Lisa speaks). Today for the first time in quite a while I rode Remy in a dressage frame, even sitting the trot (how shocking).

To my big surprise Remy enjoyed it. He was soft, supple and what JP calls très léger  -I call bouncy- on his feet. No objection to a bit of collection - which is a good thing as we have to get ready for the next clinic with Laurie. And... perhaps, maybe... the trip to Florida.

Not to digress too much, but again - there is a huge advantage to shopping locally as opposed to ordering online: The interaction and tips from staff and fellow shoppers. I stopped by our tack store yesterday to browse the year end sale and mentioned my conundrum about shipping Remy (last year's shipper does not have any trips in January scheduled). Sure enough, I left the store with the recommendations for two reputable shipping companies (I was not aware of), plus a promise to tell me when the jumpers are shipping so Remy could perhaps hitch a ride with them.

I'm excited for the opportunities 2020 will bring - all 366 of them!