Tuesday, June 2, 2009

How Lazy Can I Get?

I'm sorry to say that FFF will be on my back burner over the coming weeks. The sidebar has always described me as a "graduate student" but I am now pursuing actual graduation, which requires many hours daily in front of the computer. I just don't have the heart to spend even more time on the blog when I could be outside instead. Thanks to the wonder of the iPhone I can read your blogs* on my way to and from campus, but my blog is going to suffer a little.

That said, tonight I want to talk about mosquitoes. They are back, and harassing Raven as much as ever. Right now they are only about between 2000 and 2200, so she spends these two hours pacing constantly around the paddock. I did buy her a nice Amigo BugBuster sheet over the winter, but I haven't been using it because I figure that she can use the exercise. How lazy is that? I will definitely start using it when they are eating her alive, but right now they are just pissing her off.

About Raven: I wish that I could give you all good news, but I can't. We had Kerstin out a couple of weeks ago (I am waiting to get Tonka's x-rays by email and you can rest assured that I will blog about those) and she feels that Raven may be rideably sound again with corrective shoeing. I think this is overly optimistic given the changes I have seen over the past six months. On Sunday I was watching her nap through the window and her right fetlock was practically touching the ground behind her right hoof -- the tendons are deteriorating rapidly. At present she is comfortably pasture sound and that is just fine by me given how little riding I will be able to do this summer (did I mention that whole graduation thing?).

Some days are better than others in terms of her mobility, though the Recovery does seem to help. There are days when I never see her break a walk and days when she tries to kick up the kind of fusses that were commonplace last summer. My philosophy on the situation is a solid "wait and see". She is happy, eating well, and otherwise enjoying life. Maybe if I teach her some spatial statistics she could start earning her keep around here (did I mention that whole graduation thing?).

5 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Good luck all around - on your graduation and the x-rays. I hope she'll be okay.

Anonymous said...

Good luck all around from me as well!

AareneX said...

oooooh, I have been through the "grad school eats your head" thing. It gets better...AFTER graduation!

Until then, keep us posted when you can, okay?

Black Jack's Carol said...

All the best with those final steps along the route to graduation! About Raven, I'm of course hoping you are wrong and Kerstin is right, but it's good to read that she is comfortably pasture sound, happy, eating well, and enjoying life.

Bailey said...

Hi...I've been following your blog for a while now. I can't remember if you've mentioned this before in regards to Raven, but have you heard of DSLD? It's a degenerative condiditon of the suspensory ligaments. There's a Yahoo group dedicated to it if you'd like more info. My Arabian gelding was just diagnosed with DSLD and I've learned a lot from that group. They also suggest supplements if you're interested. Just thought I'd let you know...good luck with graduation (from one graduate student to another!) and with the horses.