A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course

I've been preoccupied with some extra-curricular things lately so have been very neglectful of my blog. I just put a nice deposit on a beautiful saddle for my gorgeous horse, Raquel. Michael, my husband, had been making some noises like he wanted to start riding her, so I wanted to do all I could to encourage him. He wouldn't feel comfortable riding in my "funny" little English all-purpose saddle. I like that one because it is MUCH lighter, and lifting a heavy saddle way up on her back isn't fun. My old roper saddle I use when other people ride her is, well, old. I have tried to take care of it, but the leather is cracked (I have newer leather for the latigos and cinch so it is safe, just not very pretty....) and it kind of lists to one side on those longer rides, so you constantly need to shift your weight over to balance things out. It was just time to retire it.

I found quite a few Western saddles that would work just fine-but boy are they expensive! I'm generally not one for buying new things for myself at all, shopping for most of my clothes and all at stores like Value Village or Goodwill-thrift and second hand stores. Don't get me wrong, I usually find pretty nice, brand name clothes there. I just hate to pay full price for anything. I'm wearing my work dresses around jumping, slobbery, muddy, shedding dogs and cats, so I just don't want to spend tons of money on things that could easily get ripped or pooped or peed on. Well, I decided to splurge and get Raquel a nice new saddle this time-she's worth it, and so am I! But I wanted to be smart about it, especially with this crummy economy right now. So no credit for us. Lay-away would work just fine.

Even though she is a pretty big horse, Raquel isn't too difficult to fit for a saddle. But since I was planning to spend so much, (for me, that is-I know other people can spend many thousands of dollars on much fancier saddles!) I wanted to be certain of that fit. I arranged with a local tack store to take a few saddles home to try on her, being very careful not to get them muddy or hairy-quite the feat in this Spring season. She isn't anything BUT mud and shedding hair right now! I wrapped some plastic grocery bags over my feet and put saddle blankets on her and we took a few short rides around the neighborhood. Now I sure didn't want or need anything too fancy-we aren't going to be showing any time soon. No silver or lots of tooling (carved designs in the leather.) I was looking for something that fit her, fit me and Michael, was comfortable to sit in, and also looked nice.

I think I found a really nice one-I couldn't believe how comfortable it was! It has a gel seat and a flex-tree, so it should be just as comfortable for Raquel as it is for me. I'll be sure to get pictures when I actually get the saddle....you see, my thrift store nature came out after all. I took the manufacturer and model number and went searching on the web. I found the exact saddle, only it was a black one-perfect for my solid black horse!-for sale on Craigslist. The seller said she had only used it 3 times, so it was essentially new, and would save me over $800! How could I pass up such a deal? I felt bad about not buying it from the local tack store as I do like to spend my money locally, but I assured them I would be in frequently for all the miscellaneous things you always seem to need or just plain "have to have" when you are a horsey person. The saddle is in the mail as I type this, coming from New Hampshire!...I am very excited and this saddle is so nice that I might be converted to riding in the Western saddle more often! I just don't buy big things for myself very often, can you tell? I wonder if everyone gets this excited when they buy big toys? I hope so!

Speaking of Raquel, I have been trying to get her out riding more often lately. I joined a meet-up group of fellow horse lovers and we are actually going on a camping trip next month to the Oregon coast. It is a dream come true mixing two of my favorite things-horses and beaches! I sure hope we have some nice weather. It will probably be the first time my friend Kristen and I will be able to ride together-can you believe that? Neither of us has a trailer, so even though we live fairly close, we can't get our horses together-bummer. This camping trip will be a great thing since I hardly ever take time off work. I think everyone is saying "it is about time!" So, I am riding my big girl around the neighborhood a couple times a week and I just signed up for some riding lessons to work on better communication with her. I am really the only one who has ever ridden her regularly, starting her as a baby and all. It sure won't hurt to have that extra help to better both of our skills and to get us both into shape after a much too long winter.

I really like the folks in the meet-up group. It is the largest and most active equestrian meet-up in the world-right here in Snohomish/King counties! So far I haven't been able to ride with others, but we have frequent meet-ups where we have potlucks, sell our used tack and swap information. I'm the "animal health coordinator" so feel it is important to educate the group on all things veterinary-first aid, normal and abnormal vital signs, how to wrap leg bandages, etc. We are even putting together a binder of handouts on these topics for future use. I'm working with my staff at the hospital to put together an equine first aid kit, complete with bandaging materials, a stethoscope and thermometer and other things important for a horse owner to have on hand in case of an emergency.

So this blog will have at least a little bit of a veterinary topic today, here are the horse vital signs it is important to be familiar with. If your horse's numbers are significantly out of range, CALL YOUR VET!

Body Temp: 99.5 - 101.3 degrees F
Pulse rate: 28 - 45 beats per minute
Respiration rate: 10 - 14 breaths per minute

Take the temperature

• Lubricate the thermometer with petroleum jelly, K-Y jelly or just spit on the end. It must be wet for good contact with the rectal mucosa.
• Attach a string to the end of your thermometer. (They have been known to fall into bedding or even get "sucked" into the rectum.)
  
• Tie a clothespin to the other end of the string so you can attach it to your horse’s tail while you’re taking his temperature.
• Approach the horse from the side, and do not stand directly behind him.
• Raise your horse’s tail and insert the thermometer into his rectum.
• Wait at least 1 minute, then read the thermometer.
• Digital thermometers are often very quick and accurate.
  

Find the Pulse

• Use your fingers or a stethoscope to find your horse’s pulse under his chin or on the left side of his barrel, just behind his left elbow. It can also be located at the temple.
  
• Each “lub-dub” is considered one beat.
• Record the rate for 15 seconds and multiply by four to get your horse’s heart rate.

Check Breaths

• Watch your horse’s chest move in and out, or cup your hand over his nostril and feel the air come out.
• Use your stethoscope to listen to the breaths as the air travels across the trachea when he inhales and exhales. It should sound clear and consistent.
• Note the characteristics of your horse’s breathing. Are the breaths shallow or deep? Are there any abnormal sounds like squeaking or roaring?

A horse’s daily water requirement varies from 5 to 20 gallons, depending on environmental temperature, workload, production state and feed intake. Providing clean, fresh water is a top priority for horse owners, especially if you are traveling.

The vital signs listed are for RESTING horses. If they are nervous or excited or just finished exercising, these will vary. Even just the sight of a thermometer or stethoscope can freak out some horses, so take this into consideration.

Happy trails, everyone!

Peace,

DrReneigh