It's been a little bit since I've had the chance to sit down same write something. So, I figured now is a good time to give you all a little update!
Spring is one of our busiest seasons, there are so many moving parts we have to keep track of. It makes me even more grateful for the strong team we have. Coming into spring we have the dentals for all the equines. Everyone's teeth were in good shape thankfully so they should all be set again until next year!
While sedated from her float, we flushed Thursday's tear ducts to see if there was something causing an irritation or partial blockage that was resulting in her excessive tear production. If you've never seen it before, flushing a horse's tear ducts is pretty cool (but maybe not for the squeamish). Both tear ducts flushed dirty, likely a result of her getting too much dirt and dust in there which can commonly happen when grazing. Her left eye flushed more than dirty which gave us clue she may have had a minor infection brewing. A round of antibiotic eye ointment would hopefully be enough to clear it up! Come mid spring all the horses get their check up and vaccines and bloodwork done for those who need it. Everyone's looking good, Moon and Thursday we're just a bit high on their insulin resistance levels so we decided to schedule another blood draw but this time on fasted stomachs. We discussed Thursday's eyes and while her tears were clearer and not as much as before, they were still present. Our wonderful vet, Dr. Milkey, recommended a full eye exam to determine really what was going on in there.
A few weeks later, the ponies for blood work done again and we were able to get a look at Thursday's eyes. Overall things looked okay. No signs of glaucoma which was good and while she has some cataracts, nothing is really obstructing her vision. It's much like looking through an old pair of sunglasses. Our new theory for the watering was that it may have been linked to the cloudy pupils. She's had some fog on her pupils for a couple years, but it's never been dramatic fog. The way the vet explained it was that it was likely just excess protein on the lense. But it could account for the bit of swelling her eyes seemed to have. So, new plan of action was another round of antibiotic ointment but this time the ointment contains steroids as well. So far, it's helping! Her presentation is making little improvements. While all this horse care is going on, we rescued a pair of female ducks from owners who didn't research how ducks should be kept to meet all their basic needs. The little girls are thriving currently and just recently got an upgrade to their outdoor pen. They love it! I'm very grateful for Christina and Jackie and Jackie's family for making that upgrade happen! It was a lot of hard work. Speaking of Christina and Jackie, the two have been working tirelessly on unique fundraising ideas including reaching out to large venues and to local places. Currently, they have been successfully working on a can drive from local businesses. Christina has been busy working with farmers around New England to secure hay for sampling. Our lovely Thursday needs hay that is low in sugars and starches without compromising the rest of it's nutritional value (and Moon benefits from this too) as a result of her metabolic diagnoses. So we must find a couple options and stock up for the year.
Our crew of volunteers is growing! Both youth and adult numbers are increasing and I'm welcoming every moment of it! It warms my heart to see so many like minds joining our cause and benefiting from their time at the rescue.
Blaze has been going on adventures, though his daily silliness really does deserve it's own story. I'm happy to see it because movement is so good for his overall health.
The horsemanship lessons are starting smoothly for the summer and I am excited for all the possibilities this brings.
We have more things under wraps still and as soon as we are ready to reveal them, you'll be the first to know!!