Wednesday, December 11, 2013

open wide

Dental day at the barn. The local vet does 2-for-1 dental in December, a good deal for the stable. And we all split the travel fee, so I think the vet was busy with 10 horses (4 private owners, the rest the stable owner).

shiny horse, yes that is his "winter" coat, he wants to live in the desert I guess!

Major was interested in the proceedings (little did he know) and went second. I love this vet, he actually did Major's pre-purchase exam and has been his vet ever since. He looked him over, all looks good, 15.3, weight 994 by the tape, right about 5 on the BCS scale. He's usually naturally closer to 4.5, but being a bit heavier going into winter is great.

He got 2/3 of a horse dose of sedative, as he's a lightweight with drugs. Turns out he needs even less as he stood splay-legged and a bit too drunk for awhile (vet made a note for next time.) The vet showed me the issues on his teeth, and proceeded to file down the points and ridges.

dentist and helper, making teeth work better
so sleepy, almost feel sorry for him...but don't

After that, Major also got a weenie cleaning. And stood around looking pitiful as the sedative wore off. Within 45 minutes he was back to his obnoxious self, trying to untie himself and chewing on the tree, so I turned him out in the arena and did some tack room organizing.

I put Major back in his pasture, and he proceeded to bother me while I rearranged his stall mats and helped a friend haul water to a still-frozen trough (some hoses and pipes are still frozen, though we're thawing.) Major thought that whatever was in that green bucket just must be for him!

sophisticated new hay carrier, spent a fortune on it...

Then I brought up the blue bag from the stable. Major totally knows the blue bag has crack hay in it for him, and nickered as I walked up the hill. (The blue bag is my favorite new way to haul a loose flake of hay. You know how the hay flake falls apart, get all over you, etc? Get yourself a blue Ikea reusable bag. Huge, fits multiple flakes of hay, super sturdy, hay doesn't stick and best part, cheap, like $1.)

All the poking, prodding and indiscretions were forgiven when Major got his crack hay.

no hay until we have pretty ears, not crabby!





13 comments:

  1. OMG ikea bag is BRILLIANT! But I can't go to ikea without getting lost, spending $300, or both. What a quandry. ;)

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    1. But it is the best bag! I can't go without looking over scratch and dent, and getting a tray of cinnamon rolls! Oh, and the big scissors they have in kitchenware are great and cheap too, perfect for barn use.

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  2. That's a great use for an Ikea bag! The one I have is currently housing a ton of hoof boots, but this sounds like a good excuse for another trip to Ikea.

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    1. buy many, you will find a use for them! Any excuse to go to Ikea is worth it...what a crazy place.

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  3. Finally, a use for my two IKEA bags! I too love the IKEA and next time I go will get scissors.

    More Major. Rose shares in his short lived misery, she hates dental visits. And weening cleanings.... eh. I like owning a mare, everything is more out there. Scrubbing dirty teats is so preferable to sheath cleaning to me. She even assists by holding on hind leg out like a dog peeing so that I can scrub all the nasty sand and gunk out.

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  4. Yes, a mare is easier access! Major likes to hide when I do it myself, like a frightened turtle!

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  5. Great idea with the Ikea bag! I'll have to talk someone into getting me one- 'cause I almost had a mental meltdown the one time I stepped foot in that store:( Tooooo many people and it was like a rat maze! Eek!

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    1. Yeah, I have to admit my SO got me the last bag, he likes shopping much more than I do!

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  6. For CG and anyone else who is wary of venturing into an actual IKEA store, here's the link to what I think is the right blue bag: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/17228340/. I get really overwhelmed at IKEA and so does my husband - we just can't handle multi-level stores that have airport-sized parking lots. I'm not sure what it costs to ship this revered bag, but unless it's more than $10, it seems worth it to me to buy online. AND, the bag is only $0.59! Thanks for the tip, Irish Horse:)

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    1. Clever idea! I do think Ikea shipping is really high but not sure for what (they don't have a business model built on shipping). Maybe I can start a side business, shipping these bags around the country!

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    2. OK, you are very right about the shipping cost. I decided to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and ordered 10 of the bags. I just felt too guilty ordering 2 bags online:) I paid $5.90 for 10 bags, and a whopping $15 in shipping! However, I guess it was worth it because the store is a good 30 minutes away in an area I never go to otherwise, so I paid $15 to save probably an hour and a half of my time and avoid the Funder-syndrome of buying a whole bunch of other crap that I didn't know I needed until I got to the store:)

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    3. Oh, how funny! Still only $2 a bag, I hope you like them as much as I do! I really don't use them for shopping, but hay, supplement baggies, load of junk to move from one place to another, very helpful. Enjoy!

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