Eowyn's Ramblings

The day I have been dreading at some level for 26+ years arrived. I've been actively dreading it for 5 weeks. Echo has dealt with so many physical challenges over the years and finally had one we couldn't overcome. It was time. I am the entire reason that she existed in the first place and I made the call to end her life. It is the last gift I can give her and her mother. A peaceful death before she is in another major crisis (in pain and/or scared). These last few weeks she has been happy, playful, insistent on treats. It has been a wonderful yet painful few weeks but it was time.

This morning Java drove me up there and I just hung out with her, offering scritches (she had VERY itchy cheeks) and treats. Then when it was close to the appointed time, I took her out to let her hand graze and eat some apple. She felt good enough to jig her way out of the barn and during some of her circling while grazing there was a brief trot. I told her how much I loved her and how sorry I was for all of her problems and how wonderful and good she was. The vet was very good, he gave her a mild tranq to keep her calmer and then when we were all ready gave the double injection. She stayed up longer than I expected but not long at all (and seemed mostly unconcious when she went down). Stubborn girl's heart took a little while to catch up but she was at peace and had peppermints while the drugs were going in.

We had gone to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical last night (tickets bought several months ago) and one of the lines really hit me. "It is hard to say goodbye but harder to not be able to." I wasn't able to say goodbye to Dancer really but I had a few weeks of loving on Echo and giving her treats and over an hour today to really say my final goodbyes.

It is hard on me and hard on the farm. She was conceived there, she was born there, and she died there. They felt horrible when they found out that her sire threw OCD babies (they found out about a month before Echo was born) and have worked with me and her for so many years trying to get her healthy and sound.
( Echo History )

Echo at 1 day -
6 weeks -
2 1/2 -

Well, THAT was a weekend. The weekend started mostly OK. Worked until 5 on Wednesday and managed to not throw my computer through a window. Got home and did some stuff, watched a movie, made some dinner and eventually Java finally made it home (just in time to kiss me goodnight). Thursday was doing some stuff around the house and trying to stay out of the way while he worked on a project. Then heading to MIL's house for dinner (NOM!) and back home so Java could work some more.

Friday, more hanging around the house, entertaining the felines and letting Java try to get some work done. Then we headed to ChessieCon and thoroughly enjoyed the Amusements of Victorians lecture with some gorgeous graphics. We checked into the hotel, got our keys, went to the room and found that someone was already in our room, got another room, unloaded then headed out to a quick(ish) dinner. We came back and I was going to turn in my key for the wrong room and they canceled both of our keys to the new room and had to reprogram them (buh?) and when we got a 2nd tumbler for cold drinks it was sort of small. Headed back up to the room and I conked while Java worked.

Saturday, I went down the street & grabbed McD's for breakfast (that one charges $1.70 for the bagel with egg & cheese, I'm used to $1.50) and brought it back. We ate then I spent most of the day listening to various members of the Clams talk and play fabulous music while Java worked. We took a break for lunch (McD's again) and I caught DM Fred's discussion of Isambard Kindom Brunel which did suffer a bit from a late start combined with no computer at first. More hanging around at Clam stuff and a wonderful visit with dglenn. Then we headed to Corner Stable for dinner (NOM!).

This morning the plan was to get McD's while Java worked, then catch a panel, check out, catch a couple of panels, then head back home, arrange to get stuff to Mr. Kathy S. and maybe catch a movie (Mockingjay Part 1). Then the phone rang at 8:30. Echo had put her leg through the wall and was badly injured and the vet was on the way. We got organized, packed up, checked out of the hotel and headed out. Hit McD's (hey, you have to eat) while calling back and forth with the farm. The vet decided the injury was too extensive to deal with at the farm and she would have a much better chance if she went to the Equine hospital in Leesburg. So, we got directions and headed off. We miss one turn but Java's phone GPS found it for us and we found Peter and his SIL changing the tire that had blown on the trailer on the trip (fortunately the trailer has multiple tires and one going bad isn't the end of the world). She was in the hospital getting checked out. Poor girl was shocky and they put her away for a few hours with medications and fluids to get her stable planning on surgery at 3 or maybe 3:30. Then her bloodwork came back and it wasn't great and she was no longer a surgery candidate.

( a bit graphic description of the injury )
She will be really sore and stiff and has a lot of healing to do but hopefully by spring she will be OK again. Poor baby. Now I'm heading up to wash the DMSO smell off myself.

I've been pretty quiet about Echo recently for a lot of reasons. Time to write is one, afraid to hope too much is one, and not seeing her as much as I would like is one.

Anyway, late summer her hocks were a bit ouchy so we wanted to get them injected. A MAJOR complication was the snowpocalpse of last February. The farm is in that dreaded "North and West of the city" area that tends to get more weather than we do here and we got quite a bit of weather. That snow (LOTS of it) caused damage to the roof. Fortunately, Peter was able to climb on the roof regularly to shovel the worst of the snow off but it still damaged the support structure. So, a new roof (including supports) was needed and was installed over the summer.

What does this have to do with hock injections? Well, horses tend to be a bit disconcerted when the roof disappears and people and equipment fly over head doing STRANGE stuff. Hammering doesn't really bother Echo, air powered nail guns overhead is a bit different (though the contractors were impressed with how well the horses at the farm took the chaos). Anyway, if she had jumped at just the wrong time, it would have been a bad thing so the injection was put off. After she was injected, time had to pass until the reaction to the injection had calmed down enough to put shoes on her hind feet (you do NOT want to flex the hocks when they hurt, horses object violently to pain). Then it was time to start getting her fit again after the time off (and after the floor was put back in the arena).

So, Dede is lunging her a few times a week and I am trying to work with her 2 times a week. So far her movement is very good sometimes wandering into fabulous. She has cantered on the line with me without being stupid (and sometimes with being stupid), she is starting to relax and realize that it won't hurt. Given that she has been in pain when being worked since 2004ish it will take time for her to get over that. As her relaxation and lack of fear grows her movement improves (worrying makes her tense and look uneven).

All in all, she is doing very well and I am very happy about it.

A little over 9 years ago, a chestnut filly with a star was born, the daughter of my beloved mare Dancer to be named "Dancer's Echo" since she looked so much like her dam. In the intervening years Echo has grown to be a beautiful mare with a wonderful temperament. She seems to want to work with people, she isn't mean, she isn't ornery, if she says "no!" there is always a good reason. She is very laid back about just about everything and doesn't get all fuzzed up without a really good reason.

There were some bad times when she developed OCD (a bone generation problem where the cartilage in 3 joints wasn't properly forming to bone) and had surgery as a yearling (with close to a year of stall rest). She was briefly worked by a man who had very little clue about some things. She was then worked by a friend of mine under the supervision of 2 different people. She was entered in a show and got a 9 on her free-walk (which is VERY good). I got to ride her briefly as cool-down a few times during this period. Then she had lameness issues, her feet had some abscesses (which are agony to a horse until they blow), and tore her suspensory ligament (which laid her off for about a year). Finally she was back in work, being her normal willing self and I was scheduled to ride her again and she came up just barely 'off' and discretion being the better part of valor, had a break and got checked out. It turns out that there is scar tissue and she will basically have to work through it. Her right hoof also grows unevenly and if she isn't trimmed more often than most horses, the having one side of the hoof higher than the other causes problems (5-6 weeks instead of 7-8).

Last night, for the first time in her life, I rode her without someone riding her first. We didn't even lunge her first.

( Echo geeking )

I have a wonderful mare who does exhibit the best of her sire and dam. She is gorgeous, talented, willing, good natured, and affectionate. I have fabulous trainers who can work with her when I can't and who can (eventually) bring the best out of me. I am very lucky.

Let's see, what all has happened this week.

I got my pretty back (yea!) and it is still gorgeous. Had dinner with Chris, ate stuff I shouldn't have (MSG) and crashed early. Did get some new clothes though.

Tuesday at 3LF went reasonably well. I managed to avoid most symptoms of brain-fart. I do enjoy the dances. I do not enjoy some of the politics. Ah well.

Wednesday went barn. Took Dancer & Rooh out for a graze which they heartily approved of (until we asked them to go back in). Gave them goodies. Then took Ms. Echo into the indoor to let her run around (since there was no sign of xpioti I figured she could use a run (esp. with rain predicted for Thursday). She did run a bit, she has NICE flying changes. Trotted some. Was a complete toad about reversing to her 'good side' and kept wanting to look out the open door my Mom was guarding (which she jumped out of about a year ago). Finally got her going to the left. Need to learn to work her on the line to back up my commands a bit. Sounds mean a lot to her, shaking the lead in my hand sounded enough like Xi shaking the lunge line the "Oh, you want me to halt? OK" bulb to go off.

We then worked in hand to walk her out, lots of changes of direction to get her to focus on me instead of the Big Bad Evil Night outside. Walked her over a pole twice (she has to learn to deal with it), then took her out into the Bad Evil Night to graze. Had words about the idea of springing into a canter from a graze but she did settle. Gave her goodies in her feed bucket, scritched the cats & Stoney on the way out (he got Cheerios).

I have been feeling not so good, tired, cranky, etc. for just over a week. In other words, I'm sick. One of these years, I will learn to recognize certain unreasonable reactions as "you are sick". Got an appt. with my ENT doctor (thanks to my primary care doctor having a clue that when I say I probably have a sinus infection, seeing the ENT who roto-rootered me is a Good Idea). Anyway, I was right, I do have a sinus infection. *sigh* So, I am on antibios for 2 weeks plus some stuff to attack the swelling & congestion in the sinuses (nasal is fine, it is really weird). Missed most of work yesterday due to seeing the doctor then leaving early because head swimming does not help work concentration. Today (first day on the meds), I am not brave enough to try to drive (still sick with sinus + now affected by the antibios = no driving).

This weekend is Singles Weekend at Fest with a party Sat. night. I dunno how much I will be doing. Oh, and the ren fest newsgroup people are going to be there. They can be, um, intense In My Experience (yes, I know that not all of them are, I can only go by those who I see). Think ACE except for Ren Fest and you may be getting close. (This is My Opinion, and My Experience regarding blatant ACE members and blatant Otters; not all are like that but...) All standard disclaimers apply (CYA)