Life Updated.

Where did I leave off? I feel like it's been forever since I actually wrote a blog post. It seems like forever since I have actually had time to sit down and read blogs. Boo real life. So, in no particular order here is a run down of our life.

 The lump on Denali's left hind is looking a HELL of a lot better. We did shockwave, but that was about it. You can still see it, but it's not as bad. I can't find a good comparison picture. (Yes, she's a dirty mess.)

 Denali has a new boyfriend. They have been going out for a few weeks now. He is a grey Thoroughbred and is also seven. Two horses left the herd, so guess who is in charge? Gulp. She is a gracious leader and I am proud of her.

 The rock show went well. We didn't have as many people show up as I was expecting, but it was 75 degrees out and not raining so I'm sure they were out enjoying the weather! I am having another event this weekend to pick up manure. Now if only a stall fork fairy would donate some stall forks. Sigh...

Denali wanted me to tell you all hi! On Saturday she got a chance to FINALLY go into the flat, really nice pasture (the one that non-residents use) and boy did they have FUN!! The four of them ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. She didn't look much worse for wear, but I think I'm going to start her on Adequan. It will help her neck, so not a waste, and if it helps that hind then all the better!

I'm missing a lot, but my husband had a plate taken out of his leg so I'm no all there!

If you're on facebook friend Northwest Equine Stewardship and check out my new ridiculous website http://www.customtailbags.com/

Living with O.C.E.A.N.S

Sorry for my lack of posts. I have a list of excuses that keep me from a computer. Husband having sugery in the morning. Horse is ok. I will report on my "Rock Show" when I have more time. For now.... This is hilarious.

Very little is known about O.C.E.A.N Syndrome, but it is hoped that further interest can be generated from researchers involved in the equine and psychological sciences and that this outline will enable readers to begin to identify similar symptoms in their own families. As is the case of similar conditions, knowledge is power and with increased knowledge comes the ability to cope.


Obsessive Compulsive Equine Attachment Neurosis Syndrome (O.C.E.A.N.S) is most frequently – although not exclusively – diagnosed in the female, and can manifest itself anytime from birth to extreme old age. Symptoms may appear any time and may even go dormant in the late teens, only to re-emerge in later years. A fairly typical case would initially show the syndrome in its active form for about ten years, beginning some time in mid to late childhood. Dormancy often then occurs for a varying length of time, with the syndrome reoccurring at a later date, at which time it generally become a chronic, life-long condition.

Symptoms vary widely in both type and degree of severity. However, certain key points may be used to enable family members to make an accurate diagnosis.

The afflicted individual:

Can smell mouldy hay at ten paces, but can't tell whether bread has gone stale until it turns bright green

Finds the occasional "Buck and Fart" session hugely entertaining when performed by a horse, but severely chastises her husband for similar antics

Will spend hours cleaning and conditioning her tack, but wants to eat on paper plates so there is no washing-up

Considers equine gaseous exhaust to be a fragrance

Enjoys mucking out four stables twice a day, but denies that the kitchen floor needs cleaning more frequently than once a month

Will spend an hour combing and trimming an equine mane, but wears a hat so she doesn't waste time brushing her own hair

Will dig through manure piles daily looking for worms, but has no intention of going fishing.

Twice a week will spend an hour scrubbing buckets and troughs, but has a problem cleaning the bath and the toilet bowl

Will pick a horse's nose, and call it cleaning, but becomes verbally and/or physically violent when her husband picks his.

Can sit through a four-hour session of a ground work clinic, but is unable to make it through a half-hour replay of highlights of the World Cup.

The spouse of an afflicted individual:

Must come to terms with the fact there is no cure. The syndrome may be genetic or caused by the inhaling of manure particles which, it has been proposed, have an adverse effect on female hormones

Must adjust the family budget to include equine items - hay, livery, farrier services, riding boots and clothes, supplements, tack, equine masseuse and acupuncturist - as well as veterinary expenses and insurance. Once you have identified a monthly figure, never look at it again. Doing so will cause tightness in your chest, nausea and pain

Must realize that your spouse has no control over this affliction. More often than not, she will deny a problem even exists

Must realise that there are strong indications of a genetic component of this syndrome, especially along the female line. In other words, your children are highly likely to become victim to this syndrome.

Must form a support group. You need to know you're not alone - and there's no shame in admitting your wife has a problem. A typical support group, for instance, involves men who truly enjoy Harley Davidsons, four-day weekends and lots of beer.

Now you can better see how O.C.E.A.N.S. affects countless households in this country and abroad. It knows no racial, ethnic or religious boundaries. It is a syndrome that will be always be difficult to treat because those most affected are in denial and therefore, not interested in a cure.

Diligence in research is essential in order to find information that will make it easier for the families and caretakers of the afflicted to cope on a day-to-day basis without causing unwarranted distress and hysteria in the victims. Initial indications are that statements such as "Don't worry, I'll do overtime to pay the vet's bills" and "I've got a pay rise so you can buy the lorry/trailer/4WD/saddle you want" will cause a rapid reversal of mood in most victims, but must be followed through with concrete evidence soon afterwards.

Congratulations!

So can I say that it was REALLY hard to pick a name out of a hat (or lunchbox in this case.) I love you all so much, and even though it was a random pick it sort of makes me sad that I could only give away one. :( I might need to start doing random blog give-aways. I make tail bags, I can do that right?

I made a video to prove that I did it fair. I thought about having Denali pick, but then realized that she'd just stomp them into the ground and run away. No help what-so-ever. Anyway..... without further ado the winner...SprinkerBandit! Congratulations! E-mail me at rehabdenali@yahoo.com with your color choice. (Red, Black, Green, or Blue)

Home

Hey! I'm back, I do have the names cut out, but haven't had a chance to pull them out of a hat! I'm sorry. I plan on doing that tonight after we get back from a friends party. I want to do it right! I will post a video of me doing it when it's done! Promise! Sorry.

Pennsylvania Wrap-up

I am still in PA with my family with limited drama. I am hoping that I can make it out of here with only one knock out, drag out fight with my mom. My mom is frustrated with my brother and that makes me the favorite, for now. He is the Golden Child and will be again I'm sure. :) Have to love family.

I talked to animal control a few times this week. I left her a voicemail (they give out their personal cell phone number here! I was shocked!) and she called me back the next day. I was happy to hear that she owns horses herself. Not many people do in this area, and as you know they are not as easy as throwing a flake of hay at them twice a day. I took my camera out to take pictures of the horses, but they had moved all 12, yes 12 horses on two acres, behind their house so I couldn't get any good pictures. The AC officer was really nice and told me she had been out there before. We had a nice conversation and she said she was going to go back out once her head is feeling better (she took a tumble off her horse.) She told me they are not mean people, just not smart. Hopefully the horses start looking better soon.

Rumor has it that Denali is doing fine. My sweet husband drove out to see her on Friday. He said she's still lame, but was happy. I will probably make an appointment with the vet if this keeps up. I think it's a joint she hasn't injured yet. At least that list is dwindling down since everything is injured!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Don't forget to enter my blog give-away. I will draw a name Thursday or Friday.

wow!

Wordless Wednesday

Animal Control

Sigh... I can't EVER just go on vacation... I drove to visit my in-laws and on my way passed a house that has fenced in its tiny yard and has 9, yes 9, horses on maybe an acre. They are so skinny that I could count their ribs from the road. This is the same place that I saw the foal in December without a blanket. Problem? They have food. They are feeding round bales, but the horses are in horrible condition and are much worse than when I saw them in December. I have the phone number for Animal Control and I am going to call tomorrow morning. Suggestions on what to say?? I have never called before.

Pennsylvania

I have been home (funny how it's called that no matter how long you've lived somewhere else) for a few days now. It's been nice to see friends and family. I know that before I know it I will be back in Seattle, so I am trying to enjoy my mini-vacation. This is the first summer that I have not worked in....ever I guess. I've worked since I was 16. From 18-24 I worked every summer at an amusement park as a manager and worked from 6 am - 11 pm (not even joking, and sometimes longer hours.) I loved that job. I did a million things at one time and was always on my feet running around. It was fun when I was 18-24, but probably not now. I'd take it too seriously. A bunch of my friends and I went there this past weekend to ride the rides for the first time since we left (we use to sneak off and ride them during the day.) We also were big kids and bought our own wrist bands (we can get them for free if we want them.) I figured I'm 30, I can buy my own.

Today I woke up and my neck really hurt. I took me 5 minutes to figure out that I had a sun burn. It's been THAT long since I've had one of those! Funny.

Lots of bad things happening in the world this weekend to people and animals alike. I wonder if it's possible to have TOO much empathy because I end up feeling so bad for everyone and making myself depressed. I'm always like that though. Someone told me it was my "Catholic Guilt."

Hope all is well in your part of the world! I will probably not post a lot since Denali will get mad with lack of mention of her, and it's hard to mention her when she's 3,000 miles away. She tends to demand the spotlight. I showed my mom the video of Denali, her comment, 'Reminds me of a giant dog.'

Don't forget to enter the give-a-way for a Nibblenet!!

Lame!

I am going home tomorrow for two weeks, which meant that today is the last I get to see Princess. That always makes me sad. I can call and talk to my husband, but I can't talk to Denali. She's ha a bit of a crazy week, and I wish I could be there to check on her. Two of the horses have gone to a foster home, one horse has gone to training (Denali's best friend. :( I'm sad for both of them.) A new gelding has joined the herd. Currently there are now two geldings and two mares. Denali tried to be boss. Fail. Poor thing, I hate herd changes, everything goes haywire for a bit.

The center just hired a new caretaker and I really like her. She was really good with the horses I saw her work. I asked her to video Denali so I could watch (and re-watch, and re-watch, and re-watch, etc.) to look at her lameness. Sigh. I didn't need a video. She's so lame. SO, SO lame.

Here is the video but please remember a few things.

1. I am not asking Denali to do anything but move forward. Nothing special, so criticizing my "techniques" will make no sense since I was in deep despair watching my horse limp around the round pen. I didn't care where she went other than forward.

2. Not everyone can be as hot as I am in my shorts and new (read: amazing) boots. Safety first.

3. I'm fat, I know.

4. I love this mare so flipping much.

I made Denali a dinner of her grass pellets, beet pulp, with a topping of Bute. I hope that helps her. She doesn't seem in pain, and seems super happy. That's all that matters right? That's what I keep telling myself. As long as she's happy.

I can't say enough of what this place, this center, has done for Denali. She is a different horse, a calm, sweet, loving horse. After her pathetic attempt at trotting she went back out to the pasture. There is a new horse there for medical treatment, and he is in LOVE with her. As soon as he sees her he drops. Sigh. It's a good thing they are not together. Gelding or not, Denali doesn't care.

It was actually warm today, close to 80 (Yes, I realize that everyone else has a heat wave right now.) While I was topping off the water, Denali stuck her head into the water. I soaked her while she stood there. She'd wander off, roll a few times and then come back and stand by the gate. I'd give her treat, scratches, etc, but nope, not what she wanted. So more water and I had a happy girl.

Thanks to everyone who entered into the blog give-away! Remember, it's easy become a "Fan of Denali" (aka, follower) and tell me (in yesterday's post) why you started following my blog.  I will only collect names from that post. I will do the drawing July 21st (or 22nd at the latest.)

600th Post Give-Away!

July 8th, 2008 I was at a horse auction just "looking" but by the end of the day I learned two things. 1. They really are one of the saddest places you'll ever go, and 2. Even when you leave your check book at home (on purpose) they take DISCOVER! I can't believe that it's going to be 3 years that I've owned Denali. I can honestly say that we are not doing what I expected that we'd be doing, sometimes that gets me down, sometimes I breath a sigh of relief. No matter what I love her, and can't wait to have her in my backyard!

AND since you've been along for the majority of the ride AND this is my 600th post I decided I would do a blog give-away! It's simple.

 1. Be a follower of this blog
 2. Comment on this post as to why you decided to follow my blog (and yes, saying that we are a train wreck waiting to happen is an acceptable answer!)

I will "pull a name" when I get back from my trip to visit my family in Pennsylvania (July 21st.) Thank you for everything you've done for me! I still think about November and how everyone held me together when I didn't know if I could myself. I am forever grateful for that!

What does the winner get? I like to support businesses that give back to the horse community. The wonderful woman who makes Nibblenets donated a bag for me to use at the Center's fund raiser in September. What better way than for me to give her some more business? Plus, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE mine! The winner will get a Nibblenet!  I am only going to be able to ship the bag to the US (unless you lovely Canadian readers want to pay shipping. :) If you're nice I will even allow you to pick your color (although if Denali hears that you pick any color other than red she'll be very unhappy!)

Thanks for being there and thanks for reading!

Happy 4th!

I hope that everyone's animals fared well during all the fireworks! I use to love them when I was little. Now I get a knot in my stomach hoping that princess and her pony friends are okay. Regardless, I hope that you had a wonderful day with your family (both two and four legged.)

Current cool fact: One of the ponies at the GWB is currently ranked #1 in the nation for the USEF 4 year olds. I am honored to be bitten by him. :)