Due to either a fly allergy or an allergy to the goat weed that is growing taller than my head in some places, Sienna currently looks like a mange patient, effectively halting our show aspirations next month ("Hello, judge. Why yes, this is a Mexican Hairless Paint, thanks for noticing."). I have given her more baths, loaded her with more fly spray, Corona (the cream, not the beer) and aloe cream, and stared in hopeless despair at her more these last couple of weeks than possibly I ever have Chica in the 11.5 years I've owned her (slight exaggeration).
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| Close up of her flank |
Fortunately, since locking her up away from the pasture (and other horses, much to her chagrin), she has not developed any new spots, and she doesn't seem as itchy- making me believe my goat weed theory is correct. Most of her other spots seem to be healing/regrowing hair, minus one over her tail head that the flies love to dine on (oh, add "Fly Rid" to the list of healing ointments). In addition to her skin problems, she was having a lameness issue due to some hoof that just broke off one day because of a) how dry it has been and b) being overdue on having her feet trimmed (totally my fault, but not due to lack of trying). Her foot is very short right now, and the plan is that it will grow back out without breaking again. She seems to no longer be lame, but I don't think she's quite 100% back to normal. Ack, horses.
I was able to longe her yesterday, and I was surprised at how good/responsive she was. She was heavy on the longe line but not actually pulling me around. We worked on some showmanship afterwards, and in spite of her no longer remembering how to set up, I was very pleased with how she did. She's really learning to read my body language so that I'm not constantly having to get after her.
Once I feel like she's sound enough to ride again (and I'm no longer having to feed/water my landlord's dog, 500 cats/kittens, 2 male Boar goats that are "in the mood", and 5 chickens), I'm hoping to start riding her English. I've been very excited to start, but it seems like things keep cropping up.
As for my aunt's wreck, I am very happy to say that my last cousin that was still in the hospital got to go home yesterday. In spite of all of their injuries and pain, they were all very happy to be together again. Healing will take time physically and emotionally, but it could have been so much worse. We have been so blessed with friends and family. I am so grateful for all of the people who have texted, called, and emailed me to check on the girls and see how they are doing and to let me know that they are praying about them. I even had a guy that I'm barely acquaintances with email me at work and offer to donate blood for them. So many people that have never met my family and that don't live anywhere near them have offered their help, should we need it. In a time where I was feeling bitter, angry, and just plain sorry for myself, God has really opened my eyes to how giving and compassionate people can be- in more ways than one.
A month or two ago when I decided to go ahead and have a neurectomy performed on Chica, I hung up with the vet after hearing the cost feeling dejected and despairing. I had several friends very nicely tell me they would loan me the money if I needed it. I declined- I have the money, the cost would just wipe out most of what I have- but I spent many a sleepless night crying/worrying over what I was going to do.
Enter a lady that I have never met, a total stranger. My roommate was telling her about Chica and about how the surgery was going to be so expensive. She told her to have me send her a flyer about Chica that she could pass around her office and try to raise money for it. It was nice enough that someone was willing to go to bat for me- especially someone who didn't know me- but when she emailed me the total she had raised a couple of days ago, it was like... I don't know. I still don't think it has hit me. It probably won't until I go in to have to pay for the surgery and they say, "$__ amount was raised, you only owe $___". One guy donated a 1/3 of what was raised out of his own personal checking account.
I may never meet these people. I intend to send them a nice card with my thanks hopefully as jubilantly expressed as I can word it. I just can't believe that strangers would give so much money to a random girl and her horse so that the horse doesn't have to live in pain anymore.
I'm waiting for the vet to call me to set up an appointment to get the surgery done. I'm worried about how it will go, but I'm trying to not worry about it until the day of. There are too many other things to worry about right now- like, hopefully the pen Sienna is in is still standing when I get home from work!
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