Life, and Work, Goes On...

Even though we are still so sad after losing Pongo and Sweeney Todd yesterday, life moves on- and at Shiloh, it's usually moving on in all different directions!

We did have some good news from yesterday's Vet Day, Jill's old show horse, Austral, is doing fine for now. We have been concerned for him for a long time now, he has a very advanced neurological condition that causes him to walk crooked and is causing major structural damage to the tendons and ligaments in one hind leg. He has had this condition for years, but it is progressing quicker than we would like. He does not appear to be in that much discomfort, still eats, drinks, wanders the pasture with his best friends, Hollywood and Serenity (Jill's second and first horses). We wanted the vet to give us his opinion, as he always checks on his condition whenever he comes to Shiloh. He agreed, that although it looks bad, that Aussie still has a quality of life and an interest in his world. We were afraid that he would recommend euthanasia, but thankfully, he agrees that, at this point, we should let him live out his days and let Aussie tell us when he is ready. He was given a Legend shot (for his joints) and a steroid injection to keep him feeling strong.

More Vet Procedures: Sadler had a Sarcoid, a benign growth, cut off of his abdomen, Chatty, Shadow, Idaho, and Sally's horse, Sage had skin cancers checked and some bits removed, Spirit had his blood drawn for his traveling papers so he can go to his new home in AZ, Philadelphia's lump on the point of his jaw was examined. It looks to be an old fracture that has healed and causes him no problems. Pepperoni the Roan Pony's eyes were checked and her tear ducts flushed. She has small cataracts, but can see just fine. Some boarder horses were also checked.

Not to be left out, Salsa made his presence known to the vet. He followed us all around all day. Here he is drinking the water to be used in teeth floating. Little des Salsa know that his castration days are fast approaching!

Thursday (today) was also a busy day. Formerly adopted Shiloh horse, Black Jack, a Thoroughbred gelding, returned to Shiloh for financial reasons in his adoptive home. He is a very nice big gelding, sound and healthy, who was being ridden on trail by his family. He will begin his evaluation next week.

We had the shoer out and horses were trimmed and reshod. It was at least 107 degrees out at the ranch today, so we were all just dying. How many people does it take to trim Flower's hooves?

Jill and Elisa to hold her, Sally to supervise, and the Farrier to trim. Flower is a pistol, if she were a big horse, we would all be dead by now!

Success, we all survived, although Sally was bit in the leg and Jill's toes were stomped on!

So what the heck are we doing here you wonder? Well, someone told us that bags of water hung from the barn will keep flies out. They get disoriented by the light prisiming through the water, or something...

After hanging the bags, Jill stands back and watches flies buzzing right past the bags. Later, the flies were actually stopping to rest on the bags before entering the barn. Oh well, we tried...

We are off to Fallon tomorrow and we will be blogging from there. Who knows even little Traveler just might show up...