Less bob?

Okay, I think he has less head bob.

Do you think he has less head bob?

I think he has less head bob.

But he may be starting to look emaciated.

Do you think he looks emaciated?

I think he looks emaciated.

Stand-in

Meet Shiner.

Shiner is standing in for Pookey Bear today, because Pookey Bear looks wretched.

Don't be alarmed--health-wise, he is better than he has been in months!

At his check-up yesterday he was walking nicely, so nicely that Joe and Dr. W decided not to even mess with his little rubber shoe.

He even escaped without x-rays--a first!

No, his wretched appearance is not health-related, but rather a management problem.

After three weeks of being cooped up in his stall but being relatively mobile and active, he has ground his beautiful fluffy $having$ down to dust. And because the ground outside was so treacherous that I really couldn't take him out of his stall, I have been unable to strip it and clean it.

The end result is that his whole entire bay body is covered with a fine layer of dust, making him look a wee bit like a grullo (a color I have always admired).

Hopefully, the weatherman who is predicting temps in the seventies this week will be right, and Pookey can have a much-needed bath.

Until then, he will be using a stand-in...

Pony, and Little Girl

A pony walks into a bar and whispers, "Can I have a beer?"

"Sure," the bartender replies. "But why are you whispering?"

"I'm sorry," the pony answers. "I'm just a little hoarse."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Pookey Bear is doing fine today.

Farrier visit tomorrow!

!

Horse. Walking. Normally.

Yippee!

Why the long face?

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "So, why the long face?"

After eight full months of practically living in Pookey Bear's stall, I have grown rather good at reading his moods.

Not that I am anthropomorphizing.

That would be terrible.

I would never ascribe human emotions to a horse.

No, these are definitely horse emotions I am reading.

Anyway, yesterday I got Pookey a fabulous new hay net, one with little bitty tiny openings that forces him to work really hard for his hay.

Do you think he likes doing this?

His expression kind of says it all.

He is pin-eared, long-faced, unhappy.

But it is for his own good, as it stretches out the amount of time it takes him to consume his ration, meaning that his gut continues working more continuously, he doesn't panic when he runs out of hay, his blood sugar should be more 'stable,' etc.

We'll see how it goes.

For right now, I am dealing with a very disgruntled horse!

Faux App

Here's Pookey's friend Rita, doing her Appaloosa imitation.

I have no idea how Pookey is doing.

I just throw the hay over the top of the stall a few times a day, splash some boiling water in his frozen bucket, and occasionally attempt to pry some rock-hard manure balls free from the stall floor.

Then I dash back inside to huddle in front of the heater!

I suppose he looks cheerful enough.

We'll know more after the spring thaw, when I venture back out to resume my nursing duties.

Until then, he's going to have to 'buck up'!

Word to the wise...

Word to the wise...

If your fruit-loop Appaloosa has never seen a Corgi in a coat, don't be standing with your back to him in his stall, intently shoveling manure, the first time he sees one.

And for sure don't leave the stall door open so the clueless Corgi can come charging in.

But if worst comes to worse and you find yourself trapped in the stall with a petrified Appaloosa and an equally petrified Corgi racing around you in circles like the Hounds of Hell are on their tails, please make sure that at least one of them understands and heeds a few basic commands such as 'whoa,' 'come,' or 'get out!'