Restoring Joy

Restoring Joy


Joy is a twenty year old off track Thoroughbred who fell on hard times. Crippled and skinny, she can’t make money anymore for her owners, isn’t useful, and yet, she fill into wonderful hands.

Cathy took Joy home and cleared up the rain rot and lice that plagued her. When Joy continued to rub her hair out (see photos), Cathy decided that perhaps there was an allergy problem and had a panel run. The vet gave her steroids to give her comfort from the itching. The results of the allergy panel are: Orchard grass, apples, oats, and almost every weed known to man.

Part of Joy’s problem is putting on, and keeping on, adequate weight. As a result, she looks MUCH, MUCH older than her 20 years. She looks 10 years older. Her teeth probably need some work and that will be addressed at a later date.

Cathy, with her very busy schedule, can’t focus on Joy like she wants to, so I offered a solution: Cathy will spend some time “re-training” my OTTB mare Honey, and I’ll work on fattening Joy up.

So, on June 13, Joy came to stay at my house for a while. She has her own open stall with dry lot, and access to pasture.

OBSERVATIONS

In low light, Joy does not see well. Even in full day light, I don’t think she sees well. When we tried to load her in our 3-horse slant load, she balks at the door. She dropped her head to the deck of the trailer, and ran her lips along the floor, as if trying to judge the height of the step up. Once she figured it out, she walked right in and stood in place. We got home after 9:00 pm, late dusk. Joy looked for the ground but couldn’t seem to find it. She refused to step out. While my husband holding the lead rope, I popped her on the butt to get her out of the trailer. (I hate doing that as creates a traumatic experience for the horse and she will remember this.) So, with a HUGE leap, she exited the trailer. Once on firm ground, she led quietly into the barn. I gave her some hay, and though she saw where I dropped it, she lowered her head slowly, as if searching for it. Once she found it, she began munching happily, with none of the “new-horse-in-a-new-place shenanigans that usually goes on.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Joy has been an eating machine all day. It started with about 6 pounds of teff hay, 2 pounds of Purina Strategy GX, 1 pound of Purina Equine Senior, and two pounds of Purina Amplify. Just for breakfast. She ate all but a little bit of the hay.

Two hours later, she got 4 pounds of dry alfalfa pellets. At 2:30, she got two pounds of alfalfa pellets soaked in apple juice, one pound of Strategy, 1 ounce of Equerry’s Meal for probiotic meal, 1 ounce of Silver Lining Herbs (SLH) Kidney and one ounce of B-L Solution (for pain/discomfort)

For dinner, she got a flake of hay, 1 pound of Amplify, 2 pounds of Strategy and 1 pound of Senior feed.

OBSERVATIONS

Joy paces her stall. It’s as if she can’t believe that it’s open. She turned circles this morning, standing for a few minutes, then circling again. It was as if this was a habit that she developed when at the track or in a barn somewhere. Just pacing and circling.

About an hour after I opened her run to give her access to the pasture, I saw Joy walk the fence. She walked completely around the perimeter, then back to the barn.

Several time I watched her walk out to the pasture, then back to the barn. I have yet to see Joy lower her head and graze out on pasture. She did lay down and roll.

At noon, I sprayed her with T-Cleanse by Healing Tree. It’s all natural, herbal, soothing. She didn’t care much for the whole spray bottle business, but I was able to get the job done without fuss or fight.

If you EVER have cuts or scrapes, Healing Tree is the ONLY way to go! T-Zone cream is just short of a miracle! I get all my Healing Tree products from Michelle at Katie’s Coast to Coast.

About 4:00, I actually saw Joy with her head down and eating grass. It was short lived, though. She spent most of the day pacing from the barn, to the pasture and back. I locked her in on the dry lot since I needed the pasture for a horse that would actually eat the grass. Hopefully, she will settle in and pace less.

Joy was limping on the front left. I’m not sure if that’s an old injury, or if she hurt it when she loped from the barn when I opened the roll up door.
Sunday, June 15, 2008

Am feeding
5 pounds hay, 3 pound Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior, 1 pound Amplify, 1 ounce FluidFlex, 1 ounce B-L Solution

Mid-Day feeding – 4 pounds Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior

PM Feeding – 5 pounds hay, 3 pound Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior, 1 pound Amplify, 1 ounce FluidFlex, 1 ounce SLH Liver, 1 ounce B-L Solution

OBSERVATION

Joy still continues to pace, though is showing signs of settling in. She is showing some personality and temperament by nickering for food, and pinning her ears at Redman next door. She also squealed a time or two at Angel, who is housed on the other side.

I sprayed her with T-Cleanse


Monday, June 16, 2008

Am feeding
5 pounds hay, 3 pound Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior, 1 pound Amplify,

Mid-Day feeding – 4 pounds Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior

PM Feeding – 5 pounds hay, 3 pound Strategy GX, 2 pounds Equine Senior, 1 pound Amplify, 1 ounce FluidFlex, 1 ounce SLH Liver, 1 ounce B-L Solution

OBSERVATION

Joy is becoming more a member of the herd. She knickers for feed, eats treat readily and is interested in what is going on with my husband and I in the barn.

After supper, she took a trip to the beauty parlor for a little oil (M-T-G) massage. If there are mites or something else causing the skin condition, the oil will smother them. Initially, she was kind of goofy about it, but with the massaging in of the oil, she decided that she liked it after all and stood quietly. I brushed out her mane and huge clumps came out. At the base, there are scabs and other yuk, but I massaged the oil in and she seemed to appreciate that.

Unfortunately, the oil will attract and hold the dust and dirt if she rolls, so she’s going to look horrible for a week or so. Thankfully, I only have to rub in the oil every 4 or 5 days. I brush off most of the dirt that I can, then apply more oil.

I have a photo, but I can't get it to upload. :O(