The Lovely Clyde Mare

[jeanned]

That's wonderful! Appears that you've found what she truly likes.

[SandyG]

Yes, Jeanne, I think we've found it!

Tonight she was a bit more anxious to get to her food than last night. And she was not quite as tolerant of the hose. I need to find a nozzle so the force and the noise of the water does not concern her. But we rinsed and her tissue was once again pinky and clean when I turned her loose. AND she tolerated all of this with 5 people from Georgia in the driveway and yard with us! What a girl!!!

I do hope this arrests this disease. Once a night for 30 minutes and maybe - just maybe - we can get that leg in a bucket of water next!!! Andy used to coach me to shoot for the moon!

[SandyG]

We have eternal and optimistic HOPE in our hearts, a HOPE bucket hanging from the trusses in the big barn, and HOPE for dear, lovely Clyde Mare.

Today, we tried a mixture of pure, virgin coconut oil and pure lavender oil. A mixture of the two applied to a section of her clean, washed leg. Lo and behold - it has been 5 hours! - and there are no flies on that section of her leg. The remainder of the leg is oozing and the lime is deteriorating and the flies are ever present. Making her leg black, in fact. But this section is clear.

HOPE? You bet! HOPE for a fly shield for that troublesome leg. And HOPE for the healing that the lavender will bring.

Oh, what joy it would be to write Duke University and tell them the mare they advised we put down is healing. And with oil and lavender!!! Think of the HOPE that would give to all of the other horses like our Clyde Mare

[SandyG]

Our dear Clyde Mare is taking a bit of a winter vacation tonight and tomorrow night. I am hopeful she will return home early next week.

One of the huge hunks of her lymphanghitis tissue on that rear right leg broke off - from the frozen ruts? from another hoof? from just the effort of getting up or lying down?. Regardless, one large piece was torn off and our girl gave about a gallon or more of blood to the earth today. She is now not bleeding and has IV's started to increase her blood volumes and hopefully her systems will kick in and also increase her proteins. The blood tests tomorrow or on Monday will tell us if kidney damage has occurred.

He demeanor tonight was withdrawn, sleepy, and disengaged - she was low on blood and just didn't care! No food could entice her and THEN we knew we had a problem when Clyde Mare wouldn't eat! Not even a treat!!

I will keep you posted. Her trip into the U of M was uneventful and she loaded and unloaded beautifully. THAT's another sign she wasn't feeling well!

A few prayers for her restored health and safe return to the Gelding's Side would be greatly appreciated!! And prayers of thanksgiving to those who helped with her bandaging, the other horses, and getting the trailer/truck ready to go!!

G'nite!

[SandyG]

Good news, but not what I was hoping for.

She is eating her hay better and, for some reason, hasn't been offered feed yet. They will do that now to see her reaction. Last night she left feed in the feeder. If she licks her bucket, then we are making progress.

Her blood still shows full kidney function but no progress in her volume or protein levels. Is this a characteristic of her disease? After a bit of pushing, the U of M has agreed to consult with Duke University. I am not confident that will happen so I will reach out to Duke myself first thing in the morning.

We will take her off the fluids this evening and watch for changes - and an appetite. Part of her distraction, I am certain, is her discomfort in being away from home.

The hospital cannot come fast enough! This girl needs daily cleanings and cares, even in winter! Lord, please get that hospital together so Clyde Mare can be the first patient!!!

[SandyG]

Lousy timing for the truck to be down - I really would like to bring Clyde Mare home today. The U of M is doing nothing there that I can't do here and she would be more content here and we could save the money. But without the truck, that is just a wish. AND with the storm coming, I'm guessing it will be Wed or even Thurs before I get her home. There is a reason for this . . . . I'm just struggling trying to see the reason for having her stranded there.

I'm on the hunt for a place to bring her every 21 days where she can be in the warmth for 2 hours, I can clean her, wrap her tightly, let her stand for 2 hours and then dry her off and bring her home. One Sunday every 3 weeks to transport her, go thru the routine, and then bring her home. I will ask the U of M if they would be willing to allow that, but I doubt they will make the resources of their facility available. But I will try. I am also going to call Stillwater Equine to see if they will help us out. Does anyone else have any ideas on who may have the indoor setup of water and a drain? WE NEED OUR HOSPTIAL!!!!!!!

If anyone has any ideas - please, please post them or email me [e-mail],

Thanks! Say a pray for our girl that she can stay calm away from home!

[SandyG]

Our girl is home and so happy to be here!

Jamie and her daughters accompanied me into the U of M to retrieve her and we took the opp to clean her, trim her, and treat her with the oils. Then back to her stall for a drink of water but the bucket was empty!! How does that happen? So Jamie filled it and she took a good long drink and then was ready to get outa there!

Once home, she came down the ramp, looked around, and took off at a pace down the driveway. I threw the lead rope up over her withers and let her go! Once to the barn, she saw us coming up behind her and so then it was time to take a cruise around the yard . . . in the deep snow! Once in the Helen Keller pasture, she wandered a bit and then returned to the barn to begin devouring the round bale. The girl is content and eating better already than she did in the hospital. I'm optimistic for the first time in a few days!!!

Thanks to Jamie and the girls for helping out and keeping me awake on the ride home. It seems to get longer each time but so, so worth the effort!

G'nite!

[SandyG]

This is one happy mare! I just put her in Josephina's stall to eat her breakfast laced with her meds and no problem! The need to inhale her grain overtook her need to smell and blow out the white stuff.

She is moving with no sign of laying down overnight. Budd is adjusting to another woman to care for. He spent a good part of Clyde Mare's first hour in the Helen Keller past herding his mares away from this giant horse. Good for the old man to be moving!

I would say this is a good fit. No one chases her. No one challenges her. And she has multiple places to eat without having to share with anyone. Perfect for her introverted personality. It is beyond good to have her home again!

Thanks again to Jen and Jeff and that family for helping to get her wrapped and into the U of M late Saturday evening. And thank you to Jamie and her girls for being a part of the cleaning and homecoming last night. It is that kind of support that makes all of the difference in the world!

[SandyG]

I am so very, very proud of our Clyde Mare! Sensible and calm, this mare shows me that yes, we did the correct thing in helping her come through her trauma and in supporting her while she heals. She is eating well, walking better every day, and even showing me her preferences in her cares!

For example, it is very windy up here on the hill today and the light, dry snow is blowing everywhere! It looks nice outside but is raw, at best. Well, after everyone ate their breakfast this morning, I opened her gate and invited her to come out of the stall and either stay in the barn or head outside. She turned her butt (big and ample again!) to the gate and me and just stood quietly while I released the rest of The Helen Keller Herd. Once all were drinking or eating or fritzing around outside, she looked at me and had decided that she preferred to stay inside out of the winds today. So I gave her water in a heated bucket, a bit more feed, and a few flakes of hay. Her response was to drink the bucket dry (and patiently wait while I refilled the bucket), nose the feed around, and then begin to eat the hay. She seemed so content and at ease in that stall that I just had to hug her. Then she talked by groaning a bit...just like Liz-Beth would do. A grown of dislike but acceptance from that little human that is ALWAYS under foot!

All the coaching to put her down . . .I wish they could see her this morning!

[SandyG]

I'm developing a theory about her and what she is fighting but need to watch her for a bit more before I open up about it. In my opinion, what is draining her is not her leg. Let me watch her a bit more before we discuss.

Our dear, glorious Lanna's blankets are on our Clyde Mare. And just as Lanna was so striking with her white think mane, Clyde Mare is just as striking with her coal black mane! I told her that as I dressed her and I thanked Lanna for surfacing her blankets as I was searching for something big enough for the mare. Sure enough! Lanna's blankets work beautifully and so she has a blaze orange blanket and a navy one with a beautiful belly pad that we had custom built for Lanna. How handsome she is! And how warm she was under those blankets in less than 15 minutes.

She stood so calm and quiet while I dressed her. Once I was done, she went over and ate a bit more feed and then tore into her hay. Seems she could realize she was hungry now that her blankets were between her and the air.

A small thing to do - throwing a blanket over their withers - but makes such a difference in their comfort and safety. I need to count how many blankets we have in use tonight . . . one hood for Gracie . . . . I think it is 18 blankets . . . I'll count when I take them off next weekend when it is 20 above again. But right now, our Lanna is happy to have her blankets used for another big, gentle mare as she was. Oh, Lanna . . .

[SandyG]

Morning!

I was going to email last night but my eyelids just would NOT stay open! It was a most productive but long day!

I cleaned Clyde Mare on Wednesday evening and we both learned something about each other. It helped with the heat but she was very crusty and infected yesterday with the excessive heat and all of the water. We began cleaning her at 2pm so that we could have a shot at clipping her hair. She was sensitive and it was a challenge to get the majority of the crust dislodged and most of the critters on the floor before we rinsed her.

The rinsing was the usual "game" but she now stands within 20 minutes versus the full hour of 3 weeks ago. With the rinsing completed we had a soft leg to buff and then trim the hair out of the crevices. The meds took effect and we were given time to do an excellent job - partly because of the meds but mostly because she stood for us. This mare knows that we are helping her and so she gives her legs to us and only pulls back when it gets too sensitive or sore.

We trimmed. And trimmed. And trimmed. And then trimmed some more. While Nick and Brandon trimmed her right back leg, Jess trimmed her left rear leg and then began oiling that leg. When the oiling began, our Beautiful One relaxed and we had an entirely new ball game . . . and so the guys began trimming again.

Finally we buffed her legs and massively oiled the right back leg. As she walked out into the yard for grass (or so we thought) she was bending the wrist of that leg and walking so much better. And her leg had transformed from black to a bright pink and we knew it was as clean as any human could get it. As Nick said, it gives a feeling of satisfaction knowing she is feeling better with a clean leg. As we walked down the driveway, we all exclaimed about the depth of the invasion with the heat, her cooperation, and the overall improvement in her leg. We actually have areas without any growths on them and the size of the growths and crevices are rapidly decreasing. It is great progress but sometimes hard to see after bouts due to the extreme heat.

I was concerned that the condition of her leg yesterday when we started would dishearten the crew - but hardly. They see her eyes, of all things, and recognize the change in her from when we begin to when we turn her loose. She is a new girl at the close of the session as evidenced by last night: It was my idea to turn her into the yard for some grass but she simply turned and went back into the barn to head out with her pals. When she feels good, she wants to eat and be with her kind.

I would encourage any of you to join us and watch or participate - your choice. But to witness this transformation every Sunday (2:30pm every Sunday) is really a bit of the Magic of this place. Clyde Mare is a favorite with the 3rd grade girls - they write her get well cards and make her flower hats to wear. She loves them back, too, and has no hesitation with the children when it comes to her head, face, mouth - that in itself is magic! Come next Sunday or whenever and just see this crew work, watch this mare, and see what it is that defines us.

When I watched this dedicated crew pull out of the driveway, it was 7:30pm. These people had given her 5 hours of their Sunday and never once had they said it was getting late, I'm tired, it's been too long. . . . Nope. They were focused on Clyde Mare and her stamina and condition. I am so proud of these young men and women and so honored to have them a part of Refuge Farms. With this kind of support, we can fulfill our Missions of strengthening the weak, binding up the crippled, and feeding them all in justice.

Amen.

[SandyG]

While I was hooking this evening, I noticed Clyde Mare was dry and crusty from the heat of the day. I let her eat while I prepared her place. She watched me the entire time . . .

My last step was to fill a bucket of clean water to rinse her and after I did that, I placed the bucket to the side while she turned herself to face me. Opening her gate, I simply stepped back as she walked forward, turned, and went directly into the shoeing bed. Feeling a bit confident tonight, I didn't tie her head but only put the butt band behind her. I cleaned her right and left rear leg, rinsed, buffed, and oiled in just about an hour. She stood and watched me, lifted her leg when needed, moved her legs so I could get all four sides of her right leg, and simple was a model patient.

After we were done, I dropped the butt band and told her she was clear to go. She stood there waiting for me to help her by saying the magic word, "Back, Clyde Mare". Back she went and into the paddock to stand in front of the fan. When I left the barn, she was still in front of the fan but sound asleep.

Sometimes you get the feeling that the more they need you and trust you the more you love them ..... if that's possible.

[SandyG]

After putting in a full day of work, both Brandon and Nick drove straight to THE FARM and began their weekly maintenance on the Beautiful One - our Clyde Mare. She is so willing and grateful and with these two men, there isn't a maggot in their sight that lives once it is spotted. Removed and cursed, is more like it! She was oiled and promptly went to a corner of the barn with the breezes on her withers and went to sleep - content, relaxed, and more comfortable than she had been all day. I do believe that next week, she will allow us to trim the hairs on that leg without any meds . . . I do believe!

I worked on her left front leg which she stomped to tell me I had missed a spot. But again, not a move while I trimmed her, scratched, and washed her. She understands and want to overcome as much as we want her to!

The visible progress in her leg is amazing to us and I think would be to anyone who hasn't seen her in a while. There are blank gaps, smooth skin where modules existed, and the overall size is way down. We will tape her again next week and have numerical evidence of the progress made. Good and dedicated men making a huge difference in that horse's life.

The day yesterday was glorious with the winds and the cooler air. Minimal fans and horses picking all day. I treasured the time here and ran only the minimal errands. Same with today - These grounds can heal a human's spirit just as much as a horse's leg.

[SandyG]

Our Beautiful One is tolerating the heat this summer fairly well. I'm proud of her and her acceptance of the daily treatment and her cooperation in that routine.

She is a healthy girl: when she bleeds, she clots well and her legs grow hair very easily and well and so, yes, it is time to trim already! I would like to trim all four of her legs from the knee down so we can monitor them all and work to keep them cool in the coming heat.

This Sunday at 2pm we will take our girl - without any meds! - and trim her legs. I'll clean her right rear prior to that so she is already prep'd and her tummy will be full of fresh grass as she will go out into the yard after our cleaning. Yum!!

If you are willing and able to help in this process, please come in long pants (remember the flies!), and old t-shirt, and your smile. We will divide up and trim her close for as long as she will let us - usually about an hour.

Thanks to all who will help us maintain this girl! She is well worth the efforts!

[SandyG]

"Her Crew" of Brandon, Jessie, and Nick do NOT give up on this mare! Relentlessly, the appear on Sunday's whether it is hot or not, they are in pain or not, they are busy or not - they are here! And they work on her for hours. Literally. A "quick" cleaning is three (3) hours and she is pink and smooth and bugless when they are done. And The Beautiful One loves it!

Yesterday, there was no stomping or head bobbing. She stood still as a statue and leaned in or away to support and help us. She never once gave issue with our rubbing or pulling or poking. And when the oiling started? I swear, if she were a cat she would be purring! Her lower lip begins to sag and her eyes droop and she is so, so enjoying the feeling of the massaging and the oils.

This morning she is bright and hungry! And between the treatment and the lower humidity, her leg is down inches - visibly. This is the hardest time of year for Clyde Mare and she tolerates as well as possible. And, as we go forward on her treatment, I can only envision how close we will all be when we treat her all winter long in the new hospital building so that, in the spring, she is ahead of the game rather than having fallen behind.

Both Clyde Mare and I are grateful for the dedication of "Her Crew" to her needs.