Polo wraps!!!

Last night I got a call from another boarder about her horse while I was at work. She said he had a few cuts on his leg and wanted some advice. I told her to alternate walking him and cold hosing it. I went out after work around 9:20 pm and the cuts were deeper than I thought, but both were on the ventral (front) side of his cannon bone, which makes for easy wrapping and healing. One was halfway down, one was just above the fetlock joint. While the cuts were a little deep, they were not that bad. There was localized swelling and heat. Of course, I didn't have any quilted wraps or bandages- you never do when you need them. So, I brought out some saran wrap and put furazone on the cuts, wrapped in saran wrap, and did a layer of vet wrap over that. The bummer about vet wrap is that it has a lot of give right off the roll, but if you put it on too tight, it can constrict blood flow causing all sorts of damage like bandage bows (bowed tendons) and even more swelling. This morning I went to Atwood's in search of quilted wraps, standing wraps, and DMSO. Quilted wraps are reusable and are wide enough to cover the leg from top to bottom and can be wrapped around 2-3 times. Standing wraps are very stretchy and are about 6" wide and 6' long. They get wrapped over the quilted wraps. My tactic for dealing with minor injuries is to put Furazone on the cut, DMSO around the cut-but not in it- to eliminate swelling, wrap in saran wrap for cleanliness and sweating, wrap with quilted wrap, and then secure with standing wrap. Today I had to improvise because Atwood's only had disposable cotton rolls and polo wraps. So, that is what I used. As I had three polo wraps sitting around after wrapping up Chief, I decided to wrap Boomer and see what he thought. I wrapped both of his front legs, and longed him in his paddock. He didn't even seem to notice them! He was doing so well that we started working on canter transitions. We even did a few walk-canter-walk transitions, which weren't pretty, but a huge step in his training!

Charley was being a running-jumping-chasing brat while I was longing so I called him in to the middle of the circle and made him lay down and STAYDAMNIT!!! He was such a good boy and at one point I noticed him looking down really intently. There was a freaking caterpillar on his paw. I stopped Boomer, took out my phone and snapped a picture! Boomer just stood there and stared, Charley just layed there and looked at Boomer. I was so proud of my boys!

After I got home my package from http://www.valleyvet.com/ came inthe mail! They have really great deals on bulk items. I got a years worth of dewormers for $32 and a years worth of hoof supplement for $52. Had I bought these items one month at a time I would have spent three times as much for the dewormer and six times as much for hoof supplement!!! I also got a new helmet because my old one was about 10 years old, probably no longer ASTM certified as safe, and it had started growing mold spots on the padding. Plus it was solid and covered in black velvet. Not exactly good for riding outside in the sun! Here is my new Troxel Sierra helmet. I also ordered iodine ointment becuase liquid iodine is too hard to apply. Overall, very exciting purchases! Now, I am saving for a trailer. This trailer, actually. This trailer is a slant load for two horses. It has an escape door onthe left side and a small tack room on the right side. The slant load makes it easier for the horse to balance. It has wooden floors, which help keep it cooler in the summer. It has a lot of really great features for being such a basic trailer. So, I am hoping to be able to do that within 5-6 months. Any donations would be welcome! I have about $1800 right now and need to get about $2200 more... I guess I should stop entertaining the thought of quitting my job-with-bad-hours. OH!!! So, John is out of town this week and next week and will be home for less than 36 hours between. Would work give me Saturday off? NO! The following Saturday is our anniversary, a day off perhaps? NO! *sigh*

It seems so simple, love and money. Why am I having such a hard time deciding to stay with this job? Well, I love the job, it is great for my resume and gives me tons of hands on experience for my masters program. They need me here and are way understaffed. The money can facilitate my habit- horsing. John always says that he wants to buy me horsie things and support that habit, but I would rather him save his money and spend it on something for himself. He never does anything for himself! Plus, I have expenses- truck, horse, future trailer and other things I happen to want along the way. Now for the reasons I want to quit- I moved up here to be with John and I hardly see him, I work on nights and weekends- prime riding time. Mostly, that is it I guess. I want more time with John and Boomer, but I don't want to be an added financial burden. I bring in about $600 a month and I would hate to cost John $7000 a year in horse expenses. Nope, I really feel a responsibility to keep the job. But, I am so unhappy when I have to leave as soon as John gets home and come home to dinner and bed. I miss him. See why this is hard??? Any suggestions? The only idea I have had so far is to follow the lead with subbing for Bartlesville Public Schools.

I think that is quite enough of my yapping for now!