Check Engine Light

The truck decided to pop the check engine light on while I was hauling Butterball back from JT's a few weeks ago. In spite of being a thirty-something ::cough cough:: adult, I panic called my brother who confirmed that I could in fact keep driving since the temp gauge and oil pressure gauges were fine. The truck ended up probably being a computer update that needed to happen. It has since turned it back on just long enough to prompt a phone call to the mechanic, who I managed to call on his personal cell, not the office number. I blame him for having called me from that before. But anyways, that awkward phone conversation aside (sheesh do I HATE talking to people on the phone). The light turned back off for a few days. And then popped back on again. But always seems to vanish when I head to the mechanic. So he hasn't looked at it yet because they can't check a light that isn't there. 

Anyways... Butterball flashed his own check engine light at Majestic. Hind shoes had already been reapplied, he got Magic Cushion, equioxx, and a week off. Then JT got on to work some on our pesky canter transitions. Except even at the walk he was pretty sure that he could not flex his left hind leg to step under himself. He wasn't off, but he wasn't happy about flexing that leg. And that was at the walk, making it highly unlikely it was just feet. So he got signed up for some hock and stifle ProStride with our favorite lameness vet. She initially asked if we could do biologics because he's a pony. But I reminded her that I'd pulled insulin levels and he had been fine. So then she said she'd still do biologics because he is young. Excellent, lets do it. It also made me feel better about doing multiple joints in the eight year old horse. It also made me sigh to myself about having pulled his hind shoes. Hindsight... 

I also FINALLY got his teeth done. JT's other comment was that he was pretty resistant when she initially picked up contact. I had definitely noticed that too. Through more fiddle fucking around, this time the fault of me and a car dealership, distinct from the aforementioned mechanic, I had missed my scheduled appointment in January. The dentist I use is a veterinary dentist and in SUPER high demand, so I had to wait until Saturday for her to squeeze him in. We actually trailered up to her beautiful and peaceful farm. It was a lovely day to hang outside in the shade in her perfectly set up area. 

I knew his wolf teeth and incisors were sharp and suspected the rest of his mouth might need some work as well. This suspicion was correct and he had an area that was probably catching and locking a bit when asked to flex left. The goal is to do him again in six months. She also smoothed and took back his wolf teeth to make them wider. She has seen horses who chew on plastic buckets, which is one of his fave moves after taking a nice long drink at shows, get their teeth embedded in the bucket. Obvious chaos then ensues.

He gave us a bit of a scare the night after the dentist and didn't finish his dinner. When he was turned out he stood sadly in a corner and didn't go straight to grazing. Heart rate was a tiny bit up so he got banamine and then a couple of overnight hand grazing sessions. He was most delighted by this, seemed fine at every session, and I think believes we should do barnyard grazing sessions every night. 

Two days later he got Pro Stride in his hocks and stifles. Since it creates enough product if you dilute it with some of the platelet poor plasma to do two sets of joints, we did the TMTs and his stifles. He was SO ZONKED on his drugs. 

Holding his head so he didn't faceplant 

But then woke up juuuuust enough to need his sedation topped off. Even with me holding the front leg up, he was tidily moving away and gently trying to kick the needle out. There's not a mean bone in his body so he wasn't trying to kick the vet, just trying to remove the needle. So dorm top off and one twitch later, he stood like a statue. The hocks were pretty dry so probably the culprit. The stifles were unlikely to be the problem because the joint capsule was basically sucked in there was so little effusion in them. Since he got extra sedation I took advantage to really go at his mane and take it back to show ready levels. Then we headed home. He had the week off since I went out of town, but when I got back I headed down to JT's for a jump lesson before Carolina. Aaaaand when I picked up the trot my pony had a flat tire. The only thing I could find was a weird, intermittent click in his stifle when he fully loaded the joint. 

I hopped on social media to sell my entry and in the process gave his vet a heart attack. This led to some Sunday texts to verify it wasn't a septic joint. She came out Monday morning and checked him. And my poor decisions in December and January were still the problem... he was quite sensitive to hoof testers on the toe of his right hind, over one lateral nail that is near a bruise visible over the hoof wall, and over his medial heel. He was improved soundness wise compared to Sunday. But it was still there on a circle on the rocky driveway. She thought the stifle clicking was due to him abducting the leg to avoid landing on the sensitive parts of the foot. 

Circle kittens

I ran ideas around in my head for 24 hours and put him back on equioxx and started packing with magic cushion again. In the end, I decided the long game was more important than this upcoming weekend and found someone who wanted my entry and stabling for 50% of what I paid for it. In the grand scheme of silly horse math, I wasn't too upset by that outcome. 

Hopefully this is the final flash of the check engine light for my poor pony. He sees his farrier next on the 24th, so I may have him put him in hind pads as well while he grows a bit more foot and heel. 

California Dude

Ben returned to California over the weekend. He's Texas bred, but came off the track to his prior owner in California as a three year old. He lived there until he moved to the east coast for a lease when he was ten. Two years later, he headed down to FL with me and the rest is history, documented here on the blog.

His previous owner messaged me in early January. He hasn't featured on my social media much since I don't #keepitreal there; there hasn't been a lot to document with a horse who was living his best pasture potato life. We chatted some, and I sent her videos of him frolicking in the pasture with his friends. She said, as she had when I bought him, that she was always happy to give him a cushy retirement home. We also chatted some about his feet and his struggles for the past year plus. I rolled our conversation around in my head for a few weeks. 

Then while reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, a book about simplifying ones life to the essential parts and focusing all your energies on those, I made a decision. While I ADORE Ben and want him to have a fantastic home with top notch care, I am not the only one who could provide that care. But if I got him sound and sold him, I was rolling the dice on that home. I'm not big-headed enough to think I'm the only one who would stick by him through various hoof challenges, but I'm also not stupid enough to think that every person would. He's also 15 and has some neck soreness, potentially from his long-standing foot soreness. And while he is an incredible athlete and DELIGHTFUL to ride, he has his quirks that make him not the horse for everyone - but then again what horse is. I was more than willing to provide him that retirement home for years to come, but his old owner was also more than willing. Both of us independently had thought that perhaps the dry California climate would make his sensitive feet happy. With those thoughts in mind, we started to make plans.

It was weird. As soon as the decision was made, I felt at peace with it. I had a few moments watching him frolick in the pasture thinking how good he looked and feeling like maybe we could get it together to be back out there. But I have discovered that I do best with a single horse in work. While Ben and I definitely had our share of VERY COOL adventures together, Butterball is more my kind of horse - I LOVE trail riding and Ben DOES NOT!!! love trail riding. With exclamation points and everything. He did it because he is a certified GOOD BOY, but it was never his cup of tea. Butterball also seems totally content to travel solo and nom down on his alfalfa on the trailer while Ben always had a very well contained level of anxiety when he was going places solo. 

And there was not a doubt in my mind of the kind of home he was going home to. There is something beautiful about that. He is THE NICEST person ever and to have more than one option for cushy retirement home is a testament to that. 

Ben took me around my first training level course. Through our journey together I learned what it SHOULD feel like galloping around cross country although it took us time to find that together. He helped me rediscover what true connection feels like. Our dressage tests at the TB Expo stand out in my mind as just being so in sync and steady together. I thought something and he would do it off that thought. He also taught me that it's fine to miss your distance, even at a meter, as long as you don't scream about it. Sit up and close your leg and commit! We had SO MANY adventures together. He is a generous, kind, goofy, big hearted horse who taught me so much. I am definitely going to miss him, but I am SO happy he will be in another place where he is deeply loved and appreciated. 

Our first recognized together

Fancy prancing his way to a 26

Look at that shine

I think the first training level fence I'd ever jumped, and potentially the start of our love affair with wedges

Getting all the attention and needles at Chi

His second training level with JT in the irons

Seriously model level gorgeous

Stadium practice

Our first training level together at Rocking Horse

Wheeee

With the herd at GY's, featuring his BF front and center

Always putting up with all my shenanigans

The cutest reindeer

Reindeer splish splashing

Always down for a nice cuddle

Sporting his fetching winter clip at the GY's

Begging for cookies

More wedges!

GOT IT!

Sailing our way around Rocking Horse. He looked SO GOOD braided

Post-braids! 

Splish Splash 

More wedges

Testing out studs at Majestic

Love the studs

Next go, conquering our nemesis

Clever feets

Warwick's retreat and advance

The least thoroughbredy thoroughbred - grazing while AT did gallop sets around him 

Aquatredding

Handsome boy

Our novice trip at Stable view - stadium was SO MUCH atmosphere but he did it for me

And then we had a BLAST XC 

Ponying from his BF - certainly not about to nibble...

Back at Rocking Horse popping around stadium, one of the best pictures I have, ever

Weeeee! 

Brushing the brush 

Saying hello to his "little" brother 

Pretty TB expo winnings - since I started roaching his mane after he stopped doing things in spring 2024, it is so funny to see these pictures with a tidy pulled mane 

Quiet nights at the GY's braiding with Christmas lights 

Saying goodbye

Back home in California ❤️