For the last few days I have been thinking about how to do this blog. This Farm was a huge part of my life, it taught me more then should ever be allotted into four years! When I think back over those four and half years, my head spins. The things I saw from a medical stand point. Well I have seen and done things that some Vet haven't had to handle!
The first thing to understand is this was a riding school that housed between 70 to 100 horses. And taught up to 700 students a week, with up to seven instructors. When I started there where three barn Managers. One head Manager and two Assistants, but with in one year there was only me!
During this time I had the chance to work very closely with a amazing Vet, Dr Roger Scullin who is like a grandfather to me. He was a great influence on my life. He helped me develpoe my love of all things medical and a deep love for Fox hunting and hounds. He did more for me then words can say, including helping to give John and I an amazing Wedding! But that is a story for another day.
While working at this Stable I had to learn how to deal with a lot of illness and lameness problems on my own, with the help of Dr. Scullin on the phone. We where on a very tight budget and part of my job was to stay with in our means.
At one point we had a out-break of strangles. We had this little chestnut TB mare, she was as bright as brass and could run! But she had blown out a tendon, so my boss had picked her up cheaply, to see if she could make a lesson horse. My top guy in the barn brought her to me one day and was pointing to her jaw, with out thinking I stuck my hand under her cheeck, and pulled away and hand covered in horrible puss. I stared in shock, my first thought was "No S*&t!!". I called Dr Scullin and said with out even saying hello "Her glands blew, we have strangles!!". The barn was shut down and about 30 horses come down with it. During that time I was moving horses left and right, trying to get the sick away from the healthy while giving shots in the flank. I only got kicked twice! After about two months every thing cleared up and all was well.
It turned out that little mare was a carrier, when blood titters are pulled on her she would always show positive. As will many other horses that have been exposed to strangles.
I did not go into a real medical details in this post but if you have any questions about Strangles and what I mean by a carrier, feel free to contact us or your vet.
Stay tuned for stories of maggots coming out of hooves! And what its like to deal with a full blown case of Potomac Fever, and the lose of a healthy horse with in 24 hours!
Sincerely,
Petra
The first thing to understand is this was a riding school that housed between 70 to 100 horses. And taught up to 700 students a week, with up to seven instructors. When I started there where three barn Managers. One head Manager and two Assistants, but with in one year there was only me!
During this time I had the chance to work very closely with a amazing Vet, Dr Roger Scullin who is like a grandfather to me. He was a great influence on my life. He helped me develpoe my love of all things medical and a deep love for Fox hunting and hounds. He did more for me then words can say, including helping to give John and I an amazing Wedding! But that is a story for another day.
While working at this Stable I had to learn how to deal with a lot of illness and lameness problems on my own, with the help of Dr. Scullin on the phone. We where on a very tight budget and part of my job was to stay with in our means.
At one point we had a out-break of strangles. We had this little chestnut TB mare, she was as bright as brass and could run! But she had blown out a tendon, so my boss had picked her up cheaply, to see if she could make a lesson horse. My top guy in the barn brought her to me one day and was pointing to her jaw, with out thinking I stuck my hand under her cheeck, and pulled away and hand covered in horrible puss. I stared in shock, my first thought was "No S*&t!!". I called Dr Scullin and said with out even saying hello "Her glands blew, we have strangles!!". The barn was shut down and about 30 horses come down with it. During that time I was moving horses left and right, trying to get the sick away from the healthy while giving shots in the flank. I only got kicked twice! After about two months every thing cleared up and all was well.
It turned out that little mare was a carrier, when blood titters are pulled on her she would always show positive. As will many other horses that have been exposed to strangles.
I did not go into a real medical details in this post but if you have any questions about Strangles and what I mean by a carrier, feel free to contact us or your vet.
Stay tuned for stories of maggots coming out of hooves! And what its like to deal with a full blown case of Potomac Fever, and the lose of a healthy horse with in 24 hours!
Sincerely,
Petra
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