A Birthday Outing to the Arena-A Bruno Story

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Bruno, six years-old today-the picture of health

Six years ago today, Bruno was born to be a race horse in New York state. Various adventures associated with a crack in his hoof have led him off the race track, to a big Houston hunter jumper barn with Sherre Sims, to our trainer Dev and finally to us. He came to us the first of November, 2012. I believe he has been at least a little lame for over two years if not longer while the infection simmered in his hoof. He certainly did not have four hooves without defects for quite some time-but except for a small space at the bottom of his hoof, he does today.

A little over four months ago, Bruno underwent surgery at Texas A&M Large Animal Hospital to remove infection from his coffin bone and his hoof. Until this week, over 120 days, he has remained on stall rest. You have heard the horrible stories of flooding rainwater, brilliant escapes and endless days. Today is a day for celebration and putting those issues behind us.

We got the okay for Bruno to get turned out of his stall for short periods. He has been thrilled to charge up and down the small paddock, bucking, kicking and being a horse. In recognition of his birthday, we decided today he could venture a little further out and visit the big, sandy arena.

I got the camera, opened the gate and waited for fireworks. Bruno was more interested in rolling in the warm sand, eating any stray grass and just sauntering around than he was in acting like a rodeo horse. But not at any time was there even a hint of lameness. I have to admit, if my shoulder/arm was not in a sling, I would have saddled up this boy today and taken a ride. Just a little walk, just a celebration of the goodness of life. Fortunately (probably) good sense prevailed, and I let Bruno stay unridden for a few more weeks.

I will just let the pictures tell the story today.

Getting his flowing trot back

A little attitude? He is not cutting his mane until his first ride.

And in the end, what better way to celebrate your birthday than a roll in the sand?

Happy birthday, big guy, and to many, many more!

Look ma, one foot!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Bruno out in the second pasture, bucking with all his weight on his newly healed hoof! “Look mom, one leg!”

Bruno got to go out first thing this morning into the second paddock where I would not have to worry about him hitting the roof. It was a dreary overcast day but nothing was standing in the way of this big gelding, green grass and freedom. He dashed back and forth running with the pure joy of his thoroughbred heritage-the one that includes Seattle Slew and the big Secretariat. Many, many races were made back to paddock fence with sliding stops that would have caused envy to a reining horse. I caught the picture above as he bucked and ran. I am sending it Dr. Marsh and Dr. Criner to show them this guy is placing all 1350 pounds of his body weight on his newly healed hoof-AND it is holding up fine.

To watch him trot, canter and gallop without a single off-step was a miracle time for me. I remembered feeling so helpless/hopeless when it was determined he had to have surgery but to see him run today you would never know he had a problem, surgery or been out for months.

Okay, we are still a long way from a successful ride in the jumper ring-he has not had much training as a jumper because he was always having trouble with his foot. But this horse has totally enveloped Lauren with love. I had to remind her that this horse was not a pet and if he pushed her around, she had to bark back at him and re-gain his respect outside the stall. And we will have to see if the hoof holds up now that he is running and pounding on it. Lots of things to do before this is a total success story, but it a pretty awesome mid-point!

______________________________

My shoulder is healing. I am doing the daily exercises. It hurts. Sleep is always hard. My other shoulder aches all the time now as well, doing the work of both.

Lauren and Feather have a horse show this weekend. Pictures and updates to come!

My daughters, Ally and Amber, met in Orlando today. It will be a chance to piggy-back off Amber’s nursing seminar with some time alone with for the sisters. I keep thinking of my son-in-laws, in Denver and Houston, respectively, handling two children each without their wives. Wish I had a little nanny cam to watch how things are going but I know they will both have it under control.

PuppyGirl (the Yorkie) and Kona were having some fun times on the couch the other night. Talk about cute!

Face off!

Free-A Bruno Story

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Today, day 119 since Bruno had hoof surgery, we headed back to Texas A&M Large Animal Vet Hospital for his six-week check-up. Surgery had been done in December to cure an infection in his coffin bone and surrounding hoof area.

It has been a long and difficult time for all of us, especially Lauren who was in charge of cleaning and bandaging the hoof. Bruno has staged numerous revolts to get out of his prison stall-no matter how nice we have tried to make it for him.

We had observed that Bruno’s hoof was growing quickly and well. I said in the beginning-I can grow hoof. I use a supplement that really produces hoof growth and nice coats. Here is a picture of Bruno’s hoof immediately after surgery-it has gauze in the ‘defect’. It is probably two inches or so high.

Today’s hoof with all the new growth (it has adhesive stuck on the hoof from months of bandaging).

We have grown a new, disease free hoof! The vet tech asked if we were hand walking Bruno. The reality of it is that I am hurt and Bruno is a little frightening to Lauren. No, we have not been hand-walking him. He has not been loose at all except by accident.

Dr. Marsh, who once said it would be November at least before we got back on this horse, decided that Lauren should be able to get back on board the big guy in six weeks!! We may have him in the show ring by fall. Oh, my goodness, I am just so grateful.

In the interest of Lauren living through her first rides on the giant horse (although we plan to bubble-wrap her for sure) Dr. Marsh decided it was time for Bruno to go out of his stall. I cried. He will be so much easier to handle if he has some time to be a horse running, playing and getting strong again. We will start out in the paddock in front of his stall so he doesn’t have too much room to run. Then work up to the grassy paddock behind the barn.

Immediately after his trailer ride home, while he was hand grazing with Lauren on spring grass, Lauren quietly unsnapped his leadrope. We had put the other horses in their stalls so Bruno wouldn’t want to join anyone in the pasture for a romp. And for the first time on purpose (he escaped from us a couple of times) Bruno was free to roll in the cool sand, kick up his feet and race around the small enclosure.

It was quickly obvious that the roof is too low for Big Bruno but he will adjust. He was bucking and his tail was hitting the roof. I know, I know- it would be safer to have him out without the roof overhead but we have to start in this small space. I think today will be the worst of his craziness, each time he gets to go out, he will be calmer and easier.

He would roll in the sand, jump up, dash around with some healthy bucks and stop pleased with himself. I was ever so pleased with him, too. I didn’t catch the first 49 times he rolled but got this little romp on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq4TXdYdvjE&feature=youtu.be

And yes, I hope he stays safe running and bucking like a manic as well but I am happy he is free once more and thrilled we cut seven months offs the projections for getting him back whole.

Stay tuned, I am hopeful this story is not ending but just beginning a new, wonderful chapter.

The Escape Plan-A Bruno Story

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Bruno one day you will be free to run again! I pray!

As you will recall, Bruno and Kid are at the area Vet office for a few days while the roof extension is completed at home. I should have felt at ease with this plan but unless you have baby-sat Bruno you are not necessarily up to his tricks. When we got to the vet yesterday, we reiterated “DO NOT LET BRUNO OUT OF HIS STALL FOR ANY REASON! UNLESS THE BUILDING IS ON FIRE, BRUNO STAYS IN HIS STALL!”

We discussed that they could clean his stall but to watch out-he could push down a wheelbarrow and be gone in a flash. Kid was supposed to get his teeth done and we warned them to keep him in view of Bruno so Bruno would not get agitated. So many things we said but in the end you hope that just for a few days, the horse will stand quietly in his stall. He might even enjoy the parade of cows, goats, donkeys and new calves that show up at the vet each day. And if not, Kid was there across the hall, steady and true.

We talked before about Bruno watching t.v. to pass the long stall bound days (I checked and today is day 114 of Bruno’s incarceration) I am pretty sure he must have caught a few episodes of Hogan’s Heroes-a sitcom based upon prisoners of war trying to escape in Nazi German (who thought that would be a comedy?). But it was as each week, the prisoners would come up with one crazy escape plan after another. Well, Bruno must have caught the tunnel out of your cell episode.

I had made it until 5:00 pm. The guys had just left-finishing the barn roof right on time. Lauren had babysat for Ally as she had Lasik surgery today. I was alone. I got out to the barn to admire the work done and get Feather and Mickey in for dinner. I heard the phone ring as I filled water buckets but ignored it. Mistake! I got to the phone to see ‘missed-call-Wharton Vet Hospital’. My heart started pounding. I immediately called back but it was after five and went to the service. Then I stopped to listen to the message. It was the tech and he only told me to call the back line. If you work at a day care, a vet or an assisted living place, and you are leaving a message, start it with-“Your dog, mother, child, etc. is fine but we need to talk about X”, don’t just say call back on the other line.

Really nervous now, I get through to the clinic. I am placed on hold. Of course, I am. Then I am finally connected to the tech (in my brain I figured if it was really bad, the vet himself would have called but still). The tech tells me that Bruno is okay. Okay covers a lot of ground when an animal is at a vet hospital-like okay, now? or okay, in spite of his injuries or just plain, no harm, no foul, okay? Who knew? This is the story I got as my heart pounded and I silently prayed:

“At lunchtime, Bruno started digging. He dug through the stall dirt floor, through several inches of sand and finally into gravel. (At this point I thought I heard that he hit water and continued to paw.) When we came back from lunch he was eye level with the stall door, whereas, when we left he was three feet or so, taller than the door.”

I was panicking about his foot being submerged in water for longer than an hour as he continued to plunge it over and over into his escape hole. His injured hoof cannot get wet-and has not for 114 days! But then the tech assured me there was no water (I guess I just imagined that part)-just a three to four-foot hole that they were sure (right!) Bruno had dug only with his good hoof not with his bad hoof. Wow! But honestly, it could have happened at night and no one would have been there to see him. If Bruno had gone to Dev’s, he would not have been monitored 24/7! So, I took a deep breath and asked how bad he was. “Well, the doctor checked him and our farrier was here and Bruno did not appear lame at all!”. “We thought about giving him something to calm him down but by then he was all worn out and calm as a kid’s horse.” Of course, he was!

I asked what they thought got him going. Well, I was told he had gotten a little excited over the cattle (race horses do not see too many cows up close). But they thought it was the load of Belgiums that came in that really got him going. I was too tired and weak with relief to ask if he meant Belgium horses (are there Belgium horses in Wharton?) or Belgium cattle or goats, which I am not even sure exist. Perhaps, a bus load of Belgium tourists arrived. I had no idea and I did not ask.

I am glad the big guy got through another adventure safely (or safely I hope). I am a little (being honest here) happy that he acted up a bit. Unless you have been down this stall rest road, you have no comprehension what a horse can dream up to keep occupied day after day, month after month. I am sure you all think it is simple to keep a horse in a stall. But it is forever challenging-even for the pros.

Bruno impressed his keepers. I was told I got a free vet and lameness exam-really? Good they did not try to bill me for that. I was also told they had unbelievable pictures but in my relief stupor, I did not ask for those to be emailed to me. We will all just have to visualize the big, black horse, sinking, lower and lower below the stall door.

Oh, and I was also told, after bringing in several loads of dirt, sand and shavings, Kid was now in Bruno’s old stall and Bruno in Kid’s. Just so I would know when I came to pick them up in the morning, because you know, I had told them not to take him out of his stall.

Oh brother!

One Hundred Days-a Bruno Story

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Exechorseluver

105 days ago!

One hundred days have now gone by.

One hundred days since Bruno walked into the Texas A&M surgery suite and limped out.

One hundred days of being imprisoned in a 12 by 14 cell.

One hundred days of pain, of blood, of boredom and of faith.

One hundred days of trust, that his owners were doing the best thing for him.

One hundred days-of smells of great rains and smells of new spring grass.

One hundred days that have felt like a million and yet flown right by.

One hundred days of bandage changes and new shoes.

One hundred days of fresh shavings, constant food and water from his favorite girl, Lauren.

One hundred days of ups and downs.

One hundred days without a change watching the world from his window.

One hundred days of healing, of rest, of ease. No race track bustle here.

One hundred days of growing stronger, growing brighter, growing hoof.

One hundred days broken up by a few trailer trips to A&M and an emergency trip to the local vet.

One hundred days of sameness but one night lost forever to a bad drug reaction.

One hundred days that nearly didn’t come.

One hundred days of jolly balls, salt licks and a true best friend in Mr. Kid.

One hundred days of photos with friends and family. Of becoming an icon.

One hundred days later, the new hoof re-grown, almost competely.

One hundred days later, being one X-Ray away from being ridden again.

One hundred days later the dream still alive that this big OTTB will once again storm across the pasture.

One hundred days later still convinced that he will soar over the jumps and win some blue.

One hundred days later, we are weary but encouraged.

One hundred days from now where will we be?

One hundred days further-travel along with me.

Come back, big guy, come back!

On the Road Again-Bruno Returns to Texas A&M

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Exechorseluver

I did not make the trip to TAMU today for Bruno’s latest six-week check up. Megan was there to go with Lauren. But I have felt like I was with them all day. First, imagining the loading of Bruno (pretty uneventful) and the subsequent release of Kid (he did put on a little rodeo show bucking and cantering around the paddock as the trailer pulled out).

I caught up with Lauren a few times during their almost four-hour long appointment. First, she reported that Dr. Marsh was quite positive about the way the hoof he had done surgery on looked-or as my friend here in Houston called them “the old hurt hoof” versus the “new hurt hoof”. Then a couple of hours was devoted to hot shoeing all the hooves (new, old, hurt or not).

The steam coming up from Bruno’s shoes.

Dr. Marsh decided that the “old hurt hoof” was not growing as straight as he would like so he drilled out a quarter size hole and then filled the opposite side with a substance that will help keep the new growth moving in the right direction (help stabilize the hoof and create less motion in hoof). (I really am just repeating what the girls told me-I don’t really get the concept of motion in the hoof but we will let that go for now.)

How it looks today-still needs to grwo-but whoa-looking so much better!

How it looks today-still needs to grow-but whoa-looking so much better!

He also looked at the “new hurt hoof” and did some re-stitching on the wound. He re-iterated how lucky we had been. Apparently, the cut was not as superficial as our vet had indicated to us (or we did not understand it that way). Dr. Marsh sent home orders with Lauren that any change in “the new hurt hoof” be communicated immediately.

Wow, I knew it was bad at the time but I guess I just didn’t comprehend how close this latest mis-hap had taken us to never getting Bruno sound again. You get caught up with the “big” problem and fail to see how another issue can eat your lunch in the meantime.

The new-hurt foot being re-sown and ‘casted’.

Bad News/Good News

The bad news-which I was really, really hoping for a change in-is that Bruno is still confined to his stall until at least his next six-week check. By then he will have been on stall rest for almost 130 days! I am not aware of a horse that has been on stall rest for that long-I am sure there have been others. Thank God, I had the foresight to build his extra-large stall or this would be worse punishment than what it is.

The good news-which is extremely good news that I hope comes to pass: Dr. Marsh feels that after two more six-week shoeings (so, 12 weeks from now) Lauren will be able to get up on this horse’s back and RIDE him. Just walking to start with-but oh, my goodness, that is amazing!! We had thought it would be Christmas time again before Bruno would feel that girth tighten around his broad back.

And we can start some walks in the next few weeks, around the arena, around the paddock, but Bruno cannot go loose. Whatever, it is wonderful news and a testament to this strong OTTB and his great care (both from the vets at Texas A&M and Lauren).

p.s. The moment I wish I had witnessed at A&M today, was when the vet tech who was helping with case (he wasn’t there when they talked about Bruno and his history) looked up at Bruno’s brand new OTTB halter that Lauren got for her birthday from her sisters and said “Is his name OughtBE”. I am pretty sure I would have fallen on the ground laughing and it would not have been nice!

Bruno and Feather-A Bruno Story

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Outside for the first time in 80 some days when he was not being rushed off to a hospital.

I couldn’t help it. Lauren was off doing birthday things and I was alone on the farm. I had cleaned Bruno up for his trip to TAMU tomorrow. But I wanted to see how he could walk (if he could walk) on the foot hurt this last week. And the green grass was calling his name. Probably wasn’t my best idea-the vet had clearly said no time out of the stall but…

I got my phone readily accessible in my pocket. I got a stud chain on Bruno so I had some control over him. I locked Kid in his stall so the two horses together did not come up with a plan to overpower-me the guard- and make a prison break. And out we walked. Bruno’s head went high sniffing in all the wonderful spring smells that were just somehow sharper and sweeter outside the stall than in. We stopped and Bruno grazed on grass for the first time since fall. He wanted to roll in the sand but that was just a little too much for me so I stopped him. I was afraid he would get super excited and I would not be able to control him. We walked about seven laps around the little paddock and then returned to the stall. Bruno was the grandest gentleman for all of it.

The sweetest green grass Bruno ever tasted at least that’s what he said.

Got some Feather pictures from the show yesterday. She continues to show her lovely form and awesome scope. I can’t wait to see what it will take to top out this horse. I think it will be a few years before we learn that. I am grateful.

Unveiling Bruno’s hoof-A Bruno Story

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Exechorseluver

As Bruno’s hoof was being stitched on Monday.

Maybe one day you will be able to read this blog without pictures of bloody hooves. I truly hope that comes to pass. For now, it is our subject matter. The picture above was the last I saw of Bruno’s hoof before it was bandaged at the vet.

We had instructions to unbandage it today and we also needed to re-bandage his ‘bad’ hoof. Equipped with new, sharper bandage scissors, Lauren tied up Bruno and got ready to see how the hoof was doing. It was obvious from watching Bru in the stall that the foot hurt. He was favoring it. The minute Lauren got close to it, Bruno would swing the hoof up and away. Horse’s back feet are dangerous under good circumstances, hurting hooves should be avoided. So, I picked up his front hoof with the theory being, with one hoof up, Bruno would be hard-pressed to kick out with his other foot.

It worked pretty well. We took it slow. Lauren cutting through the layers of bandage. Finally, it was ready for the unveiling. It looked way better than when I saw it last! The stitches were holding the wound together well. It looked clean and was not draining. However, you can see from the picture (yes another hoof picture-but not really bloody) the side that is cut is swollen to three times the size of other side of the hoof.

Looking so much better!

Okay, so maybe it still is horribly deformed but way better than shooting blood. Then Lauren unwrapped his ‘bad’ hoof. I was afraid it had gotten wet with blood or liquids during the whole Bruno-tries-to-bleed-to-death ordeal but we took off the surgical plate covering the hoof and it looked to be overall-dry. In fact, it looked like more, strong healthy hoof had grown since I had seen it last. The hole continues to close. It still has a way to go on the side but it is growing down. We will see what the A&M vets think on Monday. Of course, first we will have to explain why the horse they fixed is now seriously lame on another foot. Not sure how they will handle that!

Bruno’s hoof on Dec. 31st-note the gap (space) between hoof and shoe

Bruno’s hoof today day 77 after surgery.

At least this is definitely a positive! Yay, Bruno (and thanks to Lauren for all her hard work keeping him clean, doctored, and well).

Bruno’s Red River-A Bruno Story

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Exechorseluver

The Red River streaming from Bruno’s good hoof.

I had taken a day off work today to work on my health. I have a number of bones, joints in particular, that are in need of surgery. I took the day off to try to come up with a priority list for their replacement. It was coincidentally the 75th day since Bruno had surgery on his front hoof and has been confined to his stall. Seventy-five days-we were making it.

I had gotten home and was settling in to write a nice post about my new poodle. Lauren had gone out to clean Bruno’s stall and check his water. It was almost time to go to my mom’s. I was startled as Lauren pounded on the living room window. I thought she was just trying to scare me. Then she did. She screamed through the closed window that Bruno was hurt and there was blood everywhere.

I raced to the barn. In those moments when disaster befalls you it is difficult to know what to do first. There was so much blood. I knew we needed a vet and we needed to stop the spray of blood that was like a fountain from his back left hoof. First, I thought it would be best to give Bruno a sedative because if we were getting him out of his stall he was going to be excited. I gave him Ace at 3 pm and noted the time. I got on the phone to the vet to see if they could come here. The vet was in surgery so it would be at least 20 minutes. We decided to first try to bandage the hoof and curb the bleeding and then load and make a run to the vet. I held one foot while Lauren tried to get a wrap around his foot. It was immediately saturated with blood.

Fortunately, the truck was already hooked up to the trailer. We locked Kid in a stall and headed to the trailer. Bruno was feeling the Ace by then and also in pain so he loaded easily. Of course, our road is under construction so we had to drive 10 miles out-of-the-way while running fast with our flashers. We kept giving the vet updates with our ETA (expected time of arrival).

The picture above is right after we arrived. We tried to keep the “other” bad hoof dry as the we tried to clean the hurt foot. We built a dam out of bath towels to divert the flow of blood around his “other” foot.

In the end, we were lucky. The cut was deep but superficial (probably caused by him catching the back of his hoof with his shoe on the other foot) requiring several stitches right above his hoof. The vet carefully tended to his stitch making as we had told them that we were headed back to Texas A&M on the 11th and he wanted to be sure he was doing a good job.

A big vet bill later, along with multiple shots, wrapping and follow-up instructions we were just waiting for Bruno to have enough sedative wear off to safely get him in the trailer and home.

We made the trip home without incident. Bruno was whinnying for Mr. Kid as we pulled in and we thought this dreadful event was about done. I hurried to scoop a wheelbarrow full of bloody shavings out of his stall and Lauren led him in. Immediately when we took off his halter, he went down to his knees and lay in his clean shavings. If this was a person, you would think, okay, he is just tired and overwhelmed. With a horse, you think they are dying. I called the vet back but it was after hours and he was in another emergency surgery. I told him Bruno was down on his side and unresponsive. He was breathing in this horrid jagged way and was just motionless on his side. I was pretty sure he was dying. It was so horrible. I just couldn’t understand why this young, beautiful, strong animal had to endure so much.

But time passed (infinitely, slowly) as Bruno improved over the next hours. I am immensely grateful that the big guy is still with us. I will see his red river in my dreams for a long time.

I pray I never see Bruno like this again.

Bruno’s big screen TV-a Bruno Story

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Okay, don’t worry, we did not go over the edge and install a big screen TV for the horse on infinite stall rest (we might if we thought it would cure his boredom and not be broken to bits) but just want to discuss his perspective on life from his stall.

I think it is a great deal like a real life, albeit circa 1970, television screen that Bruno sees each day from his stall. He has about 90 degrees of vision from his stall as he has a wall on his left side and one to his back, but he has pretty unlimited vision to front and right side. Bruno has very few channels to choose from, thus, the circa 1970. Primarily he watches the “Highway Channel” where hour after hour, day after day, an assortment of vehicles from bicycles (quite frightening) to semi-trucks and tractors rumble by maybe 300 yards in front of his stall. For added excitement, an occasional horse or cattle trailer rolls by and some even pull into the yard in front of him. In addition to the “Highway Channel”, he gets the “Mr. Kid Show”-described as the often boring but predictable life of an elderly ex-barrel horse.

Additional channels, with limited availability include “The Man Mowing” channel, the “Cows Across the Road are Moving” channel (another frightening channel), the “What is our Crazy Neighbor Burning, Plowing or Cutting up now” channel, the “Mickey or Feather Get Loose” channel (this does not have a sexually related theme), and finally, the “Special Events” channel.

Yesterday, on the “Special Events” channel, Bruno had a captivating and exciting look at modern-day cow herding. For the most part the cattle pastured across the road do not do much. Sometimes, a round bale of hay is dropped off and this causes some frantic activity. Then a couple of times a year, the calves are culled from the herd and trucked off to another place.

I came out to see Bruno with his head held high and eyes riveted to action in front of him. No less than five rigs (that’s pick-up trucks with assorted trailers) were pulled into the cow pasture. Bruno watched the whole ballet unfold from the unloading of ranch horses (already saddled and ready to go-Bruno says he has never had a saddle on in a trailer ever!), the cutting of the cattle, the roping and the eventual loading of the babies into the trailers to be hauled away. I don’t know about any other viewers of this special event, but Bruno gave it a 10 for great plot, terrific special effects (he had no idea a horse could dance around a calf that way), and an outstanding sound track (the horse neighing was VERY authentic-the cow mooing mournful and sad). His expression of apt attention should get viewers everywhere to want to tune-in.

It was a very exciting day for television watching and Bruno keeps checking back for more action only to see “The Cows Chewing” program has taken over that network.

Due to poor reception or some technical problem Bruno doesn’t understand, once it gets dark he seems to lose all the channels except the sleeping portion of the “Mr. Kid” show.

Exechorseluver

The life and times of modern day horse woman

Category Archives: A Bruno Story