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Post by cardicorgi on Feb 13, 2006 11:58:21 GMT -5
CE - thanks for the update, and for treating her like the diva that we know she is.
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Post by falseimpression on Feb 13, 2006 12:01:34 GMT -5
CE, thank you so much.... as for the worms.... I don't envy you... just thinking of them creeps me out... hope they will disappear very quickly...
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Post by critterseverywhere on Feb 15, 2006 10:02:44 GMT -5
Azalea is a real lady. Every time I work with her, it's more obvious that this is a mare who someone really pampered and loved on at one point her life. Her ground manners are actually quite good, just a little rusty (I'm doing a tune-up), she isn't afraid of anything people do (shaking blankets out, sudden movements toward her, etc). She seems to really enjoy the hustle & bustle of the barn...especially as an opportunity to try to mooch treats! There is a family who takes riding lessons at the barn who is already completely in love with her....I think the son (who is turning into quite a good rider & horseman and who rides my TB mare in lessons) has fallen pretty hard for the Lady Zale (as she's starting to be known).
Her feet are really out of balance right now & it's causing some soreness up through her shoulders and back so I'm looking forward to seeing the difference in her after the farrier works on her Weds. I plan on giving her a nice massage Thurs to help loosen things up...she was a little too tender to get into it last night, though she obviously enjoyed the attention.
I had her in the cross-ties to groom her and got to chatting with Cassie. Wouldn't you know, Azalea stood with her head gently wrapped under my arm for a good ten minutes while we chatted and seemed quite happy to do so. I think she's really liking getting more personal attention...I'm really grateful to be the one fostering her right now. She's just a constant, gentle, loving reminder of why rescue work is worthwhile.
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Post by critterseverywhere on Feb 15, 2006 21:25:10 GMT -5
The farrier did Azalea's feet today. She was very well-behaved for him. He said she had quite a bit of bruising, soreness, and retained sole in addition to being out of balance with too long of heels. This definitely explains why her movement isn't nearly has nice as you would expect from her conformation and she's so tender-footed on hard surfaces. I wasn't able to be there, but Cassie says her stride & movement is already better and she should be fine in no time. I had also asked James to evaluate where an old cut (very old, the mark on the hoof is visible all the way down) on the heel bulb that has caused a minor blemish in the growth of the hoof wall. He said it doesn't appear to have affected the integrity of the hoof at all and shouldn't cause any problems. So good news on Azalea all the way around!
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Post by pdevlieg on Feb 16, 2006 11:50:11 GMT -5
CE - thanks so much for all the care you are giving this very deserving gal! She is quite a special one.
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Post by critterseverywhere on Feb 17, 2006 10:52:32 GMT -5
and your daily dose of Azalea update.... Last night it was COLD at the barn (yeah, I know...cold everywhere!) so I confess my sessions with all three of the horses were fairly brief. I spent about 20 minutes working on Azalea's rainrot (Cassie had spent about 45 minutes on it the day before). We've gotten her back mostly de-scabbed; still working on her hind end. It's not the most comfortable process for her, but she tolerates it well. (especially if I happen to have a couple alfalfa pellets to use as treats! ) I did move her around just a bit to see how she was doing. She's still quite tender-footed (especially on the driveway), but that's to be expected. She was so patient while I layered on her blankets last night. Since I pull them on over her head, I just ground-tied her in the spot where I normally cross-tie her. She just stood there waiting calmly while I did up all the buckles & straps on each of her 3(!) blankets. I don't think she's trained to ground-tie, she just really knows the blanketing routine! We've been soaking her alfalfa pellets & grain to make it easier for her to chew (Azalea, by the way, is absolutely positively the SLOWEST eater I have ever met. She pretty much doesn't ever actually stop eating, but it takes her for-ev-er to eat her grain/pellet ration even when it's mushy) but opted to stop that for the next couple days since it would likely freeze into a solid block! (feed room isn't heated) She's going to come home with me on Sat since I decided I'd rather settle her into her new digs in the daylight than in the dark after work. And as long as she has food in front of her, she pretty much doesn't care. There are now two people at the barn who are very interested in adopting this mare, which is a testament to her lovely temperement!
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Post by critterseverywhere on Feb 19, 2006 15:02:41 GMT -5
Azalea made the trip to my house on Sat. and has settled in nicely. She was a bit shocked when she saw the trailer I was asking her to get into (it’s safe, but maybe the ugliest most jalopy-looking trailer you can say that about! Hey, it’s paid for! ). You could see her, as she planted her feet saying “Lady, are you freakin’ nuts? I am a fine, blue-blooded thoroughbred who is meant to have my blankets changed twice daily, housed a spacious box stall, fed a constant supply of the finest hay and grain...and you want me to get into that hideous thing?!?” LOL Of course, about then she spotted the over-stuffed hay bag hanging inside and seemed to get a whiff of her favorite grain and hopped right in to begin stuffing her face. She hauled beautifully like the pro that she is. But then, oh then, the horror of it all! When the trailer came to a stop, where did she find herself? At a fine track with admiring fans? At a luxury broodmare facility where she would meet the stallion of her dreams and be fed and pampered? Oh no! She knew that trailer was bad news! The agony of it all...she was on a FARM! Eek! With chickens! Double eek! Of course, once again as she was led past the chickens and ducks and cats and other signs of the depths to which she had sunk, relief was soon in sight. A stall attached to a grassy paddock, already well provided with her favorite orchardgrass hay and adjacent to a well-blanketed & groomed thoroughbred of equally impecable breeding. So all is well. She’s still having her blankets changed and checked, her meals are of the same quality and appear at the same time, and she still has good company. (And, so far anyway, those pesky chickens are staying out of HER space). On a more serious note, this cold weather is not helping her rainrot. I can’t leave her blankets off for more than a couple minutes while I give her a quick brushing before she starts to shiver and unfortunately even with breathable blankets I think her skin is staying just humid enough that the rainrot is getting a chance at a come-back Well, we’ll deal with that as it comes. The weather isn’t supposed to stay this cold too much longer so hopefully this won’t be a major set-back.
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Post by zjaraam on Feb 19, 2006 19:25:03 GMT -5
I love the updates, keep 'em coming. I'm very glad to hear Azalea is settling in and adjusting so well.
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Post by falseimpression on Feb 19, 2006 19:29:37 GMT -5
Thanks CE... great to have updates on Lady A!
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Post by pdevlieg on Feb 19, 2006 19:34:47 GMT -5
Poor sweet lady - the weather says the cold should break soon, but then of course it's back to the rain! Washington in winter! CE - Let me know if you need anything to help with her care, I will be happy to ship it down to you! -Peri
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Post by Kellie on Feb 21, 2006 22:52:25 GMT -5
Could someone please email me back? I'm very interested in adopting Azalea and would like to talk to someone in person about her. Thank you! Kellie kslater.1@juno.com.
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Post by critterseverywhere on Feb 22, 2006 10:10:10 GMT -5
Hi Kellie-- I'm fostering Azalea right now and would be happy to talk to you about her. You can contact me at kristinem@safehorses.org with specific questions or to give me your phone number.
However, for submitting an application for you, you would need to contact zjaraam (angie@safehorses.org). If you are really interested in her, I would recommend doing this ASAP as I believe there are already some other applications in for Azalea.
Depending on what you're looking for, you might want to consider meeting Larkspur as well. The two mares have very similar personalities and seem to have come from the same place (or similar backgrounds anyway). Both of these mares are very, very sweet and were obviously pampered & well-cared for previously. Neither one has any fear of humans or human activities like having blankets taken on/off, sudden movements, etc.
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Post by jaybird on Feb 24, 2006 19:38:35 GMT -5
Congratulations to Peri Devlieg on the adoption of Azalea!
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Post by gypsygirl on Feb 24, 2006 20:04:37 GMT -5
WhoooHooooooooo!!!!! You go girl! She will have such a lovely home with you Peri. I am so happy for both of you. Now I will have 2 reasons to come out your way
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Post by schwung on Feb 24, 2006 20:05:02 GMT -5
Congratulations to Peri!!! She couldn't have gone to a better home....lucky girl!!!
Thank you Peri!!!
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