Brick by Brick, My Citizens

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted last, whoops. 

Per usual, a shitload has gone down in the last week, and until it's super official, mums the word. But it's exciting and positive. That left little time for blogging though. 

Never fear, I did actually ride a little.  Twice in fact. And squeezed in quick groundwork sessions on the lunge with B. 

He had approximately 2 unplanned weeks off due to my personal life, sleep schedule and a missing RF shoe, but if anything it did him good. He bounced back beautifully and is calmer than ever. I am so proud of my red horse!

Not my red beast, but a cute pic of Levi being confused over the freak snow in April

Sidenote, I wrote up a super long, depressing post about unfinished goals and failures and bullshit, but it accidentally got deleted and I think it was for the best. Super flashback to my darker college years, and it was a minor lapse in mental judgement due to severe lack of sleep.

Moving on. 

Yankee is doing wonderfully. I am slightly dying, freaking out about him and micromanaging his every move, but he's doing well. Better than I expected for a horse recovering from major major surgery. 

Normally, the incision from colic surgery is like a foot long? I think. Well, his was massive. Like incredibly large. And it took ages to heal. He still has a few spots where it's draining, therefore I have heart palpitations when he plays around like a goon every AM when I let him out...

Yankee WYD

But he's healing quickly. Mostly he's a grumpy asshole. I would be too if I was excluded from all the fun and kept to a small paddock with only dumb hay to keep me occupied.

He's taken to staring longingly at the pasture and ignoring his hay, so Bragg ends up eating it all everyday. Not only is this making me incredibly anxious, but Bragg is now the size of a blimp. If I turn him out in the pasture without Yankee, it's like their lives are over, so I keep them together for now so healing horse doesn't hurt himself.

When I have time, I graze Yankee as such with Bragg loose, but most times I toss Yankee out in my redneck pen while I do chores or hang out at home. 

Don't judge me and my redneck ways

Another thing Yankee is not doing well is eating fast. Its seriously killing my vibe. I have to wait around ages to turn him out so Bragg won't steal his food and I'm like c'mon man. You never realize how much you appreciate horses that clean up quick until you have one that doesn't. He used to, so of course, this causes me to panic almost daily, but he eventually licks his pan clean. I don't blame him, he's eating the equivalent of a giant human salad and I know I can't stand healthy food & it sucks. Its like me being forced to eat tofu to gain weight, um NO THANK YOU.. He is getting a fuckload of it too; low starch, high protein grains with empower boost for the fats. Plus his MSM and probiotics. Poor dude spends half his life eating now. Additionally, he has about half a bale of hay a night in his stall, which he never finishes, but he's gaining weight like a champ. 

Top photo is 2 weeks post-op, right off the trailer at the recovery farm. Bottom photo was his past weekend, about 6 weeks difference. His topline is still dismal, but his ribs, shoulder & neck look better, stomach is filling out and the swelling has gone down. Also his coat looks so. much. better. 

want the grass, give me grass

I can't wait until his coat is completely shed out! He gets to go out on pasture April 20th & May 20th he's allowed to be ridden again, slow build to jumping 30 days after. CANT WAIT.

Although he be but little, he is fierce!