Can We Help?

Today was "herd health day," when our equine vet, Dr. Bill Brown, comes out to do the spring vaccinations and annual health checks on all the horses.  With 32 horses at the ranch, it takes most of the day!  In this photo Bill and his vet tech Linda C. are getting a little help from blind Nikki on the left and blind Destiny on the right, as Bill gets ready to examine blind Lena.  Just because they're blind doesn't mean they aren't inquisitive, and these girls definitely are that.

In this photo Nikki was trying to steal the clipboard literally right out of Linda's hands.  Nikki had no idea what a clipboard was, of course, but the best way to find out is to steal it and then check it out yourself.  Linda managed to grab it back before this three-year old took off with it.

We saved the best part for last, which was getting the strangles nasal vaccine up each horse's nose.  Needless to say, there isn't a horse alive that likes having an 8-inch plastic tube stuck up its nose and then a liquid squirted out.  Our two Belgian draft horses not only really don't like this procedure, but their sheer size makes it even more of a challenge to get the vaccine delivered to the right spot.  So I handed the lead rope to Linda while I shot this video of Bill giving Rooster and Beaver their strangles vaccines.  (At the end of the first clip of Rooster getting his dose, the audio is not very clear but Bill is saying something like, "Hey, my shoulder is still in the socket!"

Comments

[Boundforglory]

A long day, but a great day! What a fun trio Lena, Destiny and Nikki are.
Rooster and Beaver are so...spectacular. I am amazed by their stature and grace.
Thanks for coming out Dr. B and Linda; glad you left will all your clipboards in hand.

[Heidi & the kitties]

Such beautiful animals! Those girls are so pretty. Nikki is so sweet - she just wanted to help with the paperwork! I could just snuggle her (can you snuggle a horse?).

[Katy]

Hi Steve and Alayne! Love reading your blog first thing when I get to work - it starts my day on a good note, except it makes me want to go right back home and hang out with my dog and cat instead of be here! Anyway, I was just wondering why you have to give the horses the vaccine up their noses, rather than a shot in the rump or something? Your vet is very brave with horses that size yanking on his arm, that's for sure. But they look like sweetie pies! Have a great weekend and hugs to all your furry buddies!

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

Whoever devised that method of administration, obviously wasn't out in the field having to do the work, were they? That could be downright dangerous! That could be a competition for bronc riders! Looks like risky business to me. I'm glad Dr. Bill came away unscathed. All the horses are just beautiful!
Horsey hugs,
ginger & Tobias