Well, Beaver the Belgian turned out to be too big for the "XX Large" belly band designed for a Clydesdale. I took this photo on Friday, after I applied the Aldara to his sarcoid for the first time. We needed another, um ... 8 to 10 inches to comfortably close the top of the band over his back. The cinch strap was long enough, and the breast collar harness (not shown here) was workable, but the band itself was just too short. I called Suzanne at Equus Therapeutics in Virginia, who produces the belly band, and she is making us a 12-inch "extender" with velcro to close the top. We should have that later this week.
That's Cindy holding Beaver. As I mentioned in an earlier post, she doesn't want to appear in the blog photos except "hidden" like this. I told her she's going to end up being our version of Wilson, the neighbor of Tim the Toolman whose face you never saw in the TV show Home Improvement. She liked that idea.
I heard this crack from a draft horse person a while ago:
Q. Do you know why Budweiser needs eight Clydesdales to pull their beer wagon?
A. Because they're Clydesdales. They'd only need two Belgians to get the job done.
(Clydesdale people: That's a joke. Please, no calls or emails.)
Beaver is big, even for a Belgian, at 18 hands high and 2,000 lbs. But I figured if the belly band was sized for a Clydesdale, it should fit him okay. Not so. It's hard to appreciate just how big he is until you get right up next to him. Cindy took this shot of me waving from the other side of Beaver as I was trying to adjust the band:
I'm glad you reminded us how big Beaver is...I have to increase the size of my cyber HUGS AND KISSES to him!
I sure do hope the belt extender works well for him; something tells me it will.
Posted by: Boundforglory | January 27, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Wow, what a big gorgeous boy! Does he have a sweet personality too? I love the sorrel coloring. Here's hoping he gets better soon!
Posted by: JC | January 26, 2009 at 05:47 PM
He sure is a beautiful boy. Many good wishes coming his way that he will feel better soon.
Posted by: Suzanne | January 26, 2009 at 09:57 AM
I hope the latest treatment does wonders for Beaver's tumor. He certain is a handsome Hunk! I'm glad that he's getting a custom made extender to make his case more managable.
Warm hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit
Posted by: ginger | January 26, 2009 at 02:10 AM
Why am I not surprised at his size? I've been to Belgium (I'm moving to Belgium in six months) and I've never seen such huge cows in my life. I have no idea what they feed them, but if the horses have any access to it...
Posted by: Jamie | January 25, 2009 at 07:43 PM
Beaver is one huge boy, but a handsome one! Here's hoping the belly band will give him some comfort and his sarcoid will begin healing up with no complications.
Posted by: Nina | January 25, 2009 at 07:31 PM
Now the question is...how tall are you, Steve? That would help me understand Beaver's size. I have a particular fondness for Clydesdales and Belgians, and I think Beaver is one handsome fellow.
Posted by: Moon Rani | January 25, 2009 at 06:29 PM
As I recall, this also the same Cindy who had the face of dog because she held a dog up in front of her face to avoid photos. Cindy, I can seriously relate!!
I love the full winter look on your big Belgian boy and I hope the belly-band helps keep his sarcoid clean. Speedy recovery, handsome Beaver.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | January 25, 2009 at 05:40 PM
How is Beaver doing without his brother. I was saddened to hear about Rooster. I must have missed that blog.
Posted by: lisa James | January 25, 2009 at 05:17 PM