Acepromazine can be very useful for a Veterinarian.  Ace is used when sewing up wounds, floating teeth, and lots of otherwise tough medical procedures.  But, should it be used as a training aid?  By the way, for those of you that don’t know, Ace is a tranquilizer.

I say yes it can be used as a training aid and I have used it as such.  Now let me explain before you all get your panties in a wad.  Green trail horses can have a nicer tail experience.  Young horses can handle a first saddling with less stress.  Or a first shoeing.  Horses recovering from lameness issues are less likely to re-injure themselves.  We used it a lot when our Jessie was recovering from a severed nerve in her hind fetlock. (This was just as severe as a break)  After 9 weeks of stall rest we used Ace and hand walked her for 20 minutes twice a day in the chilly, windy winter. (Remember this is Southern California not Duluth, Minnesota)  It would have been a complete train wreck without the Ace.

We also used Ace when it was time to ride her again after six months of rehab.  That kept me safe as well.  If I was nervous about flying in an airplane and I had to fly once a week for a while I think a mild tranquilizer would definitely make the first couple of flights less nerve racking.  Also, the picture is taken when Jessie was used in a motion picture picture and Ace helped to calm her down with all that was going on around her that was strange.

So here is a big high five for this wonderful training aid.  Here is to Acepromazine.  It is also available in a long-acting tablet. (That is what we used on Jessie)

Do you agree?  Please let us know.

For some reason Brandee, our 25 year old TB mare suddenly decided that no human on the face of the planet, except me, is going to touch her feet ever again.  How am I going to get her hooves trimmed?

A horse’s hooves should be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks.  Some horses can go longer, due to slower growing hooves, but the average is every 6 to 8 weeks.  They are just like people’s finger nails.  Some people’s nails grow like weeds; others grow really slow and not very much. 

Having a Farrier (Shoer) do your horse’s feet cost about $40 to $60 for just a trim.  People who own horses with hard awesome hooves are lucky because a trim is most likely all they will ever have to pay for.  Shoeing is three times more than just a trim.

With 40 years of owning horses, showing, taking and giving lessons and then training horses under my belt all of the Farriers and Vets that I know all think that I should give hoof trimming a try myself.  I guess it is not that hard.  The shoeing part is what is hard and that requires talent, knowledge and a strong back.  So I am going to give it a shot!  It will save us some money because we have three horses.

I have two Farriers as teachers and our Vet for consulting.  All three are happy to volunteer the knowledge, as well as their time, to teach me.  A Farrier already donated the tools that I need.  I have been reading, watching DVD’s, and spending time with my two Farrier friends learning and practicing.  I should be ready in about six weeks.  Brandee, of course, will be my first customer.  This should be interesting.  We will post pictures and we will see if she stays sound. (Ha, Ha)  Hopefully this will inspire other horse owners to learn, learn, and LEARN. 

Even if you never have a desire to trim your own horse’s “footsels”, learning and understanding something new is nothing but a positive thing to do.  I just hope that the old back can take it!  Mine that is.

Comments please?   

Are we, as good horse owners, ever ready to let go?  My emphasis is on “good horse owners” because so many “bad horse owners” just dump their faithful companions like a bad transmission after they become old, or not even old, just injured.  Just pop down to your local heart-wrenching horse auction to see what we are talking about.  Shame on you.  So I guess this blog is just for “good horse owners”.  When it is time to let go have your Vet put them down.  Send them to the “big pasture in the sky”. The pasture with the safe fencing and the Angels to keep them from injury. 

Anyway, it seems to be so easy for other people to tell you “it is time” when they are not in the your shoes.  The horse is still walking, trotting, eating (not as well), pooping, drinking water and peeing.  So why is it “time”?  She doesn’t look that great.  She walks stiff legged.  So why is it “time”?  I didn’t put my Grandmother down and she couldn’t walk at all and we had to help feed her.  Still, she claimed she was happy and she smiled all of the time because she knew she was loved and cared for.

Our friend Betty’s horse is now 32 years old.  God, we love Lady (pictured above).  The other boarders are complaining that her time is way overdue.  We wish that they would just mind their own business and support Betty’s decision to let Lady stay alive another week.  This is a day to day, week to week, ordeal for this paint.

Since Betty usually lets Lady roam the property with her stall gate open Lady usually hangs out with the geldings in the barn.  They are her boy friends.  So she poops and pees in the barn aisle.  One of the other boarders was complaining what an inconvenience it is to pick up Lady’s poop and “the whole barn smells like pee”.  Come on, it’s a barn!  I pick up her poop.  I even brush her when I have time.  Betty is here with Lady twice a day.  That is what good human beings are supposed to do…help each other.  Especially since our group are all “horse lovers”.  I don’t know why the rest of the boarders do not want to support Betty and help her any way that they can.  That is what good people do.

So, when is it time?  When the horse owner, Betty, says it is time and not a second sooner.  We hope Lady lives another year or more.

What do you think?