Pony Progress Pics

[Mannequin]

I was at home today and was able to take some pictures of my horses that came out well. For Lorelei and others, I wanted to post one of the new horse Luke so you can see how great he is looking in just a few short weeks of spoiling.

My mom really likes him a lot, and she's been riding him a little and fussing on him with the grooming gear every night. His teeth will be addressed on Friday when our vet comes out and then she'll be able to ride more.

For reference, here's the before:

And here's the after:

Looking good, Luke!

ETA: Remember, this guy is EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD.

 

[monarch64]

Goodness, Equestrienne, he looks tons better! I''m happy for you! I have been following your threads, not responding due to lack of expert knowledge, but worried for you. I grew up on a very small farm in So. Indiana...we used to board horses for people who didn''t have the land/pastures/stable room. So I KIND of know about horses, but won''t begin to say I know more than that. I DO have a deep love for animals, and when we had to put down our Apaloosa, Cricket, due to repeated foundering, it was a sad day and one I''ll never forget.

I hope and wish for Luke nothing but the best and I know you and your family will give him that. Thank you for being a lover of horses/animals and being a good human to him. Best of luck to you all! (Oh, and congrats on your engagement again, and good luck with your wedding planning!!! )

 

[Mara]

equestrienne, he looks beautiful...you are doing a great job!!

 

[strmrdr]

looking good

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 8/24/2006 12:44:12 AM
Author: monarch64
Goodness, Equestrienne, he looks tons better! I''m happy for you! I have been following your threads, not responding due to lack of expert knowledge, but worried for you. I grew up on a very small farm in So. Indiana...we used to board horses for people who didn''t have the land/pastures/stable room. So I KIND of know about horses, but won''t begin to say I know more than that. I DO have a deep love for animals, and when we had to put down our Apaloosa, Cricket, due to repeated foundering, it was a sad day and one I''ll never forget.

I hope and wish for Luke nothing but the best and I know you and your family will give him that. Thank you for being a lover of horses/animals and being a good human to him. Best of luck to you all! (Oh, and congrats on your engagement again, and good luck with your wedding planning!!! )

Thank you so much, monarch! I was so worried about Chance after we lost Taz and he was so lonely, and I hesitated on getting another horse so quickly and without a trial period, but I am so glad my mother found Luke. He''s eating well and filling out in all the right places. He is so sweet and mild-mannered to work around the barn with, and he''s only getting better every time she rides him as they get acquainted. He''s a good match for Chance, and my mom. What is also kind of neat is that as much as he seems to like my mom, he was once a man''s horse and he has really taken to my daddy. I can almost see Luke''s eyes soften when my daddy walks up to him, it''s really sweet. Thanks again! Now hopefully some wedding progress can get posted soon, too.

 

[kcoursolle]

I didn't see the before pictures, but she looks happy and healthy. She's beautiful.

Edit: I scrolled down too fast and missed the top pic. The top pictures is the before...gotcha. She looks muuuch healther, too bony in the first pic. Her stomach and shoulders look much better especially.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 8/24/2006 12:46:20 AM
Author: Mara
equestrienne, he looks beautiful...you are doing a great job!!

Thanks, but I can''t take too much credit for Luke''s makeover, Mara. Chance was my "project" a few years ago. My parents are doing the work this time and I am supervising.

I go up at least twice a week to see the horses and I help adjust the feed rations and help my mom when she wants to ride or fuss on Luke. They are doing him a world of good, aren''t they?

 

[Mannequin]

Thank you, strmrdr and kcoursolle!

 

[Mannequin]

A good one of Chance, too... he felt left out of the photoshoot and kept trying to block my shots.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 8/24/2006 1:12:55 AM
Author: equestrienne
A good one of Chance, too... he felt left out of the photoshoot and kept trying to block my shots.

That makes me laugh--they are total picture hogs, aren''t they?! Cricket and the cows used to compete for photo time when my mom would take pictures, lol! They both look beautiful, though, your parents have done a fantastic job under your supervision, of course. Will they be part of the wedding? (totally serious, honestly.)

 

[Lorelei]

OMG Equi, he looks great!!! He has filled out, his topline has improved already, also his coat looks softer and glossier! What a great job on a very happy boy

Thanks for sharing the pics, I was wondering how he was doing, but knew that he would be doing great

He's a complete lover and I want to snuggle him up

Chance looks great too!

hehehe...I can see Luke's bangs have had a trim!

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 8/24/2006 1:17:43 AM
Author: monarch64
Will they be part of the wedding?

Before we lost Taz, I had thought that somehow, just maybe I could incorporate him into the wedding somewhere. He would have been a beautiful sight with ribbons and flowers woven into his hair. I would have had the ceremony in a church but the reception would have likely been at my family home and I could have made my entrance at the reception on Taz. He died one week after FI proposed, unfortunately. As much as I love Chance, Taz would have been the only horse I would have wanted to play this part. We started looking into catering costs and reception halls and found a hall that was much better on price and would be air conditioned instead of being outdoors in tents in late July, so no mounted entrance is possible now.

I may still see about getting some engagement photos done with FI and Chance, though. Our photographer included them in our package and said she could travel to a place we picked. Maybe this fall, when the trees around the paddock start turning.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 8/24/2006 2:11:55 AM
Author: Lorelei
OMG Equi, he looks great!!! He has filled out, his topline has improved already, also his coat looks softer and glossier! What a great job on a very happy boy

Thanks for sharing the pics, I was wondering how he was doing, but knew that he would be doing great

He''s a complete lover and I want to snuggle him up

Chance looks great too!

hehehe...I can see Luke''s bangs have had a trim!

Hahaha, that was my mother. I''ve usually done most of the trimming on the horses and she tried doing it for Luke the other day because his forelock was irritating his eyes. Well, he moved mid-snip.

He got a little more taken off than she wanted by the time she evened everything up.

I am most amazed at the change in the topline and the transition from thin-with-hay-belly to filled-out-and-sleek. He''s making great progress. I''ve been helping my parents adjust the feed as needed, and he''s gone from hay only to a little bit of senior horse food and corn to a full ration like Chance (senior food/cup of cracked corn/cup of rolled oats) with some joint supplements to keep him feeling good. It also helps that he''s discovered the joys of horse cookies.

We buy bags of these carrot apple biscuits for the boys, and they both like them a lot. Luke doesn''t like sugar cubes or peppermints like Chance does, but he goes nuts for these cookies. (Do your horses get special treats?

Beyond the usual bran mashes and such, Taz used to eat frosted strawberry PopTarts and Chance loves pears.)

Luke''s teeth are still pretty sorry - they don''t seem to have been touched in a while. He has some sharp points that I can feel through his cheeks. He is having a little trouble chewing at dinnertime. They make him a little upset when being ridden and he fusses with the bit a lot. He is still well behaved for my mom to ride even with the teeth problem, he''s been such a good boy for her. She has just been walking around the paddock and doing turns and circles as they get used to each other. He''s going to be great for her seat - a little lean or extra pressure to one hipbone or the other will start Luke on a turn. He''s going to help her balance tremendously. Once the teeth are better, it will be even easier for her and Luke to get out and ride. We have a great vet who also does equine dentistry and she is coming out to the barn tomorrow to work on Luke and Chance, so they both will be feeling better soon.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 8/24/2006 8:49:44 AM
Author: equestrienne

Date: 8/24/2006 1:17:43 AM
Author: monarch64
Will they be part of the wedding?

Before we lost Taz, I had thought that somehow, just maybe I could incorporate him into the wedding somewhere. He would have been a beautiful sight with ribbons and flowers woven into his hair. I would have had the ceremony in a church but the reception would have likely been at my family home and I could have made my entrance at the reception on Taz. He died one week after FI proposed, unfortunately. As much as I love Chance, Taz would have been the only horse I would have wanted to play this part. We started looking into catering costs and reception halls and found a hall that was much better on price and would be air conditioned instead of being outdoors in tents in late July, so no mounted entrance is possible now.

I may still see about getting some engagement photos done with FI and Chance, though. Our photographer included them in our package and said she could travel to a place we picked. Maybe this fall, when the trees around the paddock start turning.

That would be beautiful! I hope you can do that, and of course we''d love to see those pictures, hee hee!

 

[Lorelei]

My guys don't get too much in the way of treaties unfortunately as they are natives, one Welshman and 2 Shetlands, as you know they gain weight so easily. So they have a low calorie feed balancer, the Welshie has Speedibeet soaked also as he is 26 to aid digestion and safe calories, low sugar chaff and an apple or carrot or 2, plus hay ad lib. This seems to keep them in fine fettle! As I am a daft Mummy

, I would love to give them more treats - they love mint candies too - but I have to keep as strict an eye on their waistlines as my own, also I weight tape them regularly.

Interesting thing, we are always told to soak dry beet pulp in the UK to avoid choke, apparently it is fed dry in the States? That is a huge no no here, just curious?

Also the standard of equine dentistry is improving here thankfully. More and more general large animal practice vets are learning horse dentistry techniques now which is a good thing, instead of just rasping the teeth up and down and assuming thats all that is needed. It is amazing the difference a dentist or vet as you know who has an interest and more than the usual skill at dentistry can make to a horse in so many ways. I hope it goes smoothly for you all and Luke and Chance tomorrow, mention the words, vet, teeth and my Welshman in one sentence is enough to send me screaming to the hills, he doesn't behave very well at teeth time

 

[Dee*Jay]

He looks SO much better!

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what is the mask over his eyes in the third picture?

 

[Lorelei]

In case Equi isn't here DJ, that is probably a fly net. Horrible things can feed off the secretions from the eyes and cause soreness and infections etc. Also they can be handy like sunglasses for us

Not a stupid question at all!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Thanks Lorelei!

 

[Mara]

hehe Chance is a beauty too!!! horses are so magnificent.

 

[fatafelice]

Oh, what beautiful horses! You (and your mom

) have done a wonderful job with them!

This makes me miss riding even more. With a wedding to pay for, though, I just can''t justify paying for lessons.

One day...

 

[FireGoddess]

They look so great!!!

 

[rfath]

Wow... he''s looking awesome. May he never know hunger and neglect like that again!

My mare seems to think that her best side is her bum... I have SO many pictures featuring her rear end that it''s embarrassing.

Her son is a big fan of just eating the camera. I think he''s got expensive-item radar because he went for my e-ring the first time he saw it.

 

[flopkins]

oh wow equestrienne , Luke is so beautiful, as is Chance...

I love horses ... they always look so elegant to me... it''s just so sad that I probably will never learn to ride because everytime I''m in a barn I immediately start sneezing like crazy... sigh.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Such beautiful babies--I am glad you have each other!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Mannequin]

Thanks everyone (Dee*Jay, fatafelice, Mara, FG, flopkins, c-g) for the comments, I am just so pleased that Luke is doing well.

rfath - Hee hee, your picture shows just the fuzzy ears of the horse, it''s so cute.

Lorelei - Thanks for assisting when I was away. Yes, that is a fly mask. He is not in disguise.

And I do use beet pulp in the winter, sometimes soaked and sometimes dry. It was the best thing ever for Chance when he first joined us, since he was so sick. We used it to get his system hydrated and bulk him up slowly and gradually. He did need to gain over 300 pounds, after all...

Our vet did the dental work today, and I got a good look in Luke''s mouth - ACK! He was waaaay overdue for some work, and the vet said this time she got about 85% of what should be fixed in his mouth. Our vet is fabulous with equine teeth, and uses a combination of pneumatic drills, Dremel tools, and hand files to really get all the proper angles and smoothness throughout the mouth. Luke behaved very well for her and her assistants. He''ll have a few days of adjusting to his new choppers and she''ll fix everything up on the next visit. He''s going to feel GREAT. Mom is excited to ride him again, maybe on Sunday, to see how he is with his mouth feeling better. I took pictures of the whole process so that I can share with my kids at school (they''ll think it''s awesome), and once they are uploaded I can post some here. While the vet was working on Luke, Chance was freaking out about being next. He was making the most hilarious faces and was being a real goofball.

He got his teeth adjusted too, not so much work for him.

 

[Lorelei]

I am glad they were good boys Equi, I HATE teeth time, it is like a flippin'' rodeo

Can''t wait to see Luke''s new gnashers!

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Hi Equestrienne ~

Wow-wee! Luke is sure lookin'' good!

I can''t believe the difference! All I know is that you and your mom are doing something so right

... He looks gorgeouser & gorgeouser!!!

Would love to see more pics of Chance & Luke ... My daughter & I are living vicariously thru them!

Take care and give them a big

and

from my daughter & I.

Have a great weekend!

 

[Fancy605]

Luke is turning out to be a very pretty boy! He is one of my favorite horse colors! You just have to love that nice "blonde" M/T. I hope he continues improving!

And Chance is a pretty thing too!

What lucky horses to have people who care so much about their well being!

 

[wifey2b]

good job...keep up the good work...bet you are truly loved :}

Wifey2b :}

 

[Kaleigh]

Luke is looking terrific. I loved the pics. Keep'em coming and Chance is very handsome as well.