Re: reply...

["Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

I'd like to think that the day I quit learning is the day I die.  However,
we see too many people in this profession (anything to do with horses) that
simply haven't anything to learn because they either know it all already
(sometimes at 16 years old!) or simply refuse to listen...we dealt with 2
opposite end situations today. An old timer whose dad always had horses and
so did he....won't trim his horses any more than he thinks is absolutely
necessary (about every 3-4 months).  Both are foundered badly.  Today, he
wanted Nelson to trim the pony....said he stepped on something in his
pasture.  Couldn't figure out what though.  Vet said it was a puncture
wound.  Nelson checked it out.  Pony can hardly walk...poor, sweet thing!!
The chocolate dapple with silver mane and tail kind!  Nelson started
checking the foot out very closely...big HOLE, not puncture.  Pus and gunk
and gross!!  He poked around, something fell out....it was a piece of
bone...coffin bone.  This pony at sometime busted his coffin bone and not
just recently...the puncture was an abscess.  HUGE!  The coffin bone is
coming right through his sole.  We had to tell the guy this pony is
suffering and to put it to sleep....well, he guesses he'll wait until the
foot falls off.  He just can't bring himself to do it until it's absolutely
necessary.  He wouldn't listen to us and it didn't help any that the vet
told him it would take a long time, maybe a year for this pony to "come
back" again.  There is NO comeback!!  Another client of ours wants to buy
this pony to give it a better life...we had to tell them the only thing they
could do for it would be to put it to sleep and out of its pain.  This old
guy isn't even giving him anything for pain.  On the other hand, the NEXT
place we went were new clients, a referral from another client and they are
new horse owners (retirees)  and they couldn't soak up enough.... questions,
questions, questions...how I love those people!!  :)  At least the day ended
on a more positive note.  But I do think I'll have nightmares about this
poor pony!!  Now that I've vented, I'm off to bed!!!
Maggie